In all his decades of life, Robert Downs had never felt such shame.
He felt like a clown on a stage—pitiful, ridiculous, hateful, and loathsome. No one wanted to live like this, but he had no choice.
In Gotham City, few people dared to deceive Falcone, and even fewer survived. Robert was one of the survivors.
His survival was based not on luck or connections, but on talent.
It sounded ridiculous, but it was the truth. Falcone valued Robert Downs's financial genius and made an exception to spare his life.
Nomads have a traditional culture called "taming the eagle." Falcone was a master of this, believing that taming an eagle was the same as taming a person: to subdue a soaring raptor, you must torture its body and wear down its spirit. Only when the mind and body are on the verge of collapse will the eagle choose to submit. The same is true for people.
Robert had known Falcone's purpose for a long time. He was filled with resentment and furious humiliation but was utterly powerless. In Falcone's world, there was no chance for Robert Downs to rise.
After repeated failed attempts at resistance, Robert chose to give up, living in the gutter and trying to minimize his existence, hoping that time would erase Falcone's memory.
Six months passed like this. Then Luke Shaw sought him out and asked him to join ShowMe. A few days later, people from the Elliot family found him, offering better treatment. That same evening, Falcone's men appeared, and a vicious beating shattered all his beautiful dreams.
The feeling of a broken dream is terrible. Robert had experienced it twice and didn't want a third time.
"Mr. Sidney, the figures in this contract deviate significantly from what was previously discussed. Did you perhaps grab the wrong document?"
Sidney ignored Robert, smiling at Luke, and asked,
"Mr. Shaw, what do you think of the contract?"
Luke's eyes swept over the employees who were now subtly revealing their handguns. After a long pause, he said with a rasp,
"$30 million for 60% of the shares. As expected from someone from Gotham, that's ruthless!"
Sidney laughed heartily.
"Please don't misunderstand. Gotham City is a city of honest folk. The people there are warm and hospitable; they never bully others, nor do they like to be bullied. The guns are mainly for self-defense. As you know, the security in Metropolis is poor, and people are always flying overhead. Without a gun, one just doesn't feel secure."
Luke sneered. "You are truly humorous, sir!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the door burst open. Alexander Rhodes and seven or eight burly men poured in. Some were carrying submachine guns, others had rifles, and one even lugged a rocket launcher.
These men stood behind Sidney, staring aggressively at the opposition.
The atmosphere instantly solidified!
Sidney barked a few orders for his men to look less menacing, then introduced them.
"This is Alexander Rhodes. Next to him are Tommy Church, Justin Cook, and Harrison Khord. Mr. Shaw, those names should be familiar to you!"
Charlie's face turned ashen. Just as he started to stand up, he took a kick to his right foot and gasped in pain.
Luke looked deeply at Sidney.
"A commendable tactic, sir!"
Sidney waved his hand dismissively.
"Do you have any further questions about the contract?"
All four remained silent. The tension was palpable.
"Since there are no questions, please sign it. Once signed, you're family. If you run into trouble in the future, call me, and I'll help you fix it."
At this point, saying anything else was meaningless. After the signing and sealing procedure was complete, Luke stood up to leave. Charlie and Will quickly followed.
Robert hesitated for a few seconds, then followed them out.
Sidney held up the contract for his men to see, as if showing off a masterpiece.
"See? A little punk is still a little punk. A bit of trickery and we take it down easily. Rhodes, you're with ShowMe now. Keep a close eye on that boy. You know what to do."
"Don't worry, Mr. Sidney."
Alexander laughed menacingly. "I have the most experience dealing with pretty boys like him. If he dares to run, I'll make sure he regrets ever being a man."
Everyone was amused, and the room was filled with strange laughter.
The Grand Plan
After leaving the hotel, the anger vanished from Luke's face. He instructed the pale-faced Charlie and Will to return to the company and took a taxi to a park two blocks away.
A short while later, Emily walked over, holding an energy drink.
"Want some?"
"I prefer juice, coffee, and wine."
"Suit yourself. I'll drink it."
Emily sat on the bench and pulled out a USB drive from her pocket.
"Here's what you asked for."
"How's the quality?"
"You can see faces and hear voices."
"That's good."
Luke put the USB drive away and instinctively reached out to put his arm around her shoulder. The moment his fingers touched the girl's shoulder, he inexplicably shivered.
"It's just putting my arm around you. What's the big deal?"
Emily sneered. "I'm not Evan Donald. If you want to take liberties with me, be prepared for the consequences."
"Is that so?"
Luke blinked, ignoring the icy stare he received. He nonchalantly kept his right arm on her shoulder, even giving it a little squeeze.
"You..."
The girl was furious. She struggled a few times but couldn't break free, so she let him keep his arm there.
"What were you thinking, negotiating with Sidney knowing he's Falcone's man, only to end up like this? Those guys are definitely laughing at you behind your back."
"They won't be laughing for long."
Emily's voice became serious. "Are you really going after Falcone?"
"It's not that I'm going after him; it's that he walked right into my crosshairs."
"What do you mean?"
Luke didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Do you know why wolves are afraid of tigers?"
"Tigers are stronger."
"Wrong. Wolves are afraid of tigers because tigers eat wolves. Corporations in the world are made of people, but their essence is that of wolves and tigers. Some companies are wolves; some are tigers. Tigers eat wolves—it's the law of nature, survival of the fittest. The only way not to be eaten is to evolve into a tiger. And the prerequisite for becoming a tiger is to swallow a pack of wolves, or kill a tiger."
"Falcone is the tiger I intend to swallow."
Emily worriedly said, "Have you thought this through? Falcone is the crime boss of Gotham City. He has connections in business, politics, and even the military. Don't get yourself caught up in this."
Luke smiled. "Don't worry. My part is done. All I have to do now is pour a glass of red wine, lie on the sofa, and quietly watch the show."
"That sounds easy, but this is Falcone, not some ordinary criminal. The FBI has tried for decades and couldn't find anything on him."
"The FBI failed mainly because they used legal procedures. Using the law to fight Falcone is naturally useless. Things outside the law are different."
Emily looked thoughtful. "Are you talking about Batman?"
"Batman won't work. He has too many principles; he can't do this kind of thing."
"If it's not Batman, who is it? It can't be Superman!"
Luke shook his head and laughed. "Silly! The best choice to kill a tiger is, of course, people. When thousands of people rush into the mountain with torches, no matter how savage or cruel the tiger is, it can only hide in its cave and tremble like a cat."
"Humans are the most formidable species!"
🗒️Note:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!