Yusuf Zuck hadn’t expected Bud Trujillo’s unrepentant nature, having come to find him as soon as he was released from prison, coinciding with the grand opening of his new store.
After all, this shop was his pride and joy, his stronghold, and now that Trujillo knew about it, it was bound to cause endless trouble. Perhaps today he couldn’t harm Yusuf directly, but being on Trujillo’s radar was unquestionably a bad thing.
Moreover, it was impossible for Yusuf to be at the shop every day, and if Trujillo sent a couple of thugs to make trouble on a daily basis, his business would be impossible to maintain.
"How do you want to settle our old scores?" Yusuf didn’t stand up; others in the shop, including Everest Zuck and Ma Fatty, remained seated. Bryce Harper and Eloise Hart, on the other hand, looked gravely serious, while Louise Garrett behind the counter was visibly tense, and Anna Cooke slightly raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, keeping cool under pressure, I see. You are quite the character!" Trujillo took two steps forward and, with another glance around the room full of antiques, laughed, "I won’t hit you, nor will I shake you down for money. Just pour me a cup of tea, and kneel before me in front of everyone here and say, ’My apologies, Lord Trujillo.’ After that, we’ll mind our own businesses, and I promise not to bother you again."
"Otherwise, I’ll make your life a living hell!" Trujillo growled at Yusuf.
"Oh, ’Lord Trujillo’?" Yusuf quipped as he looked at Bud Trujillo, "And I should kneel and serve you tea, you say?"
"You don’t have to kneel. You can even slap me again, and I won’t lift a finger in return!" Trujillo said with a faux smile.
"Right, you said that!" Yusuf suddenly stood up, his gaze turning icy, and commanded, "Take them down!"
Yusuf knew that if he took down Trujillo in his own shop, he would be in the right. He could easily pin anything on Trujillo! So, with Trujillo practically delivering himself on a platter, why would Yusuf be courteous?
With a whoosh, the first to move was Fleur Carson, who had been waiting for Yusuf’s command. Moving swiftly, almost as soon as Yusuf finished speaking, he was upon Trujillo, and before the others could react, a thud was heard, and Trujillo was downed by a punch!
At the same moment, Pillar, Samuel Ross, and Jerome Hart also charged into the group of seven or eight followers.
The most ruthless was Dream Morrow, who practiced Judo. Maybe he wasn’t good at much else, but no one could beat him at wrestling, so once he charged into the group, whoever he laid hands on was bizarrely thrown to the ground.
With Trujillo, there were eight men in total, but in the face of Fleur Carson and Dream Morrow’s attack, the group was as fragile as paper mache. Before the customers in the shop could understand what was happening, the eight were piled up, with Fleur and the others standing on someone’s face, preventing any of them from getting up!
Louise Garrett was terrified, and Jerome and Bryce Harper trembled with fear. The people Yusuf had brought with him – who were they? Each one was formidable, and their aggressive actions were somewhat frightening.
Everest Zuck had been sipping tea from the beginning, and Ma Fatty also frowned with concern.
Anna Cooke took a deep breath and gave Yusuf a curious glance. The people Yusuf had brought were not to be trifled with; they were skilled fighters.
"Brother Zuck, Boss Harper, Boss Hart, and everyone else, may I ask for a favor?" Yusuf suddenly addressed the guests with folded hands and a bow.
"Speak," Everest Zuck said with a nod, "Afterwards, please bear witness for me. These thugs came to my shop on its opening day to extort protection money. You all heard it, and you saw it, right?"
"Uh..." Bryce Harper and Eloise Hart were instantly confused; they hadn’t heard anything about protection money. It seemed that Trujillo had a vendetta against Yusuf and was simply here to cause trouble.
"Yes, yes, I heard it," Anna Cooke was the first to stand up and confirm, "That guy surnamed Trujillo wanted protection money, twenty thousand a month, or a discount of forty thousand if paid annually, amounting to two hundred thousand a year. I can testify to that!" Anna’s excitement was palpable – what was Yusuf up to?
"Ha-ha, I also heard it," Everest Zuck laughed heartily, "The young lady is right; they were here to collect protection money. Two hundred thousand if paid annually, or twenty thousand monthly!"
Ma Fatty nodded in agreement, "This is outrageous; what kind of era is this, still collecting protection money?"
"Right, Fleur, whack him good, whack him hard!" Yusuf snarled fiercely. Bud Trujillo never learned his lesson. Yusuf wanted to make him remember this time – since he was already offended, Yusuf aimed to beat him senseless!
Dream Morrow walked over to the dazed Bud Trujillo and picked him up like a frail chicken. Then Fleur Carson swung his arms and started smacking Trujillo’s face relentlessly from side to side. Latest content published on novèlfire.net
Who dares to be more ruthless than Fleur Carson?
Not a single one of Yusuf Zuck’s brothers is a good deal.
Bud Trujillo’s seven flunkies were scared shitless. Brother Trujillo was actually being slapped back and forth? They were incredibly panicked and knew that big trouble was about to ensue!
Before, Bud Trujillo had taken a hard punch from Fleur Carson, so he was already dazed. After Fleur started attacking with lefts and rights, Trujillo was completely out of it, with blood spurting from his nose and mouth, and his teeth either falling out or being swallowed.
After just a dozen or so slaps, Bud Trujillo’s face swelled beyond recognition, and he hung his head as if he was dead.
The room was filled only with the sound of slapping cheeks; everyone else held their breath because the scene was too bloody and too brutal.
After about a dozen slaps, Bud Trujillo collapsed weakly to the ground, and Fleur Carson coolly warned the others sprawled on the floor, "Don’t fucking move, or I’ll knock your teeth out!"
Yusuf Zuck picked up his phone and dialed Ember Vance’s number; Ember was studying, but there was no way around it—the thing with Bud Trujillo had to be dealt with somehow.
The phone rang seven or eight times before it was picked up: "I’m in class, what’s up?" Ember spoke softly.
"Today was the grand opening of my shop, I knew you were studying so I didn’t notify you, but Bud Trujillo showed up and I beat him again. This time all his teeth fell out. I just want to ask you, if you send out a police squad, would that be overstepping?"
"Is he courting death?" Ember raged, "Whether it’s overstepping or not, I’m going to dispatch officers. Wait for me, I’ll be there immediately, Ruiz Family Garden, right? I’ll be there soon!" And with that, she hung up.
Everyone heard Yusuf Zuck making the call and talking about dispatching officers; clearly, Yusuf had connections within the official circles.
At that moment, Yusuf Zuck looked at Bud Trujillo lying on the ground, vomiting blood, and said, "Jerome, see if he could die. Don’t let him bleed to death here!"
"He won’t die; the bleeding will stop on its own soon," Jerome Hart shook his head and replied.
In less than an hour, comrades from the Garden Road police station arrived first. Seven or eight of them showed up, led by Deputy Chief Sun.
Deputy Chief Sun was actually baffled—what did a case in Ruiz Family Garden have to do with them at Garden Road?
But when he arrived at the scene and saw Bud Trujillo, swollen like a pig’s head, and upon recognizing him, a torrent of expletives galloped through his mind. What kind of grudge did this Trujillo have against Chief Ember, to have offended her again?
"First, take him to the hospital. These people, make sure no one picks up their phones. No contact with the outside world without orders. Who’s the boss here? Can someone explain what exactly happened?" Deputy Chief Sun addressed everyone in the room.
"No need to explain, I’m here!" Ember Vance entered the shop, her forehead covered in sweat, as she briskly walked in, quickly glanced at everyone inside, and paused particularly on Miles O’Brien.
"Huh? Delaney, what are you doing here?" Ember exclaimed, surprised to see Anna Cooke.
"Ember? What are you doing here?" Anna Cooke was also taken aback. Why did Ember Vance show up?
Ember Vance and Anna Cooke knew each other; their families were old acquaintances.
"Alright, you guys can catch up later. Let’s deal with the case first. These people are so arrogant, they’re even collecting protection money!" Yusuf Zuck cried out loudly.
PS: Thanks to Wesley Frost, Team Leader, for the generous reward, and thank you to all the other classmates who rewarded, voted for monthly tickets, and recommended. Thank you, everyone.