Chapter 142 Similar
"So how did your father die, and when did you get control?" Xavier asked the girl standing before him after hearing about the history of her organisation.
She was very emotional as she narrated her past to Xavier. Meanwhile, it seemed as though he had hammered the nail in the coffin by asking her such a blunt question. However, he still wanted his answer and gave her a moment to regain composure before listening attentively to her answer.
"He died of heart failure, but now that I think back on it, he must've been poisoned. He was healthy, then all of a sudden his health began to deteriorate rapidly, to the point that it was unnatural. It was probably '3', the bitch being tortured as we speak. As for when I got control, it was the day my father died."
"I earned my position and, unlike my father, I was in touch with new advanced technology. He previously did all his business over the phone, and despite trying to work from the shadows, was never fully able to. And so, I implemented my own ideas."
"Of course, many were against me getting control. Inheriting a gang isn't that simple, and it was usually the second in command that would take control, not the closest relative. However, I proved my worth and showed that I was more capable than he was. My father was smart and ambitious, but he was naive, rigid, and stuck in the past."
"Is that so? You say he was naive, but you are the same. Did you really think that because you had money and a penthouse, you were safe? Did you really think that if you avoided your uncle, he would leave you alone? Did you honestly think that just because you thought your men were capable, when it came down to it, they would actually make a difference?"
She didn't know how to answer and never expected him to interrupt her so sternly.
She had always thought the best course of action was to avoid her uncle, who frightened her even when she was a child. However, that clearly didn't work out the way she thought it would, and even after how far she had come, he was still out to get her.
"What is his current state compared to yours?" Xavier asked, curious as to how far her uncle had come.
"He likely has power that can rival the 5 great gangs, as I'm sure you know. As for me, all the people you see in this building are pretty much all those who work for me. In a direct confrontation, we wouldn't last a second and the only reason we can rival them in terms of supply is because of the fact that our money is clean and because of the anonymity we give our clients. Be it gangs, corporations, or rich individuals, we make sure that their information and the fact that they brought from us never comes out. But that is also what my uncle wants to plunder from us, and he thinks that by killing me, he can take over what I built from what my father left behind."
"Hmmmm... has he ever contacted you directly?"
"He used to do so all the time, but I made it clear that I had no intention of handing over anything, helping him in any way, or even speaking to him."
Xavier took a moment before considering all of her current options, and despite her abundance of resources and manpower, she was still stuck.
"My focus is and has always been monetary gain and building a better life for those that chose my side and served my father and me for so long. But we can't continue this way, and it's only a matter of time before an assassination attempt succeeds."
Breaking out into tears, it was clear that she was afraid of dying and allowing those that were loyal to her to lose their lives. And while she cried, Xavier sat there and let her get it all out before giving her a smile that weirdly felt both intimidating and reassuring.
"I think you've realised what you need to do and how you are going to do it. You can't beat your uncle directly or indirectly, so your best bet is to beat him at his own game. Using any underhanded tactics at your disposal and trying to destroy his reputation is pretty much your only option. That is if you're alone..."
"However, if you work with me, I'll work with you," he stated while imagining how quickly the Outlaw Gang could progress with her support, as well as how much value he could provide her with.
"We have similar models in mind for our organisations. I will be the phantom leader of my gang, which already has a few members at my level, and is growing rapidly. So as long as you can support my gang from the shadows, your uncle should be a piece of cake."
"All we need from you is suppliers, information and a partnership of sorts, where we aim to help each other."
It was an offer that was hard to refuse after seeing how capable Xavier was. And she was on the verge of agreeing, but she had too many questions and doubts...
Of course, she had no reason to doubt Xavier himself, after he literally saved her life, but she couldn't find anything about him no matter how much she researched. There also wasn't anything she could find about the gang that he had formed, which worried her.
And so she bombarded him with even questions, dragging on their conversation even further.
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Xavier couldn't blame her for being curious and cautious before accepting any form of partnership, but he could tell from her reaction that she felt as though the answers she received were quite underwhelming.
"My Gang is the Outlaw Gang and we haven't established ourselves yet because we were formed not too long ago. My connection to the Wolf Gang is that I've fought in their fight club and gambled there to make money. I also spoke to their bald lunatic of an executive a few times. As for how I killed 4 assassins, I used the element of surprise and the fact that they underestimated me to my advantage. After taking down 2 of them, it was merely a battle of accuracy, and I guess I'm just talented when it comes to the use of firearms."
She still had her doubts and things that didn't add up in her mind, but she was tired of questioning him. Instead, she expressed her gratitude, which she hadn't had the chance to do sincerely. However, he took her gratitude and threw it back in her face.
"I almost forgot. Where the hell's my money?!" he yelled before she could even finish thanking him.
Laughing, remembering the fact that she had previously intended to take his money and ditch him somewhere since he hadn't met her expectations, she reminded him of such. Which only served to annoy him further.
"Don't worry. I'll return your money to you and I can provide you with anything you need free of charge. Just let me know what you..."
Before she could even finish, Xavier stopped her.
"We are not a charity case and when it comes to trading and money, there are no favours. You can return the favour in another way."
In her eyes, her life was worth more than any amount of money, let alone a measly half a million dollars, but what he said made sense. Agreeing to pay him back in another way, they both smiled slightly before continuing to talk between themselves.
-
There was so much they both wanted to talk about each other that there was no end to the questions they had. But, eventually, their conversation became more casual as they spoke more about each other's lives and ambitions.
It turned out that neither of them could get any sleep, which they found surprising, but allowed them to resonate with each other even more. Xavier was afraid of being alone with his thoughts, while she was suffering from insomnia and irregular sleep ever since her father died.
The stress of taking control of such an organisation at such a young age and seeing so much in her lifetime, Xavier could only imagine the mental strain that she was constantly under. However, Xavier knew that his current state was only temporary and he would overcome any mental or physical struggle one way or another.
But he couldn't say the same thing about her if she had struggled with it for so long.
Instead, it would likely get worse after the near-death experience she had just been through.
"You aren't in a position that the mentally weak can survive in for very long. So, don't let things you can't control or that have already happened restrict you. All you can do is prepare as well as you can and remain positive, looking towards the future and the great things to come."
Taking on board his advice and holding on to all the words of wisdom that the youth before her flung her way, she couldn't help but be in awe. They were the same age, and she felt as though she had experienced a lot. Yet before him, she felt as though her life hadn't been as eventful as she had thought.
Little did she know, Xavier was thinking the same thing about her.
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