New Gods of North America.

Chapter 584 Deterrence

When the group returned to the restaurant, Chef Parker, who didn't need to be there as Willie's "support team" at the trial, was already preparing a feast with the latest ingredients.

Today is, after all, the settlement day for Willie's first "independent case". If he succeeds, it will be a "victory celebration". If the gangster is unfortunately acquitted, it will be a "consolation prize" for Willie to encourage him not to be discouraged.

The main reason is that Wayne really wants to delegate this specific task, and within the current detective agency, Willie seems the most suitable. Not only is he very talented in fingerprint collection and comparison, but he also has the most upright character and a very "righteous" image.
So Wayne was happy to spend a little more effort on this – being the "great detective" himself was nothing compared to being the boss of the great detective.

After all, simply "cracking down on gangs" might earn you some fame, but it doesn't really bring any real profit. At least the criminals on the wanted posters have clearly stated their price tags.
Now that the cathedral has a different person in charge, Wayne doesn't think the Bishop of Tyrell will call him up for any more small meetings. He can still do the "assisting in the fight against crime" thing, but he can't ignore the survival and development of the detective agency itself.

Cheers! Congratulations Willie!

Inside the restaurant, people gathered around the table, raising their glasses. Although it was still daytime, the restaurant was rather dark, relying entirely on kerosene lamps for lighting.
The reason is simple: the exterior of the restaurant is basically finished, but the ordered glass hasn't arrived yet. So, even in broad daylight, the exterior is still boarded up to prevent the wooden frames from letting in drafts.

After congratulating Willie on his first victory, Wayne also took the opportunity to discuss opening matters with the restaurant's interim manager and the freckled girl who was the "head waitress and little chef."
The workshop has already produced quite a few sauces and reconstituted cheeses through trial production. Although the recipes have not yet been finalized, it is certain that our own staff will not be able to finish them all. Rather than letting them sit and go moldy and smelly, it is better to start selling them as soon as possible and do something like a "grand opening sale" to clear out the inventory.

The interim manager still had some doubts about some of Wayne's requests: "Mr. Wayne, will our restaurant only sell specific items on the menu like burgers, fries, and sandwiches from now on? Actually, based on my previous experience, some foods like pickled eggs and pickled oysters in bars have decent profit margins and sell quite well..."

Wayne didn't dampen their enthusiasm. "New dishes are certainly something we could consider, but for now, we should focus on perfecting the existing menu items and then see how the market reacts. By the way, did you find the baker I asked you to find?"

"We've found the right suppliers and agreed on the price. They can start supplying us with the goods two days before the official opening. What you're eating now is a sample. We've also found vegetable suppliers and short-term meat suppliers for your request. The vegetables will be delivered directly to the restaurant, and the meat will be delivered to the workshop."

"Yes, the meat grinding equipment at the workshop is being tested. You can grind the meat and send it over later, which will make it easier for you to fry the meat patties. You can open for business for now. If the meat from Kansas can be supplied, we will contact the slaughterhouse later, and the cost of meat may be able to be reduced."

After talking with the temporary store manager, Wayne turned to look at the freckled girl a couple of times and asked, "I remember there used to be thugs causing trouble here. Do they still show up?"

The freckled girl blushed and shook her head, saying, "No. Last time, Ryan helped deal with them and we ran into Bishop Tyrell who happened to be passing by. I guess they won't be coming back."

Oh, you mention Ryan right off the bat, and you even blush!
Wayne thought for a moment, "Ryan is now setting up the 'second office.' Have you thought about going there to help open a new restaurant?"

“Well… Ryan said the situation there is still uncertain, and he said that according to the detective agency’s usual practice, he might be transferred again in a few months, so he thinks it would be better for me to stay in Richmond for the time being.”

You've even talked about this kind of thing? Things are progressing well!

Wayne has become quite adept at making grand promises. "Then work hard. If there's an opportunity later, one of you can manage an office, and the other can be a store manager. The salary shouldn't be low. And when you have kids in the future, maybe you can even raise them to be doctors or lawyers." "I heard the evaluations are very strict..."

Sure, this girl doesn't even consider the question of "why she had children" anymore.
Lina, who was eating next to her, was eavesdropping while also smiling slyly.

After finishing their meal, they checked on the restaurant's progress again. Willie had just been encouraged by everyone, and Wayne had also taken the opportunity to get some motivational talk from them. Now, he was also in high spirits.
To facilitate investigations, court appearances, and contact with prosecutors, Willie no longer needs to stay at the workshop. A room on the second floor of the restaurant, originally occupied by his partner, has been vacated for him, and two detectives have been assigned to assist him, forming what is now a relatively dedicated "case-solving team" for the detective agency.

The number of members remaining at the "headquarters" was already small, and with this further division, some of the remaining members were busy running around under Lina's command, while the rest stayed in the workshop as supervisors and on standby.
Each task had someone in charge, and the workshop's renovation wasn't officially completed yet. Wayne and Inessa managed to steal a moment of leisure amidst their busy schedules. After eating, they went upstairs to listen to Willie's report on the investigation of the other gang members.

Currently, only one gang member is on trial, but Willie's investigation has expanded to nearly ten people. Besides the initial gang member "Jimmy" James Damotic, it also involves four other smaller gangs.

These people belong to the category of "henchmen," the ones responsible for actually carrying out the crimes. They are the most hated, and their evidence is the clearest. Therefore, after Willie's investigation and contact, and with the local prosecutor's guarantee of safety, the witnesses willing to testify against them were the easiest to find. They were the first criminals to "come into the investigation team's sights."

There are quite a few gangs in the dock area. Besides those already under investigation, there are many others whose activities have been "rumored about but not yet investigated."

There are also differences in scale and level among them. People like "Jimmy" who help bankers recover loans are considered "entry-level" among them. They have relatively stable business and need a certain "business ability".
Further up the chain, some operations have become increasingly "formalized." For example, they might charge a brokerage fee within a specific dock area, and dockworkers who don't hand over a portion of their earnings face violent eviction and are prohibited from seeking work in that area.
Further down the path, you'll find small gangs made up of a few petty thugs. They don't usually cause trouble when they're "not doing business," but when they're short of money, they'll randomly pick some lucky passersby to steal from or "ask for pocket money."

Following the style of her defense attorney during today's court hearing, Inessa assisted Willie in examining potential loopholes in the evidence and offered some suggestions for further investigation.

Wayne looked at the files that Willie had initially compiled, comparing them in his mind with the list given by Bishop Tyrell and the general map of the dock area, assessing Willie's progress in conquering the dock area gangs.

In reality, arresting a few gang members isn't difficult, but truly eradicating the corrupt practices of a large area is far more complex than simply "investigation and trial."
Wayne felt that Willie already had enough on his plate. From now on, Willie only needed to follow the steps of the investigation and assist the prosecutor as a "champion of justice." Wayne and "soften" them would handle the rest.

For example, if anyone dares to use tricks to retaliate against witnesses who assisted the detective agency in court,

Even if the detective agency can't stop them in time, they should find a way to make those people pay the price.

Isn't this the very reason why gangs have such a strong deterrent effect on ordinary people?

(End of this chapter)