Chapter 43: Prelude
Half a month later, Haze returned to the Republic of Bartokia from another continent.
Things… had gone far more smoothly than expected.
He met two of the Ten Donss one was a woman, and the other, an old lady.
The woman was the one Brown had the most trouble dealing with, while the elder was extremely greedy.
If the Shield family's plan succeeded, Haze would become one of the Ten Donss himself.
He would then have to establish a separate domain under their supervision and yield part of his assets to them.
Haze, naturally, agreed because he cared nothing for gang power. What he sought was the status and intelligence network of the Ten Donss.
Besides, once he became one of them, time itself would begin to change some of his current decisions would lose their meaning.
His current strength was enough to crush Brown, and he could even reshape the very structure of the Ten Donss in the future.
Everything depended on Haze's interest.
For the two Elders, gaining a new ally among the Ten was also advantageous; it would increase their influence.
Of course, if the Shield family failed,
they would immediately renounce him and even help Brown annihilate what remained of the Shield family.
So, everything rested on the Shield family's success.
The two also revealed useful information:
soon, the Ten Donss would have to deal with an important matter, forcing Brown to leave his territory.
They promised to do everything possible to stall him, buying Haze and the Shield family precious time.
At the Shield family headquarters,
Haze arrived at the top floor.
Shield Lily, already aware of the outcome, seemed to sense his satisfaction despite her blindness.
"Shall we begin?"
The woman sat in her wheelchair as always, facing the panoramic window, her delicate fingers lightly tracing the glass.
"Yes… it's time to begin," Haze replied with a faint smile.
Another upheaval.
Just days after the underworld's brief peace returned, a new wave of turmoil struck and this time, it was severe.
This had nothing to do with the Shield family, but rather the Gabriel and Badim families.
At first, it began with friction between minor figures in each faction but soon escalated into open conflict among family leaders.
Both patriarchs tried to smooth things over, but their words fell on deaf ears.
The situation spiraled out of control until it erupted into violent confrontation.
Even the Ten Donss themselves were alarmed and intervened personally.
When the leaders and their accomplices were eliminated, the chaos finally subsided.
But peace didn't last Haze another fierce conflict broke out between two other families.
What began as squabbles between low-level thugs turned into clashes among mid-ranking officers.
For a time, the underground forces across the territory descended into confusion and fear.
Inside his lavish palace office, Brown sat smoking a cigar, the room filled with thick smoke. His brows were furrowed.
Of the eight families under his command, the Badim and Gabriel clans had a history of rivalry but that was Haze past.
They worked in the same sector and had risen through the ranks together, so occasional friction was inevitable.
Still, those days were over.
The fact that such chaos had ignited from the bottom up suggested serious mismanagement and that angered Brown.
Even so, the situation was under control for now.
But then, the Stan and Jose families began making noise again, complicating things.
Their business territories overlapped heavily, leading to constant competition.
Despite Brown's repeated warnings, both leaders maintained their stubborn pride one resentful, the other overconfident.
They were easy targets.
Brown narrowed his eyes.
He hadn't reached his position by being naïve.
With his deep understanding of the mafia world, he could smell a conspiracy.
Someone was stirring up trouble.
And to orchestrate something of this scale, one would need intimate knowledge of all four families their leaders, personalities, and methods.
In other words… the mastermind had to be one of his own eight subordinates.
Brown picked up a thick stack of documents.
On the pages were photos and dossiers of the eight family heads.
Among them was Haze.
"Investigate the recent activities of the Shield family," Brown ordered flatly. "Also, dig into the officials tied to the Jose and Stan families."
"Yes, sir."
The subordinate bowed and exited quickly.
Brown's region had always been peaceful but ever since the Shield family's rise, something had felt off.
At first, he believed Haze to be a discreet, capable man someone with ambition but enough tact to deserve attention.
His subordinates were loyal and steady, but soon after Haze joined, signs of internal conflict began appearing.
Naturally, that made Brown suspicious.
But suspicion wasn't proof he needed evidence.
As he stared at Haze's photo, a quiet certainty stirred in his heart.
This young man was likely the culprit.
Still, he couldn't simply order the Shield family's destruction. The mafia had its own laws and there was always room for error.
Even if Brown trusted his instincts completely,
one question lingered:
How could a small-time family like the Shield and a man like Haze possibly dare to oppose him?
What was his motive?
Haze had to be fully aware of Brown's power.
Challenging him would be suicide an egg thrown at a stone.
The fact that Haze had managed to bring the Shield family to prominence showed he was intelligent.
Even a fool could predict how such defiance would end.
"I was careless," Brown murmured. "Even if you're not the one, once this is over, I'll make sure you disappear."
He pressed his cigar into Haze's dossier, burning it slowly. His voice turned cold.
He knew exactly what Haze was thinking.
Haze wasn't like the usual gang leaders he was a psychic, and a powerful one at that.
Even if Haze was innocent, Brown knew that letting someone like him live posed hidden dangers.
So, he made his decision.
If Haze was proven innocent, the Shield family would survive but they would need a new leader.
The Ten Donss issued the investigation order personally, and the efficiency was, as expected, extraordinary.
The next day, one of Brown's men reported back.
"They're all dead."
"Dead?" Brown frowned.
"Yes… disappeared without a trace. Most likely silenced."
"So someone really is pulling strings…" Brown muttered. "And they acted fast."
"The Shield family has been quiet lately," the man continued. "Their head, Haze, has been keeping a low profile rarely showing up in public. Some smaller groups tried to reach out to him but were rejected. He doesn't seem interested in building alliances or forming factions."
"How cleanly he's doing this…" Brown leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
"He's not being obedient he's deceiving me. Trying to blur my judgment, make me drop my guard, distract me…"
"When every other suspect has been cleared, the last one remaining even with just a one-percent chance must be him."
"I'd rather kill the wrong man," Brown whispered coldly, "than let the right one live."
He didn't need proof.
All he needed was a reason.
This was his territory anyone he wanted dead… wouldn't survive.
"Summon the Shield family. Tell Haze I want to see him."
"Yes, sir."
Moments later, the messenger returned.
"The Shield family responded that their leader is unwell and recovering. They said… it may take some time before he's ready to meet."
"…"
Brown went silent.
A clear statement of defiance.
So it's him after all.
"Do you want me to act now?"
The voice came from the shadows it was Sato, one of Brown's most trusted enforcers.
Without looking at him, Brown raised his hand.
"No hurry. He'll die soon enough. I'll be leaving for a few days on business. Until then, monitor the Shield family from every angle. No one must know I'm gone they must think I'm still here. That will keep them from making rash moves. As for Haze… whether he's guilty or not, I want to see him die with my own eyes and hear what he has to say before the end."
Sato bowed. "Understood."
"No one from the Shield family is allowed to leave."
"Yes, sir."
"Move fast. The target has departed."
The next day, Haze received a call.
The caller said only a few words before hanging up.
Haze set the phone down and looked at David.
"No word about Brown leaving…"
"He's creating the illusion that he's still there. How clever…" Haze smirked.
Then he turned toward the woman in the wheelchair.
"If we fail… the Shield family will cease to exist."
"We've come this far," Lily said softly, smiling faintly. "Do I really have another choice?"
"And you?" Haze asked.
"The number of officials we've managed to bribe or manipulate is limited," the old butler said grimly. "We've only reduced potential problems by about thirty percent."
"That's enough," Haze said calmly, pulling his coat from the sofa and draping it over his shoulders. "All I need is time. Even without interference, it wouldn't have been that serious."
He walked toward the door. "You two stay here. Don't go out. Too many rats have slipped into this building. I'll clean them up first. When it's done, we'll move to the safe house and manage everything remotely."
"Yes, sir," David said, bowing deeply.
Lily's gentle smile remained.
After Haze left, she held the butler's hand.
"David… describe the scenery outside to me, one last time."
"Of course," the old man said softly.
Just as Haze stepped out, he saw a maid cleaning the hallway.
Upon seeing him, she bowed politely.
"A new face… Are you new here?" Haze asked kindly.
"Yes, master," the dark-skinned woman with curly hair and a voluptuous figure replied cautiously.
"You're beautiful," Haze praised lightly. Then his tone shifted. "What did you just overhear?"
"Eh?" The maid blinked, pretending confusion.
"You act well too," Haze said coldly.
Before she could react, his foot shot forward
and the woman's body was hurled like a rag doll into the wall, leaving cracks spiderwebbing across it.
She slid down amid the debris, her body mangled beyond recognition a heap of flesh and blood.
"She just… didn't pass my test."
(End of Chapter 43)