The Leader of the Nightshade Gang

The luxurious convoy emerged from the Sun Fire Film Base, heading directly towards Celestial Tower, the tallest building in City S, where Alex and his party were staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The convoy halted before Celestial Tower. Alex stepped out of the car, lifting his head to gaze at the 420-meter-high building, exuding an aura of supremacy. Kate, seeing such a tall building for the first time, tilted her head back so far that it nearly became parallel to the ground. Rose, standing beside her, supported her and laughed, "Kate, if you keep looking up like that, I won't have the strength to hold you."

"Rose, hold me for a moment while I count how many floors there are in Celestial Tower," Kate said, childishly leaning on Rose's arm.

"Kate, please don't count. By the time you're done, I'll be starving," Alex said to Kate with a wry smile.

Kate straightened up, noticing numerous eyes on her, blushing slightly as she quickly walked over to Alex, holding his arm as they headed inside Celestial Tower.

They arrived at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located on the 57th to 87th floors of Celestial Tower. A server led them to the restaurant, where seven or eight men in black suits stood at the entrance to a private room. As Alex and his party passed by, one of the men deliberately flicked his cigarette butt onto Rose.

Rose brushed the ash off her clothes and angrily said to the man, "How rude can you be?"

The man lit another cigarette and defiantly smoked it. The server politely approached him, "Sir, smoking is not allowed in the hallway. If you wish to smoke, please go to the smoking room."

"Get lost, I like smoking right here," the man arrogantly replied, his eyes still fixed on Rose.

Alex signaled to Edward, who nodded and swiftly grabbed the man by the throat, throwing him into the private room. The other men at the entrance reached for their waists, but Mark and several guards swiftly subdued them, disarming them of several pistols. Mark took one of the guns, disassembling it into parts that scattered on the floor within seconds.

"Impressive skills, you must have professional training," said a young man in a white suit, emerging from the private room with over twenty bodyguards behind him, clapping as he approached.

Alex, hands in his pockets and a slight smile on his lips, looked at the slightly older young man. The man in the white suit, upon exiting the room, fixed his gaze on Alex, his handsome yet pale face breaking into a sinister smile. Dozens more bodyguards in black suits surrounded Alex and his group from both ends of the hallway.

Mark, Edward, and the twenty-four guards formed a protective circle around Alex and Kate. Alex scanned the surrounding men, his smile growing.

"My name is Frederick Hawthorne. You are quite bold, and I admire that," the young man in the white suit said with a smile.

"Your name is of little importance. What matters is that you will definitely come to know mine," Alex's eyes lit up at the mention of Frederick Hawthorne.

"Ha, you are the first to speak to me this way. Aren't you afraid you won't leave here alive?" Frederick laughed, his gaze turning cold.

"As the leader of the Nightshade Gang, your word can ensure most people's demise, but I'm not most people. If I can't leave here, neither can you," Alex replied calmly.

"You are very confident, even more so than I am. I wonder if you have the ability to back it up," Frederick remarked, scrutinizing Alex. The formidable guards around Alex made Frederick wary.

"You'll find out if you test me," Alex said with a smile, his eyes exuding a menacing light, confident he could kill Frederick in an instant.

"You have the aura of a king, but that doesn't guarantee you'll become one," Frederick sensed Alex's killing intent, feeling a tinge of unease. He adjusted his suit, trying to calm his nerves.

"Time will tell. We'll meet again. Now, my friends and I need to have dinner. Let your men step aside," Alex said with a mischievous smile.

"Step back, don't disturb their lunch," Frederick instructed his men.

The Nightshade Gang members retreated, and Alex glanced at Frederick, smiling. "Thank you. We'll meet again." With that, Alex led his party away from the corridor.

"Why did you let them go, boss?" a middle-aged man behind Frederick asked.

"It's lonely without rivals," Frederick replied coldly, glancing back at the man.

"You're right, boss. We haven't had any real opponents for decades. The brothers are getting restless," the middle-aged man nodded.

"Find out everything about that guy. I need a rival, but I don't want him to surpass me," Frederick said, exuding a chilling aura. He always aimed to be invincible, enjoying conquering his opponents but never giving them a chance to conquer him.

"Yes, boss. I'll have our team keep an eye on them," the middle-aged man replied respectfully.

After lunch, Alex and his group drove to Plaza 66 on West Road. Their large shopping entourage drew many curious glances. Although Alex didn't want so many bodyguards in the mall, seeing Kate and the others' excited eyes, he knew they'd buy a lot, so bringing extra people to carry the bags was a good idea.

In Plaza 66, a dedicated shopping guide accompanied Kate, Rose, and Ella, constantly introducing them to various items. The three women's shopping enthusiasm was ignited. Alex silently cursed the shopping guide, imagining dozens of ways to dispose of her.

They swept through the international luxury brands in Plaza 66, with the twenty-four guards behind Alex carrying numerous bags of all sizes. The shopping guide was amazed, encountering such formidable shoppers for the first time, treating the city's most upscale mall like a wholesale market. Alex's unhesitating card swiping drew admiring glances from fashionable onlookers, many of whom dream of becoming part of Kate's group. The shopping team left Plaza 66 and headed straight to Citic Square.

As dusk fell, Alex and his group finished shopping. Kate, Rose, and Ella looked satisfied, and Alex finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Through the bulletproof glass of the car window, Alex admired the view of City S, but his mind lingered on his encounter with Frederick. He knew their struggle would be a fierce and thrilling battle.