*THREE MONTHS LATER*
Alex Chen was no longer a college student worried about passing exams. He was the undisputed crime lord of the city's east side, controller of a criminal empire worth millions, and something that normal humans instinctively feared.
*CURRENT STATUS:*
*VILLAIN RANK: EXPERT*
*VILLAIN POINTS: 4,200*
*TERRITORY: 47 BLOCKS*
*MONTHLY INCOME: $2.3 MILLION*
*MINIONS: 200+*
*KILLS: 43*
The meeting was held in the penthouse of a hotel Alex now owned. Representatives from the city's remaining criminal organizations sat around a mahogany table, none of them quite able to meet his eyes directly.
"Gentlemen," Alex began, his voice carrying an otherworldly authority that made grown killers shift nervously, "we need to discuss the future of this city."
Elena sat at his right hand, beautiful and deadly in a way that made the other crime bosses wonder if she was more dangerous than Alex himself. Maya monitored security feeds from the shadows, her Thief System having evolved to include espionage capabilities.
"You've been expanding aggressively," said Tommy Marconi, head of the Italian families. "Some of us are concerned about... territorial disputes."
Alex smiled, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. "Tommy, you're thinking too small. Why fight over scraps when we could control everything?"
*INTIMIDATION SUCCESSFUL*
*+25 VILLAIN POINTS*
"What are you proposing?" asked Sarah Chen (no relation), leader of the Triad faction.
"I'm proposing we stop pretending we're separate organizations and start acting like what we really are: one criminal empire with multiple divisions."
The room erupted in protests and arguments. Alex let them argue for exactly ninety seconds, then stood up.
The room fell silent.
"I wasn't asking for your permission," Alex said quietly. "I was giving you the opportunity to join willingly. Those who refuse..." He shrugged. "Well, you've seen what happened to Vincent."
*HOSTILE TAKEOVER INITIATED*
*QUEST: UNIFY THE CRIMINAL UNDERWORLD*
*REWARD: 1,000 VILLAIN POINTS + NEW ABILITIES*
*TIME LIMIT: 30 DAYS*
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