Chapter 171 This Is My Turf
When Timothy's words echoed through the room, the young men seated with him all rose to their feet, glaring at James with menacing expressions, ready to pounce at any moment.
Jennifer, watching the scene unfold, couldn't hide her smirk. She thought to herself that if she couldn't deal with James at school, then bringing in someone like Timothy, a streetwise tough guy, was the next best thing.
Timothy had made quite a name for himself in Lumina City over the past few years. Rumor had it he was now working with a particularly influential figure, making him more than capable of handling someone like James.
James, however, merely sneered at Timothy's bravado. He couldn't wrap his head around why, despite the numerous times Michael and his friends had been on the losing end, they still relentlessly sought revenge.
When James made Michael kneel at the classroom door, it was meant as a stern warning—an effort to make Michael think twice before crossing him again.
Yet, far from retreating, Michael seemed to have grown more audacious.
And now, with Timothy's aggressive posturing, James saw his actions as nothing short of suicidal.
"James, what are you waiting for? Kneel to Michael!" Jennifer snapped, arms crossed.
"Yeah, James, don't think you're hot stuff just because the principal likes you. Outside school, you're nothing. Mess with Timothy, and you'll regret it!" Sandra chimed in.
Ashley sat on the sofa, looking nervous.
"Put down the bottle, or you'll regret it," James warned Timothy softly.
Since this was Cynthia Phillips' bar, James didn't want to cause trouble.
"I'm not here to chat. I'll count to three. If you haven't knelt to Michael by then, don't blame me for what happens next!" Timothy shouted.
Michael walked up to James, sneering, "You were so cocky at school. Why not now?"
James shot Michael a cold look, puzzled as to why Michael kept provoking him.
"Three!" Timothy yelled.
James didn't budge.
Jennifer watched James with disdain, sure he'd kneel.
"Two!" Timothy continued.
James stayed still.
"One!" Timothy shouted.
Jennifer was shocked; she didn't expect James to stay calm and not kneel.
"You're asking for it!" Timothy yelled, swinging the bottle at James' head.
Before he could strike, the door burst open.
Everyone froze.
Timothy stopped and turned to the door.
"Timothy, what are you doing?" A young guy with an earring and yellow hair swaggered in, asking casually.
"Mr. Murphy, what brings you here?" Timothy was startled, then quickly put on a fawning smile.
"This is my turf; I come and go as I please," Xavier Murphy said, flicking his cigarette butt. He looked at James and sneered, "What's going on?"
"Mr. Murphy, this guy bullied my bro, and I was about to teach him a lesson!" Timothy explained quickly.
"Are you nuts? How many times have I told you I have shares in this bar now? If you want to cause trouble, do it outside. Don't start anything here, got it?" Xavier yelled at Timothy, clearly annoyed.
"Mr. Murphy, please don't be mad. I just got carried away and forgot what you said," Timothy replied humbly.
Xavier turned to James and said disdainfully, "I don't care what you do to him, but don't cause trouble in my bar. This kid's just a broke loser. Once he's out, do whatever you want, but no fighting here!"
"I understand, Mr. Murphy!" Timothy nodded.
"And you, what are you still doing here? Get out," Xavier shouted at James.
James glanced at Xavier indifferently, said nothing, and left the private room.
Outside, James called Terry. He knew Timothy and his gang would likely cause trouble after work, so he asked Terry to wait for him outside Stellar Lounge.
"James, hurry up and deliver this bottle of wine!" Jessica called out sweetly just as he finished his call.
"Okay!" James reluctantly agreed, grabbed the bottle, and ran towards the booth by the dance floor.
Two hours flew by, and the bar started to empty out. James finally had a moment to rest.
Just as he sat down, he saw Xavier walk out of the private room. James remembered Xavier mentioning he had shares in the bar, but Cynthia had said she owned it herself.
'Could this guy have some connection with Cynthia?' James wondered.
"James, taking a break?" Zoe, who also worked part-time, asked with a smile.
"Yeah, while it's not too busy," James nodded, then pointed towards Xavier. "Zoe, do you know that guy?"
"You mean Mr. Murphy?" Zoe whispered.
"You know him?" James asked quickly.
"Of course I know him," Zoe replied with a strong note of disdain. "His real name is Xavier Murphy. He's a shareholder in our bar. But let me tell you, Xavier has a terrible temper. He often bullies the new staff. Last time, he docked three days' worth of my wages just because I accidentally broke a glass. It was only thanks to Cynthia that I got that money back. Plus, he's always harassing Jessica. He’s not a nice guy at all!"
James looked puzzled and asked, "Isn't this bar owned solely by Cynthia? How is Xavier a shareholder?"
"True, Cynthia owns the bar," Zoe explained slowly, "but to run a bar in Lumina City, you need someone with influence backing you up. Otherwise, you'd constantly have troublemakers causing issues, and the bar would struggle to stay open. Xavier is one of those people providing protection for us, which is why Cynthia gave him a ten percent stake in the business."
"Is that so!" James said, surprised.
"Yeah, although Xavier isn't a good person, his background is intimidating. Since he started protecting the bar, no one dares to cause trouble," Zoe said, giving James a brief overview.
"I see," James nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright, I need to get back to work!" Zoe said, seeing the bar getting busier. She waved at James and ran towards the front desk.
James got up and started working again.
