The summer season could be said as the time when the G.o.d of Light got cursed the most. The hot and dry air in Dulin city was so unbearable that even the wild dogs idling along the streets barked loudly in protest of their suffering.
Apart from the irritable weather, these wild dogs were actually living quite a good life recently. Although rotten human flesh was not the most delicious, it was still meat after all, and the amount of this food source had increased to a point where they did not even have to lift a toe to find it.
The Lair appeared even more deserted after being patronized by the wild dogs. It had probably become the emptiest spot in the whole of Dulin. Every night, people made sure that they had locked their doors tightly. The streets were full of patrolmen under the mission led by the Ministry of Justice. All the lazy guys seemed to have turned over new leaves as they tirelessly inspected and searched every nook and cranny of the lair for remaining gang members.
The baron"s name became the most discussed throughout the entire t.i.tan over the course of just one night. All of the more important gang leaders had been informed by the baron that if they were still interested in conducting business with Dulin, they should all send a mediator there as soon as possible to settle the business transactions from the past. This was because the current Dulin was controlled only by one big brother, and every transaction must be granted the big brother"s permission before proceeding.
After so long, the lackeys of the Ministry of Justice finally had some time to begin clearing up the rotten bodies abandoned in The Lair. However, the clearing operation was still ongoing.
A cemetery had been arranged somewhere outside the perimeter of the city. Although the people who had seen the place realized that it was nothing more than a big pit, for these street gangsters that belonged nowhere, however, this was already much better than they could have ever wished for.
Of course, those who lived in the n.o.ble neighborhood of the capital had certainly no idea about anything that happened in The Lair. They did notice the disappearance of idlers on the streets of the capital but no second thoughts were given about that. This was certainly a good thing for them as both the social order as well as the appearance of the capital city improved for the better. The transformation of the capital had added more face for Marquis Andeses of the Ministry of Justice in front of the other ministers.
His Majesty the Emperor had never invite Marquis Andeses to the opera. Normally, the high official Ministry of Justice Roment Huga Andeses would spend his own money to partic.i.p.ate in this kind of high-culture leisure activity.
Marquis Andeses was extremely satisfied with his deal with the young prince. Luck seemed to have constantly been by his side after that. Over the past two days, the amount of compliments showered upon the minister was the most he had ever received throughout his entire life. Not only had His Majesty the Emperor awarded him with the Imperial Medal of Honor, but as a reward for his efforts on improving the image of Dulin, his territories were to be tax-exempt for up to two years. At the thought of this the minister could not help but smile from ear to ear, he would never reject any opportunity to collect more Golden Tis.
Similarly, 31 Penelope Road was also filled with a warm, positive atmosphere. The time in the official residence seemed to pa.s.s so quickly. Activities were always happening there: b.a.l.l.s, excursions, hunting trips. It seemed like this usually peaceful residence suddenly became Dulin"s most visited attraction, the new focus of the capital. People were amazed at the young prince"s ability to constantly create surprises.
Indeed, His Imperial Highness Prince O"Neil Andrew Morisette had become a little wild lately. In the words of Celia, the d.u.c.h.ess Lady of Andrew, "The young fellow has gone crazy! If you do not want your son and daughter to degenerate, then it"s best to make them stay away from the young prince."
With a few other equally esteemed ladies, the words of the d.u.c.h.ess Lady were conveyed to the ears of every aristocrat youth. Despite the plausible warnings of the elders, once they were out of the sight of their parents, these youths became insanely eager to attend all of the young prince"s invitations. After all, the idea of degeneration appealed to these superficial youths with empty souls, like the way children were attracted to candies.
These young people were thrilled to gain access to an unlimited supply of illegal substances that could not be obtained elsewhere other than the parties thrown by the young Prince O"Neil. Just to name a few, they could have good quality marijuana smuggled in from distant Papaica, pure tobacco imported from the capital of Persian-Baghdad West, authentic rum wine coming from the palace"s collection, and various medications to increase the intensity of illusions. They could possibly get whatever they wanted.
Midnight was approaching, but the Prince"s party was still going on loudly and it did not seem like it was to end anytime soon. The Baron"s men were proficient in all kinds of extremely obscene or even perverted hedonism, but for the young men and ladies of Dulin, this mode of play was regarded as admirable and outstanding ways of pleasure. It was safe to say that they could be easily contented by merely the companions.h.i.+p of opium and alcohol.
Celia was an old-fas.h.i.+oned, traditional mother. She would never have allowed her son to gather some playboys and h.o.r.n.y teenage girls to take drugs in her own house. So the young prince moved the meeting place to The Lair, in a small clubhouse that resembled a hotel. Of course, for privacy and security matters, the invitees to His Imperial Highness the Prince"s party would only be told of the time and location of the event shortly after getting approval from all the members of the club.
Inside the club, the light settings had to be always dim, with flirty music playing seductively in the background. There was no need for much food, but wine must always be enough, for the guests to have a hard time deciding which to drink from. The Prince"s party looked like the backstage of an acrobatic troupe. Men did things more degrading than a gigolo, and the ladies, hah, they were all entangled in each other bodies, lying on the benches and the floor! When they were naked, one could hardly tell whom among them was Lady Marquis and who were the prost.i.tutes hired from the red light district.
"G.o.dot, shut the door! I can not stand the stink emitting from those guys." Oscar said disgustedly and waved his handkerchief in front of himself to get rid of the pungent odor.
G.o.dot obediently closed the door at his young master"s command. If there was anything else to critique about this big man with the most beautiful pair of eyes in the entire empire, it had to be his uncommonly ugly appearance. Oscar thought that he looked like a big black bear.
The room was quiet all of a sudden. The people in the small living room were relieved, for the indulgence of the scene outside was so crazy that it could even make a mighty Paladin feel unsettled.
"Much better now!" Oscar said before lighting a No. 4 cigar. He had chosen the smallest cigar because all the women in 31 Penelope Road were complaining about it.
Oscar took in a deep, long breath before slowly letting out a puff of delight.
"My G.o.d, you are only fifteen! Throw it away! The G.o.d of Light will not take smokers in this place!" Annie shouted at him angrily.
"Quit it, Oscar! Quit it immediately! Your father will break your leg for this. Do you think he will have mercy on you just because you"re his son? Go home and ask your poor elder brother." Celia did not want to keep protecting this excessively bad-behaved little fellow anymore.
"Brother! Do you want me to die early? I am only a child, but I will no doubt go to the Pope His Grand Eminence and tell him about it!" Even the young lady was upset at her brother"s newly developed vice.
The young prince shook his head vigorously to keep those voices away!
Oscar glanced around him, and he saw the silhouettes of these annoying women drifting up into the ceiling like puffs of smoke. The young man smiled triumphantly, and no one could be certain whether this young fellow was still clear-minded or not.
"I really failed as your doctor. I did not expect at all that the first thing I would see after coming back from the faraway Deiss Kingdom would be the image of you high on drugs. It"s doing you no good!" Poison Doctor Percy shook his head and sighed at the young man"s degrading behavior.
"Shut up, Percy. First of all, I want to congratulate you for coming back to t.i.tan safely. Secondly, these things wouldn"t be here if it was not because of you. Do not put out such an innocent, holy demeanor after the mess that you"ve created yourself." Oscar scoffed at the Poison Doctor"s advice.
"Young Oscar! Percy was just telling the truth, you are still far too young for the age of indulgence. If you want to live for another few more years, it is best to retreat yourself completely from those harmful things."
"Oh! Look at our Sarlat! I have not yet welcomed you on your return! How are you doing? Was it a smooth journey back home?" Oscar smiled.
"Well, what"s new? It"s always the same old story." The person who spoke was Sarlat Drosha the Hedgehog. This Paladin was famous for his ability to use a rapier as a sniper"s bow. He was back at Brother Balance"s side once again after wandering away for some time with a few of the gangsters from Damorga.
"Young man, do not change the topic. I am talking about the drugs. You should listen to everyone else"s opinion." Sarlat Drosha was the one who taught Oscar his rapier skills. He was fully qualified to criticize the Imperial Highness Prince"s poor behavior.
"Ha ha." Oscar laughed and scratched his head carelessly. This small action had become a habit of his when being criticized by the elders.
"Ha ha ha, I know about the dangers of these drugs much better than anyone else. Don"t worry, I am only fooling around. But that little wh.o.r.e! You know what, Sarlat? If you can"t differentiate one naked woman from the other naked women the moment she takes off her dress, then you better not touch her anymore." At the thought of her alluring naked body, Oscar became excited instantly.
"That little wh.o.r.e! Ah…What"s her name again? Ahhh! Nuna! Haha! That"s right, she"s called Nuna. Although she"s not the most stunning, but you know, the place where her thighs meet her hips…Those circular muscles, my G.o.d! She was wonderful! The precious medicine was definitely worth it. Her performance just now…"
"Your Imperial Highness Prince, if the main discussion topic of today"s regular meeting is about Nuna"s circular muscles, then I would like to excuse myself first. I have pushed off several important appointments for this regular meeting. If I could rush back now I might even be able to get some good results." Ricky was not afraid to show his impatience.
Oscar was not used to being interrupted when he spoke, but he did realize that he was a little over the top this time.
"What happened my dear Ricky? Oh right, you are now Erbe! Well if no one is interested in the amazing circular muscles of Nuna"s, alright then, as you wish Baron Erbe, we will have Thomas update you about the recent progress of our current big project."
"You are also interested in this?" Duke Robert Carter Brickfield laughed and asked the High Official of the Ministry of Justice that was interrogating him.
"Of course, Robs, I"m curious to death! What kind of benefits made you willing to betray your own country? Do not tell me you have no idea about the importance of these doc.u.ments! Answer me, who was about to receive these doc.u.ments? And those two missing doc.u.ments, where are they now?"
Despite being in deep trouble, Robert Carter Brickfield was still a Duke. Although his cold seemed to have worsened but that did not affect him when dealing with the sly Minister of Justice. After all, he knew his previous colleague well, Roment Huga Andeses was not a very intelligent character to handle.
"Forget about it Roment. I have repeated a million times that I don"t know. Oh, now you are talking about the motherland huh? Since now I am being interrogated by you, it means that this country has already abandoned me, am I right?"
Duke Roment Huga Andeses frowned as he did not want to bring this matter up to the national level. "Robs, I suggest you be cooperative. You were still the Secretary of State just a few days ago, but His Majesty the Emperor had you arrested anyway, that means we have already grasped the evidence of your act of betrayal."
"Ha! Evidence? How can I know for sure that is concrete evidence that you are holding? His Majesty? Don"t even mention about that ungrateful fellow. He had long intended to abandon me. Roment, my old buddy, I advise you not to deceive yourself any longer. If you really believe the evidence, then I suggest you resign as soon as possible. I am fearful for you, for even a three-year-old is more suitable than you to take up the post of the Minister of Justice."
"You ... you are forcing me, old buddy! I am not here to listen to your sarcasm. Do you not know I am here so you can avoid facing those interrogation experts?" Marquis Andeses was annoyed by the provocation.
"I"m sorry, old buddy. I believe I will have more advantages in facing those beasts. They do not have enough brains to utilize their thinking skills."
The Minister of Justice suddenly stood up from his chair. Rather than having to serve as a good man to help someone that did not appreciate his kindness, he might as well be a b.l.o.o.d.y butcher. Roment"s face seemed like it was completely covered with a layer of thin ice. "If so, Your Excellency, goodbye! Your interrogation transcript will be submitted to His Majesty the Emperor, and I swear upon my life to the G.o.d of Light, that transcript will never be tampered with. Not even a word!"
The Minister of Justice went to the door of the interrogation room, which his men had already opened for him. Roment turned back to the man, and although he had no personal grudge towards the Secretary of State, his eyes at the time were full of resentment.
"I think I should inform you that your son will be tried soon. Of course, I will not go soft on that kind of unimportant role."
Robert Carter Brickfield seemed to have aged in that one instant. Like the speed of an old tortoise, he rose slowly, then dragged his steps lethargically toward the only iron bed in the room.
"And what about this piece of information? Did this remind you of anything about those doc.u.ments?" Roment had lost even the last bit of patience.
The former Secretary of State lay calmly in bed. He forced a bitter smile, and this small movement of facial muscles seemed to have urged out the tears he did not realize he had been holding in.
"Right now, Roment, you are finally acting like the Minister of Justice of the empire." A few moments later, Robert Carter Brickfield said in a shaking voice.
"What is this supposed to mean?"
The Minister of Justice could not think of any way to reply to the emperor"s question. He should have put the transcripts aside and only handed it to the Majesty again tomorrow.
Alfa III clutched the papers full of words and waved it in front of the Minister of Justice. "Is my Minister of Justice an empty sh.e.l.l only decorated by name? Roment, I do not expect this kind of conclusion from you, especially not when I am working overtime late at night to read this dossier! Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I believe I will be able to find out the truth soon." Marquis Andeses stood tall, hoping he would show a confident appearance in front of the Emperor.
Alfa III shook his head. His Majesty knew that the world needed secrets, but secrets would have to be discovered someday. What really mattered now was not that the secrets had been discovered, but how to find the best solution to deal with the former Secretary of State and its aftermath.
"Roment, my Minister of Justice, please grasp the emphasis of the task. I do not think we have the opportunity to reclaim those doc.u.ments that have fallen into the hands of the enemy, so all you have to do is to set a charge on the d.a.m.ned Robs. Can you understand what I mean by saying that?"
Roment wanted to continue arguing, but another minister waiting in the Emperor"s study had decided to stand up and say something at the same time.
"Your Majesty, I have mobilized a capable team from the Secret Service Department to deal with the incident of leaked doc.u.ments. Please believe that I have sent our best spies, and I believe they will soon return to t.i.tan with some useful information."
If it had been someone else that said so, Alfa III would have casted his scornful eyes on him, but the person who spoke was Rudolf Hoss. The leader of the Secret Service Department was well-known throughout the entire Westland for being truthful and reliable. As an intelligence a.n.a.lyst and a real espionage activist, what Rudolf Hoss said often became reality in the near future.
The Emperor believed Rudolf"s words, but he still shook his head helplessly. In a way, Alfa III"s thoughts contradicted with his words. Emotionally, he believed his Secretary of State was not at fault, at least in the aspect of his loyalty, but rationally, Alfa III had always wondered whether his own reasoning had led him to make the right judgments.
The change of candidate for the position of Secretary of State appeared to be a foregone conclusion. According to logical convention, the beneficiary of this incident would most likely be accused as the suspect who had framed Duke Robert Carter Brickfield. However, Alfa III knew there were no signs that showed that old Kachev was involved in this matter. When the Financial Council of the Secretary of State was "becoming buddies" with the empire"s Ministry of Finance, this shrewd old man had only begun his secret journey to Dulin.
Alfa III never stopped keeping an eye on Duke Kachev Drakas. The emperor was extremely fearful of this old monster that had manipulated the whole Westland before. Over the years, the Secret Service Department had been keeping surveillance over the retired minister on a highly confidential level.
The emperor thought that the old monster could be excluded from this incident.
"Oscar?" Alfa III almost ruled out in an instant this young fellow that suddenly appeared in his mind. This young fellow did not yet have the ability to weave such a flawless plan to frame the Secretary of State. Moreover, he had no reason to do so. The Knighting Ceremony was a blanket of security to keep him well-protected, hence Brickfield could never have the chance to harm him in any way.
So, it seemed that Robs had only himself to blame for his current situation. At the thought of this poor man, the emperor could not help but felt a little somber. No matter what, Robs had been his loyal Secretary of State for more than a decade.
The emperor finally figured out what was the problem. As far as the entire process was concerned, from the arrest of Robert Carter Brickfield to his final trial, all these happened under the emperor"s command. He had already completed the first step, and now only left the final step. Although that last step would have Alfa III branded as "ungrateful", and even if the emperor really did not want that to happen, there seemed to be no reason not to do so. The emperor"s worried expression had changed. Out of consideration for the country, this matter should be settled as quickly as possible.
"Hoss, your efforts are undoubtedly right. Even if we cannot retrieve those doc.u.ments, we can still create some trouble for the enemy."
"And Roment, it definitely would be best for Robs to plead guilty and confess himself, but…well, towards the outside world, just tell them the former Secretary of State Duke Robert Carter Brickfield and his family members have committed serious economic crimes. What"s your thought on this?"
Roment let out a sigh of relief, "Yes, Your Majesty. Absolutely."
Alfa III seemed relieved, too, "Alright, it can only be so."
"That"s it?"
"That"s it. At the moment this is the most I can do." Baron Thomas Aulet answered Doramy Basinger"s question. He had heard of the legacy of the King of Sins from his father, and now meeting the legacy face to face the baron felt even more genuine respect towards the man.
"Oscar, I want to hear your explanation." Doramy Basinger turned towards the young prince.
The young man put out the cigar. He still kept the same crazed smile as before, it seemed like he was still not quite right in the head. "Oh, dear Doramy, can you satisfy my curiosity before I answer your question?"
The King of Sins shrugged nonchalantly.
"Did you not go south with that fellow Wystan to smuggle some weapons? Why are you now back at my side all of a sudden?"
That question piqued everyone"s interest. The King of Sins was the kind of person who would find a way out no matter where they went or what they did, but the man now looked as wan and sallow as a refugee.
Doramy was extremely annoyed at the mentioning of that Wystan fellow. He had had enough grievances along the way. "Don"t mention that stupid fellow! I went with him all the way down south only to find out that it was not a smuggling business that he wanted to do. That stupid fellow was planning to rob the arms depot of Kremberg with only the few weapons that he managed to gather. Even though I"m the King of Sins, but I"m not crazy! There is a whole military blockade over there! I believe that fella must have by now been chased by the Imperial Cavalry."
"Hahahahahaha! Wystan is still as creative as before! But why are you the one that"s running helter-skelter?" Oscar said before putting another gla.s.s of whiskey into his mouth.
"Hah, have you forgotten that the real King of Sins is still in Damorga? I"m just an imposter, but I have already made too many enemies."
In fact, Oscar was well aware of the situation of the King of Sins. It seemed that now he was the only person in the world that could take in poor Doramy.
"Well, now you no longer have to worry about these things. Don"t you think that The Lair is an ideal place for you to call home? Besides, the rest of us are all here."
"Haha little guy! You have finally brought it up. Do you not realize the problem of this situation? Yes, you have now controlled the entire Lair, which means that you have got all of Dulin"s illegal business income, and also took control over the center of the financing network of Dulin"s Underworld. However, those men working under you, I believe originally belonged to the mafias you acquainted in prison before? So how sure are you that your men now would stay loyal to you no matter what?"
Oscar put down the gla.s.s and listened attentively.
"Young man, remember that the Underworld functions by loyalty. Even though those men are under your control at the moment, but they have been branded by their previous families and organizations respectively with an indelible imprint. In other words, in the near future, the real bosses who will take over Dulin are those of their former mafia leaders."
"Besides, my dear Oscar, you are undoubtedly excellent, but I want to tell you that the Underworld is much more than just the underground a.s.sociation in Damorga. The real Underworld, for example, is like a grand hotel. As the hotel owner you can, of course, keep changing your staff members, chefs, menus, but do you realize that they are actually the main ingredients to creating a delicious feast? So think about it, sacking your staff, troubling your chefs, or keep developing new menus, would doing these things actually help you in the long run?"
Oscar shook his head. Indeed, that made no sense at all, what was most important was the feast, the quality of the end product.
The King of Sins comfortably lay supine on the sofa. "Taking hundreds of lives does not solve the problem, and your approach of gobbling up all the groups is doing nothing more than disgusting other hotels" owners. Although you possess the King"s Heraldry of the t.i.tan"s Underworld, but don"t you forget that it was the fair and just foundation that has gotten you this far. But now, your hotel has completely violated this one requirement, you even colluded with the Ministry of Justice to ma.s.sacre your friends from the Underworld. In all honesty, if it was not for your high status, I am positive the big mafia leaders would have long ago united to form a team aiming to tear down your hotel."
The hallucinogen drugs seemed to have finally been flushed out of Oscar"s body and he felt a bit of heavy pressure on his neck. He had completely digested the words of the King of Sins, but he could actually sum up that whole speech with a word - rules.
The rules of the game in the Underworld was not as simple as the law of the jungle. It resembled a chess game, even if eradicating all your opponent"s chess pieces would naturally lead to victory, but would it be necessary? Sometimes just by moving one step would have made you the winner already.
Oscar"s mind suddenly broadened and he realized he had been looking at the matter from a wrong perspective. Men scattered, cooks died, the menu has changed, but the hotel still needs to open for business. He would still have to hire more men and new cooks! And the updated menu would not necessarily be more popular among the diners!
If one wished to calculate the turning points that occurred in O"Neil Andrew Morisette"s lifetime, at least this conversation with the King of Sins in this small club could be counted as one. Oscar discovered a new strategy of playing the game, which was essential to set his own rules. For example, one would still lose the game even if they had all the opponent"s chess pieces. It was simple, Oscar"s rules. Only when one became above the game then they would not have to worry about the outcome, because they already had the most upper hand between heaven and earth - they made the rules. This way of thinking, to put himself above everyone else was deeply rooted in the young man"s mind.
"Doramy, according to your logic, soon I would inevitably become the enemy of the entire t.i.tan"s gangs, and some guys with ulterior motives would certainly widely publicize this false idea. By then, Dulin, this piece of juicy fat meat would naturally ignite their greed, and I would have been pressured to death by the rules of the game. When that happens, a mere killer or a.s.sa.s.sination group could solve all problems. Then the mafia bosses could re-decorate the hotel and soon enough it would be open for business smoothly once again."
The King of Sins did not need to further affirm the young man"s thoughts. He believed that with the wisdom of O"Neil Andrew Morisette, this young guy would have no problem getting to the crux of the problem.
"What if I change the methods of operating the business?"
This time it became Doramy Basinger"s turn to be confused. "No! You won"t be able to do that!"
"Why not? I have cleansed the territory, I am the King of t.i.tan"s Underworld. I have the absolute support of many influential big families such as the Sirsi Mafia, the Crelinis, and Wystan Thieves" Guild. Why can"t I change the rules?"
Ricky the Liar also realized the seriousness of the matter, "Tell us about your ideas. You must already have a way I a.s.sume?" Although he believed that the young fatty absolutely had the ability to change the rules, but he did not think that it was something that could be done with just a few words.
Oscar lit another cigar, he fully believed in his own judgment.
"My friends, it has come to my realization that all the resources in the Underworld are owned by different territory owners, and disputes occur mostly because of the division of interest. If I completely open the borders of my territory, can you imagine what kind of situation it would become?"
Doramy Basinger put his hands on the top of his head. He could not figure out what would happen if the young man actually proceeded with that idea. As far as he knew, no mafia leader could tolerate the presence of other forces in his own territory for business. When this kind of situation was encountered, no doubt it would ignite a huge battle between the opposing parties which could only be resolved with blood and dead bodies.
Baron Thomas Aulet trusted his young master with all his might to the point where he would just blindly obedient to all his orders. "Your Highness, no matter what your decision is, I will do exactly what you order."
Oscar shook his head lightly, for it was not something that could be simply completed overnight. "Gentlemen, do you hear me? What I call for is an organized, purposeful opening of territories."
"There can be many partners in a hotel. Weren"t there a couple of very successful alliances in the Underworld? In my opinion, territories are still the root of all business activities, and the management of territories would still need to be by the sole big boss. Take me as an example, I would have the final say for every transaction and dispute that happens in The Lair, but the actual management of the businesses, for instance gambling houses, clubhouses, opium business, prost.i.tution sites, all these could be handled by a certain family or a specific organization. In other words, in my territories under my care, one family or one organization can partic.i.p.ate in only one business, but I would ensure they have maximum control over the said business."
Ricky had finally grasped the whole concept and came to the realization that he really admired this young fatty sitting in front of him. The prince"s idea seemed to be exactly the same as the emerging business organization called the "Company" in the Engels Kingdom. But being a member of the Underworld himself, Ricky knew no family or gang would stick to this seemingly profitable rule. Instead, they would be more likely to fight over what they think they deserved, in the most primitive way, that is to fight bloodily as soon as conflict arises around their interests.
Ricky could not hold it in anymore. "This is undoubtedly a clever plan, but Oscar, you obviously ignored the motive of compet.i.tion. No one cannot be tempted with interests and benefits. Let"s say you hired a family to act as your chef, but how do you guarantee that the other families would not kill them in order to replace their position?"
Oscar laughed lightly. "Ricky, of course I did not neglect the compet.i.tion. There can be no development without compet.i.tion, but in my rules, compet.i.tion is approached from a different way. Just as our King of Sins had made it clear just now that killing is not a good way to solve the problem, I will not encourage compet.i.tion by fight or murder, instead, it will even be an entirely reasonable and legitimate compet.i.tion."
The young fatty became excited. In fact, he felt that way all night, but now he had arrived at the peak of mental consciousness.
"My dear friends, think about it this way: Rules are not something abstract or invisible. Just like the t.i.tan Codes, the rules that were scoffed by people from the Underworld, it is carved in tall stones tens of meters high. So why can not my rules be conveyed in this written form too?"
"Ricky, you are afraid that the mafia leaders would fight their way through, but I do not think so. See, you have overlooked the most crucial issue, that is me. What is my role in this whole situation? Why do I want to open up my territories for?"
"Interests! Money! I am in this whole plan for the benefits it would bring me. Wouldn"t it be better for me to support the businesses within my own territory? Doramy had provided us with a detailed a.n.a.lysis a little while ago about the natural behavior of the people of the Underworld, they are filled with greed and desire, especially when it comes to things that they can"t get a hold of, so why should I risk my own life to fight with them? They can come into my territory to manage my businesses and I will only be charging them a small fee. I believe many people will then compete to conduct business with me, then whom do I choose to be my partner? The logic is very simple, the control will fall into the hands of the highest bidder. As for me, I will guarantee that their franchise and rights would not be infringed upon, and my other operators would also have the obligation to protect my sites from infringement. Also, the benefits can be acc.u.mulated and appreciated, in other words, the franchise to my businesses would have its intended effectiveness. Once their operating rights expire, I would then withdraw the site in question and resell the franchise to another buyer in the same way, and it would fall to the next highest bidder!"
Doramy suddenly slapped his thigh hard, "Boy! I finally figured out that awkward point in your whole plan. How do you ensure you still have total control over your sites? According to your approach, you"re basically letting those franchise operators take over control of your territories. Do you actually think people in the Underworld care about your rules?"
Oscar"s eyes gleamed. "No! No! No! I do not let them control my site, only to manage my site. There is a huge difference between the two terms, control and manage. As for the guys who do not play along with my rules, haha! Doramy, have you forgotten who I am? You should take a trip back to Damorga to help refresh your memory. Me, I am the mighty O"Neil Andrew Morisette!"
No one voiced out their objections again. The teenager that was slightly high in his mind just a moment ago had now suddenly become a fierce tiger in the woods. The few gentlemen in the room seemed to have not yet accustomed to the sudden change of atmosphere.
The King of Sins - Domary Basinger had a lifeless look in his eyes, Ricky was mumbling softly to himself, Thomas was extremely excited and was on his toes waiting for the master"s order. On the other hand, both the Poison Doctor Percy and the hedgehog Sakya had already been snoozing.
The only considerably sane person in the little parlor was the bear-looking strong man who was standing by the door. The younger brother of Domingo from the Prisoner Self-Management Committee was good with his two-handed axes. He was the little beast who had just been released from the den of monsters. In short, he was G.o.dot.
Oscar looked him and asked for his opinion on the speech. "G.o.dot, you"re already one of us, so act like one. Do you have anything, comments or criticism on what was said earlier?"
"Reputable Brother Balance, I totally agree with you. Uh…I have noticed that, the girl named Nuna does have perfect circular muscles."
"Uh…thanks, G.o.dot. I have to admit, you are the best among everyone else here…"