Chapter 835: Children's Struggles (Part 1) (Patreon)

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In a room on the top floor of Living Hell, a somewhat grown-up child rushed in, urgently pushing the door open. He addressed Copperpot, who was busy writing at his desk, "Boss! Boss! Something's happened!"

Without lifting his head, Copperpot asked, "What happened? Is it really worth your fuss?"

The child hesitated for a moment, seemingly afraid of reproach, then clenched his teeth and said, "It's about the recent reconstruction plan for Phase One of the East District. Those three main streets are in trouble!"

"Trouble?" Copperpot finally glanced at him and inquired, "What kind of trouble are we talking about here? Is it enough to make you so agitated?"

The child seemed uncertain as he replied, "Well... it's just that the people in charge of the project have been running around, not keeping an eye on things. Several big gang leaders in that area have died in the past few days, and we have no idea how they died..."

"Died? Several of them?" Copperpot raised an eyebrow and asked, "There shouldn't be any major gangs on those three streets. There are only a few small gangs in total. Are you saying that all their leaders are dead?"

The child swallowed hard and said, "It's almost like that. Moreover, some small bosses also died..."

"How did they die?" Copperpot inquired further.

"The deaths were all quite elaborate," the child scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Some were shot, some were strangled, and some drowned. But in any case, it doesn't seem like a typical gang rivalry..."

When the person reporting this matter and conveying the information had first told him, Copperpot found it strange as well. Normally, when a gang leader died, most of the time, it was straightforward gunfire or an ambush that resulted in a few shots from behind.

However, the fact that so many gang leaders had died in such a short period, with such varied and elaborate causes of death, was extremely peculiar.

"Is there anything unusual nearby?" Copperpot asked.

"Unusual? Nothing major, but it seems like there are fewer children around there. Maybe these gangs have already driven them out," the child replied.

"They've been driven out by the gangs?" Copperpot put down his pen and sat up straight. "Why would the gangs want the children out?"

"Because... Boss, you know, Wayne Group's redevelopment plan treats everyone equally. Regardless of age, every resident is entitled to a room."

"Lately, we've been organizing the order in Living Hell nearby. We all know that the rent there is very high. If we can control a few extra rooms, we can make a good amount of money. As long as we kick the children out, the rooms assigned to them will belong to the local gangs."

"In the past, it was just small change..." The child shrugged. "Having the children run errands only cost a few cents. But now, it involves hundreds of US dollars. They simply won't allow these children to compete for profits with them."

Copperpot sighed and said, "So, who do you think we represent?"

The child seemed puzzled, not understanding what Copperpot meant. Copperpot sighed again and said, "Never mind. Go and call Tire."

After a while, the chubby Tire walked in. He looked even more prosperous now, with a healthy complexion that clearly indicated good eating habits. He greeted Copperpot and asked, "Hey, Copperpot, what's up? Why did you call me?"

"Have you heard about the recent construction project?" Copperpot inquired.

Tire nodded, saying, "Of course, it seems like my family is planned for Phase Two of the project. It'll start in two or three months. My mom plans to pay extra to get us a two-bedroom apartment. After all, I've got a girlfriend now, and if we get married, we'll need a place to live."

"Is your gang making any moves?" Copperpot asked.

Tire recalled and replied, "They seem to be aggressively recruiting lately. I heard that for every person they recruit, they get an extra room. Later, they'll kick these people out, and they'll have control over a bunch of housing units. Renting them out could earn them a good amount of money."

Suddenly, Tire furrowed his brow and said, "Oh no, when the plan is actually implemented, people like me and my mom, won't we also be kicked out?"

"No, I have to hurry back and have my mom buy more bullets... No, that won't work, it's too unsafe. If that's the case, we'll just buy a house in Living Hell with our money. There's no need to get caught up in this mess..."

Copperpot sighed and said, "You guys are in Phase Two, so the gang is actively recruiting to secure more slots. But in Phase One, the gangs have already started driving people out."

"The slots there have already been assigned, and the gangs are pushing out those who are easy targets. They want to control the housing units and make money by renting them out. How do you think we should deal with this?" Copperpot asked.

Tire's mind was quite agile, and he said, "If we want to deal with this problem thoroughly, Wayne Group will need to come up with a solution. However, it's not easy. After all, we can't assign someone to watch every single house every day..."

"As long as one isn't watched, the residents are sure to be driven out. Not to mention the children from those gangs, even people like me and my mom, who have guns, bullets, and plenty of money, might have to lie low."

Tire sighed and said, "Ultimately, it's all about the allure of interest. The current situation in Living Hell is evident to everyone. Everyone is waiting for the land prices to rise. Whenever there's a new construction plan, people will flock in, hoping to buy more properties. Even if they can't sell them, they can still rent them out. After all, the rent in Living Hell is quite high."

"If someone can control ten good properties, they can earn several hundred extra US dollars per month. If they have hundreds of units, the profits are substantial. Even the major gangs would be tempted. After all, the logistics industry relies on unpredictable factors, but renting out properties is a stable income."

"You're right; dealing with this issue will require action on the implementation side. And I believe Wayne Group must have a solution."

"So, what should we do now if the person who proposed this redevelopment plan has a brilliant method to prevent such incidents, and we know about it in advance?" Copperpot asked.

Tire furrowed his brow, carefully considering for a moment before saying, "The gangs on the Phase One redevelopment site are forcibly evicting people, both the children's group and their own reserve members. When they realize they can't secure the already assigned properties upon delivery, they'll be very unhappy."

"But it seems they don't have any way to deal with Wayne Group directly. After all, they're just small gangs and can't even meet with Wayne Group's higher-ups."

"If Wayne Group can make sure the original owners of those properties get to live there, the gangs will surely blame these owners, creating conflicts. However, even if they've kicked out their own gang members, they won't necessarily have a significant advantage. It's more likely to end up in a standoff."

Tire may not have studied theoretical knowledge, but like all the children in Gotham, he grew up here, and he had a particularly resourceful mother who managed her own gas station independently, without relying on any gang. That alone showed how formidable she was.

Influenced by his surroundings, Tire had a good understanding of gang logic and behavior. He said, "The original owners of these rooms will definitely be unhappy with the gangs who kicked them out, and the gangs will be dissatisfied with them too. Their conflicts won't be reconcilable, and it will likely lead to chaos."

"At this point, where the children's group stands will be crucial," Tire suddenly realized. "The gangs will gradually split, and to gain an advantage here, they'll have to rely on these experienced children. We can help these children in advance..."

"If that happens, after several phases of the project are completed, Gotham's children's groups might become more closely connected, rather than each doing their own thing."

Copperpot shook his head and said, "It goes even further than that. You should have interacted with the members of the children's groups when you were younger. Each person getting their own room, but do you think they'll each live alone, or will they cram several people into one room and rent out the others to make money?"

"Although I'm not a member of the children's groups, I think they'll probably squeeze together and rent out some of the rooms. This way, they improve their living conditions and earn extra money," Tire replied.

"The single rooms assigned to the children are actually the easiest to rent out," Copperpot analyzed. "The majority of Gotham residents don't need a living room. A bed and a window are already good enough. There's no need to pay extra for a one-bedroom apartment..."

"If we don't intervene, the gangs will surely interfere in deciding who gets to rent these rooms, and they might even take a cut. But this is something we can handle..." Copperpot lightly tapped the desk with his finger. "We can unite all the children and free them from the exploitation of these gangs."

"And once they start earning rental income and have some spare money, we can encourage them to go to school, just like that school in Living Hell. We can send some kids there, have dedicated teachers help them learn and play."

"And once they're in school, there are dorms available. This will free up more rooms to rent out, allowing us to make even more money. Maybe some of the older children can take the path of normal education."

Tire nodded and said, "It sounds great, but the only problem is, how can Wayne Group guarantee that everyone will actually live in their own rooms? If the gangs block the doors with guns, who would dare to stay inside?"

Copperpot smiled and said, "You're underestimating Wayne Group's technological capabilities. In less than two months, the first building of the Phase One redevelopment will be completely finished. By then, you'll see who can move in."

Tire scratched his head and said, "If that's the case, it's not so bad. Nobody can seize someone else's property, and we can finally have peace of mind."

"Actually, families like mine just want some peace of mind, right? If the gang treats us well, we don't mind paying a protection fee. If Wayne Group can really provide these kinds of rooms, we'd be willing to pay them a protection fee too."

"Or maybe, if he doesn't want us to pay, that's when we should be worried," Tire shook his head. "My mom often says there's no such thing as a free lunch. If he doesn't take any money, he'll surely expect us to pay in some other way."

"Perhaps what he wants now isn't money," Copperpot said, turning his head to look out the window. "Perhaps that day of eternal safety and freedom you mentioned might come, but when that day arrives, what we'll have to sacrifice might be something else."

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 836: The Children's Struggle (Part 1)