I Am the Devil of This Hell

Chapter 078

The conversation within the dimly lit, reinforced timber office shifted from mere trade to a high-stakes geopolitical gamble. General Warhawk Turner leaned forward, his weathered face etched with a mixture of skepticism and cold calculation. The sheer audacity of the proposal hung in the humid air, thicker than the scent of g*n oil and tropical decay.

“Seventy percent?” the General repeated, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly rasp. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the young man before him. “That is a bold request, Kane. A dangerous one. Even Nathan Black, at the height of his independence, never dared to claim more than forty percent. I feel obligated to remind you of the reality of the Emerald Triangle. If I were to grant you seventy percent of my harvest, you would effectively control twenty percent of the global supply. Do you have any idea how many wolves that would bring to your door? Do you know how many cartels and syndicates live and die by the flow of this product? You would become the single most targeted man on the planet. You aren't just asking for a business deal; you are inviting a world war. I doubt even a man with your reputation has the capacity to hold back the tide of every desperate criminal organization from here to the United States.”

The General paused, his hand hovering near the pistol on his hip. “Furthermore, if I were to agree, I doubt you would even make it out of the Borderlands alive. The news would leak before your transport trucks hit the main road.”

Kane Adler didn't flinch. He leaned back in the heavy oak chair, a thin, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. To him, the General’s warnings were merely variables in an equation he had already solved. “General, your concern for my longevity is touching, but misplaced. I have already calculated the risks of self-preservation. I am not asking for your protection once the product leaves your soil. I am asking for a decision. A simple yes or no.”

Kane’s voice was steady, devoid of the bravado typical of a nineteen-year-old. “If you agree, you receive a steady stream of the most advanced Russian military hardware every year, free of charge. You will have the firepower to crush the other two warlords and establish a true hegemony over the Emerald Triangle. If you refuse... well, then we shall act as if this conversation never happened. Out of respect for our current transaction and Nathan Black’s long-standing relationship with you, I will take my forty percent for the year and depart. You have five minutes to decide whether you want to be a local warlord or the undisputed king of the jungle.”

Silence reclaimed the room. General Warhawk Turner’s mind raced. He had spent decades navigating the treacherous politics of the Deep Bayou, but he had never encountered a player like Kane Adler. All his intelligence reports described Kane as a cold-blooded rising star from Larkspur, a newcomer who had seized power with terrifying speed. But reports couldn't capture the sheer gravitational pull of the boy’s presence.

In the high-stakes meetings of international cartels, Kane had somehow become the silent center of gravity. He had faced the representatives of the Elite Union and the Kuro-Ryu Clan without blinking, treating men who controlled thousands of lives as if they were middle-managers. And then there was the fact that Nathan Black—the Venom of Asia, a man who bowed to no one—had voluntarily submitted to this teenager. That fact alone spoke volumes about the hidden depths of the Shadow Eagle Clan.

“I admire your courage, Kane,” the General finally said, his voice softer now. “Truly.”

Nathan Black stepped forward from the shadows of the corner, his voice smooth and reassuring. “General, we wouldn't ask for seventy percent if we couldn't defend it. Before you rise to dominance here, we will be your shield. The flow of weapons will not stop. My reputation is built on reliability; you know this. If I have pledged my life to Kane, it is because he possesses a strength that defies conventional measure. You will see it soon enough.”

The General looked between the two men. The lure of the weapons was intoxicating. With the crates of rifles and explosives already sitting in his warehouse, he could see a future where he no longer hid from government SWAT teams or rival incursions.

“The weapons are a powerful incentive,” the General admitted. “But seventy percent is still an impossibility—for now. I am a soldier, but I am also a businessman. I trade in certainties, not boasts. I will not hand over the lion’s share of my empire until I see the Shadow Eagle Clan manifest its true potential.”

He stood up and began to pace the room. “Here is my counter-offer. I accept the price of one hundred dollars per unit—a generous lock, given the market. For now, I will grant you fifty percent of the harvest. However, as your influence grows, so will your share. When you take control of two provinces in the United States, I will increase it by another five percent. When you consolidate the entire Rust Belt Provinces, you shall have sixty percent. If you manage to unify everything North of the Mason-Dixon, the seventy percent you desire will be waiting for you.”

A dark grin spread across the General’s face. “And if you ever manage to unify the entire United States? I will give you eighty percent. I’ll give you ninety. I will be your personal supplier until the end of time, at a fixed price. The share is there for the taking, Kane. You just have to prove you are the man you claim to be.”

Kane and Nathan exchanged a brief, knowing glance. Kane stood up and extended his hand across the desk. The General gripped it, his hand like a vice.

“I want a permanent alliance,” Kane stated firmly. “A true partnership. If the Hawk Cartel ever finds itself besieged, the Shadow Eagle Clan will commit its full resources—men, money, and steel—to your defense. We are no longer just buyer and seller.”

The General felt the sincerity in the grip. He realized that even if this boy failed, he wouldn't lose anything. But if Kane succeeded, the General would have the most powerful ally in the criminal underworld. “Agreed. A permanent alliance.”

“Then today,” Kane said, his eyes reflecting the flickering lamplight, “the Shadow Eagle Clan and the Hawk Cartel are bound.”

“Permanently,” the General echoed.

Neither man fully realized the weight of the pact they had just forged. In the years to come, this agreement—born of convenience and cold logic—would be the only thing standing between them and total annihilation. The soldiers of the Emerald Triangle would eventually become the terrifying phantom army that allowed the Shadow Eagle Clan to strike fear into the hearts of global syndicates.

Settling back into his chair, Kane redirected the conversation to more immediate matters. “Since we have reached an understanding, I will take my fifty percent share now. And because our business is concluded, I see no reason for me to attend the remaining sessions of your little summit.”

The General laughed. “Probably wise. It avoids giving the other factions a reason to band together against you. I can arrange for a guide to show you the sights of the Deep Bayou. The jungle has a certain savage beauty, if you have the stomach for it.”

Kane shook his head. “No. I intend to leave tomorrow morning.”

The General raised an eyebrow. “Leaving so soon? Are you worried about the Kuro-Ryu Clan’s retaliation? Within my borders, they wouldn't dare move against you.”

“Retaliation doesn't worry me,” Kane replied coolly. “I simply have other business to attend to. However, I do require one more favor from you, General.”

“Name it.”

“Shorten the duration of the summit. Force the negotiations to conclude within three days. By the fourth day, I want every delegation escorted out of this village. Specifically, when you lead Adam Foster and his team toward the border, I want to know the exact route they are taking.”

The General’s expression hardened. “Kane, I was very clear in the invitations. All guests must surrender their weapons. In exchange, I guarantee their safety within my territory. If you are planning an ambush on my roads, I cannot allow it. It would ruin my credibility.”

“General, don't be so dramatic,” Kane said with a smirk. “I have no intention of letting the fallout land on your doorstep. I can guarantee that the Firecracker Crew will have no reason to blame the Hawk Cartel.”

The General snorted. “If one of their top lieutenants—a man like Adam Foster—is slaughtered while leaving my lands, they will find a reason. You’re asking for a lot, kid. You’re talking about wiping out a major player.”

“I’m talking about being efficient. I will do it cleanly. No one will suspect me, and the Firecracker Crew will be far too busy to worry about the Emerald Triangle.”

“Who are you planning to frame?” the General asked, leaning in.

“Let’s just say I find the representatives from the Kuro-Ryu Clan particularly distasteful,” Kane said. “It’s time they had some real problems to deal with.”

“You want to spark a war between the Japanese and the Firecracker Crew?”

“They are roughly equal in strength,” Kane noted dismissively. “It’s boring to watch them bully smaller gangs. If they are locked in a death struggle with each other, they won't have the energy to stop me when I move to dismantle the Five-Star Council. It keeps the board clear for both of us.”

He leaned forward, his voice dropping. “Besides, the seeds were planted at the first meeting. Eric lost both his arms to those steel spikes. The Kuro-Ryu Clan isn't going to let that slide easily. They are already looking for blood.”

The General looked at Kane with newfound wariness. “Those spikes... that was your man?”

Without a word, Ford’s hand blurred. A silver streak hissed through the air, so fast it was almost invisible.

Thwack!

The General gasped as a long steel nail buried itself deep into the mahogany desk, precisely in the narrow gap between the General’s index and middle fingers. It hadn't grazed his skin, but the vibration of the impact hummed through the wood.

The General’s guards immediately raised their rifles, but the General held up a hand to stop them. He stared at the nail, then at the silent, expressionless Ford. The precision was supernatural.

“I want you to ensure that after the Japanese leave the village, some small... mementos... are found in their abandoned quarters. Something that links them to the site of an unfortunate accident on the road,” Kane proposed. “In exchange for this minor cooperation, I will deliver an additional three crates of advanced weaponry to you within the month.”

“Three crates?” the General’s eyes gleamed.

Kane laughed, knowing he had won. “Three crates. The best the Russians have to offer.”