Chapter 170: Targeting Estefania
"Ahem."
Nando let out a deliberate cough.
William didn't care.
And Estefania cared even less.
She had been spoiled rotten her entire life—compared to William, she was far more indifferent to what Nando thought.
To her, life revolved around just a few things.
Pleasure… and more pleasure.
Her father was a drug lord, which meant he knew exactly how dangerous drugs were. Because of that, he had strictly forbidden her from ever touching them.
So the question was—
With a father like Nando, limited freedom, and no access to drugs… how was she supposed to deal with her frustrations?
After all, everyone faces stress and dissatisfaction in life.
Most people have options—music, dancing, movies, games.
But Estefania didn't.
Her identity only attracted people with ulterior motives—fake friends, calculated approaches.
Trapped in a life where she couldn't touch this or that, she eventually turned to the only outlet left to her.
And that… became her habit.
It was also Nando's biggest headache.
Every time he found a capable subordinate, that man would somehow end up entangled with his daughter.
Mark wasn't the first.
And certainly wouldn't be the last.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nando," William finally said, deciding it was time to be polite.
Nando didn't waste time.
"I heard from Steve—you can supply weapons?"
"Correct. As many as you need," William said, spreading his hands with a hint of swagger.
Nando narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Exaggeration isn't a good quality, kid."
Clearly, he didn't believe him.
After all, this was the United States.
If William had been some warlord operating out of Africa, maybe Nando would've taken that claim more seriously.
But clearly, William was just an ordinary American—at least on the surface.
Nando had already verified his background seven or eight times over the past few days. Only after confirming there were no obvious gaps did he agree to this meeting.
He had also confirmed that William was indeed dealing in arms.
The only unknown was his supply chain.
And judging purely by volume, William's current operations weren't exactly large-scale.
So this meeting was, in essence, a test.
Nando wanted to see whether William was just an overconfident rookie talking big—or if he actually had something real behind him.
But judging from William's calm, almost dismissive attitude, Nando began to suspect he might have misjudged him.
This kid… either had real backing—or was completely fearless.
---
"Heh, don't worry about that," William said lightly. "I do business on reputation."
"If you don't trust me, place an order. No deposit needed. When the goods arrive, we trade—cash for delivery. How about that?"
He knew Nando wouldn't believe him outright.
So the fastest way to build trust… was a real transaction.
Nando paused.
Even with all his experience, that proposal caught him off guard.
Someone willing to deal like that… he hadn't seen many.
Does this kid not understand the consequences of crossing me?
With that thought, Nando frowned slightly.
"Do you even know what happens if you try to screw me over?"
At this point, he was starting to think William might just be an idiot.
"Mr. Nando, that's a bit insulting," William replied calmly.
"If I can call you by name, I obviously know what you do."
"Do you really think I'd do something that pointless?"
"So given the situation, there's only one explanation."
"I—William Blake—can get you anything you want."
"Except maybe intercontinental missiles."
He wasn't bluffing.
At least, not entirely.
Seeing the confidence in his expression, Nando found himself… beginning to believe him.
"Fine," Nando said after a moment. "I'll give you a chance."
"I happen to need a batch of equipment."
He turned his head.
"Ado, bring the list."
Clearly, this wasn't improvised.
Nando had already considered doing business with him.
Which meant one thing—
There was demand.
And where there was demand, there was opportunity
Of course, for William, the deal itself wasn't the real priority.
Estefania was.
An ability like flame control was too valuable to ignore.
Even if he wasn't heading to the MCU world anytime soon… it was always better to be prepared.
---
A moment later, Ado handed over a detailed list.
William skimmed through it.
Mostly ground-combat equipment.
Some items he didn't currently have—but that wasn't a problem.
A quick trip to a military stockpile would solve that easily.
With his current abilities, slipping in without being detected wasn't difficult.
What caught his attention, though… were the quantities.
Large quantities.
Which meant—
This deal wouldn't be completed on U.S. soil.
Or rather, even if he dared to deliver it here, Nando might not be able to transport it back to Brazil.
William rubbed his chin slightly.
Going to Brazil?
He had no interest.
As for how Nando would deal with a sudden appearance of weapons on U.S. soil—
That wasn't his problem.
If anything, it would serve as a reminder.
A warning.
So Nando wouldn't underestimate him.
"Shouldn't be a problem," William said, nodding.
"I'll contact Steve once everything's ready. Just have the money prepared."
With that, he folded the list and put it away.
Nando watched him closely.
He genuinely couldn't figure this kid out anymore.
No hesitation. No nervousness. No signs of bluffing.
Everything about him suggested… absolute confidence.
As if he truly believed he could fulfill the order.
After a brief pause, Nando waved his hand.
"Fine. I'll be waiting for your call."
"Ado, see our guest out."
If this kid was bluffing—
Lake Michigan would soon have another body.
---
William, however, remained completely at ease.
Instead of leaving immediately, he walked over to Estefania.
"It was a pleasure meeting you today, beautiful," he said, taking her hand and lightly kissing the back of it.
He gave her a subtle wink—
and, at the same time, left a mental mark on her.
William was no gentleman.
He had no interest in taking things slow.
Tonight—
he planned to pay her a visit.
And claim what he came for.