The Conqueror Of Cities!

57  A New Gang

Several hours later, I woke up, dazed and disoriented. As I left my cell, I was shocked to see that all the juveniles were back to their usual activities, as if nothing had happened. They seemed entirely unfazed by the chaotic events. But then, like a bolt of lightning, Damir and Zehar's words echoed in my mind.

"They were right. This place is a hellhole, but I expected as much. Now that I'm more familiar with the environment, I can start my operations here."

Descending the metal stairs, I noticed Zehar sitting alone at one of the tables, waiting for someone to play chess with. Seeing his solitary state, I approached him and said, "Let's play."

His eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, for real? Hell yeah!"

We slowly started battling against each other laser-focused and calculating every move. In war, there is always a victor and a loser, but I was determined not to be the one to lose.

The tension mounted as beads of sweat formed with each move, causing our hands to tremble as we sat across the wooden chessboard. With my queen, I meticulously captured all his smaller pieces, but halfway through, my queen was taken, leaving me without heavy artillery. However, I cleverly diverted his attention with my rooks, bishops, and knights, eventually reaching the finale where I managed to promote one of my pawns to regain my queen. In a matter of seconds, I gained a significant advantage.

With only a queen, a knight, and a rook left on my side and none for him, the scales were tipped in my favor. I capitalized on this advantage by capturing his queen, leaving him with no defense. The inevitable conclusion was a checkmate, sealing my victory.

His defeat brought him back to reality. "Damn, you got me! Good job!" Zehar shook my hand.

"Hahaha, I was just lucky, but Zehar, I've been meaning to ask you..." My tone turned serious. "Why are you even here? You don't seem that bad."

"Well, to put it simply, I sent multiple bomb threats to different schools across the country."

"Huh?! HAHAHAHAH, why the fuck did you do that?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, it just seemed fun. But that alone wouldn't have landed me in a maximum-security juvenile prison. I also attempted to make homemade bombs and detonated them deep in a forest,"

"Man, you're crazy, hahahaha!" I said between laughs.

Curious about my own situation, Zehar asked me why I was in juvenile. I replied, "For attacking and stealing from someone. Anyway, I need to take care of some business while I'm here. Goodbye," I said, abruptly standing up from the hard iron chair and heading to the cat gang members I beat up.

I asked around where they were and quickly found their cell. Whistling a nonchalant tune, I ascended the stairs and confidently entered the dimly lit room where two of the members were held captive.

"Yo," I greeted them with a sinister grin, raising my hand in a half-hearted wave.

Their faces paled with shock and fear as they stammered, "Wh-Why are you here!?" Their backs pressed against the cold, brick wall.

"Don't be scared, you pussies. I'm here for something," I said, taking a seat on the bunk bed.

"W-What do you want?" one of them stammered.

"Since this 'prison' is ruled by the fist, and I beat your entire gang, that means you all are under me now, right?" I stated assertively.

18:00

"F-Fuck no, man! Only if you want to join our gang!" the other blurted out.

In an instant, I rose from my seat, gripping the guy's face with my hand and slamming it against the wall. "What the fuck did you say?" I menacingly asked, my gaze piercing into his soul.

The other guy fell back on his ass in fear, stuttering, "A-Alright, just stop this shit already!"

I released my grip making the guy fall on the ground, "You're fucking crazy man!" He said breathing loudly on the floor.

Ignoring his insult, I calmly returned to my seat on the bunk bed. "It's settled then. From today onward, this prison will have one more gang... The Fools."

"You fucking mocking us? Besides, the other gangs won't allow such a name! Naming gangs after animals is part of the culture here!" one of them retorted.

"They can try to stop me, but they'll all meet the same fate," I said, clenching my fist. "Destruction!"

With my new gang established, I left their cell and went to recruit the other Cat gang members. After forcing them to join, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

On my way back to my cell, I noticed Zehar sitting all by himself, still eagerly waiting for a chess partner. Letting out a sigh, I changed my course and descended the stairs, making my way to sit beside him once more. This time, my expression was serious.

"You're here to play again?" Zehar asked with excitement in his eyes.

"No, I'm just here to tell you I'm not a 'lonewolf' any longer. I am now a respected gang leader!" I announced, his eyes widening.

He looked at me, surprised yet disappointed. "No way, bro. Why?"

"I came into this prison with a plan. I didn't end up here by coincidence. There's something I want, and forming a gang will help me achieve my goals faster. So Zehar," I reached out my hand to him,  "Will you join my gang and help me achieve my goal and further solidify a successful future for you or will you be a man waiting to be the next victim here."

Zehar slapped my hand away, angry. "I ain't joining your fucking gang, bro. I thought you were different from all these animals!"

"Animals? No, you're mistaken. We are The Fools. Hahaha, it's a fitting name for this entire prison."

"Pfh that's different I guess, but I didn't mean it that way. Why can't there be any diplomacy in this prison? Why do all the workers and inmates here solve their problems with brute force? It's not human."

Hearing Zehar talk about diplomacy so passionately I knew immediately what to say for him to join me.

"Zehar, diplomacy isn't an option because the powerful don't want to lose their power! You have to understand, they're all greedy. But me? No, I'm different. As the future most powerful person here, I can bring diplomacy into this prison! So join me. That's why I came here—to bring diplomacy!" I lied convincingly, trying to persuade him.

Zehar fell silent, contemplating his decision. After a few moments, he finally responded, "No, Dionis, I'm sorry. I don't want to participate in any fight."

Sighing, I whispered to myself, "I didn't want to choose this option for you, man." Then I sent a signal to my 5 men.

All five of them approached Zehar from behind towering him, ready to fight.