Pero stared blankly at the hellish scene in the street and roared furiously, "Throw everything we have at the Dark Sea Throne! Gather our men and go after them at once! I want to see their heads rolling by the end of the day!"
Pero had given the order, so his men had no choice but to obey. A group of them grabbed their muskets and long knives and rushed out. By then, the First Army and Jiang Chuan had already laid traps and were waiting for them to walk right into them. The First Army had set up tripwire grenades at the street corners along the road. The men charging after them didn't notice the thin silver wires on the ground, just as they didn't see that Death's scythe was already at their throats.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The two explosions left Pero standing frozen on the balcony. He finally realized that blindly pursuing a well-trained force like this was tantamount to courting death. He ordered, "Fall back! Tell everyone to return!"
In truth, most of the men who had gone after the enemy were already fleeing before Pero gave the order. They were members of Red Hat, but they were also a bunch of cowards afraid of dying! Red Hat had suffered heavy losses this time. The spies had taken a great deal of effort to train, and the First Army had killed many of them. Red Hat's numbers had been drastically reduced, but Pero had kept his elite force well hidden and hadn't sent them out.
Jiang Chuan ordered, "Withdraw! Return to camp at once and set up defensive works!"
The First Army was like the tide: it came quickly and went just as fast. But while the sea carried away sand, the Dark Sea Throne carried away lives.
Jiang Chuan returned to camp with the First Army and immediately set his men to building defensive works. Pero had already tried twice, and that was his limit. Now it all depended on whether he was smart enough. If Pero was clever and sent no more pursuers, he could take his time sorting out his finances, then disappear and live in obscurity. If he kept stubbornly pursuing this course, Jiang Chuan couldn't guarantee that Pero would remain in control of his own life. The First Army was small, but its equipment outclassed Red Hat's by far. Fifty machine guns were more than enough to defend a position.
Kendi, their old friend, had also delivered the ammunition. In a war of attrition, Jiang Chuan's side had a natural advantage.
After the Dark Sea Throne withdrew, Pero called all of Red Hat's leaders to a meeting.
Pero said furiously, "The Dark Sea Throne has gone too far this time! If we don't wipe them out after all the losses we've suffered, how will Red Hat ever save face?"
The head of the Intelligence Department said, "We lost more than eighty intelligence agents. It takes a lot of effort to train them. For the next few months, we won't be able to dig up a single scrap of information."
A burly man slapped the table and cursed, "What kind of weapons were those bastards using? I've never even heard of them! Our gang suffered heavy losses this time. Hundreds were blown to pieces, not to mention all those who were badly wounded and put out of action."
Pero said, "The Dark Sea Throne has only just appeared, and they're already this arrogant. I plan to join forces with the other gangs and wipe them out."
The man in charge of finances said, "Forget the attack for a moment. The money we'll need to repair the buildings and streets and treat the wounded will nearly equal a month's income. We'll have to tighten our belts for the next few months."
The burly man cursed, "Damn it, where did those weapons come from? They're on a completely different level in terms of firepower. If we charge in like that, we'll suffer terrible losses!"
Pero thought for a moment, then said, "I plan to join forces with the Iron Hook Gang to deal with the Dark Sea Throne."
Someone from the Intelligence Department said, "The Iron Hook Gang is one of Gangplank's favorites now. If we join forces with them, I doubt we'll get so much as a drop of the spoils."
Pero smiled. "All we need is their weapons' manufacturing methods or supply channels. Once we have weapons like theirs, why should we fear the Iron Hook Gang or Gangplank?"
The finance chief smiled. "I have no objections, but we're really short on Gold Coins. We have to make up this financial shortfall."
Someone from the Intelligence Department said, "I have no objections."
The burly man shrugged. "Neither do I, but those Iron Hook Gang bastards aren't easy to deal with."
"Then it's settled," Pero said. "Let's discuss the terms."
While Red Hat hurriedly discussed its plans, the First Army took its time setting traps and building defensive positions on rooftops and at street corners. The surrounding streets were covered with checkpoints and patrolled by guards. Jiang Chuan would know immediately if anything stirred.
Kendi asked Jiang Chuan, "President, they're sure to launch their strongest attack this time. Can we hold them off?"
Jiang Chuan pointed at the traps in the street and the positions on the rooftops. "Would it be difficult to kill a fish in a bucket?"
Kendi shook his head. "No."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "It's the same principle. Once they enter our defensive perimeter, they'll be like fish trapped in a bucket. It's up to Pero to decide what he'll do. If he wants to live, I'll give him a chance."
Kendi smiled. "If they dare come, we'll let them taste our machine guns!"
Pero arrived at the Iron Hook Gang's headquarters, which was at the docks. He went to the home of the Iron Anchor Gang's leader. Bagana was sprawled on a soft sofa, smoking an aromatic cigar. No matter the occasion, Bagana always wore his tacky gold chain, as if he were afraid no one would notice it. When he saw Pero, Bagana stood and smiled. "Pero, my brother, what brings you here? I heard your gang's headquarters was attacked today. Quite a few people were blown up."
Pero smiled. "Bagana, how is it you always hear about things right after they happen? You're well informed."
Bagana poured them both a drink. "Come on, old friend, you can't say that. Hasn't Red Hat planted spies in my territory, too? Everyone in Bilgewater is talking about this force called the Dark Sea Throne. They say it's an Undead Army, sent by the deep to punish Bilgewater. I thought it was just drunken nonsense, but I never imagined it was true!"
Pero picked up his glass and sat down on the sofa. "This force really is something else. They're incredibly powerful, and they have weapons we can't understand, just like the weapons those people in Piltover make. They're devastating. I lost a lot of brothers to them."
Bagana swirled the drink in his glass. "So how many men does this force called the Dark Sea Throne have?"
Pero breathed in the fine aroma of the liquor. "A hundred, plus the two leaders, so a hundred and two. But they're incredibly powerful."
Bagana laughed. "A hundred men left you looking like that? You've wasted all these years in this business."
Pero took a sip of his drink. "I came here to propose that we join forces and wipe out the Dark Sea Throne. The terms are negotiable."
Bagana smiled. "I want seventy percent of the spoils!"
Pero scoffed. "If you want to rob someone, pick an easy target. Fifty percent!"
Bagana exhaled a cloud of smoke and smiled. "Old friend, this is a money-losing venture to begin with. I'm sure you know how strong the Dark Sea Throne is. You know better than I do how powerful those bombs they throw are. This battle will be won with a mountain of corpses. My men are all skilled fighters, and I can't afford losses like that, either."
Pero said, "Don't you have cannons? We can bring out our cannons and fire a few rounds at them. The losses won't be that bad."
Bagana laughed loudly. "Judging by the bombs they threw at the entrance to your headquarters, they don't care about losses. But our cannons do. Never mind the difference in firepower—the cost of firing them alone would bankrupt us both. You know the price of steel. We have to make preparations well in advance every time we use our cannons, and my warehouse is running low on shells."
Pero took a sip of his drink. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Bagana and said fiercely, "I'll supply the shells. Sixty percent! That's my final offer, Bagana!"
Bagana smiled. "Don't get angry, old friend. I'll definitely help you deal with them. Stay for dinner tonight, and we can discuss the details of our plan."
Before you continue