Chapter 125: The Induction

Chapter 125: The Induction

"Kill you! Kill you!"

The frantic shouts made one's scalp tingle. A moment later, several youths lay on the ground, twitching, their throats slit and their bodies stabbed countless times.

After he finished, Proton, as if waking from a dream, leaned against the wall and vomited continuously. He hadn't eaten anything to begin with, and now he was almost throwing up his bile.

Giovanni stepped forward, gently patted his back, and said with a smile, "Relax. It's normal to vomit the first time."

After a while, Proton looked up at him, weak, then at the bodies on the ground. His already pale face became even paler. "What have I done?"

"You only did the right thing," Giovanni smiled faintly.

Proton looked at Giovanni's face, then glanced at Archer. Finally, he saw the Persian on the wall, licking the blood from its paws.

He suddenly felt that everything today was somewhat unreal— but the blood on his face, the smell of blood in his nostrils, and his trembling body told him that all of it was real.

He had killed people. Several of them. Though he vomited, he wasn't particularly afraid. Instead, he had already adapted. Giovanni also noticed this, which made his gaze towards him even more satisfied.

"Why?" Proton asked, still holding the small knife. "Why did you make me do this?"

Giovanni merely moved slightly and snatched the knife from his hand. He played with it, a faint smile on his lips. "It's simple. I want to help you because I want you to be my subordinate."

"I'm just a child who can't even guarantee food and warmth," Proton said, stunned.

"Is that so?" Giovanni chuckled, pointing at the bodies on the ground. "Are you still now? You are now a killer who has killed several people."

Proton glanced at his blood-stained hands, knowing that no amount of washing would clean them— but he still asked, "What if I refuse?"

Giovanni flicked the knife. It passed within a centimeter of Proton's eyes, so fast that he only reacted at the very end. "Refuse?" Giovanni said calmly. "You should know the consequences."

Proton swallowed. The suffocating feeling of impending death was very real.

"Don't worry," Giovanni said, his smile harmless, his face not yet so terrifying. "Since I'm taking you as my subordinate, I will treat you sincerely. I can give you anything you want. And even curing your mother's illness is not a problem."

He placed his hand on Proton's shoulder and handed the knife back to him. "You are very smart. You should know what the right choice is."

Every word Giovanni spoke was a fatal temptation. Proton could feel his sincerity, and he also had no other choice.

If the bodies on the ground weren't dealt with, death would still await him, and it would take his mother with him. Only Giovanni could protect him and give him everything he needed.

Giovanni turned to glance inside the house, his eyes flickering. "How about it?" he said. "I can see your mother's condition. For me, it's just a minor illness that can be cured with a little money. However, for you, it might be a bit difficult."

When Proton heard this, his already wavering heart was completely captured. He looked earnestly at Giovanni and said with all his strength, "What price do I have to pay?"

Giovanni heard the words he wanted to hear, and the smile on his face widened. "Price? Your only price is to pledge your wholehearted loyalty to me, even if it means giving your life. Because I have bought your life."

Proton knelt on the ground with a thud. "If that is the case, then I am willing! I am willing to pledge my life to you!"

"Since your life is mine," Giovanni said calmly, not helping him up, "then do what you should do."

"Yes... Boss!" Proton shouted, knowing he had no other choice.

"Very good," Giovanni said, then pulled him up. He instructed Archer, "Clean this place up, and also the house we were just in."

"Yes, Boss," Archer nodded and began to clean diligently.

"Let's go," Giovanni turned to Proton. "Come with me to see your mother."

Though Proton was still somewhat resistant, he seemed to have no choice, and he didn't feel any malice from Giovanni. "It's a bit messy inside," he said, stepping forward to lead the way. "Please don't mind it, Boss."

Before he finished speaking, Giovanni had already walked in. There was indeed a strange smell inside, but he was completely able to accept it. Seeing that Giovanni did not show any expression of disgust, the worry in Proton's eyes lessened significantly, and he gained a hint of respect for him.

As soon as they entered, a woman's weak voice came from inside. "Proton, you're back? Why was it so noisy outside today?"

Giovanni was stunned. Under the faint moonlight, the boy's face was fully revealed: green hair, green eyes, and though thin and pale, he carried a heroic spirit.

However, having killed several people, he now carried a gloomy killing intent. Wasn't this the very same Proton, one of the future executives of Team Rocket?

Giovanni was happy. The random youth he had taken a liking to was one of the future pillars of his organization. With Proton around, at the very least, his victory in the current power struggle should be a sure thing.

Inside, his mother had fallen back asleep, but her murmurs were so clear. "I'm sorry, my child... your mother is useless... I've dragged you down and made you suffer."

Proton, who had experienced so much today, heard this and his eyes immediately welled up. "Mother."

Giovanni watched this scene, but he didn't have much of a reaction. If it weren't for Proton, he probably wouldn't have spared a glance at this place.

He was not some great philanthropist, nor some saint. Everything he did was purely for personal gain. He only went to such lengths to gain a powerful and loyal subordinate.

This was simply the true nature of the world.