The Tyrant Billionaire

"Sonny, you\'ve already killed Bruno. Do you know what the other families are thinking now? They will think you will go after them too. They will unite, and if that happens, the Corleone family won\'t survive."

"Sollozzo called, saying there\'s still room for negotiation, otherwise, they will act soon."

"So, what do you suggest?" Sonny asked, frowning.

Tom shrugged. "Sollozzo wants us to send a family member to talk, someone from the Corleone family."

"I\'ll go," Sonny said, frowning.

"No, they said you\'re too impulsive and can\'t go," Tom replied.

Everyone turned to look at Fredo, the second son of the old godfather. Under their gazes, Fredo\'s eyes darted around, clearly scared.

Everyone knew he was timid.

Michael pursed his lips and said, "I\'ll go. I\'ll go talk to them and see what they want to say."

"Tom, contact them and tell them I\'m willing to talk, but it has to be in a public place like a bar or restaurant, not a private location."

"Okay, I\'ll contact them," Tom said.

Not long after, Tom finished the call and returned to Michael. "They said they\'ll pick you up and take you to a restaurant to talk over a meal. They won\'t tell us the location now, but they assure us they\'re sincere and will give us an offer we can\'t refuse."

An offer we can\'t refuse.

novels.

That was a favorite phrase of the old Godfather.

He used to say it to others, and now someone is saying it to the Corleone family.

Michael nodded.

After everyone left, Michael went to the old godfather\'s study. Sitting in the old godfather\'s chair, he thought for a while before picking up the phone to call Hardy and tell him what had happened.

"Hardy, I plan to kill Sollozzo. I think he\'ll try to kill my father again because he benefits the most from it. If my father is killed, the Corleone family\'s political protection will disappear, and their strength will be halved," Michael said.

"What\'s your plan?" Hardy asked.

"They will pick me up and take me to a restaurant, but they won\'t tell me which one. I need your help to get a gun inside," Michael said.

Hardy laughed.

"Michael, let me tell you, successful people use their brains more than their hands and avoid putting themselves at risk. If you kill someone in public, what will you do next? Go on the run? Who will take care of our business?"

"And you called me from Los Angeles just to help you get a gun inside?"

"Stick to the original plan and meet them. Stall them without agreeing to anything, then leave. The rest is on me."

"Alright, we will do it your way."

In the evening.

Michael arrived at the agreed upon location. Soon, a car stopped beside him, and Sollozzo rolled down the window. "Michael, get in."

Michael saw Sollozzo and the police captain in the back seat.

Michael got in the car. The captain smiled at him. "Michael, does your jaw still hurt?"

"The doctor said my jaw is broken and will take three to four months to heal," Michael replied.

"Oh, I\'m sorry to hear that. I didn\'t mean to hit you so hard, it might have been a bit of bad luck," the captain said, his tone insincere and gloating.

They drove around New York for a while before stopping at an unremarkable restaurant.

The three walked in. Michael noticed two tables of customers who looked at them as they entered, their waists bulging with hidden guns.

Michael knew these were Sollozzo\'s men.

When their food arrived, Michael had no appetite, but Sollozzo ate happily, chewing on his steak while talking. "Michael, do you realize what a huge market this is? In New York alone, it could reach millions a year, and nationwide, it\'s in the billions."

"With your political connections, we can easily make this money. Sometimes we just need the Corleone family\'s connections to make sure the police look the other way, and we can make a lot of money effortlessly."

Michael listened absentmindedly.

"I understand Mr. Sollozzo\'s proposal. I\'ll relay it to Sonny and the rest of the family, but any decision will need everyone\'s agreement," Michael said.

"Of course, it needs to be discussed. But I\'ve offered very favorable terms, and the other families have agreed. We\'re just waiting for the Corleone family\'s response."

Sollozzo\'s words carried a clear threat.

Michael put down his fork and excused himself. As he left the restaurant, the captain sneered. "Just a kid who doesn\'t understand anything. Today\'s scene must have scared him stiff, he looked so absent minded."

"I heard that when Vito Corleone was shot, his second son was there and was so scared that he dropped his gun and just cried on the ground. The eldest son is a brute, the second son is a coward, and the third son is no different. The Corleone family is finished once the old man dies."

Sollozzo had a similar impression of Michael. The Corleone family was formidable because of Vito Corleone, but his sons were not up to the mark.

Just then, two cars pulled up outside the restaurant. Guns protruded from the windows.

"Rat-tat-tat-!"

Machine guns roared, and the people inside the restaurant were hit.

A bullet went through the captain\'s head, blowing off half his skull. His body fell to the ground. Sollozzo, terrified, hit the floor quickly.

Just as the gunfire stopped, Sollozzo thought he had escaped.

Something was thrown through the window, making Sollozzo\'s heart drop.

Dynamite. And not just one.

One after another, sticks of dynamite were thrown inside, one landing right where Sollozzo was lying. The dynamite hissed as it burned.

Sollozzo tried to escape, but it was too late.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The restaurant exploded violently.

Everyone inside was surely dead, and the cars outside quickly sped away.

In a car far away, Hardy and Michael watched the explosion.

Hardy turned to Michael. "All of Sollozzo\'s men inside are dead. Why did you choose such an extreme method to kill them?"

"I want to show the other families how fierce the Corleone family\'s retaliation can be. This will help curb their ambitions. Then our messages will be more effective," Michael said firmly.

Hardy looked at Michael.

It seemed Michael was slowly beginning to develop the demeanor of a second generation godfather. In a fantasy novel, this might be described as the awakening of the Godfather\'s bloodline.