Chapter 10
What preparations had Eugene actually made?
The answer is: Absolutely nothing.
And he didn't need to make extra preparations.
That's because quite a few people were already targeting Terry, but they lacked a smoking gun.
Even the Ganesha Familia guards currently standing outside the door had already secretly begun an investigation into Terry.
The real fuse would be ignited later when Terry abducted a beautiful girl and was inadvertently discovered by one of the original novel's heroines, the elf girl Ryuu Lion, nicknamed "Gale."
Thus, this former member of the Astraea Familia painstakingly investigated, caused a major scene at the casino, and publicly exposed Terry's true identity a despicable villain who had never truly repented and had stolen another's identity.
Ultimately, Terry's empire was overturned overnight, and his fortune of several billion was entirely confiscated.
That tragic ending perfectly illustrated the proverb: "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."
If this guy had been more restrained and hadn't committed so many egregious acts over the years, he might have been able to live comfortably for a few more years.
In short, that name is his biggest weakness.
"If you had lived honestly, I wouldn't have dared to come here and court disaster."
"Unfortunately, you were greedy and had too much dirty laundry."
Eugene's fingertip tapped the table rhythmically, having fully seen through the other party's intention to silence him.
"There are simply too many people in this city who want to take you down."
"Although you've bribed the inspectors of the Entertainment District, a big basket can't cover all the rats."
"You can kill me right now, but I guarantee that if I don't walk out of this door, countless reports will be sent to every corner of the city tomorrow."
"The Adventurers Guild, the City Guard, the Entertainment District's Inspectorate the truth about the wealthy Terry Cervantes's real identity and his deeds over the years will spread throughout the streets."
Eugene's tone was dismissive.
He didn't need any negotiation tactics.
Because the information he held in his hand was the trump card capable of utterly destroying his opponent.
This is similar to a poor terrorist threatening a billionaire with a bomb, seeking mutual destruction.
The terrorist is not afraid of death, but what about the billionaire?
Could he bear to lose the billions of assets and other wealth he has in the casino's basement?
Faced with this man who held his only vital weakness, Terry had to believe it was true.
"Ugh..."
Although his teeth were grinding and the veins on his forehead were bulging, Terry lowered his head.
"Wha... what do you want..."
"Heh, I want what you have."
Eugene grinned, showing his white teeth.
"Mr. Terry has a fortune of several billion. Taking out a billion right now shouldn't be too damaging, should it?"
"A billion!?" Terry's body shook violently.
This bastard, just spitting out numbers?
Damn it, how can a nobody be so greedy?
"What, you can't afford it?"
Eugene leaned back in the chair and laughed. "Don't forget I held back just now and didn't take the 3.6 billion."
"You can't even produce just one billion?"
"If you can't satisfy me, I can't guarantee what I might do."
I absolutely must kill you!!
Terry glared at Eugene, his beard trembling with rage.
Normally, anyone who dared to oppose him would have been dead long ago!
But this person dared to so brazenly step over his bottom line!
"One billion, no bargaining."
"Oh, and also, 30% of the casino's shares. We're on the same boat, after all; we should be a family."
30% of the shares!
Terry himself only held 75%!
This was equivalent to taking almost half of what he owned!
"I think you've truly gone mad..."
Terry's eyes began to turn red.
This was no longer just cutting flesh; it was sucking the marrow from his bones!
"I'm not the one who's mad, it's this world."
Eugene tidied his clothes and leisurely stood up.
"If even an impostor like you can rise to the top, then what's stopping a nobody like me?"
The three words "impostor" were particularly emphasized.
A pungent smell of gunpowder permeated the air.
The scale frantically swung between balance and collapse.
But eventually, it returned to calmness.
"...Alright."
Terry glared at Eugene, desperately suppressing the tremor in his voice.
"Even for me, transferring such a huge asset will take some time."
"Seven days. In seven days, you must destroy all evidence in front of me."
"Then, we'll be even!"
Eugene chuckled. "No problem."
"Ah, by the way, the girls you've abducted, they're all quite high-quality."
"I'll take a few with me, is that okay?"
Terry was in no mood to argue about such things now and impatiently waved his hand. "Five at most. Just don't kill them."
"I'm very tender-hearted towards beautiful women."
Eugene pushed the door open and walked out with a flourish.
Leaving the tycoon alone in the room, his resentment coalescing into a dark cloud.
"Faust, Rollo."
Terry called out behind him.
The black-haired Cat Person and the sturdy man appeared in response.
These two were Terry's most capable subordinates, former assassins whose names had resounded throughout the underground society!
"You two, follow that guy for these seven days. Everything he does, everywhere he goes, must be reported back to me."
"I want to eliminate every single person backing him within these seven days!"
"If he dares to run, or tries to seek protection from a major Familia, break his legs and drag him back to me!"
"...The old man will probably say something like that."
Walking briskly through the crowd, Eugene speculated on Terry's likely reaction.
"This is a major issue. To avoid the possibility of my 'backer' being powerful, he will certainly look for a trump card."
"An Level 6 Adventurer can't be hired... Level 5?"
The names of Orario's famous experts flashed through Eugene's mind.
Those who are skilled at this kind of dirty work are usually "terrorists" or "people without a bottom line."
Orario's terrorists, who worship Evil Gods and are keen on destroying the world, are collectively known as the "Dark Faction."
A few years ago, they were causing havoc and destruction everywhere, making the entire city miserable, and people were afraid to go out on the streets.
That era was even called the "Dark Age."
However, they are now weakened and dare not show their faces.
Hiring them would involve too much complication and wouldn't be worth the trouble.
The other group, naturally, consists of Adventurers similar to the one who murdered Argin and stole his belongings those with no moral bottom line.
"...Ikelos Familia?"
Eugene recalled a Familia that played a significant role in the original work.
The Ikelos Familia is a typical "Thieves Guild" setup.
Its members are notoriously vicious and seem to have some cooperation with the Dark Faction.
Moreover, their Captain, "Savage," Dix Perdix, is a Level 5 Adventurer.
If the price is right, he would be very happy to do this kind of job.
"Most likely, it'll be this guy."
In just a few seconds, Eugene had guessed the entirety of his opponent's coming moves.
"A seven-day life-or-death crisis... that sounds truly wonderful."
A strange sense of anticipation arose in his heart.
The Rope of Destiny that had just dissipated was back in his hands in the blink of an eye!
Meeting the gazes of the crowd some envious, some jealous Eugene once again approached the roulette table that had witnessed his miracle.
"Sir, surely you're not going to..."
The beautiful dealer looked at this plague god approaching again and was almost in tears.
"Your tip."
Eugene smiled and casually placed a thousand-valis chip down. Without looking, he turned and left.
He had bet on the final number of the three measurements: 35.
Still a payout of one to thirty-six.
A precise hit.
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