5 Intimidation

As the sun set below the tall skyscrapers, casting an orange hue across the bustling streets of Manhattan, Times Square awakened as lights were on one after another. Even though the day had come to an end, the world-famous intersection was still alive.

The towering digital billboards that adorned the buildings came to life, their vibrant neon display casting a magical glow on the sea of people below. At the dead center of Times Square was a fleet of red stairs.

There were twenty-seven steps, to be exact. Tourists from all over the globe could be seen taking pictures here, some sitting down to relax, while others openly danced like idiots and recorded videos.

Atop the staircase sat a mature-looking youth with brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a tailored black suit, a white shirt, and a black tie around his neck. The youth was none other than David, who was currently eating shawarma with great relish.

Over the past few months, he had become accustomed to the life of a gangster. And one thing that the mafia was really picky about was their sense of style. The people around him always dressed their best.

Whether they were going out on a date, to dinner, or to even commit murder, they always looked sharp and clean. Staying in the company of such well-dressed killers, David had naturally picked up a thing or two.

For example, now he would always do his best to dress up nicely and maintain proper hygiene. Apart from that, his personality had also changed—he had become more mature.

Over the past few months, he'd seen and done a lot of things that had changed his mentality. Well, it was bound to happen; David knew very well what he was getting into.

Just as he finished eating his shawarma and wiped his mouth with a napkin, his phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and his expression turned solemn.

He accepted the call and said, "Yes, Boss?…. I'm at Times Square…. What? Right now?…. Oh, all right boss, I'll get there as soon as possible."

He hung up the phone and then got to his feet. He walked down the stairs and headed toward Hell's Kitchen. Nico had just called him to an abandoned building in the neighborhood.

Since it was only a couple of blocks away, he decided to just walk. After all, that would take much less time than hailing a taxi during peak rush hour. Nico had instructed him to come immediately and said that he was waiting for him. Apart from that, he hadn't said anything else.

As David crossed West 45th Street and started walking on the sidewalk, he willed the system panel to appear in front of him.

[Name: David Watson]

[Age: 16]

[Affinity: XXXX XXXX]

[Strength: 1.3]

[Agility: 1.5]

[Constitution: 1.3]

[All system functions are locked]

Over the last couple of months, he realized that, at the rate at which his body was being strengthened, it would take him a long time to max out his stats to the peak of mortal limits. David assumed that the peak for mortals was 2.

'At this rate, it'll probably take a year or so to max out my stats,' David thought as he stroked his chin. Although the progress was slow, he had nothing to complain about. After all, he could already see visible changes.

The changes weren't just in his physical appearance, but also in other fields. Over the past few months, he had begun learning boxing and Brazilian jiujitsu at one of the gyms in Hell's Kitchen. And he had seen massive improvements in his way of fighting.

Most of the time, he even had to control his strength to where he was barely using it at all while sparring against his trainer.

The improvement of his senses not only enhanced his perception, but also other activities related to the brain, like comprehension and even memory to a certain extent.

As he was lost in thought, he reached the place Nico had told him to come. He looked around and finally saw Nico's black sedan parked right in front of a six-story building that was under construction.

He walked toward the car and knocked on the window of the passenger seat. A moment later, a skinny man with a receding hairline stepped out of the car. He was wearing a brown suit and a trench coat over it.

"What is it, Boss?" David respectfully asked the man.

Nico looked at him and replied, "Follow me." With that, he entered the abandoned building and added, "There's a person here who claims to have some information on one of the crews from the Buccanti Family."

When David heard that it was related to the Buccanti family, his expression turned solemn. Over the past few months, he had naturally heard a lot about the Buccantis, the biggest rival of the Rossetti Family.

Almost every other month, there would be a gang shoot-out between the crews from the two families. There had been many casualties on both sides, though David had yet to participate in the shoot-outs, mostly thanks to Nico's consideration.

He looked at the middle-aged man walking in front of him and inquired, "Boss, do you think they're eyeing Hell's Kitchen?"

"That's what I've heard from my sources," Nico nodded, "that's why I'm meeting this fella here. Let's see what he has to say."

The mafiosos climbed all the way to the sixth floor. With his greatly enhanced senses, David scouted the whole floor as he covertly went from one place to another. After making sure that there was indeed only one person there, the pair approached him.

The man had a full head of black hair and a slight beer belly. He was wearing casual clothes and was confidently staring at Nico and David. However, the youth astutely noticed that the man was actually trembling ever so slightly because of nerves.

Nico looked at him and ordered in an authoritative tone, "Speak."

The man tried his best to appear calm. "Not until you agree to all of my conditions."

Nico gestured for him to continue and the man added, "Firstly, I want fifty grand in cash. Second, I want—"

However, before he could state all his conditions, he was cut off by Nico. "How do I know the information you have is the real deal?"

The man gulped nervously. "It's the real deal. I personally overheard them talking about attacking one of your warehouses."

Nico narrowed his eyes, then after a few moments, finally said, "Fifty grand's a lot of money. Ten grand, take it or leave it."

However, the informant was adamant. "No, that's non-negotiable."

Nico stared at him deeply for a long time. In the end, he sighed. He looked at David and coldly said, "Get it done clean." With that, he turned around and walked away as he muttered under his breath, "What a fuckin' waste of time."

"Wait, WAIT!" the informant yelled. "Twenty grand! That's the lowest I'll go."

But his words fell on deaf ears as David rushed toward him at an almost-inhuman speed and delivered a punch to his solar plexus.

The man coughed out a large amount of saliva mixed with blood and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in agony. David grabbed his hair and forcibly dragged him up the staircase to the roof.

"WAIT! NO!" the man screamed in fear. "I'll speak! I'll speak!"

However, David paid him no heed as he dragged him across the roof and toward the edge. He then crouched down and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. After that, he grabbed the informant's ankle and threw him off the roof!

"Aaahhhhhh!!!" The man screamed in horror as he saw the street down below. But much to his surprise, he hadn't yet fallen. He turned and looked at David and saw that he was holding his ankle and dangling him over the edge of the roof.

David narrowed his eyes and coldly muttered, "Last chance. Speak or die."

The informant nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. The fear of death had overwhelmed him down to his bones and he ended up spilling everything.

A few minutes later, David threw him back on the roof and flatly said, "If you value your life, leave Hell's Kitchen immediately. In fact, leave New York and never come back."

With that, he turned around and left. After taking a few steps, he stopped and looked back at the man who was panting heavily. "If the others find you, they won't show you mercy."

Without another word, he left. The informant looked at David's departing back with mixed emotions. He wanted to thank the teenager, but in the end, he just silently watched him leave.

David walked back toward the Mulligan and went over the information that he had just received from the man. He couldn't help but think, 'The Buccanti Family crew's already in Clinton. Looks like we'll have to fight them off sooner or later.'

Involuntarily, his lips had curled up into a smirk. He wasn't afraid of the incoming storm at all. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to test out his increase in strength in real battle. His eyes shone with excitement as he muttered, "I can't fucking wait!"

[Countdown: 665 days...]