The Mafia Empire

"Bring me a medium-rare steak, thank you!" The young man smiled, then leaned on the table with both hands, adopting an aggressive, oppressive posture as he looked at Ernst and Carrell. "Allow me to introduce myself!"

He smiled and said, "My name is Julian!"

The atmosphere of silence seemed cool and detached, but in truth, it was quite the opposite. Those who were well-prepared felt justified and calm, while those caught off guard felt a pang of worry and unease.

Carrell kept signaling to Ernst, clearly indicating that the current situation was not unfolding as he had anticipated.

Amidst the silence, a waiter approached, carrying a plate of steak which he placed in front of Julian, along with two sets of cutlery—one for the steak and another for a small side dish that accompanied it.

The subject of dining etiquette could easily fill an academic tome. The nobles' obsession with detail made their daily routines grueling in the eyes of commoners. After all, just getting dressed each day took around two hours, and if attending a grand banquet, even longer. Hardly as straightforward as the lives of ordinary folk!

For the nobles, however, their strict adherence to these rules of speech and behavior was a means to distinguish "nobles" from "peasants" in this new era. By following these rules with increasing rigor, they seemed to derive a sense of superiority, particularly when they cast a disdainful yet pitying smile toward the commoners, watching them wolf down their food and wipe their mouths.

A bemused glance to the person beside them conveyed their unspoken sentiment:

"Look, this is a peasant!"

While many of the nobles' rules might seem trivial, people loved to imitate them. Everyone wanted to be part of the elite, a circle with a certain allure that attracted those who saw themselves as successful.

People often criticize mainstream symbols, like power, money, and social class, but simultaneously envy those who possess them. This contradiction is what people in another world might call "class envy." It isn't just wealth they envy but everything they themselves lack.

This was a high-end restaurant, catering exclusively to those of status, though Julian was unaware of this. So, he simply chose the larger, more convenient utensils to eat with. He clumsily sliced into the steak, spearing a sizable piece of meat on his fork and stuffing it into his mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing and nodding in satisfaction.

The flavor was far better than any steak he had ever tasted. He'd never encountered anything so delicious. Pausing slightly, he turned to the waiter and asked, "Where is this steak from?"

The waiter smiled with impeccable poise, flashing eight pristine teeth that gleamed faintly under the lights. "This is Wagyu beef, sourced from one of the few exclusive ranches within the Empire. It's incredibly rare and expensive. The portion you're enjoying costs sixty-eight dollar, sir."

Julian whistled. Sixty-eight dollar—how many bottles of wine would he have to sell to earn enough for a single meal? The cost of the wine on the table and the dishes in front of these two prominent figures far exceeded his imagination. After all, he had once gnawed on bread harder than stone, needing to sprinkle it with water and warm it by the fire just to make it chewable.

Such extravagance! He sighed and continued to devour the unevenly cut steak.

"Don't you two have anything to say?" Julian asked, chewing with bits of meat and juice flying from his mouth.

Carrell watched Julian with a cold expression, but Ernst broke the silence. After frowning and observing Julian for a while, he hesitantly asked, "You're... that man from the other day, the one that i payed one dollar right?"

Julian's attention shifted to Ernst, and he nodded cheerfully. "I remember now. Since we're acquainted, it makes it easier to discuss what I came here for." After finishing the last of the steak and wiping his mouth, he leaned back in his chair. "Wood is dead, but someone still needs to take his place. I know you have certain arrangements and agreements with others."

"I intend to honor those agreements!"

Julian had already thought this through before coming here. The rules of the game, as established by the bosses, were not something he could disrupt just yet. If he didn't want to end up as another unlucky soul meeting an untimely end in some dark alley, he needed to learn to play by the rules.

People needed stability, whether it pertained to public order or the market.

Ernst dabbed his lips with a napkin, folding it carefully on the table's edge. His expression turned thoughtful, while Carrell's cold demeanor softened slightly. This was promising; if Julian was willing to follow the rules, they might be willing to compromise.

As both of them focused on him, Julian spoke slowly. "The market is limited. To me, Ternell is a large city, but to you, it probably isn't much. There are far more prosperous cities out there. Compared to them, Ternell is practically a slum."

"They need us to compete, but in a way that remains manageable. I'm prepared to respect this rule, but beyond that, I believe we can attempt something different—something that allows us to break the wealth cap imposed on us without breaking the rules."

"We can continue to compete for the limited market within Ternell City. Allow me to call it 'limited,' but I think our focus should be beyond Ternell, on larger cities like Aul Aldo, or others. That's where the real opportunity lies."

Ernst raised his hand, resting his chin thoughtfully, intrigued by Julian's suggestion.

After all, who could remain indifferent to the prospect of more money?

"Tell us more about your proposal."

The three men seated here were no fools. While their experiences and perspectives might lead them to view the situation differently as it progressed, their understanding of the underlying truths remained essentially the same.

Julian's brief remarks had already piqued Ernst's interest and convinced them that he truly understood the rules of Ternell City. The powerful figures who loomed high above, like gods in the clouds, manipulated Ternell like a chessboard. They didn't want to see any overly consolidated group grow strong enough to challenge them.

At the same time, they disliked cutthroat competition that pushed factions to the brink. Thus, they established a controlled system of competition within acceptable limits.

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