Chapter 38: Ethan Blake's Rising Crisis

"Last night's raid uncovered illegal gambling at Black Dragon KTV."

"The Black Dragon Supreme Entertainment Group recently had three KTV clubs and five bathhouses sealed off, and the leadership is under investigation."

"Security Captain Ethan Blake achieves another merit! Rescues 32 young women forced into prostitution!"

Alex sat in Serenity Café, sipping coffee while reading the newspaper, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

Welma had firmly believed Ethan Blake was linked to the Black Dragon Gang, so she had placed him in charge of the anti-gang operation.

What she probably hadn't figured out yet was why Ethan Blake was working so hard to take down his own backers.

Across from Alex, Yvette Ivanova, looking at him with admiration, commented,

"Your strategy is ruthless—using the Security Bureau to target the Black Dragon Gang. The gang will likely try to retaliate soon."

Alex shook his head.

"This plan is easy to see through. It's just that Welma is too eager to eliminate Ethan and trusts the people around her too much.

Family ties and ambition have blinded her, or she wouldn't have fallen for it so easily."

At that moment, Rosie, wearing her fox mask, descended from the upstairs room. Yvette nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Although Rosie lived in the café, Yvette had never seen her face. Both women respected the unspoken rules.

Rosie handed Alex her phone and said,

"Is this video okay? The views have already spiked, but unfortunately, my overseas video account got banned."

Alex pushed a fruit mousse cake towards Rosie and then opened the video.

The footage covered two key events.

One video showed the Eastern District security officers conducting an arbitrary inspection at Rasputin Bar.

In the aftermath, a tearful Sister Hong, with a pitiful expression, claimed the bar had been unfairly targeted, repeatedly stating that Rasputin was a low-cost, law-abiding establishment that had lost tens of thousands in revenue due to the raid.

The second video, shot from a bystander's perspective, showed the security office on fire later that night.

When the two videos were combined, the implication was clear: the security officers raided an honest bar for their own gain, and their negligence led to the security office fire.

Alex nodded.

"This will cause Welma some trouble in the court of public opinion. She'll likely suspect that this video is the Black Dragon Gang's counterattack. Their grudge will be impossible to resolve now."

The video's popularity had already risen, and even though Rosie's overseas account had been banned, local social media accounts would quickly pick up the story and exploit the controversy.

Rosie put down the cake and hesitated for a moment before speaking,

"I... I wanted to ask for some time off. I'd like to go shopping."

Alex was momentarily stunned, suddenly feeling like he was a heartless boss.

Since the creation of the Mercenary Guild, Rosie had been busier than he was, working tirelessly.

Rosie had blossomed into a beautiful woman, yet she hadn't even left the café to enjoy herself.

It's like putting on makeup just to stay home and do homework, Alex thought.

And besides, shopping was a natural desire for women.

With a hint of guilt on his face, Alex apologized sincerely,

"I'm sorry, I've been neglecting you."

He took a card from his pocket and handed it to Rosie.

"Here, take this. Don't come back until you've spent it all."

Rosie's eyes sparkled with joy, and she beamed,

"Thank you, boss!"

Just then, Rosie glanced at her phone, and her expression became odd.

"Ethan Blake wants to meet you. Should I refuse?"

Alex didn't need to guess why Ethan was looking for him. He simply replied,

"No need to refuse. I'll meet him."

At a local seafood buffet restaurant, in a private room.

Ethan Blake had been waiting anxiously for some time. His expression was grim—too many things had happened in the past few days.

Some random thugs had slandered him, claiming he was affiliated with the Black Dragon Gang. To clear his name, he had personally led raids against the gang's operations.

Meanwhile, videos showing the security office fire and the unjustified inspection of Rasputin Bar had gone viral among the public, leading to Welma being blamed by her superiors.

In one of the videos from Rasputin Bar, Ethan had spotted a familiar figure—the ghost king mask of the guild master!

The door to the private room swung open, revealing the familiar ghost king mask and black tracksuit. As always, Alex wore a hood pulled over his head.

Ethan Blake wanted to say so many things, but when he saw Alex in person, the words just wouldn't come out.

It wasn't until Alex sat down and spoke first:

"Did you need something?"

Ethan took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Was it you who burned down the security office?"

Alex nodded calmly.

"Yes."

Ethan frowned and asked in a deep voice:

"And those videos, were they your doing too?"

Alex didn't deny it.

"That's right. Welma is probably busy dealing with the public backlash right now, isn't she?"

Ethan took a deep breath.

"So, those two Black Dragon Gang thugs who accused me of colluding with the gang—that was your work as well?"

Alex answered candidly:

"Correct. This will push Welma to crack down harder on the Black Dragon Gang."

Ethan's face darkened as he asked,

"After all this, what exactly do you want?"

Alex replied indifferently,

"You're asking too many questions. Just think of it as me targeting Welma."

Ethan frowned and asked,

"Did Welma offend you?"

Alex nodded.

"She's smart, and she's already looking into Rasputin Bar. If she continues her investigation, she'll eventually find the guild."

Alex then asked with curiosity,

"Why are you so concerned about Welma anyway? You know she's been trying to get rid of you so that Vincent can take your position as the Security Captain, right?"

Ethan's eyes widened.

"Because this is tarnishing the reputation of the Security Bureau!"

Ethan didn't care what trouble Welma got into; what mattered to him was the integrity of the Security Bureau.

Alex smiled mockingly.

"I wonder if you'll still be so righteous when the guild is exposed and you're left squaring off with Welma."

Ethan froze, unable to respond.

If it weren't for the Mercenary Guild, Bluewater City would have already fallen into chaos with the monster crisis.

That fateful morning, the image of a strong man resembling Zorro had stuck in Ethan's mind. He longed to form a bond of brotherhood with such a man. There were likely many men like that within the Mercenary Guild.

Ethan clenched his fists but soon released them, his eyes filled with inner conflict.

"Can't the guild avoid criminal activities? I'm a security officer, I..."

The temperature in the room suddenly spiked.

Behind the mask, Alex's expression turned cold, his lips curling into a menacing smile.

"Have you forgotten something?"

Terrifying green flames ignited along the walls of the private room, creeping up the dining table like venomous serpents, encircling Ethan.

Alex slowly stood up.

"Do you remember what I told you the first time we met?"

Sweat beaded on Ethan's forehead. How could he forget?

Welcome to the Mercenary Guild. Don't even think about betrayal—you can't afford the price.

Alex stepped closer to Ethan, his icy stare sending chills down Ethan's spine.

"Is it possible I've been too kind, and now you think I'm too easy to deal with?"

Alex grabbed Ethan by the throat, his cold eyes boring into him from up close.

"Ethan, your power comes from me. Don't think for a second that I'm running a charity!"

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