Chapter 146: Marching on Japan (Part 2)

Just a moment ago, he was still reminding the fatty not to be careless or arrogant, pointing out that such a powerful faction would undoubtedly retaliate. Even if, as the fatty claimed, they were currently preoccupied with European affairs and unable to deal with him, that simply meant the longer the calm before the storm, the more devastating the explosion would be when it finally hit.

Well, look at things now. The moment he opened his mouth, he was talking about marching straight onto the Sakura Group. Xiao Tianci didn't reach out to pat the fatty's belly this time; instead, he touched his head and said, "Let me check if you've developed a fever. Why are you suddenly talking such nonsense?!"

The fatty looked squarely at Xiao Tianci and said, "I am dead serious."

Xiao Tianci's smile faded, and he withdrew his hand from the fatty's head. He looked at the fatty's serious expression, realizing he wasn't joking or talking under the influence of alcohol.

"Fine. Since you say so, let's break it down. I don't know the exact strength of the Sakura Group, but just judging by how deeply rooted they are in Japan, how they managed to establish a foothold in Europe while expanding into the United States, and how they beat you lot to a pulp... Earlier, I watched the battle from start to finish. Even when their people knew there was no hope left, there were no signs of widespread panic. What does that tell you? I seriously suspect whether this Sakura Group is backed by the Japanese government. Can you even call this a mafia?"

With that, Xiao Tianci rubbed the stubble on his chin—facial hair he hadn't shaved in a day and a night—and continued, "Still, you guys are tough enough. Much stronger than any mafia I ever imagined. I'm not trying to deflate you, Fatty. You've only just unified the local underworld in this city. The best course of action is to consolidate your forces and stabilize as quickly as possible. Don't worry about money; whatever you need, I have it."

Xiao Tianci had probed the fatty before, and the fatty had given a definitive answer: he had no intention of quitting the underworld. Since that was the case, Xiao Tianci could only hope to help him stabilize his position. He didn't want the fatty to expand too much. No matter how large an underworld empire grew, what did it amount to? The higher you climbed, the more dangerous it became, the more attention you attracted, and the more you became a target for everyone's envy. He hadn't voiced this thought directly to the fatty, fearing the fatty might think he was looking down on him or harboring hidden prejudices.

He had wondered himself if this mindset was tied to his own status, but even if he were still his old self, he figured he would feel the exact same way.

The fatty said, "What you're saying is a given. But while underworld matters have increasingly become all about money, face and reputation remain crucial for organizations of this scale. Given how thoroughly we swept through them this time, combined with the lure of profit, their march into the U.S. market certainly won't stop just because we tried to block them. A full-scale war with the Sakura Group is only a matter of time. They are a national—no, a global-level organization. To be frank, my territory, even including the surrounding small towns, is nothing more than a local gang. The disparity is massive. If we keep fighting them, our chances of winning are slim."

Xiao Tianci thought for a moment and asked, "Why not ally with other forces in the U.S. to deal with them?" Then, a sudden thought struck him, and he asked, "Oh right, now that you've absorbed everything from the Eagle Gang and the Grimaldi family, where does your current influence rank in the United States?"

The fatty calculated in his head and replied, "The Grimaldi family controls a dozen or so neighboring small towns, and the Eagle Gang has a few territories as well, plus the turf I already control. As long as we don't step on the toes of the other major factions, I can say that most of this state is under my control. As for rankings in the U.S., there are about six or seven massive international-level organizations alone. Among powerful domestic organizations, at least ten are stronger than mine. It's hard to give an exact number, but it shouldn't exceed twenty."

"Ah..." Xiao Tianci gasped in utter disbelief. "No way! There are still that many ahead of you, and they're all stronger?"

To Xiao Tianci, today's battle had already felt wildly exaggerated. Damn it, was this still supposed to be the underworld? And now, after uniting all of this, he finds out there was still an entire group of heavyweights towering above them.

Seeing Xiao Tianci's astonishment, the fatty retorted, "Damn it, now it's my turn to school you. You don't know a damn thing, so let me fill in the gaps in your education. Putting everything else aside, let's talk about drugs. The world consumes a massive amount every year—it's the second largest trade after arms. Roughly two hundred billion dollars in drug money flows through the international financial system, and that figure increases by ninety billion to one hundred twenty billion dollars every year. The United States is one of the most active markets for drug trafficking and one of the worst nations for money laundering."

The Chief Butler had descended by this point, still carrying that sniper rifle. Standing there, she cut quite an imposing figure. If she weren't so breathtakingly beautiful, she might have looked even more intimidating.

The moment he heard numbers—especially numbers involving money—Xiao Tianci's attention instantly spiked several notches. The fatty continued, "There are plenty of other avenues, too. Didn't we learn back when we were in school? The simplest method is to look at the figures. With a market this massive, how much competition does it generate? How many gangs does it sustain? Organizations like the Italian and Russian mafias, or the Sakura Association from Japan, possess immense financial power. Profit margins exceeding fifty percent annually are raked in by these massive syndicates controlling arms, drugs, and gambling."

Looking at Xiao Tianci, the fatty said, "I know you hate the fact that I'm mixed up in the underworld, but I've already set foot on this path. Sure, with you around now, I don't need to fear anyone—the whole 'once you're in the pugilist world, you're not your own master' cliché. If I want to quit, I can just walk away, but..."

"Kid, is your situation really that great? Besides, since I've chosen this road, I want to see just how far I can go. A clay pot eventually smashes by the well, and a great general inevitably falls on the battlefield. What is there to be afraid of?"

Seeing how resolute the fatty was, Xiao Tianci knew further persuasion would be useless. However, he still strongly disagreed with the idea of taking the fight to Japan: "Fatty, since you've made up your mind, I can only hope you achieve your ideals. But as for Japan, I think you should drop it. Why don't you take a couple of days to rest, sleep on it, and make your final decision then?"

He was simply afraid the fatty was acting on a hot-headed impulse and stubbornly insisting on a fool's errand. Since it was hard to change his mind right away, the best he could do was urge him to calm down first.

The fatty laughed. "Ha... What? Are you afraid I'm just being impulsive and talking nonsense? Let me tell you, I'm as clear-headed today as I've ever been—extraordinarily clear-headed. As for this idea, I'd thought about it even before you arrived. Back then, the plan was to defeat the immediate enemy first and then go after the Sakura Group. I just didn't expect us to pull it off this quickly. You probably think the Sakura Group won't see it coming, and they'll never believe I actually have the guts to run over to Japan and stir up trouble."

Xiao Tianci said, "Well, catching them by surprise is doable. I'm just afraid you won't make it back."

The fatty gave Xiao Tianci a lewd grin and said, "I've thought of that too. If I went alone, it would definitely be dangerous. But now—heehaw—aren't you and your brothers here?"

Xiao Tianci hurriedly waved his hands. "No way, don't count me in. I've got enough on my plate." With that, he stood up, ready to leave. "Alright, Fatty! Look, your side of things is pretty much wrapped up, and I've got matters at home to attend to. I'm heading out."

They had been brothers for so many years; the fatty didn't believe for a second that he would actually leave. He deliberately sighed and said, "Fine, go ahead. Since we're brothers, just remember to collect my corpse later."

"Bah, bah! Evil bird mouth, if you don't know how to talk, shut up."

The fatty shamelessly declared, "Kid, this time you're coming with me whether you want to or not. Who told you to have such terrifying subordinates? Oh wait, you don't have to go—just lend them to me."

"Damn fatty, you wish."

At that moment, Xiao Tianci's communicator vibrated. He shot a fierce glare at the obnoxious fatty before checking the screen. The moment he saw who was calling, his heart leaped with joy—it was a call from Rogers.

"Mr. President, receiving a call from you genuinely brings me great joy. I hope you aren't bringing me any unfortunate news."

Rogers chuckled softly. "Heh... heh... Aren't you a very confident man, Mr. Xiao?"

The moment Xiao Tianci heard that, he knew the deal had gone through. He burst out laughing: "I've always had confidence in myself, but I just couldn't quite bring myself to trust you folks!"

Realizing he had made a critical blunder in his moment of excitement, Rogers immediately adopted a stern tone. "Mr. Xiao, through my persistent efforts, the proposal you put forward has been approved. After discussions with President Ivanov, it has been agreed that your company may purchase 'decommissioned' retired aircraft carrier fleets under the guise of conducting a live-fire military exercise supervised and supported by the U.S. and Russia. In short, you will not have operational control. You only hold promotional and ownership rights. You can use it as a marketing gimmick to drive your commercial ventures, but all combat operations must be strictly controlled by the two nations themselves."

Xiao Tianci was perfectly clear on this point. They would never hand over two fully armed aircraft carrier fleets to him outright; this was the exact outcome he was aiming for. As long as a government was paid enough and given a plausible, respectable excuse, even the seemingly impossible could become a reality.

Meanwhile, Rogers mentally berated himself for letting his guard down. How could he have forgotten what kind of scoundrel Xiao Tianci was? If he had continued talking to him like a normal person, he probably would have been driven up the wall with anger again. No, he had to be careful in future conversations not to give this guy any openings to act like a rogue. When talking business, stick strictly to business, and end the call the moment it was done.

"Ha... ha... ha... Mr. President, what did I tell you? You bunch of guys love to put on airs, but once you strip away the suits, aren't you all the same? Back then, you kept saying 'impossible, absolutely impossible,' and I told you then: nothing in this world is absolute. Damn it, look at us now..."

The fatty stood nearby, watching Xiao Tianci's antics and listening to him casually throw around "Mr. President" this and "President" that. This kid was way too arrogant. Damn it all, the guy had been acting all righteous and proper with him just a moment ago, but look at him now—yep, looking at him now, it would be a waste of talent for this jerk not to be a professional con artist.

Rogers was wiser now and refused to waste any breath arguing with Xiao Tianci. Ignoring his remarks, Rogers continued, "Mr. Xiao, this matter involves a multitude of complex issues, so we will need to sign a number of agreements."

Xiao Tianci said, "Oh, that? Easy. I'll have my lawyers contact you first. Once they've ironed out all the clauses and terms with you, I'll just drop by to sign the papers directly. You know I'm not like you high-and-mighty government officials living comfortably; I'm just a guy running a small business, sweating for a living. It's not easy, you know!!!"

Rogers cursed inwardly, his voice turning icy. "Very well, we'll be in touch." He was just about to terminate the call when Xiao Tianci suddenly heard the fatty snicker. The guy was staring at him with a thoroughly amused look on his face, barely holding back his laughter.

"Hold on..." Xiao Tianci shouted, catching the fatty's smirk. "Hold on, Mr. President Rogers, I have one more favor to ask."

Hearing Xiao Tianci say those words gave Rogers an instant headache. "Mr. Xiao, what do you need this time? If it falls within my jurisdiction and is practically permissible, I will do my utmost to help."

Xiao Tianci mentally cursed: *Damn it, as expected of a politician—'within jurisdiction,' 'practically permissible,' and then 'do my utmost.' Slap all those together, and they're probably more useless than a flat-out 'no.'*

"Look at you, saying things like that. This is a piece of cake for you. You know how unstable society has been lately—my personal safety has become a major issue. Surely it's not too much to ask the President to dispatch a few people to protect my safety?"

Rogers paused for a brief moment of reflection. "Ah, that shouldn't be a problem. I can have the federal..."

Knowing what he was about to say, Xiao Tianci quickly cut in: "Right, I don't want any of those ordinary good-for-nothings. They'd just get in my way and annoy me. Oh, and those guys who breathe fire, or shapeshift, or fly around in the sky all day—send a few of those over. Actually, if you've got a whole squad of them, that works too."

*Bastard! I knew this scoundrel wouldn't ask for anything decent.* Dispatching ordinary protection was a trivial matter, but sending those classified assets made Rogers hesitate. What was Xiao Tianci playing at? Lately, he'd been getting awfully cozy with a mafia boss and had even waded straight into gang warfare. Was he trying to muscle in on the underworld? Highly unlikely.

Then what was this little stunt about? That fatty named Tong Cong was an old college classmate of his—that much could explain why they were hanging out. But did he genuinely need protection? If Chinese generals had indeed gathered around him, could it be related to this? Logically speaking, given China's successful involvement, he ought to be running away from state entanglements as fast as possible, yet here he was, desperately pulling everyone into his orbit.

Could it be that he knew he couldn't shake off government surveillance, so he simply decided to drag all these people right into his camp as walking bodyguards? Well, *that* wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility. However...