Chapter 16

In the eyes of the burly Russian Ross and the head of the warehouse, Noah Clover had changed from a ruthless person to a full-blown lunatic.

A ruthless person would at most threaten with a bomb, holding the idea that if things went bad, they'd all die together. But a lunatic? He straps himself with a bomb he can't even control and treats life and death like they mean nothing.

At this point, neither of them could predict what Noah might do next, and that deep sense of unease gripped their hearts. Until they could figure out what he really wanted, they didn't dare make any sudden moves.

Terrified by Noah, the two bosses quickly gave up any thoughts of disarming the bomb.

Returning to the conversation, Russian Ross asked, "Now that we've sat down and talked, what's the real reason you came here?"

Noah shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing much. I was just taking a walk, happened to pass by, and got a little curious, so I decided to check things out."

The two stared at him in disbelief. Who takes a walk with a bomb strapped to them?

Ignoring their shocked expressions, Noah waved a hand at the gang members around him. "You don't need to worry about me. Just go on with your business like I'm not even here. I'll leave on my own once you're done."

"But the deal's been over for a while," one of the Russian Ross boys muttered.

"Then do it again," Noah said, crossing his legs and adopting a bossy tone. "You, inspect the goods for me. And you, count the money. Watch closely. If there's a problem or the amount doesn't add up, I'll deal with it myself."

The warehouse boys, assigned to inspect the goods, looked nervously at the warehouse boss. Meanwhile, the Russian Ross boys, tasked with counting the money, glanced uncertainly at their leader.

Is he really asking us to check our own goods and money?

Gritting his teeth, Russian Ross finally gave the order, "Check the money!"

The warehouse boss took a deep breath before adding, "Inspect the goods."

With their bosses giving the command, the subordinates had no choice but to obey. However, it was clear they were only putting on a show, just going through the motions. After all, they knew their own merchandise and money better than anyone.

But their lackluster efforts didn't go unnoticed by Noah.

Suddenly, he pointed at one of the warehouse boys and shouted angrily, "Do you think I'm blind? You're telling me there's nothing wrong with that pork without even looking closely? What, do you have microscopic eyes or something? I think you're an undercover agent! Let's see how I deal with you today, you sneaky rat!"

With a loud bang, Noah stood up again, the red light on his bomb flickering wildly.

Oh no, this maniac's going to blow us all up!

The subordinates threw down the pork and money, falling to the ground with their hands over their heads in sheer terror.

"Brother, let it go!"

The two little bosses were on the verge of losing their minds, jumping up to calm Noah down immediately.

"It can't be let go! This guy looks like an undercover gang agent!" Noah shouted angrily. How can I let it go? If the criminal activity is handled this half-heartedly, how do I know if this even counts toward their criminal history?

Are you insane?

Do you really think you're the boss now?

The warehouse boss, realizing things were spiraling out of control, stood up abruptly, grabbed the innocent warehouse worker, and began beating him in front of Noah. Under the relentless blows, the poor worker passed out from the pain.

Clearly, Russian Ross was a ruthless man at heart, and his ability to endure this madness spoke to a future where he would surely rise in power.

"You're right, he's an undercover agent. Now that that's settled, let's continue the transaction," the warehouse boss said in a gloomy tone, desperately wanting to end this farce and send the madman away.

"Someone who understands," Noah said, giving a thumbs up. The red light on his bomb calmed down.

With the previous scene fresh in their minds, the subordinates no longer dared to half-ass their work in front of Noah. At least on the surface, they carefully checked the goods and counted the money, making sure to audibly declare things like "it's legit," "real cash," and "real pork" to prove their diligence.

Back at the table, Noah casually grabbed the poker deck as if nothing had happened.

"While they're finishing the deal, why don't we play some cards? How about we play 'Fight the Landlord'?" Noah suggested.

"What's 'Fight the Landlord'?" the two asked, confused. They had never heard of it, since it was a game unique to the Eastern Kingdom.

"It's simple, I'll teach you," Noah said.

After a brief explanation of the rules, the two quickly picked up on the game. Then Noah, ever the opportunist, proposed making it more exciting by using $1,000 as the base bet.

Although neither of them were the least bit interested, they had no choice but to accept under Noah's pressure. Money wasn't the issue; the only thing they had plenty of was cash. They'd gladly spend hundreds of thousands just to make this lunatic go away.

In the first round, Noah played as the landlord. With his veteran experience, he easily beat the two rookies.

"One bomb! Double the bet! Pay up, pay up!" Noah said cheerfully.

The burly Russian Ross and the warehouse boss reluctantly handed over the money to Noah. Their minds weren't on the game at all; they were more focused on their subordinates, who were quietly continuing their tasks.

Suddenly, the bosses noticed their men stopping, and their previously dull eyes lit up.

"Look, the inspection's done!" they called out quickly to Noah, who was busy counting the money he had won.

Noah casually pocketed the bills and glanced over. "Oh, so have you reached a deal?"

"Yes, a deal! Very satisfied!" they nodded eagerly.

The Russian Ross gang leader cautiously asked, "So, according to our agreement, you'll be leaving now? Or maybe we, the Russian Ross gang, could leave?"

The warehouse boss shot him a fierce glare. What do you mean by that? Are you planning to dump this lunatic on me!?

"Well, that's true," Noah nodded, before adding, "But we've only just started our game of Fight the Landlord. We can't let little things like that get in the way. Let's have them continue inspecting the goods and redoing the trade. Nobody leaves until we've played at least 20 rounds!"

The two little bosses stared at him in disbelief: "???"