The Nostra family began as a small local syndicate, much like most early syndicates, surviving by extorting protection fees after seizing territory and engaging in usury.
Thanks to Neon's inadvertently awakened divination abilities, the Nostra family boss, Light Nostra, quickly shifted their focus to Neon's divination skills. Neon's divination could predict events within a month, and when an ominous prophecy occurred, the prophecy poem would contain corresponding hints, which could be heeded to avert disaster.
Neon's divination ability was both a cash cow and the best pass, and Light Nostra's wealth gradually soared, gaining him many connections and rapidly improving his status in the syndicate world. The successfully developed Nostra family no longer needed primitive methods like "collecting protection fees." Instead, they established enterprises and invested in property, finance, gambling, and other industries.
Although they appeared to have transitioned into a legitimate organization, the Nostra family's profits were not due to effective management. In reality, they were the result of quid pro quo transactions.
After becoming the Nostra family's second-in-command, Kurapika made drastic reforms to the family's businesses. They retained real estate and casinos, dissolved shell companies, reorganized the loan sharking company into a bodyguard agency, cut the casino's money laundering operations, paid taxes according to law, and only conducted business compliant with national regulations—in the country where the Nostra family was located, the bodyguard and gambling industries were legal.
Including cleaners, Kurapika personally interviewed every employee and implemented strict regulations such as "must abide by laws and regulations."
"..." There was no cleaner syndicate in this world than the Nostra family under Kurapika.
Other syndicates paid no mind to the Nostra family's whitewashing, as it did not concern their interests. However, the politicians and businessmen who had previously engaged in private transactions with the Nostra family were displeased.
The former Nostra family had Neon, and the Ten Dons, who became the Nostra family's backing due to Neon's divination abilities. Now, Neon was dead, and all the Ten Dons were dead. The Nostra family was left with a mentally broken boss, Light Nostra, and a scattered group of subordinates. Kurapika had very few useful cards in his hand.
Since they operated under the Nostra family's banner, the Nostra family's past misdeeds had to be cleaned up.
Some of the Nostra family's past "partners" could be dealt with by conceding benefits, while others were not so easily placated. After all, the Nostra family's assets were limited and could never keep up with the limits of human greed.
Human greed was boundless.
The Nostra family's casino was ordered to suspend operations for rectification, and the bodyguard agency was also suppressed. Those in power were adept at using their influence; they had countless ways to obstruct and enact personal vendettas.
Without backing, the Nostra family, not yet having gained significant momentum, was like a soft persimmon. The people in power might not have been motivated by insufficient immediate benefits, but perhaps by underestimating the Nostra family and merely using them as a target to showcase their own power.
With a mere word from them, others had to bow to their will, endure humiliation, and fawn over them – such was the beauty of power.
It was no wonder that "pride" could be considered the foremost of the seven deadly sins.
After finally securing an interview, the man before him clearly had no intention of genuinely discussing matters. Instead, he scrutinized Kurapika and Melrs, who served as his "bodyguard and assistant," as if a customer examining a commodity.
The former was elegantly beautiful, with fair skin and a slender, delicate build, like a maiden disguised as a man. The latter had exquisite features, with soft, fluffy silver-white hair cascading down, giving an impression of fragility and evoking tenderness.
Did the Nostra family send such a weak combination for negotiations, intending it as a joke?
People should not be judged by their appearance. The man could never have imagined that these two were currently the Nostra family's strongest assets.
The man, already looking down on the small syndicate (the Nostra family), felt no offense due to their pleasing appearances. However, for the same reason, his attitude became even more flippant.
The materials Kurapika had meticulously prepared and the carefully crafted talking points were all disregarded by the man; he hadn't listened with any sincerity.
No matter how effective the medicine or how skilled the doctor, they could not heal a patient unwilling to cooperate.
"What is the name of your assistant?" This was the first topic the man brought up.
"..." Kurapika had never imagined that someone in a high position could be so arrogant.
Rather than focusing on the official business, the man was more concerned with Kurapika's assistant's name, clearly deliberately ignoring Kurapika's stance.
Melrs, who usually slacked off, provided Kurapika with an opportunity here, tilting her head to ask for Kurapika's opinion, "Boss?"
Kurapika never expected Melrs to help. He couldn't seek help from his enemy. For him, as long as Melrs didn't cause him trouble, he could tolerate her presence. Melrs not doing her job meant she wouldn't interfere with him, which was actually the best scenario. Even though Kurapika and Rin Sen were the pillars of the Nostra family's management and were incredibly busy every day, while Melrs enjoyed her leisure, contrasting sharply with them, Kurapika held no complaints.
"..." Before Kurapika could speak, the man expressed his displeasure, "Let her answer my question herself."
"Melrs," Melrs replied, "My name is Melrs."
"You're much more sensible," the man's tone softened slightly. He greatly disliked Kurapika's unyielding attitude, which failed to satisfy his desire for power. "And your voice is more pleasant to hear."
"However, we've wasted quite a bit of time today, and I have other matters. I can't entertain you further," the man announced, signaling their departure. His time was precious and required appointments. "If the Nostra family is willing to show sincerity, have Miss Melrs bring these documents tonight to see me again, so I can review them carefully."
"Oh, really?" Melrs exclaimed with a hint of surprise.
"I understand," Kurapika immediately stood up, blocking the man's gaze that lingered on Melrs. "Thank you very much for meeting with me. I apologize for disturbing you during your busy schedule. Goodbye."
Back in the car, Kurapika sat in the back seat, while Melrs was in the driver's seat, but did not start the engine.
Melrs watched Kurapika in the rearview mirror after he had relaxed, revealing his fatigue.
"What about tonight?" Melrs asked him.
"..."
"Should I go?" To let that random NPC experience the Zoldyck family's ancestral beating.
"...No need." Kurapika believed Melrs could inflict a lifetime of psychological trauma on that man, perhaps even scattering his ashes with a casual flick of her wrist. "I will attend the meeting."
He had intended to say, "You don't need to come with me," but Kurapika knew he couldn't order Melrs around, so he chose to remain silent.
That random NPC was indiscriminate, and upon seeing Kurapika, said, "Why is it you?" then added, "If it's you, it's acceptable."
In this special private setting where he had intended to engage in inappropriate activities, Kurapika no longer showed restraint as he had during the day. The moment he remembered his tragically deceased compatriots, his aura instantly became terrifying, like blood-soaked steel, forcing the man to look at Kurapika seriously.
There was little else to say; it was merely coercion and enticement.
Methods that were relatively effective but were despised by Kurapika.
Why couldn't they negotiate properly? Must they tear down all pretense?
While despising such unreasonable people, Kurapika also despised his own actions just now.
...Disgusting.
Melrs leaned against the car door and tossed him a can of drink. He instinctively caught it – it was a can of hot coffee.
"This is just the first one," Melrs said, holding the car door and sliding back into the driver's seat.
"..." Kurapika sat in the back seat, pulled the tab, and took a sip, discovering it was hot cocoa.
He held the can and observed it again; the packaging was indeed for coffee.
"Don't plan on staying up late again," Melrs, gripping the steering wheel, looked forward. "You've been so engrossed in work, leaving early and returning late every day. You just don't want to make time for me alone and want to avoid your responsibilities as a lover, right?"
"..."
She was right.
Kurapika would rather die than have any intimate interaction with his enemy.
To reclaim his compatriots' Scarlet Eyes, enduring the presence of his enemy in his sight every day had exhausted Kurapika's patience. That's why he vented his pent-up anger in front of the man, almost losing control and resorting to violence.
"Kurapika, you don't think I'm a great philanthropist, do you?" Melrs met Kurapika's gaze in the rearview mirror. "You don't think... I wouldn't actually do anything excessive to you, do you? That's why you so readily agreed to the transaction? No way, no way."
"Wishful thinking is wrong. Have you heard of Murphy's Law?"
"Running away is not only shameful but also useless."
Kurapika unconsciously clenched the soda can in his hand. The hot cocoa overflowed from the deformed can, leaving a sweet touch on the back of his hand.
"Tonight, let me see your resolve. What is your answer, Kurapika?"
Kurapika's drooping blonde hair obscured his eyes.
"...I understand."
He finally answered.
"I will not run away."
He said resolutely.