Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 210 [A Discussion of the Underground Structure of the Royal Capital (Part 1)]

June 28th.

King's capital.

clear.

The capital city always seems to be sunny.

Its warm sunshine seems to make people forget all the troubles of the world.

But wherever there are people, there will inevitably be turmoil, especially in a megacity like the capital.

Countless grudges and feuds unfold every day.

So even news like Ethan's debate with Rubens, his shocking remarks, and his challenge to Rubens to attend his solo art exhibition—which would definitely make headlines in Winston—only occupied some space in some less important newspapers.

Those who are paying attention to this news are probably only people in the art world.

The people of the capital have too many things to worry about; one more won't make a difference.

Hughes thought it was a good thing; at least things wouldn't escalate, and what happened that day could be treated as if it never happened.

After all, Ethan has a bright future ahead of him, and we can't let those remarks ruin it.

Ethan, however, thought it was a bad thing. He had originally planned to use Rubens to make a name for himself and thus gain a foothold in the capital.

If the reaction isn't big enough, how can his solo exhibition become a sensation?

So he went directly to Helosh.

Helosh is now riding high. After receiving Ethan's full payment, he started his own newspaper.

Of course, when he says he's riding high, he's referring to his mindset; in reality, he's encountered some new problems.

For example, although he was rich, he was a nobody in the capital with no connections or prestige. When he suddenly started a newspaper, he couldn't recruit any capable people, and he lacked good news stories that could make him famous.

His original plan was to continue focusing on grassroots reporting and use that as a selling point.

But after several issues of the newspaper were published, the dismal sales figures told him that this approach was not working.

The two news talents he had painstakingly recruited also ran away.

He's been worrying about this for the past few days.

Ethan arrived.

Helosh was somewhat alarmed when he saw Ethan.

The main reason is that his experience at Winston was so terrible that he never wants to go through it again.

That eeriness and despair still haunts him; he frequently has nightmares about those days.

Another thing is that Ethan is too domineering; Helosh felt a lot of pressure when talking to him.

He was even more afraid that Ethan would take the money away.

So his first words to Ethan were: "You said you'd keep your word, and I've already spent most of that money..."

“I didn’t say I was going to take the money.”

Ethan found the extremely nervous Herlosh somewhat amusing, shook his head, and glanced outside again.

Hlosh was quite willing to spend money, renting a large office, but now the office is deserted and hardly anyone is there.

"Your work doesn't look very good." "It's like this when you're just starting out."

Hlosh coughed, looking a little embarrassed.

The main problem is that he received such a large sum of start-up capital. Before that, he was really ambitious, but the result is indeed somewhat unsatisfactory.

"I'm actually here to discuss a business with you."

Ethan sat down and said.

Upon hearing this, Hlosh's brow twitched.

Here it comes again, that same phrase again.

It was because of that sentence that he had no choice but to go and lie in wait in that terrifying house.

What are they going to do this time...?
"I……"

Hlosh wanted to refuse, but after uttering a single word, he paused.

Because it was that transaction that gave him everything he has now. Ethan is indeed a difficult person to get along with, a terrifying... demon.

But he can indeed bring benefits beyond imagination.

"Don't rush to refuse, why not listen to my thoughts?"

"Okay, you say."

Helosh couldn't help but loosen his tie, then called to the clerk outside, asking her to bring him two cups of coffee.

"Here's the thing, I'd like you to do an exclusive interview with me."

Ethan's current level of fame is actually quite high.

If he were to ask someone else to do this interview now, the biggest newspapers might not be willing, but the next-tier ones would definitely be eager to do it.

Instead of doing that, it would be better to support Hlosh properly. Besides, the topic he is going to talk about this time is very sensitive, and many newspapers probably wouldn't dare to report it.

What kind of interview was it?

For some reason, Herosh always felt that every word Ethan spoke sounded like the breath of a demon.

"I want……"

Ethan quickly outlined his thoughts.

Hlosh's expression changed upon hearing this.

"What, you don't dare?"

"This... what's there to be afraid of!"

Although Helosh said this, he felt that he was getting further and further away from his original intention.

This guy is absolutely a demon, a complete and utter demon.

After finishing the business, Ethan leisurely sipped his iced coffee and started chatting about other things.

"By the way, do you know the distribution of the underground forces in the capital?"

"This one……"

Herlosh knew perfectly well that the man before him was the King of the Underground in Winston, and he wondered what the man wanted to achieve by asking this question.

Is he finally going to march on the capital?
"I know a little bit, but not exactly..."

"It's alright, tell me first, I'll listen."

Ethan gestured.

After swallowing hard, Hlosh reluctantly began to recount his story.

The distribution of underground forces in the capital is undoubtedly far more complex than in Winston.

It's not as simple as it being controlled by a few large families.

It has a complex composition, and the Mafia is just one of its components.

According to Herosh, the underground forces in the capital are currently divided into five groups: local gangs, indigenous gangs, western bandits, the Mafia, and Old World immigrant gangs.

The most powerful of them all is undoubtedly the local gang.

Its members are all natives of the capital, and have lived there for many, many generations. This group of people has existed since the establishment of the capital.

They wield considerable influence underground and maintain close ties with the upper echelons.

Then there are the indigenous gangs.

To be honest, the natives were the true masters of this continent. However, after people from the Old World crossed the sea to visit, these natives were subjected to massacres, trade, and enslavement.

This predicament persisted until recent decades when it began to improve.

The formation of indigenous gangs is a result of the secret formation of groups by indigenous people who have worked in low-level jobs and served as slaves in the capital over the years, in order to avoid being bullied.

Their history is long, so their power is equally considerable.

Next up is the Mafia. The term Mafia originally referred specifically to violent groups formed by people who immigrated from the Old World, specifically from the Mafia region, bound by family ties.

In recent years, the meaning of this term has expanded, and violent groups in the New World that are organized in the same manner have also been called the Mafia.

The Mafia was originally ranked third, but in recent years it has begun to be challenged by new forces.

(End of this chapter)