Chapter 123- A Gang to be Proud of

It was evening when the old half-man, half-rat known as Edward led Wilson, Dash and Charlie to see the gang he was talking about. They walked slowly, Charlie and Edward randomly raised random, somewhat weird topics and easily defected to another topic that came to mind, but still arrived at the gang's territory ten minutes later.

Wilson looked around at the entire block teeming with people of different shapes, sizes and ages. Male and female; young and old; ugly and good-looking; full humans and half-humans. It was a very complete place. There were stores and stalls and residential buildings. in the same block, there was even a clinic, restaurants, bars and a small bank. It was really an ideal place. It was so populated, yet free at the same time. Everyone could still have their personal space while they moved. The people living there would not even need to ever step out of the block as everything they could possibly need - financially, physically, sexually and health-wise - was available in the same block.

"Does this place really qualify as small?" Wilson wondered as he constantly looked around at the places and people they walked by.

Wilson felt intimidated by the sheer size of people that stared at him, Dash and Charlie when they passed by them (Sofia was asleep at home). It was unnerving. All these people occupying this large, complicated expanse of land and they could seemingly all tell that their faces were new to the block.

"This is only a quarter of the gang's territory. There are four blocks they control in total." Edward said proudly.

"All this people belong to the gang?" Wilson asked.

"Not precisely. They pay for the protection of the gang. It can be seen as some sort of tax.

"And in return, the gang protects it's territory from other greedy gangs and ensures that all these people who pay for protection are not attacked by beasts and other similar threats.

"You see, Forest Garden is mostly filled with refugees and fugitives but most of these people were falsely accused or misunderstood their own situations and just want to live a normal life. That is what the gang's try to offer. They are like the government of this part of Tiger City. Unruly and dangerous, but still manageable. It is a mutually beneficial business deal, if you ask me. And I think the others think so too. I mean that's why they live here, you know.

"But you see, the types of gangs also matter a lot. In this place, the strong prey on the weak. Most other gangs with territories try their best to extort as much as they can from the people living and working in their territory and are always recruiting people to join them. You know, the higher the number, the stronger the team.

This gang is different. They are vicious alright. I mean they've got the devious genius of a vice-leader, the twin executioners, the weapon goddess Alicia, the queen of stealth and the most fearsome leader, who by the way, my daughter got married to not too long ago." The old man said that last bit with a most prideful look.

It made Wilson wonder, 'Is he really that impressive?' Although he did not ask that question out loud.

Edward continued, "Anyway, as I was saying, save for those people, there are only about ten regular members that makes up the gang, unlike the couple hundred in all the other territorial gangs."

"Just these few people?" Dash asked with a frown. Wilson looked at him.

'Dash has been frowning a lot these past couple hours.' He thought to himself.

Old Edward did not seem to notice it as he smiled as if the gang belonged to him as he said, "That's what makes them so amazing. Not only are they nice enough to not extort the people but they are not even that many, yet the other gangs know better than to encroach on their territory. There are always skirmishes between the gangs but none dares to bring that attitude to this gang's territory."

Wilson was impressed. That was true power. They are so strong that the troublemakers don't want to cause trouble. Domineering indeed.

Charlie nodded in approval of the guild. Then, he smiled and asked Edward.

"Edward, you have praised this gang to the highest heavens but you have not once mentioned the gang's name. What is the name of this gang?"

At this point, Edward; who was speaking so happily moments ago, suddenly blushed and hesitated.

"Um,"

Wilson suddenly had a bad feeling about this name. Why was an old man like this suddenly so embarrassed. Seems like the gang's name was so bad that even the gang members would rather die than admit to it.

"Why? It possibly can't be that bad." Charlie wasn't helping matters. Even Dash himself looked embarrassed.

'Does he know the name as well?' Wilson wondered.

Then he realised they had stopped and that they all looked up in a direction. He looked in the direction and saw a big residential building that doubled as the midpoint for five interlocking roads. On the top of the building was a huge golden sign. It read 'Little Pricked Gang.'

"Little Pricked? That doesn't sound that embarrassing." Wilson muttered to himself. "At most, it just has a funny story behind it."

Charlie heard Wilson muttering to himself. He chuckled and whispered into Wilson's ears, "Shout 'I am little pricked'!"

Wilson in response, spread out his arms and yelled out.

"I am little pricked!"

Then he understood.