Barney remained silent for a moment before asking, "Boss, do you have more work for us in the future?"
"In the future?" William found this odd. Over the past three months, these guys had earned quite a bit from him. When the stock market started to decline at the end of March, he had increased their wages.
Because William had been hiding in the Swiss National Bank building, afraid that those looking for trouble might target his mother Lina instead, he had sent a large batch of weapons, ammunition, and equipment to Barney and his team. He had upped their pay to $3 million a month and promised bonuses for safely resolving any emergencies. In just three months, each member had pocketed over $1.5 million without risking their lives.
Perplexed, William asked, "Barney, are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need money?"
Barney hesitated before finally saying, "Boss, I want to buy a bigger house. You have no idea how expensive it is to raise daughters. Now I understand what Yin Yang meant when he said he risks his life to support his daughters."
William laughed, "Just for that?"
From the driver's seat, Christmas chimed in with a mock voice, "Boss, you don't know this guy, Barney. He spoils his daughters with the best of everything. Private schools, personal chauffeurs, private acting tutors. He even spends $40 on an ice cream. It's enough to scare me off from having kids. It's just too much trouble."
William, who had never been a father in either of his lives, had no advice to offer. Considering that there didn't seem to be any immediate threats — especially now that Zhetfrobi was preoccupied with his own problems — he said, "Barney, you should just go back to the USA and take a break for a while. I'll call you if there's any work."
Deciding that Zhetfrobi was still a potential threat, William thought it best to eliminate him. Picking up his phone, he called Thor, a former Expendables team member and their current operations contact.
When Thor answered, William said, "Hello, Thor. This is William Devonshire. Do you know Zhetfrobi from Albania?"
"Hello, Mr. Devonshire. Yes, I know Zhetfrobi. Almost everyone in the mercenary world does. Albania's been a warzone recently, and Zhetfrobi's been hiring mercenaries like crazy. Anyone willing to fight for him, he'll take. Lots of mercenary groups are trying to make a living in Albania."
"Good. I have a job for you. I'm offering $5 million to stir up trouble for General Zhetfrobi. Ideally, disrupt his operations when he's fighting the government forces. Plant some explosives with his men and send a few bullets his way. Make sure some of his officers meet their maker. Keep this mission confidential. I don't want it known that it's coming from me, and you should keep your distance as well. Too many people know about our association."
"Hold on," Thor replied, and William heard the sound of a keyboard clicking. Thor's low voice returned, "Alright, no problem. I know some reliable people who can handle it discreetly. For $5 million, we can definitely send some of his officers to meet their maker. I can't guarantee we'll get Zhetfrobi himself, but we'll give it our best shot."
"If once isn't enough, then twice, or even three times. If $5 million isn't enough, we'll add another $5 million. If we can't kill him, then we'll dismantle his forces. Without his men, he's a dead fish. I'll wait for your news, Thor," William replied easily, confident with his substantial Swiss bank account balance.
"Then there's no issue at all, boss. Expect good news from me," Thor assured him.
"Alright, goodbye." William hung up, then dialed Gareth Mallory, the Chairman of the National Security Council.
"Hello, Gareth. I heard you're looking to deal with General Zhetfrobi of Albania. I happen to have some grievances with him too. Need a hand?" William offered.
"No need, I can handle it. You don't need to worry about this," Gareth replied, a hint of frustration in his voice. "William, now that you're back in England, don't you think you owe me a report about your activities in the Black Mountains? I've fended off a lot of people wanting to make trouble for you."
"Hah, Gareth, you surely know all the details by now. What's left for me to report? It's a waste of time. Why do people keep picking fights? Wouldn't it be better to live and let live? If they push me too far, I'll do to them what I did in the Black Mountains," William said grimly.
"Idiot. England isn't a tiny country with only 600,000 people like Montenegro. Don't stir up trouble. Even if you're powerful, you can't fend off a full-scale assault from a special forces unit. Keep a low profile and don't turn minor issues into major conflicts," Gareth warned.
"Gareth, I'd love to keep a low profile, but if people keep coming after me, I have to fight back. Otherwise, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will think they can take a bite out of me. What I did in the Black Mountains was a message: don't mess with me. Just because the Devonshire family is down to me and a dying Earl, doesn't mean we're easy prey. Anyone trying to take a piece of us should be ready to choke on it," William responded fiercely. He couldn't believe that trouble was already brewing the moment he returned.
"God, you've gone mad. Just stay in Oxford for a while. A lot of folks in the Treasury are holding a grudge over the $10 million you won from Bond. M kept Bond safe, so they're looking to cause you trouble. They can't move openly, so watch out for hidden threats. Be careful, William. Don't give them any openings. Remember our situation. With the Earl in poor health, it's best you keep a low profile until you inherit the title. I can hold them off in the meantime," Gareth advised sincerely.
Reflecting on Gareth's words, William realized he might have become a bit arrogant. Making a lot of money had inflated his ego, and he was starting to disregard the power of the government. Even with his wealth and abilities, he couldn't afford to disrupt the established order recklessly.
"Alright, as long as no one's trying to kill me, I'll keep a low profile. I'll be a farmer in Oxford, hunting for treasure. Gareth, come visit Oxford sometime, and we'll go hunting," William suggested.
"Okay, hunting sounds good. You should start picking up some noble hobbies, or else people will think you're a country bumpkin," Gareth joked.
"Go to hell, Gareth. Even if I am a bumpkin, I'll live how I want. I don't care what others think," William retorted, then his expression darkened. "Don't think I'm unaware that even after I inherit the title, those snobs will still see me as a nouveau riche. Fine by me. I don't want to mingle with them anyway."
"Alright, it's your life. Some of our peers are indeed quite obnoxious. I don't want to deal with them either. Let them make their fuss. Eventually, Downing Street will catch them in a blunder, and they'll regret it," Gareth said, sounding irritated.
Hearing Gareth's annoyance cheered William up. They say joy comes from seeing others suffer.
William laughed heartily, "Forget about them. The worst that can happen is I don't inherit the title. I'm not that hung up on it. I've already bought back the family castle. The rest doesn't matter much to me. The Earl of Oxford's estate is only worth £12 million, mostly in land. At best, it's worth £8 million now. Let them have it if they want. I can always buy land myself."
"Ha, William, don't laugh. You think nobody knows what you've been up to in Switzerland?"
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