Chapter 337: 338. Chapter 334: Showing One's Hand and a Little Commotion

338. Chapter 334: Showing One's Hand and a Little Commotion

Today, Dover clearly hadn't brought those hangers-on of his along; today he was alone.

He drove around the Sumoli District, then found a street-side café and sat down.

He ordered a cup of coffee and a pastry, watching the ordinary, unremarkable pedestrians walking along the roadside — just like their ordinary, unremarkable lives, without a ripple.

Everyone hopes their own life will be wonderful, magnificent, full of countless stories to tell the young when they're old.

But how many people can actually achieve that?

As a child, Dover grew up surrounded by the notion that "his father was a hero." Back then, he had even asked his mother—

His mother had killed herself when he was eight. He didn't know why, but he knew that when he came home from school, he saw that woman hanging from the ceiling fan in the living room.

Her head hung low, her face a bluish purple, fixing Dover with an indescribably eerie look as he came through the door. It terrified him.

Before his mother died, he would often ask her one question: if his father was a hero, a good man praised by everyone, why did he die?

"Heroes don't die" — that was how children understood the world. But his father had died.

Before he could get an answer to that question, his mother died too.

He was alone.

He couldn't tell whether the praise people expressed when speaking of his father was genuine or fake, just as he couldn't tell whether the emotion behind their words "poor woman" was real or fake. He was too young to distinguish.

The only thing he could feel was Paul's care, but he strongly resisted it. For the young Dover, the person who truly killed his father wasn't the gunman — it was Paul.

If his father hadn't taken a bullet for Paul, his father wouldn't have died.

At any other time, his father could have dodged the fatal wound on his own, and there wouldn't even have been a gunman coming after him.

So the one who killed his father was Paul, not the gunman.

And the one who caused all his misfortune was Paul, not the gunman.

A child who had lost his parents, even with Paul's care, could hardly avoid being bullied at school.

It had nothing to do with his identity or background. Children his age didn't yet understand the difference between "gang boss" and "great dad." They only knew Dover was a kid with no parents — they could bully him without consequences.

And the frequently bullied Dover didn't actually want to show his weak side in front of Paul. Over time, the way the two of them got along actually bred a twisted relationship.

Paul thought Dover was drowning in grief over his father's death and couldn't pull himself out, while Dover thought Paul was being a busybody.

The man who killed your father hanging around you all day, constantly lecturing you — wouldn't that drive you mad?

Dover hadn't gone mad, but he was close.

His life had been arranged down to the last detail by Paul. He was sick of it, yet unable to resist, unable to break free.

Sometimes he would do crazy or absurd things, just to declare war on Paul in his own way.

He wanted to provoke Paul, he even wanted Paul to beat him up — only that way could he tell everyone that Paul wasn't as good as they imagined.

The more he grew up, the more mature his thinking became, the more pain he felt!

He could feel that Paul seemed to be using their family.

Using his father's death to mold him into a hero, so as to highlight his own importance to the entire Pastoretto family.

After all, if a man who died saving him became a family hero, then he himself must be an even more important figure to the family than a hero!

Using his mother's death, he had even suspected that the woman might have been strung up on the ceiling fan on Paul's orders — only that way would he lose all his guardians.

In the end, by using him, Paul came across as a family head, a boss, even a spiritual leader of the family — full of human warmth, worth dying for!

The more he thought about it, the more he longed to anger Paul into tearing off his mask without a care and beating him senseless.

Grabbing him by the collar, telling him it was all just a game played by those in power!

But he couldn't truly anger Paul, and he was trapped in a vicious cycle.

The more he failed to reach his goal, the more he craved reaching it. He himself hadn't realized he was already obsessed.

He was like a fish about to drown — absurd, ridiculous.

And laughable.

He thought about many things. The coffee in his cup gradually disappeared, and certain things cultivated over the years slowly began to tip the scales in his mind.

He took out a business card from his pocket — just one name, and a phone number.

"Owen..."

He read out the name, but there was no surname, just a string of numbers below.

After much hesitation, he put a dollar on the table, held it down with the coffee saucer, then stood up and walked to a roadside phone booth, and dialed the number.

"Owen?"

"Who is this?" The voice on the other end sounded somewhat familiar, but soon the other person seemed to remember something. "Christopher!"

"How about it — want to talk with me?"

"I won't do anything to you, and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Just a chat."

"I might have the answers you've been looking for."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that you dare to do it!"

"If your uncle finds out, he's going to spank you again!"

Owen knew exactly how to provoke Dover. Dover's face immediately flushed a little red — that was his blood pressure rising.

"I'll go meet you, but you have to understand this: I'm not going because you're provoking me. I'm going to see what kind of trick you're playing!"

Owen's laughter was bright and clear, and carried a sense of seeing right through his lie. That made Dover even angrier. "Stop fucking laughing. Give me a location!"

Soon, he drove to the agreed location — a strip club.

After parking, he went into a small room inside. This was where wealthy bosses came for private entertainment. A young man was already sitting there.

Yesterday he hadn't gotten a very clear look. Now, seeing the guy, he had an impulse to leave immediately!

Because he knew this person!

This person often appeared by the mayor's side!

"You seem very surprised?" Owen stood up and gestured for him to sit. "This place is safe — no need to worry about anyone discovering anything."

"Even if you stay here until evening, your uncle will still only see you as a good-for-nothing who can never be put to important use."

"Just as you've always acted."

Perhaps it was that last sentence that did the trick — Dover, who had been planning to leave, sat down.

He knew that the Pas-Lei Tuo family and the mayor were not on the same side, but rather were sworn enemies, opponents — this made him not quite trust the guy in front of him.

But this guy always managed to say things that made him go against his own thoughts; he clearly didn't want to stay.

Owen was very skilled at the art of conversation — even though the two of them belonged to opposing camps, he could still chat with ease.

"Paul must have been having a rough time lately, hasn't he?" he found a very fitting angle to approach from.

That angle irritated Dover a little, and at the same time made him wary. "I won't reveal anything about him to you."

Owen smiled, not really caring, because all of this was within his expectations.

"The current situation is actually very dangerous for the Pas-Lei Tuo family. Has Paul told you that?"

Dover said nothing, so Owen continued, "Look, he's busy every day, busier than ever before, but he never tells you. The Pas-Lei Tuo family has reached a moment of life and death, and you've never become a true core member, Dover."

"Even though your father gave his life to save him, even though you are the child he raised, he still hasn't treated you as a core member of the family."

"Such an important matter, and you don't know a thing — that is the proof!"

Dover felt a mix of shame and anger. Being told by an "outsider" that he wasn't a core member of the family made him feel like he'd lost face. "I know!" he argued back.

Owen wagged his finger. "No, you don't."

"The Kasia family and the Kodak family have already compromised with us, and Rick will work with us against you lot."

"The Tita family, the Keane family — we already have our people in all of them. The war hasn't officially started yet, but in truth it's already over!"

Owen's smile annoyed Dover, but he was still thoroughly startled by what Owen had said!

He felt his breathing quicken a little.

Although he was always looking to cause trouble for Paul, at heart he still hoped the Pas-Lei Tuo family could survive. He was considering whether to tell Paul this news.

Just as he was thinking, Owen asked, "Are you thinking about telling Paul about this?"

Looking at Dover's eyes that couldn't hide what was on his mind, Owen smiled like a forty-year-old fox. "So how do you plan to tell him — that you suddenly came to know these secrets that ordinary people could never possibly know?"

"Dover, news that even someone like your uncle Paul can't get his hands on — how did a marginal figure like you come by it?"

Dover fell silent. He hadn't considered this question a moment ago, but now that Owen had brought it up, he suddenly realized how serious the problem was.

If he told the truth, would Paul believe him?

He couldn't guarantee it!

But if he didn't say anything…

Owen watched him struggle in hesitation and weigh his options for a while without arriving at any answer, then continued, "Actually, the fall of the Five Great Families is inevitable, because you lot are nothing but thieves, while the mayor represents the federal government."

"Dover, you're a smart person. You should know that a single family, a single gang, cannot stand against the machinery of the state!"

"When this country decides to clean you up, you won't have any room to resist at all!"

"Otherwise, why do you think the Kodak family and the Kasia family came over to our side so quickly?"

Dover seemed to have found a point to counter him. "The mayor doesn't represent the entire Federation!"

"I take back what I just said!" Owen took a deep breath, which brought a faint smile to Dover's face — not for any other reason, just pure competitiveness.

But then Owen's next words made his face change instantly. "I take back the line 'you are a smart person.' Dover, you're not smart at all!"

"The mayor indeed doesn't represent the federal government — that's the business of the lords of Congress."

"But he represents the federal government's actual rule over the lower strata. From the moment this fight began, you lot had already lost."

"Because what you're challenging isn't the authority in the mayor's hands — it's the rule of the federal government itself."

"If there were a chance, do you really think Paul would go to war with us?"

"No — he'd become another Kasia family or another Kodak family. He doesn't want war, and he knows he can't win."

"Perhaps this year will be the last year for the Five Great Families. A few more months, and the order of Jingang City will be rewritten by its true master."

"You. All of you. Will be swept into the garbage heap!"

Owen pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Want one?"

Dover took one from him without a word.

He occasionally struck a match to light his cigarette, then shook out the match and tossed the burnt stick into the ashtray. "I admire you, Dover."

"So I'm giving you a chance — a chance to keep the Pas-Lei Tuo family going."

"Take Paul's place, pledge loyalty to us, and you'll become a hero of the Pas-Lei Tuo family, just like your father was!"

"But this time, what you need to do isn't sacrifice yourself for Paul, for others, or for the family — what you need to do is sacrifice others, preserve the family, and become a hero!"

"You can prove to your father that his choice wasn't necessarily the right one."

"And that your choice isn't necessarily wrong!"

These words struck Dover's mind like a bolt of lightning. He was completely stunned, so much so that he even forgot to smoke his cigarette.

Owen knew his plan had succeeded.

Sometimes he thought Paul was quite interesting — perhaps after playing certain roles for too long, one really starts to believe that's who one is.

He was a gang leader; he shouldn't have such an obvious weakness, but not only did he have one, he let that weakness run wild everywhere!

Perhaps the Pas-Lei Tuo family really should be destroyed!

After quite a while, Dover finally came back to his senses. He looked at Owen with a complicated expression — he had never expected that the person who understood him best would turn out to be an outsider!

He didn't know what to say, so he just lowered his head and smoked.

"I won't force you to make a decision right away. I'll let you see — see the Pas-Lei Tuo family walking step by step toward its destruction."

"Before it's completely wiped out, you can make your decision at any time — but not after the very end!"

"Enjoy the little peace that's left, Christopher Pas-Lei Tuo."

Owen stood up and buttoned his clothes. The weather was actually quite hot now, but he still wore a full set of clothes.

Perhaps this is the price some upper-class people have to pay!

When those people could wear floral shirts and baggy shorts, they still had to maintain a proper appearance, and all of this was the fault of some idiot!

It is said that there was an idiot who, even in the hottest weather, would dress neatly and wear all his attire, including a wig.

And his reasoning was that a well-known and prestigious public figure should never, at any time or place, let external circumstances make his appearance look improper.

And so this trend eventually swept across the entire world!

You have to understand, before this, those big shots were not as proper as people imagined — wearing strange clothes, relieving themselves anywhere…

After straightening his attire, Owen looked down with a smile at Dover, who was still sitting on the sofa. "I've already paid the bill here. Two girls will come in shortly to serve you. Enjoy your last pleasure!"

He wore a faintly unpleasant smile. "Rebirth in destruction, or a complete march toward destruction — it all depends on you!"

After saying that, Owen left the place. Before long, two girls walked in, but this time, Dover had no interest at all!

On the way back, he noticed that the city had indeed become a bit chaotic.

In just three kilometers of road, he had witnessed no fewer than three robberies in broad daylight, as well as people looting roadside shops. He thought of what Owen had said to him, and happiness left him!

These past two days were probably when the emergency phone rang most frequently. Some people discovered that even in Starlight District, the police didn't arrive as promptly as before, and even the homeless on the roadside began to harbor some greed!

Theft, robbery, mugging, looting shops…

The city's public order was getting worse.

In the entire Jingang city, only three districts still maintained peace.

The Imperial District, the Bay District, and the Industrial District.

Even in places like Xilin District, where mostly elderly people lived, many old folks reported that someone had pulled out their yellowed gold teeth…

"Someone was caught robbing over on Phoenix Street. Two guys stabbed a passing pedestrian and stole three dollars and seventy-seven cents."

"Should I hand them over to Bru, or what?"

Burton gave Lans a call. The public order in the Imperial District was actually becoming unstable too. Although there were people patrolling, there were always places the patrols couldn't reach.

Lans smoothed his eyebrows. "Has the person been sent to the hospital?"

"Yes. The doctor says surgery is needed."

"Pay the money. Don't hand the person over to Bru. I'll be right over."

Lans hung up the phone and frowned.

After packing up some small items he carried with him and making sure there were bullets in his handgun, he left the office.

The convoy quickly arrived at Phoenix Street. Phoenix Street was located in the eastern part of the Imperial District, at the junction with the Port District and the Plisia District. Because three districts converged here, it was relatively bustling.

The roadside was almost entirely lined with shops. Sometimes, some middle-class folks from the Plisia District would drive over here to buy cheaper goods.

When Lans arrived, quite a crowd had already gathered. Two young men were pinned down on their knees, and not far away there was a pool of blood.

"Mr. Lans is here!"

No one knew who spotted Lans first, but soon the people voluntarily cleared a path, allowing Lans to walk in…