CHAPTER 002 - Background Check

Shin silently observed his five men as they smashed the windshield of a car by the river near their hideout. The vehicle belonged to their new target— the son of the owner of the largest supermarket in the town of Catib.

The town of Catib is surrounded by mountains, rice fields, cornfields, and tobacco plantations. It is an hour away from the city of Yllanas, where he resides.

Yllanas was the third biggest and industrialized city in the country. He was ten years old when he and his father left Japan to move to that place. It was the time when they were abandoned by his mother for her Italian lover.

Shin's parents had an unusual meeting in Tokyo. His father, a pure-blood Japanese, was born and raised in Japan. On the other hand, his mother was a transfer student from the Philippines. Despite their cultural differences, they formed a connection, and a year later, he came into the world. However, when he was just three years old, his mother met an Italian businessman and chose to leave the family. This event shattered his father emotionally, leading him to seek solace in alcohol and neglect his parental duties.

During this challenging time, their neighbors played a crucial role in ensuring Shin's well-being. Without their intervention, he could have succumbed to neglect and hunger due to his father's irresponsible behavior. 

A turning point came when Shin fell seriously ill, compelling his father to reassess his priorities. Faced with the prospect of losing his son, his father decided to quit drinking. This experience marked a significant shift in their lives, as his father committed to being a more responsible and attentive parent.

Shin was ten years old when his father, Takano Reiji, made the decision to relocate to the Philippines. Reiji, initially a professor at Tokyo University, had encountered Aimee Alfredo, a captivating Filipina exchange student who eventually became Shin's mother. Reiji faced professional consequences when his affair with a student came to light, resulting in his dismissal from the university. Following this setback, he found employment at his affluent parents' canning factory to provide for his pregnant wife.

As the years passed, Aimee, Shin's mother, encountered a wealthy Italian businessman. Feeling discontent with their modest life in Japan, she abandoned her family and departed with her new lover. This abandonment marked a significant turmoil in Shin's life, as he witnessed his mother choose a different path, leaving him and his father behind.

When the father and son moved to the Philippines, after years of waiting for Aimee's return, Reiji Takano resumed teaching at an international school. It was in that school where he also enrolled his son Shin, aiming to provide him with the best education the country could offer. However, a few years later, a tragic news shook their world — Reiji's parents died in a fatal accident, leaving behind all their possessions to their only child.

Shin was sixteen when they returned to Japan to attend his grandparents' funeral. He assumed they would settle there permanently as he always preferred living in Japan over the Philippines, disliking his mother's country. Being in the Philippines only reminded him of his useless, estranged mother. Shin resented that kind of connection. He didn't want any ties to her, especially since she left him to be with her lover and never bothered to contact him, not even once. So, as much as possible, he avoided any connection with his mother.

However, after the funeral, the father and son returned to the Philippines. Reiji resigned from teaching and used his inheritance to buy properties in the city of Yllanas, where he opened a business— an antique shop.

Shin grew up hating everything; the place that reminded him of his mother, the people around him, and even his father.

His father had become busy with his business and started to lose time on him again. 

He was already abandoned by his mother, and now his father didn't even have time for him. He felt unimportant—like no one really cared about him. With such thoughts, he learned to rebel. Growing up, he desperately sought attention—every day at school he would engage himself in nonsense fights in the hope that it might catch his father's attention. 

There was not a day that he wasn't summoned to the guidance office for a scolding. And his stupid father did nothing but ask the school officials for an apology. When they got home, he would just tell him not to repeat his actions—after that, he would go back to his shop as if nothing happened.

No matter what he did, his father never cared. He loved his ex-wife more than his son. He loved his shop more than his only son and he would spend more time dusting the antiques rather than spending time with him.

This toxic mindset took root, convincing him that he was worthless in his father's eyes. When he turned eighteen, he sought membership in fraternity groups, diving into a world of firearms, violence, drugs, and casual relationships. At the age of twenty, he caught the eye of the founding member of the Titans, who recognized Shin's cunning and ruthless nature. Without hesitation, Shin joined the group, finding a sense of purpose and power.

Shin's involvement with the Titans began as a recruit, where he participated in various activities such as assaulting targets, intimidating their families, and eluding the authorities. His exceptional skills quickly garnered attention, resulting in his promotion to the right-hand position of the previous boss. Following the death of the big boss during a riot, Shin Takano, at the age of twenty-five, ascended to the leadership role, taking charge as the new head of the Titans.

Shin reconnected with childhood friends from Japan, one of whom had joined the Yakuza as a junior member, specifically a chinpira or a low-ranking member. Shin gained valuable insights from his chinpira friend, learning the intricacies of managing a criminal organization, avoiding capture, leveraging connections in the underworld, instilling fear in enemies, selecting targets, and navigating encounters with law enforcement. His Yakuza associate emphasized the importance of befriending a corrupt police official who could be manipulated with substantial financial incentives. Shin learned that establishing his position with such authorities was key to operating with relative immunity.

And so far, so good. The Titan's relationship with this police officer was working well thus far. 

Well, at least for now.

No one knew how long the officer would remain loyal to the group.

But Shin wasn't worried at all. He was never worried nor swayed.

Before he joined the group, the Titans already had a fair share of enemies. Not just because of the competition for who was more feared, but also because, initially, the group was known as hired killers. However, that was before he became the leader. He had never killed anyone, nor had he been assigned to do so when he was still a member.

He could if he would— but he wouldn't want to have someone else's blood on his hands. He thought that he was far better than that. 

He knew that some members of the group had killed people before— and they would do it again if he gave them orders.

But no. He wouldn't. 

They could survive without killing. Torturing and seeing their targets suffer from broken bones were far better than killing them off.

And the targets? They were very specific about it. They chose wealthy young men, often drowning in luxury and showing no regard for money. Especially spoiled, rich, bastards like Paulo Coronio. He was a gambler — still in college, but already losing hundreds of thousands in the casino.

"Enough! Enough already!" 

Shin shifted his focus to his men upon hearing the loud plea from their target. From where he sat, he could see how delighted his men were as they took turns beating the car of their new target with a baseball bat and large pieces of wood in their hands. The hood and sides of the car were already crumpled, the windows shattered, and the tires punctured after being stabbed with the icepick and knife they brought along.

In the dark and secluded area, Shin stood on a large rock near the river. The surroundings were pitch-black, and the two car headlights couldn't reach him. Hidden by shadows and a big mango tree, he had a clear view of what was happening not too far away.

Laughter, accompanied by the distressed cries of the car's owner—Enzo Peres, their target—filled the air. The group had carried resentment against him for a long time due to his overwhelming arrogance. Enzo, a college senior, wielded his influence both inside and outside the university, earning a reputation as a notorious bully. His lavish spending habits, funded by his father, added fuel to the flames of their animosity. This was the reason why Enzo ended up on their list of targets.

Their conditions were blunt and simple. Every week, they sought out a target to extract money from. Should the target fall short on the agreed-upon date, there would be repercussions. The nature of these consequences hinged entirely on the whims and fancies of Shin's men. The air of unpredictability surrounding the penalties added an extra layer of menace to their already formidable reputation. 

Shin granted full permission for his men to torture their targets using any means they preferred, as long as they refrained from causing fatal harm. On the flip side, if the targets complied with their demands, they were left unharmed. The dynamics of their operations were basically as straightforward as they were ruthless.

Engaging in these acts of extortion and brutality, the group found a twisted sense of pleasure in the suffering of their targets. The sheer thrill of dominating others, the sadistic satisfaction derived from the control they wielded, became an intoxicating source of enjoyment for Shin and his men. The power dynamics at play seemed to feed some dark craving within them, providing a wicked satisfaction that went beyond mere financial gain. It was as if the infliction of pain became a sick form of entertainment, a grisly game they played week after week.

They liked it when people started to shiver just hearing their name. They liked it when people felt the tension when they were around. 

They were happily reigning in the town of Catib, and that joy would continue as long as their group remained intact.

He shifted his attention back to his comrades and noticed Mel, one of the group members with a baseball bat in hand, approaching Enzo, who was kneeling on the ground. Mel twirled the bat in the air, laughing demonically.

"What, Enzo? Have you learned your lesson?" Mel asked while leaning over Enzo.

"I-I'm sorry for what I did..." the man replied tearfully.

"How dare you act tough and hide from us, you asshole?" Mel said before slapping Enzo who had been trembling with fear. "You have two days to give us the two hundred thousand we need. If you fail to provide that amount on the specified day, you'll deeply regret what will happen to you."

Enzo bowed his head and broke into loud sobs, drawing mocking laughter from his tormentors.

Shin shook his head and jumped off the rock. He tucked one hand into the left pocket of his pants, while the other reached for the cigarette tucked behind his ear. He placed it in the corner of his mouth and took the lighter out of his pocket.

His henchmen surrounding Enzo moved away as they saw him approaching. Meanwhile, Enzo's crying intensified upon seeing him.

Of course, Enzo knew him. All their targets knew who they were dealing with.

Whenever his men found targets, they would forcefully bring them to their hideout blindfolded and present them before him. Then, he would introduce himself to the targets and elaborate on his terms. He would also tell them that they wouldn't stay targets forever. He set a timeframe for them. Each target had sixty days under their control. Each week, these targets must give them the required amount. Otherwise... there would be punishment.

The money they obtain from the targets is stored in the stockroom within the hideout. Each member receives a weekly percentage of the total amount they collect from all targets. The bigger the amount they collect, the bigger their commission. It's that simple. And those commissions were enough to support two wives and ten children, plus mistresses and drugs.

He squatted in front of Enzo and blew the smoke right in front of his face. "So, you fancy yourself as the brave one, do you?" Shin's predatory gaze bore down on Enzo, who remained on his knees, trembling. The strong stench of Shin's cigarette lingered in the air as he blew the smoke directly into Enzo's face. "Why do you look like a puppy that fell into a river and is now all wet and whimpering?"

Enzo wiped away his tears and shook his head repeatedly. "I-I'm not brave, Boss... I just made a mistake and I promise not to repeat it again..."

He took another puff of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke. "Glad you cleared that up. Because if you still claim to be brave, I might just have to challenge you to a brawl, this very moment. My fists are yearning for some action tonight, you know."

The poor guy cried even harder. 

Shin chuckled before leaning in to get a closer look at Enzo's terrified face. "Remember, you have no right to act tough in this town while we're around. Your arrogance has no place here in Catib, do you understand?"

Enzo swallowed hard and nodded his head. 

He took another drag of the cigarette, this time exhaling the smoke upward. He glanced down at the guy, his gaze penetrating. "Stick it in your head that only we have the right to be fearless in this town— not you, and not anyone else."

Enzo nodded repeatedly. 

"Your 60 days are almost over. Give us the amount we need tomorrow plus fifty percent interest as a penalty for your attempt to escape. If you fail again, what happened to your car will be nothing compared to what will happen to you."

Enzo suppressed his tears, realizing there was no use crying again. 

He forced a smile and stood up. He took another puff of the cigarette, exhaled the smoke upward, and tossed it in front of Enzo, crushing it under his foot.

"Jon and Finn— cover his eyes and drive him away from here. The rest will head back to the hideout." He then walked toward the two parked cars. He got into the driver's seat of the red Mazda and waited for the other members to follow suit.

Jon, who was the first to approach, stopped in front of the driver's side door. 

He rolled down the window and looked at his right-hand man. "I am heading home, Jon. Make sure you have everything sorted. One mistake, and everyone will face the consequences—clear?" His tone carried a weight of authority and a hint of menace.

"Loud and clear, Chief."

He flicked the back of his hand at Jon to dismiss him, rolled up the window, and started the engine. A few moments later, his car was driving along the dirt road.

The clock struck eight, and he would typically be home by then. But instead of heading straight home, he decided to change direction and go to a place he often frequented. 

He pressed the accelerator, propelling his car to a speed of 180 kilometers per hour. Being on the freeway made it easy for him to drive at such a high speed.

Moments later, he spotted the place he was aiming for. He eased off the accelerator as he glided into the parking space of his favorite spot— a retro tavern nestled on the side road, aptly named Crickets.