Seven Family Precepts

In the conference room, nearly all the leaders of Brooklyn's various factions had arrived. Both sides of the broad, solid-wood conference table were packed with people, yet the room was abnormally quiet. Even the air seemed frozen. No one spoke, and the atmosphere was stifling.

Frank and Anderson exchanged a glance, each found a seat, and sat down. When they looked at the empty chair at the head of the table, their pupils contracted, and they too fell silent.

The grandfather clock in the hallway struck seven times, jolting Frank and Anderson from their thoughts. It was seven o'clock. The time had come.

Frank raised his head and surveyed the faction leaders in the conference room. After they had arrived, several more people had entered one after another. Upon closer inspection, Frank discovered that every leader of every faction in Brooklyn was present. Not a single one was absent. The intimidation of wiping out two major families in one night was truly formidable.

A steady set of footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the conference room. He's here! Everyone present shuddered inwardly and turned in unison toward the conference room doors.

Soon, the two heavy solid-wood doors were pushed open. A tall Chinese youth in a black suit strode inside. He radiated a dense killing aura, as though he had walked out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. His cold face carried boundless murderous intent.

With his appearance, a powerful and icy presence instantly enveloped the entire room. Everyone felt their breathing catch, and under the pressure of that overwhelming aura, even drawing breath became difficult.

The faction leaders were secretly alarmed. As expected of the savage madman who had destroyed two major families overnight, the vicious aura of authority around him was terrifying even when he showed no anger.

Chen Mo walked coldly to the chair at the head of the table and slowly sat down. Old Albert, who had followed behind him, stepped to his side and stood with his hands lowered. Dressed in a gray suit, he was elegant and gentlemanly. His graying hair was neatly combed back, and his gaze was calm, composed, and unhurried.

Only then did everyone notice Albert's presence. Just now, their minds had been seized by Chen Mo's aura, and they had failed to notice Albert following behind him.

Chen Mo sat proudly at the head of the table, his blade-sharp eyes sweeping over the people before him.

As his piercing gaze passed over them, everyone present felt a chill run through their bodies, as though their hearts had been fiercely clenched. They lowered their heads involuntarily, avoiding Chen Mo's eyes.

Those seated around the conference table were all leaders of Brooklyn's various Mafia factions. Though they now wore suits and carried themselves like gentlemen, every one of them had clawed his way up step by step with knives and guns, trampling over corpses. Every pair of hands was stained with blood.

But compared to the dense, violent, murderous aura surrounding Chen Mo, the little bit of presence they possessed was not worth mentioning.

After sweeping his gaze across the room and finding no one who dared meet his eyes, Chen Mo nodded inwardly and withdrew his gaze. In a cold voice, he slowly said,

"Everyone is here. It seems no one broke their appointment."

At the sound of Chen Mo's voice, everyone focused and listened carefully. They desperately wanted to know why Chen Mo had summoned them. Now, the answer was finally about to be revealed.

"Very good. That saves me some trouble." Chen Mo's cold, calm words sounded murderous to everyone's ears.

This killing star really had planned to deal with anyone who failed to come. Those who had hesitated over whether to attend could not help secretly rejoicing. They had nearly gotten themselves killed.

"I won't say any more about what happened last night. The era of the two major families ruling Brooklyn is over. From this day onward, Brooklyn's underground forces will be controlled by the Martial Arts School." As Chen Mo spoke, he lifted his eyes toward the dozen or so faction leaders seated on both sides of the conference table.

The underground world had always respected strength. In the past, the two major families had been the strongest, so everyone had attached themselves to them and accepted their rule.

Now that the two major families had been eliminated, a new ruler was bound to emerge. Most people had long been mentally prepared for this and showed little reaction. They knew their own strength and understood that they lacked the power to lead Brooklyn's entire underground world.

But two people quietly raised their heads, their gazes meeting. Some obscure, indecipherable meaning passed between them, then, as though nothing had happened, they lowered their heads again.

Chen Mo took in the scene, sneering inwardly.

"Do any of you have objections?"

Faced with Chen Mo's calm question, the Mafia bosses below all shook their heads at once, afraid that if they answered too slowly, Chen Mo would remember them and settle the score later.

Even the two men with ulterior motives just now joined the others in agreement.

"Very good. Then Albert will explain the new rules to you." After speaking, Chen Mo leaned back in his chair and handed the room over to the old butler.

The Mafia bosses below all turned their attention to the old man who had stood quietly at Chen Mo's side ever since entering, their eyes filled with scrutiny.

At Chen Mo's words, Old Albert stepped forward and calmly swept his gaze around the room. Then, in his low and even voice, he slowly said,

"Since you are willing to accept the Martial Arts School's leadership, everything must follow the new rules."

"Much from the era of the two major families needs to change. We will begin with the organization's precepts."

"In the past, the Mafia also had seven precepts, but they were often mere formalities and were never strictly enforced. Now, we have made some revisions."

At this point, Old Albert took a sheet of paper from his left pocket and gently unfolded it. Then he unhurriedly removed a pair of square tortoiseshell glasses from the inner pocket of his suit and slowly put them on. Only then did he raise the paper before his eyes and begin to read.

"The Seven Family Precepts."

"First: Maintain strict confidentiality. Keep your mouth shut."

"Second: The organization's interests take precedence over personal interests. Put the greater good first."

"Third: Obey orders completely. Orders given by superiors must be obeyed unconditionally and must not be defied."

"Fourth: Absolute loyalty. No betrayal, and no surrendering or turning yourself in."

"Fifth: Maintain strict secrecy. No secret of the organization may be revealed to family members."

"Sixth: No unauthorized action. Crimes such as kidnapping may not be carried out without the organization's approval. The indiscriminate killing of innocents is strictly forbidden."

"Seventh: Brotherhood comes before all else. Brothers must not kill one another. Infighting is strictly forbidden."

Albert paused after reading this, glanced at the Mafia bosses below, whose expressions varied, and continued.

"Every person must strictly abide by these seven family precepts. The former state of laxity, chaos, recklessness, and treating the precepts as if they did not exist ends completely today. Anyone who violates the family precepts will receive severe punishment."

"For serious offenses, execution on the spot!"