Darkstone Code
Chapter 208 - 0206 The inevitable pain experienced during growth

Chapter 208: 0206 The inevitable pain experienced during growth

According to research by experts in Federation Society, they believe that children living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods find it difficult to have viable paths forward into adulthood compared to those in better-off environments.

Either as blue-collar workers or gang members.

Joining a criminal gang becomes one of their few available options.

From youth gangs to joining organized gangs, this criminal culture accompanies them throughout their growth, ingraining into their very being, linking their perhaps short lives inseparably to crime.

Even if a few manage not to join a criminal gang, they cannot sever their connection and relationship with such gangs because it’s part of their life.

In fact, in such an underclass society, their criminal experience and gang status often become the measure of whether someone is considered successful.

It’s frustrating, but life is like this; no door opens just because someone tries a little harder.

Being captured and released again earned the three significant prestige in their small community, and some kids began to view them differently.

Previously, they might have been known locally, but now they’ve become celebrities, and celebrities must undertake endeavors only celebrities can.

"We could consider hiring a truck; they wouldn’t expect us to go again so soon after our release."

This acquittal emboldened their spirits further, and they naturally sensed they might become founders of a brand new gang.

The previous gang on this street vanished due to crackdowns on financial crimes, followed by an economic downturn as people focused on their lives, leaving no room for organized gangs here.

If they successfully swindle money from the Warehouse District, they’ll have what it takes to form this gang, an idea that excited the young hotheads immensely.

To people here, gangs are also a kind of job where they serve the gang leader, undertaking dangerous tasks for stable income, which is considered a job.

Moreover, young people raised in such environments often dream of gangs, seeing them not as evil but more akin to a disciplined band of rogues, positive and justified, although they really aren’t.

Becoming a gang leader here is one of the kids’ dreams.

But his friend had different views, "We’ve been discovered twice already, maybe they’ll catch us again; I feel those guys yesterday are not easy to handle."

He refers to those who captured them, feeling an inherent intimidation from them, like a mouse facing a cat.

The irritable youth scoffed dismissively, "They’re businessmen, what businessmen fear most is us."

"We may not be a match for those richer folks, but when we have no fear, they will fear us too."

In Bail Federal, there’s no saying like ’barefooted don’t fear the shoes,’ but a common understanding exists—’rich people hate trouble, poor people don’t fear trouble’.

This is why gangs remain prevalent in society; people pushed to their limits will do anything. Poor people have nothing to lose and can risk serious consequences to take chances, breaking laws to gain money and naturally harm others.

Rich people can’t; sometimes they’d rather give away some money for sustained stability.

The irritable youth looked at Blue Straps, who felt uneasy being stared at, clenched his teeth, and nodded, "I’ll go along with you guys."

"Alright, it’s settled then. I’ll gather the manpower," the irritable youth made the final decision, stood up, and went to find a truck and helpers.

Thanks to their release, many ambitious young people on the street were willing to follow them, and finding some henchmen wasn’t a big problem.

Blue Straps and another young man were not too willing to do this, but at this point, if they backed out, jokes relating to them would spread like wildfire across the street, meaning their game here would be over.

Under the irritable youth’s call, they somehow acquired an old truck looking close to scrap and gathered five street youths, setting off under the cover of night.

As they left, Lynch got wind of the news and was instantly furious.

While he hadn’t figured out how to handle these people, they once again challenged his limits. Before this, he always held some special perspective toward this world, but it was clear the world did not always hold benevolence.

At around ten at night, the truck was forced to stop on the road near the Warehouse District, and before the youths could react, a group of freshly retired soldiers had them all subdued cleanly.

When they awoke, they were already bound to chairs.

The first to wake was Blue Straps, which was surprising yet made sense as he was the fittest among them.

The long-term physical labor, though tiresome, had given him a strong physique. As he regained consciousness, the sharp pain in his head caused temporary confusion in his memory.

But soon, he remembered, and then his heart sank continuously.

He looked around, this place looked like a rudimentary warehouse, and the light bulb hanging above swayed slightly with the wind, casting wavering shadows on the simple walls around, looking somewhat terrifying.

He glanced elsewhere, and his companions, like him, were tied to chairs. He shouted a few times, and these people gradually regained consciousness.

Just as they were still unsure of what was happening, the increasingly clear sound of footsteps coming from outside made them quiet down.

Lynch stood at the boundary between light and darkness, with the light never rising above his knees, and for the most part, only illuminating his shiny shoes.

A few young men, who looked like trouble, stood beside him at ease, and these were the ones who had dealt with them that evening.

"What should I do with you?" Lynch’s voice seemed a bit chilly in the vast warehouse, accompanied by a faint echo.

"In my hometown, there’s a saying, ’A person can be forgiven once, twice for the same mistake, but he should not make it a third time.’

"This is your third attempt to steal from my warehouse. This time, I don’t intend to forgive you."

This familiar scene and image immediately reminded these young people of the climactic scenes in classic movies and TV shows. According to their understanding of those films and scripts, these people were now expected to raise their guns in the dark and shoot them one by one.

At that moment, everyone’s hair stood on end, and Blue Straps shouted loudly, "Killing is illegal, you can’t do this!"

Someone else told Lynch that first-degree murder is a serious crime in the Federation, and even if Lynch is a wealthy man, he couldn’t escape the scrutiny of the death penalty for killing so many people at once.

The reaction of these people amused Lynch greatly, "I won’t kill anyone, I just want to teach you a lesson, so you understand this world is far from the paradise you imagined."

"Break their shins, let’s give our young friends here a lesson."

The Senior Soldier next to him hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to obey the order. Firstly, he didn’t think this was wrong, and secondly, he was now working for Lynch, who was his highest superior, so naturally, he had to follow orders.

His hesitation was only because during his service until his discharge, he never considered that one day his opponents would be civilians.

The Senior Soldier picked up a steel pipe that was readily available here and walked under the light; wearing a dustproof scarf and a common baseball cap, only his eyes were visible.

He walked towards Blue Straps, indifferent to the pleas; he wasn’t the decision-maker, just the executor.

Blue Straps’ leg was lifted by the Senior Soldier, showing clear resistance; he was begging and struggling, promising never to do such things again. Others were pleading on his behalf, while some cursed Lynch.

Lynch had no reaction to these voices; he told the soldier beside him, "Go help him."

He, referring to the Senior Soldier, found it difficult to effectively strike due to Blue Straps’ non-cooperation, but fortunately, someone helped him.

Another soldier brought over another chair and wedged it under Blue Straps’ legs, keeping them parallel.

Then the Senior Soldier raised the steel pipe high and swung it with force.

It was a very peculiar sound, unlike the crisp sound of bones breaking in TV shows or movies; it was dull, like... a dry wooden stick wrapped thickly in cloth suddenly breaking.

With a crack, Blue Straps let out a violent scream.

His screaming frightened the others, and out of fear, they started snotting and tearing up.

The Senior Soldier looked back at Lynch, feeling his hand trembling, but Lynch showed no change; he even lit a cigarette.

"Continue, don’t look at me..."

The continuous sound of bones breaking echoed in the warehouse, and the one who cursed the vilest received the most special treatment.

The aggressive young man kept cursing Lynch throughout the process, different from others who begged; he seemed very tough, even claiming revenge.

To impart a deeper lesson to this aggressive young man, both his kneecaps were completely shattered.

Lynch threw the cigarette butt on the ground, lifted his shoes worth hundreds, and extinguished the butt.

"Remember, this is the last time. Next time, what awaits you will be hell!"

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