"Very powerful?"
"Oh, tell me, how did you see they were very powerful?" the middle-aged man asked indifferently without turning around, a smile playing on his lips.
"There was a Western woman among them. She merely glanced at me, and I felt my consciousness slip away. After that, my actions were no longer under my control. If the other two hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have known I was being controlled," the white doorman said with lingering fear.
"Another transcender?" the middle-aged man murmured to himself, not very surprised. The doormen at the gate were all quite weak, as they didn't believe anyone would dare cause trouble on Mafia territory.
The methods of transcenders were often bizarre and abnormal. It wasn't particularly surprising that some powerful transcenders could briefly control the minds of ordinary people.
There were even rumors that Blood Phoenix, ranked first on the world assassin list, was skilled in mind control. Many transcenders had had their minds eroded by her and were forced to work for her.
"The World Gangster Tournament is drawing closer, and leaders from various organizations are gathering here. I wonder which faction these people belong to," the middle-aged man thought, then dismissed it. He had received a message from above that he had more important matters to attend to that night.
With that in mind, he beckoned someone over and instructed, "Make arrangements. Tonight's gladiatorial match will be a top-tier one. You know how to arrange it."
"Yes." The subordinate was slightly surprised. The highest level of gladiatorial matches involved duels between peak transcenders, and a single battle could potentially result in the loss of a peak transcender.
Such duels were rare, happening perhaps once a year, as peak transcenders were extremely valuable assets to any faction.
Moreover, if a peak transcender were to break through, their status would skyrocket. Saints were considered high-ranking figures in any organization, with a distinguished position.
After his subordinate left, the middle-aged man's gaze returned to the monitor screen.
"Oh, more unknown experts? Shall I go investigate them?" a slightly sharp voice suddenly echoed in the room.
A young man in a black suit emerged from the shadows. His eyes were fixed on the monitor screen, a hint of excitement in his gaze. He licked his lips, eager for action.
The middle-aged man knew Summers' intentions well. He shook his head and said, "Summers, I'm warning you, higher-ups have already notified us. The 'Big Circle Gang' and the 'Hells Angels' will be here tonight, so you'd best not cause trouble."
"A pity. Such a gem. I can tell she's unfathomable. I really want to experience her firsthand," the young man named Summers said, shaking his head regretfully.
"Why does this woman look so familiar? I feel like I've seen her somewhere before," the middle-aged man murmured, staring intently at Ailabella on the screen.
"How many beautiful women don't you find familiar?" Summers scoffed.
The middle-aged man ignored Summers' comment and stared fixedly at the screen. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something, and his hair stood on end. His face instantly turned pale, and his eyes, fixed on the monitor, were filled with terror.
"What's wrong?" Summers asked in surprise, noticing his companion's abnormality. What had he seen to be so terrified?
"It's her!" the middle-aged man exclaimed in disbelief. While many important figures would be present tonight, they paled in comparison to this person.
"Who is she?" Summers asked, looking bewildered.
"She is someone whom you, and even the forces behind you, cannot afford to offend," the middle-aged man stated firmly.
"Heh heh, it's rare to find someone that even I, Summers, can't afford to offend. Tell me, what background does this chick have that even our Mafia dares not provoke?" Summers chuckled, clearly not believing his companion.
He knew that his family's influence was among the top three largest factions within the Italian Mafia, and their clan had powerful Saints to protect them, giving them significant influence throughout the Italian Mafia.
As for himself, he was an elite disciple of his generation, a peak transcender before the age of thirty, just one step away from becoming a Saint. He had defeated many powerful rivals to secure a spot in the World Gangster Tournament.
With his qualifications, he had encountered very few people his age whom he couldn't afford to offend.
"The Blood Clan!"
Just as Summers was scoffing, lost in his own thoughts, the middle-aged man uttered two words that caused his smile to freeze.
"The... Blood Clan?" Summers was equally incredulous. That mysterious and powerful race, a force far older than the Italian Mafia. Though they kept a low profile, their strength was not to be underestimated by anyone.
Even the sacred and powerful Holy See found themselves helpless against the Blood Clan.
"The Blood Clan is powerful, even more so than our Mafia. But I don't believe they would fight us to the death over a single woman from their clan," Summers said, acknowledging the Blood Clan's strength but still feeling that this particular woman wasn't someone he couldn't afford to offend.
"Heh heh, if you knew her name was Ailabella, you wouldn't have such foolish thoughts," the middle-aged man sneered.
"It's her?" Upon hearing the name, Summers reacted just like the middle-aged man, stunned.
"She's here? Is she here to back up the Transcender Alliance again?" Summers felt like crying at the thought.
Although he hadn't met Ailabella, he had heard of things related to her. In a previous World Gangster Tournament, she had been invited by the European underground organization, the Transcender Alliance, to help them.
That year, Ailabella had swept away all her opponents with overwhelming strength, allowing the Transcender Alliance to shine and win the championship.
Summers had painstakingly cultivated to the peak transcender realm just before this year's tournament began, and had fought his way through numerous battles to secure a spot. He had dreamed of making a name for himself in the tournament and reaching the pinnacle of his life.
But if Ailabella were to participate again, everyone else would essentially be mere supporting characters.
The middle-aged man cast a sympathetic glance at Summers and said, "You needn't be so pessimistic. I don't think she's here to compete this time."
"Why do you say that? If she's not here to compete, why else would she be on Elba Island? Is it just a coincidence?" Summers blurted out questions in his urgency.
"If she were here to compete, she would definitely not be competing for another organization. She would only be competing for the Transcender Alliance. Look at the people around her – they're all Asians. Where is anyone from the Transcender Alliance accompanying her?" the middle-aged man explained.
"Haha, now that you mention it, that makes sense," Summers said. As soon as he understood, the gloom on his face vanished. He patted the middle-aged man on the shoulder, feeling his confidence return.
This time, he, Summers, would crush all his opponents!