After Logan and the thug tumbled on the ground, he discreetly picked up a small blue chip from the floor. With a quick flick of his wrist, the chip struck a heavy wooden chair that was barely balancing against a gambling table.
The chair fell with a thud right onto the foot of the other thug, who had nearly ripped off the class monitor's uniform jacket. The thug let out a pained groan, losing his balance and giving the class monitor a chance to break free.
Logan hurriedly got up, still looking panicked. But when the thug he'd knocked over cursed and threw a punch at him, Logan was a step quicker, dodging and pressing his hand down on the thug's ribcage as he steadied himself.
He then shot off, sprinting like a rabbit spooked in the night. The thug, now doubled over in pain, let out a pained shout, but Logan had already slipped away.
Just then, a group of people, a mix of security guards and others with dyed hair, brushed past Logan.
Reinforcements had arrived with the casino manager, their faces tense and determined as they quickly formed a perimeter around the rowdy thugs.
Logan smirked to himself, thinking 'It was now the casino's problem to handle.'
In a flash, over thirty men filled the space, quickly closing in on Gator and his crew.
"You, Four Seals Gang..." One of the security guards shouted.
"Shut up and call your boss!" Gator shot back.
The confrontation barely had time to escalate before the clashing sounds of fists, shouts, and flipping tables filled the hall.
Logan made his way back toward Diane and the other girls, not once glancing back at the chaos. Just as he was about to reach them, he felt a warm, sticky liquid splash onto the back of his neck.
Frowning, Logan resisted the urge to activate his Chakra and wiped his neck to find his fingers stained with fresh blood.
Nearby, a security guard stumbled back after being struck with a chair, while the thug Logan had dodged earlier had already taken down two guards with alarming ferocity.
'So real?' Logan could hardly believe his eyes, 'This wasn't just some scuffle. It seemed I have severely underestimated that Gator and his gang's ruthlessness.'
Despite the reinforcements, the casino's team was clearly unprepared for such unrestrained violence. Their initial confidence from outnumbering the thugs quickly crumbled, leaving them scrambling to retreat.
A man in a floral shirt, clearly rattled, began pulling back most of the security guards, realizing that Gator's crew of twenty-something fighters were dead serious about fighting, not just shoving people around.
"Gator, are you out of your mind?!" He shouted, his face twisted in anger.
The casino manager was even more frightened. He was just a part-time worker. Although he knew many surrounding gray forces due to the objective environment, it was rare for such thing to happen.
He saw several security guards he was familiar with lying on the ground groaning. On the ground, blood slowly oozed from the wound, and the manager frantically wiped sweat from his brow, realizing the severity of the situation.
"This is none of your business. Tell your boss to come out here." Gator said coldly, kicking a fallen thug from the casino's side as he surveyed the room with a steely gaze.
"Shouldn't you Four Seals people have someone more senior handling things?" A steady voice cut through the tension.
Moments later, a flood of people descended the four spiral staircases, easily surpassing the combined numbers of the security guards and Four Seals Gang's members already present.
In an instant, the newcomers encircled the entire conflict zone, creating layers upon layers of reinforcements.
This time, none of them were dressed in security uniforms.
The Bear Head Gang had officially stepped in to handle the chaos. As guests were escorted out, Logan, still peering into the action, felt someone tug him sharply. It was the class monitor and the other girls, who had finally snapped back to their senses.
"Let's go! You got lucky tripping over and avoiding a punch. What are you still looking at?"
"Logan, are you alright..."
Olivia asked, glancing nervously toward the center of the room. The hall became quiet again with the arrival of a large number of people, but the atmosphere was obviously depressed.
Just now, there was a lot of excitement, but now there was only the humming of the injured in the fight, and Olivia quickly noticed that the people who come to maintain order don't look like casino's staff.
"Let's get somewhere safe first and look for the others later," Olivia said calmly, recognizing that the situation was far beyond what they'd expected, "This might really involve organized crime.
The group, feeling the weight of the situation, started moving toward the exit. Diane wasted no time in grabbing Logan's arm. The class monitor looked around anxiously, hoping to spot some of the boys from their class.
"The underworld is really scary." Logan responded, his mouth echoing the sentiment while his ears stayed tuned to the conversation inside.
…
The crowd parted, revealing a middle-aged man stepping forward. He was the one who had spoken earlier. The younger man in the floral shirt, evidently a subordinate, respectfully took his place beside him.
"The Four Seals Gang has no business here, and our boss won't be meeting with you."
"The fact that I'm here means I have every right to speak." Gator replied, a twisted smile crossing his face as twenty of his men moved closer, standing firm against the encircling group, "As for your boss, I'm guessing he's feeling too embarrassed to show himself. Not many people still double-cross others like this."
Just as the Bear Head Gang's leader was about to respond, Gator cut him off, "Enough with the small talk. We all know what this is about. This casino was supposed to kick out outsiders together, yet here you are hogging it for yourselves. I'm here tonight to demand an explanation. Though, it seems a couple of your goons don't want me here, so let's just skip the pleasantries, shall we?"
The middle-aged man chuckled, but did not argue much. He said calmly, "You show up here with such a small crew…are you here to die?"
With that single remark, the tension in the room escalated like a powder keg about to explode. Gator pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it with the help of his men, and took a long drag, "I'm definitely not here to die. If I don't walk out of this casino in two minutes, my men outside will come charging in."
A member of the Bear Head Gang came with the news. After hearing this, the man in the floral shirt told the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man looked at Gator with a cold, almost pitying expression, then said, "How fortunate. It just so happens that I just sent someone to call the police to report that someone is causing trouble here. The police station said they'll be about ten minutes late."
Gator took a deep drag from his cigarette before flicking it away, then nodded calmly as if he had heard some ordinary news.
Neither side seemed interested in any pretense or formalities. They were clearly ready to dive straight into the confrontation.