Rio clenched his teeth audibly, though fear coursed through him. He had never imagined that he, a master of martial arts, could be defeated by a youth not even twenty-five years of age.
Moreover, he had vowed to serve this young man as his most loyal servant should he be bested. And so, Rio faced the harsh reality: not only was he defeated, but the weapon he intended to threaten his enemy with was now pointed directly at his face.
He was not ready to accept this—none of them were. Not just him, but every member and disciple of the Black Skull Martial Arts School was in disbelief at what unfolded before their eyes.
They all wanted to attack Ryan, but remembered their training—to always follow and dedicate themselves to their grandmaster. Plus, although they were street toughs, they were bound by a sense of honor when it came to promises, and they needed to keep theirs.
“Damn! Are we really going to be underlings to this kid?" one of them asked, unwilling to accept the outcome.
"It looks that way! We have to follow everything Boss Rio says! And since Boss Rio promised, we have to accept it!" another one answered from his side.
"Exactly! But will the young guy change the rules that have been set?" the first one inquired.
"From what we've seen of the youngster's character, I doubt it! He just wants us as his subordinates and won't meddle with the school or the bike gang affairs! Maybe he'll call on us when he's in need, and that's about it!" John chimed in with his opinion.
"Well... I sure hope so," the man remarked, eyeing their silent boss with a sheathed katana at his face.
After John's response, all fell quiet. If what he said was true, then they would not object to becoming the most faithful servants to the youth.
For them, as long as the youth didn't interfere with the rules and hierarchy already in place within their school or gang, it was acceptable. Those rules were sacred to their way of life, which had earned their group respect throughout the city, even from government officials.
Ryan's piercing gaze settled on Rio, who remained silent, not responding to what had been said. Ryan moved the katana closer to Rio's face, prompting an immediate response.
"Alright... alright! As per our agreement!" Boss Rio conceded weakly.
"Hmm... Good," Ryan acknowledged.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have completed a high-level system task: defeat all the toughs and make them your subordinates! You've earned 50 system points, 5 strength points, and 10,000,000 in cash!]
Ryan smiled at the system's notification, then helped Boss Rio to stand and patted his shoulder.
"Sorry I was too rough on you!" Ryan suddenly apologized, surprising Boss Rio and everyone else.
Sorry? Had they misheard? Weren't they the ones who started trouble, even injuring his thigh, and now the youth was apologizing?
Boss Rio kneeled before Ryan, followed by the entirety of the Black Skull Martial Arts School, including Novie—a woman previously forgotten—who knelt as well. She was astonished to learn that Ryan was actually an expert in kung fu, feigning frailty until now.
"Grandmaster Ryan! We should be the ones apologizing to you!" Boss Rio stuttered.
"That's right!" the forty-nine others declared unanimously.
Ryan was taken aback by their collective reaction, especially the new honorific. He felt both surprised and powerless.
"What are you doing? Stand up!" Ryan ordered, attempting to pull Boss Rio to his feet.
Just as Ryan was helping Boss Rio up, a familiar, gentle voice reached his ears.
"Son! What's going on? Why is everyone kneeling to you? And your leg? Who has injured you?"
Indeed! It was Lastri, who had just returned from shopping. Upon arrival, she witnessed her son, Ryan, surrounded by intimidating men, wielding a sword, yet with the men kneeling and begging for mercy.
Lastri dropped her shopping and rushed over to Ryan, anxious beyond measure, fearing the worst for her child. Conversely, Ryan gave her a gentle smile, touched by her concern.
"Mother, calm down! I'm fine!" Ryan assured her, embracing her.
"Fine how? You're hurt, son!" Lastri protested.
"Yes, mom! But really, I'm okay! It's just a minor wound!" Ryan insisted, embracing his tearful mother.
While comforting his mother, imploring her to be at peace and not cry, Ryan's heart ached at the sight of his beloved weeping.
After a moment, Lastri calmed down. Ryan regarded those still kneeling with a soft gaze.
"Please, stand up! I forgive you all," he said generously.
"Thank you, Grandmaster!" everyone, including Novie, expressed gratefully after rising.
Ryan dropped the katana in his hand and released his mother from the embrace.
"Oh, mom, meet them! They're all my brothers!" he said, introducing the toughs as kin.
Boss Rio, John, and the rest were stunned by Ryan's address—they did not expect to be called brothers instead of subordinates.
"Greetings, Grandmother! My name is Rio, this is John, and these men are my crew! We are all subordinates to Grandmaster Ryan!" Boss Rio revealed their true identities to Ryan's mother.
Ryan shook his head in response to Rio's blunt introduction, while his mother looked on in utter amazement, burning with questions.
"Mom! I'll explain later! Let's go inside for now!" Ryan suggested.
"And you, Novie! Return with one of these men!" he added.
"Yes," Novie replied softly.
She was taken by one of the toughs and left Ryan's residence. Meanwhile, Ryan, his mother, Boss Rio, and John entered the modest home. Some of the toughs also brought in Lastri's shopping, which had been abandoned earlier.
Lastri didn't forget to brew coffee for her two guests and son. Afterwards, she sat down with them and stared with determined curiosity.
"Now, tell everything to your mother!" Lastri insisted, ready for answers.
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2024-03-16
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