A Manor

This time, the meeting took place not in the study, but in Maroni's conference room.

A five-meter wooden table separated the two men, with dim lighting overhead and an otherwise empty room around them.

The scene was strikingly familiar. It reminded Qin Wei of his earlier conversation with Falcone, except that now he felt less constrained and more at ease, confident that he held the reins.

With his cheek resting on one hand and the other laid on the table, he stared straight at Maroni.

"What did Falcone promise you?" Maroni opened the conversation by cutting straight to the point.

"Your position, all your assets, and your businesses."

Qin Wei's answer brought a smile to Maroni's face.

"Do you believe him?"

"Of course not. Falcone has already nurtured one giant he can't handle. Why would he make the same mistake again?" Qin Wei replied.

He meant every word. Qin Wei had never trusted Falcone from the start.

Of course, he left the other half unsaid: he didn't trust the man in front of him either.

"Talking to an intelligent man is always a pleasure."

Maroni nodded with a smile, took something from his pocket, and tossed it onto the table before giving it a hard shove.

It scraped loudly across the tabletop and finally stopped in front of Qin Wei.

A brass key.

"The key to Dodge Manor. From now on, all its businesses and properties belong to you. On one condition: you follow my instructions and feed Falcone false information. Well? Is that enough proof of my sincerity?"

"Absolutely!" Qin Wei gripped the key tightly.

He had expected Maroni to try to buy him off.

Compared to a hidden mole planted at his side, a piece in plain sight had natural advantages. He could turn it against its handler, sow suspicion in Falcone's mind, or even use it as a double agent.

But Qin Wei hadn't expected Maroni to offer such a high price. What exactly was he scheming?

Things had strayed somewhat beyond Qin Wei's expectations.

Fortunately, he had always possessed excellent control over his expressions. All Maroni could pick up was wild delight, eagerness, and a faint trace of flattery.

"What about Oswald?" Qin Wei asked next.

"Oswald will keep doing his old job. While we're on the subject, pass on a message for me: if he still can't recruit enough men within two weeks, he can get lost."

Whether Maroni was too arrogant or simply believed he already had the situation under control, he made no effort to conceal those words from Qin Wei.

Qin Wei was far too shrewd to miss the implication. The situation that had puzzled him suddenly became clear.

Two peaches to kill three warriors? Trying to drive a wedge between us with this key? You're a crafty fox, but our ancestors wore out that trick ages ago.

Without betraying a thing, Qin Wei slipped the key into his pocket.

"Anything else?"

"No, you can go. Remember to close the door behind you."

Maroni gave a small yawn.

But after Qin Wei opened the door and left, his relaxed brows knitted together again.

He kept feeling that this man named Will wasn't as simple as he looked.

Maroni sat there hesitating for a moment, then bent down and pulled a Winchester M1866 from beneath the table.

He fed cartridges into the loading gate on the side of the rifle.

Then he walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain.

Maroni shouldered the rifle, aligned the sights, and trained them on Qin Wei's head.

"Sorry. I think I've changed my mind."

Qin Wei had just stepped outside the front door when an inexplicable chill surged up his back.

At the same time, Oswald hurried toward him.

"How did it go? Did Maroni give you any trouble?"

Qin Wei didn't answer. After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly pulled the key from his pocket.

"What's that..."

"Grab my collar. Now!"

Oswald had no idea why, but he obediently did as instructed.

Then, to his surprise, Qin Wei punched him to the ground.

"What the hell do you mean, you don't get a share? I earned this! What did you contribute? And Mr. Maroni told me to tell you to hurry up and recruit enough men, or get the hell out!"

Is Qin Wei putting on an act? Maybe I should play along.

Sprawled on the ground, Oswald caught on. He bared his teeth and lunged like a rabid dog.

The two grabbed at each other's clothes, wrestling in a tangled heap outside Maroni's residence.

Although Qin Wei didn't know where that chill had come from, reason told him that if he was going to act, he ought to see it through. A little extra caution never hurt.

This time, his caution saved his life yet again.

After hesitating for a long time with his finger on the trigger, Maroni finally lowered the rifle.

He decided he was being far too sensitive. No matter how he looked at it, that man named Will was merely a small-time nobody with a little cleverness and a knack for reading people.

He had given him money and status that Falcone couldn't provide. There was no reason for him to betray him.

"Damn it, have I not been getting enough sleep lately?" He rubbed his throbbing temples and quietly closed the curtain.

And just like that, his last chance to kill Qin Wei easily slipped silently through his fingers.

Once again, Maroni had made the wrong choice at a crucial turning point. That mistake would become a butterfly in the Amazon rainforest, eventually stirring up a storm powerful enough to destroy his criminal empire.

Dawn was breaking by the time the two returned to the hospital. Oswald happily went to find the beautiful Ms. "Gloria" to have his wounds dressed.

Qin Wei merely applied some medicine before heading to the intensive care ward.

Dick's room was at the end of the corridor. With dawn barely breaking, the hallway was packed with exhausted caregivers. Some crowded two or three to a bench, while even more sat directly on the floor.

A rainstorm had just passed, and the temperature had plunged before dawn. Many of the caregivers were shivering with cold.

Qin Wei carefully stepped over one pair of legs after another and pushed open the ward door.

The empty bed alerted him to danger. Before he could turn around, a scalpel pressed against his waist.

"Don't make a sound. Come inside." Dick's voice sounded weak. Holding Qin Wei at knifepoint, he ushered him into the room and carefully shut the door.

"You killed my family!"

"Huh?"

Qin Wei hadn't expected Dick to open his mouth and immediately sling accusations at him. He seriously wondered whether the boy's mouth connected to another dimension filled with sewage.

"I saved you, paid your medical bills, and stayed with you all night. Fine, don't thank me, but now you're accusing me of murder? Do you have a conscience?"

Even Qin Wei's easygoing temper nearly snapped. A classic Chinese curse almost escaped his lips.

"Who knows why you saved me? You and the man who killed my parents both work for The Roman. There isn't a single decent person in the Mafia!"

Qin Wei was so angry he laughed. If he'd known Dick was this kind of brat, he would have left him to rot and grow maggots in the church square.

He didn't want to waste any more breath on this stubborn kid, but with his kidney at the boy's mercy, he had better try talking his way out.

"Fine, fine, fine. Judging people by their profession, are you? What about the Gotham police? Are cops noble enough for you? Go report it right now and see whether they'll do anything!

"You think I wanted to join the Mafia? I used to be a good citizen, too. I couldn't even get two wanted stars playing GTA. This hellhole called Gotham forced me into it!"

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Wei suddenly turned, seized Dick's wrist, and took the scalpel from him.

Dick's face went deathly pale. He regretted letting those deceitful words distract him. His body was still so weak, and now the mobster had taken his weapon. Forget avenging his family-he couldn't even save his own life.

Seeing Qin Wei raise his hand, he closed his eyes in despair.

But instead of a cold blade, what met him was a sharp rap on the head.

Qin Wei curled his fingers and brought his knuckles down hard on Dick's skull.

Thonk!

"What are you doing!"

Dick hissed in pain and touched his head. A large bump had already risen.

Without saying a word, Qin Wei kept his face stern, raised his hand, and gave Dick another rap.

Thonk!

With his temper, Qin Wei would have loved to slap him a few times, but the boy was only fifteen or sixteen and had just lost both parents.

He couldn't bring himself to be that harsh, so he copied the way his mother had disciplined him as a child: dazing him without damaging his brain.

But when had an American kid ever experienced a move like this? Dick hissed through the pain, instantly losing both his defiant words and his stubborn temper. Qin Wei backed him into a corner step by step until he covered his head with both hands, not even daring to look up.

"Will, you must be hungry, too. I bought some food..." Oswald pushed open the door carrying two bags of food, just in time to catch Qin Wei bullying a child.

For a moment, all three stared at each other.

"Uh... what exactly is going on here? Can someone explain?"