Chapter Thirty-One: Hoodwinking

"Indeed." Virak's gaze was filled with approval.

Standing at the end of the alley, the two remained silent for a moment before Virak broke the quiet. "It is getting late; I must return. I told Colin I was going to the restroom; staying away too long will invite suspicion."

"Understood, Comrade Chris." Chloe felt a surge of excitement, realizing the task was daunting but would create even greater value.

Seeing that Chloe did not suspect him, Virak felt relieved and acted more naturally. "My movements will be much freer recently. From now on, let us meet regularly at the concert every Tuesday night and the underground fight club every Saturday night. Also, I need you to help me check information on some people and have it ready for me by next Tuesday."

As he spoke, Virak took out a piece of paper covered in a dense list of names. These were the individuals Carmine had secretly bribed. Virak now needed to leverage the rebel organization's resources to uncover their identities and deduce the illicit dealings between them, aiming to quickly turn this information into a weapon that could inflict heavy damage on the Thomas family.

"I will have the detailed dossiers on these people ready before we meet next Tuesday," Chloe said, taking the list.

"Good. That is all. Stay safe, and I will be going now." Virak patted Chloe on the shoulder once more, turned, and headed back to the premium spectator area of the fight club.

"Done with the restroom?"

"Yes." Virak sat down and looked toward the ring, where Diaz had just dispatched his opponent using a lethal grappling technique. "What round is this?"

Colin yawned. "The last one. Say, why did you buy him? Are you short on bodyguards?"

The second important phase of tonight's excursion had begun.

Virak explained, "I am not short on them, and I did not buy him to protect me. I want to start a small private business and need a manager. He is a Monlegorian with no background here, making him the perfect candidate."

"A small business?" Colin's interest piqued. "What do you want to do?"

"Whatever makes money the fastest." Virak looked at Colin. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"Jewelry. It is an absolute goldmine," Colin replied as if it were obvious.

Virak rolled his eyes. "Your family is already in that business. Could I possibly snatch a piece of meat from their jaws?"

"Obviously not," Colin said matter-of-factly.

"Give me something more practical."

"Smuggling."

Virak's eyes brightened. "Do you have connections?"

"Absolutely none."

"..."

Discussing business with someone like Colin, who spent his days only concerned with eating, drinking, and playing, was practically asking for trouble. But he was the best candidate available. Virak calmed himself and changed tactics to set his trap. "Don't you want to play something more interesting?"

"For example?" Colin propped his feet up and popped a grape into his mouth.

"Making money." Virak tempted him. "Although your family is incredibly wealthy, making money is a complete blind spot for you. You have never experienced the thrill of earning it yourself."

"How have I never made money? Look here—didn't I just easily make five thousand tonight?" Colin remained unmoved.

"That is different; that is gambling. Whether you win or lose depends entirely on luck. Think about it: how long did the joy from your past gambling wins actually last?" Virak asked. "Doing business is different. It is about scheming, outwitting others, and leading them around by the nose. Isn't a high-stakes game like that much more interesting?"

Colin shifted his sitting position, clearly showing some interest. "Why don't I try it with you?"

"That would be perfect. We shall each invest one hundred and forty thousand. It is best not to tell anyone about this; once we succeed, we can show the stellar results to your father and mother. They will be even more surprised then." As he coaxed Colin, Virak felt as though he were talking to a child.

This realization moved him, as he had dealt with many such people in his previous life. Most children of the nobility and the wealthy were not the brilliant individuals their excellent education and optimal conditions should have produced.

The environment they lived in led them to naively believe that everyone was filled with goodwill. They did not need to possess exceptional ability because their family background alone could easily resolve any issue.

In their cognitive world, excellence was optional. Being mediocre would not stop others from flattering them, nor would it affect the emptiness or fulfillment of their spiritual and material lives.

Virak both envied and loathed Colin, and he hated those who occupied over ninety percent of the society's resources while accounting for less than one percent of the world's population.

Those people had every condition to become better.

If they disdained higher pursuits, then give the opportunities to me!

Virak roared inwardly.

"One hundred and forty thousand? Isn't that the money you made tonight? You are pulling off a 'wolf from nothing' scheme here. You brought nothing today, used my money to win a haul, and now want me to partner up. That is nearly three hundred thousand in total," Colin remarked. "But one hundred and forty thousand is not a small sum. I can scrape together about thirty or forty thousand at most right now."

"That is far from enough. Do you not understand the principle that the more capital you stake, the more you earn? The rich only get richer. You are entering early; today I tricked you with empty hands, but tomorrow we will be tricking others together." Virak was confident in his grasp on Colin. The boy trusted him and lacked his own direction. Virak sincerely hoped everyone in Rezein was like Colin, so he would not have to live in constant fear. "Thirty thousand to make one hundred thousand, or one hundred and forty thousand to make five hundred thousand—which do you choose?"

Colin began to ponder.

Virak did not care at all whether the business made money. If it did, all the better; if not, it did not matter. He knew he had no talent for business, and getting rich quickly was not easy.

His true goal—the real prize—was Colin.

As long as Colin joined, his money would be as good as in Virak's pocket. The one hundred and forty thousand gold kins he had gained today would double to nearly three hundred thousand. Later, once Colin was hooked, it would not be impossible to squeeze more out of him.

"Fine, I am in." Colin slapped the table. "But you have to give me some time. Asking my parents for one hundred thousand gold kins without letting them know what it is for is a bit difficult. I will have to borrow from a few people and pay them back when my allowance comes in."

"No rush, just have it done by the weekend." Virak chose the same tactic as before. "Rest assured, work with me; if we lose, I will follow the old rule and return double your money."

Colin straightened his back, feeling a sense of novelty. "This really is more interesting than gambling, isn't it? I am guaranteed to make one hundred and forty thousand gold kins?"

"I guarantee you will make at least as much as you invest."

"Then I will go ahead and borrow without holding back." Colin rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to make a grand display of his skills.

"Borrow!"