Among the four people on the second floor, Zhang Heng paid the least attention to the young man named Cornu because he had the least presence among the four.
However, as soon as Cornu spoke, he immediately attracted everyone's attention. Zhang Heng had also heard a lot about the Beehive from Soap and Ali earlier. He knew that the most mysterious force in the southeast city was very good at collecting information.
So what surprised Zhang Heng was not that Cornu knew what he had for breakfast, but that he did not expect the Beehive to speak up for him.
Yes, on the surface, it seemed that Cornu was showing off that the top forces in the southeast city had the ability to see his every move. At the same time, he was also warning him not to try to lie to Zhang Heng.
However, Zhang Heng also noticed that Cornu emphasized the close relationship between Zhang Heng and Commodus, and he also included Clint as Zhang Heng's political ally.
If there was any flaw in Zhang Heng's plan, it would be that the alliance between him and Clint was not solid. Although he provided a win-win solution to Clint, and he believed that Clint would be willing to accept it, it meant that the major forces in the southeast city, led by the Jewish gang, could also use the same method to pull Clint to their side.
Zhang Heng had analyzed before that there were also political forces behind the southeast city. The Jewish gang, the Golden Crown, and the Beehive did not rule this place with violence. Every year, they would spend a large sum of money on the fat nobles in the Senate in order to maintain a semi-autonomous state.
This was probably the reason why Lockheed and others did not panic like the people below when they heard that a thousand imperial guards were about to be stationed here.
However, even if he knew that Cornu had good intentions, Zhang Heng still had to fight back in order to put on a show. After Cornu finished speaking, he said, "You were busy with a woman last night. You drank all night, so you got up very late in the morning and had lunch. You had olives and grilled fish for lunch, and you even fought with someone during lunch. Besides, I have reason to believe that you are not very satisfied with your performance last night. So, you have been looking for a way to prolong your time."
After Zhang Heng finished speaking, Cornu's face turned pale. He then turned to the girl beside Zhang Heng and said, "Don't believe what he said. He's talking nonsense. I just exposed him to get back at him."
"Don't worry, of course I trust you more." The girl revealed a sweet smile.
At this time, Lockheed had also finished eating the last piece of venison. As if he did not hear the verbal confrontation between Zhang Heng and Cornu, he put down his fork, pointed to the seat below, and said, "Sit."
Zhang Heng sat down when he heard that, and the girl who came with him sat next to Lockheed again. However, she quietly moved her body, distancing herself from the microphone on the other side.
Lockheed did not wipe the oil stains on his mouth with a tablecloth. This was also a eating habit that he had maintained over the years. When he was young, there was nothing to eat at home. He was reluctant to eat the food that he stole from outside. He often licked it twice, leaving some residue on his mouth, and pretended that he had eaten it. When he returned home, he would share the food with his hungry brother and sister. Over time, he developed the habit of eating without wiping his mouth.
Although his life gradually improved after that, and now he had become the leader of the Jewish gang, this habit had never changed. Because of this, his wife and children complained about him a lot.
"What do you want?" Lockheed looked at Zhang Heng on the opposite side and asked straightforwardly.
"The three major forces and the patrol team will join forces to establish a new order for the southeast city," Zhang Heng replied.
"This is impossible." Lockheed shook his head when he heard that.
However, he did not explain why it was impossible. He just waved his hand and asked the waiter to pour a glass of wine for Zhang Heng. After that, he continued, "You can't wait to do your first job well. I can understand that. Although I am not very satisfied with the way you have taken during this time, I don't want to argue with you about these trivial matters anymore. How about this? You dismiss the people hired by the patrol team, and I promise that the security of the southeast city will improve until you leave here. You will get the political achievements you need, and we can end this farce as soon as possible."
In all fairness, the conditions provided by Lockheed were quite good. He did not mention what Zhang Heng had done before, and he did not intend to pursue the damage that Zhang Heng had caused to the southeast city. He was even willing to send Zhang Heng away in glory.
However, what he did not expect was that Zhang Heng still insisted. "Sorry, I don't intend to give up on my request."
Lockheed frowned, "Do you know that even if you and Clint can persuade the emperor to send the imperial guards here, you still need the approval of the Senate? I'm willing to treat you with respect, not because I'm afraid of the 1,000 Imperial Guards, but because I don't want to give more money to those greedy elders in the Senate. If we continue to fight, those elders will only benefit from it. Moreover, even if you win in the end and obtain the approval of the Senate, what then?
"You are not the first person who wants to destroy us, and you will not be the last. But the dynasty changes, and the emperor's portrait on the gold coin changes again and again. We are still here. Of course, you can use the army to capture us, or even kill me and destroy the Jewish gang. But as long as you give the people here a little time, they will rebuild everything we built." Lockheed paused and said seriously, "We are all old people. Old people always hope to solve problems in relatively peaceful ways, but being old also means that we are not afraid of death."
"Uh, I have to interrupt you. I am still quite young, and I am quite afraid of death," Cornu said, "But you don't have to worry about me. I am just a small character who is responsible for delivering the message."
Zhang Heng also said after listening to Lockheed's words, "You misunderstood. I personally respect you very much. I have no intention of destroying you or the Jewish gang, and I will not change your way of life. I just hope that from now on, the patrol team can participate in the management of the southeast city instead of being a bystander like before."
"I see. What you want is not just political achievements. You also want to cultivate your own power in this neighborhood." Lockheed's words revealed Zhang Heng's real purpose.
And Zhang Heng did not hide it. He openly admitted, "I have heard your story about how you started from scratch and eventually became the uncrowned king of the southeast city. Like the other young people in this neighborhood, I am also deeply inspired. I also want to create my own career here." "You are quite honest."
Lockheed nodded when he heard what Zhang Heng said. "It is good for young people to be ambitious, but the problem is your identity. You are not from here, and you are backed by the patrol team. This is not a fair competition. I can't watch you grow stronger."
This time, it was Zhang Heng's turn to frown. He did not expect Lockheed's attitude to be so tough. This old man could clearly make peace with the nobles in the Senate. Why couldn't he tolerate the existence of a new force that would not shake the Jewish gang?
At this moment, the leader of the Golden Crown, who had been closing his eyes to rest, opened his eyes and said, "Mr. Lockheed, what you mean is that if you want to establish your force here, you first need to prove that you are also from here. Then, we will consider accepting you."
"How do I prove it?"
"It's very simple. When you return to His Majesty the Emperor, we want you to help us kill someone." At this point, Lockheed finally revealed the real reason why he invited Zhang Heng to the second floor.
Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows when he heard the words. He almost thought that his relationship with the Balance Blade had been exposed. Fortunately, the old man on the opposite side added, "Senator Divo Braille, we need you to find a way to end his political career and deprive him of his status as a senator. His appetite is too big, and we can no longer satisfy him. In exchange, we can allow you and your patrol team to develop here, but you cannot go overboard like before. If you agree, we can talk about the division of power in the patrol team."
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