Filed to story: A Bullied Boy Died: A Mafia King Woke Up In His Body
Kyle returned to his office to check a list of all businesses owned by Seven Snakes and sort them out by revenue. It wasn’t so much of a list, seeing there were only two external businesses: a pub and a brothel. The brothel was performing very well by relative standards, providing the majority of the revenue.
He had been learning to read and write from Keith every night for the past few days. As he could already speak the language, reading was fairly easy to pick up, though writing still needed a lot of work.
He called in Damian. “In three hours’ time, we’ll visit the highest-performing brothel that the Seven Snakes own.”
“You mean the Lusty Arcian?”
“Yes. Once the potion production has filled a crate, we’ll bring it with us. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“One more thing… I want you to give Riker three Euria-infused potions in a single day. Follow the recommended dosage of one every eight hours. After that, don’t give him any more, even if he asks for it.”
“What? Why are we giving him our product?”
“Just do it. Make sure to feed him and provide water. I’ll check in four days later.”
Damian was uncertain about Kyle’s intentions, but agreed instantly, having lost all hope of trying to understand his mind.
*****
The brothel was very well hidden, as prostitution was illegal in the city. It was nestled on the second floor above a reputable restaurant, but only accessible via a hidden side entrance.
It was narrow and cramped, the violet carpet in the hallways stained with bodily fluids from years of use. A dense fog of Euria particles constantly hovered just under the arctech bulbs overhead that flickered white against the blue hue.
Kyle entered through the main entrance, noticing the décor to be highly feminine in every sense of the word; the flowery impression permeated the entire lobby area, while a sensual tune wafted in through the perfumed air.
“Oh, my dear Damian, did you bring a new customer today? It’s a bit too early for playtime, no?” A toned, muscular man was resting his head on his arm against the countertop, smiling at the two of them. He wore a pink formal shirt with black pants and sported a slick hairstyle.
Kyle was mildly impressed by how well the man carried himself. “Good afternoon. I’m here to meet Slavin Tudor.”
“That’s me!” the man said cheerfully before taking a closer look at Kyle. “Hmm… I think I remember seeing you before in the Seven Snakes.”
“He’s the new gang leader of the Seven Snakes, Kyle…” Damian glanced back at his new leader.
“Just Kyle is fine.”
“Oh my… Ulon is dead? Finally! That fat pig deserved it; I never really took a liking to him. So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Perhaps you have come to sample some of our products? They aren’t ready yet, but I can call in a few of them as a special gift to our new leader.”
“I’m here to observe the operations if possible and discuss future plans regarding finances. You two”-Kyle motioned to the other two gang members outside who were carrying a few bags of potions-“leave them here and return.”
Slavin watched intently at their reactions as Kyle ordered them around. “Glimpses of leadership qualities-something Ulon clearly didn’t have. Am I about to see the rise of a new shining star, Damian?”
“I believe so. Ihope so.” Damian nodded in agreement.
“Hmm… Operations won’t begin for another two hours.” Slavin ran his hand over his beard, gently scratching it.
“No matter. Let’s go through your finances first.” Kyle pointed at the accounting book behind the counter.
“Ohh, a business-focused leader! I like you even more now. Sure, go ahead. Seven Snakes own most of this place anyway-I just run it.” Slavin retrieved his account book and passed it to Kyle.
Kyle quickly glanced through the book, his eyes rapidly searching for discrepancies. “I’m seeing that most of the workers here take days off frequently?”
“Everyone in this line of work does. It is fairly exhausting, ya know? Even our customers get tired,” Slavin explained. “We run out of stamina faster, so we have to rotate our workers regularly. You can see this in our expenditures.”
“Indeed. Which is why I have a special proposition for you.”
*****
The nightlife was booming across the district, with hundreds of factory workers trying to relax. Many sat at the various cheap food stalls at the markets, eating voraciously to compensate for the grueling exertion of their jobs.
Construction workers, wagon drivers, and office workers alike mingled in a mess of people, patronizing every stall in the vicinity. Roadside food stall owners worked tirelessly through the night, frying up meat and vegetables in a never-ending cycle. Some grumbled as they ate at the makeshift tables and chairs propped up along the side of the road, knowing they had a long night shift ahead of them as they slurped on whatever concoctions came out of shady pots, worried about every rakel they spent.