Down This Bowl Of Blood Wine

Everyone was stunned to find out that their gun triggers had disappeared without a trace.

"My trigger is gone…"

"Mine is gone too…"

"Me too…"

They glanced at one another in the moonlight and saw the same shock on each other's faces.

Old Third was so frightened that he couldn't hold his gun properly. The gun bounced between his hands as if it was scorching hot for a while before it finally fell on the floor.

Everyone's gun triggers had vanished mysteriously. Coupled with this creepy atmosphere and the voice coming out of the dark abruptly…

Thinking back on the scene when the torchlight was switched on…

There were bodies all over the floor. From the corpses' clothes, they could tell that they were all their colleagues and brothers. The thing was that none of the skin on their faces was intact. It looked as if their faces were splashed with highly corrosive chemicals.

Without skin, the bloody flesh was exposed. In particular, the flesh at the nasal area and skin near the eyes were all nibbled away. Eyeballs popped out of the socket due to the lack of eyelids; they were only kept intact by the optic nerves as they hung around aimlessly.

Jack was even worse; he could only be recognized by his clothes. His head was missing. Judging by the shape of the bones and muscle tissue at the neck, it seemed like a huge amount of force was applied to rip his head off.

Furthermore, the mix of the river's fishy smell and the scent of blood capped off a sense of hellish horror to this spine-chilling experience.

The shocking scene made everyone go silent and hold their breath.

Having been surviving in Sand City, they were seasoned thugs who had seen blood and many bloody scenes of gang wars. Yet, the hellish scene in front of them was still a great shock.

Their fear was like fire, and the scene was like firewood bolstering that flame.

Click!

With the click of a button, a bright light shone on the thugs from within the room.

Everyone was dazzled by the light as they covered their faces with their hands.

Immediately after, a figure appeared from behind the light source and stood before the handheld searchlight.

Lin Ke's figure was clearly outlined by the lights, and his shadow completely consumed the thugs at the door. Lin Ke was like a demon overlord.

And the 30-plus men standing by the door trembled in fear like bandits. No, they were already bandits.

Lin Ke slowly walked with peace of mind. He thought that other gangs were coming to fish in troubled waters and prepared accordingly.

Sand Condor was going to brew up a sandstorm while the Silver Army Ants crawled onto the enemies and destroyed their arms.

But in the end, it was just the Jack Gang's people returning.

Lin Ke had thought about this possibility; it was just that he didn't consider the rest of Jack Gang as a threat at all.

As Lin Ke walked closer, everyone could finally see Lin Ke clearly.

The unknown was the greatest fear, and the skinny 'teenager' in front of them couldn't be associated with 'fear' in any way.

Old Second and the rest calmed down a little, except for Old Third…

Old Third raised his trembling hands and adjusted his signature black-framed glasses—he was even more frightened!

"F*ck, where did this kid come from? Stop playing around here!" A thug was scared to death just now, and he couldn't help but vent his anger upon seeing Lin Ke's figure.

Bang, bang, bang!

Lin Ke shot the thug's head three times.

A trickle of blood flew out of the back of the thug's head as he fell to the ground.

"Any more comments? Please raise your hand." Lin Ke's face remained unfazed as if he had done nothing at all.

Idiot! scolded Old Third in his mind, and he couldn't help but think: Can't this dumb*ss understand the situation?

As the thug fell, everyone finally got the warning.

Since their triggers had disappeared and the other party was armed, they were lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

"He's alone. How about we all charge together and take him down for sure?"

"Yeah, we have like 30 men! Surely we can take him out!"

Some thugs standing at the back whispered.

Veins throbbed on Old Third's forehead when he overheard the conversation. He became fed up and roared. "Are all of you blind? Can't you see this guy is wearing Boss's spiked boxing gloves? The returned car at the entrance, the strange sandstorm, and the gun triggers that vanished mysteriously; do you all still not understand?

"This guy is the one we have been looking for, and he's here to wipe out the gang! That idiot fatty was just a decoy, a tool!" Old Third shouted with everything he had and slumped to the ground, falling on his bottom. Desperation plastered his face as he mumbled, "It's over; it's all over. The Jack Gang is completely done for! We are all done for!"

Before Lin Ke opened his mouth, Forbes's voice was heard in the room. "No! You're the idiot; your whole family's an idiot!"

This just objection did not alleviate the thug's suspicion. On the contrary, it solidified Old Third's point.

Their mood went to rock bottom once again.

A one-man army wiped out the Jack Gang—how terrifying was his power!?

Old Third's analysis was right on point, but due to his cowardly nature, he had completely given up as he sat on the floor.

Old Second—who was in a red suit—took a few deep breaths. Sweat formed densely on his forehead, and the beads of sweat combined into a stream along his cheeks. They slid down his chin and dripped onto the floor.

"Sir, what do you need so you can let us off? I remember you were selling things in the black market for money, yes? There's a safe in Boss's office. Inside is all of Jack Gang's revenue, which you can take if you want. We won't have any complaints!"

"Are you sure that all the money is inside?"

Old Second paused for a moment and reacted quickly, "What are y'all waiting for? Quickly, take out anything valuable on you to honor this good sir!"

All of them gathered and fished out whatever valuable things they had—cash, gold rings, and many other objects.

Eventually, everything was placed into a shirt, which Old Second placed before Lin Ke cautiously.

"The password to the safe is 232093723. Would you like to go collect it on your own, or should we carry the safe out here to open it up for you?"

Lin Ke looked at Old Second—who had a stiff face but was still smiling forcefully—and Old Third, who had practically given up on life on the floor.

I didn't expect this Jack Gang to be so 'talented.'

The Boss, Jack, was a Level 10+ Elite with outstanding abilities, giving Lin Ke no less of a problem.

Old Second was a natural in doing business. Just with his ability to squeeze out a smile and become obsequious in the face of danger, how could he not succeed doing business?

Then there was Old Third, Mr. Cong. Lin Ke had only spoken a sentence, and Old Third analyzed it entirely—the key was that his analysis was on point too.

Why didn't I realize Mr. Cong's strength when I ransacked the Jack Gang in my previous life?

Lin Ke's thoughts got sidetracked a little…

Oh, I only focused on charging and probably didn't give Mr. Cong a chance to speak. My fault, my fault!

Lin Ke stared at Old Second in the eye and opened his mouth again. "Is this all?"

Old Second didn't hesitate this time as he nodded his head furiously. "That's all! The Jack Gang's business was collecting protection fees on the streets, so our revenue is all in cash over here!"

Huh, lips are sealed even at the moment of life and death? Lin Ke was truly… more and more awed by this man.

Lin Ke sat on the stone table beside him and waved his hands.

Old Second nodded and bowed with an obsequious smile.

Lin Ke wrapped one arm around Old Second, while he stuck a gun on his chest with the other hand. "Then, do you care to explain to me what's the matter with that 'Animal Encyclopedia' and the wild animals locked up in cages underground?"

With that remark, sweat poured down Old Second's back.

The thugs were stunned too.

They knew that Second brother was trying to 'send a god away' by using all their surface revenue in cash to send off this killing machine.

As long as they maintained their animal trafficking business, the money would always flow in.

To their surprise, Lin Ke could speak about the 'Animal Encyclopedia' and the metal cages in the underground room—it was obvious that he had been in the secret room.

"Er, er…" Old Second was dazed.

Lin Ke pushed Old Second in front of him and kicked him away.

The three prominent figures of the Jack Gang. One had lost his head and definitely laid dead on the floor.

The remaining two were now lying on the floor like homeless dogs.

"Hmm… Actually, my trip here wasn't for the money."

Everyone raised their heads and looked at Lin Ke.

"I just want your life!"

Gasp!

Everyone's eyes were filled with despair.

In a span of a sentence that went from heaven to hell, everyone's heart sank to the very bottom.

Lin Ke observed them and was quite satisfied.

People's psychological defenses would become easier to break down when their emotions fluctuated greatly.

Lin Ke had crushed the gang's spirits through his confrontation with Old Second.

"Well, actually… Since Mister has just arrived at Sand City, don't you feel that it would feel safer to have some influence here?" Old Third couldn't help but voice his idea. Since he was going to die anyway, he might as well step out and fight for a chance to survive.

Lin Ke jumped down from the stone table and crossed his arms as if he had heard something interesting. "Oh? What do you mean?"

Old Third crawled up from the floor and wiped his tears and nasal mucus with his arms. "We can pledge our loyalty to you! Controlling a faction in a city with a complex situation would definitely be better than working alone by a million miles! Plus, you can become the boss and enjoy the exclusive animal trafficking business, where profits will roll in non-stop."

Lin Ke did not say anything as he pretended to think about the suggestion. He was even more impressed by Mr. Cong now. This guy truly has some stuff. He said everything I wanted to say and saved me trouble.

Lin Ke did not speak. He just sized up everyone with great interest.

But Old Second, Old Third, and the 29 remaining thugs knew the meaning behind this silence.

From today onwards, Lin Ke was the new boss of the Jack Gang.

Those who complied would thrive, and those who resisted would perish!

Soon, a thug kneeled down with one leg and shouted, "Boss!"

Right after that, more and more of them took a knee and pledged their allegiance. As long as they were not dead, what was the difference between serving someone else?

Old Second and Old Third looked at each other in the eye on the floor. At least, they had survived!

"Boss!" Both of them laid on the ground with lowered heads.

Lin Ke looked at everyone on the floor and raised the corners of his mouth. "Not enough! Go and prepare 31 bowls of blood wine and make your pledge of allegiance. That's how you pledge your loyalty!"