The fear that had once frozen Kevin's blood slowly thawed, replaced by boiling anger and shame for having felt afraid. He picked up his fallen phone, his hand still trembling slightly, but his eyes were now filled with an arrogant gleam and the conviction that money could buy anything.
"So you know martial arts, huh?" he fumed inwardly, staring at the ended video. "What does that matter in the face of money? I can buy a hundred, even a thousand thugs like that to teach you a lesson, you know!"
His confidence was restored. The first failure was merely because he hadn't spent enough money. He had only hired a few low-level thugs.
This time, he would pay a much higher price, overwhelming Davin with numbers that he believed no martial arts skill could overcome.
With newfound determination, he immediately called Victor again. However, the tone on the other end of the line was completely different from before.
"Hey, Kevin... don't call me again," Victor hissed, his voice trembling, barely audible, filled with genuine fear.
"Victor? What do you mean? I need you again. This time, send 30 men! I'll pay double! Even triple!" Kevin snapped, not understanding the panic in Victor's voice.
"It's not about the money, Kevin!" Victor cried out, his voice growing more panicked. "It's... it's about The Bad Boys! They just contacted me!"
"The Bad Boys? What's that? A new gang?" Kevin asked, confused. The world of thugs was foreign to him; he only knew how to pay and give orders.
Victor took a deep breath, trying to explain while still gripped by fear. "The Bad Boys aren't just a gang, Kevin. They are an organization. A network founded over the last three years by a very mysterious figure. He gathered the strongest and most influential thugs from various cities, forcing them to submit and acknowledge him as the supreme boss. They're like a syndicate, but more organized, bolder, and more ruthless when pursuing their goals."
He paused for a moment, his voice growing even quieter. "Thugs who weren't invited to join... well, they're nobodies. In these three years, every gang that tried to oppose The Bad Boys has fallen. They either become subordinates or... disappear. My gang and I, we're under their influence now. We have to obey."
"Then what does that have to do with Davin?" Kevin asked, still not getting it.
"A few minutes ago!" Victor answered, his voice almost breaking into a sob. "I got a direct threat from them! They know about my order to go after that guy, Davin! They said, if I touch him again, they'll wipe me and all my men off the map in this city! I can't, Kevin! I'm out! I don't want to mess with The Bad Boys!"
Victor then shared his speculation. "I suspect... this Davin guy might be a member of The Bad Boys in this city. Maybe he's their debt collector or enforcer. That would explain why he's so good at fighting. So, please, Kevin. Stop this. Don't bother him anymore."
But instead of being afraid, Victor's explanation only triggered Kevin's arrogant side. So that's it, he thought. Davin is just a low-level member of some thug gang. He's not a big deal.
"Fine, fine," Kevin said in a dismissive tone. "If you're scared, no problem. But tell me, who are the other thugs or gangs in this city that are stronger? The ones who still dare to oppose The Bad Boys? There must be someone less cowardly than you, right?"
Victor was silent for a moment, seeming hesitant. But perhaps he also wanted to pass Kevin's problem on to someone else.
Finally, in a low voice, he gave a name. "Try contacting the Macan Tutul [Leopards]. They're a gang from the harbor area. Tougher, more brutal, and maybe... maybe still stupid enough not to be afraid of The Bad Boys. But I'm warning you, Kevin, this is very dangerous."
Kevin didn't listen to the warning. He had already noted down the number Victor gave. "Thanks, Victor. Just forget about their threats. I'll handle this."
As soon as he hung up, Kevin immediately called the Macan Tutul number. A man with a rough voice and a hard demeanor answered.
"Speak," he said curtly.
"I'm Kevin Santosa. I heard you're the best. I need you to crush someone. The pay is big," Kevin said without preamble.
"Who? And how big?" replied the voice on the other end.
Kevin immediately sent a photo of Davin via WhatsApp. "This is him. His name is Davin. Break him. Make him suffer. Record everything. I'll pay five times your normal rate."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, perhaps the thug was looking at the photo. "Okay. He looks ordinary enough. Deal. Wait for our news."
Kevin hung up with a feeling of satisfaction. His money had spoken again. He was sure that with enough money, the supposedly "brutal" Macan Tutul would be able to handle Davin, that low-level member of The Bad Boys.
He then leaned back in his chair, trying to calm down. His mind wandered back to the video of Davin beating up Victor's four thugs. A mixed feeling of admiration, fear, and feeling a little... lucky.
'All this time I've only insulted him with words,' he thought. 'I've never once hit him or laid a hand on him. That was a wise decision.'
Kevin knew that if he had ever tried to hit Davin, it might not have been his hand that broke, but all his bones. The fate of Victor's thugs could have been his own.
But that feeling of relief was soon replaced by hatred again. No. He couldn't let a "gang enforcer" humiliate him like this. Davin had to be destroyed. With his money and his family's power, he was sure he could buy a force greater than some mere thug gang.
While Kevin was plotting his next act of revenge, he was unaware of one thing: Victor's speculation about Davin was completely off the mark. Davin was not merely a member of The Bad Boys.
Three years ago, when he was "exiled" to this city, he hadn't just come as a poor son-in-law. He had come with a secret mission to consolidate the noisy and unruly underworld forces of the capital.
With his strategic intelligence and the hard work of his muscles, subduing thug after thug, he was the mastermind behind the establishment of The Bad Boys. He was the mysterious "Number One," whose name was known only to a handful of trusted individuals like the various "Numbers" in each city.
Rey, the feared "Number Six" in the city of Maduna who had terrified Victor, was merely a subordinate, a regional manager who reported directly to Davin.
So, when Kevin Santosa arrogantly hired the Macan Tutul to "crush" Davin, in reality, he was like a mouse hiring another cat to kill a lion in disguise. It was a deadly joke, and Kevin was completely unaware that he was playing with a fire far greater than he could ever imagine.