Chapter 8
1359 Words
It seemed Shirley knew quite a lot. Since she had intervened, I decided to follow this lead to uncover the truth.
"I need to investigate the clues and everyone involved," I said.
"No problem. Leave it to me." Shirley nodded confidently and got to work.
I turned back to the man in front of me, threw him onto the couch, and slammed a knife onto the table. "They're all dead. If you don't want to die, tell me the truth."
The shorter man glared at me fiercely. Even though he knew he couldn't fight back, he still refused to speak.
Without hesitation, I grabbed his hand and drove the knife straight into it.
"Argh!" The man screamed in pain. "You are f*cking crazy..."
Shirley, oblivious to the commotion outside, was completely focused on a computer.
I loosened my grip and asked again, "Tell me. Who ordered you to target the casino?"
The man slumped over the table, drenched in sweat, his whole body trembling.
Fueled by rage, I raised my fist, ready to strike again. This punch would likely beat him to death.
"I'll tell you!" he blurted out.
I pulled back my hand, waiting for him to speak.
"It... It was Kieth Mitchell," the man stammered. "He ordered us to do it and promised us a reward."
"How dare you accept money from a casino as a reward?" I roared angrily.
"We... We hacked into the casino's system. We could eavesdrop on their conversations and control the outcomes. The casino had no way to catch us cheating, so we could come and go freely."
"That's right. They did hack the casino's system, and they could control every game," Shirley turned back and revealed.
Their methods were sophisticated. Hacking the casino system without anyone noticing was no small feat.
"Who helped you from inside the casino?" I crossed my arms and asked again.
"Do they need someone from the casino to pull this off?" Shirley asked, her face full of doubt.
I didn't explain and waited for the man to answer.
"If you don't want to end up as a corpse, speak now." I pressed the knife harder, sending another wave of excruciating pain through him.
"I'll tell you..." the man's voice was trembling. "It was Raven Marsh. He took our money, charging a 10% commission each time."
"A mole?" Shirley looked at me, her face full of shock.
She was still young and didn't yet understand how dangerous the world could be. The Fighters were a major gang in Northvale, and their casino wasn't easily targeted. For this group to dare hack the casino's system, there had to be collusion from the inside.
I didn't know who Raven was yet, but this clue was shocking enough.
"Victor, look at this!" Shirley called out urgently. "Kieth has ties with the K13. It's Kaden Locke."
I stepped closer and saw all the records of their interactions.
What I saw was startling. Kieth and Kaden were conspiring on a massive scheme.
"They're planning to frame the Fighters for money laundering, using the casino's bankruptcy as a cover. And the middleman... is your girlfriend, Flora," Shirley exclaimed in shock.
I frowned deeply. I had suspected Kieth of money laundering, but I hadn't expected all of this to be a setup to frame the Fighters. What was his goal?
If they just wanted to take down the Fighters, they could've attacked directly with the K13. Why did they have to go to such lengths?
The root of the problem had to lie with Kieth.
"Keep digging. We need to uncover Kieth's identity," I ordered immediately.
Shirley, energized, continued her investigation.
I turned back to the man. "Why is Kieth doing all this?"
"I don't know. Really," he said, shaking his head repeatedly.
He wasn't lying. It seemed I wouldn't get the truth from him. We'd have to tackle this from multiple angles.
I immediately called Brady and told him about the current situation. I instructed him to capture the three individuals when they entered the casino tomorrow.
As for Raven, he needed to be taken into custody in advance.
Brady hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed to my request. I didn't leave any loose ends, finishing the man on the spot and instructing Shirley to continue her investigation.
I had considered going to Kieth's house, but since we'd be capturing him tomorrow, I decided against it. Concerned for Shirley's safety, I stayed in the room with her.
Brady quickly arrived in the room. After we met, he sent someone to clean up the scene right away.
"Great, I knew Mr. Martin wouldn't pick the wrong person. You've saved the Fighters," Brady said, his tone filled with genuine praise.
I didn't fully understand what he meant. Brady motioned for me to sit down and began explaining, "You've already seen the crisis the Fighters are facing—problems both internal and external. Even a small-time gang like K13 dares to cause trouble for us. That's because of the issues within our crew."
He continued, "The Fighters have six divisions spread across Northvale. Mr. Martin set a rule that every division leader must submit their accounts and a detailed report to headquarters each month. But since Mr. Martin left, disputes have broken out among the divisions, throwing everything into chaos. Five of the division leaders have already been replaced, and the last one is barely holding on. Even he has started to waver."
He revealed, "Miss Martin is doing everything she can to hold things together, but morale has collapsed, and it's impossible for her to manage everything on her own. That's the real reason Mr. Martin wanted you to assist her."
I hadn't expected this. The Fighters were in complete disarray. Could I really help her fix this mess?
Brady continued, "Raven, the mole from the First Division, has been planted in the casino. Right now, the casino is the only thing Miss Martin truly controls. If the casino is lost, the Fighters will completely fall apart."
'A lone wolf, huh? The Fighters have fallen into such a state. Does Mike know about this?' I wondered.
"So you want me to take care of the six divisions, right?" I asked, surprised.
"Haha, you don't have the ability to handle them yet," Brady said with a chuckle. "I'm here to help you draft a plan to save the Fighters. Of course, this plan will also help you get your revenge." He handed me a set of photos.
It was him. My enemy, smiling broadly with a raised glass.
Even if he was disfigured, I would recognize him. Bruce Graves. He was the one who had killed my family.
The blood of my family stained my vision red, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. I had sworn that I would kill Bruce and his entire family.
"Bruce Graves was just the leader of a small gang six years ago. Over these past six years, his gang, the Deadskulls, has solidified its position as the biggest gang in Northvale. He now controls numerous major assets and has even made it to number ten on Northvale's top ten richest list."
He continued, "In terms of both wealth and manpower, he's at the top. With your current abilities, it's impossible to take revenge on him. The only way is to cooperate with the Fighters, help them become the largest gang in Northvale, and then you'll have the means to exact your revenge."
Brady was right. Bruce's current status made it impossible for me to approach him easily. To get revenge, I had no choice but to rely on the Fighters. Strengthening the Fighters would also strengthen me. Using the Fighters as a tool for revenge would make things much easier.
"Tell me your plan," I said firmly.
Brady furrowed his brow, then pulled out a notebook. He opened it and handed it to me.
The organizational chart inside was clear and detailed. This was a well-prepared plan, just waiting for me to execute it.
After reading it, I fell silent. 'Miss Martin will marry me, and I'll become the leader of the Fighters...? Is that even possible?' I wondered.
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