Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1016 998. Controlling funds

Lan En's voice was not lowered, so Francis could hear clearly.

Suddenly, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The last time he breathed a sigh of relief, it was because he felt that Lan En wouldn't kill them all in the blink of an eye without even listening. At least he still had the intention to communicate.

But this time when they breathed a sigh of relief, they felt that they might have finally passed this life-and-death hurdle.

"You think I'm a talent?"

Francis said cautiously.

"Then can I assume that you don't plan to kill us now?"

Lan En did not answer him directly.

"Tell me first, if you hadn't been discovered by Skechers before, what would you have done next?"

Francis Beland suddenly let his mind run at high speed. He thought this was Lan En's test for him.

"I've made plans before."

He measured his words, trying not to make any mistakes.

"Skechi is not something to be afraid of, and even the entire Mud Gang is not a problem. After I complete this intelligence network, all news about Novigrad will flow through my hands."

"In this city where huge amounts of wealth flow through world trade every day, the profits that can be gained from accurate information are immeasurable!"

"Information! Compared with krona, information is the most valuable hard currency!"

"In just a few months, I can accumulate more wealth than the entire Mud Gang! This wealth will be reinvested in the expansion and construction of the gang. Skechers is just a very skilled, decisive and ruthless killer."

"In the face of profit, what can a killer care about? How can money and power be important in killing people? Even before today."

Francis glanced at Lan En carefully.

"I have collected hundreds of beggars outside, but only handed over a few dozen to Skechers. I have planned to kill him first at the end of this month."

"What happens after that?"

Lan En tilted his head.

"It is impossible for a gang that has such a huge wealth of information to remain anonymous. Whether you think about it or not, this gang will become a crucial part of the social order of Novigrad."

As he spoke, Francis looked at the witcher with hopeful and firm eyes.

The meaning is very obvious. This power can become something in someone's hands.

"You are ambitious, but at the same time clear and logical."

Lan En crossed his arms.

"You don't look like a gang member, you look like someone who should be sitting on the city council."

"The city council is full of puppets, and anyone with a brain should understand that, ser."

Francis said with a bit of disdain.

"You must have real power to regulate and improve this city. And that power has something to do with gangs and Eternal Fire, but it has nothing to do with the city council."

"It sounds like you are actually a social reformer? Surprising."

Lan En stopped talking after giving a playful compliment, and began to wonder about something in his heart.

And because of his silence, the atmosphere inevitably became solemn.

An individual with overwhelming power within a situation, any of his mood swings and external manifestations will affect all the nerves of other people in the situation.

After a long time, the silence was broken.

"I can give you a chance, Francis. It's rare that I'm willing to give a gangster a chance, really."

Lan En said, taking off his hood.

He asked Francis to see clearly what he looked like and recognize this face.

After taking off his hood, Lan En's cat eyes looked at each other.

"But you should understand what I want. You are also a smart person, right?"

"Of course, Grand Duke Lan En."

Francis completely relaxed, stood up from the chair, and saluted Lan En.

"Of course I understand."

There is no need to talk too clearly about things between smart people, because everyone knows it in their hearts.

Lan En and Triss left.

In this courtyard that originally belonged to the Mud Gang, the only people left who could be called an 'armed force' were a group of people brought over by Francis.

This is theirs.

Francis stood in the house at the deepest part of the courtyard, his nose filled with the strong smell of blood and stench.

After someone dies, especially from an open wound, the smell that comes out is never pleasant.

The fishy smell of the internal organs and the stench of the contents inside were all splashed out with Lan En's violent fists.

It's as if the horrific violence still remains here.

"I don't think this blood can be wiped off."

One of the men who was cleaning the wooden floor muttered that he had just gone out to vomit for two minutes before he could start working.

Francis pursed his lips and said nothing more.

If the mutterings of his men can bring some peace to their frightened hearts, then let them mutter. Better than freaking out.

Only half of Skechers' face was left on his body, and Francis no longer cared about the former boss at all.

They are not a level opponent to begin with. The previous sojourner was just because Francis had no original capital and was unable to perform.

You have to have money and resources to get started as a gangster, otherwise how will you support your thugs?

If the money paid to the thugs is not as good as the profits of the street vendors, who is stupid enough to work for you?

And a gang has to support dozens of thugs no matter what, which means that even if nothing happens, a gang has to spend the business profits equivalent to dozens of vendors every day.

Francis is confident in himself, but he still plans to attack Skechers at the end of the month.

This is not only the estimated time when Skechers will kill him, but also the time when he will make profits and recruit troops.

But it doesn't matter now.

He directly became the boss of the Mud Gang because of the intrusion of a high-level violent unit.

But now, he can control the entire gang according to his own plan.

"We won't be called the Mud Gang from now on, we'll be called the Dark Alley Gang. Let's call this courtyard the 'Rotten Forest'. It's a suitable forest for the rotten people to gather."

The men had no objections to the decision Francis made in his soliloquy.

It is considered a rule for the gang to change the name after changing the boss.

As long as it doesn't hinder making money, so what if they are called the Shit Gang?

Desperately making money, with no taboos other than that, even tearing people into pieces, this is the gangster style.

"And you, old Munch, my old friend."

Francis muttered to himself and turned around after confirming the gang's new name.

The old man who sold his ideas to Skechers in exchange for a few crowns, new clothes, and a gangster identity.

He had better luck than Marsh. The crossbow arrow only penetrated his shoulder blade and he fainted from the pain.

Only now were they dug out of the pile of corpses and brought to Francis.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

He twisted his body and stared at Francis, but he was speechless because of the cloth in his mouth.

My whole body was sweating because of the pain, and after I was done, I was sweating again because I was scared to face Francis.

Soggy and slimy.

Francis had a wrinkled face and showed no expression when facing the old Monk who had been so cruel to him just now.

His serious, calm demeanor was the same as when he was handling any corpse.

"Stop talking, old Monk. You know in your heart that I can't let you go. You are a betrayer, and if I don't deal with even one betrayer, I won't be able to hold my position as the boss."

An old beggar who has just lived a good life through betrayal and backbiting seems to have a thousand words in his eyes.

He struggled with all his strength, trying to push away the cloth in his mouth with his tongue, and then say a few words. A few words that might save him, even if it only delayed him for a short while, he wanted to do it.

He doesn't want to die.

But Francis didn't give him this chance.

He wasn't prepared to listen to a word Old Munch said.

"I just want you to know, man...this is nothing personal."

Francis' left hand pulled Old Monk's hair, which was wet with sweat and blood, and forced him to expose his neck.

His right hand skillfully pulled out his dagger, and then plunged it in from the soft part of the side of the neck.

Clean and neat, just like cutting a fruit plate.

Blood spilled out from the gap at the base of old Munch's neck like a baby spitting up milk.

He died soon after.

——

Lan En, who received new information and had a "temporarily disabled" gangster as a tentacle in Novigrad, walked back to the streets of Novigrad with Triss.

"I have to find Dudu as soon as possible. Someone is obviously targeting him, and it doesn't look easy for him to go bankrupt this time. And I should have reached the stage where I will mobilize a large amount of assets."

"Mobilizing assets?"

Triss was a little confused.

"My dear, if you want to master an organization, no matter what it is, the best way is to master its personnel department and financial flows."

The witcher spoke patiently to the sorceress.

Characters like warlocks are often attached to a certain system, such as the royal family or an academy, and then carry out their work and compete for power.

They don't often create or control a system.

It is precisely because of this that most warlocks' political ideas and management common sense always seem unrealistic to Lan En.

"I admire Francis, so I hope he can use his ideas to flourish in Novigrad. But if I don't have any control over the 'intelligence gang' he will create in the future, then the cooperation we just reached is joke."

"Cooperation without coercive supervision can only lead to betrayal."

Lan En said calmly.

"I can't take care of personnel, because Francis is the front-line person operating in Novigrad. But it would be ridiculous if I didn't even take care of finances."

"I will formulate rules to allow this 'intelligence gang' to make money by selling intelligence, but we will not allow them to rely on intelligence to conduct commercial operations and make profits."

"They will be 'neutral' intelligence dealers. Once the intelligence dealers lose credibility and start to personally meddle in their own intelligence, no one will believe it, and no one will dare to believe them."

"On the other hand, if they don't rely on me for funding, why should they listen to me? Force is a guarantee for commercial activities, but it cannot promote commercial progress and development by itself. I need them to provide me with information."

Finally, Lane concluded.

"No matter what, my capital injection must become the bulk of the operation of this 'intelligence gang', and this requires a professional manager who is smart enough to manage my assets."

Although Triss had no experience in managing or controlling an organization, she had been in the power circles of Temeria after the Vizima Lord Hunting Incident, so she was fairly familiar with it. Understand.

"Head of the Temple Guard of the Eternal Fire"

Lan En recited the new information and lowered his head to ask Triss.

"Are you familiar with this kind of person?"

"Familiar? Are you kidding?" Triss pushed aside the red hair hanging down to the corner of her eyes and looked at Lan En in surprise.

"That is the eternal fire, my great and wise Duke! Do you really have the heart to let your lover, a witch, hang out in front of them? Did I not try hard to please you in bed? Oh, I am so sad."

"No, Triss pretends I didn't say anything."

The witcher curled his lips after being stabbed by the sorceress.