"Then we're equally in great danger, unable to retire even if we wanted to. I don't want to inherit your business, uncle. I still have my mother to protect, and I won't let her get hurt."
"William, let me ask you a question," Winston said.
"What?"
"You must be quite wealthy now, right?"
William nodded. He was indeed very wealthy and would become even wealthier in the future. He suddenly understood Winston's point.
Yes, without power and protection, he was just a fat sheep in others' eyes. Kidnapping and betrayal would be inevitable if people knew he had made billions in such a short time. To some, he was a prime target, and they would go to great lengths to get close, entice, and manipulate him.
If those methods didn't work, they wouldn't hesitate to use force.
He had agreed to join the England Intelligence Agency and integrate into the aristocracy to increase his own strength. He didn't mind exposure because it made it more costly for enemies to target him. After all, it's troublesome when something happens to a public figure.
However, his billions of dollars made all these precautions seem futile. Such an enormous sum would drive most people mad.
William suddenly realized he was just a big, fat sheep, with money and power unbalanced. Without influence or connections in the government, he had no way to protect himself other than to rely on his own strength.
William nodded helplessly. Building his own influence would take time. Unless he stopped making money and settled down in Oxford, as long as he kept earning big, someone would target him.
Not making money would be foolish. William decided he would keep making money but also bring in some powerful allies to help him, providing a protective moat to get him through these years without influence.
Of course, he wouldn't naively share his profits with just anyone. He would only ally with those who benefited him.
With this realization, William thought it was time to bring in some forces for the MP3 business, instead of doing it alone. He needed to actively integrate into mainstream society.
After all, the MP3 trend wouldn't last long. As long as his interests were secured, he could use it as a stepping stone.
William said to Winston, "The assassin business is rejected by mainstream society and is too dangerous. With the Devonshire and Winston families now having only me as the heir, I don't want my children and me to live in danger forever.
Winston, I'm very good at making money. I have many ideas but haven't acted on them because I didn't feel safe.
In just half a year, I've earned billions. My priority now is to inherit the earl's title steadily and integrate into mainstream society.
Uncle, do you want my children, your nephews, to become high society members or to live in the shadows?
You're only 60. You still have decades ahead of you. Who knows, maybe one of my children will take an interest in your business."
Winston felt disheartened by William's words. He knew that when given a better choice, no one would want to live in the shadows. "Alright, for my nephews' sake, I'll handle the Continental Hotel myself. But I hope you'll get involved in some aspects of my business, just in case."
"Hey, to ensure my nephews are born soon, I should introduce you to some beautiful girls. Let me think... There's a girl named Perkins at the hotel, very pretty and skilled. If you two had a child, that would be the perfect heir."
William quickly replied, "Don't even think about it, Winston. How many normal women become assassins? Can a child raised by such a woman be normal?"
"Alright, maybe you're right. But you need to give me a grandson soon. I want to retire in Oxford with ten grandchildren playing soccer with me."
William was speechless, looking at the cheerful Winston. It seemed even assassins could become kind, loving grandfathers.
"How can one person have so many? Three or four would be plenty. Any more, and she'd be a pig."
"One woman might not be enough; you could have several. You know how messy the private lives of nobles can be. I know you've been with several girls in the past six months. What about that model, Ambrosio? She hasn't dated anyone else for months. Aren't you considering getting back with her?" Winston asked.
Thinking of Ambrosio, William's eyes softened, but he shook his head. "She's too career-driven and strong-willed. Asking her to have a child now is impossible. We're not compatible, and she won't settle for just being my lover."
Winston retorted, "You're rich. If she wants fame, promote her. Offer her $10 million for a child, and an annual allowance of $10 million. I bet no one would refuse that. A model's annual income is much less than that.
There are plenty of women who would do it for $1 million. I don't care. If you don't find someone, I'll find one for you. There are many beautiful girls who, for various reasons, have to sell themselves, even some working as assassins at our hotel."
William quickly stopped him. "No, please don't. I don't want my household to be disturbed by such chaos decades later. I promise there will be grandchildren after you retire. Don't worry, Winston. I'm not even 20 yet. Having kids now is too early."
Seeing William's refusal, Winston, a bit angry, said, "Alright, you can leave now. Since you don't want to take over the New York Continental Hotel, we can't talk for long today."
He handed William a business card. "This is my private number. Call me if you need anything. And do you have anyone you want to get rid of? I need to give you a task for cover."
William thought for a moment and said, "General Jet Frorbi of Albania. He took over the Montenegro affair. I spent $5 million on mercenaries recently, but I don't know if they handled it."
Winston pondered and shook his head. "If you had come to us, it would have been done already. Mercenaries can't handle a warlord with thousands of troops. Give me 5 gold coins and $5 million, and I'll help you post the task."
William asked in shock, "So the Continental Hotel's gold coins are really worth $1 million each?"
"Of course not. Each gold coin weighs 50 grams, worth less than $2,000. Their true value lies in being issued by the Continental Hotel. Having them allows you to post tasks, and assassins will help you kill someone or dispose of a body. It's something money can't buy, meant to keep ordinary people from contacting us."
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