After two days of brewing, the impact of this incident had exceeded Jay's expectations.
People kept coming to pledge their allegiance, recognizing him as their boss.
Among them, of course, were the twenty or so men Buck had brought that day.
Clearly, they had all witnessed Jay standing up for Porter.
These people might not have had much combat ability, but even a rag has its uses.
Somehow, the things Jay had done in the past had been artistically exaggerated, leading to the creation of some bizarre rules.
For example, to join them and acknowledge Jay as their boss, the first rule was to loudly praise Boss Jay. Secondly, they had to sincerely admit that Boss Jay was the most handsome man in the world.
And lastly, they had to wash Boss Jay's underwear at least once!
Anyone who refused was kicked out immediately!
Apparently, this last rule was strongly insisted upon by Buck.
But he refused to admit it.
Now, can you imagine that scene?
No matter where Jay went, someone would suddenly pop up and compliment him on how handsome he was...
If it were women, it might be tolerable. But the problem was, every single one of them was a man!
Burly, short, fat, thin, every kind of man imaginable surrounding him, showering him with nauseating compliments.
Ugh!
Jay felt like throwing up his last meal.
And just when he finally managed to drive them all away, he returned to his dorm only to be greeted by a horrifying sight
A whole crowd of people was lined up outside his door like pilgrims, all eagerly waiting... to snatch his soon-to-be-discarded underwear.
F*ck!
The sheer thought of it made his scalp tingle!
Jay immediately blew up, cursing everyone away before dragging Buck over for a brutal scolding.
He ordered Buck to fix this mess immediately, if he failed, Jay would "fix" him instead!
Perhaps the commotion he caused was too big, because soon, Colonel Hammond summoned him again.
"Do you know why I called you this time?"
"No idea, sir."
"Here, take a look yourself. Over the past few days, how many people have reported you? In combat training, you deliberately injured your comrades, causing serious harm. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Jay didn't even glance at the documents thrown in front of him. He straightened his back and said, "Slander. Pure nonsense."
"Hah, so should I believe you, or these reports?"
Colonel Hammond sneered, about to light a cigar.
Before he could, Jay handed him a box just in time. "A little hometown specialty, sir."
Colonel Hammond paused, opened the box, and found not only ten fine cigars but also an assortment of his favorite "specialties," neatly arranged.
Last time, Jay had returned the money almost untouched, along with a box of premium cigars that Capone and Becky had gifted him.
Colonel Hammond put the cigar he was holding back into the box, replaced it with another, and lit it up before nodding in satisfaction. "Hmm, not bad. You've got taste."
Only then did a smile appear on Jay's face. "As long as you like it, sir. By the way, these worthless papers…"
Colonel Hammond waved his hand impatiently. "Burn them. They're an eyesore."
"But be more careful in the future. Don't be so reckless."
Jay put on an obedient look, but the moment he turned away, his eyes turned ice-cold.
"So sooner or later, I'll use this money to buy you a coffin."
For now, he had to endure. But once he had accumulated enough power, Hammond would be the first one to go.
This whole situation had also served as a wake-up call.
Colonel Hammond was a man who only recognized money, not people.
All his so-called "favor" and "protection" were entirely based on the benefits Jay brought him.
This time, Jay had used his last remaining funds to smooth things over.
But what about next time?
If he got into trouble again and couldn't pay his way out, would Colonel Hammond still cover for him?
Of course not!
"I need to find a way to make more money."
Jay's cold gaze fell on the pile of complaint letters in his hand.
"Might as well start collecting some interest from you lot first."
"Hey, Buck, what's this about? Why do we have to sneak around in such a secretive place?"
"Relax, it's good news. Just trust me."
"Fine, I'll believe you this time. But I'm warning you, if you're messing with me, even if you wash Jay's underwear every day, I won't let you off easy."
At those words, Buck's eyes turned cold for a second before he chuckled and brushed it off.
Then, as soon as they arrived at their destination, Buck suddenly kicked the guy hard.
"F*ck! Buck, are you out of your damn mind? You dare to hit me? Just because you sucked up to Jay by washing his underwear doesn't mean you can act all high and mighty! That bastard won't be around for long! When the time comes, I'll make sure you're the first to go. Believe it or not!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Jay walked over with a group of men, surrounding the guy in the middle.
Though most of Jay's men were those who were usually bullied, their sheer numbers were intimidating enough.
"Jay?! What are you trying to do? Stay back!"
"Ernie Whittaker, right? Didn't you just say I wouldn't last long? So why are you so scared?"
Jay glanced at the complaint letter in his hand and casually tossed it onto Whittaker's face.
Whittaker picked it up and, upon reading it, was instantly stunned.
"Why…? How is this in your hands?!"
Jay calmly took out a cigar, and Buck immediately stepped forward to light it for him.
As smoke slowly drifted from his lips, a cold smirk curled at the corner of Jay's mouth.
"Why? Obviously, because I paid more than you idiots. Moron."
Of course, Jay didn't tell the truth. Instead, he played up his connections.
"You wanted to report me? Do you even know what kind of relationship I have with Colonel Hammond? Ridiculous."
"Buck, show him."
At Jay's order, Buck pulled out a thick stack of complaint letters and threw them onto the ground.
Whittaker's face turned pale as he collapsed in panic.
They had assumed Jay was only able to get on Hammond's good side by bribing him.
If they pooled their complaints together and threw in a bit of money, they believed they could turn the tables on Jay.
At the very least, they thought they could force him to cough up another large sum to appease Hammond's "wrath."
If they kept doing this repeatedly… Jay would eventually be ruined.
But they never expected retaliation to come so fast!
And from the looks of it, Colonel Hammond had already sold them out completely.
Otherwise, how else could Jay have gotten his hands on these complaint letters?!
T/N: Here is the first extra chapter