Weeding the Garden
"I think I could consider it for about 100 million dollars."
The moment my proposal left my lips, the smile vanished from Taka's face.
So, you're finally taking off the mask.
"...Mr. President, are you being serious right now?"
"Of course."
"100 million dollars... You have a much larger appetite than I anticipated."
"It's not about appetite. From a business perspective, I simply judged that I wouldn't be at a loss only if I received that amount."
100 million dollars. In terms of the value from my previous life, that was 1.8 billion dollars—over 2 trillion Korean won. It was certainly a massive sum of money.
But that didn't mean it was an amount I couldn't earn. Once the pharmaceutical factory was completed and we began mass-producing and selling Sulfadine, I could easily rake in 100 million dollars within a few years. If he had known that, he wouldn't have even bothered to bring this up in the first place, so I knew exactly what kind of person he was and what he thought of me.
"Judging by your surprise at this amount, you don't seem to know much about me yet. Or perhaps your 'great cause' isn't as expensive as you think it is?"
"...Do not look down on our cause."
"I'm not looking down on it. I was just curious about the price. Everything in this world has a price tag attached to it, doesn't it?"
A 'great cause' or not, it was destined to be trampled by the 'Kid' and the 'Fat Man' anyway. I wasn't brave enough to buy stock that was already marked for delisting.
"A cause cannot be assigned a price. You call yourself an American, yet you spout such vulgar nonsense—you are just like those devils."
My words must have really struck a nerve; Taka threw away the last shred of his mask, his face twisting into a hideous grimace. Well, that didn't make him any more intimidating.
"There are only two reasons why someone can't put a price on their product. Either they are too stupid to calculate its value, or the product simply isn't worth the price."
So.
"Next time, come back with a proper unit price. Then, I might consider it."
Now, get lost.
"...You will regret this."
My, he really is oblivious to the end.
"Wouldn't it be better to say things like that when my friends aren't around?"
As I spoke, I gave a subtle nod. Jack, Accardo, and Rizzo, who had been sitting in the distance, rose to their feet.
"Jack, Accardo, the guest says he's leaving. Please escort him to the front door."
"Understood. Let's go."
"......."
Under the weight of the two men's murderous glares, Taka couldn't even manage a peep as he walked straight out of the office. I really should put up a 'No Soliciting' sign on the door next time.
And...
"Rizzo."
"Yes, Consigliere."
"Put a few men on the guy who just left."
It's always better to clear away anything that feels itchy. I’d provoked him enough that there would surely be some kind of reaction when he returned. And if that reaction was violent, all the better.
"Track everywhere he goes, who he enters, and who he meets. I want to know everything."
"Understood."
"He might be connected to the Japanese Consulate, so tell them to be careful around that area."
I didn't mind other places, but I couldn't stand the sight of people digging into my background while running rampant in Chicago.
On the terrace of a luxurious mansion overlooking Lake Michigan on the outskirts of Chicago, Joe Aiello stared at the water with a listless expression, a whiskey glass in his hand.
He was once the boss of one of the largest gangs in Chicago, and currently one of the giants of the Italian community, serving as the president of the Unione Siciliana, a federation of Italians including those from Sicily. He was a man who could move tens of thousands of Italians in Chicago with a mere gesture, but he had the hollow eyes of a toothless lion for one reason.
"...Damn you, Capone."
Al Capone. That man, who had always been eyeing him, his organization, and the federation, was the problem. Al Capone and the Chicago Outfit had filled the void left by the North Side gang—shattered by the BOI—in an instant, and had given him two choices: surrender or death. In the end, he had chosen to bow his head to Capone, and all that remained for him was the hollow title of president of the Unione Siciliana.
Until now.
"This will be the opportunity to fulfill your long-cherished desire. If you join hands with us, that is."
At the voice from behind him, Aiello turned and walked back into the room. There, a bespectacled Asian man was already sitting on the sofa.
Aiello scoffed at his words.
"Do you know what that is? What you're asking for is equivalent to suicide in this city."
Clack.
Aiello finished his whiskey and set the glass on the table before continuing.
"Lee Jun. That man is not just a businessman. He is the son-in-law of Al Capone and the man who made the Chicago Outfit the sole ruler of this city. And despite that, he’s even being called a saint these days. The moment I touch him, not only I, but my entire family will be sinking to the bottom of that lake."
His words were no exaggeration. After the North Side gang collapsed, the BOI had turned Chicago upside down, and Al Capone had lived quietly without incident. But if his son-in-law were threatened, Capone would immediately unleash his hidden violence and make them pay with interest.
"You need not worry about that."
At Aiello's words, the Asian man opened his briefcase. Inside were several papers that looked like tickets and several bundles of dollars.
"First-class tickets on a passenger ship to Argentina, and 100,000 dollars as an advance. This is more than enough to live with your family after you move. You don't even have to do it yourself; it's money you can take just by giving the order."
"And if I succeed?"
"One million."
One million dollars. Aiello knew well that it was enough to pierce the heart of the Chicago Outfit, which was in chaos after losing its second-in-command. If he pulled it off, he would be the new master of Chicago.
'If I fail, I just have to leave Chicago immediately. There is almost no risk.'
Then, there was no reason to hesitate.
"What's the method?"
As Aiello took the tickets from the bag, the Asian man smiled and stood up.
"We will provide it. I will let you know soon."
With those words, the Asian man left the mansion. As soon as he stepped out, he waved at a passing Ford taxi.
"Where to?"
"Take me to Mitsui & Co."
"Understood."
Vroom!
As the taxi driver stepped on the gas after confirming the destination, the Asian man, Satokata Takahashi, muttered quietly in Japanese.
"...Whether you succeed or fail, there will be no way out for you."
He failed to realize that the taxi driver was observing him through the rearview mirror.
It was a few days after I kicked out the Japanese peddler that Rizzo, who had half-shifted from my personal driver to my secretary, brought me new information.
"Joe Aiello, you say?"
"He was originally a rival of the Boss. He was also the Boss's number one target. Luckily, he avoided being a target after the North Side gang collapsed and the BOI started causing trouble, but he has since sworn loyalty to the Boss."
"And you're saying that Taka or whatever his name was came out of that house?"
"Yes. One of our members who works as a taxi driver picked him up and took him to a Japanese company called Mitsui & Co."
Mitsui & Co.? Wasn't that the place the guy I caught in front of the soup kitchen worked for? Well, if you assume it's the same bunch, it wouldn't be strange. Perhaps the Chicago branch of that company was acting as a base of operations.
"It would be good to check the vehicles entering and leaving their warehouse. The same goes for Mr. Aiello and the Unione Siciliana."
"Yes?"
"They're probably going to use Aiello to pull some stunt. I don't know exactly what yet, though."
I already had a rough estimate from what I'd heard so far. The most likely scenario was using Aiello to attack me or those around me. Since quite a few people knew I was connected to my father-in-law, even if I were attacked, people would just think it was the usual gang war in Chicago, not someone's scheme. Of course, that would be true only if I hadn't known about this.
"Consigliere, then... shouldn't we strike Aiello immediately? A dangerous situation might arise."
"No, we'll leave him be and catch him by the tail."
An opportunity to clear out the annoying pests in Chicago had arrived; why would I throw that away? Being photographed without my knowledge once was enough.
"And use a broker to request an investigation from the Pinkertons."
Those guys, who were obsessed with money and investigations, would surely produce satisfactory results. I wanted to catch them myself and hand them over to the BOI, but there were too many complications for that.
"Understood, Consigliere."
As if he had fully grasped my instructions, Rizzo bowed and left the office. Now that the parts I could delegate were mostly finished...
It was time for me to move.
After finishing my thoughts, I picked up the phone.
"Connect me to Bank President Foreman."
"Yes, Mr. President."
Beep!
I waited for about a minute for the secretary's response and the connection tone.
-...Mr. Lee, what is it?
"It's been a while, Mr. Foreman. You don't sound well."
-My throat suddenly tightened when I took your call. Please state your business quickly.
My, are you still sulking? You should be grateful that I saved your damn bank.
"It's nothing special. As an outside director and a debtor, I have one concern."
-Go ahead.
"Did you hear the news a while ago about me getting involved with a Japanese spy?"
-I saw that in the newspapers. It seemed noisy for a day or two.
It had gone quiet after that, perhaps due to pressure from the federal government, but it had been quite noisy for those two days. Anyway, if he knew about it, things would be easier.
"According to my brief investigation, that spy belonged to Japan's Mitsui & Co. Are you aware of this as well?"
-...I did not know that.
"In my opinion, that company seems deeply intertwined with the Japanese government, enough to use spies as a base of operations. I think this should be viewed as a newly emerged risk."
-...I suppose you're right.
"If so, I would like to renegotiate the credit rating or collateral ratio for this company, taking the new risk into account. It would be even better if you informed other domestic banks of this risk as well."
After all, when you get rid of weeds, you have to pull them out by the roots.