Xiao Ran wrote a series of bad checks to get Kowloon to agree to the employment. Kowloon clearly understood that as well, yet still accepted Xiao Ran's offer. No one knew why, but perhaps, to some extent, Kowloon believed that someone like Xiao Ran would not make empty promises, and he was looking forward to the things Xiao Ran could provide.
Perhaps Kowloon had also considered killing Xiao Ran, which was why he had chosen to remain by his side. But what exactly he was thinking was something only Kowloon himself knew.
For Xiao Ran, keeping someone as dangerous as Kowloon at his side was indeed an extremely risky move. But he had been able to control Sashers before, and he could control Kowloon now. Both were mad mercenaries with no real goals, destroying for the sake of destruction and killing for the sake of killing.
Perhaps Sashers cared more about profit and his own life. Xiao Ran could suppress him while also satisfying him. But Xiao Ran found Kowloon much harder to read. Still, power was certainly one of the things he desired. Xiao Ran could give him power, and he could also keep Kowloon in check. Besides, gaining one Kowloon meant gaining three people—three fairly capable people.
Taking that tiny bit of risk to keep them nearby was not something he could not do. As long as Xiao Ran could keep Kowloon suppressed, Kowloon would continue obediently following orders. Both Xiao Ran and Kowloon understood that perfectly well.
Xiao Ran did not think it was a bad thing that Gates, that lunatic, had been killed by Kowloon. He had never planned to keep Gates around anyway. As for the intelligence he wanted from Gates, he could obtain it from Gates's subordinate, another member of Amalgam's Execution Unit. Even