Join

"Madam Gao, there are still people alive!"

At the side, the black man had temporarily bandaged his wound with strips torn from his suit.

However, the pain from his severed hand and the continuous bleeding meant that, without immediate treatment, he would soon die from blood loss.

Even so, the black man didn't dare make a single misstep. He stood respectfully beside Madam Gao, letting the blood slowly soak through the fabric and drip onto the floor—tick, tick.

"Bring him here."

Madam Gao showed no concern for the black man's life. She sat on the sofa, leaning weakly on her crutch.

At the same time, the black and white men dragged the unconscious Ward over and stood him before Madam Gao.

"Wake him up." Madam Gao gave the order.

She had visited the Rand Corporation many times. The company had long been infiltrated by the Hand. What Harold was doing outside depended heavily on Ward, so she naturally recognized the man before her—the son of Harold, a Hand servant.

"Wake up!"

But waking up naturally was impossible.

The black man no longer had a hand, but the white man did.

He slapped Ward hard across the face, followed by several more in rapid succession—sharp, merciless blows like falling rain.

Slap!

Slap!

Slap!

Each hit landed with force. After a few strikes, Ward's face was swollen and red, and he awoke in agony.

"Hiss...! Aah!"

Ward howled in pain. "Who are you? You—!"

He suddenly snapped to full awareness and stared at the old woman before him in horror.

Because he recognized her. This was the old woman who used to appear frequently at the company!

"So it seems you remember me."

Ward looked at her blankly, gasping from the pain in his battered face and broken arm.

Madam Gao continued to speak in.

"Tell me why you're here."

Madam Gao's voice was calm.

The white man next to her translated so that Ward could understand.

"I... I came to find my dad," Ward stammered. The swelling on his face made every word excruciating.

"Harold?"

Madam Gao smiled as she stared at him. "Then… do you know about the Warehouse in Hell's Kitchen, East Dock?"

"Oh...…"

Ward's eyes widened as he quickly shook his head. "I don't know!"

"You don't know?"

Madam Gao signaled to the white man with her eyes.

He nodded, then drew a small knife from his belt. Working with the black man, they pinned Ward down and pressed his hand onto the coffee table.

"No, don't! Let me go!"

Ward realized what was about to happen. His eyes went wide with fear as he struggled desperately to break free.

But despite the black man's missing arm, his grip was still terrifying—like being held down by steel. Ward couldn't move.

The next second—

The white man chopped off the little finger from Ward's remaining hand.

"Ahhh!!!"

The pain was unbearable. Veins bulged on Ward's forehead as he screamed and nearly passed out again—only to be slapped awake once more.

"A liar will have his tongue cut out."

"So… Ward, do you want to talk now?"

Madam Gao sounded kind, but her words sent chills down the spine.

"I'll talk! I'll talk... I'll say everything!"

Ward nodded frantically, his face pale as a sheet. "It was the Bounty Hunter. I found him and asked him to deliver something there. The people were killed by the Bounty Hunter—it had nothing to do with me! But… it was a hammer. I couldn't lift it, so I left it behind!"

Too much time had passed. His severed hand was already beyond saving, and now the other hand was maimed as well. If this continued, he'd truly be incapable of taking care of himself.

To Ward now, the old woman in front of him looked like the devil incarnate.

"A hammer…"

Madam Gao narrowed her eyes slightly.

She had inspected the factory recently and seen the horror left behind—and the strange hammer lying on the table.

They couldn't tell what it was, but knew it wasn't ordinary, because no one could lift it.

"You say you've told me everything…"

Ward panted heavily, his lips ghostly pale and voice weak. "Please… let me go…"

He didn't know his father Harold was already dead. So he had no choice but to shoulder everything himself.

"Let you go…?"

Madam Gao's eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled. "Are you interested in joining the Hand?"

The Hand?!

Ward's pupils shrank in terror. His entire body went limp.

There was a reason Madam Gao had chosen to keep Ward alive.

Harold was dead—reduced to a puddle of pus, never to return. Someone else needed to take control of the Rand Corporation. As Harold's son, Ward was the most suitable candidate.

Even if there were doubts about him, the offer was made with an unmistakable sense of coercion—one that couldn't be refused.

And that wasn't all.

Madam Gao also issued an order:

'Track down the identity and location of the "Bounty Hunter"—and put a hit out on him.'

The factory was cleaned up.

A few more arrows were added to Harold's home, making it seem as though he, too, had been killed by the Bounty Hunter.

Madam Gao wasn't a fool. Quite the opposite—she was sharp.

Why would a Bounty Hunter kill Harold?

Why would Ward send this Bounty Hunter on such a task?

She immediately understood the implication behind it all.

But understanding it was one thing…

It would've been forgivable if the Bounty Hunter had only killed someone at the factory. Harold might have shown signs of betraying the Hand, but he had not yet been officially expelled. That meant he was still one of them.

This Bounty Hunter destroyed her entire factory—and killed one of her most important servants.

Madam Gao was not someone who got angry easily, but now...

This situation called for action.

The bounty must be issued—whether it made sense or not.

If not, people would start thinking she was weak.

*************************************

You can get access to early chapters on patr*on

If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.

My patr*on account is Lord_Immortal_0170