Chapter 522: Chapter 30: Conspiracy
Budman sat alone in the Wing of Death’s room, feeling a wave of tension.
The decoration in the Wing of Death’s room was simple: a bed, a desk and chair, a punching bag for practice, and three photos nailed to the wall— the Red Lion, the Tricky Jester, and the damn Supreme Crown.
These three had one thing in common: they always looked down on the Wing of Death and his subordinates, with the most arrogant being the Supreme Crown and his Light Core. Ever since that princeling had refused the Wing of Death’s invitation to meet with a disdainful expression, the two had become irreconcilable enemies.
As for the Caelum Heroes who were always against them… to be honest, most thugs didn’t hate him much, it was mostly just a headache. What could you do with an invincible good guy?
The Wing of Death hadn’t arrived yet, and Budman idly reminisced about the past.
How had the boss and Aorus started their feud? It seemed to be when they first started organizing, competing for a few bio-weapons. Everyone was worse off when they actually fought, so the boss was the first to suggest a truce, giving Aorus a chance to save face.
What did Aorus say at the time? “A filthy rat devoid of dignity, asking me to give him face. What a funny joke.”
That young master was still very naive then. It was said that he made Gongsun Ce go mad with just a few words aboard the ship, perhaps that was what made him disdain everyone. Aorus looked down on everyone, and then the boss made him taste bitterness.
The Wing of Death’s magic had almost completely disabled that bastard’s combat power, and he had prepared many traps on the battlefield. Once Aorus teleported, a myriad of traps awaited that young master. And he, Budman Avis, had taken the lead with his subordinates, breaking into the enemy lines and completely wiping out the protectors from the Otimis family. He had truly established the reputation of an invader, letting everyone know that the Wing of Death was the strongest gang in the city.
After that battle, the first elite of the Wing of Death also suffered heavy losses. The fight was brutal, but refreshing, damn refreshing. How come now that the organization was doing well, he didn’t feel sharp anymore? Budman asked himself, how had he fallen to the point of needing to collaborate with Aorus?
The door opened, and John, the boss, walked in step by step, standing in front of him, looking into his eyes.
“Budman, I’ve given you an entire day. I hope you’re ready,” John said. “I want to hear the truth, about those secrets you’ve been hiding.”
“It’s just you and me here.”
Budman understood what that meant. John’s combat ability was far too inferior to his, at such close range, a fully committed he could completely annihilate the Wing of Death in five seconds, leaving no chance for survival.
John wasn’t afraid, he trusted his brother.
Damn it. Budman clenched his teeth. For a moment he really wanted to reveal everything, to let whatever John’s reaction be a closure to a past matter. But precisely because John trusted him so much, he couldn’t speak… couldn’t speak.
He had chosen the wrong path from the beginning, there was no turning back now.
“I’m being honest, boss,” Budman said hoarsely, “I… knew where Kova’s body was all along.”
The Wing of Death remained silent.
“I personally moved his body to a house on Witch Ring Road. It wasn’t about framing anyone, it was because it was close to our territory, easier for me to handle,” Budman clenched his fists. “I didn’t want to tell you this because… sigh! I had contacted Aorus that night, went to meet him.”
“You contacted the Light Core?!” Wing of Death roared.
Budman grabbed his hair, anxiously speaking, “I knew you would be mad enough to go insane. But boss, I’m telling you the truth, I don’t fucking want to be involved anymore!!”
He didn’t dare meet the Wing of Death’s gaze and simply closed his eyes.
“At first, it was good; we captured territories, we got followers and firearms, started our own business, the organization was thriving. But that’s all we can achieve! We’ve tried so many major plans, implemented them almost ten times, tried fighting alone, collaborating with other gangs, openly and covertly, but damn it, we just can’t break out!”
“Boss, your mind works better than mine, you surely understand better. It’s not just Yuankai blocking our path—the people above are too powerful, we can’t beat them! What’s the point of continuing like this? The initial chaos is over, we can’t expand our territory, our power has peaked, our gang is the strongest in the city, but that’s pretty much it.”
“So?” the Wing of Death asked coldly.
“I think continuing like this is meaningless, I don’t want to fight and kill anymore,” Budman grinned, “Three more years have passed, there’s going to be a change at the top, that kid Aorus has backing and wants to take the chance to rise. I… I thought I’d connect with him first, pick a side, and then advise you to accept an amnesty.”
The Wing of Death waved his hand angrily, trying to suppress his fury but eventually couldn’t hold back, “You fool! Enough, we’re not discussing this. What about those four brothers?!”
Budman felt his heart skip a beat. This was the critical point, he had to follow what Aorus had taught him. It wasn’t an elaborate lie, just add a little falsehood to the truth… a little is enough.
“I’ve been watching them for a long time. I suspect they are spies for the Country. I called them over that night, wanted to talk things out away from the organization’s ears. I figured with me watching, they couldn’t escape, but I arrived late.”