Chapter 310: New Umbrella (2)
It was another rainy day in Gotham. The sky had just lit up, but the rain came pouring down heavily. The streets of Gotham, still not fully repaired, were filled with puddles. Besides the rain, there was also strong wind. Pedestrians on the road held umbrellas in front of them, fighting against the usual harsh weather.
A cloud of mist slowly formed in the room. Inside the counseling office of Gotham University, Schiller shook his head as he looked at the umbrella in his hand.
This umbrella was really in bad shape. Initially, it was just missing a part, which resulted in a broken rib. One side of the umbrella was dented, but it could still be used, albeit barely.
However, the more he forced it, the more it broke. The second and third ribs also fractured, and most of the canopy was now concave. It could barely be opened anymore.
Although the umbrella ribs that supported the canopy were broken, the central metal pole of the umbrella was still intact. It could be folded and used as a cane. But earlier, Schiller had teleported underground and used the umbrella to strike that demon.
The demon's chin was not made of cotton, and the handle of the umbrella was damaged, almost impossible to grip. Later, he struck Constantine with it, completely shattering the handle. Now, only the internal metal pipe remained. In summary, it had transformed from an umbrella into a club...
When Alberto walked in, he saw the professor standing behind his desk, holding an umbrella that could no longer be called an umbrella, with a look of regret on his face.
His entrance caught Schiller's attention. Schiller looked up at him and said, "Good morning, Alberto. Please have a seat."
"Professor, if you need a new umbrella, I can have one custom made for you..."
Schiller shook his head and placed the broken umbrella beside his chair, saying, "No, soon I'll be able to get a new one."
After saying that, he adjusted his coat, straightened his posture, and looked at Alberto, saying, "Has Hawk's funeral already taken place?"
"Yes, at the funeral, I had a conversation with his elder brother, and he expressed his willingness to pledge loyalty to me." Although Alberto remained his usual solemn self, his tone revealed his current satisfaction.
"I told you before, when there are two power centers in a group, they can never be as close as brothers, even if they are blood-related."
"To be honest, they hid it well." Alberto sighed and said, "I've never seen any discord between the Hawk brothers in Evans' memories. Everyone in the Twelve Families praised their close brotherhood and unmatched compatibility."
"Perhaps that was true in the past. But don't forget, Gotham has undergone many changes recently."
"As you said, the elder brother among the Hawk brothers is the one who holds real power in the family, while the younger brother handles internal affairs and deals with details."
"If you have studied the part in Evans' memories where I taught him psychology, you should understand that not only does a person's thoughts guide their actions to change the environment, but the environment and behavior also shape a person's thoughts..."
"As the leader of the family, the elder brother must appear strong enough. It's the style of all gang leaders. They must show ambition, always be energetic, and never hesitate or be indecisive, otherwise no one will follow them..."
"But as the Chief Steward of Internal Affairs, the younger brother must consider everything thoroughly, weighing pros and cons, considering costs and benefits. They must not act recklessly, or it could lead to a break in the financial chain or problems with connections."
"With two brothers like this, they are bound to have different
opinions when facing the pains of Gotham's reform."
Alberto took the coffee handed to him by Schiller and said, "Indeed, the elder brother among the Hawk brothers told me that they had already been at odds with each other several years ago. The younger brother always used various detailed factors as reasons to hinder the development of the gang, at least from his perspective."
"And after Gotham's reform began, their conflicts escalated to an irreconcilable level. The elder brother wanted to be ambitious, seizing a larger share in the reform, and rising to a higher position..."
Alberto sighed deeply, staring at the foam on the surface of his coffee for a long time. Finally, he said, "He won't acknowledge me as his son, so I don't want to acknowledge him as my father either. But in the endless whirlpool of power, the only remaining father-son sentiment is what can preserve a little dignity for us, the Falcone brothers, in this war."
After Alberto left, Schiller finished his coffee. As soon as he took the last sip, there was a knock on the door of the consultation room. Schiller said, "Come in."
Copperpot walked in, wearing a large black raincoat and looking rushed. Rainwater dripped from his hair and eyebrows.
He walked in, took off his raincoat, and Schiller pointed to the coffee machine. Copperpot walked over and made himself a cup of coffee, then sat across from Schiller.
Schiller took out the medical record and said to him, "Before we get down to business, I still need to ask about your and your mother's mental state."
"It's not bad. She has improved a lot. Yesterday, I took her to the new apartment for a visit, and she seemed satisfied with the environment after she regained consciousness..."
Copperpot's tone finally showed some fluctuation, as if he had emerged from the gloom.
Schiller made a few notes in the medical record and then said, "Alright, are things going smoothly with the gang recently? Lawrence, Hawk, and Richie are all dead. The Lawrence family is leaderless, and the Hawk family has changed their attitude. Alberto's path to take over is smooth. What about you?"
"Bruce recommended me to Evans. Of course, it's just a formality. Alberto and I have already reached an understanding. He is in urgent need of capable people under him to establish his own faction, and I happen to meet his requirements."
"Originally, Lawrence was the most dissatisfied with me, and Richie was also unhappy that Alberto didn't use his people. But now, they're all dead. So I will be Alberto's right-hand man after the takeover."
"It's not surprising that the leaders of these uncle-level families will interfere with Alberto's organization of the prince's party. They are just unhappy with you. As long as there is one decisive person among them, you have already been replaced by their people. The bodies have already been thrown into the sea..."
"The deal you mentioned before...," Copperpot looked at Schiller and said, "You want me to get rid of these obstacles to my takeover, and in return, I promise you something... Do you want me to kill someone?"
Schiller shook his head and said, "I won't let a child help me kill someone, and I don't have any enemies that I must kill."
"I have always been sincere to people, with many friends. I have no opponents in Gotham, and my request is very simple, well within your capabilities."
"...What is it?"
In the evening, the rain gradually subsided. At the entrance of Gotham University's cafeteria, Victor folded his umbrella and used the tip to push aside the curtains as he walked in. Schiller followed behind him, also folding his umbrella.
Victor turned around and looked at
Schiller's Umbrella. He said, "Did you fix it? This umbrella was so broken, yet you managed to fix it?"
After they both sat down, Victor leaned in and observed closely. He noticed a Vogen Umbrella Maker logo at the top of the umbrella tip and said, "Isn't this the umbrella from Copperpot's house? The one his father left behind? How did it end up with you?"
"Because I made a deal with him. I helped him with something, and in return, he gave me this umbrella."
"Neither of you understands me. In this place called Gotham, I don't even have an umbrella. I have to figure things out myself. But now, thank God, a new umbrella..."
Schiller squinted his eyes, repeatedly examining the umbrella in his hand, as if admiring the fruits of his labor. He said with great satisfaction, "Look, a beautiful new umbrella."
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