(Chapter 56) Controlling the Mafias

Inside an office within Rome. An Italian middle-aged man was sweating as he spoke on the phone.

"What do you mean pulling out? Mr. Yuke you said you would provide adequate support for me to destroy Hanxi!" He spoke in fierce Italian down the phone.

The man on the phone chuckled. "I provided more than adequate support. But who knew your company would collapse after a day of pressuring Hanxi. Your reputation is finished, your stocks are falling as low as ever. How could I still support you despite you being freefalling an airplane?" The man on the phone spoke rough Italian.

"That is because... Wait! Mr. Yuke!?" The man then realized, the phone call was hung up.

He fell into his chair. Where did it go wrong for him? He was given a great chance from two separate companies for them to work together to crush Hanxi and CEO Tuhs. One company would be supplying all the money to buy out shares and staff. While the other gave manpower and adequate people to crush Hanxi's stocks.

But who knew that Jyuin would experience a worse crash? Within 2 hours, the situation was completely flipped on its head. Now Jyuin's stocks were worth practically nothing, and being bought up by Hanxi and others. While he had also lost the monetary support and manpower behind the attack.

He was finished. All for crimes he didn't even do! Human trafficking!? Since when did he do such a thing? But now, who would listen to him? His reputation was already shaky when he started to buy stocks from Hanxi. The public opinion of the company was incredibly high in Italy, it completely dominated the online web searches after all. The media could only bend to their will. So public opinion was swayed against him.

But then the explosion of bribes, corruption and crimes within Jyuin's business immediately tanked their stocks. Many shareholders found themselves short selling. While some held on, only to loss millions within another half hour!

If only he knew, that today was the last day he would live. During the night, Astrid gave him a visit, leaving a trail of death in his mansion...

.......

"Is this true?" Lewis was looking at the report with a burning gaze.

"Yes boss." Viviano responded with a cool response.

He had been personally investigating Astrid's situation since Lewis had learned she has deemed the highest threat that is given by most of the world. He still couldn't find out the reason why, but he still kept an eye on everything going on.

Lewis was currently in a car in England, he was planning on expanding globally and needed to be there personally. But he also secretly was paying attention to the news in Italy. He had seen what Hanxi was experiencing, and was preparing on helping to bail them out. Based on her grandfather's good words of Mr. Tuhs, and also his personal interest...

But it seemed he didn't need to. "Make sure to get some shares of our own. We can't ignore such an opportunity." Lewis ordered, as a businessman, he would be more than glad to take this opportunity handed to him on a platter.

Jyuin used be a big contender for Hanxi in the past. But ever since Hanxi exploded in popularity, they stunted in growth. That was when they managed to move into television and radio. Both, where Lewis wished to expand into.

Viviano nodded. He then looked awkwardly at his boss. "What is it?" Lewis understood that this might be related to Astrid based on Viviano's face...

Indeed it was. Viviano then took out another report in an envelope. "This is the information we received from the Mafias, it was reported that someone was quietly collecting power and rounding up families in the south. They said... They said that a young girl was rumored to control the family recently gaining power." Viviano wasn't sure this information was accurate, but it was too close to learning that Astrid was a danger to the world when he got this information. So for now, he believed it was Astrid making these moves...

Lewis opened the report and read in silence. Viviano kept a silent and even worried look on his face. He honestly started to feel fear of Astrid. If this was all true then... She was a monster!

Lewis was a man who had seen the underworld from a young age of 10. He was trained by his grandfather to become the next patriarch no matter what. That was how it worked in the family, since his father was deemed to not be cold-blooded enough. He was given the training...

But seeing some of the reports here even made him question himself. People called him cruel and heartless when he made moves in the Mafia. But what would they call Astrid? Only one word would be justifiable...

"Make sure this information doesn't spread. I hope you understand the problems if we let the information loose." Lewis proceeded to burn the paper with a lighter, his face was cold and full of killing intent.

Viviano nodded. "But she has already made moves on families in our influence, they are already calling to fight back against her." Viviano spoke in a quiet voice. Afraid of angering Lewis.

Lewis then sighed. It was no surprise Astrid would target the mafias. If it were him he would too. But most of the mafia in Italy was under his control, he intended to marry her! Not to become enemies...

"I'll sort it out. Make them passive for now. If they dare attack her own their own volition. Hand out the punishments." Lewis then started to take out his phone. Ignoring his secretaries face.

.......

'Stop going after the mafia, it is already under my control. If you aren't careful then I won't be able to do anything to stop them from attacking without care for their lives.' Astrid got a message from Lewis at midnight.

Astrid then put a biscuit in her mouth and nibbled it. 'I need some power within the mafias. You are smart enough to understand, just give me control over 20%. I'll rope in the other families for you to control fully.'

Lewis felt his eyebrows twitch. 'So you want the two of us to completely control the mafia families between us? The established families will struggle to see eye to eye with your grand idea.' Lewis couldn't believe Astrid's ambition. She was quite greedy...

Astrid took another bite of a biscuit. 'I'll make them dissapear by the end of the year. Leone seemed to have made his mind up by the way.' Astrid moved on to another topic, since she had already decided on what to do.

Lewis froze momentarily before his eyes turned cold. "Huh? You think about my younger cousin while talking to me? Maybe I should punish him for that..."

Viviano heard that and wished he could dig himself a while away from the earth and into space. His boss didn't understand that the girl he had fallen in love with hadn't fallen in love with him! So why should she care for him?

'He's going to take law and criminology in college. I recommend hiring a tutor for him, he seems good in that area. Also, have you found out the information about me you wanted yet?' Astrid continued to type.

Lewis's face then morphed into slight surprise. 'How did you know I would investigate you?'

Astrid responded quickly. 'That's what I would do, so what did you find about me?'

Lewis told her everything he found out. Including the fact she was on the government watch list...

Luckily for them, both of their hacking skills was good enough to completely erase this conversation from the face of the earth. Otherwise, it would be quite suspicious.

'I'm on the government watch list?' Astrid took a long time to reply to everything that Lewis said. But she was inwardly quite worried.

"Why am I on the watchlist? And at level 1 threat as well. No, they must know..." Astrid then saw Lewis's next message.

She quickly replied with another and closed down her computer. She now understood much more because of Lewis's investigation.

He couldn't find out her mother's connections but out about her being a threat to the world. Astrid put one finger onto her canine teeth and rubbed it.

They had slightly grown longer than a normal human but nothing ridiculous like in fiction. It was only strong enough to pierce a neck with. Not rip anyone's face off or anything serious...

Her 'vampire' attributes were actually quite tame. She was stronger than humans. And had better reflexes, she also could drink and feel pleasure from drinking blood. But nothing else. No supernatural magic or anything.

But it still made her a target, she then thought back to the medical document Lewis sent her.

'That name on the diagnoses page, I had never heard of him in Italy before. He must be foreign.' Astrid had a theory. A wild, but also semi-realistic theory.