Chapter 108: Four Great families
There are numerous families that had earned recognition in the world, but only four of them have left such a significant impact that nearly all adults were familiar with them.
These four families were the Coopers, Harrisons, Parkers, and Morgans.
The Cooper family had established dominance in the world through their medical supply industry. They were so far ahead of their competitors in this field that after 2010, no one even dared to compete with them.
The Cooper family’s research department was remarkably advanced, to the extent that they had come close to discovering a cure for cancer. However, they had to halt their research when the main doctor involved tragically passed away. The current head of the family and the one responsible for overseeing their entire business was Magnus Copper.
The second most influential family also known as the Harrison family, was totally different from the Coopers. While the Cooper family aimed to benefit the world, the Harrisons focused on a different area—they sought to immerse people in the world of addiction. The Harrison family held control over numerous major gambling establishments worldwide and held significant shares in alcohol companies.
Max Harrison held the position of the current head of the Harrison family. There is an interesting rumor surrounding him, suggesting that despite his immense wealth, he was exceedingly frugal and obsessed with saving every last penny.
The third great family held dominance over the global weapons market. They stood as the greatest exporters of weapons in the modern world and continually engaged in experiments to develop new armaments. Devid Parker, despite his youthful age, had ascended to the leadership of the Parker family following the passing of his father. He was widely acknowledged as a master craftsman and played an active role in the design and development of new weapons.
All the substantial wealth accumulated by these three families and many others needed to be safeguarded, and this responsibility fell to the fourth family—the Morgans. The Morgan family held sway over the major assets of the Coopers, Harrisons, and Parkers, among others. Their financial entity, the Morgan Finance Corp., was responsible for monitoring and managing a significant portion of the world’s finances. In addition to their own company, the Morgans held substantial shares in numerous national and international banks.
Besides them, there were many families who would witness their rise and fall every decade, but these four horsemen had almost taken over their respective markets for more than two centuries.
The power of these four families appeared to be balanced, and that wasn’t a coincidence either. They kept each other in check, ensuring that none of them could gain an obvious advantage in power. This delicate balance had persisted for generations showing that none of their successor are stupid.
In collaboration with the government, these four families had jointly initiated the creation of the ICA (International Crack Administration). Each of the four families controlled one of the major branches of the ICA, while the smaller ones were controlled by the government.
...
After listing Dhruv’s question once again, the old man wondered if there had been a mention of the family name during their conversation. But even after trying to remember it for half a minute, he couldn’t recall anything exactly.
"I don’t think there has been any mention of the family’s exact name, and your guess is the same as mine," said the old man, looking exhausted.
"Hmmm!" Dhruv nodded.
When he looked at the old man, he noticed that the old man appeared quite exhausted. Out of concern, he asked, "Are you okay, old man?"
"Yeah! I’m okay, just this constant spellcasting is making me feel nauseated."
A sign of mana loss.
Dhruv quickly understood that the old man was experiencing a mana loss.
"I think your mana is running low. You should take a break to naturally absorb your mana or maybe consider drinking a mana potion," Dhruv suggested.
"I suppose you’re right," the old man replied. He remained in place for a moment, indicating that he was accessing his status.
Once he accessed his status, the old man navigated to the store section and purchased a mana potion for 100 CC, using the coins he had earned after defeating the monster. After buying the mana potion, he drank it all in one go.
Even though he had consumed a mana potion, the frown on his face didn’t disappear, suggesting that he had been casting spells for an extended period and probably needed rest soon.
"When are they going to let us rest?" Dhruv asked, partly out of concern and partly because he wanted to know the timing to initiate his plan.
"After two hours, they’ll provide us with food and allow us to rest for five hours before we have to do this all over again. Have you been kidnapped recently?" After explaining, the old man asked a question to Dhruv in return.
"Yes!... Why?!" Dhruv confirmed and inquired about the reason behind the old man’s question.
"I don’t know, you’re just asking questions on top of that you don’t seem like someone whose family member has been taken from them and is being used for blackmail," the old man remarked.
’Ohhh! Shit! He is right. I almost looked like I am here because of my own violation.
Dhruv swiftly altered his expression to one that appeared saddened, as if he was affected by the mention of his family.
"I... I don’t know, maybe because I find this place safer than the outside," Dhruv came up with a random excuse on the spot.
"I guess you’re right," the old man responded and returned to his spellcasting with a face filled with exhaustion.
’So, I have two hours before they let us rest. During the rest, I can meet with the group and can begin the plan. But before that, I need to gather some information about this area, including its layout. Who could be the perfect scout...?’ Dhruv pondered as he glanced at Alaric.
After observing Alaric, he established a telepathic connection with him and explained what he needed him to do.
...
Half an hour later a man who was using a long dagger to kill slime slipped due to the jelly that was present on the track. After slipping he fell between the swarm of tens of slimes.
In an instant, all the acid slimes swarmed the man and began to eat through him on the spot. After a minute, there was nothing left on the spot where the man had fallen.
