New York, Manhattan.
Inside a quiet, luxurious villa, Malèna sat in a chair, looking at Liu Ren with trepidation, fear unmistakably lingering in the depths of her eyes.
"My apologies, Miss Malèna. My junior brother isn't the brightest when it comes to doing things, and he seems to have offended you!"
Liu Ren spoke gently, displaying his "gentlemanly demeanor." After all, that was how he had won Aline over in the first place.
Yet hearing his words, Malèna said in fearful trembling, "I know what you people do! Please don't hurt my father!"
His mouth twitching as he looked at her, Liu Ren clutched his forehead and cursed under his breath, "What the hell did that bastard tell her?! Fuck me!"
Taking a deep breath, Liu Ren started over. "Alright then, let's discuss your future arrangements. After all, I understand that getting along takes time. And if any friction arises between us, you ought to look for the fault in yourself!"
Malèna stared at him in shock, hardly able to believe her ears.
She had been kidnapped and brought here—was that supposed to be her fault too?
Handing her a document, he said, "Starting tomorrow, you'll work here. I'll arrange a maid and a driver for you. Since your father is a teacher, I can also find him a teaching position at any school of his choice!"
Hearing this out of nowhere, Malèna's eyes went wide. Did he really have no intention of forcing himself on her?
As if sensing what she was thinking, Liu Ren gave a faint smile. "Rest assured, until you give your consent, I won't disturb you."
Smiling, Liu Ren stood up and turned to leave. "The maid and driver will arrive shortly. Everything here will be in your care. As for your allowance, starting now, I can only give you a hundred thousand dollars a month!"
Watching Liu Ren walk out of the villa, Malèna still had those words echoing in her mind: *I can only give you a hundred thousand dollars a month...*
Back in Sicily, while her family hadn't been destitute, they were certainly nowhere near wealthy.
Yet now, a hundred thousand dollars a month—she could hardly wrap her head around such a sum!
Inside the black sedan, Han Hu grinned smugly. "Senior Brother, how was that?"
"How was that? What do you think, you cursed idiot?! Who told you to kidnap her? You're ruining my dashing, upright image, do you hear me, you bastard?!"
Glares of rage shooting toward Han Hu, Liu Ren couldn't resist smacking him across the back of the head.
Looking aggrieved, Han Hu protested immediately, "Didn't you want to kidnap her too?"
"Kidnap my ass! Am I that kind of person? That's slander, you hear me? Watch it or I'll sue you! I was planning to invite her to work! I respect her father's talent and didn't want to see an experienced teacher waste away in obscurity!"
Liu Ren berated him with righteous conviction.
Han Hu stared at Liu Ren in utter disbelief. He had always known his senior brother was dirty-minded, but he never imagined he could be this shameless. The man was practically inhuman!
If you kidnapped someone, just admit it! Why dress it up in such glorious, high-minded rhetoric? Who were they? Gangsters! If gangsters didn't do gangster things, wouldn't they be betraying their founding purpose?
"What's that supposed to mean? What kind of look is that?" Liu Ren snapped, eyeing Han Hu with suspicion.
"Senior Brother, you're such a good person! Always putting yourself in others' shoes and thinking of their well-being. Truly magnificent!" Han Hu gave him a big thumbs-up, forcing out the praise through sheer awkwardness.
Hearing this, Liu Ren remarked, "Now that's more like it! Whatever you do in life, you've got to be open and upright! We're not sneaky cowards, so why resort to kidnapping?"
"Yes, yes, absolutely right, Boss!" His mouth twitching, Han Hu nodded frantically.
Because he finally understood why his senior brother had received nothing but praise in the newspapers all these years:
Anyone who saw through his true colors and dared to slander him had ended up inside a gasoline barrel at the bottom of the Hudson River!
Early the next morning.
At the estate in Brooklyn, Liu Ren sat on the sofa eating breakfast while browsing through the newspaper in his hands.
Over the years, he had expanded the Silver Rock Group across the board. At present, the most vital pillars were Silver Rock Arms and New State Bank.
However, before the outbreak of war, Mercy Pharmaceuticals remained the conglomerate's primary revenue engine—outstripping even their former bootlegging empire.
It was simply too lucrative; no wonder people said pharmaceuticals yielded obscene profits!
Aline came over to his side, sat down, and set down the suit she had pressed for him. "Will you be very busy today?"
"A little. I have a meeting with Nimitz."
Smiling at Aline, Liu Ren wore a placid expression.
He was fully prepared to enter the war. In New York, spending all that money, forging all those connections, and even pushing the President himself into the Oval Office—wasn't all of it for this very day?
Back during World War II, Nimitz fought across the entire Pacific theater; now, Liu Ren could do the same!
And with the backing of Silver Rock Arms, the equipment for the 1st Marine Division would become even more "insane"!
War was a straightforward game: use any means necessary to slaughter the enemy.
And to prepare for this day, Liu Ren had spent nearly thirty full years!
Liu Ren: *Can you block a century of humiliation in this one punch?*
The Japanese: *Put the bazooka down first, then we'll talk!*
Brooklyn, Silver Rock Group Headquarters.
The skyscraper, rising over two hundred meters, was currently occupied by all kinds of branch subsidiaries.
Glancing at the newspaper, Liu Ren tossed it to his assistant secretary and said, "Teach her how to deal with the various departments first. Also, let everyone know that she is my first secretary."
"Understood, Boss!"
Looking respectfully at Liu Ren, the assistant secretary glanced at Malèna with a knowing, polite smile.
After all, she was a Yale graduate; how could she fail to notice the chairman's special "care" for Malèna?
After Malèna obediently followed her out, Liu Ren checked the time, saw it was about right, and made a phone call.
Down in the underground parking garage, a black bulletproof Cadillac pulled to a stop.
Stepping out in his naval uniform, Nimitz was flanked by burly soldiers.
Upon arriving at the office, after brief pleasantries, the two sat down to talk.
Looking at Liu Ren, Nimitz said with a smile, "Calling me in such a rush—what's this about, Liu?"
Nimitz had actually been quite puzzled about Liu Ren. When Roosevelt initially brokered their connection, he had merely heard of this arms-manufacturing tycoon from the New York Syndicate.
Only after looking deeper did he realize just how tightly tied this man was to the figure in the White House.
Over the years, America's "Martial Emperor" had displayed unyielding drive, successfully dragging the nation out of the Great Depression's quagmire.
And in the aftermath, Roosevelt threw his weight into bolstering the defense industry—with the Silver Rock Group being the single greatest beneficiary.
After all, no one could have guessed that nearly twenty years ago, the two had already joined forces!
"Once the war begins, I want my men to join the Navy—or even form an independent combat brigade," Liu Ren said with a faint smile.
Upon hearing this, Nimitz frowned. "War? Are you joking? We have no plans to enter the war!"
"The flames of war aren't far off, Admiral Nimitz. You ought to trust my judgment."
Leaning closer, Liu Ren added, "Starting today, I will vigorously support the Navy's armaments. How does that deal sound?"
Frowning, Nimitz took on an indignant look of refusal. "Liu, who do you take me for? Am I the kind of man who would toss soldiers' honor aside for the sake of equipment?"
"The latest amphibious assault ships, plus a wide array of classified weapons—the Navy gets first pick. I'll handle the Pentagon, and Roosevelt will sign off on it."
Watching Nimitz, Liu Ren interlaced his fingers.
A smile instantly broke across Nimitz's face. "Well, when talking about honor with soldiers, they have to survive first, right? Come, let's talk about when these armaments can be delivered!"
Chapter 57