UNDER HIS RULES

Hugo understood Ferdi’s concerns.

“You also understand that the Adre River connects trade routes with Savannah.”

The man in uniform stared intently at Hugo before finishing his glass. “Sam and Savannah, I can’t say they have a good relationship, right?”

Hugo nodded quietly. “Savannah is too wild and can divert many allies. Sam keeps his privacy and sets certain boundaries with them. You know that, right?”

The sudden loud honk of a truck interrupted their conversation. Ferdi still wanted to talk about the concerns that were on his mind. It wasn’t that he would be directly affected if the Twin Dragons were involved in trouble. But there were many things he couldn’t let go of, especially when it concerned Sam.

This unusual relationship between a gangster and a cop was quite out of the ordinary.

“I think Boss Sam has his own considerations.” Hugo chuckled. “You don’t need to worry.”

“Hopefully,” Ferdi grinned thinly. He nodded, dismissing the worries that arose from the photo on his phone. Then he laughed contentedly and gladly offered his glass to be refilled. The clinking sound of the glasses colliding seemed to signify that the two of them were enjoying their time together. “Since Gerald is no longer in the Eagle Wing, the police rarely have any work.”

“Damn it!” Hugo laughed. “So you want another riot to happen?”

“The police love peace.”

“The police love money, Fer,” Hugo retorted sharply. “Don’t act like you don’t know that.”

“You bastard!”

Both of them laughed in satisfaction. They shifted the conversation to lighter topics, occasionally sprinkled with news about Sam and Beatrice’s relationship. The news of their wedding was already in Ferdi’s pocket. He himself didn’t expect someone like Sam to finally find a beginning in his life story.

For Ferdi, marriage was sacred. And he believed that Sam agreed with that, although lately he had rarely been involved in conversations with the ruler.

“I’m going to headquarters, do you want to stop by?” Hugo glanced at the watch encircling his wrist. Making small talk was necessary, even though he was impatient to hit the road and arrive at the headquarters on time. The image of grilled fish with a plate of warm rice made by Hera couldn’t easily be dismissed from his mind.

“Sure.”

Hugo’s movement to grab his black hoodie came to a halt. “You… want to stop by?”

“You offered, didn’t you?” Ferdi said playfully. He wanted to say that it was just a form of small talk that didn’t need approval. “Aren’t you busy?”

“From the way you spoke just now, it seems like you don’t want me to visit Twin Dragons.”

Frustrated, Hugo sighed. “Every time you visit the Twin Dragons, you’re just here for a free meal.”

Ferdi burst into laughter, causing a commotion. Letting Hugo grumble, but afterward, he joined Sam’s trusted men in following along.

“If you’re coming with me, don’t make a fuss! Don’t ask too many questions!”

Ferdi made a gesture to lock his lips. His playful eyes looked at Hugo, who still had a displeased expression. “Besides, I was just asking about your relationship with Hera. If it’s going well, I’m happy to come along. At least a playboy like Hugo won’t be wandering around Flown.”

Hugo gave a cynical look at Ferdi, who strolled casually towards the passenger door. He couldn’t refuse because ever since they left the room where they had their conversation, Ferdi had been acting as if he had no shame. As if he didn’t care about Hugo’s displeased expression.

“Come on. What are you waiting for?” Ferdi glanced briefly at the rearview mirror. He intentionally made a super silly face to mock Hugo. Apparently, it was enjoyable to annoy this long-range shooter. He sat in the back seat, Hugo chose the front seat, and one of Sam’s men, who served as the driver.

“Wait for you to get out of my car.”

Ferdi laughed. He gestured gently, indicating that he wouldn’t bother Hugo anymore. Hugo took the opportunity to immerse himself back into his own world. Shortly after, he instructed Zein to accelerate the car. The Jeep quickly left the harbor area. It wasn’t long before the black sedan that had brought Ferdi also sped away.

No, the car clearly wasn’t tailing Ferdi. It took a different direction as soon as it entered the unobstructed crossing. The Jeep accelerated faster than before. Hugo leaned back comfortably, focusing on his phone screen, which now displayed his favorite game.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“I’ll cover the rear, you take the center. Prepare your weapon and attack the enemy until there’s none left, under my command. Don’t miss your shots.” Hugo paid no attention to anything else except his phone screen. “There, Dog! Don’t go right. That’s my part!” Hugo felt like bombarding his own troops. Why did he have to be with a team that he considered incompetent?

Ferdi from the back seat just smiled at Hugo’s antics. His eyes observed the fast-moving car as they were about to arrive at Twin Dragons. There was no particular importance to this visit, just a casual one. Meeting Sam and discussing the Southern region and its dark world.

“Yes!!!” Hugo’s voice exclaimed joyfully. “That’s it!” His laughter then filled the cabin of the stable Jeep being driven by Zein. “Only a few rounds left.”

“You’re really addicted to games, huh, Hugo?”

Hugo glanced through the rearview mirror, grinning as he answered Ferdi’s question. “A fun side job, Mr. Ferdi.”

Soon, the car entered the area leading to the headquarters. The road towards the four-story building looked much better. Several of Sam’s men could be seen on guard, armed. The security around the headquarters had been tightened to prevent a repeat of the incident.

“Boss,” greeted Ompong, who welcomed Hugo. He also nodded slightly as Ferdi got out of the car and observed all the activities in the headquarters. “Sir.”

“Is Sam here?” Ferdi asked, patting Ompong’s shoulder. He also returned the friendly greetings from some of Sam’s men whom he had helped before. Ferdi still remembered their pained and shocked faces during the incident. The explosion in the Twin Dragons headquarters had a significant impact. The injured, both serious and minor, received immediate assistance as soon as Ferdi arrived.

That’s why Ferdi remembered their faces, which now looked much better. Although according to the reports, some still needed long-term care. Usually, those who suffered serious and concerning injuries received ongoing treatment.

“He’s on his way here, sir.”

“Damn!” Hugo grumbled irritably. “So polite to Ferdi. Aren’t you usually rude to me, Pong?”

Ompong grinned, revealing mostly toothless gums, which earned him the nickname ‘Ompong’. “Not like that, Boss Hugo. Mr. Ferdi rarely comes to the headquarters since his promotion.”

“Is this his office?” Hugo glanced at Ferdi cynically, which the man responded to with hearty laughter. Then, without hesitation, Ferdi put his arm around Hugo. Following his lead, they entered the renovated headquarters. As his eyes took in the room decorations, nothing had changed. Only the paint had become brighter, and a few beautiful potted plants adorned some corners.

On the other side of this familiar and grand house, Hera was busy dealing with the grill. It had momentarily malfunctioned for some unknown reason. She wanted to ask for help, but everyone in the headquarters was too busy. They said a package had arrived, but Hera had no idea what it contained. Luckily, at the last minute, she managed to figure it out. It turned out that a cable at the back needed to be connected to prevent electrical leakage.

“Just need to make the chili paste.” She smiled broadly. The container filled with spicy seasonings was already prepared. She had learned her cooking skills from her mother, who ran a catering business to support the family’s finances. When her older brother was still around, their mother often received help in delivering orders or accompanying Hera to buy food supplies. Those moments became an opportunity for Hera to share her thoughts since she only had Tony.

Her relationship with her older brother was very close. She was well aware of his love story with the girl with shoulder-length black hair. Unfortunately… it all ended at the hands of someone irresponsible. Ah, she had been beaten countless times by Sam, who had thanked her over and over again. Many things had changed since her brother’s death, including herself, who suddenly became part of the Twin Dragons.

Knowing what her brother had been doing all this time sent shivers down her spine. But the risks Tony took in his line of work were worth the money he earned. And in the end, Hera understood why her brother didn’t want to leave Twin Dragons.

“Brother feels like he has many siblings there, Hera. He easily gets help. No one looks down on him. It’s a different story when he was in his previous workplace.”

Born into a modest family, they had to suppress their feelings a lot, especially regarding the acceptance of others around them. More often than not, people would belittle each other rather than support one another unless they suddenly came into a fortune. That was a familiar sight in Hera’s life. So when she learned what the atmosphere in Twin Dragons was like, she realized the seemingly silly reasons that Tony had told her before.

And because Ute wasn’t around, which shook her greatly. It’s not that Hera had a close relationship with Ute during her time in the headquarters. Many aspects of her life had changed, including her mother’s catering business. According to Sam, their security needed to be more vigilant because the enemy didn’t know where the attack would come from. They couldn’t let Sam’s most vulnerable point hinder their movements.

While at the headquarters, Ute had helped Hera become familiar with many of Sam’s men. And because Hera was Tony’s sister, they held a great deal of respect for her. As a response, and because Hera and her mother didn’t know what else to do, taking over the kitchen was the best choice. That’s why Hera was familiar with the cooking equipment in the headquarters and the places she had visited recently.

“Ah… is it cooked yet?” Hera smiled widely as she took a hot plate out of the grill. The savory aroma of her dish was truly appetizing. The plate with salad and cucumber slices was already on the table. She just needed to prepare the condiments so they wouldn’t be left behind.

“Ra, is it cooked yet?”

Luckily, Hera wasn’t easily startled. Hugo walked casually, tousling his hair without any guilt. He came without a greeting or even a hello. “It’s just ready. Want to eat now?” Hera sighed softly, dissipating her annoyance as soon as she met Hugo’s enthusiastic face. Even the way he pulled out the dining chair seemed impatient.

“I’m so hungry,” Hugo complained. “While studying the files, Sam didn’t feed me.”

Ferdi, who had been beside Hugo all this time, burst into laughter. “Are you crazy?”

“Shut up!” Hugo snapped, not accepting it. “My stomach needs rice and delicious dishes, not just fruit snacks and wine. Understand?”

“What do you understand?”

Hugo turned with a surprised expression. “Boss?”

Sam stared at Hugo with an unreadable gaze. His hands were folded across his chest.

“You… are at the headquarters?”

“Where else should I be?” Sam sneered cynically.

“Don’t be angry, Boss,” Hugo grinned. “I’m really hungry. That’s why I hurried home because Hera offered grilled fish.”

Sam sat in front of Hugo without lowering his sharp gaze.

“A tempting offer shouldn’t be refused, right?”

“Did you offer Hugo, Hera?” Sam asked with an intimidating tone.

Hera, who had been observing them, became even more nervous. She had never had a long conversation with Sam before. She found him terrifying. It was much scarier to see and meet Sam than to be in the dark warehouse next to this big house. “Y-yes.”

“Don’t get a big head,” Sam grumbled. “Where’s lunch? Let’s eat together. Luckily Ferdi is here. I want to discuss the Eastern border.”

“The grilled fish is more tempting than the border, Sam.” Ferdi smiled broadly. “Shall we postpone?”

“Tch!” Sam clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Both of you are the same.”

Hugo and Ferdi laughed together.

“Just prepare it, Hera. The big boss wants to eat together. Usually, it’s with Beatrice, who doesn’t want to be disturbed. Definitely for the kitchen-”

“Shut your mouth, can you, Hugo?”

For some reason, even though their tone was harsh and their voices were raised, the familiarity created at this dining table was evident. It made Hera smile widely. Her skilled hands quickly prepared the painstakingly made dishes. Her intention was only for Hugo, but if she cooked in the headquarters, it had to be in larger portions.

Many would devour it, and it could be guaranteed that nothing would be left except dirty plates.

“You probably haven’t eaten either, right?” Hugo asked, pulling Hera’s hand. “Sit here. You need to eat too. Don’t skip meals. Beatrice said two days ago that you didn’t go to campus because you were sick?”

Hera was taken aback by Hugo’s barrage of questions. “Just eat first.”

“You too.” Hugo clenched his jaw. He was annoyed because Hera wouldn’t listen to him. Seeing Hera’s awkward gaze as the two of them devoured the dishes hungrily, Hugo understood the situation. “Don’t mind them.”

“But…?” Hera still didn’t want to obey Hugo’s command even though her bottom was already on the chair.

“Eat.” Hugo looked at Hera with a gaze that brooked no more objections. “If I have to force you to eat in front of them, I will.”

“Can’t do that.”

“Do you want to use your hands or mouth, Ra?”