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In front of a factory at the East Port of Starling.
Two groups were facing off, guns raised and tension ran thick in the air.
Frank and Anthony Venza were locked in a heated disagreement over the matter of "cooperation."
Behind them, their respective men were eyeing each other warily, weapons ready.
"How long has it been?"
In a business car parked behind Frank, Allen asked Helena, a bit impatiently.
Helena thought for a moment.
"Twenty minutes, give or take."
"Twenty minutes and they still haven't started fighting? Are gangsters this civilized and polite now?" Allen couldn't help but complain.
Helena had a smile on her face.
"He couldn't refuse when you insisted on bringing me along, but he also doesn't want anyone to see him in a bad light. His image is important to him,"
"So, he planned to use your presence to take down this other guy, but had to improvise. Without you stepping in, he's not confident he can deal with the guy himself. That's why it's been such a stalemate."
"I'm not interested in waiting around forever." Allen opened the car door, took Helena by the leash she wore, and stepped out of the car.
The crowd slowly parted as the two of them approached, and Frank immediately felt a bad premonition.
"Is that your daughter?"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Frank, is this the reason you suddenly dared to meet me and talk so brazenly? You gave your own daughter away like a dog just to find someone to help you? What, you think this guy can handle my group all by himself? Hahahaha..."
Despite being a bit shocked by the way Helena was presented, Anthony Venza recognized her instantly.
It didn't take long for him to piece together the situation and understand why Frank had the sudden courage to provoke him.
After the moment of shock, his expression turned into mocking.
These guys really cared about their pride. So, seeing Frank's daughter like that, Anthony, couldn't help but laugh.
Not just him, but his entire group of men began laughing along.
Frank raised his gun, ready to shoot Anthony on the spot, but then, a line interrupted everything.
"These guys sure are noisy."
Allen frowned lightly and let go of the rope in his hand. His entire body suddenly lit up.
Electric current crackled across his body, dazzling and growing in intensity.
In an instant, it was as if the entire world was bathed in a blinding light.
"Up!"
Allen raised his hand to the sky, and the current surged upward, turning into thunder that roared into the clouds.
Silence fell.
Complete, deathly silence.
Everyone who had been laughing moments ago was now frozen, as if someone had pressed a universal pause button.
They all stared at Allen, his body surrounded by arcs of electricity.
Drip, drip...
Raindrops started to fall from the sky, and the stunned onlookers blinked, slowly emerging from their shock and realizing what was happening.
"And down!"
Allen pointed toward the factory behind Anthony and his men.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rocked the sky.
Lightning crashed down, striking the factory dead-center.
The roof was instantly obliterated, and just seconds later, multiple explosions followed.
Flames erupted.
The impact, combined with the raw electrical force of the thunder, generated a massive shockwave that ripped through the area.
Time seemed to freeze.
Eventually, the heavy raindrops subsided… the glowing thunder dissipated, and the factory was reduced to ash.
There was barely any structure left, just a few smoldering remains.
All around, both Anthony Venza's and Frank's men lay scattered on the ground.
Some twitched slightly, foaming at the mouth.
Others, less lucky, had been fried on the spot by the surge of electricity.
Only Allen and Helena remained standing, like a lone pine in a storm.
"Hmm. Guess I went a bit overboard," Allen muttered, walking up to Frank, who was sprawled on the ground.
"Are you dead? No? Good. Time for business then."
Frank, pale and panicked, shook his head instinctively in reply to Allen.
Only after a long moment did he realize that Allen was speaking to him.
Snapping back to his senses, he staggered to his feet and walked over to the collapsed Anthony Venza.
Anthony tried to struggle, but his body wasn't responding.
His face was a mask of terror.
Frank raised his gun, the anger from the ridicule he received still burning in his chest.
His voice rang out loud and clear.
"There's no shame in selling your dignity. The shame lies in selling it for too cheap."
"This, this is what that one man you mocked can do!"
BANG!
Anthony dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Frank stood proudly over the body, but just as he was about to boast, he looked around at the utterly annihilated factory and stiffened.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Allen wasn't interested in Frank's speeches.
He let out a small smile, tugged Helena's leash, and walked off.
Back in the car.
Allen started the engine and drove away.
Inside, Helena glanced at him and quietly asked.
"Was that your strongest power?"
"My strongest?" Allen chuckled and shook his head.
"No. If I used my full power, I'd probably blow up the Earth."
In theory, his strength had no upper limit.
With [Stacking], even one punch could be enough to crack the planet in two.
'In theory…'
Not long after Allen and Helena left, the East Port was thrown into chaos.
Police cars and fire trucks arrived rapidly.
Frank had just finished disposing of Anthony's body when he found himself facing waves of police questions.
He told the truth, for the most part, but left out the part where Allen had been the one who summoned thunder and executed Venza's men with godlike power.
As for whether the police believed him?
Without any evidence, and with something as unbelievable as summoning thunder involved, who would believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes?