Mr. Kun stepped forward, his eyes appraising Ethan intently before he let out a hearty laugh. "Young man, I've heard all about it. Impressive! Both brave and resourceful. The younger generation truly inspires awe!"
He gave Ethan's shoulder a firm pat.
Serena, standing beside him, winked at Ethan and offered an encouraging smile.
Seeing Mr. Kun's favorable attitude towards Ethan, Gwendolyn's face darkened considerably. She swallowed the words she was about to say and shot Lucas a look, signaling him to step forward and greet the older man.
"Mr. Kun." Lucas came up from behind.
Serena's face immediately showed anger. Of course, she remembered this lecher who had tried to drug her. If not for him, the operation would have been over long ago.
Mr. Kun merely snorted, his tone blunt and unforgiving. "You should be thankful you have a well-connected father. Otherwise, your limbs would already be broken."
Lucas hung his head, not daring to speak.
Michael stepped forward with a booming laugh. "Mr. Kun, your visit is so sudden. You should have sent word ahead, so I could prepare properly."
"No need for such formalities," Mr. Kun waved a dismissive hand. "I'll have a stake in this city's business from now on. No point in keeping things so distant. Besides, you're the local power here, Michael. My girl will be running the casino in your city. She'll need you to look out for her."
"Mr. Kun, you flatter me. We're all family here. Please, have a seat." Michael made a gracious gesture.
Lucas stole another glance at Serena, his heart filled with resentment. He was truly infatuated with this woman, but after the incident, he knew she was Mr. Kun's daughter. He might desire her, but he didn't have the guts.
"See enough?" Serena's cold voice cut through the air.
Michael glared at his son.
Lucas quickly averted his gaze.
Once Mr. Kun was seated, Michael immediately ordered tea.
Sipping his tea, Mr. Kun addressed Michael. "I was going to have you notify Ethan, but since he's conveniently here today, I'll say it directly. Regarding the trophy taken from Jack Zhao, my side will have Serena manage the casino operations. Your side... let Ethan handle it."
Hearing this, Lucas panicked instantly. "Mr. Kun, that won't do!"
Ever since he'd learned of Mr. Kun's plan half a month ago, Lucas had been eyeing this position.
If Mr. Kun opened a casino here, The Boss would definitely want a piece of the action. And since the initial operation had been staged at The Dynasty, it was almost certain the personnel would be drawn from Michael's circle.
A casino! Lucas knew all too well the immense profits and skimmed money involved—far surpassing The Dynasty's revenue. As Michael's son, he had already considered a share of that operation's management his birthright.
And now Mr. Kun was saying it should go to Ethan?
How could Lucas not be frantic?
Mr. Kun lifted his teacup, gently blowing on the surface, a smile playing on his lips. "Michael, since when do I need your son to teach me how to run my business?"
Michael reprimanded sharply, "Lucas, shut your mouth!"
Lucas, unwilling to give up, looked toward his mother. But even Gwendolyn, who usually indulged him, shot him a look of reproach.
Lucas waved his hands frantically. "Mr. Kun, that's not what I meant! I mean, Ethan... he's not from our circle!"
Gwendolyn's face paled.
Smack!
Michael backhanded Lucas across the face.
Lucas clutched his cheek, staring at his father in confusion.
"Michael, this is getting interesting," Mr. Kun set his cup down. "The Boss tasked you with resolving this matter. You found an outsider to do the dirty work. If he succeeded, the credit is yours, Michael Langford. If he failed, Jack Zhao had no reason to come after you, but my daughter would have been compromised instead?"
Gwendolyn hurriedly cried "Misunderstanding!" and pulled Lucas behind her, glaring at him to signal he should speak no more.
Mr. Kun twisted the head of his cane, revealing a hidden, sharp dagger concealed within.
After toying with the blade for a moment, he tossed it at Lucas's feet. "Since you want the operation so badly, it's simple. Follow the circle's rules. Take the trophy yourself. Do what Ethan did. Then his share is yours. Same as with Zhao. An index finger."
Lucas stared at the dagger on the floor, shuddered, and didn't move.
Mr. Kun laughed loudly. "Michael, tell me, if I entrusted my operation to someone like this, wouldn't someone come to collect the trophy the very next day we opened?"
"Mr. Kun, it's not quite like that," Gwendolyn said with a forced smile. "Besides madmen like Zhao, who actually fights their own battles these days? Everyone has plenty of men under them. Let the underlings handle the rough stuff. Those who still fight their own battles personally... well, they end up like Zhao."
Her words were a clear jab at Ethan, implying he had nothing but brute ferocity and was only fit to be an "underling."
Mr. Kun looked at Michael. "Isn't Ethan your son?"
"There are different kinds of sons," Gwendolyn cut in before Michael could answer. "Some sons aren't meant to hold real power. Even if you gave them a gold mountain, they couldn't hold onto it. However, since Mr. Kun has spoken, we must, of course, honor your request."
Gwendolyn smiled, but a vicious glint lurked in her eyes as she looked at Ethan. "Ethan, you were just quoting the circle's rules to me. Very well. I'll give you a chance. We'll settle this by the circle's rules. When family disputes over interests, we pass the Thirteen Blades."
Though she spoke with a smile, the murderous intent in her eyes was barely concealed.
Summer, listening from the back, felt a jolt of alarm.
"Summer..." a security guard whispered as he approached her, "...there's a man outside asking for Ethan. He's forcing his way in. We can't stop him. He's highly skilled..."
"I'll handle it." Summer slipped out quietly without disturbing the main scene.
Mr. Kun chuckled softly, saying nothing more, adopting the posture of an amused spectator.
Lucas, emboldened from behind his mother, jumped forward. "Well, Ethan? Do you dare?"
Serena, seeing the confusion in Ethan's eyes, leaned close and whispered, "You don't know what it means?"
Ethan nodded slightly.
"The so-called 'Thirteen Blades,' also called 'Thirteen Trials,' is a rule derived from the 'trophy' concept. When family members compete for business, they don't resort to taking trophies from each other. Instead, they have thirteen of their subordinates face off. The winner takes the business."
"Later, because there were too many internal challenges, they added a penalty. The loser of each match... takes a blade."
"There are thirteen matches in total. First to seven wins takes all."
Ethan nodded, understanding.
"So, Ethan, do you dare?" Gwendolyn pressed again.
Ethan took a deep breath and stepped forward. Instead of immediately answering Gwendolyn, he turned to Mr. Kun. "Mr. Kun, I'd like to know, if I enter this business partnership with you, what would my standing be? Specifically, compared to Michael Langford."
Mr. Kun was visibly surprised by the question. "In terms of money and manpower, you certainly don't have Michael's resources. But in terms of seniority... partnering directly with me means you work for The Boss directly. Your seniority would be equal to Michael's."
"Then I understand." Ethan nodded. He turned back to face Gwendolyn. "I accept!"
"Good!" Gwendolyn exclaimed. "Then let's begin! But Ethan... thirteen men. Do you even have thirteen men?"
"I don't need thirteen," Ethan shook his head. "I alone am enough. One loss, one blade."
Serena's face fell. She urgently tried to catch Ethan's eye.
She had seen Ethan's skills. He had ability and ferocity, enough to handle a few ordinary thugs. But fighting thirteen men in a gauntlet? Forget skill, just the physical stamina required was immense. It wasn't just Ethan; even a professional martial artist would struggle with that pace.
"Hahahaha!" Mr. Kun burst into loud laughter. "Marvelous! Truly marvelous! The last time I saw something like this was over a decade ago! I never thought I'd see the day again—someone daring to face the Thirteen Blades alone!"
"Mr. Chen! The Thirteen Blades are nothing! No need for you to step forward. I'll handle it!"
A loud voice boomed from the entrance.
Everyone turned to see the middle-aged man from the casino and the mountain, led by Summer, walking towards them.