Sterling nodded slightly, took a sip of wine reservedly, his voice still steady: "It's my duty. The anonymous evidence chain is clear and pointed to a clear direction. The amount involved is huge and the cross-border flow is frequent. It meets the full process of initiating emergency review and asset preservation." He packaged a precise attack as "doing things according to the rules" in a casual manner.
Governor Morgan put down his glass and let out a meaningful chuckle. "Oh, that kid, he's probably pissed off in Chicago right now, right? The casino can't cash out, the security can't get paid... it's really... delightful to think about it." He shook his head and adopted a serious tone. "Young man, you really don't know your place. He's let Chicago's waters flow, and you really think you can do whatever you want? Rules can't be enforced with fists alone."
"Morgan's right," Eberhart said, fingertips stroking the sides of his glass. "Chicago is his turf. He can mess around as he pleases, and we 'old hands' don't bother to care. But he shouldn't have extended his hand too far, reaching New York, and doing so so quickly and so greedily!" A barely perceptible coldness flashed in his eyes. "Thorn Group's little tricks were just the beginning. He bought helicopters and established connections with General Dynamics. What was his purpose? And the influence of the Illinois National Guard... His goal is more than just a ticket to the Nightingale Club. He wants to replicate the Chicago model in New York and become a true duopoly on the East and West Coasts? His appetite is too big, and he's not afraid of overeating himself!"
"Two heroes?" Harold sneered, his sarcasm barely concealed. "With just his little shady background? Laundered money and a few small-time cronies? New York's centuries-old foundation is intricately rooted, how can a nouveau riche like him shake it? If he wants a piece of the pie, fine, he can climb slowly by following the rules. But he wants to ascend to the top overnight and overturn the table to start all over again... humph, that's overestimating his own abilities and courting his own death!"
"So," Governor Morgan leaned forward, looking at the other three people present, "aren't we teaching him a lesson? Let him wake up and understand the meaning of excess and reverence. We can turn a blind eye to his being the 'king' of Chicago. But he doesn't get to set the rules in New York, and the wealth here can't be plundered at will by his underground methods." He raised his glass again. "This time, let him pay a high price, learn the rules, and know where to stand. New York will always be our New York."
"To New York," Harold said, raising his glass with a carefree attitude. "To the rules," Sterling said, his voice calm, his eyes sharp as a knife. "To 'lessons,'" Eberhart said with a playful smile.
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