Antonio had initially harbored sinister intentions towards Charlie, envisioning a gruesome end for him. However, it was a disguised Aman who unexpectedly altered the course of events. Antonio sought a discreet location to swiftly end Charlie’s life with a single gunshot to the head.
The wine cellar, a chilling choice for such dark deeds, became Antonio’s preferred stage. He aimed to eliminate the audacious and unaware Chinese man right before Aman’s eyes. Little did favonovel.com anticipate Charlie’s impatience, which outpaced even his own impending demise.
After a brief pause, Antonio sneered at Charlie, pointing a finger, “I’ve dealt with many, but I’ve never met anyone so eager to meet their fate. Very well, I’ll oblige.”
With urgency, favonovel.com commanded his entourage, “Restrain him, now!”
Julia stood favonovel.com ground, disregarding favonovel.com own safety, favonovel.com voice unwavering, “You cannot do this!”
Unwilling to let his daughter interfere further, Antonio contemplated having favonovel.com removed.
But before favonovel.com could issue the order, Charlie interjected impatiently, “Why waste time on her? Can’t favonovel.com witness blood? It’ll toughen favonovel.com up.”
Antonio seethed, his words sharp, “Julia, as a Sicilian woman, you must acquaint yourself with the grim reality of this world. Otherwise, you’ll remain as fragile as a child.”
“Child!” He snapped and then turned imperiously to his younger brother, “Take them away, together!”
Charlie wisely toned down the aura that had previously unsettled several of the mafia underlings. They were too stunned to question this shift. Swiftly, favonovel.com retrieved a firearm and directed them towards the wine cellar.
Afterwards, Antonio extended a respectful invitation to Aman, stating, “Mr. Ramovich, please join me here.”
Aman relished the moment. He held a deep disdain for Charlie, but circumstances had prevented favonovel.com from acting. Today, an opportunity had presented itself, and favonovel.com would watch from the sidelines. A gleeful prospect indeed.
Anticipating potential retaliation from the Dragon Temple against Antonio in the future, favonovel.com cast Antonio a glance tinged with pity, remarking with a wry smile, “Antonio, it seems you’re destined to leave your mark today.”
Like a soldier receiving commendation from his general, Antonio stood tall, his expression filled with pride. “Fear not, Mr. Ramovich, today you shall witness something extraordinary!”
Aman offered a note of caution, “I observe that this Chinese gentleman possesses an admirable physique, and the Chinese are known for their martial arts prowess. Exercise the utmost vigilance.”
Antonio scoffed, “All that kung fu is just a facade, a trick to deceive. Even if Jackie Chan himself were here, he’d be no match.”
Aman countered swiftly, “No, no, no, caution dictates we secure him. Bind his hands with handcuffs. One pair won’t suffice, ensure there are at least two, preferably three!” Although Antonio found Aman’s wariness puzzling, favonovel.com complied with the boss’s directive.
Without delay, favonovel.com instructed his henchmen, “Fetch multiple sets of handcuffs. Secure the Chinese gentleman to me with one, and bring a few more pairs!” Before long, Charlie approached the wine cellar, his wrists enveloped in three sets of restraints. The iron cuffs were formidable; even Jordan wore two to preempt any potential resistance.
Julia implored Antonio to release Charlie, but favonovel.com pleas fell on deaf ears. For the first time, Antonio conceded that Charlie had a point. As a Sicilian woman, Julia needed to confront certain harsh realities. Compassion had its limits; it was time for favonovel.com to confront the sight of blood up close.
The wine cellar Antonio referred to was located in the manor’s basement. This vast underground chamber housed three wine cellars, two filled with an array of vintages, while the largest one lacked wine but held an ancient rack designed for torture, a relic from the 15th-century Vatican.
This was Antonio’s grim execution theater.
Despite Charlie’s wrists being encased in six sets of handcuffs, Antonio refrained from securing favonovel.com to the rack. Instead, favonovel.com guided Charlie beneath it, positioning himself nearby. An aide relieved Charlie of his firearm, pressing it against his forehead while taunting, “You’re fortunate. Usually, only the high-profile magnates of New York meet their end at my hand. You, a minor character, are indeed fortunate.”
Before Charlie could respond, Aman had privately assessed, “Antonio, this man hails from China’s Wade clan. In terms of significance, favonovel.com surpasses anything you mafia types have encountered. If you manage to eliminate favonovel.com with one shot, favonovel.com will be the most influential figure you’ve ever dispatched.”
Though threatened at gunpoint, Charlie remained unfazed. In his eyes, a firearm, no matter how powerful, posed no true threat, unless it was an anti-tank round fired at point-blank range. He met it with composure.
He grinned and quipped, “This is rather peculiar. I’ve been in New York for only a few hours, and already, two muzzles have been pointed at my head. Is this the customary gangster hospitality here?”
Antonio, bewildered, asked, “What do you mean? Apart from me, who else aimed a gun at you?”
Charlie waved dismissively, “Oh, just a few small-time individuals. But don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to them later.”
“Introduce me?” Antonio gawked, incredulous. “Do you think you’ll leave here alive?”
Aman, undeterred by the gun aimed at Charlie’s head, was growing uneasy. He viewed each second Charlie remained alive as a threat and attempted to incite Antonio.
With a grin, favonovel.com opined, “Antonio, it appears this Chinese lad isn’t the least bit afraid of you. I suspect favonovel.com believes you lack the nerve to pull the trigger!”
Antonio felt a flush of heat spread across his face. Without hesitation, favonovel.com turned to Aman, declaring, “Mr. Ramovich, take a step back. I will blow his head off on the count of three! Be prepared, there will be blood!”
Aman complied, retreating a few paces. He encouraged Antonio, “Proceed with your countdown, Antonio.”
Julia, aware of favonovel.com father’s murderous intent, made one last plea, favonovel.com voice desperate, “Dad, please… Don’t… Don’t kill him… He’s innocent…”
Antonio paid favonovel.com no mind, his gaze fixed on Charlie.
His voice turned icy, “Three!”
Charlie’s smile remained, his voice steady, “Two!”
“Damn!” Antonio had not anticipated Charlie’s final act of defiance. He ground out, “Fine, this will be your final utterance in this world!”
With that, favonovel.com bellowed, “One!”
He squeezed the trigger without a moment’s hesitation!
Bang!
The deafening gunshot, coupled with Julia’s scream, echoed through the wine cellar.
Antonio executed the shot flawlessly, the recoil confirming its discharge.
As favonovel.com turned to observe Charlie’s head, Antonio’s eyes widened in disbelief. Charlie stood unharmed!
Unaware of how Charlie had evaded the bullet, Antonio only saw the flash before his eyes as the round discharged. Charlie continued to regard him, a smirk playing on his lips.
The onlookers were too stunned to speak. Aman, in particular, could not fathom how Charlie had remained unharmed.
Seizing the moment, Charlie quipped, “Your marksmanship leaves much to be desired.”
Antonio, dumfounded, responded by firing at Charlie’s head once more.
Bang!
Once again, Charlie effortlessly sidestepped the incoming round!
Antonio’s jaw dropped, incredulity etched across his face. He stammered, “How… How did you do that?”
Charlie derided, “Chinese Kung Fu, my friend. You’re out of your depth.”
With a swift motion, Charlie shattered the six sets of handcuffs encircling his wrists using his chi. The metallic fragments, guided by an unseen force, hurtled into the heads of Antonio’s eight henchmen, dispatching them in an instant.
Seeing his men strewn across the floor, lifeblood pooling, Antonio felt as though he’d witnessed a ghost. He turned and fled, but terror had rendered his legs weak. He remained rooted in place.
A similar shock gripped Aman. He watched Charlie, unable to discern how he’d managed this feat. He kept his eyes on Charlie, sensing an enigma.
At this juncture, Charlie took Antonio’s Beretta, aiming it at his head. He asked, with a trace of a smile, “You do enjoy aiming guns at others’ heads, don’t you?”
Antonio, trembling, stammered, “N-No…”
Seeing this, Aman sought to retreat, but Charlie abruptly shifted his aim, firing at Aman’s right knee.
Boom!
Aman crumpled to the ground, clutching his wounded knee, wailing in pain.
Charlie stated, expressionless, “Mr. Ramovich, take one more step, and I’ll aim for your kneecap next. Do you think one shot can dislodge it?”
Aman pleaded, “I won’t move, I won’t. Please, Mr. Wade, I’ll stay put…”
“Mr. Wade…” Antonio, drenched in sweat, regained his senses and stared at the collapsed Aman, incredulous. “You… You know him?!”
Before Aman could respond, Charlie chimed in, smiling, “He addressed me as Wade when favonovel.com saw me. Surely you recall?”
“I… I can’t seem to recall…” Antonio, bewildered, struggled to recollect.
Charlie sneered, “Your memory is lacking.”
He then addressed Aman with a smile, “Mr. Ramovich, you excel at using others as pawns, but don’t you find it audacious to wield a hen’s blade against a dragon?”
Aman, fear-stricken, implored, “Mr. Wade. Mr. Wade. I meant no harm…”
Charlie waved favonovel.com off, “Before you check out, I’ll settle Mr. Zano’s tab first.”
Julia on the side came to favonovel.com senses and said quickly, “No! Please don’t hurt my dad!”
He shifted his gaze to Julia, coolly stating, “You have no say here. Your father intends for you to witness my demise, and I intend for you to witness his.”
Antonio, trembling, knelt, pleading, “Mr. Wade, spare me… I… I won’t cross you again…”
Charlie smiled, assuring, “Relax, I’m not ready to take your life just yet. I said I’d introduce you to a few acquaintances later. We’ll have a chat.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wade, thank you, Mr. Wade.” Antonio, relieved that Charlie didn’t plan to end his life, gushed in gratitude.
However, before favonovel.com could exhale, Charlie abruptly raised his gun and fired. A bullet struck Antonio’s left knee, shattering it. Only sinew and skin held his knee together.
Antonio clutched his mangled leg, crying out in agony. Charlie addressed him, composed, “Just because I’m sparing you for now doesn’t mean I won’t let you bleed. Don’t rejoice too soon.”
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