"You said it!"
Seeing that John didn't care about his threats, Tony immediately pulled out his phone and called his brother, Bruce, giving him a furious rundown of what had happened.
"I'm coming."
Bruce hung up after those cold, chilling words.
Even through the phone, one could feel the terrifying rage behind them.
Tony pocketed the phone, pulled out a chair, and sat down with a sneer.
The next time he stood up, he thought, it would be to smash his fist into John's smug face.
"Mr. Lopez, what happened?"
A few members of the Long Family came into the room—Sophia, Arno, Brooke, and Buck.
They had been downstairs, unaware of the chaos that had erupted above. When they saw John leave earlier with Jacob, they didn't think anything of it.
It wasn't until the White Dragon King stormed into the hotel with a battalion of men that they realized something serious had happened. Shocked by the commotion, they decided to come up and see for themselves.
What they found shocked them even more.
John was here.
Guy Porter, the hotel owner, was here.
Lucien Ward, who had recently argued with them, was here.
And the man sitting in the chair—
Wait.
Was that Tony?
No... at first glance, it didn't look like him.
This guy was far too swollen and bruised to be recognized.
But a closer look confirmed it—that was Tony Will.
And if Tony looked like that… then…
It had to be John.
Everyone suddenly understood.
John casually answered their unspoken question, "It's nothing. Just a minor conflict with this guy—what's his name? Tony Will? Just a little thing."
A little thing?
Everyone from the Long Family froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
That was Tony Will.
Did John even know who he just beat up?
Tony wasn't some random thug. He was one of the most powerful young elites in Houston, born into wealth and influence. And John just casually slapped him around like it was no big deal?
Even worse, he looked completely unfazed.
Their expressions turned tense. Fearful.
Brooke's face changed instantly. He stepped forward and said anxiously, "Mr. Lopez, we all admire your courage, but Tony Will's background is… immense. Given the current climate, this might not have been the wisest move."
"Actually…"
Jacob opened his mouth, wanting to take the blame. He was the one who threw the first slap, not John. His brother-in-law had just backed him up.
But John raised a hand and cut him off.
No need for explanations.
John had allowed Jacob to act, so as far as he was concerned, it made no difference.
They were family.
John remained calm and composed.
But Brooke's legs had already started trembling. He quickly pulled Buck aside and whispered nervously, "Buck, this is bad. We can't afford to get on Tony Will's bad side!"
Buck nodded, face grim. "I know. We need to talk to Father immediately."
The two brothers pulled Arno aside.
After hearing their concerns, Arno's face darkened.
"You ungrateful fools," he snapped. "Don't forget—it was Mr. Lopez who saved my life. And now you question him?"
"Dad, it's not like we want to go against him," Brooke said quickly. "We're just saying… maybe we shouldn't stand too close to him for now. Let things cool down."
Ever since John accepted help from Master Bertha, they didn't dare make a direct enemy of him. But they wanted to send a signal to the Will family that the Long Family was staying neutral.
Arno frowned.
Buck saw the hesitation and pressed in. "Dad, even if you don't think about yourself, at least think about the rest of the Long Family. We can't afford to risk everything on Mr. Lopez. Brooke is right."
They used to worry about the Swift Family.
But the Will Family… they were on another level entirely.
The head of the Will Family, Carl Will, was a Guardian of the Central Martial Arts League.
If he chose to retaliate, he could do it in the shadows.
He had the power to frame them, imprison them, crush them—legally or otherwise.
It wouldn't even matter if they were innocent.
Because sometimes, the most terrifying enemy wasn't a criminal.
It was a so-called guardian of justice who used his sword of power to commit crimes under the guise of righteousness.
That was what scared them most.
After a long silence, Arno finally spoke, voice heavy. "Don't mention it again. I know what I'm doing."
The three returned to the banquet hall, looking frustrated and defeated.
John had seen everything.
Their whispering, their glances, their body language—it was all obvious.
But he didn't care.
What they thought didn't matter to him.
He had already decided to play this situation his own way.
Sophia looked at her grandfather, confused. "Grandpa, what were you three whispering about just now?"
"Nothing," Arno replied, shaking his head. "Let's see how Mr. Lopez handles this."
A few minutes later…
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed from outside the room, one after another, each one louder than the last.
Everyone knew exactly what that meant.
Bruce Will had arrived.
Everyone instinctively stepped aside and turned to look.
A young man in his late twenties entered the room.
He was strikingly handsome, with sharp features and confident eyes. Every step he took radiated arrogance and power.
He couldn't have looked more different from his brother Tony.
If not for the name, no one would ever believe they were related.
But he was, in fact, the younger brother of Houston's infamous ugly tyrant—Tony Will.
And now, he was here.