A black Mercedes stopped in front of a restaurant called Connie's. The restaurant didn't look as luxurious as the Yellow Park and the one in the Berkeley hotel.
It was a very important day for the Flag Sect's leader, Leo Brooks. That day, Leo and the core members of the Flag Sect were at the restaurant to hold their wrap-up meeting for the first half of the year.
"Out!" Vivian and her daughter were pulled out of the car by two tall men and pushed into the restaurant.
"Mom, I'm afraid," Monica whispered. She had been scared ever since they were taken from the hotel.
"Don't worry Monica. Don't worry… Mommy will protect you." Vivian tried to comfort her daughter by hugging her. She was also scared, but, in front of her daughter, she had to pretend to be strong.
The restaurant was large inside and divided into several areas. The air was filled with smoke. There were more than twenty large tables occupied by young and middle-aged men who were smoking or drinking. Beautiful, fashionably dressed girls stood beside half of the men, and the sounds of dice shaking could be heard from every corner.
These people were all core members of the Flag Sect. The purpose of that day's meeting was mainly a discussion between their leader and a few key members. They also went there to have fun and eat. After they finished their discussion, they would announce a few important points.
"Cough… cough," Vivian coughed a few times due to the thick smoke in the room.
The mother and daughter pair attracted the attention of several men when they entered.
"Yo, she's beautiful," said one.
"She looks so good!" said another.
"You even brought a girl with you. Beautiful girls, follow me!" said yet another.
"You all want to die, right? She's the woman that Dale Granger had his eyes on. If Mr. Granger hears about you flirting with her, he'll skin you," joked one of the hoodlums who had brought Vivian and her daughter in. When the other members heard that it was Granger's woman, they all shrunk back. They didn't dare say anything foolish.
"Move!" The man pushed Vivian further in as the leaders of the Flag Sect sat further inside.
They reached an open area, which was one step higher than where the surrounding core members were sitting. There was a large round table with a red top with eight men sitting around it. They were the Flag Sect's key members, and they appeared to be deep in discussion.
Sitting in the middle was their leader, Leo. His black and white hair was cut short, and there was an air of treachery about him. He was using a red handkerchief to gently polish a piece of jade that the members had given him.
"Where has Mr. Granger been these past two days? It's such an important meeting and he hasn't even come to greet us. He still hasn't shown himself." One of the leaders was trying to figure out why Dale had not appeared.
"It's so strange. He's the person who has contributed the most to the Flag Sect. The few hotels that he's in charge of pay the most protection fees. After the Azure Dragon Society is completely destroyed, our Flag Sect will be able to quickly take over New York's underground world," another man said.
"That's not what the word is on the street. It's said that Granger—" one of them said mysteriously. He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone else understood what he meant. Their expressions darkened a little as they all looked toward their leader, Leo.
Over the past two days, the Flag Sect had sent out many disciples and spies to search for Granger. However, there had been no news of him, and rumours had spread on the streets that he was already dead.
If Granger were to disappear, the impact on the Flag Sect would be great.
Leo was still leisurely polishing the jade and didn't look worried.
"What's there to be worried about? Flag Sect can't lose a certain leader?" Leo's cold gaze swept across the faces of everyone present, causing them to feel uneasy. "Right now, in New York, who would dare to go against the Flag Sect? The Red Gang? The Thunder Gang? Would they dare have the guts?"
Several of the members spoke among themselves and agreed with what he had said. It was true. With the Flag Sect's current power, the other gangs would not dare to fight them.
Knowing Leo's attitude, they felt reassured, and they couldn't help but secretly admire him.
"Of course, although Mr. Granger's effect on the Flag Sect isn't too great, his body—" Leo had already thought that he may no longer be alive. He looked at the surprised other members. "With Dale's personality, if he doesn't show up within three days and if we don't hear any news of his kidnapping, I'm afraid that he's doomed."
Everyone was feeling hurt and agreed with Leo.
"Mr. Granger's body must be found. No matter what the other party's motive may have been, the person who killed him must be severely punished!" Leo's eyes turned sinister as he said, "Perhaps this person wants to challenge the Flag Sect's position, but he's wrong. He's given us a chance to make an example out of him!"
"That's right!" said one of the leaders.
"If we find this person, they're finished!" said another.
"If he dares touch Flag Sect ground, he'll be done for!" another one agreed.
When the leaders heard Leo's enlightened words, they deeply felt that what he said was the truth. They praised him and expressed their loyalty to the Flag Sect.
**
Cory had arrived at the restaurant moments before Vivian and her daughter, with a noticeably swollen face that made him look like a pig. Leo and the leaders were discussing the gang's situation during the first half of the year, so Cory's father Andrew was not in a position to ask him what had happened.
When Leo saw Cory's face, he was infuriated. He glanced at Cory's father and pointed at him, "Mr. Davis, your son was beaten up. Do you feel proud of him? If this happens again, you two no longer need to come to the Flag Sect meetings."
"Of course not, please forgive me Mr. Brooks. This will never happen again under my protection," he said with an apologetic smile.
Now that he had been scolded by Leo, Andrew was anxious. With his understanding of Leo, how could he not hear the hidden meaning behind his words? If this happens again in the future, he may have to give up his position as a leader of the gang.
Andrew could not help but look at Cory with a resentful gaze. Looking at his son's silly-looking face, he felt embarrassed. However, although he was angry, Andrew was very puzzled. Who in New York would dare to beat up his son like that?
Looking at his father's stare that was strong enough to kill him, Cory shrank his neck into his shirt collar and looked away. He looked extremely funny. If his father knew that he had been forced to slap himself at the Yellow Garden restaurant and that it was a couple of students that had beaten him up, he would skin him alive.
**
"Mr. Brooks, I've brought her for you!" The two men finally saw a pause in the discussion and brought Vivian and her daughter over to Leo's table.
"Oh." Only then did he stop polishing the jade in his hand. He found this woman to be much more beautiful than the jade. Leo looked at Vivian with an enigmatic smile and said, "You're the woman that Dale Granger was chasing. You are indeed very pretty. Tell me, Mr. Granger went looking for you over these past two days, right?"
"No… no." She closed her eyes and felt anxious as the image of Granger in the kitchen came back to her.
"Hmph!" Leo could tell that Vivian was lying to him. "He's dead, right?"
"I said it already. He hasn't come looking for me!" Vivian replied in agitation.
"I hate it when people lie to my face. Normally, I have to chop off at least one finger from someone who is lying, but today I'll make an exception." Leo maintained a smile on his face. The more he looked at this woman, the more he liked her. "Since Mr. Granger must be dead, come over… come sit beside me."
Leo's words were as natural to him as if he were an emperor commanding his concubine.
Vivian was so scared that she hugged Monica and took a few steps back.
"Mom, I'm afraid. They're bad people. Let's leave this place." Even though Monica was a child, her sense of danger was strong.
Vivian didn't say anything. She just hugged Monica even tighter and stared at Leo in fear.
"You're not coming over? Okay." Leo stood up and walked toward her. She tried to run away, but she was caught by two men.
"Mom, I'm afraid." Monica closed her eyes. When Leo approached the pair and reached out to grab Vivian's hand, Monica opened her eyes. She grabbed his hand and fiercely bit into it.
"Damned girl!" Leo cursed, grabbed the little girl's hair with his other hand, and threw her sideways.
"Thump!" Monica fell to the floor.
"Ow! Mom!" she cried.
As a child, she thought her mother could help her.
"Brat, you're courting death!" Leo cursed. He raised his foot and was about to kick the girl in the head.
"No!" screamed Vivian and rushed toward Monica. Before his foot landed, she had used her own body to shield her daughter.
Leo stood there with his foot in the air, and then put it back down on the floor.
"You love and protect your daughter very much, but you must know that if I want to kill someone, not even the heavens can save them," he sneered. "But, today, I'll give you a chance. If you become my woman, I'll let your little girl go."
Although Leo had never seen Vivian before, he had heard from Granger that she was a strong woman. It wasn't that easy to subdue her. It seemed like her little girl was her lifeline, so he took this opportunity to trap her.
Vivian slowly pulled Monica up off the floor and gently rubbed the spot where she had fallen. Her eyes were filled with tenderness.
"Mom… he's… bad… you're not... I won't do it either," Monica sobbed to her mother while enduring the intense pain she was feeling.
"All right, but if Mommy doesn't do it, then Mommy will be in trouble," Vivian said to Monica as tears welled up in her eyes. She glanced at Leo.
From her look, Leo tried to understand if Vivian was lying.
"Okay, I promise you," Vivian stood up and told Leo now that she saw that she had no other choice.
Monica didn't make a fuss either. She thought Vivian was only lying to these bad guys.
"Okay, take her to my room." Leo commanded two of his men.
"Bam!"
"Aaargh!"
The sounds of broken doors and miserable cries came from the direction of the restaurant entrance. Leo and a few other leaders were startled and looked toward the front door. Everyone from the Flag Sect stood up
Vivian's heart trembled as she also looked toward the door, but the crowd made it impossible for her to see what was happening. A figure appeared in her mind.