Chapter 3 The Final Battle

YC City's taxis were painted dark green, matching the color of ginkgo leaves during the spring. Their fresh color glinted across the road, reflecting the streetlights as they passed by. One of the reasons why this color was chosen was because YC City held the largest number of ginkgo trees in the world. Every spring, their tender buds could be seen in every corner and lot, drooping heavily over the sprinting children. During the summer, their leaves would all cluster together, acting as a shade for any passer-by.

In late autumn, the streets would be filled with dark red leaves, while some remained in the air, following the wind like soulless butterflies. In winter, the ginkgo trees were at its loneliest with their waving branches. It was these trees that brought a sense of life and romance into the busy city.

However, there was one place in YC City that didn't have a single ginkgo tree in sight – The Lobster Bay. Instead of soft leaves and frail twigs, a fragrance of cordate telosma wafted across the air.

The taxi sped across the dark. Its original color had faded into the shadows of the night. Walter leaned against the car window with his eyes closed. His dark chestnut hair was ruffled by the harsh winds, but he didn't look affected. Instead, his fingers rested on the car door as he took in the strong scent of cordate telosma. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that he had finally arrived.

As expected, the taxi went to a full halt. "Sir, we're already in Lobster Bay. That will be four hundred bucks," the taxi driver had turned and said.

However, instead of pulling out his wallet, the man pushed the door open and stepped onto the pavements. Seeing that he wasn't planning on paying, the driver hurried to catch up with him. "Hey!" he called out. "You still haven't paid me yet."

Just then, three men had already walked towards them. The Lobster Bay was one of the most dangerous place in YC City. Not only was it filled with hardened criminals, but it was also surrounded by many sketchy areas. If his son didn't need extra money to go to college, the driver wouldn't take this job. Now, it seemed that he had wasted his time yet again!

"Haven't I already given you four hundred?" Walter asked expressionlessly. There was something about his voice that made the driver shiver.

"What? When?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Just then, it hit him. "Wait, wasn't that for the lady earlier?"

"I asked her how much she owed you, but I didn't say that I'd pay for her." He snorted. His response completely deflated the driver. The old man sagged his shoulders in defeat, regretting of even leaving that place. However, before he could say anything else, Walter had already walked towards the group of men.

"Boss, something wrong?" A muscular man in a vest glanced at the taxi driver and crossed his arms. With a shake of his head, Walter disappeared into the corner without turning back. The driver was about to follow him, but before he could take a few steps, the muscular man had blocked his way. "I–I..." he stuttered out. The brawny man took one step closer, and the driver knew for a fact that there was no way he was getting his money back now. Without another word, he sprinted back into his taxi and drove away at a speed of a hundred twenty miles per hour.

Although money was good to have, it definitely wasn't worth risking his life over. "I'll never drive to that damn place again," he swore to himself.

The Lobster Bay was located at the northernmost area of YC City. In addition to clubs, there were a few supermarkets around the streets for everyday life. However, that was as far as it went. Other industries wouldn't survive in such a dark part of the city. Standing at the Main Street of the Lobster Bay, Walter gazed at the colorful advertisements flashing before his eyes.

He couldn't remember the number of times he had been to such a place. If his father was still here, he'd probably scold him about ruining their family's reputation. However, at this point, he had no other choice. To take back everything that had once belonged to him, he had to do many things that he was usually unwilling to do.

"Hey, handsome, looking for someone?" Suddenly, three women had approached them. Their hairs were decorated in many accessories and styled in the most exasperated ways. As soon as they approached, the stench of alcohol hit him like a tidal wave. Wrinkling his nose, Walter frowned. The muscular man next to him took it as his cue and quickly drove away the three women. One of the men with him sighed as he stared longingly at the women's backs. "They aren't that bad," he murmured. "What a pity."

Walter rolled his eyes as he lowered his head, making sure that he wasn't seen.

"Aren't that bad for what?" he asked, taking the lead as they walked down the last alley located at the end of the street. Behind him, the music blared from the various bars that they had just passed. It seemed that the deeper he went, the louder the noise was.

"For what? We're in the East District? What do you mean 'for what'?" The lascivious man snorted. He was none other than Harold Gong, one of the few men who grew up with Walter. The young master of the Gong Company was also Walter's assistant-in-charge of the Tsing Lung Right Wing. Although he was almost the same age as Walter's, they didn't share the same personalities. While Walter kept to himself, Harold loved being admired and talked about. He was the type of person who took everything for granted. He was also known as a womanizer.

"Haven't you reached an agreement last time?" Walter narrowed his eyes.

"You know how Gerry is. If he doesn't sign the agreement this time, you can count that I'll chase after him." Harold Gong waved the agreement in his hand, winking at him. It was obvious that the man came well prepared. While they were talking, they finally arrived at the abandoned warehouse. "Walter's here!" someone shouted, and suddenly, the two groups who had been fighting immensely immediately divided. After estimating the number of enemies, Walter sneered. 'One to three.'

"Boss."

"Boss!" The members of Tsing Lung Right Wing immediately made way for him as he walked to the center. Although his people were definitely less than their enemies, there weren't many casualties. As he observed the unconscious bodies, he turned to the men who were holding the steel tubes. Their faces were flushed and beads of sweat ran down their cheeks.

"What? Gerry asked you to sacrifice yourselves, yet he hid like a coward?" Eric Ning snapped. He was Walter's right-hand man. Not only did he had a sharp tongue, but he was also notorious in picking a fight with other gangs. Walter smoked his cigarette and blew tiny circles into the air, analyzing the crowd. He looked like a spectator watching a good show.

"Don't be so arrogant! It's enough for us to teach you a lesson. Why does our boss have to do it himself when he has other more important things to do?" A short man squeezed to the front of the crowd.

"Oh?" Eric Ning recognized him at a glance. "Nick? You're still alive?" Nick was an infamous figure in the underworld of YC City. Not only was he famous for his malicious acts, but he was also widely known for betraying his own friends and boss. Gerry dared to use such a disgusting man. It seemed that there really was no good men on the Tsing Lung Left Wing.

"Humph! I..."

"Walter, my bro, I've been waiting for you for a while now." A bold voice echoed across the warehouse. Gerry waltzed into the scene with a large smile on his face. He was briefly followed with several influential figures from his group. As soon as he saw Walter, the man neared him like a fly. Gerry quickly held his hand and leaned closer. A faint smile threaded across Walter's lips.

"Please don't bother smiling. It makes me want to vomit," Eric Ning said to Gerry, exaggeratedly gagging.

The smile on the man's face froze, but he didn't react. He was more than thirty years old, and Walter was just in his early twenties, yet he still continued to call him his 'bro'. No matter how hard Eric Ning tried to make things difficult for him, he always kept a smile on his face.

"Bro, I actually invited you here today for the East District," he started. "You see, your men have already occupied half of YC City. Are you sure–"

"I won't be giving it to you," Walter interrupted, pulling his hand out. "Although Tsing Lung Right Wing has more than half the power in YC City, there are still small gangs around the block. Although we have more people, we have less land."

Gerry might have heard the man's blunt refusal, but there was no way he was giving up that easily. "Walter." He sighed.

"You've just placed me in such a dilemma. The right and left wings have been known to be brothers. Why would you divide it so easily?" Walter shrugged. Although what the man had said was true, ever since Gerry led his men to engage in drug trafficking and other more illegal business, Ryan, the leader, had banned them. In other words, the right wing was Tsing Lung Gang in its entirety.

Although they might be gangsters, they still had their own morals.

"Since we're family, then you won't mind signing this." Harold took out the agreement and placed it in front of him. As soon as Gerry scanned through the contents of the agreement, he was stunned. 'The members of the left wing will never step onto the East District. Those who break the rules are severely punished.'

"Walter, aren't you a jokester? Do you really think I will sign this?" Gerry provocatively raised the agreement in his hand. With a release of his fingers, the paper landed onto the pavement.

The East District of Lobster Bay was next to the mountains and the seas. Not only was it suitable for business, but it was also very convenient for escaping. How could he willingly give up such a precious place? The fight for the East District had been going on for several months. Gerry gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He was going to end it tonight. Walter didn't need to be a mind reader to know what the man was thinking.

With a tilt of his head, his lips twitched. It seemed that there would be a fierce battle tonight.