North American riot police: Start by arresting P. Diddy!

Chapter 268 "Why not just kill them all?"

"Mr. Bubucher!"

Having seen it all before, Winston blinked hard, and when he realized that the man in front of him was Rorschach, the seasoned veteran was so startled that he took a step back.

“Mr. Butcher, the Panama affair has absolutely nothing to do with me! Although I know the elders have a grudge against you, I never expected it to cause such a commotion in Panama.”

Rorschach observed the manager of the Continental Hotel in New York with great interest.

To say that Winston was a good-for-nothing would be an absolute injustice.

This old fellow has always been neither servile nor arrogant when facing High Table Council members and federal officials. His ability to manage the Continental Hotel in New York into the most prestigious neutral venue in the underworld speaks volumes about his methods and ruthlessness.

Strangely, every time he saw Luo Xia, this powerful hotel manager always looked like a frightened bird, as if he regarded him as a murderer who might go berserk at any moment, afraid that he would be killed on the spot if he did something displeased.

If Winston knew Rorschach's thoughts, he would surely cry foul.

In his eyes, Rorschach was no murderer at all.

He's clearly a walking nuclear warhead!

Once it explodes, the first to suffer will definitely be those who are closest to it!
"Winston, we've been friends for a while, why are you so nervous?"

Luo Xia casually put his arm around the old manager's shoulder. "It's the elder's business if he wants to kill me. He's dead now. I'm not a madman who kills innocent people indiscriminately, so why would I take my anger out on you?"

“Uh, you’re right. Mr. Butcher has always been very clear about his grudges. I misunderstood.” Winston wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and forced a smile.

“That’s right! Besides, the first gun I used in New York was provided by your hotel.” Rorschach patted him on the shoulder affectionately. “Like I said, we’re old friends.”

He then led Winston toward the meeting room as if he knew the way inside.

The staff along the way were all stunned by their boss's respectful and humble demeanor.

Unfortunately, Rorschach was wearing sunglasses, so no one recognized the true face of this ruthless man.

Otherwise, someone would probably have asked for leave and run away on the spot!

The Black manager at the front desk quickly stopped the hotel security guards who were about to approach, gestured for them to all step back, and then picked up the phone to notify the staff to immediately seal off all entrances and exits of the hotel.

From now on, neither employees nor guests may leave without special permission.

Don't get me wrong, he wasn't doing this to lock Luo Xia in the hotel, he was just worried that someone would recognize Luo Xia and leak the news.

As for who it would attract, even he, a front desk manager who almost never left the office, knew that Luo Xia had so many enemies that he couldn't count them on his fingers.

Winston, of course, had no time to pay attention to the commotion outside.

At this moment, all his attention was focused on Luo Xia, and his heart was pounding: What was the purpose of this jinx that suddenly came knocking on his door?
"This is a limited edition Cohiba cigar that I recently bought at an auction. There are only twelve left in the world. Mr. Butcher, you might want to try it."

Winston carefully took out a box of his prized cigars from the humidor, trimmed the Rorschach cigars himself, lit them, and respectfully handed them to him.

Such a humble attitude and demeanor left Rorschach somewhat bewildered.

He didn't come here seeking revenge; he just wanted something from someone. Why is he acting like a bully who oppresses the kind-hearted?

"Brother, don't overthink it. I'm really not here to take your life this time," Luo Xia said helplessly, spreading his hands.

Upon hearing this, Winston's tense body visibly relaxed.

Before Rorschach could ask, he explained, "About a month ago, when you were participating in the Death Race on Termination Island, the Elder came to the hotel to watch the race. Your comments after the race offended him, and he'd been planning to teach you a lesson. I thought it was just a minor punishment, but I didn't expect..."

He shook his head and sighed deeply.

He truly hadn't expected the elder to dare to plot against Luo Xia. If he had known earlier, he might have offered some advice.

It can only be said that these people, who have been pampered since childhood and are used to being high and mighty, have become out of touch with reality and always feel that everyone should bow down to them.

The elder probably never imagined, even on his deathbed, that Rorschach would actually dare to lay a hand on him—just like Speaker Perari and Secretary of State Joe.
"Alright, alright, I didn't come here to discuss that dead man with you."

Luo Xia exhaled a smoke ring, waved his hand, and said seriously, "I heard that after the elder died, the entire High Table Council has been in turmoil?"

"Indeed."

Winston truthfully reported, "In the past, the Elder was able to maintain his position as the leader of the High Table for two reasons: first, the wealth and resources he controlled far exceeded those of the other council members; second, he had the support of a nation behind him, which, although not a major power, was enough to mobilize a portion of its armed forces. Therefore, although the other council members were dissatisfied, they dared not act recklessly. But now that the Elder is dead, everything has changed."

He lit a cigar for himself, swayed, and sighed, "These council members started fighting each other without even thinking about avenging the elders. They've already agreed that whoever survives to the end within a month will be the new elder, with a four-year term."

Luo Xia nodded slightly.

It has to be said that the way these High Table board members are behaving is quite in line with their triad identities.

As for avenging the elders?
Haven't you noticed that that desert superpower hasn't dared to publicly hold itself accountable yet?
If a country doesn't dare, where would a dozen or so gangsters get the guts?

"Who are the strongest board members right now?" Luo Xia flicked his cigarette ash and asked calmly.

Without hesitation, Winston rattled off the names as if they were his own treasures: "First, there's the Adra family of Romania. The 'Judge' you killed in Panama was trained by this family. It's a long-established criminal family, known for its strict laws and hierarchical system."

"Secondly, there's the Camorra family of the Mafia. They were originally one of the two major factions of the Mafia, along with the Antonio family. Since the Antonio family was wiped out by you a few months ago, the Mafia has been left with only the Camorra family to maintain its facade. However, the Camorra family is also a shareholder in several military contracting companies, making them even more powerful than the Antonio family."

"Then there's the 'Hashish Singh' in the Middle East. Rather than a gang, they're more like a smaller version of the High Table. They're extremely skilled at meticulously planned assassinations, and many registered assassins in mainland hotels have received special training from them."

"Finally, there's the Russian mafia 'Tarasov' family, a criminal group controlled by a few oligarchs involved in arms dealing, energy monopolies, and political interference."

Winston added several drug trafficking groups in Latin America and Asia.

However, judging from his tone, these drug cartels, despite their immense power and numerous henchmen, seemed to have little interest in vying for the position of elder.

Rorschach could understand this quite well.

After all, drug trafficking groups and these long-established gang families are completely different concepts.

Those big-time drug lords are under constant surveillance by law enforcement agencies in various countries. They might be living a life of debauchery one day, only to be captured and beheaded the next.

They make quick money and live a precarious life, which is incomparable to the gang families and economic oligarchs who have infiltrated the local government.

Ultimately, over the years, only one legendary drug lord like Pablo Escobar has emerged. You can't expect every drug dealer to have that kind of skill and vision.

“I heard there’s a director in Tokyo too?” Rorschach suddenly asked. “What, are they not powerful enough?” Winston shook his head with a strange expression. “No, that’s not it. The director in Tokyo was very powerful, but unfortunately, he was killed by a songstress in a private box a while ago. Now his organization is fighting for the leadership position, and he has no time to compete for the elder’s position.”

Rorschach recalled what Luni had said when she joined Spectre: she had completed her revenge and wanted to live for herself.

It seems that the unfortunate director was brought down by her.

However, the fact that the girl could easily assassinate a council member with her skills, even though she got close by disguise, only proves that most of these high table council members are not as good as they seem.

“Interesting. So what stage are they at in their competition now?” Luo Xia asked with great interest.

"this one"

Winston hesitated for a moment, then picked up the phone and asked his subordinate to bring in some documents.

The person who pushed open the door was a black man, and it was Charon, an old acquaintance of Rorschach's, who was the receptionist at the Continental Hotel.

This polite and courteous young Black man always made Rorschach feel like he was basking in a spring breeze during their interactions, making him one of the few Black people he didn't dislike.

"Long time no see, buddy! How have you been?" Rorschach stepped forward and greeted him with a standard Black street greeting.

After a high-five, they pulled each other closer for a hug and playfully punched each other's backs.

Charon was somewhat taken aback by his enthusiasm and replied rather stiffly, "It is my honor to see you again, Mr. Butcher."

"I think so too. Hahaha."

Luo Xia teased him by punching his shoulder again before sitting down to look at the documents that had just been delivered.

This richly illustrated booklet details the power struggles and infighting among the various council members of the High Table after the elder's death. Arranged chronologically, almost all the conflicts are bloody clashes that occurred in the last few days:
Five days ago, the head of the Camorra family was assassinated in Türkiye. More than 20 bodyguards were killed or wounded, and the head of the family survived only thanks to his bulletproof vest.

The assassins, who were captured alive afterward, were confirmed to have been sent by the Hashishchen sect after being tortured.

This last remaining head of the Mafia was also a vengeful man. That very night, he spent millions to buy weapons to fund an anti-government armed group in the Middle East and executed the child of a high-ranking member of the Hashimiya sect who was studying in Europe.

The conflict between the two sides escalated rapidly.

Four days ago, the eldest daughter of the Adela family was robbed in Hawaii and shot in the head.

Although the police classified it as robbery and murder, High Table investigators found that the traces at the scene were clearly the work of a professional killer who had carefully disguised himself.

An investigation confirmed that the assassination was carried out by the Tarasov family as a warning.

In retaliation, the Adela family directly blew up a Tarasov family cargo ship anchored in the Suez Canal, causing hundreds of millions in damage.

Thus, the vicious cycle of assassination and counter-assassination, funding of hostile forces, and retaliatory attacks has intensified over the past five days, almost becoming routine for these groups.

The document contains hundreds of bloody photos from the scene, documenting the brutal cost of this power game.

According to Winston's statistics, these four families have lost over a hundred elite members in just five days.

These aren't the registered assassins you see everywhere in mainland hotels; they're carefully trained killers. The economic losses exceed one billion US dollars.

What's a bit frustrating is that, although the elders' positions are supposed to rotate every four years, judging from the current situation, whichever family rises to power will inevitably try to wipe out the others.

This back-and-forth fighting has created a deadlock that is difficult to resolve.

“I need to come up with a plan,” Rorschach suddenly said. “Get them all to come to the Continental Hotel in New York.”

"What?" Winston was taken aback. Looking at Rorschach's serious expression, the old man instantly understood: "Mr. Butcher wants to... destroy the entire High Table?"

His mind worked quickly, and he immediately guessed Rorschach's intention.

Rorschach simply smiled without saying a word, offering no direct answer.

Winston, believing he had seen through Rorschach's intentions, pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "While the New York Continental Hotel may not be as large or luxurious as some of the Continental Hotels in Europe, its status has always been high due to its location and historical background. They've all been trying to win me over lately, so inviting a few family heads wouldn't be difficult. But..."

He looked at Rorschach meaningfully and earnestly advised, "They are not just one person, but a vast and deeply entrenched power. You killed their patriarch, and then what?"

How should you deal with the wind?

How would you shatter the mountain?

How would you fill in the ocean?

"How can you escape the light? Of course, you can choose to hide in the darkness. But they are all in the darkness too."

The old man spoke with such conviction, describing the underworld forces at the High Table as if they were world superpowers.

Coupled with the worried expression on his face, it sounded genuine.

Of course, there is some truth to what he said.

The High Table has controlled the underground world order since the last century, and its influence has grown deeply entrenched and extensive over the years.

If an ordinary person gets involved with those council members, it can have far-reaching consequences and endless troubles.

There are indeed very few people in this world who can directly confront the threat of a dozen or so world-class gangs.

But Rorschach was clearly not among them and didn't care at all.

He chuckled softly, flicking his cigar against the rim of the ashtray. "You make a good point. These people may be ubiquitous and powerful, with their trained assassins or paid killers all over the world, making them difficult to guard against and eradicate. But solving this problem is actually quite simple—"

Luo Xia leaned closer to the old man and said decisively, "Why don't we just kill them all?"

"you"

Winston's pupils contracted sharply, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Rorschach, however, had lost his patience. He grabbed the cigar box from the table, stuffed it into his pocket, stood up, dusted off the ash from his clothes, and walked toward the door on his own.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and gave him a meaningful look: "Three days from now, in the same place. I want to see them all gathered here. Otherwise, I'll hold you accountable for failing to report what you knew and for concealing the elder's plot to kill me."

Winston stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, and could only nod helplessly with a wry smile.

(End of this chapter)