All acquisitions of assets are conducted covertly.
Upon acquiring the assets of Belloc Boose and Kogal, Jonas's fortune expanded several times over... Even among the members of the board, he could now be counted among the elite. After all, not every board member holds control over three secondary districts; individuals like Jonas are few and far between, yet the board had no choice but to begrudgingly accept it.
All of this was done under the 'relative fairness' supervised by the Arbitration Committee. Mr. Belloc Boose was successfully imprisoned for the assassination of the consortium heir.
Despite Stert Prison not being impregnable, ordinary prisoners have no chance of escape. Mr. Belloc Boose is held captive there.
In a sense, this is also the board's statement towards Jonas. Stert Prison lacks extensive surveillance equipment and is susceptible to methods beyond the established rules. Moreover, Stert is conveniently within the radius of control of the Nathan Consortium, making it easy for Jonas, as a partner, to intervene.
Of course, Mr. Belloc Boose in prison is unaware of the events transpiring outside.
Stert Prison, within cell number 26.
Belloc lay on his bed in his cell, seemingly unaffected by the recent events.
Well... the impact was considerable, nonetheless. After all, this gamble had staked his entire fortune. Even if he were to escape, the likelihood of reclaiming his assets was slim. But for Belloc, as long as he was alive, there was hope... and the opportunity for a fresh start in the future.
With these thoughts in mind, a shadow crossed Belloc's eyes.
Victory and defeat are commonplace in the art of war. Losing to Jonas this time, he accepted it willingly. However, this debt must be repaid... If given the chance in the future, he would ensure Jonas tasted the same bitterness.
"Ding ding——"
As Belloc was still envisioning his future, the door of his cell suddenly opened.
The voice from outside the cell echoed, it was the prison's system control electronic sound.
"The prison system has malfunctioned. Please stay in your cells and do not attempt to escape. Attempting to escape will be considered a violation and result in immediate termination."
Belloc was taken aback upon hearing this, a sense of unease rising within him.
Shortly after, as if to confirm his premonition, a patrol robot suddenly stopped at the door of his cell.
Turning around, its electronic eye fixed on Belloc, it coldly warned:
"Violation detected. Drop your weapon and cease your actions."
Belloc immediately raised his hands, feeling anxious. These abnormal circumstances seemed directed at him.
After signaling that he posed no threat by raising his hands, the patrol robot did not stand down. Instead, it issued another warning:
"Drop your weapon and cease your actions."
"I..." Belloc felt a sense of urgency, about to speak, but the patrol robot extended its main weapon, a small machine gun, directly at him.
"Warning ignored three times. Violation confirmed. Executing order to terminate the violator."
As the voice fell, the machine gun began pouring out bullets. Belloc, who had anticipated this, attempted to dodge, but the narrow cell offered no cover.
Bullets poured into the cell, turning it into a scene of carnage.
Belloc's body was pierced by bullets, blood staining the surroundings. His expression still bore the despair and unwillingness of his last moments.
Amidst the chaos, Belloc's body fell to the ground, the patrol robot's electronic eye flashing with a red light.
"Violator terminated."
The electronic voice of the patrol robot declared the end of this massacre.
With the sound fading, the system malfunction in the prison seemed to have been resolved. The warning lights stopped flashing, and the other inmates in the prison, witnessing the scene of other inmates being killed in their cells, showed a mixture of gloating and indifference.
The system malfunction was, of course, just an excuse; such incidents were not uncommon in the prisons of District 25.
District 25 does not have capital punishment, yet prisoners die in their cells every year.
Prisoners also have rights, a statement that is itself a joke.
...
Alt District.
Within the Venning Consortium's Alt Branch Building Office.
Jonas looked at the footage transmitted back from Stert Prison, rubbing his brow involuntarily.
The trouble with the board had been completely resolved, and perhaps there would be more trouble to deal with, like that of the Levie Consortium, but that was for later.
Jonas had never been one to leave loose ends. Anyone who had targeted him or had been targeted by him, he would eliminate without mercy.
But Miss Tianyu might be an exception... or rather, individuals of her kind.
These people often have one characteristic in common: they still hold some utility.
And individuals like Mr. Belloc Boose, who have no utility, are best disposed of.
"Well, that's that. Everything's sorted out."
Jonas turned off the video and looked at the young woman in front of him, smiling as he spoke:
"This time, we owe it to Miss Esney."
Upon hearing this, Esney felt slightly awkward.
In truth, Miss Esney had not exerted much effort in this incident.
Even in matters of force, Miss Eiffel had taken the lead.
This made her feel somewhat frustrated.
As for Jonas's words, "thanks to Miss Esney," Esney didn't feel that way at all.
She felt like she had just followed Jonas around and then came back without doing anything.
That's how it appeared from her perspective...
But to Jonas, Miss Esney just needed to provide a deterrent force.
If he had only brought Miss Eiffel and Miss Riko with him, there would have inevitably been risks in facing Piers.
Although feeling uncomfortable, Miss Esney didn't show it on her face.
She just nodded and was about to speak when, with a 'ding,' the elevator doors suddenly opened.
Eiffel walked in with a stack of documents from the elevator.
After glancing at Esney, she nodded, then turned to Jonas:
"Mr. Jonas, the documents are ready for you."
As Jonas looked at the slight change in Miss Esney's expression and then at Eiffel's calm demeanor, a subtle feeling rose in his heart.
—Hmm, I have a feeling that something unpleasant is about to happen next?