You don't even want to call me godfather

Finally, let me give you some spoilers for the second volume.

Extract some keywords.

Family Council, Bligh, Sheffield, Manchester, Solomons, Ben, Stowaway, Glasgow Gang, Rutland, Smuggling, The Council of Nations, Notary Office, Fallen Angel.

Well... I'll probably stop here for now. Grandpa came back from the hospital today. He just had surgery the day before yesterday and now needs my care.

But I will try my best not to miss any updates, so please forgive me if there are any delays.

Finally, I would like to thank all the readers and friends who have been with me until now, and I hope to continue to have you by my side in the future.

Volume 2: When the Storm Comes

Chapter 1 Charitable Fund

"Squeak-"

"Godfather, the people are here."

"Let her in."

In the study, Koshei sat behind the desk, leaning sideways and looking out the window.

"I'm so sorry to bother you at this hour, Godfather."

Led by Loft, a woman carrying a shoulder bag walked into the study. She looked a little timid, as if she was afraid of something.

"No problem," Koshe turned around and looked at the uneasy woman, "Please go ahead."

"It's... about my husband," the woman said, while hurriedly searching for something in her bag. "More than a month ago, he was at my child's birthday party. After he lit the cake candles and turned off the lights, he disappeared. When I turned on the lights, he was nowhere to be found. We have been out of contact ever since."

After saying that, she took out the thing from her bag.

It was a wad of money wrapped in paper, and the woman's hands were shaking nervously as she held it.

"What does this mean, ma'am?"

Koshe frowned slightly. Like his father, he hated the most when people came to him for help and wanted to use money to ask for his help.

"This is the only money we have left in our family. Without my husband, I am the only one who earns the family income. We have two children at home, so it's a bit..." The woman paused, took a few steps forward, and put the money on Koshe's desk. "I beg you, please help me find my husband. He used to work in the government, but on that day, all the government employees disappeared. I heard some horrible rumors, so I'm afraid..."

"Please allow me a cigarette, ma'am."

Koshe suddenly interrupted the woman, and in the woman's somewhat frightened eyes, he lit a cigarette for himself.

"Phew... Don't worry, ma'am, I will help you with this, but you have to take the money first." After exhaling the smoke, Koshe sighed secretly. He knew the truth, but he couldn't say it. He just took out a checkbook from the desk drawer, tore off a check, wrote a string of numbers on it, signed his name, and put it on the table. "Take this check later and go to the Cascade Charity Foundation to receive a grant. This money should be enough to support two children."

"This..." The woman obviously didn't expect things to turn out this way, but she still hesitated and took the check and the stack of money she brought with her. "This money... can cover our family's expenses for two years... I really don't know how to thank you, Godfather."

"The Cascade family and the government originally shared the same ideals and hoped that the country could be prosperous and peaceful. But now, the government has suddenly run into trouble, and I am only doing my part for the people," Koshe said insincerely without changing his expression. He flicked the ash into the ashtray on the table, "Is there anything else? If it's too late, the check will be overdue."

"Yes... Thank you, Godfather! Thank you! Thank you very much!" Hearing this, the woman nodded several times and put away the check and the money. "Then I won't bother you anymore. Have a nice day, Godfather."

Loft took the woman out, and after closing the door, he returned to the study.

"Just close the door for a while, Loft. We won't be accepting visitors today."

Koshe continued to turn around and look out the window, as if thinking about something.

Loft stood beside him, and looking at Koshe's appearance, he couldn't help feeling worried.

He knew that Koshei still hadn't gotten over Destiny's death, but he didn't know how to express his concern.

"godfather--"

"It was Destiny who first suggested replacing this stained glass window," Koshe suddenly said, as if he knew what Loft was thinking. "What did you want to say, Loft?"

"I..." Loft was silent. Since Destiny's death, Koshe seemed to have become a different person. He was becoming more and more like Ulysses, but also different in some ways. "I'm just confused. The disappearance of those governments clearly had nothing to do with the Cascade family. Why did you set up a charitable foundation and approve subsidies for their families?"

"The fall of the government has nothing to do with Cascade," Koshe smiled bitterly. After Providence's death, he was probably the only one in the world who knew the truth of the matter. But he still said, "That's true, but Loft, you've been a family cadre for many years. Don't you know how important public opinion is to your status?"

"Godfather, what do you mean?"

"Now that the government has collapsed, there is no doubt that the vacancy needs to be filled. But if the Cascade family moves into the government building, what do you think the people will think? To put it bluntly, this money is compensation for the lives of those families and hush money," Koshe leaned back in his chair, put out the cigarette in his hand, and asked, "What else is on the schedule today, Loft?"

"Hmm... let me take a look." Loft took out a notebook from his inner pocket. "There will be a family meeting in an hour. It will be held in the government building before. We will exchange reports on recent events with several other families."

After the fall of the government, Koshei undoubtedly became the most powerful person in the country of Syracuse.

But he also knew that a country cannot exist without a government. If he wanted to fill government vacancies, he would not be able to rely solely on the party members in the Cascade family.

He needed to recruit talented people, but he did not trust those people. After searching for a long time, he found that the most suitable candidates were other families that had a long-term business partnership with the Cascade family.

They are each in charge of a different industry and are basically the big players in the industry. They are also well-informed and are sure to have talents who are suitable for government work.

But the cooperation is mutual. They gave talents to Koshei, and Koshei also needs to give them some benefits.

Considering how much the people would object to him holding the power of a country alone, even if it was just for show, Koshei had to find a few people, a few people in the neutral camp, to share the country with him openly.

So the country's system returned to its original state, when Ulysses was still alive.

He formed a family council, which consisted of six families that jointly controlled the government of Syracuse. They held weekly meetings to report on recent developments and exchange opinions.

Except for Cascade, which is still a mafia family, the other five families are just business families.

"Do we need to inform Miss Iris?" Loft asked, "She also needs to attend the meeting."

"No need, Loft," Koshe waved his hand and stood up from his chair, "Iris will arrive at the meeting room early, she always does."

"Is this so..."

Hearing this, Loft put away his notebook.

Koshe took his coat off the hanger, put it on, and picked up the wolf-head cane that was placed next to the desk.

"Let's go, Loft, and see if those families have any intention of rebelling."

Chapter 2 Family Council

Government building, meeting room.

The government buildings have been briefly renovated since the fall of the previous government.

The original departments were retained, but the Cascade family crest was hung on the front wall of the conference room.

At this time, there were already three people sitting on both sides of the conference table in the conference room, and Iris was standing at the door, waiting for Koshe's arrival.

"So, we provide Cascade with manpower, and in return we have to sit here and wait for him to come over for a non-existent meeting?"

It seemed that the wait was a bit too long. A black-haired young Rupert kept tapping the table with his fingers, his tone full of dissatisfaction.

"Okay, Sheffield, it's just a meeting. You can leave after reporting the recent situation. There's nothing to complain about."

And so said Annata Bly.

"I don't understand. We are in parliament but we have no real power. I don't understand why such a meeting is necessary."

But Sheffield's dissatisfaction did not diminish in the slightest, and he continued to complain.

"We are just putting on an act for the people of Syracuse. As partners, we have to give the Godfather enough face," said another white-haired young Lupo. "Besides, when we started cooperating with the Godfather, we didn't get real power in return, but only the title of a member of the parliament. With the Godfather's guarantee, we can do better business."

"So, how has this title helped your business, Manchester?" Sheffield was still unforgiving, venting his anger on Manchester. "You are just a waterway business manager, how can you improve it?"

"Correction, it's the import and export of materials exchanged by waterways and canals." Although Manchester didn't have a hot temper like Sheffield, he also responded calmly, "Besides, you have no right to criticize me, right, Sheffield? Don't you see what kind of business you are doing, or in other words, whether what you do can be called a business? Hmm? Smuggling firearms, what else do you want from the Godfather, a certificate of industry legalization?"

"Boom!"

"Manchester!"

Sheffield was furious. He slammed the table hard, stood up suddenly, grabbed the collar of Manchester, who was sitting diagonally opposite him, and stared at him with anger.

"Cough um."

But just as the two were confronting each other, Iris, who was standing at the door of the conference room, coughed lightly.

She glanced at them with a cold look, and both of them felt a chill run down their spines.

"……snort."

Sheffield let go of his hand, sat down, lit a cigarette unhappily, and turned to look at the Cascade family crest on the wall.

Manchester straightened his disheveled collar and looked at Annata with a helpless expression.

And Anatha also responded with an awkward smile.

The members of this family council are each responsible for a different industry, but those who come to attend the meeting represent the eldest son or daughter of their family, not the head of the family.

In other words, the existence of someone as immature as Sheffield is not surprising.

It's just that other people have to put up with his temper.

"Boom, boom."

Just as the group calmed down, the sound of metal hitting the ground was heard from the corridor outside the meeting room.

"Boom!"

Finally, at the door of the conference room, the knocking stopped.

Iris opened the door as if she had foreseen it, and the people who appeared outside were undoubtedly Koshe and Loft.

"You guys are having quite a good time," Koshei walked in with his cane, tapping his feet with every two steps. "I can hear your quarrel downstairs. Aren't you ashamed?"

His eyes swept over the three people at the conference table for a long time, then he walked to the front of the table and sat down in the middle.

Loft and Iris followed his lead and sat down on either side of him.

The family council has six families and eight seats. The Cascade family occupies three of them. With Bligh, Sheffield, and Manchester present, there are still two vacancies.

"Squeak-"

At this moment, the door of the conference room was opened again.

A man wearing a top hat, with a long beard and two bottles of wine in his arms walked in.

"Um, am I late?"

Looking at the people who were already seated in the conference room, he asked hesitantly.

"The meeting hasn't started yet. If you return to your seat now, you won't be late." Koshe leaned back in his chair, staring at the late man with his golden eyes, and said, "Besides, who allowed you to bring alcohol to the meeting, Solomons?"

"Well, you also know what kind of business I am in, Godfather. I heard that Godfather Cascade likes whiskey, so I deliberately tried to make some whiskey in the factory that makes rum and gin. I hope you like it."

Solomons lifted two bottles of wine with his hands, walked slowly to the conference table, and sat down in the seat next to Loft.

"My family is still doing business outside Syracuse and cannot return to the country to attend the meeting for the time being. So... now everyone is here," Koshe straightened his sitting posture, stretched out a hand with his palm facing up, "Tell me about the recent situation, report in order of seating."

This family council, which is composed of six families, has a seating order, which is arranged according to the family's industrial power.

Koshei holds the chairmanship, Loft and Iris hold the vice-chairs, Solomons holds the first seat, the Ben family, who have not yet attended, holds the second seat, the Sheffield family holds the third seat, the Bligh family holds the fourth seat, and the Manchester family holds the last seat.

"Uh, shall we start with me?" Solomon paused, put the whiskey on the table, and suggested, "How about we try some of these new whiskeys before we start? Do you like Scottish or Irish?"

"Damn whiskey, Solomons," Sheffield said impatiently, "I'm here to report, not to drink. Put away your damn whiskey!"

"Cha-"

The sound of a match lighting stopped the quarrel between the two.

"Huh..." Koshei extinguished the match, held the cigarette between his fingers, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "Are you ready to quarrel all afternoon? I don't mind watching you wasting time here. Of course, if you don't mind losing your business, please feel free to do so."

"……snort."

Upon hearing this, Sheffield just snorted coldly and said nothing more.

Solomons shrugged his shoulders, took Koshe's cigarette box without hesitation, took out a cigarette and put it in his lips.

"Well, as I just said, Father Cascade, I have recently started to try to produce whiskey," he lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said, "Obviously, rum and gin can no longer satisfy the taste of the Syracusans. Perhaps developing in the classical direction is also an option."

"The smuggling of firearms is still going on," Sheffield reported reluctantly after Solomons finished speaking. "We try to avoid those Laterans and smuggle small firearms by water transport. We just need to avoid the water police. Those enforcers rarely chase us on the water."

"What about you, Bly?"

Seeing that Annata did not continue Sheffield's words and seemed to have something to hide, Koshe asked.

"Business has been slow recently," Anata sighed and said helplessly, "We need to go abroad for archaeological excavations. If we're lucky, we can even dig out some unprocessed and modified firearms. But recently, some creatures abroad have been a little restless, and several people who left the country have never returned. Maybe we need to wait for a while before we can reopen."