The Potion and the Candy

“Bruce… Mr. Wayne.”

The atmosphere in the bar was heavy, suffocating. Rat King Sam slowly lifted the blood-soaked head he held, presenting it to Ewan Campbell.

The old woman’s face, etched with fury and despair, was stained with blood, resembling ancient bark weeping crimson tears.

It was impossible to imagine the beauty that once captivated even great nobles from this withered visage; only her dying resentment and hatred remained.

The Rat King bowed deeply, his expression solemn and respectful.

“I have brought you what you desired.”

“You’ve done well, Sam. Very well indeed.”

Ewan Campbell clapped Rat King Sam on the shoulder, a faint smile playing on his lips.

With a flick of his wrist, a crystal card soared through the air towards Sam.

“An anonymous account at the Imperial Bank, one hundred million. If you doubt my word, you may send someone to verify it.”

“There’s no need, Mr. Wayne. Of course, I trust you implicitly.”

A flicker of fervent greed ignited in Sam’s eyes as he accepted the crystal card.

Without another word, Sam straightened up and silently positioned himself behind Ewan Campbell.

Just as before, his dwarfish figure melted back into the shadows.

“Very well, gentlemen. My demonstration is concluded. Now, it is time for your answers.”

Ewan Campbell habitually adjusted his top hat, smiling as he gazed at the silent, wordless gang leaders.

His tone remained calm and mellow, yet the underlying meaning was now entirely different.

A chilling draft, seemingly from nowhere, swept through the tightly sealed room, causing a shiver to run through them.

The leaders’ eyes darted from Ewan Campbell to the Rat King, hidden in the shadows behind him. Their gazes flickered, and their faces were ashen with dread.

The delicate balance had been shattered.

If this terrifying individual before them had remained alone, they might have stood a chance, united. However, with the Rat King’s definitive allegiance, everything had changed.

A formidable power whose true strength remained unknown, combined with the Rat King, infamous for his cunning and ruthlessness throughout the lower district, and an unknown number of crossbowmen under his command…

Should they dare to cross him, not a single one of them would leave this room alive. Thus, if they wished to preserve their lives, there was only one possible answer.

‘Damn it. I should have acted earlier. Since this was the inevitable outcome, I might as well have pocketed the hundred million myself. The Rat King just got a freebie.’

A varying degree of remorse was etched on every face.

Yet, after a brief silence, these leaders, who commanded the lower district, collectively bowed their heads—a gesture they had not made in a very long time.

“Mr. Wayne.” Their tone was deferential.

“Excellent. It seems you have all made the correct choice.”

Ewan Campbell’s gaze swept over them. In the dim light, he could not discern their true expressions, nor could he tell if their surrender was genuine or if ulterior motives simmered beneath the surface.

But none of that mattered.

Ewan Campbell picked up the bottle of fine wine he had been drinking and retrieved a few small glasses from behind the bar. He poured them himself, filling each one.

“Come, then.”

Ewan Campbell raised a glass first. “Let us celebrate this momentous occasion.”

No one moved immediately. Despite the glasses being merely crystal and the wine fragrant, these men looked as if they had seen something truly terrifying, their faces contorted with fear.

They had clearly seen Ewan Campbell add a small white pill to each glass of wine, except for the Rat King’s.

“Bruce… Mr. Wayne, what did you add to the wine?” someone asked, their voice trembling.

“Nothing much.”

Ewan Campbell replied nonchalantly, “Just a precious magic potion that will cause your entire body to rot if you betray me. I spent a fortune on it. Aren’t you touched?”

Touched?

They were too terrified to move!

The leaders stared at their wine glasses in horror, hesitating to reach for them. To drink this wine would surely mean becoming complete puppets of this man.

They would lose their precious freedom. Yet, to refuse would mean losing their equally precious lives.

Freedom or life. It was a choice. So, everyone wavered.

“Pfft…”

Just then, they heard the man laugh.

“Don’t be so tense. I was merely making a joke to lighten the mood. It’s fake.”

Ewan Campbell chuckled, swirling his glass. “I just added peppermint candy. I heard that adding peppermint to this kind of wine makes it much smoother, so I wanted to try it.”

As he spoke, he tossed one of the white pills into his own glass. After it dissolved, he unhesitatingly drained the glass.

He smacked his lips after finishing. “The taste is indeed much better.”

“…” It was a joke, but no one could bring themselves to laugh.

After a brief silence, Ewan Campbell looked at the still-hesitant leaders, raising an eyebrow, his expression turning cold. “Why aren’t you drinking? Are you looking down on me?”

“Drink… We’ll drink…”

The leaders exchanged glances, eventually picking up their glasses. But at the last moment, they couldn’t help but ask in trembling voices, “Mr. Wayne, is it really just peppermint candy inside?”

“Well…”

Ewan Campbell’s smile grew enigmatic. “You guess.”

****

Ultimately, faced with the threat of death, everyone drank the wine.

Indeed, there was a hint of peppermint in the drink.

However, once a seed of doubt is planted, it will only continue to take root and sprout. Magic potion or candy? It all depended on their inner thoughts.

But unless pushed to a dead end, no one would be willing to gamble on that fifty-fifty chance. Therefore, everyone understood that, at this moment, they truly had a new master named Bruce Wayne.

This time, they had not willingly handed over their leashes. Instead, this man had forcefully secured a leash around each of their necks.

“A masterful move, Mr. Wayne.”

The Rat King, who had unhesitatingly drained his glass in the darkness, praised him. He could already feel the hateful gazes directed his way.

From this moment, he had automatically become Bruce Wayne’s confidant. Simultaneously, as the only one who hadn’t consumed the ‘candy,’ he was now eyed with hostility by everyone else.

Should he ever fall out of favor, these very individuals might tear him to shreds.

“You flatter me.”

Ewan Campbell smiled. “Watching too many TV dramas does have its benefits.”

“TV dramas?”

“Please, pay it no mind.”

Ewan Campbell looked up, gazing into the distance.

Dong—

In the distance, the great clock tower chimed, announcing the arrival of midnight. The long night was far from over; in fact, it had only just begun.

“So now, what would you like to do?”

The Rat King asked respectfully.

“Do something?”

Ewan Campbell tapped his fingers, deep in thought. Then, he drew his gaze back from the distance and looked before him.

In the dimly lit bar, nine gang leaders stood respectfully in two rows. Outside the bar, along the seemingly empty streets, thugs from various gangs gathered in the shadows, a teeming mass of humanity, yet utterly silent.

They all awaited the man’s command.

“First, help me investigate a few things.”

Ewan Campbell adjusted his suit and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, slowly walked into this dark district. “Secondly…”

Ewan Campbell looked in a certain direction, a cold smile curving his lips. “I shall first bestow upon you all a wave of benefits.”