Although Kruen had his own plans, having just taken charge of Black Rabbit Security, he knew very well that his foundation was not deep enough.
So, on the surface, Kruen did a very good job, showing his loyalty to Ribs everywhere.
At the internal meeting of Black Rabbit Security, Kronen spoke most often to flatter Ribs.
"The Speaker's vision is top-notch! Brothers, follow the right person, and good days are yet to come!"
"Although I am your boss now, everything must be done according to the rules set by the Speaker! Anyone who is not loyal to Mr. Ribbs is against me, Kruen!!"
Although his words were beautiful, in reality, Kron was constantly looking for opportunities to quietly insert the loyal core members of his Red Blood Gang into key positions in Black Rabbit Security.
Operations team leader, regional security director, intelligence analysis team leader... these positions were quickly replaced by Kruen's "own people".
Meanwhile, Black Rabbit Security's collaboration with the Chicago Police Department exploded, fueled by Ribbs's political influence.
From maintaining public order at large events, to joint patrols in sensitive areas, to providing backup for police interrogations...
Black Rabbit Security’s “legal business” contracts are coming in like snowflakes.
Huge cash flows were continuously injected into the security company's accounts. With both money and guns in hand, Black Rabbit Security's strength expanded rapidly.
The streets of Chicago have also changed. The days when gangs were rampant and bloody conflicts broke out frequently seemed to have become history overnight.
The patrol fleet of Black Rabbit Security drove majestically through various blocks. Open street violence that might disturb "good citizens" disappeared, and the police's crime rate report became more "good-looking" than ever before.
The news media is full of praise for the fundamental improvement in urban security.
Kruen's public statements were always straightforward: "We are simply following the instructions of Speaker Ribbs to create a safe and stable social environment in Chicago."
However, for Chicago, a city full of illegal immigrants and blacks, there is a market and demand. The white flour business has not only not decreased, but is also in full swing at a deeper and darker level.
With Kruen in control of such a huge market, it was natural for him to make a fortune from it.
He used the legal identity of Black Rabbit Security and its actual control over the streets to monopolize the public security business while firmly grasping the most lucrative part of Chicago's underground market - underground transactions.
Under the iron-fisted integration of Black Rabbit Security under Kroon's command, any big trader who wants to enter the Chicago market must pass through a few "safe ports" designated by Black Rabbit Security - docks or storage areas usually controlled by core members of the Red Blood Gang.
Whether it is the goods from Mexico's "Sinaloa"; the goods from the secret processing plants of the Colombian "Gulf" group; or the locally synthesized goods of the "Northern Wolves" in the Great Lakes region.
Every batch of incoming goods must pay a "security tax" and channel handling fee to Black Rabbit Security that is almost robbery.
This money is not only used to "manage" relations with the police, but also serves as a key source of funds for him to maintain a huge private armed force and expand his power.
Crune's Red Bloods Gang, originally an underground dealer in Chicago, leveraged their monopoly advantage to implement a dual pricing strategy: on the one hand, they significantly lowered suppliers' purchase prices and, through Black Rabbit Security's control over distribution channels, forced groups like Sinaloa and the Gulf Group to supply goods at prices far below the market price; on the other hand, they leveraged their monopoly on terminal distribution channels to artificially raise transaction prices on the streets.
This model of "lowering the purchase price and raising the selling price" allowed Kruen to earn far greater profits than before, while also causing dissatisfaction on both sides: suppliers were angry because their profits were squeezed to the extreme, and addicts were forced to bear prices far higher than before.
Kron's system essentially turned these major companies into its own lower-tier suppliers. Not only did they lose pricing power, but even their market access was controlled by Kron, a former "street thug."
Several major "groups" around Chicago have had their profit margins completely squeezed, so naturally, they are extremely dissatisfied with Black Rabbit Security.
In the biting cold wind from the Great Lakes, a gray container truck rolled over icy potholes and drove into a railroad intersection in an abandoned industrial area on Chicago's South Side.
Three off-road vehicles of different models had already been turned off and were lying dormant behind a pile of snow.
The car door opened and Julio, the Sinaloa contact, staggered out of the car wrapped in a mink-collared coat.
The Gulf Group's representative, "Accountant" Salvador, and the leader of the 'Northern Wolf Pack', Marcus, have been waiting for a long time.
"Black Rabbit Security is truly insane! Ever since Kron came to power, he's driven down the price of my goods at the port to the point where even Colombian farmers can't survive! Ribs actually condoned this kind of robbery. Does he really think our major corporations are pushovers?!" Julio cursed as he kicked the empty can away. The sharp sound of rolling metal shattered the silence.
Salvador opened his suitcase and looked at a map of Chicago on his tablet.
Dense red triangle marks cover ports, highway checkpoints and storage areas - all of which are monitoring points of Black Rabbit Security.
"He takes 65% of the profits and then uses our goods to feed his street thugs. Even more deadly—" Salvador's fingertips traced a blue dotted line, "all distribution chains must use the 'Black Rabbit' license. We're not doing business at all; we're serving as blood slaves for Kron."
Marcus finally managed a squeak through his teeth. "Last month, three of my brothers were stopped by the Black Rabbit Patrol on Highway 94 while transporting raw materials. They were thrown into Lake Michigan and frozen into popsicles. The cargo was labeled 'Seized Drugs' to pad out Kroon's accomplishments." He lifted his coat, revealing a centipede-like scar on his chest. "Chicago rules? Now the rules are Kroon's knife. He has the final say on whose meat is cut."
"Hey guys, let's talk about what to do! We three must unite now!" Salvador said, "Otherwise, we'll all be killed by Kruen!"
Marcus, the leader of the 'Northland Wolf Pack', said fiercely, "If all else fails, we'll just confront them head-on! He's just a Black Rabbit security guard! I have a gun too!"
The cold wind blew up snow foam beside the abandoned railroad tracks. Salvador's calm voice drowned out Marcus's curses: "Use force? Behind Black Rabbit Security is the National Guard and the entire Chicago Police Department! They are now a legal gang in uniform. If we go to war with them, it's like declaring war on the entire state of Illinois!"
Marcus wrapped his coat tightly around him, the scar at the corner of his eye dancing in the shadows. "So what do you say? Should I continue to be his milk cow?"
"The only way to survive," Salvador's fingertips slammed heavily on the flat screen, slamming the name that sat at the pinnacle of power in Chicago - "Bypass the mad dog and talk to the owner! Go straight to Speaker Reeves!"
Julio scoffed. "Looking for him? The Ribbs who skinned Thorne alive? Will he listen to us?"
"He'll listen to the 'chips'!" Salvador's eyes were sharp as knives. "Kroon is taking advantage of others, breaking the rules and shaking the foundation of the Chicago underworld. We can give Ribs what he wants more - a larger, more 'orderly' source of profit that he can control personally. Don't forget, he's a politician and a businessman. He doesn't want the street thug-like exploitation of Kroon, but real control of the chessboard!"
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