After Julia delivered her closing remarks, the guests left the auction room. Some had smiles on their faces, while others looked sour. Those with smiles had successfully purchased items at the auction.
They were instructed to wait in a room provided by the gallery for payment purposes. The gallery had set up a separate space to ensure privacy during transactions. Of course, they wouldn't receive the items immediately. The gallery would send out the paintings in the following days.
In a guest room adorned with paintings and sculptures on each side, crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, illuminating Klaus and Olivia seated on a sofa. Glasses and a bottle of wine rested on the table between them.
Lounging on the sofa, Olivia gazed at the lamplight with a bored expression. Even though she had only been sitting for ten minutes, it felt like an eternity to her.
"Boring. So boring. I want to go home. How much longer do we have to wait in this cramped place?" Olivia sighed, turning her head towards Klaus, who was on the opposite sofa.
On the other side, Klaus appeared comfortable with a thick book in his hand, immersed in the world of its story, oblivious to the girl's words in front of him.
Narrowing her eyes, Olivia felt ignored. She grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him, but Klaus caught it without even glancing at her. Naturally, this only made Olivia more frustrated.
"Klaus! I've been talking to you," Olivia pouted.
With an annoyed sigh, Klaus finally acknowledged her, setting down the book he was reading.
"Stop behaving like a kid, Olivia. I know you're bored, but be patient. There's a bookshelf there, grab some books and read them."
"Come on, Klaus. I can't just sit here doing nothing," Olivia complained.
"That's why I told you to read a book."
Olivia looked at him, her hand supporting her head. "Seriously, Klaus? Not everyone is a nerd like you."
Klaus sighed, picking up his book again. "Ah, nevermind. I forgot you're idiot."
Naturally, his sarcasm got to her.
As she was about to throw the cushion at Klaus for the second time, the door suddenly swung open. A man entered the room. His face displayed surprise when he saw Olivia.
"Oh, you…"
"Ah, Mr. Jonathan," Olivia said, slightly panicked.
Upon hearing the name, Klaus set his book aside and stood up. He put on a friendly smile to welcome the awaited guest.
"Mr. Jonathan Thompsen. Sorry to startle you."
"Oh, it's fine. I should be apologizing. I believe I've entered the wrong room. The servant must have led me astray."
"You didn't enter the wrong room," Klaus stated firmly.
Jonathan squinted. "Then why are you here?"
Klaus smirked. "Well, how about we sit down and have a chat?"
Olivia quickly stood up and straightened her attire, inviting Jonathan to take a seat. Meanwhile, Klaus poured wine into glasses. He smiled warmly as Jonathan took a sip.
Silence hung in the room for a moment. Jonathan stared at Klaus with a piercing look, trying to discern the hidden intention behind his friendly smile.
"Let me guess. Julia deliberately put us in the same place. You requested it, didn't you?" Jonathan asked, placing his glass on the table.
Klaus flicked his finger. "Yup. You're as sharp as I expected."
Jonathan nodded in response. He then leaned back in his chair. "So, what do you want from me?"
A grin spread across Klaus's face. He reached into his jacket pocket, taking out a brown envelope and placing it on the table. Jonathan squinted before picking it up. Inside were several sheets of paper. His eyebrows raised as he read through them.
Klaus maintained a neutral expression, but Olivia furrowed her brows, curious about the contents of the document.
"Why are you giving me this?" Jonathan asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Because I believe you're the right person."
"Sorry, Klaus. But I'm not interested. I've done it five years ago and it failed." Jonathan tossed the brown envelope onto the table.
Klaus pursed his lips.
The brown envelope contained the detailed plan for this year's gubernatorial campaign. Klaus had included ten percent of the plan he and Richard had developed over the past few months, crafting it into a proposal to recruit Jonathan as the lieutenant governor candidate for the upcoming election.
Klaus knew that recruiting Jonathan Thompsen wouldn't be easy. The tight timeline and sudden nature of the request would make it even more challenging. However, he had prepared a plan to persuade this man.
"You failed because you joined a political party. They don't hold any influence in today's world," Klaus stated, pouring wine into Jonathan's glass.
"Yeah, that was my mistake. And now I won't repeat it. I did my research on you before the auction. You've had impressive achievements, but it's still not enough to face Jose Ancelotti. Behind this man is the Morning Star. I know who I'm up against." Jonathan took a sip of his wine.
What this man said was true. Morning Star had sown seeds of trust in New York City. Despite numerous scandals that often targeted the guild, the citizens of New York still placed their faith in them. They chose to turn a blind eye due to the significant contributions Morning Star had made to the city.
In a previous period, Jonathan had attempted to run for mayor. His name had polled very high in terms of electability. Yet, he had no political experience whatsoever. His popularity stemmed from being a bestselling author. Additionally, television stations often invited him as a commentator or critic whenever the government caused issues.I think you should take a look at
However, he still lost in the end.
Taking on Morning Star with fame and sweet promises wouldn't suffice. That's why Jonathan declined Klaus's offer.
However, Klaus wasn't thinking along those lines.
"If we're to take on Morning Star conventionally, we'll never be able to defeat them. That's why we need a special weapon in this election."
Klaus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. Pressing a button on its side, a projection of light appeared, displaying a list of names. Squinting, Jonathan attempted to read them one by one. For a moment, he didn't understand who they were. But as he read further, familiar names frequently heard in the news appeared on the list. Gradually, he realized.
"Where did you get all of these?" Jonathan exclaimed.
Klaus grinned, seeing the expected response from the man in front of him. "Let's just say I have a friend who happens to have the same enemies." Klaus leaned forward. "I know you have big ambitions to improve this city. And your prospective partner, Richard Dickson, shares the same vision. Together, we can cleanse the corrupt individuals who have been gnawing at New York City."
The list provided by Klaus contained the names of corrupt officials and community figures working for Morning Star. In other words, they were the lackeys of Vincent Thomsen. Jonathan recognized them because some had threatened him before.
"So, what are you going to do about these people? Report them to the police?" Jonathan asked.
Klaus chuckled. "Of course not. Reporting corrupts to a corrupt institution is foolish. I already have plans for them. Whether you join us or not is up to you. This is a golden opportunity for you to take them down."
Jonathan bit his lip. He remained silent for a long time. "Tell me the details."
Then, Klaus explained his plan to Jonathan in detail, and the man listened attentively.
Jonathan had a strong desire to take control of this city. His family had almost fallen into poverty due to the first dungeon break that struck England. Vast fertile lands and industries throughout the nation were destroyed overnight. However, Jonathan and his noble family managed to survive by fleeing to the USA. Gradually, they could accumulate wealth again by establishing companies. Unfortunately, they couldn't regain their power.
In New York, Jonathan and his family were no different from common people. Despite having money, they were at the lowest caste. The cause was none other than the Awakeners. Their emergence around the world had altered the social order. Those who were once on top descended, and those from below could rise. Their classes were now based on the 'special power' they possessed.
Jonathan carefully considered Klaus's offer. If he could become a leader, it would be an opportunity for his family to regain power.
"Why didn't Richard meet me in person? Why you?" Jonathan suddenly asked.
"Because I'm the boss."
Naturally, Jonathan twisted his face in confusion. "Did I mishear something?"
"Nope, you hear me right. Richard works for me. I don't care who takes over New York as long as it's not Vincent Thomsen. I just want to get rid of Morning Star. But to do that, I need to diminish its influence in this city. The way to do it is by winning this year's election. By having people in the highest government seats, I can clean up the corrupts who have been supporting Morning Star all this time. And I see, you are one of the best people to do it."
Listening to Klaus's explanation, Jonathan clenched his hands. He considered it thoroughly. Klaus wasn't merely bringing words; he was bringing a weapon that might defeat Morning Star. Additionally, Jonathan had heard about Klaus's numerous achievements. One of the most famous was how he exposed Elizabeth Jung's lies at the Port of Miami. No one had dared to stand up against the guild master of Oathkeeper before.
The longer Jonathan considered the offer, the more convinced he became to accept it.
"Alright. I agree," Jonathan said.
Klaus grinned. "Excellent."
Then, they both stood up and shook hands. Meanwhile, Olivia watched them in astonishment. She hadn't expected to witness a political conspiracy just now.
"I wanted to chat with you longer, but I have other matters to attend to right now," Klaus said. "I'll get in touch with you later. We'll hold a small meeting."
"Sure. I'll be looking forward to it."
After that brief conversation, they both hurriedly left the room. However, Olivia still stood there, her face in shock.
"Hey, you said you wanted to go home, right? Come on, why are you daydreaming?" Klaus reprimanded her.
"Klaus... what did we just talk about?"
Seeing the woman before him in a daze, Klaus was sure Olivia was shocked by their conversation. Jonathan stood at the doorway, looking puzzled. He assumed Olivia had already learned everything but it was wrong.
Klaus approached Olivia. "I'll explain everything once we're home." Then, he gently took her hand.
Jonathan shook his head as he observed how Klaus treated Olivia.
As they exited the room, three women were waiting for them in the hallway. One of them was the woman with a mole under her eye, waving at Klaus.????????????????????????????????.????????????
"Well, well. Why are you three in one room? Shouldn't you be making separate payments? Am I missing something?"
Yes, the woman was Liliana, and the other two women with her were Julia and Isabella. Suspicion was clearly evident on Liliana's face.
Jonathan looked at Klaus, silently asking through his gaze whether they were also part of the plan or not. Klaus shook his head in response, and Jonathan quickly understood his meaning.
"Um... it's..."
Before Jonathan could come up with an explanation, Liliana stepped forward, getting close to him. She locked her gaze onto him, giving him a piercing look.
"Are you guys conspiring?" she asked.
