My Milf Conqueror System novel Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Blood and Patacas

[Jake’s POV]

The smell of the Inner Harbour docks was a pungent mix of diesel fuel, rotting fish, and salt water. The morning fog was still burning off the Pearl River delta, obscuring the massive cargo ships anchored in the distance.

I walked down the cracked concrete pier, flanked by two Golden Koi soldiers. They were young, nervous, and kept their hands resting on the grips of the pistols tucked into their waistbands. I carried the heavy canvas duffel bag slung over my shoulder.

Ahead of us, gathered around a rusted shipping container, was a group of about twenty men. They wore the cheap leather jackets and heavy boots typical of the Black Lotus dockworkers. They were arguing loudly in rapid-fire Cantonese, their voices carrying over the sound of the lapping water.

As we approached, the arguing stopped. Twenty pairs of eyes locked onto us.

A man stepped out from the center of the group. He was built like a heavyweight boxer, his face heavily scarred, a faded black lotus tattoo visible on his thick neck. He held a heavy steel crowbar loosely in his right hand.

"You’re lost, Gwailo," the scarred man spat, tapping the crowbar against his leg. "This is Black Lotus territory. The Golden Koi doesn’t walk on these docks."

"There is no Black Lotus in the Outer Harbour anymore," I said, stopping ten feet away. I kept my voice calm, projecting the steady authority of a man who was entirely in control of the situation. "Wei is gone. Your warehouses are ash. You aren’t getting paid today."

The men behind him shifted uncomfortably, exchanging nervous glances. They knew it was true. The smoke from the warehouses was still visible in the sky above the city.

"Wei will rebuild," the scarred man growled, taking a step forward. "And until he does, we hold the docks. We don’t take orders from a white ghost and a widow."

I didn’t argue. I unzipped the canvas duffel bag and pulled out three thick, rubber-banded stacks of Macau Patacas. I tossed them onto the hood of a nearby forklift. The heavy thud of the cash hitting the metal echoed loudly on the pier.

"That’s double your weekly rate," I said, looking past the scarred man to the workers behind him. "For every man who walks away from the Black Lotus right now and pledges to the Golden Koi. You get paid today, and you keep your jobs on the docks. Madam Bai guarantees it."

The dockworkers stared at the cash. I could see the hesitation in their eyes, the desperate calculus of men who had families to feed and rent to pay. Loyalty to a dead syndicate didn’t put food on the table.

One of the younger men in the back took a tentative step forward.

"Nobody moves!" the scarred man roared, turning and pointing the crowbar at the young worker. He spun back to me, his face twisted in rage. "You think you can buy us with pocket change? I’m the dock boss. I say who works and who bleeds."

He lunged at me, swinging the heavy steel crowbar in a brutal, sweeping arc aimed directly at my skull.

The two Golden Koi soldiers behind me shouted, reaching for their guns, but they were too slow.

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