James entered the basement, where over twenty of Xander's subordinates were gathered. Hundreds of security guards and dozens of subordinates outside had already been subdued by James.

"James? Were you the one?"

Xander, about to take David away, saw James entering. His face darkened, and he yelled, "Do you know where you are? Kneel! Admit your mistake and beg for forgiveness!"

James approached, immediately kicking Xander several meters. Xander landed hard, groaning in pain; he'd broken some bones.

"You…"

Xander, a seasoned criminal, recognized the skill in James's attack. This man was clearly a highly trained special forces soldier.

"James, right? We have no grievances. What is the meaning of this?" He stared at James.

James advanced, step by step. Xander reached for a weapon behind his back and retreated. James seated himself in Xander's chair, lit a cigarette. The vast basement fell silent, save for the click of his lighter.

"Kneel!" James roared. His voice, like thunder, echoed, causing Xander's eardrums to tingle. James exuded a powerful, oppressive, and murderous aura—the unmistakable presence of a seasoned, high-ranking combat veteran.

Xander, despite his underworld experience, felt his legs weaken; he instinctively wanted to kneel. James's roar didn't frighten him, but it compelled him to submission.

"Who are you?" Xander asked, his face grim.

"Xa… Mr. Xander. He's Thea's husband, David's brother-in-law, and the Callahans' son-in-law. Just a lowly soldier. Kill him."

Xander, still unable to stand, sat on the ground, glaring at James with hatred.

"Trash! I'm Yoel Smith, son of York Smith. Do you know who this is? The infamous Mr. Xander!"

James's eagle-like gaze met Yoel's. Yoel felt as if a fierce beast were staring him down, trembling and breaking into a cold sweat. Yoel Smith—the man who'd tried to steal his wife and manipulated Gladys into convincing Thea to divorce him.

Whoosh! A silver needle flew.

"Argh!" Yoel crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain. He begged for mercy, "James, I'm sorry! I made a mistake! Forgive me…" His body felt as if hundreds of needles pierced his skin; the more he scratched, the worse the pain became. He felt that death was preferable to his agony. "James, I was wrong! Please, let me go…"

Xander, beside him, sweated profusely. He witnessed the silver needle and Yoel's agonizing reaction. Xander's remaining twenty-plus subordinates were terrified; some fell to the ground.

"Xander?" James addressed the middle-aged man.

Bang! Xander immediately knelt.

"Mr. James! I was blind! Forgive me!" He knelt, hands behind his back, then drew a gun.

Boom! A gunshot rang out. But James was gone. Xander looked up, his fear palpable. Where had he gone?

(Note: The repeated promotional message "Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ Fɪndηovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality." has been removed as it is irrelevant to the text's content and disrupts the flow.)