I am a master in India

Chapter 305: Worship

The Mercedes was very quiet; you couldn't even hear the engine running inside the car, only the muffled sound of the waves outside the window.

As the car drove along the seaside avenue, the streetlights slowly streamed into the slanted windshield, their light flashing occasionally.

"What do you mean?" Ron tapped the back of the chair in front of him.

Anil tucked the CD into the cassette player in the dashboard, and soothing music drifted out from around the headrests, its melody relaxing.

“We had a war with the Daoud gang,” Johnny began.

"Huh?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"To be precise, it was a surprise attack; we ambushed their number one assassin."

"What was the result?" Ron asked calmly.

“Satish is dead, along with about a dozen members of the Daoud gang. We also lost several men, including Sanjay.” Johnny’s tone was somewhat sorrowful.

“Why not wait a bit? You could tell the police where those leaders are,” Ron sighed.

This was an understanding he and Johnny had reached: as long as Ajay had enough information, they could naturally run into those people.

It's safe, efficient, and leaves no hidden dangers; they don't need to be present at all.

"The situation within the federation is complicated; everyone is furious. Daoud gang seized our territory, and many of our brothers have been taken down with them."

“Can you still control them?” Ron turned to look at him.

"Yes." Johnny lowered his head, slightly ashamed.

To be precise, his position and influence within the gang have never been as secure as they are now.

The radicals and upstarts all died in last night's clashes, and now no one opposes his opinions anymore.

"Tell your men to keep quiet. Mumbai police are planning a major operation soon."

"I know."

The car slowly climbed up the long, gentle slope to the top of Mount Malabar.

Anil turned off the stereo and asked Ron if he wanted to go to his usual restaurant.

Ron smiled and nodded, then gestured with his eyes for Johnny to go get something to eat.

It was the peak time for evening crowds, and the residents of Malabar Mountain were out strolling around.

They drove a short distance from the parking lot, where another twenty cars were parked outside Haji Restaurant.

Ron loves their scones and comes over every few days to satisfy his craving.

Most importantly, the restaurant is clean and upscale, catering to the wealthy in Malabar.

Every night, hundreds of people gather here to dine, meet, and buy drinks, cigarettes, or desserts.

They come by taxi, private car, or on foot; people come every hour until dawn.

Curfew rules that apply in other parts of Mumbai do not apply here, and police are even patrolling not far from the restaurant.

People who live here have special privileges; even the law gives way to them.

The restaurant was already packed with guests, but Ron didn't go in. Instead, he sat down at a wooden table in the open air, facing the sea.

Guests chatted loudly in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, and English, while waiters moved back and forth between the counter and tables, serving drinks, food, and plates with skillful and elegant movements.

Ron was a regular here, and a young foreman strode over. Anil simply gestured, and he nodded vigorously.

This was a rare moment of relaxation, and Anil went to the counter to get a drink.

Johnny looked at him; the young man walked with the air of an athlete, always on the verge of exploding.

He was taller than most of the young people around him, and his posture exuded a striking cleverness and confidence.

He had short hair and wore simple, unassuming clothes: black ankle boots, black trousers, and a white silk shirt, all of which looked great on him.

Moreover, he wore this outfit with a touch of military bearing; he had well-defined muscles and a calm, composed gaze.

Johnny judged almost instantly that this was a skilled fighter, someone no one in the gang could match.

He must have been trained; Johnny could even imagine how swiftly and efficiently he dealt with the invading enemy.

Some guests and all the restaurant staff recognized Anil, who would light a cigarette, talk to them, smile at them, or joke with them.

Their gestures were exaggerated, and their laughter was louder than before. They shoved each other and touched him from time to time, as if eager to win his favor or even just to get his attention.

Ron's place was unusually quiet; there were no guests within a ten-meter radius. They would only glance at him occasionally when they were chatting and laughing with Anil.

It was as if they wanted to find out from him whether some important person was in a good or bad mood. But no matter what the outcome, no one dared to trespass here.

The waiter returned with food and drinks, and Anil followed behind him at a leisurely pace.

The waiter carefully placed the tray down, and stood there, his eyes pleading with Ron to speak.

"Ramesh, how is your father?" Ron asked him.

“Okay, bye, he’s fine. But… but I have a question.” The young waiter replied in Hindi, nervously tugging at the hem of his clothes, folding and unfolding them repeatedly.

“Speak your mind, Ramesh.”

"It's my younger brother, bye. He... he just graduated. He's very talented and studies very hard. He wants to..."

Ron nodded, signaling him to continue. Ramesh, emboldened, continued speaking rapidly in Hindi.

"He's a student at the University of Mumbai and has even won awards. He really wants to work for your company, Suer Electric; he hasn't applied to any other company. I told him he should come here to meet you, and that you'd give him a chance. But he's too ambitious and too proud; he wants to get in on his own merit. You know, he respects you, bye. He doesn't want to ask you, afraid of bothering you."

He would be furious if he knew I brought this up with you like this. But tonight, when I saw you, Lord Surbai, I think... it was God who brought you here to meet me. I... I'm so sorry to bother you."

He fell silent, swallowing hard, his fingers gripping the metal plate turning pale from the force.

“I understand. I’ll have HR look into his resume, Ramesh.” Ron nodded slowly.

Upon hearing this answer, Ramesh immediately beamed with joy, as if he had won the lottery.

Ramesh appeared to want to grab Ron's hand to express his gratitude, but in the end he bowed and stepped back, thanking him quietly.

Anil and several of his men ordered fruit salad and coconut yogurt. After the waiter left, they ate with great relish, thoroughly satisfied.

Ron tore off a piece of biscuit and threw it into his mouth, then drank some iced beverage. He gestured to Johnny not to be shy.

At the foot of the mountain ahead lay the seawall, with a stone-paved walkway. At dawn and dusk, the tide receded below the walkway, making it passable.

At high tide, it is submerged, leaving only the bare seawall exposed. There are also small islands nearby, which, viewed from the retaining wall along the coastal road, resemble a large ship moored at night.

A round, flat, yellow moon hung high in the clear night sky. A gentle breeze blew from the sea, but it was a humid and hot wind.

Swarms of bats, numbering in the thousands, flew along the overhead power lines, like musical notes on a musical score.

"Speak, besides gang warfare, what else is it?" Ron finished his iced drink.

"We also caught someone named Kamal."

"Kamal?" Ron thought the name sounded familiar. "The leader of the Daoud gang?"

"Yes, he is known outside as Daoud's finance minister."

“Oh, I remember now.” Ron took the phone from him.

Dutt of Videocon wanted to cause trouble, but he was betrayed by Kamal.

"He personally participated in last night's gang war?"

"That was probably an accident. We followed Satish and eventually cornered him in the warehouse. We didn't expect Kamal to be there too; we found him under the desk."

The association was originally planning to clean it up, but he said he knew you and had even helped you before, so I came to ask him about it.

"Where is he?" Ron wondered.

"He's been locked up, and nobody knows."

"Keep him locked up for now, don't let the news leak out. I need to check his information first."

“Okay.” Johnny stood up.

"The situation is unfavorable for the gang lately, you know, Aijie, right? Don't let him get any leverage over the Federation, otherwise it will be hard to get away with it."

"Passports, foreign currency, gold, and the videotape business are all you can do; don't get involved with anything else. The Mumbai police have hundreds of 'chance encounter' slots; anyone could end up on one of those lists."

Johnny paused slightly, then nodded and left. He planned to send several gang members with tainted pasts to Goa for a few days to lay low and avoid trouble.

The federation will also keep a low profile for the next few weeks; they have already used up their opportunities.

Back at the villa, Ron asked Nia to turn on the television and tune it to Sun TV.

The footage shows the daytime celebration at the headquarters of Suer Electric Appliances, with the modern offices on full display.

The speeches by political figures and the tours Ron led were all reported in detail.

Two weeks ago, ATN Asia Television Network announced its renaming to "Sun TV".

Although some of the more than 800 million viewers accumulated in the early stages were lost due to the satellite signal interference, there are still five to six million viewers.

Despite having only half the market share of Zee TV, Ron remained unfazed, as he hadn't yet revealed his trump card.

SunTV is currently only in pilot mode, and viewers can watch it for free. The purpose of this is to speed up the integration of the team and adapt to the new broadcasting process as soon as possible.

In addition to news programs, the television station also prepared a drama series, which was scheduled for prime time in the evening.

The film selection was handled by Mary and her team; Ron didn't interfere, trusting their professional judgment.

In addition to news and dramas, Sun TV has also prepared a quiz show called "Sur! Raise Your Hand!"

The process is very simple: two hosts ask questions in front of the camera, and then the audience answers.

How should you answer? Call the TV station's hotline.

Typically, a question will be given twenty seconds of thought time before the host asks the control room to receive the incoming call.

If the audience answers correctly, they will receive various gifts, ranging from cash to a variety of home appliances sponsored by Suer Electric.

The scope of the questions mainly focuses on social encyclopedias, including everyday knowledge, current affairs, geography, history, and even Bollywood entertainment news, covering a wide range of topics.

Anyone can participate; there are no entry requirements. It all depends on your speed and luck.

This program is simple to produce and highly interactive, making it ideal for TV stations to "warm up" the audience.

If the trial broadcast goes well, we will consider turning it into a large-scale competition program.

Influenced by his conversation with Johnny today, Ron even thought that SunTV should try crime-related special reports.

I'm going to find Aijie soon; maybe I can get something from him.

(End of this chapter)