THE ALGORITHM

4.

"That is what happens when you try to make changes." David decided to add his input.

"Pop..." Bilal called out with a slight frown. "Let's be honest, Manhattan is falling apart. Specifically, Hell's Kitchen. So many people live on the streets, and they're strung out on drugs."

"That's been going on for ages, son." David retorted. "Everyone likes to get high. I'm standing firm on what I said. That senator should've left everything alone."

Bilal pushed out air from his nostrils and eyed his grandfather in silence. There was no use in trying to get him to see the bigger picture. He had his moments where he tried to be open-minded. Today wasn't one of those days.

"And let this be the last time you involve yourself in a situation like this." David continued. "Hurry up and get that girl out of here."

"I need to talk with you," Greg told his son. "When you have time."

###

Later that day, Bilal had Cecil make the arrangement. He phoned a few of Andrew Choi's people. They were expected to meet Bilal in a safe zone—without the media and guns. Bilal wasn't fond of the public, and he didn't enjoy social media.

The safe zone was tucked away discreetly amidst the bustling streets of Hell's Kitchen. During the morning, the Manhattan citizens hurriedly made their way to work as they walked on the nearby sidewalks. You would occasionally see a cyclist or jogger passing by the area. During the nighttime, the area became still. The only exciting action was the flickering streetlights that illuminated the building.

Four black trucks with tinted windows drove inside the area. Bilal was inside the third truck. A few of his men sat inside with him. None were kin to him. They were regular soldiers who took an oath to hold their current position. They were responsible for keeping Bilal safe.

The soldiers were the least respected, but Bilal greatly appreciated his people. His men put their lives on the line for him—the oath required them to sacrifice their lives to keep Bilal alive and breathing. Most took the oath because they wanted to show their love and loyalty. Their duty was to serve and protect—even when the risk was greater than expected.

"Let's stop here. Check out the surroundings. If you see any bystanders, tell them to get the hell out of here. Let Kip know we're ready." Bilal gave orders to the men who were sitting in the truck with him. He watched as everyone left to do as instructed.

The men vacated the trucks and examined the area. They were dressed alike—in all-black attire. David started the dressing guidelines and restricted his workers to wearing only black suits. However, Greg stepped in and switched it around, and now Bilal had control.

He and his team were dressed casually—jeans, sweats, sneakers, hoodies, skullies, and jackets. However, they were still well-dressed. Greg and David still had a say over the dressing guidelines. Suits were still considered essential to wear in certain situations. Bilal allowed the men to be modern and comfortable.

After realizing everything was good and safe, they alerted Bilal. He walked inside the warehouse and decided to prepare himself. He didn't know how Andrew would come at him. The situation was so fucked up that he expected the senator to send a hitman to wipe them out.

Andrew Choi didn't take long to arrive with his security team. Bilal watched as he walked inside the cold warehouse. Andrew looked around and realized how empty and quiet the building was.

Bilal decided to meet him inside an empty warehouse that he owned. He didn't use the building since he had no plans for it. No illegal actions were happening inside the warehouse, so he chose it for their location meet-up.