Anthony's heart raced as he struggled to find his voice. "C-chief," he finally stammered, the word barely audible.

Chief sniffed, his eyes never leaving Anthony's face. "Anthony..." he began, his tone deceptively calm.

"Yes sir," Anthony responded, fighting to keep his composure. His palms were clammy, and he could feel the dampness seeping into his shirt.

"Tell me something. Do I look like a joke to you?" Chief's words were measured, each one a carefully placed landmine.

Anthony swallowed hard, feeling like he'd just tried to down a golf ball. "No sir, you... no sir."

"Then why, in the gods' name, do you ignore my calls?" The question hung in the air, heavy with implied threat.

"I-I..." Anthony began, but words failed him.

Chief's eyes narrowed. "Do you have something better to do? Ohh... right! Obviously! You must have... you should have. How is the Afefe thing going?"

As he spoke, Chief uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. His fingers interlaced, creating a bridge upon which he rested his chin, regarding Anthony with an intensity that was almost palpable.

In that moment, Anthony realized that sometimes the most terrifying conversations aren't the ones filled with shouting and drama, but the quiet ones where every word carries the weight of a tsunami. And he was standing right in the path of that tsunami, armed with nothing but excuses made of tissue paper.

Anthony's breath shook, though he fought to hide it. "It's um... going... umm... it's going well. I'm almost - I'm this close," he managed, his voice betraying his lack of confidence.

Chief's eyebrow arched skeptically. "Does 'this close' entail the said Afefe sabotaging my meetings with uncrackable Trojan viruses or sending emails to my business partners, calling me a murderer?"

As he spoke, Chief's jaw clenched, the veins in his temple becoming more pronounced. Yet despite the clear anger simmering beneath the surface, his outward demeanor remained unnervingly calm.

The weight of Chief's words hit Anthony like a physical blow. The situation was far worse than he had imagined. Not only was Afefe targeting him, but she had set her sights on Chief as well. The implications were staggering, and Anthony realized that his own problems were just the tip of a very dangerous iceberg.

"Chief, I swear this to you... on my honor, I will-" Anthony began, his voice trembling.

Chief's interruption was swift and merciless, his voice rising slightly. "Oh, shut the fuck up, you nonentity. You have no honor."

As the words left Chief's mouth, Anthony became acutely aware of a new presence behind him. A chill ran down his spine as he sensed the imposing figure – a man of impressive stature, clad entirely in black from his suit to his tie. The snake tattoo that wound its way up his neck towards his shaved ebony head seemed to writhe in the fading light.

Panic rising in his chest like floodwaters, Anthony pleaded, "Chief, please..."

Chief's laughter was cold and humorless. "...honor? Please."

Instinctively, Anthony tried to stand, to put some distance between himself and this increasingly dangerous situation. But the newcomer's hand shot out, a single powerful motion sending Anthony crashing back onto the seat. The man's other hand remained hidden behind his back, a silent threat of what might come next.

Chief leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying the weight of a storm. "You know why you're still breathing? It's because I'm here to fix two colossal fuck-ups. And trust me, showing up at this... 'school' of yours is a courtesy I rarely extend."

Anthony held his breath, acutely aware of how precarious his position had become.

"I may have underestimated this Afefe girl," Chief continued, his eyes narrowing. "And it has become obvious she has influential backing."

The implications of those words sent Anthony's mind reeling. Afefe wasn't just some random threat – she had power, connections. The game had suddenly become far more dangerous than he'd realized.

"And, sadly, I overestimated you... Agaba," Chief concluded, punctuating his words with a sharp slap to Anthony's shoulder.

The physical contact, though brief, carried the weight of Chief's disappointment and barely contained fury. Anthony felt the last vestiges of his carefully constructed world crumbling around him. He was trapped between Chief's cold anger and the silent threat of the man behind him, with no clear path to salvation.

"Be that as it may, I'm a reasonable man," Chief continued, his voice deceptively calm. "I'd give you a last chance..."

Anthony's breath shook with relief as he stammered, "Thank you, Chief, I won't let you d-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the man with the snake tattoo moved with startling speed. His powerful hands held Anthony in place, the grip unbreakable despite Anthony's struggles. With his free hand, the tattooed man produced a syringe, uncapping it with deliberate slowness that only heightened Anthony's terror.

As the needle pierced Anthony's skin, Chief continued speaking as if nothing unusual was happening. "...but with incentives, of course." A cruel grin spread across his face. "A little kick."

The unknown substance flooded Anthony's system, and he felt his strength ebbing away. His eyes grew heavy, his vision blurring as he fought to stay conscious. "W-what have... what have you done?" he managed to slur.

Chief's smile never wavered as he delivered his chilling ultimatum. "The antidote to that bad boy inside you would only work within 48 hours. So, you have 48 hours to bring me Afefe, or I would let you waste like the excreta you are."

With a final, mocking tap on Anthony's shoulder, Chief stood up. The tattooed man released his grip, and Anthony slumped in his seat, disoriented and struggling to process the gravity of his situation. He could only watch helplessly as Chief and his imposing associate walked away.

As Chief rounded a flower bush towards his waiting convoy, a familiar voice called out. "Dad?"

He pivoted, his body moving before his mind could catch up, to see Funi approaching, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. "When I saw the convoy, I thought that was you... what are you doing here?"

In an instant, Chief's demeanor transformed. The cold, calculating criminal mastermind vanished, replaced by a doting father. His smile, warm and genuine-looking, creased the corners of his eyes.

"Daddy's chocolate," he grinned affectionately, the term of endearment a stark contrast to the man who had just threatened Anthony's life.

Funi smiled and hugged her father, blissfully unaware of the dark deeds that had just transpired.

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