old dream

Chapter 156 New Stage, Morning Whispers
Overnight, large quantities of spirits began to flood the Stade Underground Market, as if it had come out of nowhere.

Some people say that this is all related to the rumored "Lieutenant", but no one can see where the lieutenant got the goods.

Maybe the lieutenant has bought the whole customs, or maybe he has the "water into wine" miracle.Some people also said that the lieutenant had already built an underground pipeline tens of kilometers long from the border, and whenever people were asleep, bootleg alcohol would be transported from abroad like spring water.The sound of whiskey rushing underground was mistaken by some people for the muffled thunder at night.

But no matter how they guessed, the Ori of real money did pour into Colin's hands like a flood.

He controls nearly 1 underground bars, and the daily turnover has climbed to more than [-].

On October [-], Leon, the first veteran selected by Colin, walked into the Union Bank of the Principality with a flat suitcase.After presenting the key and naming the account, several bank personnel led him to the safe deposit box.

Amidst the sound of air pressure leaking, a gap opened in the heavy mechanical coded door.The light outside the door illuminated several rows of metal storage cabinets, and Leon opened one of the cabinet doors according to the number, and stuffed the leather bag in his hand.Leon knew that there was a huge amount of Ori in that leather bag.This work is done every day.While guarding the surroundings, he packed everything up and left immediately.

Leon walked out of the bank, went to the side of the road and opened the back door of a car.The lieutenant's other subordinates are here to monitor everything at the bank gate.After confirming that Leon's work had been completed, several people in the car exchanged glances, started the engine and left.

…………

Colin also tried to investigate the identity of "X behind the scenes", but made limited progress.After all, the only clues are the accounts of some bank safe deposit boxes, and these banks will never disclose customer information.

Today, Ke Lin has handed over profits to the behind-the-scenes for ten consecutive days.According to the agreement, he is already qualified to take over the entire old city's bootlegging market and become the sole agent of this wizarding group.

"But our expansion in the old city may be close to the upper limit."

Faced with the crazy jump in the numbers on the accounts, Benedict remained calm.

Because the manpower has reached its limit.

Behind the bright red burn mask, Colin nodded slightly. He had already realized this problem when he sketched the original blueprint earlier.

The Nale soldiers who will follow the call of the "Lieutenant" and meet the requirements have only recruited more than [-] people so far. Since a week ago, the number of new soldiers has begun to decline rapidly.

As for the underground bars that can be directly controlled by these two hundred members, fifty or so is the limit.

In view of this shortage of manpower, Ke Lin does not intend to lower the recruitment threshold for core members, because that will only make the organization vulnerable.

"Exposing the core members directly to the end of the organization is a dangerous temporary approach."

Colin said through the mask:
"It's time to bring this group of people up for further expansion."

He motioned Benedict to take out a paper note, pondered for a moment, and then said the idea for the next stage:

"The links that we must hold 200% in our hands are actually only: information, transportation, price, and violence. Let these [-] people be responsible for these, and then continue to recruit peripherals and hand over part of the bar to them..."

"Uh..." Benedict didn't catch up with Colin's train of thought for a while, because this is no longer a simple numbers game:

"Sorry boss, what do these four aspects mean? Maybe you need to remember more details."

So Colin explained patiently:
"We only need to have intelligence capabilities to know who is trading in the market; control the pricing power of profits; suppress the violence of rebellion; secret transportation. These four points are the key to the bootlegging organization. Mastering them can control the entire system .”

"So, these tasks must be done by the core members, Benedict. As for the other parts, we can hand them all over to the peripheral staff."

"And they should be like disposable cups, people who don't care if they throw them away casually."

Any organization needs stratification, and the stratification of secret organizations must be stricter.

At present, Ke Lin is already consciously carrying out such a layering.In fact, the partners represented by Ricardo are the true core of this organization.

Through them, even Colin's true identity can be traced.

And through the level of veterans, only the identity of "Heinrich" can be traced.

As for the peripheral "disposable paper cups", it refers to people who do not have any information and have nothing to do with the lifeline of the organization.In other words, people who have no influence on Colin whether they betray, die or fall into the hands of the enemy.

"With this kind of expansion, we can no longer control all the details, so we have to make some trade-offs." Colin said.

Benedict nodded, quickly recorded in his pamphlet, and began to understand what he should do in the next stage.

"There is one other thing." Colin thought for a while and said:
"Think about the bar over there in the Sindhili district. Before next week, choose a bar with no business and pretend to be robbed."

Benedict obviously had doubts, but he didn't ask further.Colin continued:
"Leave [-] bottles of wine there symbolically, and arrange a few people we arrested before. When the people on the other side come, let them be shot there, pretending to be people who were killed in the robbery."

"Actually, the robbers will also cooperate with us. In the future, we will self-destruct two bars every week, and the personnel will be transferred to the old city. In fact, there is no cost. Don't ask why, just do it."

This matter was requested by Julieo.Recently, many people have begun to pay attention to her. As the matriarch, she has gradually suppressed those critical voices, and has been recognized regardless of her origin or actual ability.

It's just that as more and more bootleggers are purged from Nanstadt, her side is also beginning to come under pressure.

Julio must not be seen as sheltering the "Lieutenant", so before Marizio notices the abnormality, Capello's people must be "discriminatory" to loot the lieutenant's territory.

Benedict didn't ask any more questions, and silently wrote down Colin's arrangement.

While Colin checked the ledger brought by Benedict, he wondered if he had missed anything.

As the organization further expands in the old city, the old agents who have been cut off from their lives will start their final counterattack.

At the same time, the newly established Prohibition Bureau has also been put into operation, and the "Linus" Goldie mentioned is the number one commissioner.

Judging from the overwhelming reports and leaflets, Lynas is now in the limelight.I don't know what kind of action he will make in the face of the bootleg alcohol that is sweeping the streets again?

…………

Elena woke up from her sleep, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Ji Lian's peaceful sleeping face.

She was sleeping very well, and her faint breathing could be heard faintly.The soft quilt on the chest seemed to be gently undulating.

There is only one single bed in Ji Lian's house, so of course, the two can only sleep together temporarily.

Maybe it was because she stayed up late yesterday, Ji Lian got up late today.But Elena slept on the inner side against the wall, and if she wanted to get out of bed, she had to step over Ji Lian.

She carefully gathered her curly black hair, propped one hand on the edge of the bed outside, trying to move herself out.As a result, when Elena passed Jilian's body, she saw Jilian's eyelashes trembling slightly, and his eyes slowly opened.

Ji Li'an's sleep was always very light, but now she woke up after a slight vibration.She stared sleepily in front of her eyes, only to see Elena's somewhat panicked expression.

For some reason, after realizing that Ji Lian had woken up, Elena stopped her movements and stared blankly at Ji Lian.

"I……"

Then it was Ji Lian who recovered first, covered her mouth and nose with her hands in a hurry, turned her head to one side, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Don't get so close, it may still be contagious."

The pale golden hair slipped to one side, revealing the white ears.

"If it's really contagious." Elena said softly:

"That was eight years ago, I was already infected."

Her voice is completely different from Ji Lian's, as light as the clinking of porcelain cups, and the chirping of birds in the morning.

Ji Lian still covered her mouth with her hands, but she slowly turned her head when she heard Elena's words.It was the first time for Elena to observe her old friend's face at such a close distance. After eight years of suffering from illness, Ji Lian lost her previous fortitude and aura, but she began to show another sense of beauty.

Like a picture scroll that is no longer bright due to damp, it is fragile and at the same time extraordinarily ethereal.

"Maybe it's because you're so dull that you don't get sick easily."

As Ji Lian said, a smile could not help but appear on the corner of her mouth.I don't know if I am thankful for Elena, or I am reminded of the past.

Elena was roommates before she was diagnosed with tuberculosis.Judging from the progress of Ji Lian's condition, she had been ill for at least a year before being diagnosed.But after this year, Elena's body didn't show any signs of infection.

That's why Ji Lian agreed to let Elena come to her house to stay temporarily.

"If my situation is just special, then one or two of the others must have been infected." Elena said.

After all, it is a dense environment like a classroom, and it is in an unprotected state:

"But in the end... none." Elena said, her voice lowered slightly, she didn't know what she was thinking, and her expression began to become painful:
"Ji Li'an... After you left, no one was found to be infected..."

Elena repeated this sentence in a low voice, her eyes were flushed, and tears began to flow.

Ji Lian didn't know why, so she raised her hand in a panic to wipe Elena's eyes, but in the end she wiped more and more, and instead let those tears wet her cheeks.

"What's wrong? Hey, don't cry..."

Elena has always been a person with a strong mind, which is why she can stand out from hundreds of people.It's hard for Ji Li'an to imagine what could make her lose control of her emotions suddenly.

"...Maybe, you didn't have to suffer all this."

Recalling the life she witnessed in the past two days, Elena almost choked up, saying intermittently:
"Perhaps your disease is not tuberculosis at all . . . is it not contagious at all?"

(End of this chapter)