An Understated Dominance - Chapter 417

Early the next morning, Dustin woke up to a phone call from Nelson.

“Hi, Mr. Rys. Are you awake?”

“I just got up. Any news?” Dustin asked.

“Our gang leader wants to meet with you. We can talk then,” Nelson said with a friendly smile.

“Okay. Where?” Dustin replied straightforwardly.

“At the Flame Dragon Dojo.”

“Got it. I’ll be there soon.” Dustin hung up, quickly freshened up, and took a taxi. He figured the gang wouldn’t back down easily, and since he had some free time, he was ready to have some fun with them.

After thirty minutes, the taxi dropped him off at the Flame Dragon Dojo.

As he stepped out, Nelson and his crew approached him with welcoming smiles. “Welcome, Mr. Rhys. This way, please.”

Dustin nodded and followed them inside.

Inside the dojo, hundreds of the gang’s strongest members were gathered. They were all big and tough, and as soon as Dustin walked in, their intense gazes locked onto him, like he was their next target.

“Hey, kid. Are you the one who wants to challenge my gang?” a chubby man with beads appeared from the crowd. He was followed by four large, bald men wearing tight black shirts that showed off their impressive muscles.

“I guess. I’m interested in the gang leader’s position,” Dustin replied.

“How dare you!” The gang members shouted in outrage, clearly ready to take action against him for such boldness.

“You’ve got guts, kid.” The bald man waved for quiet before continuing. “It took me over ten years to get to this point. Why should I let you take my place?”

“Nelson asked the same thing yesterday, and I already explained—”

the warning,” Dustin replied, “but I can handle myself.”

Harry Hall smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I know you have some skills, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat our gang any way you want. If you want to be the leader, you’ll have to prove yourself. Here’s your chance: defeat our Four Guardians, and I’ll step down. But if you lose, you’ll work for our gang for ten years. What do you say?”

The Four Guardians were highly skilled martial artists. Together, they were as strong as a Divine-level fighter, making it easy for them to take down a young man like Dustin.

“Sounds good. I prefer to keep things simple,” Dustin said confidently.

“Great. Just sign these papers,” Harry said, signaling to his men to bring over a liability waiver. Dustin signed it without hesitation.

“Things are getting interesting in here,” a young man named Patrick Hill said as he strolled in, flanked by beautiful women.

“Mr. Hill!” Harry greeted him with a smile. “What brings you here today?”

“I heard someone challenged the Flame Dragon Gang, and I thought I’d come and watch,” Patrick replied with a grin.

“Every year, we get fools who challenge us. They usually end up crippled or dead, so this isn’t anything new,” Harry said, shaking his head.

“I’m curious, Sir Hall. Who would dare to challenge your gang?” Patrick asked, looking around.

“It’s him,” Harry said, pointing at Dustin. “He thinks he can take my position just because he has some skills. It’s foolish.”

Patrick’s eyes widened when he saw Dustin. “Sir Hall is not an easy opponent, young man. You should just spar for fun. It would be unfortunate if you got hurt.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Dustin replied, “but I’m ready for this.”

“I’m confident I can win, or I wouldn’t have come here,” Dustin said with a soft smile.

“Confidence is good, but don’t be too arrogant. There are always people stronger than you,” Patrick warned.

“Maybe,” Dustin replied.

“Fine. I won’t stop you if you really want to go through with it,” Patrick shook his head. “But you shouldn’t waste your time on foolish people.”

“Exactly. Some people are just too arrogant. He’ll have time to cry when he’s hurt,” one of the girls said, sneering at Dustin. They looked down on him, thinking he was acting too proud.

Dustin was taking a big risk, and they believed he deserved whatever happened next.

“Have a seat, Mr. Hill. Enjoy the show,” Harry said with a smile as he led Patrick and his friends to their seats. Then, turning to Dustin, he said coldly, “Please step into the battle ring.”

“Sure,” Dustin replied, smiling as he walked toward the platform.

Harry instructed the Four Guardians, “You four can take him on. Don’t hold back, and watch out for any cheap tricks.”

“Yes, sir!” the four men said in unison as they approached the battle ring.

“How many hits do you think that guy can take?” one of the women asked Patrick.

“The fight will probably end after about ten rounds,” Patrick answered calmly.

The Four Guardians were well-known in South City. While they weren’t the strongest individually, their teamwork made them very powerful. Plus, as martial artists with tough skin, they were incredibly strong, which meant Dustin would have a hard time against them.

“You give them too much credit. Just look at how skinny he is. I bet he’ll be defeated in five hits,” one of the girls said.

“I say three,” another chimed in.

The ladies laughed mockingly.

Everyone knew the Four Guardians were incredibly strong, so it seemed impossible that a young man in his twenties could stand up to their attacks.