The Mafia Empire

In his initial strategy, Gador's inability to produce Corder would have enraged Madam Vivian, which would, in turn, catch the attention of the mayor and the two councilmen. Those three, the most powerful figures in Ternell city, would easily discard someone as insignificant as Gador to appease Madam Vivian's wrath. Julian had never imagined that Gador would actually produce three men.

Clearly, he had cheated.

Gador had found three individuals willing to take the fall for Corder and his group, passing them off as the now deceased trio. He then handed them over to the authorities, perfectly fulfilling Madam Vivian's request. When the time was right, Gador would likely pull the men out of jail, or simply silence them, neatly tying up the whole matter.

This wasn't about Gador's bravery but about how well these people understood the arrogance of the elite. The upper echelons of society were so self assured that they believed no one would dare defy or deceive them. In their eyes, the only difference between them and god was that they couldn't revive the dead.

It was precisely this arrogance that allowed people like Gador to find loopholes, to deceive and manipulate, unchecked.

Gador and whoever advised him likely believed that someone as high ranking as Madam Vivian wouldn't personally inspect the three men. Even if she did, they assumed she wouldn't recognize whether these were the people she was looking for. Unfortunately for them, they overlooked one crucial detail—this wasn't a random incident. It was a deliberately orchestrated "accident."

Because they missed this key element, they had effectively placed their necks in a noose.

If Gador's failure to produce the real Corder was seen as disrespectful to Madam Vivian, then this charade—substituting impostors—was outright deceit, a far worse offense!

And a greater offense naturally brings harsher consequences.

Julian felt a brief twinge of guilt for Pronto. In the end, if it weren't for Pronto's cooperation, the three men wouldn't have been so easily identified as Madam Vivian's targets and sent to the regional jail. Without Pronto's involvement, Gador would still be in deep trouble, scrambling to provide results. Their cooperation had expedited the entire process!

After a silent prayer for Pronto, Julian set the matter aside. As long as the three men were locked up, Gador would suffer greatly, even if he didn't die. This was the downside of operating without all the necessary information.

Bidding Ellis farewell, Julian took Dave with him to the Guar residential district in Ternell. He needed to visit the families of the fallen members, a promise he had made and one he intended to keep. He firmly believed that integrity was the foundation of any person's success in society. If you made a promise, no matter how awkward or humiliating, you had to keep it.

Otherwise, no one would trust you, and you'd find yourself at a standstill.

The Guar residential district was as impoverished and desolate as ever. Most of those with the ability to work had left for other parts of the city, leaving only the elderly, women, and children.

A group of six- or seven-year-old children, dressed in clothes that were either too large or too small and covered in patches, ran up and down the garbage-filled streets, their laughter echoing in the cold air. Nearby, a few middle-aged women sat together in small groups, basking in the sun, their eyes following Julian, Dave, and their car with curiosity.

Some of the children gathered around, their dark eyes filled with wonder as they gazed at the car, which wasn't particularly new, but still a novelty. They reached out their hands.

They were asking for candy or coins—anything. This behavior had become an unwritten rule in the world's slums: if you didn't give a little money or a small gift, you might find it difficult to proceed. But if you did give, it wouldn't be a small amount.

Several adults had already turned their attention to the scene. If Julian or Dave handed out even a single coin, they would immediately start banging on their doors, calling their children out to join the beggars.

Many had criticized the Guars for this behavior, but if life and society hadn't pushed them to such extremes, perhaps they wouldn't be so desperate.

Sometimes, even though you know what you're doing is wrong and should not be done, there are always reasons why you must do it.

Julian took a roll of one-dollar bills from his pocket. He didn't particularly like this habit of rolling bills into a cylinder, but people here loved doing it. Holding a roll of money tightly in their hands seemed to bring them more pleasure and satisfaction.

The knocking on doors on the street began immediately, like a majestic symphony. More and more children came out of their homes, some as young as five or six, without clothes or shoes, running out as clean as they came into the world. They gathered around the car and the two young "big shots."

Handing out paper bills to each one of them was rather troublesome because you had to consider everyone's feelings and distribute them one by one. Although these children were poor and sometimes difficult to handle, they were very polite, and this was not contradictory.

When Julian handed a dollar to a little girl, who looked no older than five or six and was wearing nothing but patched-up pants, she sweetly said, "Thank you," and then withdrew from the crowd.

More and more children gathered around, and many of them recognized Dave, calling out his name. chapter source m vl _emp-y,r

Dave had a certain reputation among the young Guar people and children in Ternell city. His peers looked up to him as an idol and a goal because, whether in the past or now, he had changed his family's circumstances through his own efforts, making himself look impressive. Younger children feared him; adults didn't always speak positively about Dave.

They would use his name to scare the kids, saying things like, "If you don't behave and go to sleep, I'll have Dave come beat you," or "Put down that bread, or I'll send you to Dave."