Bab 295: Chapter 295: Vigo Says He Will Never Be Someone Else's Dog Again
"Let's go, we still have things to do," Ted said as he led the way out of the warehouse. By the time they returned to their base, it was already noon. "Let's eat first."
"Alright." The group had been busy all morning and was indeed hungry. They walked into a private room in the restaurant, sat down, and ordered their food.
Ted took a few sips of his drink and shook his head. "I'll go upstairs and get a bottle of vodka. Let's try it together in a bit."
After Ted left, Frank and the other two exchanged glances. They weren't fools; they were suspicious of Ted's sudden amicable behavior. However, when Ted returned with the vodka and poured himself a glass first, taking a few sips, their suspicions mostly dissipated.
Ted then poured half a glass of vodka for each of them, raised his glass, and said, "Mr. Pushkin hopes we can cooperate sincerely and find the killer as soon as possible, so that business in Boston can reopen. So, you're in luck; Mr. Pushkin urgently needs your help."
"Heh," Frank and the others chuckled. Hearing this, their doubts almost completely vanished. They raised their glasses and clinked them with Ted's. "Don't worry, we'll definitely find the killer. Cheers."
"Cheers." The four of them downed the vodka in one gulp.
After a few more drinks, the atmosphere between them began to relax. But just as they were waiting for the main course to be served, Frank noticed that his tongue was starting to feel numb. Confused, he asked, "Why is this vodka so strong? I've barely had a few sips, and I already feel tipsy."
The other two black cops were about to speak when they suddenly realized that their bodies were starting to lose control. Their hands and feet began to feel numb. The three of them looked at Ted in terror, who was still smiling and casually sipping his drink.
The burliest of the three, Frank, stared at Ted, stammering, "Why did you drink more than us but seem fine?"
"Idiots," Ted sneered, glancing at the three of them. He took a small syringe from his trouser pocket and tossed it onto the table.
"This is the antidote to the anesthetic. I just had to reach into my pocket, stick the needle into my leg, and push the plunger. The antidote went right into my system."
Ted chuckled, "I forgot to mention that I used to be a secret police officer ten years ago. I learned this little trick in my first month at the secret police academy."
He stood up and walked over to the nearest black cop, smiling as he said, "Alright, it's time for you to go. Blame yourselves for knowing too much."
The black cop, whose chin was grabbed by Ted, desperately tried to struggle, but the anesthetic left him too weak to even raise his hand.
With three quick snaps, Ted broke the necks of Frank and the other two without any resistance.
Standing up, he straightened his clothes and walked out of the private room. He told one of the gang members working in the restaurant, "Strip those three guys inside and throw them into Irish territory. Tell the Irish this is a warning. If they don't want a war, they better behave."
"Y-yes, sir," the underling stammered in response.
Ted was very satisfied with the underling's fearful reaction. Smiling, he asked, "Have you found those two missing girls I asked you to look for?"
"Sorry, sir. We've searched all the territories these past two days, but we haven't found them. I suspect they've already escaped Boston."
"Keep looking. If you haven't found them in a week, I'll throw you into the sea as shark bait," Ted said, grabbing the underling by the collar. "Got it?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Send a car to take me to New York."
After lunch, Ted got into a Mercedes SUV. As soon as he got in, he lay down in the backseat and closed his eyes to sleep. Although he had injected the antidote at noon, the anesthetic still had some lingering effects on him. To avoid affecting his performance, when he arrived in New York, he decided not to meet Vigo Tarasov immediately. Instead, he planned to rest for the night, giving Vigo several extra hours to prepare.
As Ted arrived in New York, Vigo Tarasov was secretly meeting with his brother, Abram Tarasov, at a nightclub.
"So, you're really planning to do this yourself?" Abram asked, somewhat alarmed. "Vigo, are you crazy? Pushkin and the bigwigs in the USA won't let us go."
"But what if Pushkin dies?" Vigo Tarasov said calmly. "Someone is already targeting Pushkin. As long as Pushkin is dead, the bosses in New York will take care of things as long as they're paid. Afterward, I'll hand over all the smuggling and oil business to you. You just need to give me 40% every month."
"Hmm?" Abram stared at his brother in shock, feeling like he needed to reevaluate this sibling he had always considered somewhat soft. It took a while for Abram to respond, "I didn't expect you to be so ruthless when you need to be."
Sitting on the couch, Abram thought about the profits he would gain if the plan succeeded. Previously, he had to hand over 80% of the profits, but now he only needed to give 40%, allowing him to keep 60% and doubling his earnings. The temptation of money made Abram waver. He swallowed nervously. "Are you sure Pushkin will really be taken out?"
"Heh, Abram, let's not talk about anything else. If something happens to me, do you think Pushkin will spare you? The people back home are far less merciful than we are. They like to kill everyone connected to their enemies. You're my blood brother. If something happens to me, you won't escape. Even if you run and snitch, if I fail, the best outcome for you is to hide away for the rest of your life. Don't forget how many foreign gangs we've offended in New York over the years. Once you're out of power, plenty of people will want to kill you to make a name for themselves and maybe even make some money off you."
Abram understood all these arguments because he had done something similar before. A fallen gang leader was a prime target for any ambitious newcomer.
Seeing that Abram was beginning to waver, Vigo started to play the family card. He lowered his head and composed himself for a moment. When Vigo looked up again, Abram saw his brother's face covered in tears. "My God, what's this?"
Vigo choked out, "Abram, I've reached a point where I must stand on my own. Ilshov has been kidnapped and taken hostage, and just a few days ago, someone held a gun to my head and forced me to say things against Pushkin. They were going to come after you next, but I managed to deflect them. Otherwise, do you think they'd spare you and your kids? They've been watching us for a long time."
Vigo's words made Abram feel a sense of gratitude. Although he didn't fully believe everything Vigo said, he did believe they were being watched. After all, together, the two brothers formed the most powerful gang in New York. If someone could turn them against Pushkin, half of Pushkin's power in New York would be gone. "Vigo, I still need to know who's targeting Pushkin. I need to know if the people behind this are worth our allegiance."
"Allegiance?" Abram was already leaning toward his side, and this relieved Vigo immensely. "No, after today, we will only be loyal to ourselves. Once it's done, I'll give half of my assets to the people behind this as payment. If they're not satisfied, I can give them everything. But I will never be someone else's dog again."
Looking at Vigo's ferocious expression, Abram suddenly understood. None of this was about family or profit. It was all about power.
His own brother wanted to be the king of New York's underworld. For that, he was willing to cooperate with the devil, betray his boss, use his own son's life as leverage, and even his brother and nephew's lives as bargaining chips.
Abram cursed internally, damning this insatiable thirst for power. He realized that from now on, he'd better keep his distance from Vigo, lest he be seen as an obstacle and kicked aside.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter
_________________________
Get 33% off all subscription levels from March 8–11! Use code: DBD62
Status Power Mingguan
200+ Peringkat
Power 
48 Power
stone Anda mungkin juga menyukai
Komentar Paragraf