Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 201 [Joseph's Invitation]

June 16th.

The height of summer in Winston is far from over.

So, that afternoon, Ethan brought a group of people to St. Quantico.

After a period of reconstruction, St. Quantica is no longer what it used to be.

At least, it has recovered some of its vitality.

Many of those who survived the pollution gradually returned after receiving the news.

Although the city has not yet recovered to its former glory, it is already bustling with people.

In addition, St. Quantico is located in the far north, so even in the summer, it is not hot at all, but rather cool to the point of being cold, making it the best place to escape the heat.

Ethan then arrived with his men.

He had initially planned to make coming to St. Quantico a regular gathering.

This was his first attempt.

In addition to inviting journalists, he also invited many celebrities from Winston.

Of course, he had already arranged accommodations, gourmet food, and fine wine for Saint Quantico.

This was a very successful field trip.

At least on the surface, everyone seemed satisfied.

However, it's unclear how much of it was done to give Ethan face.

Ethan is indeed in high demand right now.

Everyone knows he is the true uncrowned king of Winston.

With Ned above him and the entire underworld below, it's difficult to bypass him, whether you're doing business or anything else in Winston.

These days, so many people come to his door to curry favor with him.

Ethan was getting a little annoyed, so this trip was a way for him to relax.

The afternoon sun shines down, and in St. Quantico, there is only warmth, not heat.

Ethan was lying in a chair, sunbathing.

Not far from him, Mia was painting.

As the protagonist of the famous painting "The Orphan of Saint Quantico", Mia has actually received a lot of attention recently.

Perhaps because there were too many reporters visiting, she simply moved to San Quanti to spend time with her brother, Clémento.

Ethan brought Sophia with him this time.

Sofia discovered that Mia was learning to draw and was drawing quite well, so she took a liking to her talent and started teaching her.

Right now, Mia is drawing figures, and her models, it's hard to believe, are Sofia, and... Anya.

Anya would never have gotten involved in this, but the situation was like this.

"Miss driver, shall we be models for Mia together?"

"Do not."

Anya refused outright.

"You are beautiful, and the drawing will look great."

Anya simply ignored her.

"Is it because you're afraid?"

"What am I afraid of?"

Anya raised an eyebrow and actually agreed.

The two girls seemed more like they were bickering than being painting models.

Ethan simply stayed out of it.

To avoid getting caught up in something and dying without even knowing how.

Just then, someone approached.

It's Joseph.

He was also among those on this field trip.

He walked over, glanced at the three girls in the distance, then looked at the St. Quantico Cathedral not far away, and said, "I haven't visited this cathedral yet. Can you show me around?"

Ethan glanced at him and nodded: "Let's go, I haven't been inside in a long time either."

The two walked side by side toward the church.

Once inside, Ethan led Joseph to the statue of St. Quantica, but neither of them offered any prayers. After all, neither Ethan nor Joseph had any faith.

However, Ethan remembered the ascetic's staff.

Since the incident with Winster, Ethan has taken back the penitent staff and placed it here to continue its nurturing.

When the number of people in St. Quantica increases again, the power of this penitent staff will also increase.

After watching for a while, Joseph suddenly said, "I forgot to congratulate you, you've gained another bank."

"That's all thanks to your connections," Ethan replied with a smile.

The new bank Joseph mentioned was naturally the New World First Bank, the bank of the Sun God Church.

After the group of Apollonians obtained the relic of Casal's true name, they had no choice but to accept the reality and leave.

Only a white-clad priest named Otto remained in Winston to handle the aftermath.

The next step was naturally to open a bank.

This is indeed a significant matter.

Ethan was also very helpful, running errands for Otto throughout the process. He not only asked Ned to help smooth things over with his connections, but he also put in a good word for Joseph.

Therefore, Otto was well aware that the opening and continued operation of his bank were inseparable from the support of the Poletta family.

From then on, whatever Ethan asked him to do, he would have no choice but to do it.

This is Ethan's second money laundering route.

You really should thank me.

Ethan and Joseph have been getting along fairly well these days.

At least, Joseph was quite cooperative with Ethan.

Therefore, the two of them spoke casually.

“Oh?” Ethan looked at him.

“Treat me to dinner. I’m leaving for the capital. Consider this a farewell dinner,” Joseph continued.

"Promoted?"

Joseph, being from a prominent family in the capital, had access to a lot of information that Ethan couldn't obtain.

Many of his relationships were also invisible to Ethan.

Since the public trial was overshadowed by the subsequent Winston rainstorm, Joseph played a significant role in the trial of Oswaldo.

He has already pulled one foot out of the mud.

These days, he has been trying to figure out how to pull his other foot out.

Ethan was not unaware that some newspapers were praising Joseph, either openly or indirectly, emphasizing his contributions to the Oswaldo case and his heroic rescue of Winster.

In retrospect, this propaganda was effective.

“No, it’s a lateral transfer.” Joseph smiled. He no longer gave off the impression of being superficial; he had become more reserved.

That failed public trial changed him.

"Then congratulations." Ethan said nothing more.

He can't keep Joseph around forever.

"Actually, have you ever thought about going to the capital?" Joseph suddenly asked.

"To the capital?"

“Yes,” Joseph nodded. “Winston is still too small. It’s in the north, so far from the capital. If you go any further up, it’s still far from the heart of the kingdom.”

“I know you’re preparing to run for a regional councilor, but with your talent and wisdom, it would be a shame if you didn’t go to the Parliament.”

"I want your help, let's join hands."

"us?"

"We're probably not enemies anymore, right?"

Joseph looked at Ethan.

Ethan nodded.

"Think about it, even if it's just for your family's sake."

Joseph is gone.

Ethan sat in the church for a while longer.

That evening, he received a phone call from Wangdu.

(End of this chapter)