You don't even want to call me godfather

"answer the questions."

Koshei gripped the gun a little tighter and asked with gritted teeth.

"call……"

Osvid sighed helplessly, and under the gaze of several people in the room, he raised his hand and shook it.

The next moment, several beams of infrared rays shone in from the window, reflecting on the chests of Koshe and others.

"I have been following your movements since you entered Columbia," Osvid continued to raise his hand. He slowly stood up, shook his head, and said, "I just want to talk to you peacefully, Mr. Cascade. If possible, I don't want to end up like this."

"..."

Koshei's eyes were fixed on Osvid's raised hand, and his brain was working at high speed.

The current situation was completely beyond his expectations, and he couldn't guarantee that he could protect everyone behind him in the moment of a falling out.

Obviously, the initiative of the situation has fallen into Osvid's hands. It can even be said that everything was within his calculations from the moment he entered the room.

"clatter."

Finally, Koshe had no choice but to pull the safety of the gun, remove his finger from the trigger, and point the muzzle to the sky to show compromise.

"I have prepared a car for you and have checked out of your hotel room in advance," Osvid smiled again when he saw that Koshei and the others did not act rashly. "I have already asked the servants to clean my humble abode in advance and cleared out several rooms. You can move in anytime."

He put his hands together and rubbed his fingers lightly.

Obviously, he now has absolute say.

Chapter 49: Pointing fingers

"Welcome to my humble abode. From now on, you can use this mansion as you wish." In front of a luxurious waterside villa, Osvid placed one hand on his chest and said to everyone, "There are several servants in the mansion. You can use them at any time. If you find that I am not treating you well, please come to me directly."

Koshe and others got out of the car and were half-forced to come in front of Osvid by his guards. The scene was indeed somewhat ironic.

"Please come in."

Osvid turned around, and the iron gate in front of the mansion was opened by the guards inside, and he welcomed several people in.

Under the almost hostage-like attitude, Koshei and others entered the mansion nervously.

Only after they entered the hall and everyone sat down on the sofa did Osvid wave his hand and ask the guards to put down their guns.

"Please rest assured," Osvid sat down opposite Koshei and spread his hands to show that he had no hostility. "This is a private territory. No Colombians will come to disturb you, and you will not be discovered here."

"You broke into our hotel room, sent snipers to aim at our heads, and took us to your residence. Now you tell us that it's safe here and that you have no hostility," Koshei said unkindly as he sat on the sofa. He looked around at the guards around him, then stared at Osvid. "You've been talking to yourself for too long, Mr. Osvid."

"I understand what you mean, Mr. Cascade," Oswald raised the corner of his mouth, shrugged, and then clapped his hands to drive away the guards beside him. "Please forgive my rudeness. Next, I will explain everything to you in detail."

As soon as he finished speaking, two maids came over with a tray and placed a few glasses of champagne on the coffee table.

"I suppose now is not the time for a party?"

Koshe frowned slightly. Osvid's attitude was changeable, making it difficult for him to figure out his true intentions.

"Then consider this as an early celebration of our successful cooperation."

Osvid smiled and raised one of the glasses of champagne.

"Why are you talking so much nonsense to him?" Seeing that Osvid kept saying incomprehensible things, Indra finally couldn't hold it anymore. She hid her hands behind her back, holding her brass knuckles, and seemed confident that she could finish him off before Osvid could react. "If it were you, I should say, we shouldn't--"

Kosh'ai stretched out a hand and stood in front of Indra.

Now is not the time to act rashly. Just like when they were in the hotel, even if the guards in public were withdrawn, there was no way to be sure if there were still people watching them in secret.

"It seems that what those natural disaster messengers said is true. The godfather of Syracuse is very good at making friends." Osvid narrowed his eyes and stared at Indra for a long time, then glanced at Abraham next to Koshei, and said, "Victorians, Laterans... If you don't mind, can I, a Colombian, also join them?"

"Hmph..." Koshe snorted coldly. He didn't think that someone like Osvid would have a definition of the word friend. "That depends on whether you can show your sincerity."

But Koshe was also puzzled. From the beginning till now, he had been using Msisha's power to spy on Osvid's heartbeat.

But his heart rate did not fluctuate from beginning to end, which means that there is a high probability that Osvid was not lying.

But we cannot rule out the possibility that he has amazing self-control.

"I have shown my sincerity to you and your friends without reservation," Osvid raised his hand and gestured to the mansion. "I know that what you are most worried about in Colombia is the exposure of your identity. Now, you can use this mansion at will. No one except me and my subordinates will come. At the same time, I can also use my political resources to protect your safety and concealment. No one will know of your existence."

"Then what good will this do you?" Koshe raised his head slightly. There was no doubt that the treatment offered by Osvid was indeed good, but it was precisely because of this that he needed to be especially cautious. "No one will treat you well unconditionally. We all know this, and you know it too, Mr. Osvid."

Osvid smiled, but did not speak. Instead, he slowly stood up.

His action made everyone present alert again, but he just paced around the sofa and finally stopped right in front of Koshe.

"Arthur Wilder, I think you are familiar with this name," Osvid had to get down to business when he saw that Koshe had already begun to hint at him. "Last night, Arthur Wilder lost three pairs of 'white gloves'. Of course, you who grew up in the Syracuse family should not be unfamiliar with this term."

"and then?"

Koshe leaned back on the sofa and looked into Osvid's eyes, as if trying to get some information from his eyes.

"I know that your men had a conflict with Arthur Wilder's men, and I also know how that conflict ended. I also know your Syracuse style of doing things," Osvid paused, as if deliberately keeping the secret, and continued after a moment, "Blood debts must be paid with blood. The Syracuse family will not allow others to infringe on their family members, but you have to know that Columbia's style is slightly different from Syracuse's tradition."

"Please say."

The level of intelligence Osvid possessed far exceeded Koshe's expectations, and even he had to calm down and listen to Osvid's story.

"The relationships between people in Columbia are not as close as the families in Syracuse. People in Columbia are more like colleagues than 'family'." Seeing Koshe's attitude gradually softened, Osvid stopped keeping him in suspense and got down to business. "Like I said, what you took from Arthur Wilder before were just three pairs of dispensable 'white gloves' that can be discarded or replaced at any time. They are nothing compared to the 'family' you lost."

"Whether it's worth it or not, I will judge for myself." Hearing this, Koshei could not help but interrupt Osvid's words, his tone was a little cold, "Syracusans have their own way of doing things, even if it's revenge. It's not your turn to dictate our methods and ideas."

"I mean no offense, Mr. Cascade," Osvid said, raising his hands in a gesture, "I just want you to know that this country is not as humane as you think."

"...Let's assume that what you said is true," Koshe hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Then, what does this have to do with the 'cooperation' you mentioned?"

Osvid closed his eyes, as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes and his expression became serious.

"Please listen to my story about this matter..."

Chapter 50: It's a pity we met too late

“I didn’t expect that this mansion also has a study.”

Koshei and Osvid stood in the study of the mansion, his fingers running over the books on the shelves.

"If you want to work in a political field, you have to read a lot of books," Osvid followed Koshei. He took a book from the shelf and opened a page at random. "The greatest crimes often come from greed rather than poverty."

"Aristotle," Koshe turned around and looked at the book in Osvid's hand. "It seems that there are still some things in this place that I can adapt to."

"So, you agree to stay here?"

Osvid's eyes lit up, he put the book back on the shelf and asked.

"That depends on whether you can convince me."

Koshe shook his head and continued to look for books that interested him on the bookshelf.

"Then let's get back to the point," Oswald understood. He scratched his forehead with his fingers and organized his words for a moment. "Arthur Wilder, you have already taken three lives from him. I guess you want to get balance from Arthur Wilder for the lives lost in your family?"

"That's right," Koshei did not deny. Seeing that the conversation was getting to the point, he stopped paying attention to the books on the bookshelf and focused on what Osvid said. "Do you have any opinion on this?"

"No, I don't dare," Osvid said, smiling and waving his hands. "I know I am not qualified to tell you what you think you should do, but since you have already done this, you should do it thoroughly."

"How to say?"

Koshe raised his head slightly and began to show some interest in what Osvid said.

"First of all, I admire your assassination ability very much. Or maybe it was done by your men, but until now, Arthur Wilder is still confused about the deaths of those three people. Secondly, you want to balance the number of casualties on both sides, and we all know that there is still one life missing." Oswald raised his index finger and lowered his voice a lot. "In this regard, I propose to increase the value of this life to the highest level."

"You want me to use Arthur Wilder's life to pay off the remaining blood debt?"

Koshe frowned. He had guessed this, otherwise Osvid would have no need to make so many attempts to show goodwill.

"That's right," Osvid said, seeing Kochei's understanding. "There is no distinction between noble and humble human lives. There is no difference between the death of a pair of 'white gloves' and the death of a gang leader. Isn't that right?"

"..." Koshe didn't answer. He turned around, leaned against the window, and looked at the scene outside for a long time before he spoke, "I guess Arthur Wilder must have threatened your position. Am I right?"

"That's it."

As if to express his sincerity, Osvid admitted this generously.

"As both members of the House of Commons, you, who are related to the president's son, and Arthur Wilder, the leader of an underground gang, have almost the same support rate among the people," Koshe continued to analyze when he saw that Osvid did not deny it. "For you, he is a huge obstacle in your process of climbing up, but due to your identity and position, you cannot use your power to influence or eliminate him, so you want to entrust me, a foreigner, to be your gun, right?"

"Your reasoning is really good, Mr. Cascade." Unexpectedly, Osvid's smile became even brighter, not hiding his true thoughts at all. "But there is no doubt that what you said is indeed true, so...are you willing to do this?"

"No, let me refuse." Koshe refused the request without even thinking. "Only an idiot would risk his life for a stranger. Killing Arthur Wilder will not bring me any more benefits. On the contrary, it will put me, my family, and my country in danger."

"But we are not strangers, but friends, aren't we?" Osvid stared at Koshei and said, "At least one day we will be friends."

Osvid's words were so shocking that even Koshe didn't know how to respond for a moment and could only stare at him in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Osvid pulled out a cigarette box from his pocket, took out two cigarettes, and handed one to Koshei.

"I admire you for one thing, Mr. Cascade," Osvid lit cigarettes for Koshe and himself, took a deep puff, and broke the silence after the smoke dissipated. "Your country was invaded and your subordinates were killed in another country. You comforted the people of your own country and then went to that country in person to seek justice for your subordinates and citizens. I admire your courage, calmness, and love for your people."

"Anyone would do the same."

Koshei shrugged and said as a matter of course.

"No, as a monarch, you are much more humane than monarchs of other countries," Osvid shook his head, his smile seemed to fade a little, and he looked over Koshe's shoulder and out the window, "If it were a monarch of another country, or the president of Colombia, my father, they might have started a war by now."

"You seem to hate the war, or are you unhappy with your father?"

Koshei keenly noticed Osvid's mood change and asked tentatively.

"I have witnessed the consequences of war with my own eyes. I have seen people whose lives were taken away, those who were sick, and those children who were born in stinking garbage dumps." Osvid's smile completely disappeared, replaced by a slightly fierce look. "Do you know what is the most despicable and shameless of all human behaviors?"

"All ears."

"Power holders and flatterers hide in safe places, praising the greatness of war, and in the name of patriotism and sacrifice, they force people who have nothing to do with them to go to the battlefield." Unconsciously, Osvid even clenched his fists. "The world should not be like this. Whether it is the land that has become hell or the ruins ravaged by war, our homes are being deprived and destroyed. There are obviously better ways to deal with it, but those bigwigs always like to use gambling-like methods to achieve their goals. Peace cannot be achieved through negotiations, but if we just keep on launching wars, where can we get peace?"

"Nobles and criminals have a lot in common. They are both selfish and easily bored. They can get money without hard work. The upper class does not follow rules and morals. They put everything on the gamble board and decide the outcome in one round." Koshe took a deep puff of cigarette, as if this topic made him a little breathless. "At least on this point, my thoughts are the same as yours. Killing is not the same as politics. But what is really sad is that we think we are upholding justice, but we cause more injustice, and then we realize that comprehensive justice does not exist. After the most intense resistance, we finally realize that we are actually nothing. The power of one person alone cannot change those deep-rooted facts."

There was some sincerity in Koshe's remarks. Perhaps it was Osvid's thoughts that reminded him of some of his past experiences.

"Snapped!"

Suddenly, Osvid put his hands on Koshe's shoulders, lowered his head, and did not speak for a long time.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me for trying to use you earlier." After a long while, Osvid raised his head. A genuine smile replaced the fake smile on his face. His voice was trembling. "You are a respectable person, a monarch who should be respected."

Then, before Koshei could react, Osvid, whose attitude had changed drastically, took out a bottle of brandy and two wine glasses from somewhere and sat down on the spot.

"Regarding Arthur Wilder, if you don't want to do it, I won't force you, but there are only two things I hope you can agree to," Osvid poured wine for Koshei, he sat cross-legged, rested his hands on his legs, and bowed deeply to Koshei, "The first thing is, please become my sworn brother, the second thing is about one of my family members, about my sister who was 'sold' by my father, the current president."

"Let's forget about the sworn brotherhood..." Koshe weighed it for a moment before choosing to sit on the ground. He first waved his hand, rejecting Osvid's first request, which he didn't know whether he was joking or serious. Then he picked up the wine glass and took a sip. "But the second thing is about your family. Tell me in detail."

Chapter 51: The Unspeakable Secret

"In Colombia, the position of president has almost always been a nominal one," Osvid and Koshe sat on the floor in the study and explained to him, "The president is often elected by the senators of the upper house. On paper, he is the country's top leader, but in reality, he is just a cover for the house and has no real power."

"It is somewhat similar to some parliamentary countries." After the previous heart-to-heart talk, Koshei's hostility towards Osvid has decreased a lot, and he analyzed his words seriously. "But speaking of it, the current president of Colombia seems to be your father, right? Osvid."

"Yes, Koshei," Osvid nodded. He seemed to notice the change in Koshei's way of addressing him, so he also slightly changed his way of addressing Koshei. "But what is different from the past is that my father is a rare president who has some real power."

"how do I say this?"

Perhaps because this topic was related to the political systems of other countries, Koshe listened extra carefully and his attitude seemed to be a bit inquisitive.

"You should know that there are several scientific research organizations of various sizes in Colombia, such as Rhine Life, Water Tank, and other scientific research organizations. Even foreigners have heard of their names," Osvid suddenly laughed, which sounded like a sneer. "It's ridiculous that several scientific research organizations that started with their own countries and are named pharmaceutical companies are more well-known than their own countries."

Koshe didn't say anything. He just took a sip of wine silently, looking quite worried.

Osvid's words mentioned the name that Koshei least wanted to hear, a name that caused the situation between the Syracuse and Cascade families to be so tense today.

"Mr. Cascade?" Osvid, who was good at observing people's expressions, naturally noticed Koshe's change of mood. He seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively, "Did I say something wrong? Or..."

"No, it's okay," Koshepi pulled the corners of his mouth with a forced smile to make himself look not too bad, "Go on, Osvid."

"Well... okay, then..." Osvid stared at Koshe thoughtfully for a while before continuing, "I'm telling the truth. Colombia has always been facing a problem. Although we are the country with the most advanced technology in the world, we lack one thing - national strength."

"Huh?" Koshe leaned back and said in a tone that was unclear whether it was a joke or something meaningful, "But I remember that Colombia seems to be one of the most powerful countries in the world right now, right? Even the scientific research organizations in Colombia have the guts to go to other countries to steal and rob people."

"I roughly understand why you are unhappy about this topic," Osvid shook his head. He figured out some things and revealed his thoughts without reservation. "More than half a month ago, Rhine Life took a group of people abroad. Although the news was blocked, my informant inside told me that the group of people who went abroad brought back an experimental subject. Combined with the invasion of Syracuse, I think... that experimental subject has some kind of relationship with you, right?"

Koshe didn't answer. He just drank alone, which was also a disguised acceptance of this fact.

"...You are wrong about one thing, Koshe." Seeing that Koshe did not want to express his opinion on this, Osvid had to give up the topic and get back to the point. "Colombia is indeed a powerful country, but its strength is only in its contribution to the world in medicine and scientific research. Its national strength is not particularly strong. Compared with Ursus, Lateran, Casimir, Da Yan and other real powers, Colombia's national strength is really nothing."

Osvid's words reminded Koshe of a person. The researcher who had confronted him in the underground laboratory in Syracuse seemed to have said something similar.

"But at least you will be feared by others," Koshe sighed and said helplessly, "but Syracuse is too weak and can be slaughtered at will."