UNDER HIS RULES

The passing cars in front of him created a busy scene. He sat there, observing the usual activities happening at the harbor. He enjoyed the occasional sea breeze that brushed against his face. The salty scent carried by the wind accompanied him this afternoon.

He used a telescope to observe the activities in the busy corner where many containers were being moved. Large trucks were coming and going in the area under Hugo’s supervision this time. In his hands, he held a file that had been checked and confirmed to be accurate without any mistakes. It served as his reference. Occasionally, he grinned and nodded in response to repeated greetings directed at him. Beside him, a table with several fresh fruits and his preferred bottle of alcohol was already prepared.

“Boss,” Zein called in a half-whisper.

Hugo glanced briefly while playing with the end of his pen.

“There’s one last car that finished inspection.”

“Is everything complete?” he asked without needing to look at his conversation partner.

“It’s all done, Boss. Nothing is missing.”

“Did you take the samples?”

“I did. They’re in Boss’s car in the parking lot.” Zein smiled broadly. “I think Boss Sam will definitely like them.”

“Did you arrange the delivery for the client and Flown?”

“Everything is done, Boss.”

Hugo nodded in understanding. He took a bunch of grapes and ate them easily, savoring the sweet and slightly sour taste. His eyes remained fixed on the ongoing activities. Monitoring the alcohol supply delivery to the Southern Division was a must for him. It was a task entrusted to him by Sam. This time, the number of deliveries had increased dramatically.

Quassano’s influence on the Twin Dragons had a significant impact this time. The sales figures for thousands of bottles of alcohol, including Sam’s favorite, had sharply increased. While the Twin Dragons controlled the entire Southern region, their boss explored most of the Northern territory. No one dared to oppose them, let alone interfere with their activities.

Sam was solidifying his territory.

Zein felt that there was nothing more to report and chose to retreat to his position. At the first checkpoint where the large vehicle carrying thousands of bottles of liquor exited, it seemed trivial what Hugo was doing. But in reality, he was scrutinizing each crate filled with beautiful and tempting bottles. His sharp eyes inspected them because he didn’t want any irregularities in the delivery.

The Twin Dragons had never experienced such a situation before, but Hugo didn’t want to relax his working system. Perhaps because of this, Sam entrusted this task to Hugo. Although Eland sometimes helped, the ruler of the Twin Dragons had assigned more specific tasks to the two of them. The last 5-ton capacity truck slowly crawled along the road out of the harbor. Which meant Hugo’s job was done.

The man grinned with satisfaction. He quickly closed the file that had been in his hands all this time. He walked out of the room with wide steps. His mind was focused on one thing; the game he had postponed a few hours ago. He didn’t want to fall too far behind in the second round. In two months, he had to attend the final competition held in a bustling city-Dubai.

Before he reached the team rankings in the final round, he had to defeat many other teams, right?

“Boss, Mr. Ferdi will be here soon.”

His light steps came to a halt. “What did you say?”

“Um… Mr. Ferdi is on his way here. Didn’t Boss Hugo know? You─”

Hugo clicked his tongue in annoyance. He took out his cell phone, which he had been carrying, and quickly searched for the name he was looking for before making the call. “You’re coming here?” Hugo didn’t care much for small talk, especially when it came to Ferdi, a close friend of his boss, Sam. “Yes,” Ferdi replied briefly on the other end.

“Hurry up! I want to practice.”

“Geez, Hugo!” Ferdi laughed. “You’re still not satisfied with the results from two days ago?”

Hugo sneered, “Are you mocking me?”

“Not like that.” Ferdi continued laughing. “Based on my prediction, your team will lose completely if you insist on using that strategy.”

“Hey, you bastard! Don’t just talk big! Hurry up and come here. I want to hear advice from a cop who doesn’t understand gaming like me!”

He immediately ended the call on his phone. He still couldn’t believe he could speak casually with someone like Ferdi. But if he thought about it, his relationship with Ferdi couldn’t be taken lightly. Despite often doubting the connections and working methods of the uniformed man, Hugo still had to warn Sam because betrayal could come from anywhere, right?

Ferdi could be capable of that. Who knows?

Although Hugo had never found Ferdi involved in anything that harmed Sam until now. If that man dared to play with Sam’s trust, Hugo wouldn’t hesitate to unleash his weapon. If it weren’t for the police officer who recently received a promotion, where Ferdi’s position was no longer just a commander, but overseeing the heads of several sectors. Ferdi should be grateful for the chaos Sam created at Alfred Mansion a few months ago.

“Tell Ferdi to come to my office,” Hugo said firmly to Zein and the others. No one objected, and one of them followed Hugo’s steps towards the second floor, intentionally to serve Hugo and the upcoming guest.

“After this, you and Zein go to Flown.”

“Alright, Boss.”

Hugo chose to sit comfortably on the available sofa. The room was made as cozy as possible, with a computer set up with a large screen. Sometimes he used it to play games while waiting for reports around the harbor.

To kill time, Hugo took out his phone again. Just as he was about to log into the game that always demanded his focus, a message came in, causing him to straighten his back.

Hera:

Are you coming home today? I grilled some fish.

“Damn it!” Hugo cursed, imagining the tempting lunch that Hera offered. Why did Ferdi have to come for a visit? Just to do an inspection? Why not one of his subordinates? Ugh!

“What’s wrong, Boss?” The young man had just placed the bucket of ice cubes. One of the best grapes from their storage was placed as a treat. His hands trembled slightly as Hugo appeared agitated, and he was confused about why his boss suddenly raised his voice.

“After you’re done, just return to headquarters. Let Zein wait for me.”

“Alright, Boss.” The young man continued his work and bid farewell. Leaving Hugo busy with his phone. It had become a habit for Hugo to shift his phone into a horizontal position more often. Soon enough, shouts and curses would be heard due to the game that absorbed much of his concentration.

The difference was that Hugo’s curses were directed at the game he was playing seriously. If there was no phone in front of him, it meant Hugo was angry.

On the other hand, Hugo quickly replied to the message. Impatiently waiting for the response. He sighed, feeling that it took a long time for a reply to arrive.

Hugo:

Sure. I have some things to do. Wait for me.

“Damn it!” Hugo grumbled in annoyance. He placed his phone on the table. His gaze shifted to the bottle of dark black wine and the accompanying glass. He didn’t need to wait for Ferdi’s arrival just to enjoy the contents of the bottle. He swirled the contents in the glass, creating ripples that emerged and tingled his senses.

He sipped it slowly, as if the taste was coursing through his mouth, creating a different sensation.

“Drinking alone, Hugo?”

His eyes, which were used to staring fearlessly at his interlocutors, quickly found a new focal point-the presence of Ferdi. Without hesitation, he sat in front of Hugo and poured himself a glass.

“Drinks like this are most enjoyable when shared.” Ferdi laughed after taking a sip. “This is good. Where did you get the supplier?”

“Don’t make things up.” Hugo leaned back comfortably. “We never changed suppliers.”

“But this one is different from what Sam usually gives.” He examined the bottle closely. “Damn it! Is this an old release enjoyed only now? It clearly tastes different.”

Hugo pursed his lips. “What’s the reason for you coming here?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Ferdi took out his phone and pushed it towards Hugo, showing him a specific photo he wanted to share. Although many people looked askance at his friendship with the ruler, Ferdi understood best what he was doing. The path he was taking and the agreements he often made with Sam.

All this time, the man with the dragon tattoo on his chest had never denied his words. Often, he was even helped by the information Sam provided, although the bet he made was how to cover up all the movements of the Twin Dragons without arousing suspicion. He had done it for the past few years.

“Isn’t this the entry route from the Adre River?”

“Take a closer look at the flag on that white ship.” Ferdi once again enjoyed the taste of the wine that greeted his tongue. “It belongs to Quassano.”

“I know,” Hugo returned the black object. “I will talk to Sam about the Quassano ship passing through there. The Adre River area is forbidden to enter. The politics in these two regions heavily focus on Quassano and its relationship with the Twin Dragons. I don’t want the Twin Dragons to get too involved. Sam has given us limitations regarding cooperation.”

“I understand,” Ferdi nodded slowly. “But you should know how an Alfred is when giving orders. Rarely does anyone defy, including people in the government, let alone in my organization. There’s no escaping it.” He chuckled sadly. “Don’t let what happened some time ago make Sam appear subservient to the Alfreds.”