Mac himself was a gambling addict.
After greeting Arthur and Trelawny, he headed straight for the gaming tables.
After all, this was a rare opportunity, one he had only gotten with Davey's approval.
"Javier Escuella, Strauss, what's the situation now?"
"Looks like our plan has run into some serious trouble."
The group moved over to the bar and ordered a few drinks. Trelawny was the first to speak.
Strauss glanced at Javier Escuella and said, "Honestly, we didn't expect Davey's security company to take over this place."
"But I've already heard from Mac—the cruise ship didn't originally invite them specifically for security."
"Mac and Davey have both gotten involved in the gambling business here. We don't know how much of the profits they're taking, but it's clearly going to be a sizable share."
"That's exactly why Land Security Company stepped in. The cruise ship is paying Davey a substantial amount for this."
"Clearly, Davey understands far better than we do how to make large sums of money legitimately."
There was a trace of envy in Strauss's voice.
Davey was simply too good at business. Even robbing a bank, they probably wouldn't earn as much as he did.
"Is Davey here too, Strauss?" Arthur asked.
He wasn't particularly worried about the plan—this wasn't something he needed to stress over.
Even if it fell through, it wasn't a big deal. Dutch would come up with something else sooner or later.
Saint Denis was a city Arthur truly disliked, but he had to admit there were countless places there worth robbing.
"Maybe you should ask Mac, Arthur," Strauss replied.
"But I heard he's talking business with the Casino manager right now. Maybe Davey wants a piece of the gambling industry as well?"
Strauss's words made it clear that Davey was on the ship, just not in this main hall.
"So what do we do about our plan, Strauss?"
"We've already come all this way. We can't just leave empty-handed."
"You know how much I've spent on this—expensive suits, a luxury carriage, and money to build connections."
"If we stop now, I'll take a huge loss."
There was a hint of bitterness in Trelawny's voice.
This plan had been his idea, and all the expenses had come out of his own pocket.
Altogether, it had cost several hundred dollars.
That was nothing to Davey, but for him, it was a significant investment.
Having it fail before it even began left him deeply unwilling to accept it.
"Don't rush, Trelawny," Strauss said, adjusting his glasses.
"Didn't Mac just say it himself? As long as we don't cause too much trouble, he won't interfere."
"We'll proceed according to the original plan—just cancel the final robbery."
"I have no desire to offend Davey. Everyone knows he's a major figure now, and he knows us far too well."
"Even if we keep things discreet, it would be extremely difficult to hide anything from him."
"We might earn less, but at least we'll still make something. You won't lose money, Trelawny."
Hearing this, Trelawny finally relaxed.
Under the circumstances, being able to turn any profit at all was already good enough.
"Arthur, let's move according to the original plan."
"Alright."
...
On the observation deck at the top floor of The Grand Korringan,
Davey sat across from the Casino manager.
Moonlight spilled over the snow-white tablecloth, reflecting off the luxurious silverware.
An opened bottle of red wine sat nearby, its label quietly hinting at its value and depth.
An attendant bent slightly at the waist in respect, pouring the wine from a glass decanter into tall stemmed glasses.
Exquisitely arranged French dishes covered the table.
The steak was cooked to perfection, crisp on the outside and tender within.
Baked escargot lay bathed in rich garlic butter, garnished with fresh herbs and slices of lemon.
French foie gras had been cut into evenly thin slices, paired with sweet-and-tart fruit preserves and crisp toasted bread.
There were also various desserts and thick soups.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Avery, but I'm not particularly fond of French cuisine," Davey said.
"Compared to this, I tend to prefer Eastern cuisine. Maybe next time I could invite you to give it a try."
"At my estate, I have a chef from the distant East—said to have once served an imperial court."
Davey took a small sip of wine as he spoke.
Steak, escargot, foie gras—he ate these every day and had long grown tired of them.
Eastern cuisine offered a wider range of flavors, with dishes that changed often enough to keep things interesting.
"Well then, Mr. Land," the man replied.
"I've never tried Eastern cuisine before. After all… perhaps I've been a bit biased."
"But if it's a chef who once served an imperial court, it may indeed be worth trying."
Daniel Avery, the Casino manager of the cruise ship.
As an elite white man from the East, he held deeply ingrained prejudice against others, viewing them as uncivilized.
However, he still maintained a certain level of respect for imperial institutions and old empires.
Even though those ancient empires were now in serious decline, the United States still regarded them as historic great powers.
After all, they had once been vast realms with enormous populations.
In 1899, the United States had a population of roughly seventy-five million.
Due to massive immigration, the number was rising rapidly, but even counting undocumented immigrants, it would not exceed one hundred million.
By contrast, the great empires of the distant past had once ruled over hundreds of millions.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of history knew that for long stretches of time, ancient empires had dominated the civilized world.
Of course, Daniel Avery's respect extended only to imperial authority, not to ordinary people.
"Mr. Avery, trust me—once you try it, you'll be full of praise," Davey said.
"And perhaps Mr. Grand would enjoy it as well."
"If possible, I'd like to invite Mr. Grand to sample a royal banquet from the East."
"What do you think, Mr. Avery?"
Davey hadn't actually needed to come here.
And it certainly wasn't for Arthur and the others.
He was here for the true owner of the cruise ship—Grand Korrigan.
A wealthy eastern merchant with extensive connections even within the federal government.
The ship itself bore his name, which said plenty about his influence and arrogance.
"I'm afraid Mr. Grand wouldn't agree, Mr. Land, even if it were a royal banquet from the East," Daniel Avery replied.
"Your friends were far too rude. When I informed Mr. Grand about what happened here, he was furious—though for the sake of the ship, he had no choice but to compromise."
"He has a very poor impression of the West. I doubt he would accept your request."
Daniel Avery was referring to the casino profits.
Earlier, Davey had demanded a fifty percent cut of the gambling cruise's earnings.
Facing threats from local gangs, Daniel Avery had relayed the matter to Grand Korrigan in the East.
In the end, for the sake of the ship's interests, Grand Korrigan had agreed.
"You're right, Mr. Avery. They were indeed quite rude," Davey said calmly.
"But that's also because Mr. Grand and I aren't friends."
"If Mr. Grand and I were close friends, I believe none of this unpleasantness would have happened. Don't you agree?"
"Of course, I'd also be very happy to count you as a close friend, Mr. Avery."
As he spoke, Davey clapped his hands.
An employee behind him pulled out a stack of dollars and placed it on the table in front of Daniel Avery.
"These three thousand dollars are my show of sincerity, Mr. Avery," Davey said with a smile.
"Would you be willing to offer a friend a small favor?"
Daniel Avery cast a greedy glance at the three thousand dollars on the table,
but he didn't reach out to take them.
"I would very much like to be your friend, Mr. Land, and your sincerity is clear," he said slowly.
"But there are some things that are beyond my authority."
"Mr. Grand is furious, so I'm afraid I must refuse."
Davey's expression immediately turned cold.
After a moment of thought, he understood the situation.
He hadn't even fully stated his request, yet Avery had already refused outright.
The fact that even three thousand dollars couldn't sway him said everything.
There was only one explanation: Grand Korrigan was already preparing to move against him.
Naturally, Avery didn't dare accept any benefits.
"I'm a very stubborn man, Mr. Avery," Davey said quietly.
"In my eyes, there are only two kinds of people."
"Friends—or enemies."
"Since Mr. Grand doesn't wish to be my friend, then he is my enemy."
"Please convey this message to Mr. Grand for me."
"The Grand Korringan will not be returning to the East."
"It will remain in Lemoyne State, Navarro Bay."
...
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