Chapter 1167

When the shop owner heard "underground forces", his expression shifted slightly. He ran a legitimate business and dreaded dealing with anyone from the underground forces. In the past, Reese had been in charge and always ensured his men didn't bully ordinary civilians. After Jace took over, he continued Reese's policies. However, as Jace expanded the underground forces, he started spending more time away from Bridgeport over the years. With him frequently absent, his men became increasingly reckless. Bullying civilians had become a regular occurrence. Some even extorted protection money in secret. No one dared to speak about these issues as anyone who did would suffer greatly. With no outlet for their complaints, civilians were left to swallow their frustration. Hank, standing nearby, glanced at the shop owner and arrogantly questioned, "What's the problem? Is the head of East End not worth your respect? Or do you think these two little brats are more impressive than me?" "I..." The shop owner hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. Tilly and Toby, seeing the shop owner look so intimidated, were both slightly irritated. Tilly shoved her hands in her pockets and snapped, "Hey, old man! Do you understand the rule of first come, first served? We've already reserved this emerald. It's ours now." "What did you just call me?" Hank narrowed his eyes. Was this little brat blind? How did he look like an old man? "Well, you look all scruffy like an old man. Is calling you 'old man' wrong?" Tilly mocked. "Shouldn't you be at home enjoying your retirement instead of fighting with kids over stuff at your age? Do you have no shame?" "Who do you think you're talking to, little brat? You're asking for trouble!" Hank said, stepping forward to grab Tilly. But Toby immediately positioned himself in front of her. Toby's expression was cold. "If you lay a hand on my sister, I guarantee you won't live to see tomorrow." Tilly might be slightly arrogant and often push people to the edge, but she was his sister. No outsider was allowed to bully her. Yvette sneered from the side, "You two little brats sure are bold! If your parents knew who you were messing with, they'd be scared out of their minds!" Tilly, hearing this, laughed out loud. "My mommy's the toughest person around. Even my daddy's scared of her! Do you really think you can intimidate her? You two old folks have no shame in fighting with kids over stuff. If I, Tilly Hutchinson, have my eye on something, I'm getting it! Want to try and stop me?" "You!" Yvette fumed. She was only in her 20s, and here she was, being called "old" by a little brat! What kind of parents raised these kids? The commotion they caused attracted a crowd of onlookers. Yvette's expression darkened as she turned to Hank, saying, "Honey, there are too many people here. Let's just pay extra and get the emerald. As for these two little brats, we'll deal with them once we're out of here." Hank paused, then nodded. "You're right. Jace just got back recently. I'd better keep a low profile. If he finds out I'm using my status to bully others, I'll be in for a rough time." Jace was just as ruthless as Reese. Offending him could cost one's life. Yvette turned to the shop owner and said, "I'll add 500 grand to the price for this emerald. Come on, you're a businessman. Surely, you're not going to turn down money?" The owner hesitated. He had been in urgent need of money lately, or he wouldn't have considered selling the emerald. The other antiques in the store wouldn't sell as quickly, and it was tempting to get an extra 500 thousand dollars. "Two million dollars." Seeing the shop owner didn't respond, Yvette raised her offer again. It was just money, after all. They didn't have much else, but they had plenty of money.