Ever since Reeves took over the Thorne Group and wiped out the Chicago Crips, he has had no rivals at all.
He truly lived a life of wonder. He moved into the tallest penthouse in Chicago, downtown.
The early morning sunlight shines through the 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows of Chicago's highest-floor apartment, coating the entire space with a lazy golden hue.
Reeves sat up from the bed with his muscular upper body naked. The air was filled with the fragrance of specially brewed coffee and... the faint scent of high-end perfume.
Kezia was half-kneeling on the soft carpet, carefully massaging his shoulders, which were a little stiff from last night's "intense exercise."
Irene sat beside him, her slender fingers sliding rapidly on the tablet, her shrewd eyes scanning the early trading data of major financial markets around the world, and occasionally whispering a few key points to him.
In the open kitchen not far away, Gina, wearing an apron and humming a tune, was preparing a sumptuous breakfast.
Jennifer, wearing only an apron, was scrubbing the living room floor.
Outside the window, the whole of Chicago lay at Reeves' feet.
The days when I used to hang around on the streets, fighting bloody battles and trying to survive in the cracks, now seem like a nightmare from another world.
The Daley family was wiped out, Thorne's empire became a piece of the puzzle of his financial empire, the remnants of the Crips nourished the growth of Black Rabbit Security, the Blue Roof Project made a fortune, and City Hall became the mouthpiece of his will... He stood at the pinnacle of power in Chicago.
Now, almost anything Ribs wants to do, he can arrange for someone else to do it... he doesn't have to do it himself.
The abilities of the [氪金系统] that he once relied on for survival... [American Iai], [Street Racer], [Conquer People with Virtue], etc., are almost useless.
Only the [Physical Fitness] set that strengthens the body's functions... can still find some use in this gentle place.
For example, last night, he fought one against four, making them beg for mercy and surrender in fear... This is probably the only place where the system can bring him a direct and intense sensory experience.
What's more, there is now 1.2 billion US dollars lying quietly in the account of the Reebok Foundation.
Ribs can almost... buy any skill in the system...
He opened the system panel and looked through the various skills boredly, but at the moment he had no desire to buy anything.
He experienced the intoxicating pleasure of power - without having to do anything himself, he could control everything simply by relying on the crushing power of his position and the projection of his will.
This feeling of being in control of everything and having whatever he wants fascinated and satisfied him even more than the various extraordinary abilities provided by the mysterious "system" he relied on in the early days of his journey.
Even Reeves himself hadn't expected the feeling of power to be so wonderful. Power itself, at this moment, had become his most powerful "system capability."
The golden finger he once had, now seemed more like a… dispensable ornament in the face of the vast empire in his hands? Or perhaps, an expensive toy that belonged only to him?
Ribs elegantly picked up his knife and fork and cut the steak that Gina had carefully prepared. It seemed that the only thing he needed to worry about was how to spend this long, rich, and somewhat... boring time at the peak of power in a more "interesting" way.
Of course, there's also the question of whose card to turn over tonight. Hmm... maybe try a harder level? Activate that "powerful" system again?
After breakfast, Ribbs took a special car to his Speaker's office and started a boring day of work.
Every few days, Fox would come to report on the latest progress of the "Blue Roof Project." Listening to the smooth and almost boring progress report, Reeves only needed to nod slightly, and everything would operate as usual under his will.
At the municipal level, the map of power is crystal clear.
Although Mayor Jefferson was nominally equal to Reebs, in reality, he expressed his admiration and dependence on Reebs in every public occasion.
At various meetings in City Hall, whether the topic is urban planning, fiscal budget or community welfare, Ribbs' opinion is the final decision.
Discussion? Just a formality, a garnish before Reeves makes the final call.
What made Ribbs even happier was the heavy legislative power in the hands of the Chicago City Council.
This is no longer the rule of the street, but a power endowed with the cloak of sacred law.
Using this advantage, he began to guide the formulation of a series of local laws that were extremely beneficial to his huge business empire in the name of reshaping Chicago. These laws were under the banner of improving people's livelihoods, optimizing the business environment, and enhancing urban safety, but they were full of subtle biased clauses:
How can public procurement processes set more "reasonable" thresholds? How can planning adjustments for commercial land parcels be made more "flexible"? How can public service outsourcing contracts be more accurately matched with "qualified and experienced" suppliers?
Newspapers are still full of praise for Ribbs, and the Blue Roof Project's "popular support" is still being hyped by the media.
The story of how the "Thunder Speaker" "saved" Chicago was sung on the streets.
He stood at the top of the pyramid, breathing an air mixed with power, money and success.
Worry? Under this sky that he firmly controlled, it had become a distant and unfamiliar word.
Ribs stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, the expensive whiskey in the glass reflecting the bright lights of the city.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. This was indeed a magical day created by him.
"Ding ding ding!" There was a knock on the door.
"Come in! Alfred." Reeves replied lazily.
Alfred walked in silently and said respectfully, "Mr. Speaker, Salvador contacted me."
"Who?" Reeves asked without turning his head, his voice filled with a hint of impatience.
The name Salvador was somewhat familiar, but what filled his mind at the moment was the new National Guard budget report and the subcontract bidding plan for the second phase of the Blue Roof Project.
Now, the names of these drug dealers seemed to him like code names for rats in the sewer.
"Representatives from the Gulf Group," Alfred said in a steady voice, as if presenting a financial report. "Also, there's Julio from Sinaloa and Marcus, the leader of the Northland Wolves."
Ribbs turned his head slightly and glanced at his most trusted assistant. He knew that Alfred would never make a special trip to report on trivial matters.
"What's wrong?" He said with a hint of mockery in his tone. "Did that mad dog Klune bite them? Let them handle it themselves. You still need me to intervene in this street-level brawl? Tell Klune to mind his own mouth and that of his gang, and don't make too much noise."
Ribs obviously didn't take it seriously. In his opinion, although Kroon's greed was ugly, as long as he could maintain superficial calm and not affect his blue roof business and the "good data" of Chicago's security, he could tolerate it for the time being.
He even felt that letting Kruen be the villain and collect the money saved him from having to deal with those dirty businesses.
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