Kapitel 22: Chapter 22 – This is How You Negotiate
He drove away in a hurry, leaving Vale alone in front of the casino. The man didn't even bother to get angry after giving him money. He just wanted to escape while he still had a chance.
Vale shrugged his shoulders as he turned his gaze toward the casino, "Now, it's time to finish business."
He entered the casino slowly. It was bustling with activity inside, with people playing poker, slot machines, and other gambling games. No one paid attention to him, or they didn't dare to look at him.
Even when people knew this place was controlled by a gang, or when the apocalypse arrived, gamblers didn't care as long as they had money to spend.
In a way, they were like zombies. Doing anything for a chance to survive.
Vale wasn't affected by this atmosphere as he walked calmly toward the back of the casino while his sword was in his hand. At this point, many people already pointed at him. They were probably guards or members of the gang.
A few seconds later, someone approached him with a stern look on his face. He was muscular and had tattoos all over his body. He had a machine gun in his hand, and he looked ready to use it at any moment.
"Who the fuck are you?" He asked angrily, "This is our territory! You got business here, punk?"
"Yes, I have a business with your boss here. Is Thomas inside?" Vale answered with a calm tone as he looked at him without any fear in his eyes.
"I asked you what's your business with him, punk! Not whether you have an appointment!" The man shouted with his finger on the trigger of his machine gun.
But before he could do anything, a voice rang out from behind him.
"Hey! Boss said let him in. He might be a strong Survivor or someone important."
The voice belonged to a woman with short black hair and a cold expression on her face. She was a member of the gang too, but she didn't bring any weapon.
Vale looked at her. She was a beautiful woman with blonde hair. She was wearing a bunny outfit with a pair of bunny ears on her head. She had a tray in her hand and a seductive smile on her face.
"Sir, you can follow me to meet the boss. He has been waiting for you." She said with a smooth voice. "Please don't mind him. He is just being stupid."
She sent a glare toward the tattooed man, who frowned at her but didn't dare to do anything else.
"Thank you for your help." Vale nodded his head as he followed her up the stairs to the next floor and into a VIP room.
There, he saw a man sitting on a couch with a cigar in his hand. His bald head and bearded face made him look intimidating, but Vale wasn't afraid of him at all. He was sure this gang leader wasn't even quarter as strong as the apocalypse boss he fought in the dungeon two days ago.
Besides, his body was also not as big as Taylor. The problem was he had two women serving him, both were a blonde and a redhead. They were sitting beside him and rubbing their chest on his arms. Vale knew they were probably hired prostitutes from the look of their clothing and makeup.
The boss looked at him with a grin on his face.
"Well, well... Welcome to Vegas! I am Thomas Adler, the leader of this gang. You can call me Thomas." He said as he took a puff of his cigar, "And you are Vale Gilstar. The famous first ranker, right? What's your business with me?"
Vale's eyes twitched slightly. This was not what he expected, but this would make things easier.
"I am glad you know me already." He said calmly and sat on the sofa across from him. "And well, let's just say I heard something about what you did and came here to check. And the reality is not what I expected."
"Hahaha, sorry about that." Thomas said as he nodded at the two prostitutes, who stood up and left the room with a smile on their face. "The world has changed, you know. We, people with power, should be the new leader. We can protect people in the Scenarios to come."
Vale understood his meaning. But it wasn't his business. And he didn't have time to convince him otherwise.
Destroying the gang was easy. All he needed was a strong impact, a powerful strike that could incapacitate or kill them all. And that strike was...
Boom!
Before Thomas could react, a blast of white aura exploded from Vale's body, sending everything in the room flying. The boss was slammed into the wall with his bones breaking from the impact. He looked at Vale in disbelief as he realized what happened.
Not even the boss of a large gang that managed to control Vegas was strong enough to stop Vale Gilstar, the first ranker who was known for his abnormal strength.
"Let's get into details later." Vale said as he approached him with a sword in his hand, "You will cooperate with me or die here. Simple as that."
Thomas Adler couldn't believe what was happening. He thought this was just a routine meeting. But it turned out to be a nightmare. He couldn't resist as his body was weak and broken.
He could only nod at Vale's suggestion.
"Great. I am glad you're such an understanding person." He smiled at the gang boss and sheathed his sword. "Shall we talk about what I want now?"
And thus, their negotiation began.
Vale's plan was simple. He would allow Thomas and his gang to continue controlling Vegas as long as they didn't hurt innocents and obeyed his rule. Basically, Vale wanted to use them as scapegoats and his gold mine.
"You're not as I thought." Thomas, still hurt from being sent flying suddenly, chuckled painfully as he sat on the couch. "I thought you were a Saint who tried to save people in Vegas from our grip. But it turns out you're just another Survivor like me. You just want money and power."
"As you said, the world has changed. And people like me need power and wealth to protect ourselves and those around us." Vale retorted as he crossed his arms, "Now, though, I am not as stupid as you to let you do as you please. I will give you tasks to complete and reward you if you succeed."
"Ah, an errand boy." Thomas laughed even though his body was hurting, "I know I shouldn't say anything to piss you off, but that sounds ridiculous."
"Don't worry, Thomas. Being my errand boy will give you more wealth than you will ever think. As long as you keep a tight grip and not do anything to betray me. If you did..."
"Now, now. I am also not stupid." The gang leader raised his arms, "Antagonizing a monster like you would be suicide."
Vale nodded his head and continued, "I am glad you're a smart man."
Both of them laughed, but it was clear who was in control in the room.
'Fucking madman.' Thomas thought as he saw Vale walk out of the room. 'That's the first rank? The one with whooping 200K points in Scenario 1. What a joke! He's not a human.'
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein