Chapter 46 I Left with Resentment
Early in the morning.
On the top floor of Neon Club, Terry sat on the sofa with one hand propping up his chin, staring expressionlessly at the dozen or so big shots from the Black Street District on either side of him quietly.
After a long silence, a bald man with crossed legs frowned and spoke first, "We didn't handle this well, and we have no dignity. Now sitting together to figure out why we failed is like slapping ourselves in the face. It’s meaningless. Small-time players fight for food, but we fight for pride. Whether Eric is willing to give up the supply channels or not, we have to kill him. It's merely to slap Samuel in the face and crush Benjamin's mind."
"That's right." A skinny man immediately nodded in agreement. "It's one thing if we let Eric go ourselves, but it's another if Samuel stands up for him. If we don't regain our pride, the people below feel dissatisfied and those above will reassess our weight in Pine City."
"I'll handle it," the bald man stood up and said with gloomy eyes, "No matter how much money it costs, I won't let Eric leave Pine City. If we can't do it openly, we'll handle it secretly."
"Enough." Terry frowned and waved his hand.
Everyone was stunned and fell silent again.
Terry picked up a glass of water, looked coldly at everyone, and said, "The goods and people in the warehouse were taken by the Anderson family, and they wouldn't have dared to do it without Samuel's tacit approval. They've got the goods on you. What are clamoring for?"
The bald man touched his head but didn't dare to argue.
"I haven’t fully figured out why Samuel is opposing me on this, but the Anderson family must be after the supply channels Eric is in charge of," Terry stood up with hands behind his back and said, "As long as we don't fall out completely, everything is negotiable. But once we do, do you think the dignified superintendent and the rising Anderson family won't care about their pride? Clearly, the other side will also protect Eric at all costs. If you dare to make a move, the goods and people in the Anderson family's hands will be handed over to the police by tomorrow morning. By then, we'll lose both money and personnel. Worse still, we'll get into big trouble."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Moreover, even you can think of continuing to go after Eric. Do you think they won't be prepared? Even a beggar makes friends after staying in a place long enough, let alone Samuel, who has been the police commissioner in Pine City for so many years," Terry sighed and said, "You can't find Eric anyway. Let's first arrange my uncle's funeral, and it has to be grand."
Hearing the word "grand", the bald man immediately reminded, "Terry, your uncle's matter is quite undignified for us. If we make it grand, won't we look bad to outsiders?"
"Only those without confidence fear being gossiped," Terry ordered without question, "Make it grand. We'll give him and George a dignified send-off."
"Alright." The skinny man nodded.
"Alright, you may leave now," Terry said, turning and heading for the door.
Everyone exchanged glances with grim expressions. They began whispering and sighing.
William was there the whole time but didn't say a word. Only after Terry left did he follow Terry out.
In the hallway, William followed behind Terry, saying in a reproachful tone, "As I said before, for the company to go further, we need to have rules. The people below have been too flashy in the past two years and lack actual capability. They not only don't help the company but also cause trouble. Take George as an example. He got into trouble, but was there no sign at all? While I was fully committed to cleaning out the Anderson family at the police station, he was secretly selling drugs on Maple Street just to make some quick money. Have you ever thought about this? Now he's done so and this reaches the police. Then even a fool could realize why I was targeting the Anderson family. Terry, sometimes gossip can be lethal, you know? Do you think Samuel stood against us this time on a whim? I'm telling you, he's long looked down on us and thinks we're too reckless. He may even see me as a future threat to his position at the police station. Understand? But am I the kind of person who acts recklessly at the police station? Absolutely not. I've always been cautious, but it's other people who make him think I'm arrogant."
Terry turned around and asked with a poker face, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that we've suffered such heavy losses this time. We even lost our uncle. Then we must learn from this and not let the failure be in vain," William said excitedly, "It's time to set rules and clean out some people."
Terry stared at William for a long time, then suddenly pointed at his chest and said, "You have to understand, I am not leading a group of A-level students in business. The people following us are those who once had problems making a living and today, these people are still my most reliable support. If you set rules and clean them out, who will deal with the Anderson family? You or me?"
"I mean..." William said.
"What you have is merely empty talk and is not suitable for us," Terry said and walked away.
Hearing that, William shouted in a fit of pique, "Terry, District Nine won't stay chaotic forever. Five years, ten years, and twenty years from now, it will eventually become well-structured and stable. If you don't change, you'll be dragged down by these people."
Terry did not respond, just walked away and disappeared down the hallway.
Two days later.
Three military trucks slowly drove out of District Nine and stopped at the edge of a desolate land.
Ten minutes later.
A half of a dirty truck approached, flashing its headlights a few times at the road.
Soon, Eric, along with his younger sister Sophia and their elderly, sick mother, got off the truck, bid farewell to the soldiers who had escorted them, and boarded the half-sized truck.
Snowflakes fell from the sky, covering the land that had been frozen for three or four years in a blanket of white.
With his abdomen wrapped in bandages, Eric lay on the back seat of the half of the truck, staring blankly at District Nine with mixed feelings.
He had worked hard there and once embraced the era with a smile.
He had lost his dignity there, working like a dog. He thought that he had gained a lot.
However, today, as he left, he didn't even have a complete blanket. What he had were only heavy burdens of relationships and two relatives he needed to support.
Everything he had gotten through years of effort was gone overnight.
Eric couldn’t understand the meaning of his past submission, so he decided to move forward from now on, standing straight.
With his head resting against the cold, frost-covered truck window, Eric's cheeks were hot as he muttered, "Don't let me get back on my feet. Don't let me rise again, or one day I’ll come back here smiling and watch all of you cry."
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