Chapter 95: Paying the Bill

What the hell had just happened?!

Li San stood frozen in the middle of the road, staring at his left fist.

He had landed a full-power hook flush against Jude’s midsection without moving him an inch...

Taking an unblocked body shot from a conditioned full-contact fighter should have dropped an unarmored target instantly, yet the impact had felt like striking solid stone.

By the lead SUV, Silas’s expression tightened with irritation.

Assuming Li San was pulling his punches, Silas called out sharply, "What are you waiting for? Finish it!"

Stung by the reprimand, Li San stepped in and threw a hard overhand right toward the side of Jude’s jaw.

Jude’s head didn’t turn, and his feet remained set on the asphalt.

Li San backed up 2 steps, his expression shifting from frustration to alarm.

Stepping into open space, he threw a full-power right roundhouse kick aimed directly at Jude’s ribs.

The shin connected with a dull thud against Jude’s side and bounced off without shifting his balance. Jude looked down at his jacket, then met Li San’s eyes.

"You took an overhand right and a kick after the first punch," Jude noted. "That puts you over the count. My turn."

Jude stepped forward, driving a compact straight right into the center of Li San’s chest.

The strike hit flush. The impact drove straight through Li San’s guard, fracturing his ribs with a sharp snap. His breath left him in a ragged gasp, his legs folded beneath him, and he crashed onto the gravel, clutching his chest as he struggled to draw air.

Lucas stood with his mouth open, his expression frozen.

Silas gripped his cane tightly, staring at his lead fighter sprawled in the dirt.

Li San had landed 3 clean strikes without shifting Lawson’s balance, only to be dropped by a single straight punch.

By the fender of the Koenigsegg, Anna watched in silence.

She had warned Jude not to step into the lane against a full-contact specialist, convinced it was reckless.

Seeing Li San taken down in one strike completely upended her assessment of Lawson’s capabilities.

On the ground, Li San looked up through shallow breaths, his voice raspy. "What... style was that?!"

Li San’s head dropped back against the gravel, the pain knocking him unconscious.

Jude brushed his sleeve off and looked toward Silas. "Get him into a vehicle, Silas. He has 4 broken ribs. Leaving him on asphalt won’t do his lungs any favors."

Silas signaled with his cane.

2 guards hurried forward, hauled the fighter off the road, and loaded him into the trailing sedan.

"If you have another specialist in the car, bring them out," Jude said. "Otherwise, that settles the round."

Silas’s face went pale. He had no one left on site who could match someone who had just walked through Li San’s strikes.

Beside him, Lucas lost his temper, turning toward the remaining guards. "What are you standing there for? Take him down together!"

The 8 guards looked at each other, nobody making a move toward the center of the road.

Charging a man who had just dismantled their top fighter in seconds was out of the question.

"Stand down," Silas snapped, shutting his son down immediately.

"Dad, we’re just letting him walk away?" Lucas argued.

Silas ignored him, his eyes fixed on Jude. "The round is yours, Mr. Lawson. State your condition."

Silas knew pushing his remaining men forward would only result in more injuries.

Taking the loss was the only practical move... especially with Anna’s position remaining intact.

Jude looked across the headlights at the two of them.

"Originally, I sent Anna to collect an ear as a reminder about property lines," Jude said. "After setting up a blockade on an access road, one ear doesn’t settle the account."

_____

Having agreed to the terms in front of his own men and watched his fighter dropped in a single exchange, Silas swallowed his pride, giving a nod.

"Tonight was a miscalculation on my part, Mr. Lawson," Silas said. "I propose we close the matter here."

Jude gave a dry laugh. "You send 30 men to shut down my waterfront site, set up a blockade on an access road, and expect a nod to clear the ledger?"

"Naturally not," Silas said quickly. "I will cover full restitution for every disruption you incurred today. Name the figure, Mr. Lawson."

Jude paused. "Between medical expenses, hazard pay, and downtime penalties for the Hudson crew my office will send an itemized invoice in the morning. Keep your liquidity ready, Silas. The overhead will be high."

Silas let out a breath and nodded once. "When the wire instructions arrive, the transfer will go through. Consider it settled."

To Silas, paying a financial settlement was standard operating procedure; it protected his standing and kept the incident off police records.

Jude, for his part, had no interest in street theatrics...

Forcing Vanguard to liquidate cash reserves while breaking his posture on the road was far more effective.

Putting pressure on his balance sheet had been the objective from the start.

"One more thing," Jude added, taking a step toward him. "Between us."

Silas stiffened as Jude walked across the headlights.

Behind the SUV, the guards shifted their grip on their gear, watching closely.

Stopping half a pace away, Jude lowered his voice so it carried only to Silas.

"Anna isn’t just managing estate operations anymore, Silas... she’s with me. I’m taking the payment for tonight’s disruption, but if your people cross her path again, the terms won’t be financial."

Jude gave Silas’s shoulder a brief pat, turned around, and walked back to his car.

"Let’s go," Jude told Anna, supporting her arm as she got into the passenger seat before heading around to the driver’s side.

Silas signaled with his hand, and the lead SUV backed onto the shoulder, clearing the lane.

The Koenigsegg accelerated down the road, leaving the headlights behind in the fog.

Under the streetlamp, Silas stood watching the empty straightaway.

"Dad, what did he say to you?" Lucas asked, limping over.