Tyler shifted his eyes to Steve, making him shudder under his icy stare. However, the salesman kept his fake smile alive. In his experience, flattery always worked with bosses."You're a disgrace to this profession and humanity!" Tyler exploded at him. "What kind of pathetic upbringing did you have? Don't you feel ashamed trying to steal credit from a girl half your age? Doesn't your conscience prick you while you sabotage a hardworking employee? You're worse than sewage sludge!""I'm sorry, sir…" Steve whimpered, taken aback by Tyler's outburst. He had expected the young man to fall for the bootlicking, but his plan backfired. However, mustering all his buttering skills, Steve made a final desperate appeal."Sir… Surely, a princely, honorable, and charitable man like you would have mercy on me!"Tyler laughed derisively, watching the salesman flatter him hopelessly. Then, a look of fury crossed his face."You're fired! Gather your things and get lost! If I see you in my showroom afte
The two bikes started racing over parallel lanes. Bystanders watched with gaping mouths as the riders broke the speed limit and went over a hundred miles per hour.What was going on? Was it an unannounced race or a Hollywood movie shoot?More than anything, Tyler wanted the mysterious rider to leave him alone. He had to reach Peridot City before nightfall, and a priceless race was the last thing on his mind. However, the rider baited him by trying to outpace his bike.Soon enough, their lanes merged and they came abreast of each other.Tyler checked his digital speedometer. It was clocking 110 mph already. The maximum speed of the Ducati DesertX was about 130 mph. But the bike was already groaning and sputtering under the stress.On the other hand, the mysterious man was riding pretty smoothly. He had a much more expensive model, the BMW HP4, with a maximum speed of over 200 mph!Tyler turned his throttle and accelerated to 120, taking the lead. His opponent wasted no time and gunned
Tyler balled his fingers into a solid fist. The sound of his knuckles cracking echoed in the gas station. His aura of intimidation radiated like a thick, suffocating blanket.Duke broke into a cold sweat immediately. He had never been in a fight because his wealthy parents pampered and protected him. The young heir immediately fired up his bike to leave. Was Tyler actually raring to fight? Was he out of his mind?“What would I gain from beating you up here?” the Hilton heir said nervously. “Delinquents like you are accustomed to rolling in the mud like feral pigs. Don’t expect me to stoop to your level and sully my hands! Yuck!”Tyler put on a mocking smirk. “Your words sound like the whimpers of a scaredy cat!” Duke gritted his teeth and looked around at the gas station. A crowd had already gathered around the duo to be entertained by their standoff.Many had recognized the Hilton heir and were taking selfies and streaming live. As the future chairman of a conglomerate worth billions
The bouncers exchanged nervous looks and gulped anxiously. Even though the men were tall and muscular, they were thick-headed. Tyler’s confident attitude and surprising mention of the Secret Lair convinced them of his legitimacy. Moreover, they shuddered to imagine what Greg would do to those responsible for losing a precious artifact.“Mr. Dalmatian values his rare items collection more than human lives,” Mort whispered. “Let’s not hold back this man.”“You can pass,” Carl said to Tyler hurriedly. “But you won’t find Mr. Dalmatian in the main lobby. Go around the back and knock on the metal door thrice. Once the guard opens the slit, say the password—golden glove. He will usher you into the Secret Lair. Just be careful and don’t piss off anybody. The place is always overflowing with bigwigs!”“Talk to Wally—Mr. Dalmatian’s Assistant,” Mort added. “Perhaps he’ll arrange a meeting after the poker game.”Tyler nodded and followed the directions to the letter. He didn’t need to use his p
Greg Dalmatian, however, was dead silent. He simply watched Tyler with frigid eyes. The young man had barged into their elite group brazenly, with no regard for his life; he was neither drunk nor crazy. Then what was his objective? Why would he risk his life to offend the Big Three?“Prepare to die, kid!” Jerry spat in derision as his goons cracked their knuckles, preparing to assault the stranger. “Any last words?”Tyler shrugged nonchalantly, dismissing the man’s threatening words. “What is wrong with you old folks? I have money, and I want to play Poker. What is there to be offended about that? Unless you guys are afraid to lose…”Serpico cast him a look of scorn. “Judging by your clothes, you are middle-class and unlikely to possess over a couple hundred grand. Have you come here to throw away your family’s life savings along with your life?”“Let’s fulfill his wish, Serpico,” Jerry said, gesturing to his men. “Let’s take all his money and then break his limbs. We’ll also offer a
Greg Dalmatian’s dark monologue sent shivers up Jerry and Serpico’s spine. The duo were ruthless gangsters themselves but were obviously no match for the Brambles Lieutenant as far as brutality was concerned.Greg maimed, tortured, and killed for entertainment occasionally. Often, he kept trophies of his fallen enemies in the barbaric form of preserved eyes, hearts, or even stuffed corpses. He was a monster in plain sight.Jerry and Serpico nodded to him with respect and quietly returned to their seats.A thick crowd had already gathered around the center table since it was the first time an outsider had challenged the big three of Peridot City. Everyone was thrilled for entertainment but also anxious that it would end with the challenger’s murder.“Did you see the young man casually shell out a million dollars as if it were spare change?”“Maybe he won a lottery and is trying to make a fortune here?”“The Big Three appear pissed! He’s done for!”“The young man is not getting out of h
“Are you out of your mind, kid?” Greg snapped. “Do you even have that amount in your bank account?”A bet of ten million had never happened in the Bellagio, which was Peridot City’s most expensive casino. More people left their games and gathered around the center table to watch the escalating poker bet.“Ten million? Did he say ten million?”“Is he just uttering random numbers?”Tyler watched the shocked faces of Greg, Serpico, and Jerry in amusement. “It seems you guys have been gambling with amateurs until now. Is ten million dollars really a large amount for you? I can fish that out everyday for breakfast!”Greg Dalmatian had expected the game to be over by now. However, the young man before him was bent on raising the stakes for no apparent reason.Ten million was indeed a considerable amount for Greg since his entire chain of casinos made that amount in a month! It would be prudent to fold his cards at this point.However, as the gangster looked around at the gathered crowd, his
“No, that cannot be!” Greg Dalmatian exclaimed. “I heard the gemstone had been found. Sapphire City’s Mayor announced it in a public speech. How did you come across it?”“The rarest of rare sapphires, isn’t it?” Tyler said, admiring its outline. “I purchased a lump of coal at the annual minerals exhibition in Sapphire City. It turned out to be encasing the royal Mayfair.”“Initially, I was told it was worth a few million dollars. But once I got the gemstone examined at the lab, purveyors informed me it could sell at fifty million!”The crowd began murmuring in excitement.“Who is the young man? How does he have so much money?”“He even owns the Mayfair Sapphire. International museums and governments could purchase it for a hundred million!”“The gemstone could even be sold in the black market for three hundred million!”“The goddess of fortune has really blessed this young man with riches!”“I raise the bet to 140 million dollars!” Tyler declared.This time, Greg interlocked his finger