Those people, seeing someone step forward as the first to stand out, immediately stopped and turned to see who this rule-breaking guy was. One of them, a sharp-faced, monkey-cheeked man, said sarcastically, “Oh, someone’s being a hero and standing up for justice? What, kid, you planning to butt in?!”

Mary Woods was very scared, but she still held onto William Clark’s hand. He was very satisfied with her performance, patted her hand, looked up at the man who spoke, and said casually, “It’s nothing, it’s just that he’s my friend. Whatever you want, say it and I’ll see if I can do it!”

Hearing someone call him a friend, the beaten man’s body visibly trembled. He looked at William Clark, who was holding a beautiful woman’s arm, with a bit of gratitude and confusion. Elegant, proud, and calm, as if everything was under his control. He even saw in William Clark’s noble-like smile a hint of contempt, disdain, and an overwhelming arrogance! At that moment, William Clark’s image was deeply imprinted in his mind—like a royal descendant from ancient times, high above all!

“You’re his friend? Even someone like him has friends?!” The group burst into laughter as if they’d heard the world’s funniest joke. William Clark remained as calm as ever, which made it seem like his silence was mocking those who were laughing wildly. Mary Woods gazed obsessively at the devilishly handsome face so close to her, wishing she could lean on this man’s shoulder for the rest of her life.

Seeing the thugs’ behavior and hearing their harsh laughter, for the first time, pain appeared in the beaten man’s eyes. This only strengthened William Clark’s resolve to help him, because before, all he saw in the man’s eyes was contempt and hatred. Now, this pain made William Clark feel he had an opportunity!

Winning people’s hearts can be done with power or money, but those aren’t the best ways. The best strategy is to move them emotionally, so they willingly let you use them. Since this man cared so much about friends, William Clark thought he might as well make some emotional investment.

“Since you’re his friend, then you can help him pay back the ten thousand yuan he owes me!” the tattooed guy sneered, his eyes constantly roaming over Mary Woods’s curvy figure.

“Ten thousand yuan, huh?” William Clark said with a bit of a headache. He’d already handed in all his pocket money today, and he didn’t have that much on a daily basis anyway. It was indeed a bit of a hassle. Just as he was about to ask Mary Woods for a loan, she had already pulled a thick wad of cash from her bag and tossed it on the ground. There were about seven or eight thousand yuan in RMB, plus a dozen or so US bills. The money on the ground definitely exceeded ten thousand. The moment those guys saw the cash, they pounced on it like mad dogs.

“Wudao, is it enough? If not, I still have a few cards.” Mary Woods frowned and looked at the slightly surprised William Clark. William Clark pinched her nose and smiled, “I’ll pay you back tomorrow!” Who knew Mary Woods would turn her head away and ignore him, “Who wants you to pay me back! Are you treating me like an outsider?”

“Kid, you got lucky today. Next time I feel like having some fun, I’ll come find you!” The tattooed guy turned to look at the beaten man, surprised that this kid turned out to be a lucky star, bringing him a nice windfall. The group, satisfied, swaggered off—they’d had their fun and made some money. Awesome!

Once those people had left, “Nuanyue, let’s go.” William Clark nodded and smiled at the man, then turned and walked away.

The man clearly hadn’t expected William Clark to just leave like that. He’d thought William Clark would take the opportunity to ask for something in return, but instead, he left without saying a word. He couldn’t help but scold himself for judging a gentleman with a petty mind. Feeling the warmth and sincerity in William Clark’s eyes and smile, for the first time, he felt respected and treated like a real person. In that moment, he was overwhelmed with the urge to cry.

“Can I follow you from now on?” the man called out to William Clark’s back.

“Looks like you haven’t eaten, huh? You need to be full to have the strength to fight.” William Clark stopped and said with a smile, “I don’t want my little brother being used as a punching bag every day!”

The man secretly wiped away the tears he couldn’t hold back and laughed, “Unless he has ten lives, he’ll definitely be the first one lying on the ground, not me! Boss, my name is Bruce Bolton, but everyone calls me Toad!”

Bruce Bolton, who would later shock the entire Chinese underworld, met the “Godfather” of the Chinese underworld, William Clark, for the first time—and soon after, gave himself over to William Clark, who had “bought” him for ten thousand yuan. Later known as the “Undying Toad,” he became one of the top fighters among William Clark’s “Four Heavenly Kings,” “Four Junior Kings,” and “Eight Great Generals”!

It’s undeniable that the ten thousand yuan from Mary Woods played an immeasurable role. Later, this ever-grateful “Undying Toad” loyally followed William Clark through life and death, achieving great feats. So this is what they mean by “the favor of a beauty.”

Chapter 10: Forming the Crown Prince Party

In the underworld, a circle that follows the supreme law of “survival of the fittest,” a perfect gang should be an organization at the forefront of technology, with highly specialized, elite divisions for intelligent crime. It doesn’t have to be an enemy of the government or ordinary citizens; it can even become a potential helper to the nation. For example, the country can only condemn Japan for visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, but I can have someone blow it up.

—William Clark Quotations, “Gangland Chronicles”