One week after the father's death, in a family restaurant.
Diners enjoy their food. Some of them were office workers who had just returned home, high school youths meeting with their friends or lovers, couples enjoying their day, and families inviting their family members to dinner. But in the right corner of the restaurant, a group of taxi drivers is in the smoking area. Those from 25 to 60 years old are there to rest and celebrate their accomplishments who have achieved their desired targets this month. Their presence had made the restaurant very crowded.
"Let's have a drink! Let's celebrate our success. We have achieved our target for this month, so let's celebrate this victory!"
Beer glasses were lifted, the maids busily pouring their following drinks.
"By the way, where's the boss?"
Her question made them stop and set their drinks on the table.
"Wasn't he here before?"
"He was there before, but he suddenly left."
They couldn't continue drinking and partying because their boss suddenly disappeared. They must find him immediately. They couldn't have a party if someone very important disappeared.
They were confused for a few moments before someone finally got a message.
"Ah. It's from him. He said he was throwing up in the back. He apologized for leaving us suddenly. He'll be back in a minute, so we don't have to look for him."
"Hahaha," Someone laughed. "He never changes. He just had one drink, didn't he?"
"He can't drink. It would be best if you didn't laugh at him. He's our boss. We're nothing, and we could never celebrate this once every month without him."
"You're right. Even so, let's at least toast him!"
"Cheers!"
They toast each other after that.
***
At the back of the restaurant.
"Huueekk..."
A man of modest appearance wears a black shirt and short jeans, has slightly messy black hair, height 174 cm, white skin, and a handsome face, has vomited the food he just ate a few minutes ago.
"What the hell? It's so sweet. It made me throw up my drink too."
He doesn't like sweets, but he just ate those. While his friends were partying and enjoying their drinks, he saw a female waitress bring those. It looked attractive to him because it was deep black, like coffee. But when he tried it, he didn't like it. It was too sweet for his mouth. He should spit it out in the back of the restaurant. It was better than him having to spit it out in front of the maid, who had brought those to his friends.
That's why he's here, not joining his friends.
After regurgitating it repeatedly and making him even more hungry, he sent a message to his friend.
"I will never eat that cake again." He held his growling stomach. "Ah, I'm so hungry. Are they still busy drinking right now? I want to order food without them."
He turned and walked.
He is Kalvin Anggara, whom they call the boss. He is the leader and president of the taxi company Yanto Group, but he has a simple personality that makes him not look like a president. Even so, he is a man who is very responsible for what he manages.
"Hey!" A woman screamed from the 2nd floor of her house.
He cleaned his mouth with a cloth that was being dried. The woman screamed to him from the 2nd floor of her house because it was her clothes.
"Do you own this?" Kalvin asked. Then he cleaned his mouth one more time with it.
"HEY! It's mine! I just washed it!"
"Is that so? I'm so sorry."
He cleaned his mouth and nose repeatedly with the clothes before he finally went out to find food.
He stopped in the alley when he saw a trash can nearby.
He opened the lid of the trash can, looked for food, and found one remaining hamburger that was still intact.
"Human... Throwing food away when it's still fit to eat."
Just as he was about to eat it, he saw something in front of him. Across the street, he saw a homeless person standing and holding his stomach in front of a hamburger restaurant.
He walked towards the place. It had made him pity. He felt that the tramp was starving.
Reaching behind him, he tapped him on his shoulder.
"Are you all right, sir?" Kalvin asked, glancing at the hamburger he was holding.
"I'm fine," He answered. "I'm just... Hahaha..."
The homeless man's stomach growled. He knew his stomach would growl, so he laughed so Kalvin wouldn't hear his stomach. But it can still be heard by Kalvin. So, Kalvin knew that he was lying and was starving right now.
"Wait a minute! Don't go anywhere!"
He walked towards the hamburger restaurant. He ordered a complete package of hamburgers and drinks. Then he returned after successfully getting food and drink.
"This is for you. Eat this to fill your tummy. Also..." He pulled out his wallet. "Use this money for the next day if you run out of food."
That's a lot of money that Kalvin gave to the homeless man.
"Thank you very much, young man. Thank you very much."
The homeless man could not hold back his tears. He cried because there were still people who cared about him.
"I'll go first. My friends must be looking for me." Kalvin walked and left him. "Take care of your health and stay alive! If we meet again, it will be your fortune."
After leaving, he returned to the family restaurant, where his friends were waiting for him. But before that, he ate the hamburger he had brought, which was found in the trash can.
When he got there, he saw his friends surrounded by many people wearing the same clothes; white shirts wrapped in black jackets, trousers, fedora hats, and equipped with guns.
He walked up to them because he knew who was surrounding his friends.
"Why are you here? You have frightened the visitors."
Their presence has frightened the visitors. They are mafia. People prefer not to approach mafia groups. They are afraid that they will die because they have disturbed. But not infrequently, some do not care about the presence of mafia groups in this city. Even so, the presence of mafia groups has made this city unsafe.
Someone approached Kalvin after he lit a cigarette. But strangely, he and the others kowtowed to Kalvin.
"What is this?"
That made Kalvin flustered, almost dropping the cigarette he had just smoked.
"Hey, hey, hey! Go stand up!"
Kalvin felt uncomfortable with what they were doing. The visitors must think strange about it.
"Just this once, please listen to me!" Someone said.
Annoyed by this atmosphere, Kalvin sat down and told the man to sit with him.
After the atmosphere calmed down and Kalvin's friends moved to another corner, that person opened his chat; why did he and them come to Kalvin and kowtow?
That person is Tony, a mafia under the father and carrying the letter.
"So what brings you here? Why didn't the old man just come to me?"
Kalvin doesn't know that his stepfather is dead. No one gave the news to him. He doesn't want to know about it and prefers to take care of the company he manages.
"By the way, would you like one? This hamburger is still delicious. I found this in the trash."
"..."
Kalvin offered it to Tony, and Tony was surprised by his offer when he found out that Kalvin was at the family restaurant, which had a lot of food choices.
"I don't want that."
"Were you the one who threw this in the trash?"
"That is not me."
"So that's it. I thought you liked throwing your food in there. But if you want, I can share this with you."
"Not."
They were with Tony and were also confused about what Kalvin was doing. They didn't expect Tony, the great co-leader, to be offered leftovers by him.
"So what brings you here? You're not trying to steal my cab again, are you?"
"I'm here to give you this."
Tony gave the letter to Kalvin. Kalvin was a bit confused by that.
"What's that?"
"This is the last letter from the father."
"Last letter from him? To me?"
Intrigued by it, he took it and opened it. He started reading it.
The letter:
[To Kalvin,
You may have gotten this letter from one of my subordinates. I'm not in this world anymore, you know. This is my last letter to you, which can only be written without being able to give it to you directly. So, my son, there are many things I have not completed at this time. There are still a lot of troubles happening to me and my subordinates. Will you help me? This is the last request from me. You have to lead them and become a mafia. They cannot live without someone to lead them. I don't want them to follow me; they will die because of my departure. You have to take care of them as I cared for you when I made you my son. Your choice is what determines their fate. So please don't make the wrong choice. Goodbye! Thank you for making me happy. From your hated father, Octo Pratley.]
Kalvin leaned his shoulder against the chair. He stared at the restaurant ceiling for a few moments as he thought about his stepfather, Octo Pratley.
Since childhood, Kalvin has received extraordinary attention from Octo. Octo has adopted Kalvin since he was five years old. Since being adopted by Octo, Kalvin has been cared for and raised in a mafia environment. So, if you ask who the person who has contributed the most in his life is, he will say Octo is the person who has contributed the most.
His life wouldn't be like this if it weren't for Octo to adopt him. He wouldn't be as successful as he is if he didn't learn a business from Octo. He would not be the taxi company president if he lived in an orphanage or had another family.
But there is one thing that makes Kalvin hate Octo so much that he refuses to become a mafia. That is because Octo teaches him to throw away caring attitudes. He taught him not to care about anyone other than his family and organization.
Kalvin can not be indifferent to other people. He really cares about other people. That's why he refused to become a mafia.
That reason had made him ignore Octo's plea. He chose to run away and live independently. What he has got is a taxi company, the Yanto group.
After pondering and thinking about his stepfather, Kalvin put the letter down and shifted it towards Tony.
"I can't."
"Why?"
Of course, that took Tony by surprise. Kalvin was too quick to object before Tony could negotiate with him.
"Well, because I can't. Being a mafia and selling illegal goods, I can't be like you. I can't order you to kill someone. I can't lead you just because I care about you. Besides, I don't want to be someone who doesn't care."
Kalvin was very open and willing to share his reasons for refusing. He also did the same thing when he met his stepfather; when Octo first asked Kalvin to take his place. Even so, right now, it was in a different situation. Octo is gone—he has died because his enemies killed him—so Tony can't accept Kalvin's rejection.
"What would you do?" Tony asked.
"Well, I'm going to stay like this, managing my company. Look at them! They are my subordinates and family! I can't just leave them. Like Octo, I can't leave my subordinates behind. Who will take care of them if I leave them?"
A leader is responsible for taking care of the company and its subordinates. If the leader leaves, the subordinates will be confused about their jobs. They will ask each other to get a job according to their abilities. In the end, since they couldn't find a suitable place for their expertise, they decided to leave and find another company.
But that doesn't apply to the members of the Octo family. They are so loyal that they can't just walk away. Even if one or two people left, they would still remember how their leader, Octo Pratley, had taken care of them all these years. Most of them would choose to die with him or stay behind and run the organization.
"Alright then, let's negotiate!"
Tony suddenly became serious and looked at Kalvin with a sharp look. He bent down and held his hands.