CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: LIQUID GOLD

Dinner was held at the family estate.

Compared to the luncheon, dinner was much more sumptuous.

Mainly to reward the people who had worked hard all day.

Also joining the meal was Carlos; in the afternoon, after all, there was no time to chat with him.

So Ethan invited him to dinner.

Carlos agreed.

"Carlos, try this roast veal steak, it’s a unique craft, you won’t find anything like it elsewhere."

Ethan beckoned to Carlos.

The steak was naturally cooked by Anya. Ethan hadn’t hired a new chef yet, and Anya’s skills were indeed good.

Carlos took a big bite, enjoying the chew very much.

"Do you know why I wanted you to stay, Carlos?"

"Bootleg liquor," Carlos said, raising his glass and taking a sip.

Indeed, Carlos was truly a clever man; it was no wonder he managed to leave Wenster so disgracefully back then and eventually became the first officer of a large mail ship.

"You should have already heard, I’ve taken back the docks." Ethan also raised his glass, acknowledging him.

Carlos nodded.

He had already heard the news in the afternoon.

He truly admired this young man somewhat.

His methods were ruthless yet decisive, a combination of both action and quiet.

Every move makes people impossible to fathom yet constantly fatal.

For a moment, he was somewhat dazed, feeling like this was the same child he saw on the ship two days ago, resembling a drenched puppy?

Now in front of him was clearly a lion with just-revealed sharp claws.

What kind of force makes a person change so quickly?

Perhaps adversity indeed has its power.

In fact, it was precisely Ethan’s actions over the past two days that made him decide to stay for dinner.

If Ethan was still that drenched puppy on the ship, Carlos would perhaps pity him but wouldn’t discuss anything with him.

"Prohibition has started, people need bootleg liquor," Ethan said again.

"So what can I help with, Young Master Ethan?"

"I have the docks, ships, liquor, and sales, while you have routes." Ethan explained why he was so interested in Carlos.

Because he knew very well the weight of the large mail ship Sea God that Carlos was on.

Not to mention the ship’s loading capacity, which is among the top in the entire Kingdom, just the privilege of being able to drink on the ship after Prohibition indicates the depth behind it.

Moreover, this ship frequently shuttles between the new and old continents, passing through major cities, with routes so broad and deep that it sparks endless fantasies.

As the first officer of this ship, Carlos undoubtedly possesses enormous authority.

Whether it is bringing liquor in, selling it out, or simply drinking it on the ship, there is unlimited room for operation.

And bootleg liquor, even if Ethan didn’t hear Joan and Fred’s conversation that day, based solely on his previous life’s understanding of similar prohibition eras.

Bootleg liquor is like liquid gold, even more precious than gold.

The profits within are unimaginably vast.

"Young Master Ethan, actually, you’re not the first to come to me, before you, someone already talked to me about this matter."

Ethan wasn’t surprised by this.

Carlos’ power was considerable, and there were many smart people in Wenster.

"No matter what conditions they offered, I’ll add one more level," Ethan directly offered his terms.

"No, Young Master Ethan, you misunderstood, I didn’t say this to raise the price; I wanted to say that they were never in my consideration, my choice is only you." Carlos raised his glass again and said, "Whether for Al’s favor, or for you, Young Master Ethan, I am willing to cooperate with you, fifty-fifty."

"Fifty-fifty." Ethan also raised his glass again.

This night ended perfectly.

Ethan finally had time to take a good bath and relax.

He still hadn’t moved into the main residence, staying in the separate building next to it.

Sinking into the warm bath water Anya prepared in advance, all fatigue finally surged up completely.

Only at this time, he felt like he returned to his former self, instead of being Ethan Polleta, who dominated at the Cappreya family, overlooked everything in the conference room, and maneuvered at the funeral.

The experiences over the past two days and nights seemed surreal, and he couldn’t help but submerge his head completely underwater.

As if sinking into the sea.

Immediately, the ’True God’s Name’, like a living entity, appeared before him again.

Now it had become even more solid, even faintly emitting some purple hue, writhing slowly, silently reminding him.

That he was indeed Ethan Polleta.

Getting out of the water completely, Ethan quietly stared at the ’True God’s Name’ in front of him that hasn’t dissipated, knowing that past events were irretrievable.

The only thing he could do was to continue down this path.

Family and business matters were temporarily dealt with; now he could contemplate the issue of ’True God’s Name’.

During the day, he deliberately paid attention to every visitor he received.

He could confirm that George Evans and Danny Corleone were bearers of true names.

Ethan sensed similar auras on them, reminiscent of what he experienced with Emilio.

As for Sandro, his aura was too strong, Ethan only observed a bit before Sandro sharply sensed it, so he gave up.

But it can be confirmed that he truly deserved the title of underworld saint.

Though he perceived it, Ethan couldn’t control George or Danny’s powers like he did with Joan and Fred.

This led him to further infer that Joan and Fred’s powers came from Alberto, and true names can be inherited and bestowed.

Thus, they can also be counteracted.

Moreover, recalling his feelings in the cemetery in the evening, those sensations akin to a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.

Actually, this writhing started in the afternoon, after twelve o’clock.

At that time, he was attending the funeral, so he didn’t pay much attention.

Now retracing the steps, along with the cemetery experience, he suspected that the writhing of his ’True God’s Name’ was catalyzed by Anya and others.

That is, when Anya and the others executed his orders, created violence, committed killings, or in the cemetery where everyone silently submitted to him, to violence, dwelled in violence, the ’True God’s Name’ was catalyzed.

Then think of his ’True God’s Name’.

Instigator and Protector of Violence.

How fitting, how suitable.

Simply tailored for him.

This also gave him an idea, that fulfilling the meaning represented by the name of ’True God’s Name’ itself could elevate it.

While pondering these matters, he felt another writhing from ’True God’s Name’, then, a dark purple piece fell away from its body, like a satellite, began to orbit the ’True God’s Name’.