Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

Gala looked at the blackboard in front of her, her staff explaining the potential destruction and opportunity that this futures market disaster could bring.


Opportunity, because the staff of the Sidney Royal Family had astutely identified the issues inherent in the massive futures bet—leading the charge, the Eastern grain trust headed by Durin targeted the Sidney Grain Group in the futures market, which then used its vast supplies of wheat and corn to crush the opposition and dominate the market.


For the Kriegern family and the nobles not seeing eye to eye, this crushing defeat of the grain group was rather a good thing—for the many rebels headed for ruin, Gala would have almost applauded the downfall if not for the fear that too many bankruptcies could shock the nation's economy.


Chapter 224: Teehee