Wesley’s words struck fear into the hearts of the enraged gangsters, causing them to huddle together, trembling in terror. The scene resembled a group of Emperor penguins, clustered together for warmth in the bitter Antarctic winter winds. Charlie couldn’t help but hide a secret grin as he observed their palpable fear. These gangsters, who once boasted of their fearlessness, now cowered like cornered animals. Dealing with malevolent forces such as the United States required a ruthless approach. If they wielded a knife, you brandished a gun; if they raised a gun, you targeted their entire kin. Moralizing was futile, for the underworld seldom adhered to such principles. Morality was a stricter code of conduct than the law, while all illegal acts breached morality, not every moral breach was necessarily illegal. Every ill-gotten penny the gangsters amassed was a product of their disregard for the law. If they held no reverence for the law, how could morality sway them? Hence, the most effective method to confront such individuals was to be even more unyielding than they were. Yet, Charlie was aware that his intimidation alone wasn’t sufficient for these gang members. To instill bone-chilling fear, he needed to first make them acutely aware of their own vulnerability and the unwavering determination to dismantle them. The initial investment in this endeavor was steep. Allocating so many resources to subdue a group of New York gangsters hardly seemed worthwhile. So, Charlie summoned Wesley and instructed him to take a stern approach with these people. It was a necessary step. After all, when it came to the number of allies, who could rival the Dragon Temple? In terms of violence, these gangsters were outmatched. Furthermore, they were no match for the Dragon Temple. The Dragon Temple had knowledge of their identities and could track them down anywhere, eliminating their entire families if they so wished. There was no escape. On the contrary, what could these gangsters do if they were aware of the Dragon Temple’s base in Syria? They couldn’t simply confront Wesley, could they? Wesley’s threatening words had indeed sent shivers down the spines of everyone present, but Charlie had no intention of letting them off easily. He aimed to establish absolute authority in their minds. Charlie glanced around and turned to Wesley. “Wesley, from now on, document the identity details of these people and swiftly investigate their family connections. If they disobey, no family member should be spared.” Wesley nodded in agreement. “I understand.” Charlie gestured towards Jordan beside him. “Furthermore, if anything happens to Jordan, whether it’s a natural calamity or a man-made disaster, you must eliminate all of them, leaving no one alive.” The audience couldn’t suppress their disdain and derision at this pronouncement, there was apparent resistance to the decision. Observing this, Charlie suggested, “Since we’re all involved in this discussion, let’s give them a chance to speak. Bring out whatever is gagging them, and let’s hear their thoughts.” Wesley promptly moved forward with his men, removing the gags from the captives’ mouths. At that moment, a gang leader quivered and burst out, “This… this isn’t fair! If we didn’t kill him and something happened to him, why should we be held accountable?” Others nodded vigorously in agreement, voicing their dissent. “Exactly! This is unjust!” Charlie smirked and inquired, “What’s this? Is the New York underworld a haven of fairness, then?” His words found an echo in the group. Encouraged, the man continued, “You ask us to travel to Syria and hand over 75% of our profits to the Chinese gang. Fine, we can do that, but linking our fate to his, making us pay the price for his actions, is too unjust!” Charlie nodded, “You desire fairness, do you?” The man affirmed, “Yes, I want fairness!” Charlie chuckled and challenged, “Let’s confirm then, are you rejecting my proposal and insisting on fairness?”

The man replied without hesitation, “I’m certain!” Charlie grinned, “Very well, let’s be fair. Tell me your name and the gang you represent.” The man identified himself, “I’m Todd. Todd Gilbert, the head of the Desperados.” Charlie smiled and commented, “Desperados… that’s an interesting name.” Turning to Wesley, he instructed, “Since Mr. Fairness, Gilberto, is keen on justice, let’s grant him his wish. Transport him to Syria and conduct a thorough investigation into his background. I want to know if he’s wronged anyone throughout his life, no matter how trivial. If there are more than ten such instances, dig a hole in Syria and bury him alive.” Todd Gilberto was instantly horrified, but before he could protest, he silenced himself, realizing it would be ‘unfair’ to do so. Angrily, he said, “Sir, this is terribly unjust!” Before he could utter the word ‘unjust’, he reconsidered and swallowed it. He knew that protesting at this point would be indeed unfair. Hence, he uttered his frustration, “If this is your definition of fairness, I give up.” Charlie responded, “You don’t want fairness? If you seek fairness from me, then I also want fairness from you for those you’ve wronged. Why have you given up?” He then said to Wesley, “Oh and if you discover that this individual has harmed innocent family members of others while dealing with enemies and rivals, treat him the same way. If he killed someone’s wife, we kill his wife, if he killed someone’s son, we kill his son too. After all, he requested fairness, so we must ensure absolute fairness.” Wesley vowed, “Don’t worry, Mr. Wade. My subordinates will investigate everything.” Todd Gilberto’s face turned ashen, and visible tremors coursed through his facial and limb muscles. One of the gang members, part of the ‘Emperor Penguins’ huddle for warmth, blurted out, “Sir, this scoundrel kidnapped a friend’s son years ago to steal his merchandise. The friend complied but was double-crossed and his son was killed. Many here can testify to this!” Charlie nodded and commended, “Well done. Are you the boss or the second-in-command of your gang?” The man replied, “I’m the second.” Charlie instructed Jordan, “Jordan, once this is verified, you can give them a 5% reduction and only charge them 70%.” Jordan replied, “Understood, Mr. Wade.” The man was elated to have negotiated a 5% reduction, a substantial sum given the gang’s monthly earnings in the millions. Another voice in the crowd emerged, “Sir, I want to report Gilberto! Ten years ago, to force an Algerian prostitute into prostitution, he personally killed one of her children, a five-year-old!” Charlie acknowledged, “Alright, I’ll grant you a 4% discount after verification.” Others quickly joined in, each sharing their own accounts of Gilberto’s wrongdoings. With each disclosure, the discount granted decreased. Todd Gilberto now realized the diminishing leniency, but Charlie signaled for the reports to conclude. Turning to the pale-faced man, he asked, “Are their claims true?” Todd Gilberto was utterly terrified. He cried out, “I was wrong, Mr. Wade, I was truly wrong! I don’t want fairness, I’ll accept anything you say. My son has just grown up, please, show mercy and spare him.” Charlie pondered, “This is quite a predicament for me. You proposed fairness, but now you want to backtrack in front of everyone. Is that fair?” Todd Gilberto slapped himself several times and begged, “It’s my fault, entirely my fault! From now on, I’ll unconditionally accept anything you say.” Charlie waved his hand, “No, I’ll give you two options. First, we follow your desire for fairness. But considering your many transgressions, will your family suffice to settle your debts? You’ve committed numerous crimes, a thorough investigation could reveal countless lives owed. Therefore, I’ll offer a second choice, you die today as atonement and I’ll forget your past actions.”