Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

"Gray Biotech adheres to the philosophy it has upheld throughout its development, continuing to provide the people of White Eagle with high-quality and affordable pharmaceutical services in our consistent manner. As for the so-called expansion and strengthening, since you know that macro market laws cannot be ignored when you ask your question, why bother asking me?"

"What a brilliant use of leverage!" Dandre nodded to himself, then put the red wine into his mouth.

Realizing his thoughts had been exposed, the reporter quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Given that Gray Biotechnology is known to be developing better and better, whether the people at Gray will have other ideas along the way is perhaps a question that people are more concerned about."

"You seem to have misunderstood something. Gray's great development is not due to some shady means, but to the common choice of the people of White Eagle. It is their choice that has brought Gray to where it is today. Are you questioning the people's choice, or are you trying to mislead me, a fledgling representative, with your words?"

"I...!"

Yingque's "polite" response drove the reporters crazy. Before they could ask another pointless question, Nieto and his friends "invited" him out of the venue. The perfect timing created an excellent shot for Yingque's debut performance.

Whew... I hope I didn't say anything wrong.

However, Yingque was already feeling chest tightness and shortness of breath. This was even more nerve-wracking than singing on stage at the school's gala. If he messed up, he might lose a business deal worth hundreds of millions.

But the girls present were all secretly applauding her wonderful performance.

"Get ready to make your move..."

......

The host smiled and said, "Then, let's continue our handover ceremony. Ms. Q.Ying, you will make the final announcement."

“Hmm,” Ying Que nodded slowly, relieved that An Ran had reached the final step: “Then, as the representative of Gray Biotechnology, I solemnly announce that the Rothschild family's assets will…”

"Wait a moment!!!"

Just before the announcement, a roar came from a corner of the audience. Everyone turned to look and saw a young man in a tattered coat, staring with bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to tear the girl on the stage to pieces.

Yingque was startled, but she calmed herself down and quietly observed the strange situation. They had said that someone would be responsible for their safety, so there was nothing to worry about.

"I'll change seats..."

Freyne whispered to her teammates, then circled around to the side of the venue. The rest of the Shrike also went on high alert, ready to respond.

......

"Was this part of their plan?"

Morse frowned slightly, and subconsciously put his wine glass aside, while Rosalia's expression was equally unpleasant.

"I don't know. Keep an eye on him. If he does anything, restrain him immediately... or take Yingque away after he's been restrained."

"I don't need you to tell me, you tyrant of the North."

"..."

......

"I accuse the Rothschild family of illegally transferring a large amount of assets overseas! The Rothschild family has concealed the true share of their assets!"

No one seemed to stop him, and the young man shouted another unsurprising phrase... Perhaps it should be said that the behavior itself was not surprising, but what was strange was, what was there to say, why did he have to say it here?

Ying Que frowned slightly, deciding to figure out the first question first: "Uh... I'd like to ask you, sir, who are you?"

"Carlos Rothschild, the second son of the Rothschild family!"

......!

The entire audience was in an uproar. What was going on? Had Rothschild Jr. betrayed his family and revealed his family's insurance methods to a rival company on the spot?

"What's going on? Is there a conflict over the distribution of assets?"

"I don't quite understand. The problem is that I can't figure out the motive. Why would Rothschild Jr. dismantle the ladder after achieving his goal?"

"The Thomson family must have secretly given Rothschild Jr. a benefit; otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths..."

"By the way, doesn't the Rothschild family have two children?"

......

The crowd immediately launched into a heated discussion about the issue of identity. Ying Que also took the opportunity to observe the reaction of the other party who signed. The old man's eyes were wide with anger, seemingly not expecting to be tricked by his own son at this moment.

In the underworld, this should be considered insignificant. After all, such a large portion of the property would definitely be noticed if a large part of it were suddenly lost. However, the Thomson family did not want to go too far, so they did not expose it and tacitly approved. But what benefit would it bring up for Rothschild Jr.?

Yingque's mind went blank. She hadn't been involved in this at all. How could he use the other party's reaction to further understand her motives?

"You bastard, what are you talking about? This is all the Rothschild family can offer!"

Old Rothschild shouted hoarsely, only to be met with an even fiercer retort from his son: "Do you want Citibank to hand over all its shares and transaction records? You old fool, there's my inheritance in there. You want to use that money to buy your seaside retirement villa?!"

Oh, I see. The classic problem of unequal distribution of inheritance... But it seems to be more than that. Since a large portion of the property is still left, what is Rothschild worried about, and why bring this up?

Yingque could only continue asking questions along the line of conversation: "So, does the young Rothschild hope that the Thomson family will uphold justice for you here?"

697 I see.

"Uphold justice? I don't need any justice!" Carlos grabbed his wine glass and smashed it on the ground. "I just want to see that money flow smoothly into the account it's supposed to go into!"

And your wallet, isn't it?

Yingque muttered to herself, but she couldn't think of a solution for the time being. As an outsider from beginning to end, she had done her best.

Meanwhile, the Shrike were ready to ask the troublemaker to leave... but in the Cloud Map, Dandrei called them to stay put.

......

"Carlos, where's your brother who's blind in one eye? Why didn't I see him come with us today?"

Another inappropriate female voice came from the other side of the table, and the person in question was already sitting on the table with her legs crossed, looking dazzling in a beautiful purple dress.

SIG MCX, a regular at the Promised Land casino, is the most famous female gambler in New York. She has never lost in hundreds of games, and the chips she wins in one night cannot be contained even if the hem of her skirt is used to hold them up. Her presence at the event is not surprising to outsiders, but what is intriguing is why she would want to get involved in this farce.

Don't ask, it's part of the plan...

"You...you damned slut, how dare you ask?!"

Rothschild Jr. was immediately enraged and turned his anger towards the uninvited guest at the banquet. However, the stark contrast between his tattered clothes and his tall hat and wide belt made him look even more disheveled, which was far from the image of a noble eldest son that everyone had in mind. Perhaps even a glass of red wine that MCX casually spilled on the ground would be better than his ragged clothes.

"What does this have to do with me?" MCX put his leg aside and continued with a wicked grin: "At the gambling table, it's all about luck, not everyone's luck is as foul as your mouth."

......

"Uh......"

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was not on them, Yingque silently took a step back, her mind already considering retreating, but Gray supported her from behind.

"Don't worry, you just need to keep an eye on things."

"..."

There's no other way; now is not the time to leave. So, we can only stay on stage and observe.

The conflict between Carlos and MCX lasted only a short while and quickly fizzled out, because then, to outsiders, an even more important figure appeared at the event...

Thomson Inschwert himself, the godfather of the Thomson family...

Her arrival silenced the noisy venue. The distance between the second-floor private room and the first-floor hall made it impossible for anyone to see her eyes clearly, but her black striped shawl, fedora, and gold-rimmed round glasses were enough to convey her imposing presence. No one wanted her to take off her glasses on stage...

With just a glance around the room, he could make it clear that "quiet" was required, and then he focused his attention on Carlos Rothschild, who stood out conspicuously among the well-dressed, pot-bellied men.

"Heh, looks like you'd better just use that money to bury your brother, you little beast."

Her opening remarks were filled with harsh words, shocking everyone. She was completely different from the polite female godfather they remembered. But it also made them realize one thing: the young Rothschild had indeed reached some kind of exchange with the Thomson family, at the cost of the old Rothschild's downfall.

But what does it mean to bury one's brother? Even Yingque was a little curious.

After being humiliated, Carlos, though angry, dared not express it. He could only say, "Godfather, I have already picked out this money at the event as you requested. The news and public opinion will allow you to obtain the remaining Rothschild property. So, can that bet be wiped clean now?!"

Gambling money?

Ying Que frowned slightly and looked at Mrs. Grey beside her, but the other woman simply mouthed that she should be quiet and just watch.

Isn't this just a matter of property distribution...?

Thomson sneered twice: "Leaving aside the matter of the bet, I still need to praise you. You were willing to sell out your entire family in order to secure your future. We should be glad that old Rothschild didn't have a heart condition. I don't want to be the one to collect the corpse of this poor old man."

Indeed, Rothschild's anger was palpable, stemming not only from his son's betrayal but also from other factors, including the brother Thomson spoke of.

“An eye, the corpse of your own brother, couldn’t stop your greed, Carlos. Perhaps it was a mistake for me to put you in the Promised Land. Not being able to pay off your gambling debts is a minor matter. You sold your own old man without hesitation, which is ridiculous,” Thomson slowly took off his glasses, revealing his cunning smile. “Perhaps the only thing I need to thank you for is for using public opinion to lure out all the Rothschild family’s assets. As for the gambling debts, they can be wiped clean, but you can forget about your last bit of capital to make a living. A piece of scum like you is not worthy to negotiate with me.”

...I see, that makes sense now.

The realization dawned on him: Rothschild Jr. was a complete gambler. His enormous gambling debts led to the injury and even death of his brother. To pay off this debt, he chose to cooperate with the Thomson family, betraying his father and handing over the family's last remaining assets in exchange for his own safety and the capital to live out his remaining years in peace.

But Thomson's decision to back out at the last minute was simply a way of avoiding further repercussions...

"You...! How could you?! I've gone to such lengths, even ruining the Rothschild family's reputation, and you still can't even get those few million dollars?!"

Blinded by rage, he kicked over a nearby table in a fit of rage. The surrounding guests kept their distance from his frenzied behavior, but Thomson remained unfazed.

"Millions? I'll give you three hundred dollars at most to go to a private clinic on the outer ring road to see a dentist and see if our people have knocked your teeth out. Okay, if there's nothing else, you can get lost. Someone will give you the three hundred dollars later."

The final order to leave was a blatant mockery. The way they seemed to have everything under control sent chills down one's spine. They used the other party's greed to seize the last of their family's assets, all because of the huge gambling debts the other party had incurred in their own casino. Had this scheme within a scheme been set up so early on?

With the existence of the video recording, regardless of how this farce ultimately unfolds, the Rothschild family will inevitably face a thorough investigation and will never be able to recover.

This was a world I had never encountered before—a world of intrigue, rampant materialism, and... a darkness I had never imagined or understood...

Ultimately, it's all about money...

698 Farce

Even as an outsider, one could somewhat guess how devastating this would be for Carlos. Desperate, he sought any solution, only to be ruthlessly abandoned. The assets his entire family had painstakingly built were destroyed, and his reputation was ruined... Ultimately, it was all his own fault. It started with a gamble about money and ended with a gamble about life and death; he lost from beginning to end.

Carlos stood frozen in place, staring incredulously at the aloof Thomson, whose cold face revealed disgust from beginning to end. His very presence was a poison to the eyes of everyone present.

"You damned beast! I warned you long ago not to go near the Promised Land and not to associate too much with the Thomson family!" Old Rothschild, disregarding his image, roared at the young man below the stage, his anger blazing. "Do you think I don't know how your equally gambling brother died? It seems I was too negligent. How could I have raised such a good-for-nothing bastard like you?!"

"..."

The surrounding gossip, her father's angry punishment, the merciless mockery of the pink-haired girl, and her godfather Thomson who had deceived her—all these pressures piled up in her heart. She had realized that this was her own fault, but so what? Now that things had come to this, was there even a sliver of a way out?

"Hehehehe...hahahahahahahaha!!" He laughed almost maniacally, then grabbed a wine bottle from the side, smashed it, and pointed the broken bottle at Thomson above: "You think I didn't guess this? You cunning old fox, you think I'd be stupid enough to let you lure that money out of me without holding back?!"

The surrounding guests once again distanced themselves from Carlos, which gave him the audacity to smash and destroy nearby objects.

The girls just watched his clownish outburst with cold indifference, feeling sorry for him while also silently mocking him as an incorrigible scum of society.

After venting his anger, he pointed the bottle at Yingque on the stage and said, "Host, tell everyone here that right now, directly below the Diesel Club, there is a simple plastic explosive!"

"what?!"

For a moment, Yingque held her breath; she had never imagined she would be involved in such an event...

"Now, announce the transfer of my assets, or in five minutes, everyone will be going to God with their money in their bellies, praying that he will give you extra heart support!"

This seemed to be his last act of arrogance, but who would dare to ignore such a death threat? After all, he was a desperate man in White Eagle; what wouldn't these madmen do?

"What...what should I do?"

Yingque naturally dared not act rashly, and turned to ask Mrs. Grey. But to his surprise, Mrs. Grey and the host both smiled and shook their heads at him.

What does this mean? Or is it that we don't need to worry?

Looking at Carlos again, he was still staring at him with longing eyes, which made him very uncomfortable. But... could things still take a turn for the better?

......

"I should kill this desperado on the spot..."

Morse pressed his hand on the table, preparing to get up, but Rosalia waved him off.

"Morse, you should watch more modern 8 pm soap operas. Usually, there's always a chance for things to turn around in these situations."

Indeed, when it comes to plot twists, the girls never disappoint...

【Boom】

In this tense environment, any sudden loud noise would be terrifying, but everyone then realized that someone had simply kicked open the door to the venue.

Upon closer inspection, Yingque could still make an impression on the woman with long black hair and wearing a suit. She was also one of the company's employees and was very casual. She and her colleagues were regulars at the bar.

In her hand was a black shoulder bag...

"Natya?"

Aphrodite was slightly surprised; how did the company's black gloves end up here?

Natia, the captain of the Martyrs, threw the shoulder bag on the ground, then leaned against the door and sneered, "Mr. Carlos, we found a black shoulder bag in the sewers. Did you leave something in there?"

This conversation was enough for everyone to realize that the bag most likely contained the so-called bomb...

"You...! Didn't I tell you to leave the bomb in the sewer with a timer?! How did you bring it here?!"

Carlos panicked and seemed about to leave the venue, but Nieto's men appeared from all sides, surrounding him and blocking all escape routes.

Dandelion, who had been watching for a long time, finally spoke, the red wine in her hand still swaying slightly, as if... she hadn't drunk a drop from beginning to end.