The night enveloped the entire A City, neon advertising lights flickering between the high-rise buildings. Even at 8:30 PM, traffic was still bustling. Four black luxury cars drove in a line, moving smoothly.
"Boyce, they’ve arrived," the subordinate in the front passenger seat reported to the man in the back seat.
A calm response came from the back seat: "Hmm."
Boyce’s expression was serene, his deep eyes reflecting no emotion as he gazed ahead, as if what was about to happen was just another routine event in his daily life. The four black luxury cars turned right at an intersection, entering another road, moving further away from the busy city center.
As night deepened, the abandoned construction site in the outskirts welcomed new visitors. The four black luxury cars drove into the underground parking lot of the abandoned building. Half of the parking lot was under construction, the other half filled with construction debris, making the air heavy and dirty.
Once the cars stopped, the subordinate in the front passenger seat got out, attentively observing the surroundings while respectfully opening the rear door, "Boyce, their cars are over there."
Boyce stepped out of the car, his tall figure merging with the darkness, exuding a chilling aura. He glanced at the vehicles parked on the opposite side of the open space, identical to theirs—four cars. Clearly, the people inside were no longer there.
"Let’s go." Boyce withdrew his gaze and strode out of the underground parking lot with his men. As they approached the exit, the air gradually became fresher, albeit not entirely clean.
At the exit, either illuminated by moonlight or a man-made light, a faint glow was visible. Ahead, a cheerful voice echoed, "Boyce, you’re such a punctual businessman. I enjoy doing business with someone like you—straightforward and direct!"
Stepping out of the underground parking lot, they entered an open garden surrounded by several abandoned buildings. The garden was a stark contrast to its surroundings, filled with vibrant flowers and lush green grass underfoot.
In the center was a five-meter-long redwood table with matching chairs at each end. A man was already seated on one side, with fifteen of his subordinates standing behind him. The man stood up, his smiling face revealing deep wrinkles, his voice still warm with laughter, "Boyce, I like to arrive early. I hope you don’t misunderstand—I sincerely want to do business with you."
In their line of work, arriving early or late often raised suspicions of deceit. "I understand." Boyce’s lips barely moved as he slowly walked to the table, raising a slender hand, "Bennett, please have a seat."
Will Bennett, responsible for the connection between A City and Ya Delta for the past year, was a Chinese-American. Boyce’s main purpose in A City was to make a deal with him. Their last transaction was successful, and Bennett was very satisfied with Boyce, hence arranging tonight’s bigger deal.
Bennett sat down as instructed, his gaze sweeping over Boyce’s men, recognizing the same group from before, which reassured him. Boyce, though new, understood the rules and respected Bennett, albeit without showing much friendliness, but his business style suited Bennett perfectly.
Bennett signaled his subordinate, then smiled at Boyce, "I’ve brought the goods. Boyce, please check them."
His subordinate placed a tightly held black suitcase on the table, unlocked it, and pushed it towards Boyce. The black suitcase slid smoothly to Boyce, who caught it with steady hands. He glanced inside, then passed it to his subordinate for inspection.
After a few minutes, the subordinate whispered to Boyce, "Boyce, everything’s in order."
Boyce nodded slightly, signaling his men to place suitcases filled with US dollars on the table, pushing them towards Bennett. Bennett’s smile grew uncontrollably as he watched the boxes of cash slide towards him, the sight of the money bringing a harmonious warmth to his wrinkled face.
Bennett opened one of the boxes, revealing neatly stacked bundles of cash, and took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the paper bills. "Boyce, I like you," Bennett said bluntly, "If A City can keep you, I’d gladly be your friend."
"I’ll consider it." Boyce didn’t refuse outright, instead sincerely complimenting, "A City is a good place."
"I agree," Bennett laughed, "As the saying goes, great minds think alike."
Boyce slowly continued, "Kindred spirits are rare."
"Hahaha—" Bennett laughed heartily.
Just then, a subordinate approached Bennett and whispered, "Boss, Dong Zhenhong is here."
Bennett’s smile froze instantly, his expression turning grim with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, "Dong Zhenhong? What’s that coward doing here?"
When Bennett first arrived in A City, he had intended to befriend Dong Zhenhong, but Dong Zhenhong’s backers had abandoned him, making him too cautious to accept Bennett’s invitation. Since then, Dong Zhenhong’s reputation had collapsed in Bennett’s eyes, and he had ignored him ever since. With Dong Zhenhong out of the way, Bennett found Boyce’s ruthless nature much more to his liking.
Bennett’s subordinate shook his head, replying softly, "Not sure, Boss. He brought a lot of people."
"That coward better not ruin my deal!" Bennett gritted his teeth, slamming the box shut with a loud thud.
Boyce glanced over, his thin lips moving slightly, "What’s wrong?"
"An old acquaintance of mine," Bennett said without suspicion, knowing Boyce hadn’t met Dong Zhenhong since arriving in A City. Even this afternoon, Boyce had stood Dong Zhenhong up, giving him no attention at all.
Boyce furrowed his brows, "Bennett, you should know the rules of our transaction. Why let your old acquaintance interfere?"
"Don’t worry, Boyce. Our deal is between us. Any outsider, whether old acquaintance or not—" Bennett’s eyes flashed with menace, "—I’ll make sure they end up dead."
Boyce raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Bennett, as if waiting to see him handle the situation.
Bennett stood up, took only half the boxes, leaving the rest on the table. He looked at Boyce, saying, "Boyce, I’ll come back for the rest once I’ve dealt with this. Feel free to wait."
Bennett trusted Boyce enough not to demand he leave half the goods behind as well. Boyce remained seated, only saying, "I’ll wait."
"Good!" Bennett was visibly pleased with the trust, leaving with half the money and his men. The sound of their footsteps faded until nothing was heard.
After a while, sounds of cars and faint arguments were heard outside. It was clear that both Dong Zhenhong and Bennett were involved.
Boyce remained seated, unchanging, his calm eyes fixed ahead. In contrast, his subordinates were noticeably anxious.
"Boyce, shouldn’t we leave?" a subordinate asked quietly.
"No rush." Boyce remained impassive, his tone emotionless, "It’s still early."
"Yes." The subordinate stepped back, acknowledging their leader’s composure as Bennett and Dong Zhenhong began to clash outside.
Meanwhile, Bennett’s men had blocked Dong Zhenhong and his group outside the construction site. Bennett stood on the steps, looking down at Dong Zhenhong, "Old Mr. Dong, what brings you here? As far as I recall, we don’t have any deals."
Dong Zhenhong, usually indifferent to being called "Old Mr.", now found the term deeply sarcastic. He forced a smile, but thoughts of Boyce killed it instantly.
"Bennett, your deal with Boyce is your business, but Boyce humiliated me today, and I need to settle this!"
"Oh?" Bennett turned to his subordinate, "Did this happen?"
The subordinate shook his head, "No, Boss. I’ve never heard of it."
Bennett, understanding, looked back at Dong Zhenhong, "Old Mr. Dong, age must be catching up with you. Bringing up things that never happened?"
Dong Zhenhong’s face twitched with anger, "Bennett, are you protecting Boyce?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
