Zerta City wasn't very large. The overnight annihilation of the Yeschi Family's core members—boss included—instantly caused the entire city to panic and go on high alert.

After all, even the joint forces of the Zatobi and Vick Families had never accomplished such a feat. Otherwise, the later-arriving Yeschi Family would never have been able to take root in Zerta and survive there for decades.

Following this incident, the two remaining families started scrambling for information, but they found nothing. Soon they turned against each other, each trying to swallow up the Yeschi territory and assets, leading to clashes. It got so bad that now, in Zerta City—by day or by night—you'd sometimes see mafia groups brazenly fighting in the streets, not caring in the slightest about the local government. The downfall of Yeschi didn't calm the chaos; it merely added fuel to the fire between the two remaining families.

…

One day, a member of Xiang Nan's squad, assigned to gather intel outside, returned and knocked on Xiang Nan's door.

"Captain, just like you predicted, we have a target leaving the city."

"Who is it?" Xiang Nan asked.

"Zatobi Family's boss…"

"That woman?"

"Yeah."

They'd already researched photos and intel on the three family bosses. With the conflict escalating and the Yeschi Family's abrupt destruction, it was only natural for the surviving bosses to become fearful—since they didn't know who was responsible or where the threat was coming from. And of course, they'd be terrified that they might be next.

"Notify the others. We move."

"Yes, sir."

…

It was an overcast, gloomy day, the sort of day that weighs on people's spirits.

Generally speaking, in the criminal underworld, most mafia bosses are men. It's rare to see a woman in charge. Yet Mia, heir to the Zatobi Family, had done it. She outmaneuvered her relatives by being both cunning and ruthless, not only keeping her Zatobi Family on par with the Vick Family, but even going a step further by becoming a client state of some large corporate group.

One deeper reason the Vick Family couldn't dislodge the Zatobi Family was that the group supporting Zatobi seemed to have ties deep in the underworld's power structure. Put simply, that corporate group was also involved in mafia business. Its real leadership could connect directly to people in the Ten Dons' circle. It wasn't necessarily that they had direct ties to the Ten Dons themselves, but for a small family like Zatobi, even being able to contact the Dons' subordinates was usually out of reach.

As for Mia—she was that corporate leader's mistress.

A convoy of black cars left Zerta City, traveling through a wooded area. Because the city was so underdeveloped, even the roads linking it to the outside world were poor.

"No sign of any move from that old fox, Vick?"

Mia asked coolly, glancing out the window at the trees rushing by. She wore a tailored black suit that hugged her figure, chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders.

"None," replied a family lieutenant in the passenger seat.

"Boss, if you leave now, won't that give the Vick Family a chance to swoop in? They'll harvest and seize the Fantasy Grass resources, so our family's share might be a lot smaller."

"These past days in Zerta haven't been peaceful…so maybe we'll earn less money," Mia said, anxiety showing on her face. She pulled out a slim cigarette and placed it between her red lips.

The lieutenant turned back with a lighter to help her light it.

"So long as we're not wiped out like Yeschi was, there's always a chance to rebound," she continued, slightly lowering the window to blow smoke out. "And anyway, that sly old fox must already know I've left the city, but with the Chloe Group backing us, he can't press too hard."

"True."

He nodded. The plan was simple: survive first, worry about profits later. Once the storm blew over, they'd return to reorganize the family. The main spook was the Yeschi Family's bizarre end, with no warning. Nobody knew which enemy Donny had provoked.

As they spoke, without any forewarning—BOOM—an explosion erupted in front of the motorcade. One black sedan went flying in fire and shrapnel.

Mia had no time to react before chaotic gunfire rang out outside the car.

"We're under attack! Protect the boss!"

The lieutenant up front yelled to the driver, drawing his pistol, ready to exit. But just as his hand touched the door handle—bang—a bullet punched through his skull. It even penetrated the driver behind him in a double-kill, filling the car interior with blood.

Mia's eyes went wide with horror, her limbs turning cold. Her ominous feeling these last few days had come true. Her gut told her that whoever wiped out Yeschi must be the ones assaulting her now.

Within ten minutes, silence fell outside.

All mafia escort cars and accompanying gunmen lay dead. Mia's car alone avoided further fire. Then came footsteps approaching. A man knocked on her window. She looked out and saw someone in top-grade military-style gear—he looked like a mercenary.

"Mia… correct?"

He removed his helmet and smiled, calling her by name.

"Step out, please. There's someone who wants to meet you."

Mia kept her composure, despite being spattered with blood. She exited the car. Following him, she reached the spot where the first explosion happened. There, several more "mercenary types" were waiting. Among them, one figure was most conspicuous: a man in a black trench coat.

"Mia, I need your help with something," the man said with a pleasant smile.

"So, it's not just about Donny—you're targeting the whole of Zerta City, aren't you?"

Mia coldly eyed the well-drilled squad.

"You could say that," Xiang Nan nodded.

"Well then… are you willing to cooperate?"

"…"

She wore a bitter look, realizing she had no real choice. Vick was the local powerhouse, arguably the strongest of the city's three big families. Xiang Nan had confirmed the Zatobi Family lacked any Nen users, but the Vick Family was another story. Whether they did or didn't have one, it was riskier for Xiang Nan's small squad to try annihilating them head-on. Far better to leverage the Zatobi Family to whittle them down and reduce casualties.

Mia was an intelligent woman; she sensed something was off and tried to flee the city to avoid the unknown threat. But Xiang Nan wasn't having it—she could be a perfect pawn in his hand.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!