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Chapter 237 c
🕑 Added 2025-05-20 15:14:19 +0000 UTCChapter 237 c
As for the rest of the Valentinos...
Jackie had left the Valentinos ten years ago. Although his time with the gang hadn't been particularly long, the image the Valentinos left in his memory was never like this. He couldn’t even say when it had started, but at some point, the Valentinos had fallen, become something twisted.
He could already foresee that if he led Padre’s people into a head-on clash with the 6th Street Gang, at best, only the Gustavo and Manuel families might offer support. The Juan, Gonzalez, and Hernandez families? Don’t even think about it. In fact, they might even stab them in the back.
Even the support from the Gustavo and Manuel families would be limited. The reason was simple. In the gang world, they preached brotherhood, but in their hearts, it was always about business.
The Gustavo and Manuel families wouldn't throw in their full weight if it meant jeopardizing their own interests. Otherwise, their positions as family heads wouldn’t remain secure for long—someone would step up to challenge them immediately.
And this wasn’t limited to gangs. Even nations were like this. Why had the Unification War lasted less than a year? Because the brutality of the war far outweighed whatever benefits could be gained from it. Millions of casualties on both the New United States and Free States sides, and the front line hadn't even moved. High-tech weapons purchased from megacorporations efficiently harvested lives, but couldn't bring victory.
The scales of war tipped for no one, but both sides fell into deep debt while the corps raked in profits.
It wasn’t that the New United States president didn’t want to keep fighting. She just couldn’t. If the war dragged on, her next open-top motorcade might well be her last. If even nations had to yield to reality, how could gangs be any different?
People who lived on the streets and talked about honor or sentimentality? That was just a joke. Only money—real, cold, hard money—meant anything. Jackie wasn’t stupid. He only looked like a big brute; he wasn’t actually simple-minded. He knew even if Gustavo was his childhood friend, even if Manuel used to be his big brother, their families couldn’t possibly go all in for him.
And that was what weighed on Jackie so heavily. They lacked support. They couldn’t face down the Clemente family, who held an overwhelming intelligence advantage. So when they returned, Jackie got straight to the point and honestly asked Leo:
“Leo, you got any good ideas?”
“I do have a plan.”
In truth, the moment Marcus and the others elected Jackie as their leader, Leo had been thinking about how to break the deadlock. At present, Padre’s faction looked like it had already been pushed to the brink. If they did nothing, the Clemente family would never let such a golden opportunity slip. They would attack—no doubt.
Nicolas, Padre’s second-in-command, was familiar with all the properties, shops, and vendors within Padre’s territory. Even if only a portion of them were bought off, it would already be a major headache. And once it was clear Padre’s faction was weak, other vultures would circle. No matter how strong their soldiers were, they couldn’t hold off an entire swarm.
Even the best fighter couldn’t beat numbers.
Striking back for revenge against the 6th Street Gang wasn’t a wise option either. The Clemente family had more strength and could count on support from the other 6th Street factions. The 6th Street Gang was far more unified than the Valentinos, at least on the surface. A direct confrontation would only lead to more losses.
In short, whether they fought back or stayed still, things looked grim for Padre’s faction. But Leo had a plan—a big plan.
“If the Clemente family has been having such smooth sailing lately, then we’ll give them a little trouble.”
That was all Leo said. No further explanation. Instead, he called Rogue.
“Rogue, I need to buy some intel. Do you know which gang the Clemente family’s been dealing with recently? I want the details of their next transaction—what, when, and where.”
Half an hour later, Leo hung up and opened his arms toward Jackie.
“Let’s go, my friend. Let’s set the Clemente family on fire.”
…
A few days later.
A garishly painted muscle car rolled through the streets of Arroyo in Santo Domingo. This street looked much like the rest of Arroyo—run-down and in disrepair. The car came to a stop between two adjacent buildings that opened out to the street.
Leo stepped out first, wearing a Ronin-style long coat. He wasn’t wearing tactical goggles this time. Instead, he wore a Hannya mask. The mask had a built-in anti-detection disruptor. Implanting one wasn’t hard, but most people opted to implant such gear into their bodies rather than external items.
Lucy followed him out. She was dressed like a biker—helmet and riding suit covered her tightly, concealing her figure completely. You couldn’t tell what she looked like at all.
Only the two of them were on this op. Jackie was too big—great for smashing through a steel door, not slipping through ventilation shafts. V wasn’t exactly built for crawling, either. Solid frame, and to.....thick to move quietly in tight spaces.
Leo and Lucy, lean and quick, were the obvious picks. This job was about speed and subtlety, not firepower.
They entered the narrow alley between the buildings and stopped before a closed door deep in the passage. Leo knocked on the door. No one opened it. No response.
Only the security camera on the wall suddenly rotated to point at them. Leo waved at it.
“Hey, we’re here to see Bruno. We had an appointment.”
A raspy male voice crackled through the intercom.
“You’re early. The meeting was scheduled for tonight. It’s barely noon.”
“Early, late—what’s the difference? We’re not a goddamn army with fixed schedules.” Leo paused, then added, “Your Clemente family’s worked with us Tiger Claws plenty of times. Don’t you trust us at all?”
The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure.
“…Alright. Come in.”
The door clicked open.
Inside was a small entry hall. Several 6th Street gang members stood there, eyes cold and wary. At the head stood a man with a thick beard. He spoke politely, but with a stiff edge.
“Friends from the Tiger Claws, welcome. If you brought weapons, please place them here.”
Leo didn’t say a word. He simply laid down the katana he had bought from Rogue and a Kenshin tech pistol on the table.
Lucy did the same with her weapons.
But the bearded man didn’t let them through just yet.
“Sorry. We still need to do a body check. Standard procedure.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“Our boss is big on rules. If he finds out we didn’t follow them, we’re dead men.”
“Fine. But get some women in here. I don’t like being groped by men.”
That wasn’t a problem. The 6th Street Gang weren’t monks—they had plenty of female members.
After a pat-down, and after confirming they had no hidden weapons, especially checking their arms for signs of mantis blades or hand cannon mods—the two were finally escorted deeper inside by one of the 6th Street members.
Beyond the entryway was a winding corridor.
