John knew, just like Butcher Shawn had said, that going down the path of the underworld was a dead end.
John himself had no real regard for Black Three and his gang. The only reason he seized Black Three's assets and established the Renaissance Gang was for self-preservation.
Banning gambling, drugs, and other illicit activities was merely a convenient move. After all, the Renaissance Gang was now his organization, and he didn't want to touch dirty money. His gaming services business was his real focus.
With his activities becoming more prominent, staying hidden was no longer an option. Black Three had targeted him even at this small scale.
Since he couldn't remain hidden, he had to step out and show his fist.
Starting today, the Renaissance Gang would be his fist.
Six months. John only needed this fist to protect him for six months.
In two months, John estimated he could earn around $70,000 in cash. Adding the cash flow from the Renaissance Gang, he would have about $120,000—profits would be disbursed at the end of the year, so he could temporarily use the funds.
With $120,000, he could kick-start the next phase of his plan. After six months, with the initial phase complete, the Renaissance Gang would have fulfilled its purpose. John would then upgrade and restructure it.
"Buy a piece of land, build a factory. On my own turf, I can expand without worries and make more money. Then, I can buy specialized equipment to make chips and develop more advanced chips," John mused. "When I have more money, I'll build an underground base. On the surface, I'll set up bars, karaoke clubs, restaurants, and supermarkets, not just for cover but to launder my money."
This was John's medium-to-long-term plan. The current three months were the most critical part.
No one could interfere with his development plans. Hence, it was necessary to assign some people to protect him.
After arranging everything with the Renaissance Gang, John left, not wanting to stay there any longer. He returned to his small courtyard.
At that moment, the security company arrived to install more surveillance cameras.
Unlike the previous hidden cameras, these were prominently displayed on the walls, monitoring the surroundings.
Soon, the first batch of five capable men selected by Tiger also arrived. Without stepping out, John used a loudspeaker to instruct them to set up five shacks around the yard as posts. He promised them an additional $100 a day each. The five men immediately became energized.
Ten men would cost him $1,000 a day, totaling $30,000 a month. For safety, John didn't mind spending that money.
After the restructuring, the Renaissance Gang had become a financial burden for John. If it weren't for safety, he wouldn't bother with it.
With everything in place, John watched the energetic men scrutinizing anyone who approached his courtyard. Multiple surveillance cameras streamed the surroundings to him, finally giving him peace of mind.
"Finally, I can work without interruptions… Let them think it's a black market operation," John thought.
Initially, almost everyone, including Black Three, Tiger, and Felix, thought John was running a black market operation. But seeing his mysterious background, his capability to deploy an armed drone, made them reconsider.
Now, there were all sorts of speculations. Some thought John was connected to higher-ups on a secret mission; others believed he was an enforcer for some top-level black market operation, merely a pawn in a bigger game. Theories were endless.
John had no intention of clarifying anything. In fact, he decided to let the rumors grow. The wilder the guesses, the better.
Ignoring the outside rumors, John once again immersed himself in uninterrupted learning and handling gaming tasks.
Time flew by, and in two months, everything remained calm. Although John was no longer hiding and had become a prominent figure in the market district, no other forces bothered him.
This was the benefit of subduing Tiger and his men.
Checking his finances, John saw that his bank account had grown to $70,000.
"The money isn't enough, but I can start some preparatory work."
Stretching, John decided to go for a walk.
He hadn't stepped out in two months. All his living supplies were delivered by his men.
As he left the house, one of his guards approached respectfully. "Good day, Boss John."
John nodded. "Gather the men; let's take a walk."
"Yes, sir."
Immediately, five tough-looking men followed John.
John wandered over to Aunt Wang's food stall and saw Simon looking much more spirited, suggesting his business was doing well.
Seeing John, Simon quickly stepped forward respectfully. "Good day, Boss John."
"Good. How's business?"
"Thanks to you, everything's great. I sell over two hundred chicken heads and butts daily and have set up a shelter next to Aunt Wang's place. I'm planning to expand into wholesale, selling to other districts."
Simon was all smiles, looking revitalized.
Aunt Wang chimed in, "Absolutely, thanks to John. Fewer people cause trouble around here now, and more shops are opening. Old Zhang's run-down place got rented out for a fruit shop. With more people around, my business is booming too."
Aunt Wang beamed.
With order restored, more people meant better business.
Although John had not stepped out, his influence through the Renaissance Gang was everywhere in the three streets under their control.
He had set up surveillance in the bar, the karaoke club, and every corner of the streets. Each camera was connected to his courtyard, allowing him to monitor everything 24/7 with minimal effort.
The accounts were reported daily, and John could understand them instantly. Trying to deceive him through the accounts was impossible.
Thus, John had a god-like omnipresence.
Initially, some in the Renaissance Gang were dissatisfied and tried to cause trouble. But they were caught before they could start.
After a few punishments, everyone fell in line and dared not misbehave.
John even overheard Felix, the accountant, complaining to Tiger through the surveillance, saying how John seemed like a deity who knew everything without stepping out, making it impossible to fool him.