A Leader (3)

Chapter 18

Elijah was dressed in all black, standing on the sidewalk as people passed him by.

He had just arrived and was now waiting for the others.

It wasn't long before Lucas's large figure appeared, towering over Elijah due to his height.

Elijah glanced up at him and smiled.

"Morning."

"I still don't like you," Lucas said bluntly, wasting no time getting straight to the point. Since Kai wasn't around, he had no reason to hold back his thoughts.

Elijah sighed, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Why do you always look at me with those eyes?"

Lucas didn't respond immediately. He looked to the side, scanning the area before finally speaking. "Because you're soft, weak, and unreliable traits a leader shouldn't have."

Elijah frowned in confusion and stepped closer. "Then take the position of leader yourself, or just leave the gang. Why are you so focused on it if the leader is a weak, soft idiot?"

He was growing irritated.

Lucas always acted coldly toward him, and Elijah usually didn't care.

But his constant complaints were getting on his nerves.

Every time Lucas did this, Elijah tried to stay quiet, but it wasn't funny anymore.

The two locked eyes in a silent standoff, Elijah's red eyes burning slightly with frustration.

He never asked to be in this position, yet here was Lucas, acting like Elijah had forced his way into leadership.

Lucas, on the other hand, was caught off guard.

This wasn't like Elijah—he usually ignored things like this.

The only explanation was that Elijah had truly chosen the True King Path.

At that moment, the system chimed in.

[A member in your group is trying to challenge your authority.]

[Put them down and make them understand respect.]

[Reward: 100 System Points.]

Elijah took a deep breath before speaking again. "Lucas, I have nothing against you, and if you don't like me, I don't care. But don't come complaining to me like I'm the problem when it's you. If you don't like being here, then just leave."

With that, Elijah stepped back, taking out his phone to text Lisa.

[Elijah: Yeah, only one person came.]

[Lisa: Where are you guys going, anyway?]

[Elijah: Not sure yet, but I remember Kai mentioning something about buying tables and furniture.]

[Lisa: Oh, then you should go to the Curvs place. They make the best furniture in that area.]

[Elijah: Alright. Are you still going out?]

[Lisa: Yeah. When I get back from the girls, I'll text you. If I leave fast enough, I might meet you when you're heading home.]

Elijah smiled and replied:

[Elijah: Have a wonderful day, then.]

[Lisa: It's gonna be boring without you.]

Elijah chuckled just as Kai and Mai arrived.

"Hey, guys," Elijah greeted them.

Kai glanced at everyone's outfits and nodded. "Nice. This might actually work."

"Work for what?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kai grinned. "After we order our stuff, we're heading to the most famous pool club in the area. We're going to cause some trouble and make enemies."

Elijah frowned. "Won't that put a target on our backs from the Grey Gang?"

Kai shook his head. "Not really. The place we're going is the Norva Club."

Lucas finally spoke up. "You mean the gangless area?"

"Yep," Kai confirmed with a nod.

Elijah sighed. "We already have a bar in the Northern gangless area. Now you want us to step into the other gangless area in the West?"

Kai smirked. "In the Southern District, there are only two gangless areas, and neither is a comfortable place to live.

But the Northern gangless area isn't truly gangless—Mike controls everything there.

The buildings are his, and so on. When we set up our bar there, we paid him, so he didn't care what we were doing.

"But it's still not the best place to start since we'll eventually make an enemy of Mike, and the other gangs in the Southern District take him seriously.

I built the bar there because the demand was high, and with Mike's protection, nothing would happen to it.

"But the Western gangless area?

That place is truly gangless.

Small gangs constantly fight over territory.

We're going to enter the game by taking over the Pool Club first.

There aren't any strong gangs there, and once we have full control, the Grey Gang won't attack.

But the Raven Gang, which operates nearby, will definitely want to take over.

They want more food shops, street clubs, and, most importantly, gambling halls.

"And that's where our next target will be. But first, let's focus on securing the gangless area." Kai's voice was filled with excitement.

"Anyway, let's go meet that old man and see if he can make all the furniture we need for the bar," Kai added.

Mai chimed in. "Oh, my mom told me about a place where we can get super cheap alcohol. If we order today, it'll arrive tomorrow."

"Good," Kai nodded. "Let's make sure everything is set by Monday."