Mercenary’s War

Chapter 2180 - 2157: Clouds Part and Sun Shines Through

Justin looked at Yarebin with a shocked expression, but Yarebin remained indifferent and said, "There’s nothing new under the sun. The so-called power struggle is nothing but the same routines repeated over and over. Go on."

Justin nodded and said in a deep voice, "When my father gathered all his brothers in his room and announced that I was the heir, my other brothers were shocked but expressed obedience to my father. They all stepped forward to kiss my father’s hand, but when it was Mario’s turn to show his stance, Mario said, ’Father, you are truly senile.’

Yarebin chuckled and asked, "And then?"

Justin shrugged and said, "As he was speaking, he pulled out a gun. I didn’t expect him to bring a gun to see my father, so I was completely unable to resist. At the time, I was standing by my father’s bed, while Mario and the others stood on the other side. Mario directly pointed the gun at me."

Yarebin smiled and said, "He didn’t manage to kill you?"

Justin exhaled and said, "No, when Mario suddenly drew his gun, I realized something was wrong, but there was a bed between me and Mario, and only my father’s longtime assistant, the person my father trusted most, was beside me. When I saw Mario draw his gun, I immediately hid behind the assistant and pushed him towards the door. Mario fired, hitting my shoulder, and as I reached the door, he killed my father’s assistant, but I opened the door and ran out."

Yarebin sighed and said, "So your father didn’t have any guards?"

Justin nodded and said, "Yes, there were guards outside, but who would dare shoot at Mario? Before my father gave the order, I didn’t have any bodyguards because it wasn’t necessary at my father’s place, and I really didn’t expect him to give me the position of family head, otherwise, I would have brought many bodyguards."

"So you ran out?"

"So I ran out. I knew Mario wouldn’t stop at that. I had been shot, my shoulder was bleeding continuously, and I didn’t dare go back to my own home because I knew Mario would surely send people to block me. So I didn’t go home; I called my people, asked them to pick me up, and protect my family. But by then, it was too late..."

Yarebin sighed and said to Gao Yang, "If we disregard the standpoint, what Mario did was really impressive. He wanted to be the head of the Cicero Family, so he prepared everything. If he was named the heir, then nothing needed to be done. If he wasn’t, then he would just kill off the heir and uproot his forces entirely. Everything would be settled. Of course, if Mario had your kind of gunmanship, everything would have ended much sooner."

Gao Yang pondered for a moment and had to admit that what Mario did was indeed impressive, though his gunmanship was poor, and he just missed the mark by not finishing Justin with one shot at the time.

"Yes, what Mario did was indeed quite impressive. He almost succeeded. In fact, although he didn’t kill Justin, he still succeeded, if he hadn’t forcibly dragged us into it."

Yarebin nodded and then said to Justin, "Alright, you can continue. What happened after you escaped?"

Justin lowered his head and said softly, "My wife and children were captured, and my people were gunned down as soon as they stepped out the door. In the end, only two people from elsewhere arrived in Rome and took me out from a small clinic. When we were escaping from Rome, one was captured, and the other betrayed me. When he led people to capture me at my hiding place, I watched them from a distance. Then I went to Iceland and have been on the run and in hiding ever since. Many things happened during that time. I wanted to use money but found my accounts emptied. I tried to use the intelligence networks I had built, but it attracted Mario’s people. At that time, I realized I was finished."

Yarebin said seriously, "So, no one contacted you? Or rather, the things that your father should and certainly left to you, things that could lead the Cicero Family, no one gave them to you?"

Justin shook his head slightly and said softly, "No, even if they did, how would they reach me? None of my communication methods are safe anymore."

Yarebin exhaled and said, "Then, to your understanding, what would your father leave to you?"

Justin thought for a long time and shook his head, "I don’t know. Money? Unlikely. Secret armed forces? Even less likely. The Cicero Family’s industries are public or semi-public, and we can’t establish an alarming armed force. That’s not how modern families operate, and it’s not possible through intelligence channels either, so I really don’t know what I’m supposed to have."

Yarebin said helplessly, "Your father’s assistant would definitely know, but unfortunately, he was killed by Mario, or rather, you got him killed. If you hadn’t used him as a shield, he wouldn’t be dead. If you had died, your father’s assistant would naturally have given what was left to you to Mario or another brother."

Justin said helplessly, "If I hadn’t used him as a shield, I’d be dead now. But knowing wouldn’t do any good, right? But thinking back now, I do regret it. If I hadn’t run, my family wouldn’t have died, probably shouldn’t have..."

Yarebin closed his eyes and after a moment of focused thinking, leaned his head against the sofa with a pondering expression and said softly, "There must be something left for you. There must be. Otherwise, Mario wouldn’t have to find you and kill you after taking control of the Cicero Family. So, this is something that as long as you are alive and show up, it will naturally reach you. If that’s the case, then it’s not an inanimate object, only a person. Only a person would actively appear in front of you when you show up, unaffected by your father’s assistant’s death."

After speaking to himself with closed eyes, Yarebin opened his eyes, pointed at Justin, and said, "You have strength. Your strength comes from someone, or some people, your father left for you. One person is unlikely to help you turn the tables, so it must be several people or many people. These people can’t simply be hired for warfare, because there are numerous mercenaries or hitmen available for hire if you have money. Therefore, they must be individuals that the Cicero Family can absolutely control, and whose positions are particularly critical! From where does the Cicero Family derive its status? Intelligence! In that case, the answer is obvious."