695: Chapter 695: Clash (Big Chapter for Monthly Tickets) 695: Chapter 695: Clash (Big Chapter for Monthly Tickets) The flickering lights, the dazzling dance music, people unleashing their screams in abandon, and the lightly-dressed sexy dancing girl performing with wild abandon on the central stage of the bar, her skirt as thin as the leaves of a Yucash Tree.
Desire, indulgence, screams – these made up everything here.
This was Yucash Tree Bar, the most famous and chaotic bar in South City of Saint Joen.
Here, a diverse crowd blended: gang mbers, strippers, ordinary conglorate employees, rcenaries, wanderers, and even progeny from senator families.
All walks of life gathered, and sitting at the two-ter-long bar, right next to a white-collar woman lanting over the fluffiness of her cake, could be a madman from a gang who wouldn’t blink an eye at murder.
Chaos and disorder were the main lody here.
But such chaos and disorder allowed people to indulge without restraint, to throw the invisible mountains from their shoulders into the chaotic dance floor, and to scream loudly.
In the midst of this indulgent crowd, two figures with bowler hats and simply styled attire, swiftly make their way through the gaps in the crowd.
Cascades of colorful light skimd over the brims of their hats, and within the dimly lit bar, few people noticed the two figures in a hurry, and even those who did, cared not.
No one even cared to delve into the real faces beneath the brims of their hats.
Thus, the two figures made their way deeper inside, until they arrived at a small private room at the very back.
The more evenly proportioned man of the two nodded at his larger companion, then reached out to grasp the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open.
The room was not large, just a small booth sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a thin television set embedded in the wall.
The dim light from the ceiling spilled over the leather surface of the sofa and over the shoulder of the man sitting at the very inside, who appeared rather genteel.
Upon seeing this man, the figure wearing the bowler hat at the doorway finally pushed the door all the way open and stepped in.
Behind him, the bulky figure casually pulled the door shut, standing guard at the entrance.
“Long ti no see,”
The ‘visitor’ removed his bowler hat as he entered, looking calmly at the man seated at the back of the room, “You look much older; I thought you had left Saint Joen City a long ti ago.”
He took out an elegant eyeglass case from his chest pocket, placed it on the table, and slid it over, “Actually, I don’t recomnd that you wear glasses; I told you long ago that you look better without them.
If you want to be liked by voters, a good image is crucial.”
This man who had been ‘waiting’ in the room was, of course, Sienzi.
And the guest who entered this room was none other than the city’s theoretical ruler, the most powerful person in Saint Joen City in theory, Mayor Kroter.
In response to Kroter’s words, Sienzi looked up calmly at the ‘old friend’ in front of him, “I know your advice is sound, but even the most splendid facade can’t hide the straw filling a scarecrow.”
“So you called over today, to sit in this private room we used to frequent, just to give a scolding?”
Upon hearing Sienzi’s words, Kroter didn’t beco angry.
Instead, he took out a cigarette and lit it, asking Sienzi, “You don’t mind if I smoke here, do you?
To maintain a good image in front of the voters, it’s rare for to touch a cigarette all day.
This job is too tiring.”
“But don’t you enjoy it?
Looking at the man before him, who once had a hand in the events of the past, who ‘directly’ drove Snava to his death, and who over the course of eight years, gradually overturned everything they had built, Sienzi took a deep breath,
“Back when Snava appointed you as the Speaker, you would never smoke in public; it was only after all the events were over and we returned to the Mayor’s residence that you would sneak out the side door for a smoke.”
“Yes,”
Kroter also smiled, looking at Sienzi, “Back then, you were the only young one willing to go out with .
Even though you didn’t smoke, you were always eager to listen to share about campaigns and speeches.”
His gaze was calm, a wisp of smoke brushing across his cheek, “In so ways, busy Snava, even though he saw you as the hope of the next generation, didn’t teach you as much as I did.”
He extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table with his hand and observed Sienzi, “So after all these years, you’ve finally stopped hiding and co to on your own.
Is there sothing you need?”
He paused, smiling, “If you’re here to say that you want to run for mayor, then congratulations to you.
I hope the things I taught you before will prove effective.”
Sienzi watched the man in front of him.
In just those few sentences, the other party had gradually taken control of the conversation.
However, Sienzi was no longer the inexperienced, naively sincere university professor of those days; he replied to Kroter with composure,
“Under normal circumstances, I don’t think these little tricks are of any use,”
He shrugged, “You see, you know so much, but have you ever succeeded in your campaign for mayor before?
If Snava hadn’t driven the Kajet Group into a corner, forcing them to invest in you, could you still be sitting here today, speaking like this?”
Kroter was taken aback by this remark, the smile on his face gradually fading, “Years have passed, and you’re no longer the naive scholar you were.”
He lit another cigarette, and through the hazy smoke, he asked, “So what do you want to do by coming to today?”
“Are you scared?”
Sienzi asked, his deanor calm.
“Hmm?”
Kroter paused, his hand movents slowly stopping as the dense smoke obscured his vision; soon, he smiled, “I think, I am still the mayor of Saint Joen City.
Would a mayor feel fear in his own city?”
“Then why did you allow rcenaries from outside the city to enter in three separate batches?”
Sienzi asked directly.
“The reason is just that,” Kroter took a drag, “to prevent too many people from suddenly coming in and disturbing the peace of the citizens.”
Hearing him say this, Sienzi let out a cold laugh, “Then tell , what kind of civilian life is there to disturb in Saint Joen City at the mont?
Would too many rcenaries entering at once cause more gang conflicts in West City and South City, or just increase the number of holess people on the streets?”
Kroter’s expression darkened.
“You’re scared,” Sienzi continued, “You’re afraid of the rcenary Corps causing trouble, but you don’t dare stop the Kajet Group from bringing them into the city.
You even have the cheek to use the city governnt’s na, making people think these rcenaries are ‘secured’ by you.”
“Look at the records of various cities, look back over the history of the Federation over the past seven hundred years; how many mayors have had the courage to let a large number of external rcenary Corps enter their city?”
Sienzi looked at Kroter composedly, “Are you really not scared?”
Kroter watched Sienzi, then suddenly smiled softly, leaning back on the couch, “I don’t know who’s influenced you, but it seems you’ve really turned over a new leaf, warranting a second look from .”
Then he took a deep breath and continued, “Scared, of course I’m scared.
If these rcenaries get out of control, there’s no way I could contain them.”
He then looked at Sienzi, shaking his head with a wry smile, “But am I not scared when these rcenaries aren’t coming in?
The city police have long been owned by the Kajet Group, and most of the City Defense Army has accepted bribes from the Kajet Group.
If they could hound Snava to death back then, why couldn’t they hound to death now?”
“But do you look like soone who would sit back and wait for death?”
Sienzi looked up at him and asked calmly.
The question plunged Kroter into a brief silence.
Kroter’s talents may not be much inferior to Sienzi’s, but he was a completely different person from Sienzi.
Back then, Sienzi had chosen to commit suicide because the Kajet Group had pushed him to a dead end, all just to preserve his policies a little longer.
But if it were Kroter in the Mayor’s seat, he would likely have made peace with the Kajet Group directly, without waiting for impeachnt by the council, and he would have eliminated anyone who could threaten his position.
Sienzi understood his ‘half-ntor’ very well.
If Sienzi was chasing ideals, then Kroter was chasing power.
For power, he could cooperate with Sienzi to implent policies when Sienzi had the upper hand, in exchange for the position of council speaker.
Similarly, for power, when Sienzi faced problems, he wouldn’t hesitate to turn against him to win over the support of the Kajet Group and the Mayor’s throne.
“We’ve known for a long ti that the leader of the City Defense Army, the B-level power Darn, is greedy and lustful.
Back then, Sienzi failed to offer him enough bribes, which ultimately led him to side with the Kajet Group,”
Sienzi continued, looking at Kroter’s expression, “Now it’s your turn to be Mayor.
With all the money you’ve amassed over eight years, with your personality, would you forget the lessons from Sienzi’s experience?”
“Darn may be greedy and licentious, but he has a clear self-awareness.
He knows his job depends on the employnt of the city governnt and subsidies from the Federation.
Unless he wants to stage a coup to beco the Mayor himself, in principle, he will prioritize obeying the Mayor’s orders.
“Even when Sienzi was in that dire situation, the final blow was dealt by the City Council you led.
He actually just issued a statent, disclosing his stance and pushing hard on the collapsing wall.
“Now, if you bribe him enough, even if you fall out with the Kajet Group, under the pretext of the city governnt, at least he will remain neutral in the dispute between you and the Kajet Group, and in principle, comply with the city governnt’s orders.
“Even, when bigger problems arise, he may side with you.”
“You an,”
Having said that, Kroter finally broke his silence, smiling as he watched Sienzi, “The Kajet Group might have ‘problems’?”
“So many rcenaries in the city from the Kajet Group, are they all natives of Saint Joen City returning ho?”
Sienzi asked aningfully.
These rcenaries were already a significant destabilizing factor.
Besides the City Defense Army, there was no other organized force within the city capable of confronting these rcenaries.
And the City Defense Army had defensive duties.
Possession of a weapon leads to the birth of the intent to kill.
The situation was different from Sienzi’s ti.
Back then, regardless of what Sienzi did, it was all an internal power struggle within the city governnt, and the City Council and units like the City Defense Army were the ones to suffer.
In principle, the Kajet Group didn’t have forces that could directly affect the situation.
But with the arrival of the rcenary Corps in the city, the circumstances changed completely.
Although the arrival of the rcenary Corps was permitted by the city governnt, and even Kroter had received many benefits from the Kajet Group for this, it did not an he agreed with this decision.
Of course, with the City Defense Army and the city governnt completely infiltrated by the Kajet Group, he had no power to oppose the Kajet Group.
The lessons from Sienzi’s experience were still evident.
Moreover, the ‘hocoming leave’ excuse given by the Kajet Group was perfectly reasonable and lawful, even specifying only a three-day leave.
But those three days were like the Kajet Group holding a sharp dagger, grazing past Kroter’s throat,
Kroter fell into brief silence once again.
Sienzi knew he had hit a nerve and continued, “Your Deputy Mayor is a man from the Kajet Group, right?”
This ant that once Kroter was forced to resign, the Kajet Group could imdiately set up a Mayor completely under their control.
Kroter lifted his head, gazing at Sienzi, and after a brief pause, he asked with a smile, “So what do you want?”
“The right to open the West Gate,”
Sienzi also looked at Kroter, saying each word distinctly, “I know the Mayor has the authority.
In case of issues with the City Defense Army, special permission can be granted to open the city gates.”
“Open the gates?
What are you planning to do?”
Kroter was slightly startled and chuckled in disbelief, “Are you thinking of escaping in the chaos?”
“What do you think I want to do?”
Sienzi retorted.
Kroter was taken aback, then asked with a smile, “If I give you this authority, what if you let exotic beasts or Wilderness Wanderers in, and I am held responsible for it?”
He paused, continuing, “Do you think I should trust you?
I’m directly responsible for your old boss’s death; how do I know you’re not bluffing with rcenaries to create chaos and oust from my position?”
The Kajet Group’s rcenaries have been normal up to now.
The so-called chaos is just a worry in the realm of fantasy.
Maybe these rcenaries are just a blade to threaten Kroter, to keep him in line.
Before anything happens, all speculations remain just that.
And to Kroter’s doubts, Sienzi simply straightened up, tone even, “Who else can you trust but ?”
The smile on Kroter’s face gradually faded as he took a deep look at his ‘old friend’, “It seems you have indeed grown.”
He picked up a bowler hat from beside him, placed it on his head, and said, “Let’s end it here for today; we’ll be in touch.”
With that, he opened the door and walked out of the room, the burly brutes outside sidestepping to give way, then left with him, closing the door behind them.
The room was scattered with chaotic gleams, and Sienzi reached out to make a phone call.
“Did he agree?”
YiXiya’s voice ca through the phone.
“No,”
Sienzi shook his head, “If he could be persuaded by a few words from , he wouldn’t be who he is.
But our purpose today was just to plant a wedge in his mind.
When things show signs, he’ll naturally co to us.”
He reached out and picked up the delicate glasses case, slowly opening it.
Not only did it contain the glasses he had set down, but also the flyer he had left.
Now folded neatly into the inside lid of the case, there was a series of red numbers written on it.
It was a private phone number.
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