Genius Grandson Of The Loan Shark King

Lorenze's voice came from the other side of the receiver.

— Charlie.

"Yes, Lorenze. I'm glad you're safe. I was shocked when I heard the news. What exactly happened?"

— I still don't fully understand myself.

"I heard your younger brother was behind all this."

Lorenze let out a deep sigh.

— ...Which is why it's even more shocking. First, I need to figure out what exactly happened.

"I see. But I heard you refused to leave Italy? Will that really be okay?"

— The moment I leave, reclaiming the Medici Family will become a distant dream. I have to take it back while Grandfather is still alive.

His voice was calmer than expected.

— Xavier is probably behind Giuliano. Otherwise, he wouldn't have moved so suddenly.

"How influential is Giuliano?"

— ...Originally, Giuliano was considered the one closest to becoming head of the family.

"Really? That's the first time I've heard that."

Giuliano had originally been the favorite for family head?

Then Xavier must have found it easy to stir him up.

— Yes. But after Grandfather handed the position to me, Giuliano left the estate and lived separately. After that, he worked on family affairs. He was someone who never once showed greed in front of me.

Lorenze ground his teeth quietly as he spoke.

He wasn't calm. He was suppressing his rage.

— I absolutely have to return to the Medici estate. It is the symbol of our family. The moment I abandon it, I lose legitimacy.

"Is that more important than your life? Isn't it just a mansion?"

— To our family, that estate is worth far more than just being a mansion. Explaining it all would take too long.... Simply put, whoever owns that estate is recognized as the head of the Medici Family. By the family members, and by all of Italy as well.

The owner of the estate was acknowledged as the legitimate heir.

Probably some tradition among European nobility.

Similar in nature to Grandfather leaving me the Pyeongchang-dong house in his will.

"Fine. But how are you planning to take it back? The estate has already fallen into Giuliano's hands. If it's the symbol of the family, won't it be difficult to get outside help?"

— Which is why I need help. I want to hire a Black Bear mercenary team.

Take back the estate with Black Bear mercenaries?

Slowly rubbing my chin, I said,

"Lorenze. The reason I stationed John near you was to protect you in case something happened. To be honest, I also assigned him as a watcher because I don't fully trust you."

— ...

I didn't completely trust Lorenze.

That was why I had John stay nearby as both a guardian and observer.

Thanks to that, Lorenze had been safely extracted.

"And now you want to use John and the mercenary team to retake the estate? What happens afterward? How do you clean up the mess?"

— I'll handle that myself.

"If the Italian government gets involved, things will become serious. Giuliano won't back down easily. Bloodshed is inevitable. Can you really cover it up?"

— Yes. I can. This is an internal matter of the 'Valtice.' The government will pretend not to see it.

According to him, the Italian government wouldn't be the first to intervene.

But I couldn't fully believe him.

He hadn't even predicted Giuliano would attack the estate in the first place.

According to John's report, Giuliano entered the estate without facing any meaningful resistance.

"I can't trust that. Even if it's true, I have no reason to help you."

— ...Aren't we on the same side?

"For this matter, perhaps."

— Charlie. What must I do for you to help me? The Medici Family is everything to me.

His desperate voice made me pause.

How should I control someone I couldn't trust?

The answer was simple.

"Will you swear loyalty to me?"

— Loyalty?

"Yes. Will you follow every order I give? Leave Valtice entirely."

— That... That would be difficult.

"Then this is difficult for me as well."

— In exchange, I'll place Valtice in my grasp. And I'll make Valtice move according to your will.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Blinded by revenge, he was talking nonsense.

"Take control of Valtice? Is that even possible?"

— Theoretically, yes. Xavier's family only became the leader because the families agreed to it. How much do you know about Valtice?

"Isn't it just an alliance of European nobles?"

— That's right. Monarchies were abolished, but royalty and nobility themselves didn't disappear.

He spent a long time explaining the origins and purpose of Valtice.

— At its core, it's profit. An alliance for the benefit of the families. Nothing more, nothing less. Xavier and his family were recognized as leaders for centuries because it benefited everyone. If I can provide those benefits, taking Valtice isn't difficult.

"Even so, its collapse is already inevitable. Even if it survives, it won't really survive."

Lorenze answered firmly.

— Charlie, you're saying that because you don't understand Valtice and those families. Their power and influence are immense. Strength accumulated over centuries won't disappear because of one incident. They may weaken, but given enough time, they'll recover.

"Hmm...."

— Please help me. Just this once. If you help me this time, I'll do anything you ask.

Listening to his desperate voice, I pondered.

Whether Lorenze could really seize Valtice, I still didn't know.

This was a double-edged sword.

If he failed, all the information he possessed would fall straight into Xavier's hands.

But if he succeeded, I could take Valtice for myself and control it.

"I'll think about it first."

— Please decide quickly. The longer this drags on, the harder it becomes. Giuliano will seize the family completely.

Hearing the anxiety in his voice, I smiled inwardly.

Looks like Giuliano really is capable.

"All right. I'll give you an answer within a few days. And another mercenary team will be joining. Their leader will assume command. From now on, communicate with me through him."

— ...Hand over command?

"Yes. He used to be John's superior, so there won't be a problem. He's an excellent mercenary. He'll be useful for your plans."

— Understood. I'll prepare what I can in advance.

"I'll contact you later."

After hanging up, I fell into thought.

As I thought things over, I wanted to hear the opinion of the person I trusted most.

I told Manager Ma about Lorenze's proposal.

"What do you think, Manager?"

"If we're certain we can seize Valtice, it's worth trying."

His opinion matched mine.

We couldn't eradicate Valtice completely.

Even weakened, with diminished influence, families that had endured for centuries wouldn't simply disappear.

"Let's run simulations first. Once Igor arrives, coordinate with him and work out a plan."

"Understood."

I decided to leave this matter to Manager Ma.

Things like this suited him better than me.

* * *

Xavier's ancestral estate in Austria.

Xavier was walking alone through the garden.

"Lord Xavier."

At the butler's call, Xavier stopped.

Standing one step behind him, the butler spoke.

"We've received word that capturing Lorenze has failed."

Xavier burst into loud laughter.

After laughing for a long time, the smile vanished from his face and his voice turned cold.

"Those idiots. They actually let him get away."

He resumed walking.

The butler followed silently.

They stopped before a flower bed filled with tulips.

"Tell them to secure the Medici Family completely. And no matter what, capture Lorenze alive and bring him before me."

"Yes."

His gaze upon the tulips was deep.

"Looking at this situation reminds me of the Tulip Mania. Don't you think?"

The butler remained silent.

But Xavier wasn't expecting an answer.

He merely kept his eyes on the flowers.

Tulip Mania.

Tulip bulbs, worthless by themselves, had once been traded for sums exceeding ten years of earnings for a skilled craftsman.

But that phenomenon hadn't happened naturally.

It had been deliberately orchestrated by Xavier's ancestors.

As a result, Xavier's family obtained enormous wealth.

Using that immense capital, they seized control of Europe's economy and manipulated it with one hand.

This time, however, the situation was the complete opposite of Tulip Mania.

Someone was deliberately enlarging this crisis.

Perhaps the one about to be devoured wasn't someone else—

But himself and his family.

Looking at the tulips, Xavier organized his thoughts.

After a long while, he spoke.

"Kim Muhyuk is undoubtedly involved in this somehow. Contact Korea and tell them to prepare what they've been working on. We'll fire the opening shot, and they'll follow it up."

"Yes."

"Summon David and Nace. We need to deal with America first."

Xavier was the leader of Valtice.

It was his duty to resolve this crisis quickly.

A few days later.

David Rockefeller of the Rockefeller Family and Nace Meyer Rothschild of the Rothschild Family arrived at Xavier's estate.

"Welcome."

"Have you been well, Lord Leader?"

After exchanging greetings, the three sat around the round table.

Nace spoke first.

"I heard about the Medici Family. Giuliano has seized control?"

Xavier nodded.

"Yes. Lorenze betrayed us."

"Are you certain? Lorenze betrayed us?"

"I'm convinced. Haven't you found it strange?"

David answered.

"It did seem strange. Lorenze even brought Lord Cosimo and pushed aggressively. But it's also true that we gained a great deal from it."

"And now we'll vomit out those gains and suffer even greater losses. Things should never have escalated this far. Am I wrong?"

Nace let out a deep sigh.

His face was filled with worry.

"Our family has suffered a direct hit."

"How bad?"

"Beyond recovery. And this is only the beginning. If Bear Stearns collapses, there's no telling how far the fallout will spread. We're trying to move the Federal Reserve to save Bear Stearns, but..."

His voice trailed off gloomily.

"We're in the same situation, Nace."

David added.

"Lord Leader. Our family also expects massive losses. We are connected to Bear Stearns both directly and indirectly. Furthermore, through our affiliated banks and Rockefeller Company, we've heavily invested in CDOs and CDSs. If things go wrong, I don't know whether I'll even be able to keep my position as family head."

Among Valtice's families, these two had the deepest ties to America.

"I know. I'll do everything I can to minimize the damage. Trust me and follow me."

"We've always trusted you, Lord Leader. But Bear Stearns isn't the only problem. Lehman, Wachovia, and IndyMac are all in danger."

"What?"

The most shocked person was Nace.

He stared at David in astonishment, but David ignored him and continued.

"Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, all shareholders of the Federal Reserve, are also at risk. If they collapse, we'll lose our influence over the Federal Reserve."

"How do you know that so well?"

"Asset management companies connected to us hold Citibank shares separately. It's not public, but Citibank is practically owned by our family. If Citibank shakes, the foundation of our family shakes."

A bombshell had just dropped.

The Rockefeller Family was the true owner of Citibank.

"Even we were completely fooled."

Nace said in disbelief.

David looked at him shrewdly.

"Are we the only ones? Doesn't the Rothschild Family own stakes in major banks through similar methods? Don't deny it."

"..."

"The biggest victims of this crisis will be our family and yours. So be honest like I am. Only then can we discuss countermeasures."

Xavier listened to their conversation with great interest.