Thug and Idol: 10X Rewards Second Identity System

Next morning.

Today, Leon Clavon's conference room was much emptier than usual. In fact, besides Leon himself, his only company for now was Delgado. They both drank coffee as they waited—Leon with forced calm, Delgado with obvious tension.

The door leading into the room cracked open, and Leon's guard looked inside.

"Mr. Hayes has arrived, and also… Mr. Martinez."

The young man himself walked inside a moment later. As always, he showed nothing but complete self-assurance in himself on his face and walked in wide, confident steps.

In the time since Leon saw him in person, Tristan grew into an even more impressive individual than he already had been. Clearly, the hardships of another city straightened him like steel.

Behind him followed Hugo Martinez with a frown on his face and a chin raised high. From the careful way he moved, he was clearly wounded and still hurting.

"Congratulations on your return. To both of you!" Leon exclaimed. "With your appearance, Martinez, I will finally be able to clear the matter of the alleged 'betrayal'. And I can't wait to see what Hayes has achieved in Los Angeles…"

Tristan smiled, sitting down.

"A lot of things. Why don't you take a look, Mr. Clavon?"

Out of a small briefcase at his side, he pulled out a stack of printed documents and pushed them toward Leon.

He rapidly browsed through them, his eyebrows rising with each page.

It was just a summary of a much larger amount of information which Tristan kept to himself for now, but it was already very telling.

Tristan not only described all more or less important gangs of Los Angeles, their use as allies and their dangers as enemies, he also added documents proving that he had made an alliance with some of these gangs!

Now several trade opportunities for drugs and weapons worth millions of dollars in potential revenue were waiting just a nod from Leon.

"This is worth a lot, Hayes. Our organization is going to expand to new heights like that! As soon as our internal strife is cleared, I'm going to pursue this opportunity. This city is growing too small for us."

Delgado glanced from Leon to Tristan, then to Martinez.

"So, was the mission a success? I've heard there were some problems, though. Weren't you hit by a police raid, Mr. Hayes?"

Tristan smirked at him.

"Yes, there was a SWAT operation that targeted me and my allies, thanks to Whitman, but it was nothing we couldn't deal with. Speaking of—I also must add that Whitman, unfortunately, died during this attack. He tried to sic police on me and Martinez, but the police got him instead."

Leon stared at Tristan intently.

This was too convenient. There wasn't a hint of a lie in Tristan's way of speaking, but in any other circumstances, Leon would've started a detailed investigation as a matter of principle. There had to be a strict order to prevent infighting—the sort that happened recently.

"It's good, then, that my investigators already found definite proof of his guilt," Leon said.

"Yes," Martinez gritted out. "I assume that otherwise I'd be taken prisoner as soon as I stepped into your manor, Mr. Clavon."

Leon turned to him with a glare. From a large, muscular man like him, with a mane of thick blond hair on a very masculine, but also somewhat noble, face, it was a very powerful glare.

"You shouldn't have tried to escape in the first place, Martinez! Were you doubting my ability to resolve this all fairly? Were you insulting me with your doubts?"

And undermining Leon's authority. It wasn't something he could just let slide.

But to his shock, instead of bowing, Martinez glared right back.

"What if I was? When Whitman found his 'proofs' and went to catch me, you didn't stop him! And—"

Tristan raised his hand and Martinez fell silent.

Now both Leon and Delgado were confused. Why would Martinez, who always hated Tristan, suddenly defer to him like that?

Tristan stood up and his expression became deathly serious.

"Mr. Clavon, I respect you as a leader, but there are limits to what you can achieve. Limits that I plan to break. Right now, half of our organization—my people, Martinez's people—and also my allies from Los Angeles, are ready to support me as a leader. Enough to conquer the rest. That war could be long and bloody, which neither of us wants—so I ask you, Mr.

Clavon, to give up now and become my subordinate instead."

To Tristan's side, Martinez nodded in wordless support.

Delgado gasped in astonishment. Leon was stunned speechless—but only for an instant.

He opened his mouth to call security, but faster than any sound came from his mouth, Tristan pulled a gun out of his inner pocket and pointed at Leon's face.

"By the way, conquering the King Lion Gang will go much faster and easier without the King Lion. Yes, your guards check everyone who enters the mansion for hidden weapons, but… it was surprisingly easy to convince me you trust me enough." Tristan chuckled. "No, I'm just THAT convincing."

"This is insanity!" Delgado shouted, rising to his feet—only for a second gun Tristan pulled out to suddenly be pointed at him. He gulped.

"It's a calculated risk," Tristan said with another smug smirk. "Even in the worst-case scenario, I know I can leave this place. YOU know what I can do, too. You've read the reports from the last shooting I was in."

He turned toward Leon. Although he spoke to both him and Delgado, Tristan's eyes were making holes only in Leon. His voice seemed to burrow directly into Leon's brain.

"I have people, and I have guns pointed at your heads. Give up. Truly, fully, without changing your mind as soon as I leave the room. It won't do you good, anyway. Call your right-hand men and tell them that today everything changed. Or shout for help, get a bullet in your head, and come to the same result, but worse.

Which one will it be?"

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