Chapter 26: The Concept of the Repeating Rifle

Although many newspapers had already rushed out reports about the ins and outs of the Ethan incident the day before, the real bomb did not fully detonate until the following day.

The reason was that Winter’s largest newspaper, the North Sea Daily, reported on the matter, and it was the front-page headline. In the past, the North Sea Daily only covered core livelihood issues, legal matters, and policy updates; it would never touch on topics related to the Mafia, let alone feature them on the front page. Yet today, anyone who picked up the newspaper would see the most conspicuous headline: "Law-abiding Citizen Subjected to Brutal Enforcement—Where is Winter’s Civility?"

The accompanying image was the one of Ethan standing at the entrance of the police station, and below it was a photo from the interrogation room showing Lewis, looking like a savage beast, pinning Ethan to the ground and beating him. Once this news broke, the police station was instantly pushed to the forefront of public scrutiny. As for Lewis, his career as a law enforcement officer was effectively finished.

In reality, that was exactly the case; he had already been suspended yesterday, and today he received notification that he was to be repatriated to his place of origin. He had originally come to Winter from the Royal Capital to pad his resume, and now that he was being sent back, there was no chance for him to continue his career or climb the ranks within the police system. He never imagined that because of a minor Mafia member, he would be ruined beyond redemption.

After leaving the police station, he immediately called the Evans family. After all, everything had started with them. However, the Evans family did not even answer his calls. They were currently in a state of utter disarray themselves. They had received the latest news: they might have been kicked out of the game.

In the Evans family’s conference room, smoke hung heavy in the air. George Evans had bloodshot eyes and was unshaven, showing none of his usual elegance. He downed another glass of liquor and looked at the men below him. "Is there still no definitive news?" He had not slept since the incident began yesterday. It started with the failure of Lewis’s operation, which had completely derailed his original plans.

There was one thing Lewis hadn’t lied to Ethan about: the Evans family truly intended to move against the Polletta family. George’s team of gunmen was ready, and to ensure absolute success, he had even hired experts from a neighboring city. But then, Lewis’s incident occurred. When he saw the newspaper, his blood pressure spiked. His well-laid plans suddenly became indecisive.

The family leaders urged him not to give up, arguing that this was the best time to strike. Even though Ethan was out, the Polletta family was in a weakened state. Leonardo had buried the elite of the Polletta family, and there could be no better time than now. Lewis had also called to clamor that he must attack, even offering to join the fight himself.

George was hesitant. He dared not forget what Ethan had done, especially the silent and swift elimination of Tony at Alberto’s funeral. The standoff lasted until the evening, when Ethan went to Sandro’s castle. Upon receiving this news, George became even more afraid to act. He desperately wanted to know what Ethan had discussed with Sandro. He spent a great deal of time and energy trying to uncover this information. By the time he finally obtained it, dawn had already broken.

The content of the news left him filled with regret. If he had known, he should have acted without hesitation yesterday. By dragging it out until today, it was already too late. The news was that Ethan was forming an alliance with Sandro and the other three major families to enter the bootlegging business together. The Evans family had been kicked out. If he made a move now, the other families would not stand for it, especially Sandro.

"George, if you ask me, forget all that. Just strike! They haven't truly formed the alliance yet. As long as we take out Ethan, we can still get a seat at the table."

The subordinate’s point was well-taken and made logical sense. But that was the outcome if they won. What if they lost? The fate of Joan was a clear warning. And truly... could they win? George took a deep breath. His subordinate was still clamoring, "Let them see the iron and blood of the Evans family!"

"Shut up." George finally exhaled. "Arrange the car. I am going to see Sandro. Also, send someone to see Ethan and tell him I want to invite him to dinner." In the end, he lacked the courage. "Everyone, dismiss."

When Ethan received this message, he was still at the Villon Tavern, having just finished breakfast. He hadn’t left after Clay departed yesterday because the situation with the Evans family wasn't over. According to the intelligence provided by Villon, the Evans family’s men hadn't withdrawn, and the standoff was still ongoing.

Ethan dared not be careless and stayed at the tavern to wait, ready to respond at any moment. During this time, Villon reported to Ethan on the various conditions of the newly acquired Cabrea family territory. Finally, he brought up the issue of military strength. Previously, the family’s armed force had been largely handed over to Leonardo. As it turned out, that night, those forces were essentially buried along with Leonardo.

They were now in a vacuum where their military strength was severely lacking, even after absorbing the remnants of the Cabrea family. Without a core fighting force, the only ones who could truly be counted were the dozen or so people at Villon Tavern. One had even died during the raid on the Cabrea estate. The current standoff made Villon feel compelled to bring this up.

Ethan’s plan was to have each leader send a batch of their best men for centralized training under Villon’s command. Then there was the issue of weapons; they didn't have enough firearms. They couldn't rely forever on the guns stored under Villon Tavern. Speaking of guns, Ethan thought of something: he hadn't seen a single submachine gun in Villon’s cellar. These were the ultimate weapons for urban gang warfare.

When he asked Villon about it, Villon looked blank—he truly did not know what a submachine gun was. Ethan felt he had caught a winning card. Although he knew nothing about brewing and couldn't improve the bootleg liquor, he had a certain background in firearms. In his previous life, he had studied them; at the very least, he knew the basic structure and principles of a submachine gun. Combined with his current authority, he had an excellent understanding of this world’s firearms.

Thus, based on the technology of this world, he incorporated the structure of the submachine guns from his past life and eventually designed a new firearm. That night, aside from preparing for battle, he spent most of his time drawing up blueprints. By the time he finished the drawings, he had nearly finished his breakfast, and news of the Evans family’s withdrawal arrived at the same time.

"Villon, please find someone to test-build this gun. Remember, keep it strictly confidential. Once it’s made, bring it to me immediately." Ethan stretched, handed the blueprints to Villon, and prepared to go back to get some sleep.