The Mafia Empire
Chapter 47: Chapter 47 The Limits of Ambition

This was what Julian wanted to do.

He planned to take some of the shares from Graf's side and some from his own, then spread that money around. Whether it was to win people's hearts or smooth out the process, it was far more meaningful than keeping all the money in his own hands.

Society is like a giant web. As we walk this network, if you can't become a hunter, you'll become prey. Julian didn't want to be devoured, so he was building a web, an active one—a vast and all encompassing web!

After locking all the money in a metal box, Julian slipped the key into his pocket. He casually took out a roll of cash, all in small two-dollar bills, counted out twenty bills, and told Dave to distribute them among the girls. Then, patting Graf, who still hadn't snapped out of his daze, Julian nodded toward another room, and the two of them walked inside.

Julian closed the door behind them. The room hadn't been renovated yet; there were only a few shabby chairs covered in dust. He walked to the window, took out a cigarette, and handed one to Graf, who was still smiling with joy. Then, he turned around, leaning his hands on the windowsill, and gazed at the few cars and pedestrians on the street below.

Sensing that Julian had something to say, Graf came over, leaning against the windowsill with his back to the street.

"Look around," Julian gestured to the surrounding buildings. Graf rolled his eyes and turned to follow Julian's direction. Although he could only see the buildings along the street and the people walking by, there was a hint of prosperity. Julian retracted his arm, took a puff of his cigarette, shook his head, and sighed, "This is the countryside!"

Two months ago, Julian hadn't thought this way. In his mind, this was the big city, a bustling place. But now, looking carefully, it was nothing more than the countryside, as rural as it could get. The quiet streets, the low buildings, and the slow pace of life were perfect for retirement but absolutely unsuitable for ambition.

"Do you know what a real city is? A truly big city, like the capital?"

Graf thought for a moment. "I know of them, but I've never been."

Julian turned his head and looked at him seriously. "Do you want to go? Go to a big city, see the sights, and check out how the streets there differ from here. I heard there's a 38-story steel building in the capital. If you stood on top of that building, wouldn't the view be different from what we see every day?"

"Tourism?" Graf's face broke into a naive smile, the kind often referred to as a "fool's smile." He scratched the back of his head, his eyes showing a bit of longing. "Sure, I've always wanted to visit those places, but I never had the money before. Now that I have money, I should go and see the world. Where are you planning to go? And for how long?"

Julian flicked his cigarette butt away and laughed twice.

"Tourism?"

"No!"

"It's conquest!"

When Julian uttered those words, Graf suddenly felt a surge of blood rushing through his veins. A strange power emerged from within his body, filling him entirely. His face flushed red as he swung his arms, thicker than a girl's waist, as if wanting to hit something, but there was nothing to vent on. His nostrils flared, and his breathing became heavy, making a snorting sound.

He didn't know what had come over him, but he felt an inexplicable impulse in his heart, though he couldn't quite grasp it. His instincts told him this was the most important moment of his life, like when he turned forty dollars into six thousand. Last time, he seized the opportunity, but this time, though he saw the chance, he didn't know how to grasp it.

It felt like he was on the brink of an explosive breakthrough, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach it.

Pain, confusion, and frustration!

Sometimes life is like that—you see it, but it doesn't belong to you.

"I have an idea. I will take out 9% of the profit-sharing rights as a reward mechanism, a way to strengthen our power. If you're willing, you can take out a portion too, and we can do this together. Of course, it's not mandatory, so you know it's like an early investment."

Graf thought for a while and hesitantly said, "How about I take out 5%?"

He thought Julian would refuse because Julian was offering 9%, while he only offered 5%. But Graf had his own considerations. He already received one-tenth less than Julian, so if he offered another 9% or 10%, he'd lose another tenth. If Julian had asked him yesterday, he would have agreed without hesitation to take out 10% or more because, back then, he didn't understand what 10% truly meant.

But today, he understood.

Ten percent could mean three to five thousand or even thirty to fifty thousand.

For someone like Graf, who had only ever saved forty dollars his entire life, offering up profit sharing worth seven to eight hundred dollars was no small feat.

Julian didn't object, didn't refuse, and didn't try to persuade him to offer more. He just nodded and said "good," and that seemed to settle the matter. He then asked Graf to bring in Dave.

In the brief moment before Dave entered, Julian felt quite disappointed inside. He had hoped Graf would display a certain quality—a leadership quality, an aggressive spirit. But, unfortunately, this guy wasn't as strong as he appeared on the outside. He was just like an ordinary person. When he was so poor that he had nothing to lose, he was willing to gamble everything.

But now that he had something, he became cautious.

Simply put, his vision wasn't big enough, and that was sad because it meant he wouldn't be able to keep up, as his ambition had already reached its limit.