Actions of a leader.

"Dominic?" Leo called out as he could sense something was off even from the side of the phone.

Leo could feel the tension in the air even though he wasn't present.

"The negotiations failed sir, Things turned violent but thankfully I was the only one who got hurt." Dominic said in an extremely humble tone.

Hearing this, Leo frowned and said nothing. He gently placed Lisa on a pillow before leaving the room to his balcony in just his underwear.

Standing there he looked over the dazzling city in the darkness of the night. It gave him a strange feeling.

"Tell me what happened." Leo finally spoke up.

Only after he spoke could he hear Dominic breathe again. The fear and respect these people had for him were ingrained deep into their souls.

Dominic began narrating the story from the very beginning and explained it in detail. Throughout the time he spoke, Leo remained silent and motionless like a statue. His gaze was fixated on the beautiful world outside.

From what he has heard so far it seemed like the Crimson Serpents never planned to negotiate in the first place. This was just a nasty show of strength which is aimed at intimidating them and forcing them to bend a knee.

"Tch, thugs will always be thugs." Leo snorted with clear disgust visible in his eyes.

He had always wondered what sort of approach will be used by the first gang that tries to reach out to them. He had hoped these people would try and act civilized, making his life a lot easier.

'Thug will always be thugs!' Leo lampooned in his mind.

"What do we do now? Do you really plan to hand over the Underworld to them?" Dominic asked in a panicked tone.

"You will do nothing. You and the boys should stay together until this is all over. Halt all business for just one night. That's all I need." Leo said with a cold look in his eyes.

"I understand sir." Dominic said in a low tone.

"I will come by later today. Keep your heads low and wait for my arrival." Leo said indifference but his eyes flashed with cruelty.

He shifted his gaze to his wristwatch only to realize it was already 5 am.

"When is this going down?" Leo hissed.

"Tonight." Dominic responded hastily.

"Perfect." Leo said in a low tone before ending the call.

---

That morning, Leo drove Lisa back to her place with a stern look on his face. Even though he refused to say much and he perfectly his mood when Lisa was around, the issue never left his mind.

This wasn't because he lacked the confidence in dealing with these men but because Leo was skeptical about how to deal with them. He wasn't sure if he meant to use force or try diplomacy again.

Soon Leo concluded he would decide when he got there. But this little mental breakdown made him realize he knew little about the life of crime lords and cartel leaders.

He has been living on the surface for too long to understand what happens in the shadows. Right now he considered this event a blessing in disguise as it gave him a well-needed exposure to things he has been blind to all this while.

He decided to put it on his to-do list to learn more about the underground world when the time comes but now is not the time.

Normally, he would have loved to go and check up on Dominic and his men but rushing over will only show his men a sense of urgency in him which in turn will kill their morale.

Without thinking twice, Leo drove home and took a second shower this morning. He slipped into a red suit and packed his things before heading off to work.

---

Leo took his car to work and as soon as he arrived at his office he was greeted with a new file on his desk with a note beside it. The words 'High profile' was written on the note, leaving Leo confused.

He wished to dig deeper into it but for some reason, he just didn't seem in the mood. He ignored everything and pushed them onto his shelf while he sat down.

Leaning on his chair, Leo decided to rest his mind and body in preparation for what is to happen tonight. Since the crime world has finally reached out to him, he will deal with them accordingly.

Leo carried on with his normal daily routine, except for the fact he did no work and purely focused on resting. As soon as it was 4 pm, he left the office and drove off to a dark part of Florida that his colleagues will never guess exists.

---

The mood in the Underworld headquarters was gloomy, leaving everyone in a sour mood. They all remained silent and just pondered on the events of the previous night, wondering where it all went wrong.

Deep down these people were more terrified of the way the mysterious old man would punish them for failing to secure such an important deal. He was informed of the outcome in the morning but there has been no word from him.

He left them in suspense and it was driving them crazy.

Thud!

Sounds of footsteps coming down the hallway alerted everyone and they quickly reached for their weapons but when the door swung open, it was the old man in a red suit.

His face was indifferent as usual as he appeared. His eyes scanned the hands of these men which were on their weapons and he let out a scuffing laughter as he walked into the room.

"If you were this sharp a night ago, I wouldn't have come here this early" Leo said in a chilling voice, sending chills down their spine.

Leo strode at a steady and unhurried pace. The calmness in his eyes seemed to be infectious, clearing the worry in the mind of his men. With his Empathy ability, he knew their minds were chaotic at this very moment.

They needed a symbol, a shoulder to lean on.

Leo took a seat and scanned the room in silence for a minute before speaking.

"The encounter with the Crimson Serpents did not end in failure, it ended with a lesson to learn," Leo said with a stern look on his face. "I ask you to look into what happened last night, acknowledge your individual faults and work on it. As for the Crimson Serpents, I will deal with them personally. That alliance will happen!" He added with a cruel frown.

"You plan to work with the alliance?"