New Gods of North America.

Chapter 729 Success
The gang meeting proceeded quite smoothly.
Until Wayne had clearly explained his union plan, none of the anticipated open conflicts occurred.

Wayne had anticipated that this gang meeting might involve some people who wouldn't listen to reason, and that there might be some minor disputes that would cause some people to leave on bad terms.

But regardless of which situation occurred, the detective agency had ultimately "made a prior statement," so these gangsters couldn't blame themselves for killing them without warning.

As a result, those gang leaders who had the potential to cause trouble were all surprisingly calm on the surface.
This prevented Wayne from taking the opportunity to establish his authority and make an example of someone in front of everyone.

But some things, since we've already prepared them, might as well show them off.
Otherwise, if Wayne had invited all the gangsters from the dock area, and it turned out to be just a meal and a chat, it would have seemed a bit disrespectful to his guests.

impolite.

Thus, according to the banquet etiquette of high society, the stage of "everyone gathering together to listen to the host speak" ends, and then it is time for the guests to socialize freely in the venue and for the host to provide entertainment.

The agents quickly placed several floating targets in the river next to the venue, and also set up several standing targets in the cleared field on the opposite bank.
Several pistols, lever-action rifles, and bolt-action rifles that Wayne got from the Brook factory were each placed on a long log table twenty yards from the riverbank, with bullets specially packed full in wooden crates next to them.

Wayne outwardly feigned humility, adopting a relaxed attitude that suggested he had plenty of these things at his disposal.
"Our detective agency has limited resources, and the cannery isn't finished yet, so we can't offer many entertainment options. However, I thought you might be interested in shooting, so we've arranged that. Today, every guest who hits the target five times in a row will receive a small gift from us."

Compared to Kansas in the west, guns and ammunition are relatively easier to obtain on the East Coast, where money often doesn't guarantee availability.

However, within Richmond city limits, the restrictions are mainly different. Some firearms require a license, while others are not allowed to be owned by ordinary people at all. You might even be targeted by the police if you buy some bullets.

Besides the subtle display of firepower, this also implies another layer of Wayne's message—there must be plenty of gangs in the dock area who can get their hands on guns, but would you dare to display them in public? And then guess why I dare to do this?
This can be considered one of the legacies that Bishop Corleone left to the Detective Agency.

Normally, purchasing weapons and ammunition from places like the Exorcist Association requires qualifications. Ordinary cultivators are not necessarily allowed to do so outside of missions, let alone purchase large quantities.

It just so happens that Inessa is qualified, and when Wayne came, he had a special permit with him, so nobody cared at the time.

After the detective agency cooperated with the cathedral to investigate several more cases, and even intermittently obtained official titles such as "special investigator," even the police had long since gotten used to it.

In the United States, there is a strong emphasis on "custom," and judges are required to follow precedents when making rulings.

So although some things are still a bit unclear, they have indeed been tacitly accepted. Even if someone wanted to object now, they would probably have to formally present their reasons and go through some procedures.

But the gangsters in the dock area would never know these details.

Although they knew that the detective agency carried and used weapons during night patrols, displaying them so openly now gave off a "I have powerful connections" vibe.

The forty-something-year-old boss of the Tuto gang, "Little Tuto," wasn't as surprised as some other gang leaders.

He was the first to walk out from the crowd of onlookers to the long table, picked up a lever-action rifle and started testing it, talking as he aimed:
"To be honest, some of these things aren't that hard to get, but this is the first time I've seen so many different guns displayed together. I'm going to try them all out today and make a comparison."

Then came a series of "bang, bang, bang, bang".

After "Little Tuto" emptied his lever-action rifle, the agent standing nearby acting as a staff member quickly took the gun and helped reload it.
The guy then selected a bolt-action rifle, clicked it, and "bang—" splashed water on the river surface. The floating target next to him, which was lighter on top and heavier on the bottom and was tied with a thin rope, was only pushed and swayed by the waves.

Surrounded by a group of gang leaders and mid-level executives, "Little Tuto" was a little embarrassed: "Mr. Wayne, aren't these targets too difficult to set up? The ones on the other side are too far away, and the ones in the river are swaying. I've fired so many shots, and I haven't even hit the target five times in a row, let alone five times in a row."

Others nearby gave him face, speaking up or nodding in agreement.

Wayne, finally finding his chance, decided to show off his skills: "Indeed. Shooting requires practice; if you don't practice often, it really doesn't seem easy to hit the target at this distance. I didn't think that through."

"However, I didn't intentionally make it more difficult. If you all try a few more times, you should all be able to do it."

As he spoke, he pulled out his usual revolver from the holster under his arm, followed by a series of almost uninterrupted "bang bang bang bang bang" shots.

Several targets in the river and on the opposite bank were hit one after another, all landing in the bullseye. Seeing Wayne manage to hit all five targets in a row with a pistol that is theoretically harder to shoot at a distance than a rifle, people nearby were already cheering and applauding.
"Little Tuto" was momentarily speechless, leaning on his lever-action rifle and giving a thumbs-up: "Mr. Wayne is indeed impressive."

Meanwhile, the "mini arena" next door had also been set up by the agents. Wayne pretended not to be smug and instead introduced the next attraction:
"Due to the limited number of shooting targets, we have also arranged combat activities. This way, you can watch while you wait, and those who are interested can have someone participate or place bets. However, this is for entertainment purposes only, and the use of any weapons or causing bloodshed is prohibited. It is also best not to place large bets."

Connor, who was most enthusiastic about this, was now standing in the center of the "arena." At Wayne's signal, he took over the conversation, explaining the penalty rules such as "ten-second knockdown" or "out of bounds," while Sanders, on the sidelines, prepared to enter the ring.
This is an opening exhibition match, so the contestants need to have enough swagger. Also, since the spectators are all ordinary people, they are not allowed to openly use their extraordinary abilities. Sanders and some agents were up to no good, planning to find an opportunity to boost their win rate against Connor so they could brag about it later while drinking.

To be honest, while the first two ring matches, mainly featuring the agents, were clearly of a higher level of competition, and Connor's flashy moves were quite difficult, they weren't exactly thrilling.

That guy really got into it when some of the big shots started getting carried away and sending members of their own gangs to fight each other.

Although it was a fight between noobs, they all seemed to be seeking revenge, and their punches landed squarely.
Fighting each other until they're spitting out grievances and bleeding from the nose is considered mild; there are also cases where they keep going despite being bruised and swollen, and finally knock out their opponent on the spot with a single uppercut.

Not only were the gang leaders thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, but the gang members who gradually gathered around were also incredibly engrossed, their shouts and cheers sometimes almost drowning out the gunfire from the nearby target practice.

Lina, who was originally too lazy to show her face because she disliked a group of men gathering, actually went to the sidelines to be a cheerleader. She encouraged whoever was weaker, asked the people next to her for the players' names, and shouted their names to cheer them on. Every now and then, she would let out a high-pitched scream with the vibe of a young and beautiful woman, as if she was extremely nervous.

They say beautiful women are a source of trouble, and the encouragement and support of such a pretty woman can indeed make men fight each other even more fiercely...

As for Mr. Paul, he felt a different kind of shock.
Wayne also took the opportunity to gloat: "Mr. Paul, you see, I told you that what gets men excited isn't just the things in bed, right? If this project is done well, it might be even more exciting than striptease."

“What you said about ‘cage fighting arenas’ certainly makes sense. No wonder that similar entertainment was the most popular in the Roman Empire back then.” Mr. Paul seemed somewhat interested. “As for entertainment options, does Mr. Wayne have any other suggestions for me?”

“There are many suggestions,” Wayne said, choosing to remain cryptic, “but let’s talk about these topics after we’ve confirmed that the Rabbit Gang has begun to become ‘more civilized’.”

To be fair, even if it's borderline, it's often those who voluntarily enter the field who are more creative and competitive in their approach.
You need to at least cut off the part about "forcing good women into prostitution" before we can really have anything to say.

The same applies to other gangs; those willing to undergo "cleansing" and "change" are open to advice from Wayne on how to develop their businesses.
Otherwise, everyone will just do their own thing and see whose "criticism" is more powerful.

(End of this chapter)