blogombal Chapter 34 You've been fired
Chapter 34 You've been fired
Sitting in the back seat of a taxi, the streetlights went out one by one, and water droplets on the car window receded backward.
It was another chilly Gotham-esque morning, and the warmth of sunlight was a luxury.
Early risers wrapped themselves tightly in their coats, shivering in the cold wind after the rain.
The pale, stiff faces, devoid of any facial expressions, were like NPCs used to create atmosphere, appearing on streets, zebra crossings, and in office buildings where lights had just been turned on.
"Is life always this painful, or is it just because you're broke?" Oswald looked away and asked a question that didn't seem like something he would ask.
Qin Wei's answer was brief.
"Only when you're broke."
Yes, it's when you're broke that you suffer.
He prided himself on being carefree and easygoing, but Qin Wei, before his time travel, also lived a similar life. He would squeeze onto the subway at the crack of dawn, working a demanding and easily replaceable job. He dedicated his free time to short videos, and when he returned to his cramped rented room, he would face a drawer full of game discs and start playing electronic games.
When he first arrived in Gotham, he wanted to go back, but now he has gradually fallen in love with this place.
Amidst dense thorns and surging undercurrents, he opened his eyes to find himself teetering on the edge of a knife. The fear of death made his heart race, yet it also gave him a long-lost feeling.
A feeling of being alive.
In reality, he was no different from Oswald; his single-minded pursuit of advancement was simply to prove something to someone.
It wasn't the gambling father, nor the cowardly mother, but that messed-up world.
He wanted to slap it hard, spit out a mouthful of phlegm, and tell it—it's not that I'm incapable, it's that you didn't give me the chance.
……
The taxi stopped in front of Dodge Estate.
The driver was the same guy who had taken Qin Wei to Wayne Manor late that night, and he recognized Qin Wei as soon as he looked up.
"What? It's you! It's hard to get a taxi here. Do you want me to wait for you at the door?" The driver leaned against the window and lit a cigarette. He didn't reset the timer immediately, thinking that even if he couldn't get a repeat customer, he could still earn a few extra cents by chatting for a bit to stall for time.
But how could Qin Wei not see through this little scheme?
"No need, keep the change."
Qin Wei casually tossed over the few hundred dollars he had left in his pocket, and stepped into the manor amidst the taxi driver's profuse thanks.
The old butler, dressed in a tailcoat, had been waiting by the sightseeing vehicle for quite some time.
"You must be the new owner of the estate! Please allow me to briefly introduce myself, I am Paul..."
"No, take me directly to Dodge's men."
Paul, being a professional butler, didn't say a word after hearing this. He smiled and helped the two onto the sightseeing bus, and thoughtfully fastened their seat belts.
As the sightseeing bus drove past the vineyards, a vast grassland came into view.
The grass field is divided by a fence. On the left, several golf flags are planted on the flat grass, and three white canopies are erected in the corner. Further behind is an artificial lake, where a gentle breeze ripples the water, reflecting shimmering light.
On the right side of the meadow, several tall white horses were galloping and frolicking, their manes flying, looking incredibly handsome.
"This...this is all ours? This is amazing!" Oswald excitedly unbuckled his seatbelt. If Qin Wei hadn't grabbed him in time, he might have fallen out of the car.
"Don't be too happy yet..."
Qin Wei whispered something in Oswald's ear, and the latter's expression went from ecstasy to resentment in just a few seconds, finally leaving him with only a look of disappointment.
"Are you really going to do this? Why?"
"It's not convenient to talk about it now, but if you don't want to, that's fine too, since it's not a necessary part of the plan."
"Okay! I'll do whatever you say..."
Oswald let out a sigh of relief, making a difficult choice. After saying this, he slumped back in his chair without uttering a sound, like a Stormwind soldier whose soul had been drained by Gul'dan.
The sightseeing bus stopped in front of the castle.
The building has a Byzantine-style, oval, and robust texture, yet it is abruptly punctuated by several Gothic-style spires. The overall color scheme and details of the building lean more towards Baroque architecture, but each window is adorned with ornate Rococo-style gold trim.
Qin Wei gazed up at the bizarre building, a blend of various styles, with a complex expression on his face, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts.
He took out his key, pushed open the door, and entered; the castle's interior decorations didn't spare him either.
The overall style is European palace-style, but it uses ancient Roman-style wall tiles for trim. There is very little furniture inside, and large areas of the walls on both sides of the staircase leading to the second floor are painted with brightly colored murals...
He didn't want to look any longer; every detail of the castle exuded the terrible taste of a nouveau riche, it was practically forcing its way into his eyes.
Upon reaching the second floor, Qin Wei finally met the person he wanted to see—Dodge's men.
The five men and three women were all dressed in the iconic black suits of the Romans. Some were leaning against the wall playing with daggers, while others were lying on the sofa scrolling through their phones. Qin Wei's arrival seemed cheap, so cheap that they didn't even bother to look up at him.
Oswald frowned, about to reprimand these ignorant fools, when Qin Wei, with a wicked grin, grabbed his shoulder.
"They're giving us the cold shoulder; if we take the initiative to speak up, it'll be like we're begging them."
Qin Wei strolled leisurely to the tea cabinet, gently caressing a porcelain bottle with his fingers, and slowly pushed it towards the edge of the cabinet.
With a crisp, clattering sound.
All eyes, filled with surprise and uncertainty, turned to Qin Wei, and their gazes finally met.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, the Black man lying on the sofa finally couldn't hold back any longer and sat up to ask:
"What do you want to do?"
"Let's discuss the terms. How much money would it cost to keep you all here?"
Upon hearing this, the black man smiled and turned to exchange glances with the others.
An Asian woman with a high ponytail stepped forward. She had squinty eyes that conformed to American stereotypes about Asians, and her disdainful gaze sized Qin Wei up from head to toe.
"To tell you the truth, we are in charge of managing Dodge's business. In addition to giving each of us $20 a month, we also receive 50% of the profits from the transactions. If you want to keep us, it's $30 plus 60% of the profits."
This was Maroni's plan.
On the surface, he handed the estate over to Qin Wei, but in reality, the drug deals were all handled by his people. Both Dodge and Qin Wei were just empty shells.
That's why he dared to execute Dodge so easily.
As for puppets, can't we just find another one?
The woman's demands were excessive, but she actually left Qin Wei room to negotiate. She remained silent, waiting for Qin Wei to make a counter-offer. She was willing to accept any salary no lower than what Dodge offered.
Qin Wei frowned thoughtfully, then suddenly turned to face Oswald:
"Uh... how much did you pay your brothers in the Senate before?"
"$50 a week, the rest of the money can only be earned by waiting for Mr. Maroney to give us tasks."
"yes……"
Qin Wei smiled and nodded, then shifted his gaze back to the woman.
"Did you hear that? This is the salary I'm paying you."
"Are you kidding me?!"
Upon hearing this insulting offer, the woman's eyebrows shot up. The others also slammed their fists on the table and stood up, instantly filling the room with a tense atmosphere.
Oswald drew his pistol, ready to deal with any unexpected situations that might arise.
"You need to understand this!" the Black man continued, worried that Qin Wei hadn't grasped the implications, and thoughtfully translated it again in plain language:
"We've always controlled the drug trade; you can't do anything without us."
"I know, then let's not do the business then! Congratulations on being fired. As for this manor... it's probably not necessary for it anymore. I'll have an asset appraisal agency come and take a look at the property. You can go wherever you want."
Qin Wei's face was calm, and he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
But that light and casual tone sounded like a bombshell to everyone.
Now it was the other party's turn to lose their composure.
"But...but..." the woman stammered, trying to argue, but Qin Wei rebuked her sharply.
"What are you doing standing here after being fired! Do you want me to use the unlimited retaliation rights granted by the Castle Law?"
Enraged by Qin Wei's shout, the woman's facial muscles twitched, her features contorted, and after cursing "Damn it," she suddenly raised her fist at Qin Wei.
boom!
The sudden gunshot interrupted the woman's movements. The bullet landed just before her toes, piercing the brown-red Persian carpet and leaving a smoking scorch.
"oi~ Do you think I don't exist!?"
Oswald grinned, nudged his chin, and pressed the smoking barrel of his gun against the woman's forehead.