Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

If he is not dignified, then Mr. Corleone will have to manually make him more dignified, and then quite a few people in the family will also lose their dignity.

"Is Lisa injured?"

"No, the attackers were stopped outside the courtyard. The maid took Lisa to a safe place. She was obedient and quiet, neither frightened nor injured."

"That's good." The Godfather finally showed a smile. If Lisa were injured, it would not only violate his promise and his oath, but also the original intention of him in establishing this "family"—then it wouldn't just be one middle-level leader who would be forced to act with dignity.

At dinner, the Syracuseans, like the Italians on Earth and similar to the people of the Great Yan, enjoyed discussing matters over meals, which typically lasted from the afternoon until the early hours of the morning. However, their approach to these discussions was the opposite of that of the Great Yan.

Da Yan usually doesn't talk about anything before the food and drinks are served; it's only after a few rounds of drinks and several dishes that they start discussing business.

In Syracuse, the opposite is true. When the food is served, the host will warmly welcome the guests and chat about small things and interesting anecdotes, trying to avoid making the atmosphere too serious or awkward and affecting the enjoyment of the food.

Conversation takes place during the time between finishing a dish, drinking some wine, and waiting for the next course. This is a form of etiquette. As one of the nations on Terra that prides itself on inheriting the most cultural heritage from its ancestors, they naturally have their own cultural traditions.

[Actually, that's how the Romans were... They were very similar to the Chinese in many ways, probably because they were both from wealthy families? Unlike other poor people in Europe and Asia—]

However, even on more formal occasions, Syracuse dinners are very casual.

Basically, you can drink and eat as you please, without the many rules of a Victorian aristocratic banquet. In this respect, it is similar to Da Yan, or even more casual, because the host will not urge you to drink or eat.

"When the guests are happy, the host is beaming – an Italian proverb..."

This was quite comfortable for Lao Xia, as he wasn't the type to enjoy rigid aristocratic etiquette, while Swire was initially a bit reserved.

However, she quickly became more casual, "It's definitely not quite the same as Victoria's banquet," she whispered to Lao Xia, noting the difference.

Victorian aristocratic banquets were extremely elaborate, with specific rules regarding when to drink what wine, what tableware to use, and how to serve the food.

In contrast, the dinners in Syracuse are much simpler, with only two things to keep in mind:

First, do not talk while eating or drinking. That is, they will absolutely not talk or make any noise while eating.

Second, do not get up to get the food; a maid will help you. Of course, you can also ask your neighbor to help you get it.

Because alcohol is served between the two dishes, and because drinking and talking takes up a lot of time.

Therefore, even a typical family dinner in Syracuse, which consists of only three main dishes, takes more than two hours to prepare.

Their catchphrase is "Don't drink if you don't want to spend time," because they see drinking as a formal banquet, while their lunch break is a non-alcoholic meal, and they don't bring their spouses and eat very quickly.

Neither Little Tiger nor Old Xia showed any resistance to alcohol, which relieved Godfather, who had prepared low-alcohol drinks because he thought Lady Victoria might not be able to hold her liquor. The banquet began with champagne, and the sound of the champagne was considered a good omen.

Popping champagne to celebrate is truly an Italian tradition, it's funny, it's just spread to other places...

As the godfather of Syracuse, the dinner he prepared was naturally designed for a long conversation. Apart from the appetizers and the dessert and fruit at the end, there were seven main courses in the middle, which was the highest level of hospitality in Syracuse.

If we add more main dishes, the banquet will have to continue until dawn the next day, and everyone will be exhausted, making the guests feel very uncomfortable.

The appetizers are divided into hot and cold dishes. Normally, there is only one type of appetizer at a banquet, but in order to make it easier for Lao Xia and his friends, who are not locals of Syracuse, to taste the local cuisine, two separate platters were prepared. This was mainly to avoid any dietary restrictions for the guests.

The cold platter includes salted dried fish roe, fish in vinegar sauce, braised pig's head and tongue, served with walnuts and slices of dried ham.

The hot platter consists of fried squid and offal, along with other pan-fried appetizers.

[It looks somewhat similar to the style of Chinese cold dishes]

The appetizers were very flavorful. In addition to local dishes, in accordance with Syracuse custom, the food and drinks brought by guests were opened and eaten at the beginning, which represents trust in the guests. Gifts were opened on the spot, which is completely opposite to the customs of Da Yan.

The food that Lao Xia brought, originally intended as a sample for the collaboration, was naturally also served on the table. "Great honey!" Even across the long table, one could smell the rich honey aroma and faint floral fragrance. "But what kind of honey is it?"

"It's a blended honey because there's no fixed variety in the flower field; this is produced by the black bees I bred."

"You cultivated it? Please forgive this old man, perhaps my hearing isn't very good, you just said..."

"Yes, I bred them..."

"Truly...astonishing!" The Godfather never expected that such a high-ranking young man would be engaged in frontline research and production. Was this just a habit or a hobby, or was there some other reason? This meant that the following conversation should not touch on any sensitive topics.

"Honey with wine is like a swordsman needing a good sword."

Syracuse wines traditionally have a tradition of adding honey to enhance their flavor. This was, of course, due to early, less advanced techniques that resulted in sour wines; adding honey and sugar significantly improved the wine's quality.

However, honey and sugar were extremely expensive. So, the cheapest alternative was lead powder, which would form sweet-tasting lead acetate. Fortunately, the Terrans were physically robust, otherwise they would have been doomed.

The Syracuses were werewolves, and the connection to Rome and Italy is very well-documented, since Rome was founded by Romulus, a wolf-child...

The two then stopped their conversation on the topic and began to enjoy the food. The godfather's family members who were accompanying them also acted casually, but this casualness seemed more like a forced and artificial act, since for them, this banquet was completely different from their usual family dinners.

Only after swallowing food and drinking wine would the Godfather tell some amusing stories, and the others would chime in with a few words. It wasn't until there was practically only a little sauce left from the appetizer that the Godfather would start talking about more serious topics, dipping thin biscuits into the sauce on the plate.

"I truly apologize for the undeserved hospitality you have received today..."

"It's alright, I want to know, who is that blonde little girl..."

"This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you..." After the appetizers were finished, and as we sat down to drink and wait for the next dish, it was the perfect time for conversation. "Due to some unforeseen events within the family, she was stabbed in the arm by my enemy and contracted Oripathy. I've heard that the Xia Group possesses a technology that can cure Oripathy, but I don't know..."

"It cannot be cured, it can only guarantee that the disease will not recur for life. Of course, it also depends on the patient's condition..."

"Oh? Is that so? Well then..." the Godfather hesitated for a moment, "I wonder if our lovely Lisa could win your friendship?"

"This requires surgery. Do the family members agree?"

"I don't think that's a problem."

The idea that “I have no problem with that” is perfectly acceptable as a medium for the two parties to get closer, while the Godfather is somewhat surprised that the other party doesn’t seem to value the technique too much and doesn’t need to pay a high price.

“That’s wonderful. The Corleone family values ​​every friend. We never mistreat our friends. If anyone is an enemy of my friends, then they are my enemy, just like anyone who harms my family, even if they are not related to me by blood.” The Godfather made his stance clear to both sides at the same time. He had not made his stance clear before, which led Lisa’s mother to seek revenge on her own.

"Sizzle!" The knife and fork made a harsh sound against the plate. "Hmm?"

"I'm sorry, Father, I'm just happy for Lisa..." The Godfather stared coldly at the man, who was his daughter's husband and a member of the family. Although the Godfather was not surprised by all of this, his behavior was disappointing.

It wasn't because he was involved in the conspiracy, nor because he played any dishonorable role; as mentioned at the beginning, they were never good people.

However, to be unable to uphold one's own choice of betrayal, and to be so lacking in manners, is the greatest dishonesty.

Gangs are creatures that live within a framework of respectability. Without respectability, there are no rules, and without rules, everything must be done with violence. In that case, they would transform from gangs into outright bandits and terrorists.

In reality, they prefer to use this accumulated face and dignity to coerce the other party into submission. Just as the Godfather said, they are not killers or butchers. If a problem can be solved with fists and words, they should try not to use knives and guns.

After all, the cost of force is very high, and no one understands this better than Old Xia sitting here. Maintaining such a violent organization or force requires enormous wealth. Gangs exist for profit, not for sentiment.

"I forgive you, child." The godfather thought for a moment, his eyes softening slightly. This relieved the anxious son-in-law a little. But his brother-in-law's face immediately changed. Forgiveness meant that one had to make a mistake first. So what had his brother-in-law done that required his father to say the word "forgiveness"?

At least pre-dinner etiquette isn't considered impolite, because Syracuse tradition dictates that dinnertimes aren't so rigid and formal, and such minor mistakes are generally overlooked; at most, it might be seen as a lack of manners.

"Wow—" Swire exclaimed softly, "This is truly wonderful!"

"where?"

"Never mind, I'm not talking to you!" The little tiger turned her head away. In her eyes, this was no less than a masterpiece like "The Last Supper." The benevolent savior who chose forgiveness, the anxious traitor, the angry apostle, the bewildered scholar, and the follower who seemed to have sensed something and was trying to question it—she could identify with every character.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter 33

The first main course is usually pasta or soup, or it could be Italian flatbread, which is pizza. Unlike pizzas in other places, the authentic local version requires a thin and crispy crust, and is filled with tomato sauce and cheese, while pizzas in other places are much thicker.

After the first main course was served, the atmosphere in the banquet hall eased up a bit. After all, the Syracuse people were similar to the Da Yan people in that they didn't fight at the dinner table. They would just eat and talk about whatever was going on after the meal.

Even if they were to be dragged out and executed, they would at least make sure the person ate a proper meal. They were all living up to the spirit of those who eat well [eating is one of the Italians' evening entertainment activities]. Although the Godfather's son-in-law, as "Judas," was terrified, he still ate quietly.

Syracuseans typically eat rice and noodles, much like the Da Yan region. There are thousands of noodle dishes, and when entertaining distinguished guests, the classic local dish, braised noodles, is served.

However, from Lao Xia's perspective, something just didn't feel right, because in his dietary habits, this thing should be considered a staple food.

It's not a "dish" in the traditional sense, which is as strange as a Japanese person eating ramen with rice.

Neither Xia Lin nor Swire used much, and the Godfather did not insist, even though in Syracuse etiquette, finishing the food and using up all the sauce is a compliment to the chef.

However, we won't force guests to do this. If you really don't like it, you can choose not to eat it or eat less of it.

After all, their most important table manners are to eat and drink whatever they want, without having to be so formal.

Next, the servants served everyone absinthe to aid digestion. Swire could barely accept it, but Old Xia could only politely decline and then took out his own drink.

In Victoria, the host would probably turn hostile on the spot, but in a place like Syracuse, the host would be very enthusiastic and curious about the taste of the drinks you brought, and would like to try them out.

After having a little bit of the sweet rice wine that Lao Xia had brought, the Godfather began to talk about the next topic, which was the real serious matter. During the first break, they reached a consensus on Lisa's treatment, which can be regarded as establishing a relatively friendly and cooperative tone. Then they could start to discuss more in-depth and serious topics.

The reason for choosing to talk between dishes is to give both parties time to think, rather than suddenly falling into an awkward silence, using eating as a cover, while providing nourishment and energy for the upcoming exchange.

Regarding instigating a dockworkers' strike, the Godfather agreed in principle to help, but Old Xia needed to offer sufficient compensation or reward. "The family only controls half of the dockworkers. If it's only half, that's not enough. The workers might temporarily stop going to work out of fear, but as long as the other half is still working and receiving payment, they will eventually succumb to money and reality," the Godfather said calmly.

“That was before. Soon, there won’t be another half, will there?” Old Xia shrugged. “Besides, I think the other half of the workers might not be doing any better than the workers under the Corleone family, so why can’t we be more honest and direct?”

“That would require a lot of money, and I’m already old…” the Godfather said after a moment’s thought. The implication was that he was too old to start a civil war within the Syracuse family and live a life of fighting and killing. Old people always crave peace and tranquility.

"However, I can try to persuade the other half of your family, but..." But you'll have to show enough sincerity.

"20% distribution agreement. I don't care how others allocate it, but I only accept 20%." Old Xia offered his first benefit: simply put, the Xia Group would be responsible for the distribution of 20% of the wine, olives, and cooking oil produced in Syracuse. Regardless of whether they could consume or sell them, they would purchase that amount every year at a reasonable price.

For a country, this is an extremely large expenditure and revenue. Not to mention the Mafia, even the government of Syracuse would fight tooth and nail for it. It's practically a guaranteed job.

"That's really too generous..."

"But generosity works." Just like giving a gift, it's always better to break through the other person's expectations in one go than to slowly add fuel to the fire and drag things out.

If you gradually push the issue, you can lower the cost at the beginning, but the recipient's expectations will be raised little by little, resulting in a gift that only has a very low effect.

This 20% distribution agreement is a direct breach of the bottom line, and it clearly conveys the message that there is no room for negotiation. You don't want to make this money? There are plenty of people who want to make it but don't even have the chance.

Once this distribution agreement was proposed, all subsequent issues became minor and easily solvable problems. The agreement mainly involved both parties raising some trivial matters, focusing on discussing details and unimportant things.

For example, the preferences of the Syracuseans, the market, agricultural products, etc., are the same to the Mafia as the Federation in Qazimir; they don't really care about the lives of rural farmers.

However, there is a slight difference: most of the estates in Syracuse are in the hands of these families, and the farmers who have been dependent on them for generations have almost become their de facto vassals. The families are relatively more concerned about the livelihoods of these people.

However, the previous 20% distribution agreement had already secured the livelihoods and family interests of these people, so the fate of the self-sufficient farmers, small farm owners, and small estate owners outside the estate was not their concern.

Xia Lin indeed had no intention of using Syracuse as a dumping ground for grain. The reason was simple: the population was too small, the city-states were too scattered, and the climate varied greatly from place to place. Dumping grain there would be too much trouble. On the contrary, using it as a transit point to dump grain on Victoria was a more profitable business.

Moreover, as an industrialized nation, Victoria had ample room for dumping, and capitalists were happy to sell cheap food.

Because cheap food can feed more workers, it can further reduce workers' wages and production costs, which of course adds fuel to the fire of the Great Depression.

The British Industrial Revolution was built on the introduction of cheap food and condiments from the colonies, which enabled them to defeat a host of competitors and establish the British Empire. Victoria's situation was similar to that of Britain; they desperately needed cheap agricultural products, which is why they would never send troops to directly help Theresis.

If relations were to break down like this, with both Xia and Kazimir, the two largest food suppliers, raising prices simultaneously, Victoria's economy would immediately crumble. Of course, this would also cause significant financial losses for both countries, as long as relations aren't completely severed.

It's not surprising that business could continue while fighting a war, especially since there wasn't even direct combat yet; it was just a small group of "stubborn smugglers" smuggling Victorian standard weapons into Kazdel.

Moreover, the Swire family was also smuggling Victorian standard armor and equipment for Old Xia, and even helping to order armored cruisers.

The ensuing dinner was a pleasant affair for both hosts and guests, as most of the serious business that needed to be discussed had been covered.