Bab 296: Chapter 296: Being Second Place Forever Isn't Without Its Perks
Just as Vigo had said, Abram understood that they had reached a point where they had no choice but to rebel. Resigned, he asked, "What do you need me to do?"
This response delighted Vigo immensely. With Abram on his side, Vigo's chances of success increased significantly.
Vigo stood up and attempted to lift the four large duffel bags next to the sofa. After struggling to lift just one, he gave up, finding it too heavy. He kicked the remaining three bags on the floor and then opened one of the briefcases on the table. Inside, it was full of Continental Hotel gold coins. Vigo spoke seriously, "There's $20 million here along with 200 Continental Hotel coins. Right now, no one should be watching you. I need you to take this money and these coins to the Continental Hotel and place a contract on everyone who stands against us."
Abram jumped in shock. "That's impossible, Vigo! No matter how powerful the Continental Hotel is, they won't take on such a task. Killing one or two people, even ten, is fine. But if the Continental Hotel dares to get involved in a full-scale power struggle in New York's underworld, every gang in the city will target them afterward. They won't take a job that breaks the rules like that."
"Then privately approach Winston, the hotel manager. I don't believe he doesn't have some deadly assassins who would take a side job. As long as the contract isn't registered in the hotel's official system, it won't have much impact on Winston. At the very least, we need to ensure that the Continental Hotel stays neutral."
"Also, tell him that if he helps me, I will repay him in the future. Whatever he needs that I can do, I'll do it for free three times."
"But…"
"No buts."
Seeing that Abram was still hesitating, Vigo stepped up to him, staring him down fiercely. "What we're discussing now is whether the Tarasov family can continue to exist. Those damned rules only matter if we survive. If we can't, those rules are worthless. Do you understand the situation now? Or do you want your son to be killed and your daughter forced into prostitution? Damn it!"
Vigo's harsh words finally snapped Abram out of his hesitation. Setting aside his concerns, he snarled, "Alright, let's do it. If anyone wants to take us down, we'll get them first. I'll even offer Winston free access to all the taxi intel networks I control."
"Ha! That's the spirit, Abram. After this is over, I'll support you in consolidating all of New York's taxi networks. You'll be the second most powerful information broker in the city, right behind that beggar king, Bowery King."
"Really?" Abram asked, excited.
"Of course! Who else would I support if not you?" Vigo replied confidently. At the same time, he thought to himself that it wouldn't be a bad idea to hand over the low-profit and troublesome taxi business to Abram. That way, Abram wouldn't be tempted to interfere with the oil and car smuggling operations once he got his hands on them.
Vigo knew well that consolidating the entire New York taxi system wouldn't be easy. Even controlling half of it would be a blessing. Taking over the entire network was impossible.
But even just gaining control of half would be quite an achievement. In the future, even if Abram couldn't rival Bowery King, he'd still come close.
Damn, Vigo thought suddenly, casting a wary glance at Abram. When did this seemingly blunt brother of mine become so sharp? Were those things he said earlier intentional or not?
Once Abram controlled the underground information network, he might become more valuable to the big players than Vigo himself. Who knows, that position could even save his life someday.
Still uncertain, Vigo tested the waters by asking, "Confident, aren't you, the future King of Information?"
"Of course! With your support and the profits from oil and car smuggling, I can definitely consolidate all of New York's taxis," Abram laughed heartily, adding, "Don't worry, Vigo. In the future, if you need any information, just let me know, and I'll deliver it to you right away."
These words put Vigo's mind at ease. It seemed his brother was still the same blunt instrument, genuinely believing that with enough money and manpower, he could consolidate the taxi industry. Heh, you're in for a world of trouble in the future.
"Thank you, brother. Time is short, so hurry up and find Winston. The sooner, the better. We don't want anyone beating us to him," Vigo whispered.
"Got it," Abram nodded. The two of them, each struggling, dragged the four duffel bags and the briefcase with 200 gold coins to the elevator.
The elevator took them down to the underground parking lot, where they worked together to lift the bags and the briefcase into Abram's car.
"Damn it, I never knew that $5 million in cash would be this heavy," Vigo cursed softly as he shut the car door.
"Haha, Vigo, you didn't know? $10 million weighs 105 kilograms. Unless you're a super strongman, no one can easily carry $5 million around like in the movies. It's all fake," Abram laughed.
Vigo felt a bit embarrassed. "Alright, let's focus on the task."
"Understood," Abram nodded, started the car, and rolled down the window to say, "Wait for my good news."
"Yes, and keep it under wraps. I'll be waiting for your good news."
After seeing Abram off, Vigo stood in the parking lot, watching his car turn the corner. He silently hoped that if Winston was on their side, taking down their enemies would become much easier.
As Abram drove away, he cursed Vigo under his breath. "Screw you, Vigo! Do you really think I'm an idiot? We'll see, bastard. Do you really think that throne is easy to sit on? If you hadn't left me no way out, only an idiot would risk their life to help you. You want to be the underground king? I bet by the time you get there, you'll be on your way to hell, you brainless fool."
After a long string of curses, Abram suddenly chuckled. "But it's not all bad. At least if I can get in touch with Winston, I won't have to worry about being assassinated. No assassin in New York would dare disobey the manager of the Continental Hotel. Not being the boss has its perks. Keeping a low profile and making money is the way to go. People usually target the top dog. No one cares about the eternal runner-up because the top dog shields them from the biggest threats."
Abram chuckled to himself again. "Vigo can take the heat on the front lines of the gang world, and Bowery King can be the big shot in the intelligence world. As the second in both realms, I'll be the safest. Bowery King, Vigo—you fools care about your reputations, not realizing that fame makes you a target, a threat. I'll just play both sides, make money quietly, and if necessary, I don't mind playing the underling. Being a dog isn't good, but being a rat is fine. As long as I keep my head down, I'm the safest because no official wants to chase rats in the sewers of New York."
It turned out that Abram had been acting the entire time he was with Vigo. If William knew what Abram was thinking, he'd likely praise him as a genius. This was the true way to survive in the underworld.
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