After dealing with the gangsters, Maximus glared maliciously at Pablo. "Dustin, what do we do with this big guy?""Let's break one of his arms first," Dustin calmly proposed."Sure, no problem!" Maximus rushed forward and pinned Pablo to the ground immediately."Wai-wait! Let's talk this out. I believe we can resolve this—Ah!" Pablo panicked, but Maximus twisted his arm before he could say anything. Pablo screamed in agony.Cody and Harper watched in horror. Their backs stiffened with fear at the sudden downfall of the haughty Pablo."Pablo, you made a grave mistake," Dustin asserted as he approached the giant-like figure."I gave you two chances that you didn't take. Instead, you chose a path that will lead to your death. How am I supposed to handle this now?""Kid, I surrender now!" Pablo gritted his teeth and conceded, "You've beaten and humiliated me. Let's end this now. "We won't cross paths again. Can we agree on that?""You think I'm a gullible fool, don't you?" Dust
Cody's words were a mixture of determination and a heartfelt plea that might have convinced any ordinary person to change their mind.However, Maximus was quick to react. He raised his hand and slapped Cody across the face, yelling, "You talked too much!"Cody's head spun, and his mouth was knocked open. He was dizzy, and his nose was bleeding."You ... how dare you hit me?" Cody blurted out. He covered his throbbing face with his hands, trying to comprehend what was happening. As the young master of the Ostrower family, he had never been so publicly humiliated."Why did I hit you? Keep talking, and I'll have to shut you up for good," Maximus threatened sternly.Cody was trembling with fear, and he dared not utter another word. He couldn't believe that Dustin and Maximus had acted so recklessly, disregarding Pablo's position and their safety."You two bastards sure are bold!" Pablo, who lay on the floor, roared in anger"This is the Golden Balcony, my territory, and part of t
"Hey! Who's causing a ruckus at the Golden Balcony?"The atmosphere grew tense as a young man stormed in. His eyes were sharp as daggers, casting an intimidating presence upon arrival. All those who met his fierce gaze instinctively lowered their heads."Isn't that Hugo Langford, the fourth young master of the Langford family? What is he doing here?""Remember, the Langford family is the big boss behind the Golden Balcony. If there's a ruckus here, they won't turn a blind eye.""They've not only beaten up Mr. Hans but also messed up the Langford family's establishment. These two kids are in deep trouble today!""Hah, youngsters nowadays think a few punches make them kings of Oakvale. What a joke!"The unexpected turn of events ignited a flurry of discussions among the guests in the VIP hall. Now that the Langford family was here, there was no way this situation would end well."Mr. Hugo ... please, help me!" Hugo's arrival had Pablo shedding tears of relief. He struggled t
Having spent so many years in South City, this was the first time anyone had the guts to talk to Hugo like this. It was like playing with fire."Yep, you heard me right." Dustin nodded seriously."This is getting interesting ..." Hugo suddenly burst into laughter, but his expression turned ice cold. "Kid, I've met no one as audacious as you. Demanding the Langford family's assets—that's quite the bold move! "I could hand you the Golden Balcony, but would you want it?""If you hand it over, I want it. If you don't, I'll just have to snatch it," Dustin replied bluntly."Hahaha..." Hugo's laughter now seemed to be filled with anger than amusement. "Kid! Do you even know what you're getting into? You're playing with fire, and it will burn you!" He spat out the last few words through gritted teeth."We'll soon find out who's playing with fire," Dustin replied, his face impassive."Alright, I hope you don't end up begging for mercy later. I like your guts," Hugo said, raising h
Lana was sitting in her luxury car outside the entrance of the Golden Balcony, her eyebrows arched as she looked through the window.Just when she thought she'd finally met a handsome guy, she couldn't believe his string of bad luck. First, Dustin offended Pablo, and then he dared to challenge Hugo. Now, Dustin was stuck inside the Golden Balcony, where the chances of survival were close to zero.Resigned to her powerlessness, Lana's remaining option was to prepare for the grim task of collecting Dustin's lifeless body. Her thoughts turned depressed thinking of his pitiful life."Oh, Ms. Camron. You're still here?" Cody and Harper approached from the opposite direction."You guys are sticking around too?" Lana responded casually."Us?" Cody smiled faintly. "We have some ties to Dustin through Harmony Healers. We thought it'd be right to stick around and help with his last rites.""Hmph! Spare me your hypocrisy," Lana said coldly. "I'm not blind to the fact that you bait
Lana was in awe, her mouth agape. "Wow, did a miracle happen?" What she'd mentioned in passing had magically come true, leaving her shocked.As everyone was still processing this, an even more unbelievable scene played out.Not long after Dustin had walked out, Maximus followed closely, carrying two people. On his left was Pablo, with broken limbs and in agonizing pain. On the right was Hugo, who was so battered and bruised that he was almost unrecognizable. They were like rag dolls, clutched by their collars, as Maximus dragged them out of the Golden Balcony, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.It became clear that it wasn't Hugo who spared Dustin and Maximus. Instead, Dustin and Maximus had fought their way out of an intense situation.Earlier, Hugo had brought the elite martial artists from the Langford family, each capable of taking on a hundred enemies. Yet, in just a few minutes, all the elite martial artists were defeated, and Hugo himself had been captured. Th
"Stop! Who's there?"As Dustin and Maximus stepped out of the car, the two guards at the entrance of the Langford residence immediately tensed up."I'm here to see Mr. Ethan. Can you let him know?" Dustin asked calmly."You can't just barge in to see Mr. Ethan. You'll have to send a request in writing tomorrow and wait for a response," the left guard replied curtly.Without further ado, Dustin made a simple hand gesture.Maximus understood the cue and quickly pulled Hugo out of the car, positioning him in front of the residence's gate."Mr. Hugo?"The guards scrutinized the battered Hugo closely. Their expressions quickly shifted from suspicion to concern. "Who are you? You've got some guts to attack a member of the Langford family!""Tell Mr. Ethan that an old friend has come to visit," Dustin said impassively."Hurry... Please let Uncle Ethan know ..." Hugo, lying on the ground, gasped weakly.The two guards exchanged a glance and didn't hesitate. One stayed on guard whil
Ethan had reached his breaking point and slapped Hugo in frustration.The force of the slap sent Hugo sprawling to the ground, leaving everyone in the crowd bewildered. They exchanged incredulous looks, struggling to process what had just transpired."What on earth is happening here? Shouldn't Ethan be dealing with the troublemaker who barged in?" Some in the crowd whispered. "Why did Hugo get slapped? Is this some kind of mix-up?""Uncle Ethan?" Hugo held his cheek, looking confused. "Wh-why'd you hit me?"Ethan's anger flared, and he threatened, "You blind fool! I'm gonna slap you again!" He stormed over, landing a series of punches and kicks while yelling, "You laze around all day, bully people, and stir up trouble everywhere. "Our family is ashamed to have a good-for-nothing like you! Today, I'm giving you a lesson on behalf of your father, you worthless scoundrel!""Ouch! Please, stop! Uncle Ethan. I know I messed up ..." Hugo winced from the relentless blows and be