Under the guise of an investment company, the Carter Gang launched attacks through both overt and covert channels, dismantling the Moros Gang's power. The victors enjoyed the fruits of their success, while the defeated laid low, awaiting an opportunity to rise again.
This rise and fall of criminal organizations has been played out countless times along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Having buried the watchdog, Ronan ensured he found a resting place.
The Carter Gang prepared a spacious standalone house for Ronan on the outskirts of the community.
They chose the outskirts because the houses became increasingly dilapidated as one moved further into the community.
Now, Ronan was officially part of Carter Investment Company.
Inside the community church, Jim, Booker, Will, and other core members of the Carter Investment Company sat together. Ronan, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, entered the church through the main entrance, guided by a young woman.
On his left arm, thick bandages were wrapped.
Approaching the front of the church hall, Ronan stood before a statue as Pastor Mason lightly brushed hyssop dipped in water across his forehead, and the droplets cascaded down like a waterfall.
Pastor Mason said, "Repeat after me!"
For each phrase uttered by Pastor Mason, Ronan echoed the same words.
"Come gold, come silver, bring me hot or cold coins! I need money, and I need it now! Let it come quickly, no questions asked about how I obtain it!"
As soon as the recital finished, Jim placed a bag in front of Ronan, filled with rolls of twenty-dollar bills and a few one-hundred-dollar bills.
This was the reward for killing the demon lord Padi.
Jim hugged Ronan warmly, saying, "Welcome aboard."
Ronan replied, "Thank you."
Jim smiled and continued, "Ronan, from now on, you'll be in charge of the company's security matters."
Ronan nodded, "Alright!"
The ceremony was simple, with a hint of religious flavor. Ronan officially became the security manager of Carter Investment Company.
A fixed annual salary of three hundred thousand dollars, with bonuses and dividends to be added separately.
Ronan was fully aware that Jim valued him as a top-notch enforcer.
Enforcers didn't need to use their brains much, so Ronan didn't ask many questions. After the ceremony, he took Will and headed to the underground shooting range to practice shooting.
Ronan was familiar with various common firearms, especially the M9 and AK.
These two types of guns were flooding the border region.
In the late afternoon, he greeted Booker and prepared to go to the bank.
Booker advised, "Don't deposit the money in the bank. Get a safety deposit box."
Ronan drove to a nearby bank. From the bunch of keys, he found the one for the safety deposit box and, guided by the staff, entered the secure area with a bag and requested a separate room.
The staff brought the safety deposit box and left on their own initiative.
Opening the box, Ronan found a document pouch containing several thousand dollars and some unidentified documents, one of which had his name on it.
He opened the document pouch and quickly scanned its contents.
Some things the Hunting Dog never mentioned to the American Ronan.
The Hunting Dog was working as an informant for the Narcotics Bureau!
Of course, it was primarily for his own profit.
There were also several contact details, all of which belonged to the Hunting Dog's old comrades from the Vietnam War. One of them, named Qu Qi, had significant influence within law enforcement agencies and had the closest relationship with the Hunting Dog, as they had saved each other on the battlefield.
In fact, back in the 1990s, the Hunting Dog had saved Qu Qi's life.
The Hunting Dog left a message specifically stating that Qu Qi was the most trustworthy!
This was a lifeline left by a father for his son.
Ronan took one of the documents and left only ten thousand dollars in cash, storing the rest in the safety deposit box.
He couldn't carry too much cash on him.
On his way back, he made two phone calls from public telephones.
.........
To the southeast, not very far from the border, was a parachuting activity center.
On a high hilltop, there was a large open space. Standing here and using binoculars, one could observe the situation on several surrounding hills.
Checking the time, Ronan realized it was still early for the appointment, so he thought about Soul Fire and Soul Cooking. He summoned the Book of Domination, activated the Soul Sight, and took out a Soul Shard to experiment with Soul Fire.
The Soul Shard was placed on the ground, falling silently as if it were not a tangible object.
Under the Soul Sight state, concentration was required, and it took about two seconds to ignite the Soul Fire.
The flame had an extremely high temperature, and any organic material placed in it would be instantly ignited.
Meat brought near it would have to be quickly roasted; otherwise, it would be burnt.
But then again, this was not meant for cooking ordinary food. Soul Cooking required raw materials with magic or spiritual power within the meat.
The Soul Power emitted by Soul Fire couldn't be absorbed by ordinary meat.
Ronan discreetly inquired about special types of meat from many people, but he found no useful information.
The Hunting Dog had a friend in Tijuana, someone with access to a wide range of information. Ronan thought of asking her when he had the chance.
Soul Fire also had a burning function, but its inherent characteristics made it unsuitable as a direct attack method in combat.
In close combat, it took more than two seconds to stab someone multiple times.
In modern firearms combat, half a second was enough to kill someone.
Ronan pondered for a moment, then put the Soul Shard away and ran to a far-off location to test if Soul Fire could still be ignited from a distance.
Perhaps he could set it up in advance and use it as a fire trap?
Though it wasn't as practical as firearms.
Its only advantage was that it was relatively discreet since those without Soul Sight couldn't see the Soul Shard.
After the flames extinguished, Ronan cleaned up the traces and picked up his binoculars to observe the agreed-upon hilltop. A Toyota sedan was driving up the mountain.
The car parked on the open space at the hilltop.
A white man in the passenger seat looked around and asked, "Eric, is this the place?"
The driver was of Japanese descent, "It can't be wrong. This is the one we arranged."
The white man, named Ian, searched for a moment and found the DEA identification hidden inside his coat. He said, "The Hunting Dog is dead, and the one using the Hunting Dog's code should be his son, Ronan."
Eric surveyed the surroundings and switched to Japanese, "Our insider's information is that the tunnels used by the Carter Gang were provided by Ronan. He joined the Carter Gang to seek revenge for the Hunting Dog! The Hunting Dog was killed by Padi during a conflict involving the tunnels. Ronan is now the security manager of Carter Investment Company."
He added, "Unfortunately, our position as insiders is too low."
Ian had worked in the island country for many years and could also speak fluent Japanese, "Let's try to cooperate with Ronan. The authority from the Special District just sent Matt with his team to Tijuana. Our group's mission is to destroy the tunnels, strike the deals between the Carter Gang and the Jose Group, and restore the balance in Culavista to prevent the Jose Group from gaining strength through the tunnels."
As longtime partners, they often discussed more confidential matters in a language that few people understood here. "Perhaps, this time we'll have enough money to cover Kate's medical expenses."
Kate was Eric's daughter, and he said, "I hope so."
Ian looked at his watch, "He's not here yet. This person is very cautious."
On the other side, Ronan put down the binoculars and confirmed that only two people had arrived. He left his hiding place, got into the rented car, and drove to the hilltop, honking the horn three times in short bursts.
Ian waved in response.
Ronan got out of the car, hiding most of his body near the engine compartment, and asked, "Who are you?"
Ian walked towards him, lifting the side of his coat to reveal the identification inside, "DEA Agent Ian-Somos." He pointed to the Asian man, "This is my partner, Eric-."
Ronan looked at them, "Show me your identification."
Ian took out his identification and tossed it to Ronan. Ronan took out the second-hand phone he had bought and called the number of the Hunting Dog's old comrade, Qu Qi, reporting the identification number to him.
There was quick feedback from the other side, verifying that the identification was genuine and the person was trustworthy.
Ronan remained cautious and vigilant, not letting his guard down.
The local police station couldn't be trusted. To completely destroy the tunnels, they needed to rely on external forces.
Once the tunnels were destroyed, they needed to leave immediately.
Ronan wasn't arrogant enough to confront the formidable Carter Gang alone.
Last time, he was able to shoot so many people because the mass shooting from the heavily armed "Black Uncles" was very effective.
Perhaps there were truly extraordinary powers in this world, but the power of human firearms was enough to handle most problems.
Both sides had a willingness to cooperate. Ian's team had participated in a special operation planned by the Special District, and their mission, given by the operation leader Matt Grave, was to destroy the tunnels and prevent the Jose Group from growing further.
Ronan's goal was also to completely destroy the tunnels.
Inheriting the body of his predecessor, he naturally had to take on the tasks left behind, such as the tunnels and the Book of Domination. These matters couldn't be avoided; he could only strengthen his own abilities.
After talking for a while, Ronan left first.
He returned to the urban area to find Dr. Hall to change the bandages. The wounds were healing well, and he asked Dr. Hall for some gauze and bandages.
In the evening, Jim Carter notified them of a meeting to be held at the community church. Only Jim, Booker, Smith, Will, and Ronan were present.
The meeting was about a deal with the generous Jose.
Jim was in a great mood, touching his ring and smiling, "The tunnels are in great condition. I had some reinforcements done in certain places. Fast passage won't be a problem. We'll conduct the first transaction with the generous Jose in two days."
Ronan knew his position well; as an enforcer, he only needed to listen and not speak.
Booker said, "The money is ready."
Jim nodded, "Booker, you'll be in charge of this transaction. It's not a large quantity for the first time, so be extra careful."
Booker replied, "I'm prepared."
Jim looked at Will, Smith, and Ronan, "You three are in charge of security. Will, you'll select the personnel. If any unexpected situations arise, Ronan, you're free to act!"
Their mentor wouldn't casually send people to participate in such actions. The Carter Gang had to rely on their own strength.
Based on the current situation, Ronan was the best fighter.
Ronan simply said, "Okay!"
He didn't ask about the specifics of the trade or whether it would be on the American side or the Mexican side.
The short meeting ended, and Ronan called Will, asking him to continue to the shooting range to practice shooting together.
Will complained, "Man, your injury hasn't healed yet. Can't you rest a bit? My shoulder and arm are about to shake loose from shooting!"
Jim, on the other hand, was pleased to see Ronan's focus on guns and practicing killing; that was exactly what he wanted.
At 10:30 PM, back at his assigned standalone house, Ronan took off his coat and tossed it on the sofa. Suddenly, his mind trembled, and he immediately lunged towards the back of the sofa.
With a whoosh, a crossbow arrow pinned itself to the wall panel!
Ronan was cautious enough to keep his gun on him even after returning, and he immediately reached for it.
However, the attacker was extremely fast. With a flash of a knife, a bald man, along with his weapon, lunged down from above the sofa.
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