Chapter 613 Declaration of War
This time, attending the Golden Dragon banquet with James were Usher and Wylie. Both of them showed him the respect he commanded, though it was clear they weren't thrilled about it. Still, they knew better than to let their reluctance show. James was at the height of his influence, and crossing him wasn't an option.
The closer they got to James, the more they realized how far out of their league he was. The gap between them was widening, and they could feel it. It wasn't just envy—it was a sense of helplessness.
This year's Golden Dragon banquet was held grandly, more so than ever before.
All the big names from the City of Mysteries showed up, including the heads of the Ward and Stewart families. When they saw James stepping in for Alistair as the Smith family's rep, their eyebrows shot up in surprise.
These were sharp, calculating people, and it didn't take them long to connect the dots—Alistair was passing the torch to James!
The place was packed with the heavy hitters, each radiating their own kind of authority. It was the kind of room where even the cockiest rich kids would clam up and start sweating. Wylie and Usher, who were top-tier in the Smith family, were on edge, clearly feeling the weight of the room.
But James? He was cool as a cucumber, strolling in like he owned the place. The intimidating vibe from all these big shots didn't faze him—he just kept that easygoing smile on his face.
And when he spotted Mason, he flashed him a knowing grin, like they shared some inside joke.
Seeing James remain so calm, the family heads couldn't help but look at him with a bit more respect.
Actually, James was no longer an unknown figure in the City of Mysteries. Anyone in the industry knew him and was impressed. Not to mention, being the number one among the younger generation in the City of Mysteries was enough to make him famous. Moreover, the recent news of him defeating Neil had pushed his reputation to a peak.
Still, no matter how much buzz James had going for him, to a lot of the heavy hitters, he was just a kid. Sure, he was the kid who could wipe the floor with the other kids, but at the end of the day, he was still a kid in their eyes.
"Seriously? The Smiths sent you? Where's Alistair? On his deathbed or something? Hah!"
That was Conrad Wall, head of the Wall family and a staunch ally of the Stewarts. Back in the day, he wouldn't have dared to crack a joke like that, no matter how big his ego was. But times had changed. The Smiths weren't the top dogs in the City of Mysteries anymore—they'd slipped to third. The Stewarts were running the show now, with the Wards in second place.
Conrad Wall's jab had everyone turning to James, practically salivating to see how the kid would handle it.
Even Wylie and Usher couldn't help but feel a little too amused. Deep down, they were still skeptical about James, and watching him potentially crash and burn was oddly satisfying.
How could James not know this? He looked at Conrad Wall, "Conrad, I'll give you a chance to rephrase that."
Conrad sneered and said, "Kid, listen to your tone. Do you really think you're the number one in the City of Mysteries?"
James sighed, looking helpless. Then, in a flash, he swung—hard. The slap landed squarely on Conrad's face, sending him spinning through the air like a ragdoll before he crashed into a group of people, knocking them over like bowling pins.
The whole place fell into a brief silence.
Did James just slap a family head at the Golden Dragon banquet?
Sure, the Wall family wasn't top-tier in the City of Mysteries, but they were solidly mid-tier—and outside of here, they were huge. Plus, everyone knew the Wall family had the Stewarts backing them. Even Alistair wouldn't pull something like this.
And yet, here was James, not just pulling it off but doing it without a second thought!
Everyone was thinking the same thing: This guy's gotta be out of his mind!
The head of the Stewart family looked at James with a dark expression, staring at him intently.
Others were also hostile towards James.
From the moment James entered, he had already felt that tonight's Golden Dragon banquet was aimed at his Smith family. They just didn't expect that it would be him, James, coming instead of Alistair.
Angry shouts rang out, all glaring at James. Many experts brought by the family heads were also secretly gathering strength, surrounding James and his group.
James remained calm, looking lazy, not affected at all. Unlike Wylie and Usher, who were already trembling with fear.
"James! How dare you hit someone at the Golden Dragon banquet? Are you tired of living?"
They all shouted.
Some even threatened James to kneel and apologize.
James finally laughed, "Tonight's Golden Dragon banquet is a malicious one. You want to unite and annex my Smith family?"
Everyone was surprised that James said it so directly, but being dignified people, they naturally wouldn't admit it and began to accuse James.
Some even ordered to capture James and use force.
The atmosphere became tense.
At this moment, Tomas Stewart, the head of the Stewart family, stepped forward and spoke, "James, I was close friends with your grandfather, Alistair. Out of respect for him, I'll give you a pass. Just kneel, apologize to Conrad, and cover his damages, and we'll call it even."
Everyone followed Tomas' lead.
James looked at Tomas with a smile and said, "Tomas, you are Neil's father, but you are far inferior to him. He had principles. You? You're just a phony. And you think you can take down the Smiths? Give me a break."
Tomas' face went dark, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
The room tensed up, everyone on edge, waiting for him to snap and give the order to go after James full force.
James didn't flinch. Instead, he burst out laughing, loud and unhinged. "Five years ago, I left town, and the Stewarts and the Wards swooped in like vultures. Now that I'm back, you still think the Smiths are pushovers? Well, let me make this crystal clear—bring it on! I'm James freakin' Smith, and I'll take you all down single-handedly!"
His words were brash, reckless, and dripping with the same arrogance he had five years ago. Right now, his raw, untamed energy was on full display. Even though he was clearly outnumbered, it felt like he was the one holding all the cards, like he was running the show.
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