Chapter 1240:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

“That’s only part of the picture,” the masked man said, unconvinced. “Sure, the Dark Hills have gotten stronger. But strength alone doesn’t make the others obey them. Fear isn’t enough to earn loyalty. The truth is, the Dark Hills offered them incentives. And you probably know where those are coming from.”

“You mean… their plan is to crush us and then hand over our assets to buy off the rest?”

After the masked man’s subtle nudge, clarity finally dawned on the Axe Gang leader and his men.

It became obvious—the other gangs were simply chasing greater influence. Taking advantage of the Axe Gang’s vulnerable state, they all saw a perfect chance to strike and split the spoils evenly.

By doing that, no single gang would grow too dominant, and the delicate balance of power in Delley would stay intact. The city’s criminal order would hold steady, even if one gang vanished. Though the Axe Gang would fall, their assets wouldn’t disappear. They’d just be carved up and redistributed. The overall force of the underworld in Delley would remain strong, while the gangs involved in the ambush would come out ahead.

For those gangs, this was a rare opening, one they might never see again.

“You’ve finally caught on,” the masked man said coldly. “Now all you need to do is rattle the unity they’ve built.”

“If the Dark Hills want a cut of your resources, then hand over everything—publicly, without resistance. By doing that, you’ll spark jealousy. The other gangs will start to see the Dark Hills as a threat. Their dominance will tip the scale and shake the fragile balance in Delley.”

Power in the underworld only stayed stable when no single gang pulled too far ahead.

When strength was evenly matched, nobody wanted to risk a war that could drag everyone down.

However, if the Dark Hills consumed everything the Axe Gang had, the game changed entirely.

𝗕𝖾 𝘁𝗵𝖾 𝘧𝗂𝗿𝘴𝗍 t𝗈 𝗿𝘦a𝗱 𝗼𝗇 𝗴a𝗹𝘯o𝘷е𝗅𝘀.𝘤𝗼𝗺

“The combined strength of the Dark Hills and the Axe Gang would leave the rest of the gangs in the dust, stirring panic and fear across the board.”

Could wipe out the Axe Gang today, then who’s to say another gang wouldn’t be next tomorrow?

The masked man had laid everything out plainly, and the Axe Gang’s top brass weren’t too dense to see the truth behind his words.

“You’re making a valid point. The risk is high, no doubt about that. But it seems we’ve run out of options,” the leader muttered with a weary breath.

Cracking a small grin, the masked man replied, “No need to look so defeated. The others won’t sit back and let the Dark Hills absorb you quietly. Once you hand yourselves over, those gangs will feel the pressure and start plotting their next move against the Dark Hills.”

With his message delivered, he chuckled and turned on his heel, walking out of the room.

.

.

.