The subordinates looked at Butcher, their eyes filled with flattery and sycophancy.
Relying on this industrial district and the protection fees they collected from Reincarnators, they lived quite comfortably and were naturally unwilling to have a supervisor appear out of thin air.
Butcher's calculations went deeper; managing hundreds of thousands of unruly Reincarnators across the entire City would involve internal strife and profit distribution enough to drag down any faction.
William doing this was either out of sheer arrogance or because he had another trump card, but Butcher leaned toward the former.
Their Street Brotherhood had guns and blades; if it really came to a fight, William wouldn't be able to afford the price.
He wanted Butcher to join? He wanted the Street Brotherhood to join? Fine, but first, show some sincerity.
Just as Butcher was happily plotting his next move, the sound of hurried footsteps and engines suddenly came from the factory's outskirts, followed by a few short screams and cries of alarm.
"Boss! It's bad! We're surrounded!"
A subordinate stumbled into the factory building, his face filled with terror as he looked at Butcher and shouted loudly.
Butcher's expression changed, and he quickly led his men to the factory entrance. But when he saw the surrounding scene, his heart went cold and his face turned pale.
The factory's open ground and even the perimeter's broken walls had been occupied by hundreds of well-trained Apocalypse members at some unknown point.
What made his scalp tingle even more were the weapons these Apocalypse members held in their hands.
Standard-issue rifles, submachine guns, and even a few people carrying rocket launchers! The dark muzzles were pointed at the factory building, locking onto everyone in the Street Brotherhood.
And in the shadows and on the rooftops higher up, at least ten piercing red laser dots were firmly locked onto his forehead and chest, as well as those of his core subordinates.
Compared to the mismatched pistols and machetes held by his Brotherhood members, this was simply the difference between a regular army and street punks!
William walked out from behind the crowd with steady steps. The oppressive aura emanating from him made all the Brotherhood members swallow hard.
"William!"
Butcher suppressed the fear in his heart and roared with a distorted, angry face.
"What kind of hero relies on numbers and guns! If you have the guts, duel me one-on-one! If you win, the Brotherhood follows you! If you lose, take your people and get out!"
This was the only chance of survival Butcher could think of. Only by using a duel did he have a glimmer of hope; otherwise, once the fighting started, he would be turned into a beehive immediately.
He didn't want to die yet. He possessed an A-Level Talent and was among the top tier of Reincarnators; he still had a bright future ahead.
Therefore, Butcher chose to provoke William, forcing him into a one-on-one duel.
Moreover, as leaders of two factions, only the strong could command the respect of their subordinates and stabilize their position.
Thus, it was impossible for William to refuse.
Hearing this, a half-smile curled at the corner of William's mouth.
He raised his hand, signaling his men behind him to stay calm. He understood Butcher's intentions perfectly, but this also suited his own plans.
Because he knew that to make this group of people completely submit, he had to demonstrate sufficiently powerful strength. Only by intimidating them would they not dare to cause trouble in the future.
"Fine."
William's voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
Butcher felt a surge of joy in his heart, but he struggled to maintain a fierce expression on his face. He knew his plan had succeeded.
Stiding into the open space in the middle of the factory, Butcher's tensed body was already prepared for combat.
William also walked straight over. The two were less than five meters apart, the atmosphere frozen as all eyes focused on them.
Butcher's eyes were ferocious. Suddenly, a trace of malice flashed across his face as he quickly pulled a pistol from his coat, raising the muzzle directly at William's chest!
"Go to hell, William! I'll be taking your Apocalypse for myself!"
Butcher pulled the trigger with a sinister grin. A duel? No one said you couldn't use a gun in a duel!
In this world, only the winner has the right to set the rules. The loser, no matter how glorious their life was, is nothing more than a handful of yellow earth!
Bang—!
The gunshot rang out, and the bullet hit William's chest with precision. However, the expected scene of blood splashing did not occur.
William didn't even make a move to dodge. The bullet simply made a dull thud against his chest before falling to the ground.
The sound of the bullet hitting the floor drew everyone's attention. When they saw the bullet casing flattened from the impact, every member of the Street Brotherhood gasped and swallowed hard.
Horror appeared on their faces as their gazes fixed tightly on the flattened bullet on the ground.
To easily withstand a bullet at such close range! How could they fight this? Is he a monster?
William gently brushed the hole in his shirt where he'd been hit, and the smile on his face deepened—it was a cold and cruel smile.
"It seems you are not only stupid, but also untrustworthy."
Before his voice had even faded, William's figure vanished from the spot like a ghost, appearing in front of Butcher the next instant.
Butcher only felt a blur before his eyes. Before he could fire a second shot, he felt a large hand, seemingly cast from steel, press down on the top of his head.
The owner of that hand was William, his face icy cold. A look of terror appeared on Butcher's face; he wanted to struggle, but the power was so great he couldn't break free at all.
"In your next life, remember to follow the rules."
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the terror on Butcher's face froze completely, fixed forever.
As William's fingers closed, Butcher's head burst instantly like a watermelon, red and white matter splashing across the floor.
William let go, and Butcher's headless corpse slumped down, twitching twice before becoming still. Crimson blood sprayed everywhere, staining the ground red.
Shaking the filth from his hand, William looked up. His cold gaze swept over the pale-faced members of the Street Brotherhood, a faint smile still on his face.
Except that smile, in the eyes of all the Street Brotherhood members, was that of a demon from hell.
"Does anyone else want to try? Or, you can all come at once."
Dead silence.
Then came the clattering sounds of weapons hitting the ground one after another. Facing William, these people had completely lost their previous bluster.
They were just talkers; Butcher's corpse was still vividly before them. They had never considered actually fighting to the death.
You only have one life. Everyone was just trying to survive in today's chaotic society. Butcher was already dead; there was no need for them to lose their own lives for a dead man.
William turned around, no longer looking at the Street Brotherhood members. He looked at the members of Apocalypse and spoke calmly.
"Clear the area, take in the personnel and supplies, and confiscate all their points. Those who resist are to be killed without exception."
"Yes!"