Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 224 [Dividing the Meat]

Joseph had indeed rehearsed everything.

But once inside, something completely unexpected happened.

Because the first thing West said to Ethan was, "Junior brother, what brings you here?"

"Do you know?"

Joseph asked in surprise.

"Yes, you know each other too?"

West looked at Joseph.

The situation was somewhat awkward, so much so that even after Ethan and Joseph entered the private room, Joseph was still complaining.

Why didn't you say you knew her sooner?

"I didn't know you would ask me to come here today."

Ethan is innocent.

Joseph then recounted how he met West.

“You know, people like me are always under a lot of pressure, so that day I went to an underground bar.”

It is rather strange for a key member of the Kingdom Security Bureau to say that he goes to underground bars.

But the fact is, even with Prohibition in place, people still can't live without alcohol, no matter who they are.

Joseph met West in an underground bar.

He borrowed a light from West at the time.

However, I think it was more of a flirting attempt, and that's how we started chatting.

West says he's a retired artist who now runs a restaurant, while Joseph says he's an art collector.

He talked at length about art, and then mentioned that he knew Ethan.

Looking back now, it's no wonder West's expression was somewhat subtle at the time.

She probably thinks she's bragging?
This is really...

"you like her?"

"Of course, isn't it normal for men to like women?"

Joseph nodded very seriously.

"So what exactly do you want from me?"

Ethan was speechless. He even suspected that the guy's offer of help was just a pretext to invite him to dinner and then come see West.

"Of course I have something to do, but don't worry, since you're already here, let's eat something first."

Just as Joseph finished speaking, he saw West walk in, so he chatted with West warmly.

Finally, he ordered some Western-style roasted beef bones and stew.

"Someone wants to harm me."

After West left, he finally said something.

"Oh?"

"As you know, I was just transferred to the Royal Security Bureau. That position wasn't originally mine; it belonged to Tefra of the Third Division. He's a confidant of Michel, the head of the Third Division. Now I've snatched it from him, and everyone's waiting to see me make a fool of myself."

While waiting for the food, Joseph began to recount the whole story.

The Evans family was indeed a behemoth, especially for someone from out of the center like Winster.

Even in the capital, the Evans family is just one of many behemoths. The capital is a deep sea, teeming with countless ferocious monsters.

Therefore, even Joseph, the second son of the Evans family, is not invincible.

The person whose position he had taken from Tefra was not a key figure. The key figure was Michel, the head of the Third Department. This man was formerly the personal bodyguard of the eldest prince Havensius Nocturis. He later transferred from a guard to the Royal Guard and rose all the way to his current position as the head of the Fourth Department.

Anyone with a brain would know that this is the eldest prince's confidant and an important force he planted in the Royal Security Bureau.

Although no extreme royal incidents have occurred in the current kingdom, infighting is certainly inevitable. Even with a supreme king at the top, that king basically doesn't interfere in anything, and the current king remains the most powerful person in the country.

Everyone wants to sit in that chair.

Admittedly, the most prominent figure right now is the second prince, Adrian, who has extensive influence in the military and is the youngest major general, making him a star in the royal family.

However, the eldest prince is older and has also made significant contributions in other fields.

It is still unclear who will win.

The position of the fourth chief of the Kingdom's Security Bureau is a microcosm of this struggle.

Without a doubt, Joseph was on the side of the second prince; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to successfully enter Winster as the head of the Kingdom's Statistics Bureau.

"This is not safe at all."

Ethan picked up a piece of roasted beef bone, took a deep breath, and had to admit that West's cooking skills were excellent. The beef bone was roasted thoroughly, while the marrow was tender and smooth.

“Ethan, you’re smart. You should understand that no matter where you are, whether it’s Winston or the capital, the worst option is to not take sides. Because not taking sides means you’re nobody’s man, and that makes you nobody’s enemy.”

Joseph was also sucking hard on the roasted beef bone.

"I don't know how to help you."

"Let the conflict in the South District stop."

Joseph looked at Ethan.

Then, before Ethan could speak, he continued, "You don't need to deny anything. I don't want to know what you did. I only know that if it's you, you can definitely help me quell the conflict in the South District. Whether it's killing the Mafia or stopping those new immigrants from causing trouble, there just needs to be one voice in the South District."

"Is this your problem?"

“This is my problem. There’s definitely someone behind those new immigrants. I highly suspect it. This was originally supposed to be handled by Trafford, but I took over, and the situation has only gotten worse.”

"So... what's in it for me?"

Joseph listened, sucked on his fingers, wiped them with a napkin, then picked up a piece of juicy roasted beef and placed it on Ethan's plate.

"The South District is yours."

He paused, then picked up another piece of beef and placed it on Ethan's plate again.

"Once the South District is pacified, one of us will be in the open and the other in the shadows. At that time, the East District can also be yours, as can the North District, the West District, and even the Central District."

Joseph placed pieces of meat onto Ethan's plate one by one.

"From now on, how about we share the power of the capital?"

Ethan was silent for a moment, then picked up a piece of beef, took a bite, and began to chew.

"Wait until you swallow it," he said.

"The meat is good."

"I'll take that as a yes?"

"Try it."

Ethan wiped his hands and took a sip of grape juice.

"You can do it, Ethan."

Joseph also picked up a piece of beef and started to eat it. He seemed to be in a better mood all of a sudden, nodding repeatedly as he ate.

"The food is really good. Let's meet here next time!"

"up to you."