area51novel Chapter 57 The Trade of Strength and Power
Chapter 57 The Trade of Strength and Power
Chapter 57 The Trade of Strength and Power
The oak door to Mayor Morris’s office had been closed for less than ten minutes.
Gallo stood two steps in front of the desk, his hands clasped behind his back, about to explain Brock's meaning in more detail.
The port contract, Lee En's background, and recent changes at the Manhattan precinct.
He had barely begun when the small door in the corner of the office leading to the assistant's room was kicked open.
The female assistant's high heels clicked rapidly and softly on the oak floor.
She was holding a tablet computer, the screen still lit, and her face showed an expression that was hard to describe as either panicked or excited.
"Mayor Morris, something terrible has happened!"
Mayor Morris put his pen down on the table and looked up.
Before he could ask, the assistant simply placed the tablet on the coffee table and tapped the button in the center of the screen.
The television screen lit up, showing a burning factory with thick black smoke billowing from the corrugated iron roof, leaving a wide streak in the gray-blue sky.
A young police officer stands in front of the ruins, wearing special operations uniform and holding an automatic rifle. When his back is to the camera, a white skull is visible behind his bulletproof vest.
He turned around, faced the camera, and smiled.
"This is our police department's newly formed special operations team."
"Our existence is to protect all citizens."
"Handsome." The female assistant stared at the screen, her lips moved, and the voice escaped from her throat.
"Get out!" Mayor Morris yelled at his assistant.
The female assistant jogged out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Mayor Morris stood up from behind his desk and walked over to Gallo, who was half a head shorter than him.
He gritted his teeth and spoke, his voice very low.
"Gallo, what exactly happened? Why did this happen right after you said someone wanted the port contract?"
Gallo's lips twitched twice.
I wish I knew what was going on.
He was also confused; one police officer from one precinct was accompanied by another.
The two men ran to the outskirts of the city and raided a Mexican gang's factory.
After finishing, he stood in front of the ruins and gave a live television interview.
If there had been someone like that in the police force in the past, Hell's Kitchen would have been cleaned out long ago.
No, the map of New York's gangs will probably be redrawn from scratch.
But he couldn't say these things to Mayor Morris.
Mayor Morris pointed his finger at the television screen.
The image freezes on Lee Eun's heroic face, framed in the very center of the shot.
Sunlight streamed down from behind his shoulders, bathing him in a thin halo of light.
"What's this kid up to? Is he trying to win people over for the election?"
Gallo's eyes flickered, instantly catching what Mayor Morris was truly concerned about at that moment.
Indeed, he received considerable assistance from Mexican gangs during his mayoral campaign.
During his time as mayor, he also received tributes from the underworld.
However, for him, who had already become mayor, these were normal exchanges of interests.
Moreover, Mexican gangs also benefited greatly from him.
For example, contracts for ports, contracts for factory land in the suburbs, etc.
After becoming mayor, his social circle naturally changed.
New York is one of the most bustling cities in the world, with a huge population.
Those who want to run for president often come to the mayor of New York City for a chat.
Not to mention those international business tycoons and various wealthy families.
Therefore, the mayor had long looked down on these gangs and decided to eliminate them.
Mayor Morris was more interested in the young police officer standing in front of the ruins, smiling at millions of spectators.
He is being remembered by the people of this city.
Election, public sentiment, votes.
Gallo understood this and lowered his voice.
"Mayor Morris, your campaign is now facing quite a few problems."
"And isn't Officer Lee's appearance just in time?"
"Oh." Mayor Morris withdrew his finger from the screen.
The furious expression on his face immediately disappeared, replaced by a smile.
Tell me more.
That furious look he had just displayed seemed completely unrecognizable.
He turned around, walked to the wine cabinet in the corner, and took out a bottle of brandy and two short glasses.
He poured the amber liquid into the bottom of the glass, picked up one of the glasses with his right hand, and personally handed it to Gallo.
Gallo took the glass and tapped his fingers lightly on the rim.
"Officer Lee will definitely win the favor of New York City residents this time."
"The problem of gangs is a long-standing and intractable issue, as all citizens understand."
"They prayed countless nights that the gangs would be wiped out."
"That's right." Mayor Morris took a sip of his drink and nodded with his chin.
New York's gangs aren't just from Hell's Kitchen.
Hell's Kitchen is simply the area with the highest density and most chaos.
Throughout the city, from downtown to uptown, from the Bronx to Queens, everyone who has ever lived in New York has been touched by the hands of the mob.
Russian gangs kidnapped tourists near Times Square, while Mexican gangs repackaged drugs into smaller packets in factories on the outskirts of the city.
Irish gang members broke a debtor's knee with a baseball bat in a back alley of a pub.
Everyone knows.
Everyone prayed.
Gallo also took a sip of his drink.
As the fruity aroma of brandy spread across his tongue, two things were happening in his mind at the same time.
He reflected on the price of the wine and confirmed that Mayor Morris's initial outburst of rage was an act.
That old fox.
He put down his glass and continued speaking.
"Therefore, as long as I get Officer Lee's public support, I have at least a 70% chance of winning this election."
The current election situation is already 50/50.
The difference between the two sides is not large, and any slight disturbance could tip the scales.
And that live broadcast just now:
A young police officer stands in front of burning ruins, a white skull behind him facing cameras across New York City—a sight that money can't buy.
If we get Lee Eun to publicly endorse this popularity while it's still going strong, a 20% advantage is a conservative estimate.
Mayor Morris walked to the window with his wine glass in hand, his back to Gallo, and looked out at the lawn in front of the city hall.
The fountain was still spraying water as usual, and several tourists were sitting on benches eating sandwiches, the sun shining on their shoulders.
He sighed, turned around, and placed his hand on Gallo's shoulder with just the right amount of pressure, conveying a subtle yet meaningful warmth.
"Such outstanding police officers are rare."
"Moreover, this live stream made him a target for all gangs, and I'm worried about his safety."
Gallo lowered his eyes, looking at the thin layer of amber liquid at the bottom of the glass.
Of course he understood.
The election is not a matter of a day or two; there are still several months until the vote.
Lee En must survive these next few months.
Every word Mayor Morris just said, from what he wanted to do to winning people over to my concern for his safety, was telling me.
Everything was setting the stage for that statement.
The gang will come seeking revenge; you need to protect them.
But the prerequisite for protecting him is that he has to be on my side.
Just as Gallo was about to pick up his glass and take another sip, his cell phone rang in his pocket.
He put his glass on the coffee table, took out his phone, and glanced at the caller ID: Brock.
He looked up and met Mayor Morris's gaze.
Mayor Morris nodded, turned and walked back behind his desk to sit down, placing his hands on the table.
"Hey, Brock?"
"Gallo," Brock's voice came through the receiver, speaking quickly.
"The Mexican gang's stronghold in the city has also been eliminated."
Gallo's eyes widened instantly.
He involuntarily turned his head and looked back at the television screen.
In the video, Lee En is still talking to Ben Ulrich, his expression serious and his tone steady as he says:
It was just normal self-defense; I never expected to encounter a criminal group.
Combating crime and protecting citizens are simply the duties of the police.
Frank did not appear in the live broadcast at all.
"Gallo?" Brock's voice came through the receiver again.
Gallo looked away from the television screen and took a deep breath.
"Is it confirmed?"
"Of course, Frank just gave me a report."
There was a moment of silence on Brock's end, then the voice came back up, this time more steadily.
"At least the Mexican gangs in New York have been eliminated."
Gallo let out a heavy sigh.
He looked up and met Mayor Morris's gaze again, who was sitting behind his desk.
"Understood. I will have a serious talk with Mayor Morris about the contract."
"However—the New York Police Department gets a share."
"Of course." Brock hung up the phone.
Gallo put his phone back in his pocket, straightened his tie, and calmed the rise and fall of his chest from that deep breath.
He turned around, walked towards his desk, and smiled.
This smile is very similar to the expression on Mayor Morris's face when he switched from rage to calm.
Both allow you to see the teeth, but the temperature is controlled just right.
"Mayor Maurice, the Mexican gangs have been eliminated. Can we talk about the port contract now?"
"What?!" Mayor Morris jumped up from his chair, braced himself on his desk, leaned forward, and stared intently at Gallo's face.
He wasn't trying to confirm whether Gallo was lying.
Gallo never lies; that's the only label he's ever given Gallo in all the years they've worked together.
He was confirming the information itself.
A moment later, he walked around the desk to Gallo, his smile even wider than when he poured the wine, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes held something that could be described as satisfaction.
"These are minor matters; let's talk about visiting and comforting the commando unit."
"Hold a press conference this weekend to talk to the public about the NYPD's Special Operations Unit."
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"We should get Lee En and Frank to come up and say a few words then."
As he spoke, he placed his hand on Gallo's shoulder, pressing his five fingers against the star emblem on the uniform's epaulettes, applying a bit more pressure than before.
"We are all here to make New York a better place."
Gallo nodded.
"Make New York a better place."
The two of them laughed at the same time.
Mayor Morris turned and walked to the liquor cabinet, picked up the bottle of brandy again, and poured half a finger's width of amber liquid into the two glasses.
This time it was filled even fuller than before.
He handed one of the glasses to Gallo and gently touched the rim of Gallo's glass to the side.
Hey~
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