A young man and a burly man got out of the car.
Before the Sixth Street Gang members could ask any questions, Su Xiao spoke first. "Malmer sent us."
One of the Sixth Street Gang members nodded. "He's waiting for you. Follow me."
Su Xiao and Jack followed the man.
What the others couldn't see was a circle of red light spreading outward from Su Xiao.
The Sixth Street Gang members inside the black-market hotel, along with the personnel stationed nearby, were all laid bare in Su Xiao's vision.
He immediately shared the scene with the priest's men lying in ambush outside.
The three entered the black-market hotel and arrived at the front desk.
The man behind the front desk had been replaced by another member of the Sixth Street Gang.
The Sixth Street Gang member who had led them there suddenly stopped and raised a hand to keep them from going any farther.
"Hold it. Hand over your weapons."
Jack said unhappily, "Is that really necessary, hombre?"
The Sixth Street Gang member sneered.
"First, that's the Sixth Street Gang's rule. On Sixth Street Gang territory, you follow Sixth Street Gang rules."
"Second, I'm not your hombre, Mexican."
Jack shot back, "Since when did The Glen become Sixth Street Gang territory? You haven't even taken The Glen. You want Heywood too? Have you asked the Valentino Gang?"
So, What's the Price?
Seeing the atmosphere grow tenser and tenser,
Su Xiao patted Jack on the shoulder.
"Jack, take it easy."
Su Xiao removed Muramasa from his waist, along with the two Large Caliber Revolvers.
He also handed over more than a dozen Fragmentation Grenades, Flashbang Grenades, and Smoke Grenades in total.
"Damn!"
Jack sighed.
He also handed over Sadala and a Tech Pistol.
"That's everything."
However, the Sixth Street Gang still refused to let them pass.
They insisted that the two enter the room beside the front desk first and undergo a scan. Only after confirming that everything was in order would they let them through.
They crossed foul-smelling sewage and climbed creaking wooden stairs. The fluorescent lights in the corridor flickered with a buzzing sound, looking exactly like a scene from a horror movie.
The two entered the room at the end of the corridor, behind the fire exit.
Malmer sat imposingly on the sofa.
Two of his men stood behind him, one on either side.
Two plastic chairs had been placed in front of him.
They had clearly been prepared for Su Xiao and Jack.
"Please, sit."
Su Xiao didn't stand on ceremony and sat down.
Jack, however, remained standing beside the chair.
He folded his arms across his chest, looking like someone who was not to be trifled with.
"I'll stand."
Malmer didn't press him.
His gaze drifted back and forth between Su Xiao and Jack.
"I wonder which of you is the gunsmith making Tech Weapons for the priest?"
Su Xiao replied coldly, "I am."
"Excellent. Truly young and promising." Malmer smiled broadly, his tone full of praise. "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"
"Su."
As he answered Malmer's question,
Su Xiao glanced around.
In scanning mode, he could see that Fidel was being held in a room on the third floor.
He was still alive.
But Su Xiao pretended not to know.
"Fidel sent us. Where is he now?"
Earlier, the Sixth Street Gang had impersonated Fidel and called Jack.
But they still didn't know that Su Xiao, Jack, and the priest already knew about the deception.
Naturally, Su Xiao wasn't going to tell them.
"Your friend is here with me, perfectly safe. In fact, we just had some American coffee together. But he was a little tired, so he went to sleep first. The three of us can discuss the important matters."
"But before we get down to business, allow me to introduce myself. Friends in the biz show me some respect and call me Malmer. You've heard of the famous Sixth Street Gang, I assume?"
Jack folded his arms and snorted.
"I know your Sixth Street Gang has always wanted to stick its hands into Heywood. You want The Glen, but the Valentino Gang, which rules this area, won't agree. So you keep getting into street shootouts."
Malmer frowned at Jack. "Your understanding of us is still too shallow, Mr. Wells. We're protecting the people of The Glen and fighting for justice in this city."
Su Xiao mocked him. "Some failed art student once made things sound pretty too. And what did that lead to? The Second World War."
"Enough. There's no need for pleasantries. You sound insincere, and listening to you is painful. Let's get straight to business."
Malmer slapped his thigh. "Good! I like your directness. We're on the same wavelength."
He placed both hands on his knees and leaned forward.
"I know you have some business dealings with the priest. To be honest, I'm very interested. Would it be possible for me to join in?"
Su Xiao shook his head. "Sorry, the roster's full."
"Hahaha." Malmer let out a dry laugh. "You're quite the comedian, Mr. Su. Who says Asians are serious, earnest, and incapable of joking?"
Su Xiao didn't laugh.
"That's merely a stereotype about Asians. Besides, I'm Asian, not an Asian-American."
"That was truly rude..." Malmer paused, then continued. "Mr. Su, don't rush to reject me. Hear me out."
"I know all the details of your deal with the priest, but you may not understand what our Sixth Street Gang is capable of."
"Working with the priest, you can at most take Heywood's market. But if you choose to work with us, the vast blue oceans of Heywood and Santo Domingo will all be yours."
Jack scoffed.
"Forget Santo Domingo. You're even dragging Heywood into this. Do you really think the priest and the Valentino Gang don't exist?"
Malmer shook his head, wearing an exasperated expression.
"Sebastian Ibarra and the Valentino Gang are grasshoppers at the end of autumn. They won't be jumping around for much longer. Heywood will belong to our Sixth Street Gang sooner or later."
"I've heard that you split the profits with the priest thirty-seventy. But if you choose to work with our Sixth Street Gang, we can make it twenty-eighty, and we'll even make you a small-time boss. How about it?"
Although Malmer's words sounded plausible, Su Xiao didn't believe a single one.
"So, what's the price?"
"The price?" Malmer lit a cigarette and blew out a smoke ring. "There's no price. What's that corporate phrase again? This is what you call a win-win partnership."
Su Xiao smiled. "I take eighty percent, and you take twenty?"
Malmer nodded. "Correct."
"And you'll make Jack and me small-time bosses?"
"Exactly."
"You can also guarantee my safety and keep the Valentino Gang from coming after me."
"I'll say this right now: if they dare touch a single hair on your head, I'll die right here. I'll jump out this window."
Su Xiao leaned back against the chair. "Forgive my bluntness, but can something this good really exist?"
Malmer brushed the ash from his cigarette.
He didn't use an ashtray, simply letting the ash fall to the floor.
"Mr. Su, you don't understand our Sixth Street Gang, so I won't blame you. Do you know what kind of people make up our Sixth Street Gang?"
Su Xiao shook his head.
"Veterans, former NCPD members who have grown disillusioned, fired corporate security guards, and civilians who received crash-course combat training..."
Malmer spread his arms and spoke passionately. "We want to bring order to this city!"
Jack shook his head, his eyes full of disdain.
"So, to achieve that goal, you're willing to stop at nothing?"
"You might fool other people, but you can't fool me. I grew up in Heywood. I know exactly what your Sixth Street Gang is like."
"To achieve your so-called goal, you can rob, extort, and steal vehicles without restraint?"
"Not to mention that you maintain close ties with the Random Blade Society outside the city."
Malmer turned his gaze toward Jack.
His tone turned hostile.
"These are necessary sacrifices. Besides, isn't the Valentino Gang the same? They claim to believe in God, but how much better are the things they do than ours?"
Jack spat onto the floor. "Not much better, but at least they don't double-standard everything like you do."
This Isn't Cowardice, It's Following Your Instincts
"I invited you here in good faith and have already shown sufficient sincerity. My patience is limited, too. Now I'll ask you one question: are you willing to join the Sixth Street Gang?"
As Malmer asked the question,
the two men behind him
silently moved behind Su Xiao and Jack.
At the same time, the Sixth Street Gang member who had led them there earlier also took up position beside Malmer.
Two against four.
The smaller side was also unarmed.
They appeared to be at an absolute disadvantage.
Aside from obediently submitting, there seemed to be no way out alive.
Su Xiao glanced at Jack beside him.
Even Jack, who had joined the Valentino Gang as a teenager, lived and fought alongside them, and experienced countless battles, wore a solemn expression at that moment.
Su Xiao, however, smiled. The corners of his mouth even lifted, forming a faint, almost imperceptible grin.
"You can make your move, V."
He said this over the squad's voice channel.
No one in the room heard him.
But one of the men standing behind Malmer suddenly flew sideways, crashing into the wardrobe against the wall with a crisp impact.
In the end, the wardrobe toppled over with him.
Before you continue