Chapter 316

Joe wasn't up for running around town, hooking up with girls anymore.

From the phone call, it was clear John was hunting him down, probably wanting to kill him.

Scared out of his mind, Joe stuck with Mike and refused to leave. Michael had already tipped Mike off that the big four families were likely after Joe. He told Mike to keep an eye on Joe and not let him wander off.

After Mike left, he called Michael.

"Mr. Williams, it's all sorted. Joe's promised not to run off again. I didn't even have to tell him about the four families. Just one call from John, and he was clinging to my legs, begging for protection," Mike laughed, remembering Joe's fear.

Michael chuckled, "Keep him safe for now. Once things calm down, send him abroad."

"Got it, Mr. Williams." Mike's face turned serious as he remembered something.

"Mr. Williams, remember that media company that spread rumors about Isabella and Mason?" Mike asked.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Didn't you say those guys fled abroad? Something new come up?"

"Yeah, one of them came back under a fake name. An acquaintance recognized him and tried to shake us down for money. We've lost track of him, but we're on it," Mike informed Michael.

Michael squinted, tapping the table lightly. Those rumors were probably Bianca's doing. But she couldn't have done it alone; there had to be someone backing her. Maybe this time they could catch those guys.

"Keep tabs on them. Once you find them, dig into who's behind them." Michael hung up, confident Mike could handle it.

Meanwhile, after John finished his call with Mike, he didn't get any useful info. He couldn't be sure if Joe was set up by Michael.

"Could it really be like Joe said, that Jasper bribed him with gold teeth?" John frowned, thinking it over. Of course, he had someone looking into Joe's whereabouts.

Not just John, but the other three big families were also on Joe's trail, along with Mason's crew.

"Any luck finding Joe?" Mason asked Charles.

Charles shook his head. "We only found some clues about how he joined the gang."

Mason, leaning on his cane, said seriously, "Spill it, I want to know how this guy showed up."

Charles nodded. "Joe joined a gang involved in illegal emigration two weeks ago. Through flattery and making good connections, he quickly gained respect in the gang. Because of his maturity, he became the gang leader's confidant. Then, a conflict broke out between this gang and another controlling the docks. During the struggle, the gang leader was killed. So Joe took over the gang and the illegal emigration business."

Mason lightly rubbed his cane, then suddenly smiled. "Joe's no simple guy, playing all four major families like that. Who do you think Joe's working for?"

Charles, with his head down, thought for a moment and said, "The info about that human smuggler came from Mr. John Williams. The only ones who saw Jasper that night were Mr. John Williams, Mr. Michael Williams, and Isabella. Isabella's the most likely, since she took Jasper to the hospital and had access to that info."

Mason shook his head slightly. "You're missing someone."

Charles suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "Are you talking about Isabella's husband?"

Mason nodded. "Isabella's husband has always been a mystery. She claims he's just an ordinary guy, but how could an ordinary person escape the scrutiny of the four major families?"

Charles nodded in agreement. "You're right. We've also suspected that Isabella's husband might be connected to a major force abroad. If that's the case, pulling off something like this is possible."

Mason stood up, leaning on his cane, and started pacing. "If this is Isabella's husband's doing, we don't need to worry. He'll have people keeping an eye on Jasper until they find the hidden funds."

Charles nodded. "Should we look into Isabella's husband's identity?"

Mason shook his head. "Forget it. We've found nothing so far, and we might not find anything this time either. Let's see how this plays out."

Mason suddenly remembered something. "By the way, what are the other three families up to?" he asked Charles.

"Paxton and the other two families have had several meetings recently. They even suspect that Jasper has hidden the family's secrets and embezzled funds together. So they're also looking for Joe. However, they seem to have shifted their focus and are now looking for clues on that departing cargo ship," Charles reported.

Mason smiled. "They're not fools. Joe's just a human trafficker. Their real target is Jasper."

Charles sighed. "But Mr. John Williams still sent most of the manpower to find Joe."

Mason sneered. "John's just too arrogant. Apart from me, his uncle, and his father, he looks down on everyone else. He got played by Jasper and Joe, so he can't handle his anger now. I'm getting more and more disappointed in him."

Mason sighed and walked to the potted plant in the living room, taking a small pair of scissors to trim the withered branches.

"The flowers in the greenhouse need a good trim before being transplanted to the wild. It's the only way they'll thrive in the harsh wind and rain." Mason abruptly cut off the thickest branch.