There are two things that are essential to Italians: one is the romantic longing for freedom, and the other is espresso.
Bruno poured the freshly brewed coffee into two small white porcelain cups, walked over to the simple bedside table, and handed one cup to Caesar.
"I'm not sure what happened to you, but at least for now, relax a little. Have some coffee."
Caesar couldn't help but smile slightly as he looked at the steaming coffee in the porcelain cup, the rich aroma floating in the air.
He then picked up the cup and took a sip.
The rich and strong coffee had a slight bitterness, lingering in his mouth for a while. Caesar slowly closed his eyes and softly said, "Thank you, it tastes great."
"From the way you look, you don't seem like a poor person. You must have been quite wealthy before, right?"
Bruno sipped his coffee, looking Caesar up and down, guessing, "I've seen many people, but not many like you, who give off such an annoying vibe."
"Annoying vibe?"
Caesar frowned, sniffed himself, and after confirming there was no strange smell, looked at him in confusion.
"It's the noble aura." Bruno grinned and pointed at Caesar. "You look like one of those fallen princes in movies, totally out of place here."
Caesar smiled but didn't answer the question.
In a way, Bruno wasn't wrong. The heir of the Gattuso family was even more noble than some country's princes.
"By the way, how did you get those injuries?"
Bruno looked at him curiously and asked, "Gunshot and knife wounds. Were you being chased by the Mafia?"
"Sort of." Caesar nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry, I'll leave here by tomorrow morning at the latest. I won't trouble you."
"Are you worried I'll get into trouble? Or do you think I'm scared of trouble?"
Bruno furrowed his brows, sat up straight, and stared at Caesar with a serious expression. He said, "Although I'm a thief, I've always wanted to become a true man. Since you saved my life, I will repay you no matter what. So don't worry!"
A true man… Caesar fell into silence, a bit surprised by Bruno's dream.
Usually, many people's dreams revolve around money or power, but he rarely heard someone's dream was to simply become a true man.
"A true man, huh? That's a good dream." Caesar acknowledged Bruno's dream, his gaze sincere. "Sorry, I take back what I said earlier and apologize to you."
Though he was proud, Caesar had always been clear about right and wrong. He knew he had misunderstood Bruno earlier, so he apologized without hesitation.
"It's alright, a real man never worries about little things like that." Bruno smiled, not taking it to heart, and even comforted Caesar.
"For now, stay here. I'll go out and get medicine for you. Once your wounds heal, you can leave."
"I really appreciate your kindness, but I can't stay here for too long."
Caesar politely declined his offer, smiling. "The people chasing me are much stronger than you think. If I stay here, they'll find me soon."
"Stronger than the Mafia?" Bruno asked. In his understanding, the Mafia was already a very powerful force.
"Much stronger." Caesar had no way to explain to a street thug how powerful the hybrid secret society was. After thinking for a moment, he tried to put it into simpler terms.
"It's like Marlon Brando. Do you understand? Someone even more powerful than the Godfather by a few hundred times."
Upon hearing this, Bruno immediately understood. But seeing Caesar's injuries, he shook his head and said, "No, you're seriously injured. Instead of running around, you should stay here and rest."
When Caesar tried to argue, Bruno reassured him, "Don't worry. This is the slums. I grew up here, and I can spot outsiders from a mile away. Nothing will happen."
Caesar had no choice but to agree, "Alright, but you need to be careful."
Bruno, feeling idle, leaned against a wall on the street, looking for his next target to steal from.
Suddenly, he noticed a few unfamiliar faces on the road. They were wearing black suits, clearly outsiders, which made Bruno instantly cautious.
At that moment, one of the men in black seemed to sense something and turned to look directly at Bruno.
Damn, I've been spotted!
Bruno's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his expression calm.
The man in black walked across the street and stood right in front of Bruno, his cold gaze making Bruno uncomfortable.
"Hey, brother, is there something you need?" Bruno tensed up, pretending to be nervous, but inside, he was on high alert.
"Why were you looking at us just now?"
The man stared at him, his words carrying an overwhelming pressure.
"No... nothing." Bruno was visibly anxious, his face twitching as he stammered, "Did... Did you make a mistake, brother?"
"Still lying?!"
The man in black sneered, clearly seeing through Bruno's lie. Without warning, he grabbed Bruno's throat, his fingers tightening around it. "I'll ask you one more time—why were you looking at us?"
Bruno, whose neck was tightly gripped, felt his breath suffocating, veins bulging on his face, and his eyes bloodshot. "I'll tell you... I'll tell you..."
Only then did the man in black loosen his fingers, his cold gaze lingering. "Speak. I don't think you want to lie anymore. Otherwise, you can imagine the consequences."
"Cough... cough..."
Bruno knelt on the ground, coughing desperately, fear all over his face as he begged. "Big brother, big brother, I was wrong, I was greedy, I was stupid. I was just spying on you because I thought you were rich, so I... planned to steal something. Big brother, please spare me."
The man in black frowned slightly. Looking at Bruno kneeling and begging, he sneered coldly, then raised his foot to kick Bruno in the stomach, cursing. "Little punk, get lost!"
The force of the kick was unimaginable. Bruno felt at least two ribs break, the sharp pain in his abdomen almost knocking him off balance. Sweat poured down his forehead, but he still forced himself to get up.
"Yes, yes, thank you, big brother. I'll leave, I'll leave now!"
With that, he hunched over, limping, and quickly darted into the alley.
A few others approached, asking, "Damon, what was that about?"
Damon shook his head, looking slightly disdainful. "It's nothing, just a thief. I've already dealt with him."
"Forget it, just a little punk, no need to worry about it."
His companion patted his shoulder and said, "Don't waste time. The intel says he was here three days ago. Let's start the search."
"I'm already searching. The problem is, the 'Snake' territory is so vast. What can I do?" Damon sighed, grumbling.
"Who knows where he went? Naples is so big. If we search one by one, when will we ever find him?"
"It's fine. The people from above are arriving soon, and they'll help you out."
His companion smiled. "The Blood Link can search for people with dragon blood within a certain range. With your 'Snake,' we'll find him soon enough."
"Blood Link? Finally, they're thinking straight!" Damon sighed in relief, then asked, "When will they be here?"
The man checked his watch. "Soon, the word from above is they'll be here in a few minutes."
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