Chapter 402: Ruthless Tactics Antoine Cunningham wasn’t someone you could see just because you wanted to, though everyone knew Antoine Cunningham was in this hotel. Visitors had to wait in the lobby; only those Antoine Cunningham wished to meet could go up. The small hotel in Ulanqab was not particularly famous, but at that moment, the lobby was crowded with wealthy notables. Local entrepreneurs, those with ties to society, and several figures from the officialdom, totally about thirty-something people. Even the pharmaceutical factory owner Sonny King was there, and no one knew how he had managed to establish a connection with Antoine Cunningham. If someone were to call a certain Mr. Sun the local Emperor, then Antoine Cunningham would be considered the Emperor’s father. He was a fierce man, and also an impressive one. Rylan Cortez was also there, another local entrepreneur with societal ties. For him, Antoine Cunningham was a senior figure. With the senior present, he couldn’t possibly avoid showing up. Moreover, he knew he had probably offended Antoine, so no matter what, he had to come and apologize. At seven in the morning, while people were whispering in the lobby, the hotel manager rushed down and after scanning the lobby, he looked towards Rylan Cortez. "Mr. Cortez, Mr. Cunningham invites you," the manager said to Rylan Cortez with a smile. Rylan Cortez turned out to be the first person Antoine wanted to see. Rylan Cortez was startled and didn’t quite know what to do. Previously, he had called Mr. Sun, hoping the latter could intervene to clear the air, but for some reason, Mr. Sun’s phone was unreachable. With an incredibly complex feeling in his heart, Rylan Cortez followed the manager upstairs. In a room upstairs, Antoine Cunningham was having breakfast. Yusuf Zuck wasn’t there, Nehemiah Blevins wasn’t there, but Mia was. She was having breakfast with him. When Rylan Cortez entered, Mia had just put down her chopsticks. "Sir, Mr. Cortez has arrived." It was a Mongolian tough who reported and also brought Rylan Cortez in! As Rylan Cortez entered the room, he immediately bowed to Antoine Cunningham: "Mr. Cunningham, hello. I am Rylan Cortez. I had a drink with you at the agricultural fair organized in the province the year before last," Rylan Cortez said, while sneaking glances at Mia. He knew he had caused big trouble for himself. "Rylan Cortez, I won’t say much to you. A hand or a life, you choose," Antoine said. Follow current novels on novel★fire.net With a "whoosh," Antoine Cunningham tossed out an axe. The axe, clearly sharpened, was meticulously crafted. However, Rylan Cortez was bewildered. Antoine Cunningham was demanding a hand or a life right off the bat? Though Antoine was powerful, with sway over both the underworld and legitimate circles, this seemed excessive. Antoine’s popularity among the people was high, but that didn’t mean Rylan Cortez was scared of Antoine Cunningham. "Mr. Cunningham, I call you ’sir’ because you’ve done many good deeds here over the years, almost giving away your entire fortune. You are known for your righteousness, fairness, and for being willing to fight injustice. But Mr. Cunningham, I..." "Alright, you can go now," Antoine Cunningham interrupted him with a smile and a wave of his hand. If Rylan Cortez didn’t want to give up his hand or his life, there was nothing more to discuss. "I take my leave. I’ll arrange another time to honor you with a welcome dinner," Rylan Cortez knew he had completely offended Antoine Cunningham, so with their conversation not aligning, he had nothing more to say. Even with Antoine’s reach, it was unlikely he could do much to Rylan Cortez in Ulanqab, especially with Mr. Sun backing him. He did not believe Antoine would dare to touch Mr. Sun. After all, Antoine Cunningham was not an official, at best a businessman. If the authorities wanted to deal with him, a single charge of gathering idle social elements to form a criminal organization could be enough to finish off Antoine Cunningham. Even though Antoine wasn’t involved in organized crime, he had certainly been implicated in many underworld matters. Rylan Cortez sped away into the distance, and it seems like Antoine Cunningham isn’t as formidable as the legends suggest, is he? He walked in safely and walked out just the same, didn’t he? Under the broad daylight and clear sky, what could Antoine Cunningham possibly do to him? And as Rylan Cortez left, Antoine Cunningham also stood up and headed outside; he had guests to meet. Although he carried himself with a certain air, he was a man of integrity and not at old-fashioned. In the main hall, he met with his guests, greeting and making polite conversation with some he recognized and others he did not. The reason Antoine Cunningham was so well-known in Inner Mongolia wasn’t just because of his major business dealings with the External Mongolian Government but also because he once boldly declared that he would nine-tenths of his earnings to give back to society. In Inner Mongolia, many herders benefited from his generosity. Around holiday seasons, his company’s vehicles would be dispatched en masse to distant impoverished areas to distribute rice, flour, and oil. Most importantly, this was not a one-off gesture; he did so every single year. Another thing was, for those looking to start legitimate businesses without capital, if they managed to contact him through connections, he would lend them money interest-free. Ideally, they would repay him, but if they couldn’t, he wouldn’t take their life or force repayment. He was that kind of righteous person, much like the grand characters from the old society’s jianghu – as long as you were a good person in need, reaching out to him would guarantee his help. Additionally, he didn’t tolerate any wrongdoing. In Inner Mongolia, which bordered other areas, if anyone was caught smuggling guns or drugs, they could expect to be severely punished by him. Many in the underworld referred to him as Antoine "Skin-Peeler," a testament to his bona fide integrity. Those who had business dealings with Antoine discussed commerce, while those without connections also aspired to some association with him. Antoine conducted massive business operations – not only was he the biggest sheepskin dealer in Inner Mongolia, capable of exporting wool and hides to Europe and America, but he also traded in grain and operated coal mines, among others. In the meantime, having left the hotel, Rylan Cortez was driving home and continuously making calls, summoning his underlings to his house. Truth be told, he was somewhat afraid that Antoine might play dirty and genuinely seek his life. Just as he ended another call and prepared to try reaching Sonny King, a call from a lackey came in. "What’s up? Spit it out!" Rylan Cortez replied impatiently. "Bro... Brother Rylan, there’s trouble. Sonny... Sonny was murdered this morning, shot right in the forehead, and they even sliced off one of his ears!" "What?" Hearing his underling’s words, Rylan Cortez slammed his foot on the accelerator and crashed straight into a tree. Fortunately, the car held up well, and he wasn’t injured, only the front hood was damaged. A gunshot to the forehead and an ear cut off – these were typical methods used in the underworld, and people knew these methods linked back to Antoine. He killed in broad daylight, brazenly signaling it was his doing since he had a preference for slicing off ears. Of course, while those in the know understood this, finding evidence to prove it was another matter entirely. Moreover, he had his reasons for doing so; to make it clear who was responsible for the deed and to let the victim’s family know they could seek revenge on Antoine Cunningham. However, Antoine never targeted the innocent. Invariably, a few days after the killing, a list of the victim’s crimes would be published in the newspapers. "Did he... Did he really dare to kill Sonny King?" Rylan Cortez felt a chill from the soles of his feet. Sonny King was a big shot from the capital; it was immense that Antoine didn’t fear the power behind Sonny and didn’t care at all! PS: Please vote, I need all kinds of support, thank you!