"Then, what do you want in return for your cooperation, Mr. Sokolov?" Prescott asked calmly, his voice showing no sign of anger or unease. Dealing with crooks was nothing new to him.
"I want 20% of the shares from TRD. You have no idea how risky it is for me to target people in the S rank," Sokolov offered.
"Hmph!" Prescott snorted and looked at Sokolov with disdain. "I thought you were crazy enough to take on this job."
"Ha! I'm certainly crazy enough to take on this job! But that doesn't mean I should be taken advantage of by you," Sokolov retorted with a fearless smile. He opened his shirt, revealing a jacket adorned with various explosives and a heart rate monitoring device. The display was a clear threat, ensuring Prescott wouldn't do anything foolish.
Prescott growled at the mafia leader, his frustration palpable. "You... Fine... 20% it is."
"Hahaha! That's more like it, Mr. Prescott. Thank you for your patronage," Sokolov said sarcastically before rising from his seat. He left the room with his two henchmen, leaving Prescott to grit his teeth in frustration.
But as Sokolov left Prescott Manor, Prescott's face returned to its normal expression. All the frustration he displayed was just an act to mislead Sokolov from realizing the true potential of the technology that Daniel possessed.
Prior to contacting Sokolov, Prescott had lost contact with Aryan. He was well aware of Aryan's cautious and meticulous nature, prompting him to bribe someone within Daniel's company and a few researchers examining Daniel's patent on the new element. This was done in an effort to gather information about Aryan's fate and prepare himself accordingly.
Prescott only knew that Aryan had met with Don Veneziale, and he assumed Aryan had met an unfortunate end, likely sleeping with the fishes in the Tessia coastal sea. Don Veneziale was firmly under Daniel's control, and Prescott left it at that, as he held little regard for Aryan.
However, Prescott's primary interest lay in the results regarding the new element. They revealed that Daniel's technology was nothing short of miraculous in the eyes of the common man. The discovery of a new element called Ether was nothing short of astounding. It was a hidden component of Earth's atmosphere, the very air humans breathed every day. Its existence mirrored the time before the 17th century, when microorganisms were unknown, and diseases and viruses were considered mystical or cursed.
The acquired information indicated that this element had a fleeting presence, dissipating into thin air within seconds. The key technology required to harness its existence and utilize it for electricity generation lay within Daniel's grasp.
Daniel had merely provided the means for the researchers to uncover the element, without fully exploiting its potential to validate his claims. This realization filled Prescott with optimism, as any form of electricity generation held immense potential, particularly in military applications or weapon creation.
However, neither Prescott nor the outsiders were aware that the true magic resided in the essential technology required to harness the so-called "Ether." It relied on ancient alchemical knowledge, an advanced field unfamiliar even to the majority of scholars in the Hightower.
— Monday - Dusk - Sector Alpha City —
At the secret meeting held in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Sector Alpha City, gang leaders from various factions gathered. These leaders operated outside of the Veneziale gang's sphere of influence, and many were enemies of the Veneziale gang.
Sokolov and his gang members entered through the entrance, sporting their trademark fearless smiles. Sokolov scanned the surroundings, noting the growing impatience among the assembled gangsters.
"Mr. Sokolov, we came here as you instructed. Now, hand over our promised reward!" one of the gangsters demanded impatiently.
"Yeah! Where's my one million dollars? We've come as you asked," chimed in another gangster.
andasnovel.com Sokolov had contacted gangsters who were either outside of the Veneziale gang's influence or opposed to them, enticing them with the promise of a monetary reward. He specifically targeted those lower in the hierarchy, ensuring they lacked access to the Syndicate Union Database.
"Yes, of course, I'll pay. But first, listen to me and read the information I've prepared," Sokolov calmly replied, nodding to one of his henchmen, who placed a bag filled with paper documents on a nearby table. The henchmen then distributed the documents to each attending gang.
The documents contained vital information, including the locations of Veneziale gang businesses and strategic targets to inflict maximum damage. These locations, when attacked, would draw the attention of the Veneziale gang and make their strategic businesses vulnerable.
"What is this?" one of the gangsters asked skeptically.
"It's the mission and the reward. Open the last page, and you'll see the reward for each mission," Sokolov instructed the gangsters, and they promptly turned to the final page.
"Whoa! What is this!? Attack the main port of the Veneziale gang! Fifty million!? Are you crazy!? Do you have the money to pay?" the same gangster asked in disbelief.
Sokolov smirked before showing the news feed on his smartphone. It displayed news of the Russian mafia stealing an ancient heritage artifact from the Kremlin—an artifact belonging to the Romanov dynasty. The estimated value of the artifact was at least one billion dollars.
"I am the one who stole it. I have already released it in the Syndicate Union auction house," Sokolov declared confidently.
"The Syndicate Union auction house!? You have access to the Syndicate Union!?" the other gangsters exclaimed in astonishment.
In the underworld, almost everyone who lived an outlaw lifestyle for some time knew about the Syndicate Union. They understood it as an organization that served as a check against the country's laws, granting higher-ranking members a form of immunity. However, only a minority knew that the Syndicate Union's purpose extended beyond that. It was established to wield power and negotiate with the Hightower, with the consent of influential figures in the United Nations, since the existence of the Curtained World could not be disclosed to the public.
None of the individuals present at the meeting were aware of the Syndicate Union's true purpose, including Sokolov.
However, to the gangsters present, anyone with access to the Syndicate Union was considered a high-ranking individual worth befriending and establishing connections with. This was precisely why Sokolov ensured that none of these individuals had any ties to the Syndicate Union.
"If you carry out these tasks and return to me, I will pay the reward money. It's that simple. But let me make this clear: the higher the reward, the riskier the job. The reward will be shared among the participating gangs. For example, if two gangs participate in the mission to attack the Veneziale gang's main port, each gang will receive a share of 25 million," Sokolov explained.
"So, are you ready to be rich?" Sokolov asked with a smile.
At this point, the room was filled with thoughts of how to use the money they would earn. Multiple missions were on the table, all involving attacks against the hated Veneziale gang. One by one, voices agreeing to Sokolov's conditions could be heard in the room.
"Alright! Attack that old fart and make myself rich? Count me in!" exclaimed a hotheaded and reckless gangster, eagerly agreeing to the terms.
One after another, the gangsters agreed to undertake Sokolov's missions, except for one who carefully read the papers and wore a perplexed expression. He was the first to voice his doubts about these missions.
"I don't know... This whole thing reeks of fishiness to the high heaven. The crucial point is that we need to return to him before he pays," the gangster murmured to himself, placing the documents on the table and heading towards the exit.
"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Sokolov, but I'm out. You don't need to pay me either," the same gangster declared before making his way toward the exit.
Suddenly, Sokolov spoke. "His one million will go to whoever kills him."
Bang!
As Sokolov's words trailed off, a gunshot echoed through the room, and the gangster who intended to retreat fell to the ground with a bullet hole in his head.
Without hesitation, Sokolov quickly paid one million dollars to the person who had killed the retreating gangster. The sound of a beeping transaction was heard, and the recipient leaped in glee, having received one million dollars in their account.
"You see? It's easy to make money with me," Sokolov added, driving the point home. The room filled with excitement as greed clouded the gangsters' eyes, rendering them unable to consider the alternative outcomes that awaited them.
"Then what are you waiting for? Let's get rich!" Sokolov exclaimed, heightening the excitement among everyone present.
The majority of those in attendance belonged to small to medium-sized gangs with unstable finances. It was a rare opportunity for them to earn a substantial sum of money, something they had never experienced before. The allure of wealth blinded them to the potential consequences of their actions, preventing them from considering the inevitable dangers that lay ahead.
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