Chapter 3: The Serpent Gang

Words : 1692 Updated : Jul 31st, 2025

"No need to rush out looking for a job. Eat something first." "Mom, I'm a man now," Pierce said. "I have to take care of the family. I can't let you, Dad, and Dallas keep struggling." "You've grown up, Pierce. Alright, wait a second," Elena said, relieved. She went inside and soon returned, rummaging through her cloth bag and pulling out two crumpled notes, forcing them into Pierce's hand. "You just got out, so you need to have some money on you. We've had it tough these past few years, and this is all we've got. Take it..." Pierce felt a stab of guilt, wishing he could smack himself for making his mother worry. He mumbled, "Mom, I have money. I made over $800 a month sewing in prison. Don't worry, I won't go hungry. I'm heading out now." With that, Pierce bolted out the door. He'd wanted to go straight to Estella Lewis for an explanation, but knowing how troublesome loan sharks could be, and that his parents had been through enough. He decided to meet Nino instead. Nino led the Serpent Gang. It was one of Tepvine's top three criminal organizations. The gang operated clubs, casinos, underground fight rings, and a loan shark. Estella had filled Pierce in on all this. Her family was wealthy and well-connected, so she had access to all the inside information. Three years ago, Pierce wouldn't have dared mess with them. But now? Nino meant nothing to him. He was the Prison Emperor. For three years in prison, he was helping his master run the place, using the inmates to sharpen his skills. He'd injure them, then heal them, reaching the perfect balance of cultivation of medicine and martial arts. The Third Prison looked normal on the outside, but it was home to killers, mob bosses, business moguls, martial arts experts, war criminals, and even foreign drug smugglers. Pierce wasn't going to be scared of a nobody like Nino. When Pierce walked into the Serpent Club's HQ, he only said a few words. "Get Nino out here." "You little punk, you had the guts to show up, huh?" A voice called out. The blond thug emerged with his crew, a sinister grin on his face. "Boys, grab your gear. Let's take him out!" The blond thug had just reported to Nino and was about to lead the main force out to settle scores. Since joining the Serpent Gang, he'd never suffered such a setback. In Tepvine, who dared disrespect Nino? At his shout, more than twenty big guys in black tank tops, armed with steel pipes and machetes, rushed out and surrounded Pierce. "I said, get Nino out here." Pierce stood there, hands behind his back, eyes cold as ice. "Kill him!" The blond thug shouted, leading the charge. "Pathetic," Pierce sneered. As the blade flashed toward him, he snorted, his energy surging with his anger. Bang, bang, bang! In a split second, Pierce dove into the crowd, his fists flying, sending guys flying. He took down twenty guys in under three minutes. After finishing, Pierce lit a cigarette. Slow applause echoed from the doorway. A tall, but skinny man, slowly stepped out. "Not bad, man. I'll pay you a hundred grand a year if you work for me." Nino squinted. He respected strength. Take his butler Maxton, for example, most people didn't know he was Nino's trump card. Maxton was an expert of internal energy. In Tepvine, Maxton's prowess ranked among the top five. In recent years, Nino had trained with him, gradually developing his energy and understanding the might of a martial artist. "Work for you?" Pierce scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Are you even worthy?" "Kid, don't be so full of yourself." Nino's face darkened. "You think you're invincible just because you've got some moves? I'm giving you a chance here." "I don't need your approval. Who the hell do you think you are?" Pierce wasn't here to waste time. He was ready to fight, or even kill if he had to. "Maxton, take him out!" Nino ordered, not even looking at Pierce. "Yes." Maxton might have looked harmless, but as soon as the fight started, his stocky frame seemed to grow. He took a step, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Pierce. His hand turned into a claw, going straight for Pierce's throat. "So what if you're a martial artist?" Pierce still wore that cold smile as he sidestepped, grabbed Maxton's wrist, yanked him off balance, and kicked out. Wham! Maxton's bulky body flew like a meteor, slamming into the courtyard wall. Dust flew up, and the whole Serpent Gang went dead silent. Where the hell did this guy come from? Nino was stunned. His best fighter couldn't even last a single round against Pierce. "Hey, man, what's your name? If we did anything wrong, say it," Nino said, face pale as he gave Pierce a respectful nod. Nino had survived in Tepvine not just by being ruthless, but by knowing when to swallow his pride. "Name's Pierce Jackson. Your guys loaned money to my dad, Arthur Jackson, then used violence and threatened to beat my family. So, how are you going to make this right?" Pierce wasn't unreasonable. He'd pay back the money, but he'd collect on every debt they owed his family, one by one. "Blondie, was it you who loaned money to Mr. Jackson's family at those crazy interest rates?" Nino barked. "What happened?" The blond thug, still clutching his stomach from Pierce's beating, was more scared than hurt. "Mr. Nino, I... I just wanted to make a little extra for the Serpent Gang, I didn't know." "You idiot!" Nino grabbed a long knife and, with one swift move, slashed the blond thug's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. Thud! The blond thug's body dropped to the ground, eyes wide open as the life drained out of him. Pierce arched an eyebrow. Nino was ruthless. "Mr. Jackson, I'm sorry for what my guy did." Nino, cold-blooded but smooth, pulled out a bank card. "There's five hundred grand in here. Consider it compensation for your father, and I hope you'll forgive us." "I was planning to kill you, you know." Pierce took the card, tamping down his killing intent. "How about you become my lackey from now on?"

Chapter 3: The Serpent Gang

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