The Mafia Empire
Chapter 68: Chapter 68 The Unwritten Rule Of The Game

In the room sat two middle aged men. One was slightly chubby, balding, and had fair skin. The other had darker skin, somewhat resembling a person from the southern provinces, with a sharp look and a small mustache on his upper lip.

Kevin entered, closing the door behind him, and hung his jacket on the rack. "This is my very good friend, Julian," he said, first introducing Julian. The two men adjusted their expressions slightly. Kevin then introduced them to Julian. "This big guy here is Mr. Gawain, a brave veteran of the Empire, now serving as the Fire Chief."

"And this is Mr. Prando, the guardian of our city and the bane of criminals—the police chief!"

Julian humbly walked over, bowed slightly, and lightly shook hands with both men. After a few polite exchanges, he returned to Kevin's side. Kevin was a man of his word. He was an honest lawyer, and if he said he would introduce Julian to important figures, he would follow through. Whether Julian could befriend them, however, was up to him.

The slightly tense atmosphere in the private room lasted less than a minute before Julian spoke up.

Kevin looked at him with interest, while the two bigwigs regarded Julian with a mixture of arrogance and curiosity. They already knew that since Kevin hadn't mentioned any specific title or background for Julian, he was likely a nobody.

"Mr. Prando, funny enough, I was planning to visit the police station. A few days ago, while handling some business at the Imperial Central Bank, I found a key but couldn't locate the owner. I was going to hand it in at the police station, but now that I have the pleasure of meeting you here, I thought I'd ask for your help in replaceing its owner."

He produced the key, intricately designed with a complex pattern on the head.

Anyone with a bit of knowledge would immediately recognize it—the key to a private safety deposit box at the Imperial Central Bank.

The next second, the haughty look on Prando's face vanished, replaced by a warm, friendly smile. He pointed at Julian and said with a chuckle, "You're quite an upstanding young man. In such a chaotic society, maintaining basic morals is commendable." He carefully pocketed the key to the Central Bank's personal vault.

Gawain, expressionless, silently observed the subtle exchange of bribery, his gaze still fixed on Julian.

Many people think the fire department is not a power department but a service department. After all, when there's a fire or someone is in trouble, the first thought is to call the fire department and those helmeted firefighters in heavy gear. But in reality, the fire department holds significant power. Many gangs not only need to pay a tribute to the police department but also to the fire department.

According to imperial law, all facilities have a maximum occupancy limit, and they must be equipped with fire safety equipment. In Ternell, the most profitable businesses are often tied to bars, which are also a significant source of cash. The daily sales of cider and moonshine provide gangs with far more profit than any other avenue.

So, to keep their bars running, they must maintain good relations with the fire department.

If someone offends the fire department, having their bar shut down for rectifications is just the beginning. Once, a gang behind a thriving bar had a dispute with the fire department over the amount of tribute, leading to the bar's closure. The fire department claimed the bar had fire hazards and poor design, limiting the occupancy of a nearly 500-square-meter bar to just ten people!

Failure to comply not only meant closure but also hefty fines.

In the end, the bar was shut down, and the gang behind it had to spend a fortune replaceing an intermediary to admit their mistake to the fire department and promise to pay tribute according to the rules. Only then did they reopen the bar under a new name.

If the police department is the sharp blade hanging over the gangs, the fire department is the hidden gun. Offending either side without sufficient power would make survival in Ternell impossible.

Julian, having given a key to the police chief, certainly wouldn't forget the fire department. With a sincere smile, he spoke clearly, "I recently started a company on Queen's Boulevard, and it's currently under renovation. I hope Mr. Gawain can take some time to guide us on fire safety installations and renovation issues."

Gawain maintained his stern expression but visibly relaxed, his gaze softening. He nodded, signaling his body had loosened up. "Serving every taxpayer is the duty of our fire department. Leave the address, and I'll personally supervise the site."

Before the meal even began, both Prando and Gawain had secured some extra income, leaving them quite satisfied. Prando even smiled at Kevin and said, "Your friend is quite interesting!"

Your friend!

Not my friend!

Nor did he specifically mention Julian's name!

It wasn't that Prando had forgotten Julian's name or that he didn't want to be friends with him. It was just that they weren't sure yet if Julian was truly sincere in his desire to become friends. They were aware that many wanted to befriend them, but few showed sufficient sincerity.

Kevin remained silent, merely casting a surprised look at Julian, who stayed calm.

Bribery had become an unwritten rule of the game. Even the mayor had some questionable funds tucked away in anonymous bank accounts. Governors, state legislators, and council members were no exceptions; none could escape this vortex. Some willingly embraced corruption, while others had to learn to play along.

Standing out as an opposition to this trend would achieve nothing but getting crushed by the wheels of the system or drowned by its tides.

While everyone was lining their pockets, there were still ways to do it properly. For low level officers, like patrolling police, no special approach was needed—just hand them twenty dollars on the spot, and that would be more satisfying than any other method. But for higher level officials like Prando and Gawain, blatantly offering cash would only offend them and yield no help or favor.