As soon as Carpenter returned, the police approached him. After all, many witnesses had seen him being kidnapped and reported the incident immediately.
The sight of the police sent Carpenter into a rage. They always seemed to arrive too late. "What do you want from me now? What's the point?"
"If you're facing any difficulties, sir, please let us know. We'll do our best to help," one of the officers replied.
"Sure, everything's fine here," Carpenter retorted, waving his arms dramatically. The purple marks around his neck were starkly visible. "What kidnapping? What did you see?"
"Sir, I must remind you about your neck," the officer insisted.
"My neck? It's just a joke among friends," Carpenter snapped, his mind drifting back to the memory of the body being dragged away.
"Alright, if you insist," one of the officers said, closing his notebook. "You seem to be having a good time!"
Once the police left, Carpenter, still shaken from his ordeal, unleashed his frustration in the living room, even smashing the TV in his rage.
Meanwhile, Saul and Sean were discussing a bottling factory they had found. It wasn't a winery, but it produced beverages. Saul inspected the machinery and noted that it could easily handle wine bottling. However, he expressed concern, "The problem is we don't have the funds to acquire it, especially since the factory is on the brink of bankruptcy."
"Who said you need to be wealthy to buy things?" Sean replied, setting down what he was holding and reaching for the documents in Saul's hands.
"Hey, this isn't something to joke about. This is a serious business deal. You can't apply your usual methods here. I heard what happened a few days ago," Saul said, unsure how to continue.
"Who said being serious means it has to cost money?" Sean shot back, finally making Saul chuckle.
North of Newark, in a small town called Baseck, a stretched Lincoln parked outside a dilapidated factory. Jonas, dressed in a black suit and white gloves, exited the driver's seat and opened the door for Sean, who stepped out in a dark blue suit, wearing a polite smile.
Saul approached quickly, leading a young man with him. "Mr. Sean Rockefeller, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Let me introduce you to Heywood Luther, the son of Minks Luther, who has inherited this factory," Saul said.
Heywood stepped forward nervously. "Mr. Rockefeller, hello. It's an honor to meet you."
"Hello, Mr. Luther," Sean replied with a courteous smile, shaking Heywood's hand gently.
"Shall we go inside and take a look?" Saul gestured toward the factory.
As Sean glanced inside, he noticed the weeds overtaking the factory's grounds, his expression darkening. "I'm not impressed, Saul."
Heywood's anxiety heightened; the factory was teetering on bankruptcy, and he was eager to sell. Before he could voice his concerns, Sean said, "Handle it how you see fit; I'll issue a power of attorney."
After nodding politely to Heywood, Sean turned and walked toward the car. Jonas opened the door, and they drove away.
Not long after they left, Jonas burst into laughter. "Sean, did you see how intimidated that guy was? He thought you were really from the Rockefeller family! His face was priceless when he couldn't respond."
"Is that what you call bluffing?" Sean said, smiling as he pulled out a cigarette.
"Can you believe he has no idea this car is rented? This is the first time I've used my brain instead of muscle, and it feels great!" Jonas said, thrilled.
Back at the factory, Saul's expression soured as he watched the Lincoln disappear. "Mr. Heywood, why don't you have someone tidy up the factory? It looks terrible."
"Mr. Saul, I genuinely don't have any money," Heywood replied with a wry smile. "Isn't it normal for a bankrupt factory to look like this? I didn't expect Mr. Rockefeller to come here…"
"Do you know? He might have never set foot in such a rundown place before," Saul said, gesturing at the dilapidated factory with frustration.
Heywood could only apologize, understanding that someone from the Rockefeller family would be unaccustomed to such conditions. But he was eager to make the sale.
"Saul, if you help me, I can increase your commission by another percentage point," Heywood suggested, desperate for a solution.
Two days prior, Saul had approached Heywood with a plan to sell the factory, agreeing to a 2% commission. Now, they were in this situation.
"Alright, let's discuss the details then," Saul said, his enthusiasm. Renewed by the promise of a higher commission. "But I must secure some benefits for Mr. Rockefeller, even if they're just superficial."
"Of course, of course," Heywood agreed readily. As long as the actual financial terms weren't affected, he didn't mind.
The door to the small laboratory in a Brooklyn residential building burst open as Saul entered, his face beaming with excitement. This makeshift lab had become the headquarters for Sean and his crew.
"We've got better terms than expected!" Saul announced gleefully upon entering.
"How so?" Sean asked with a smile.
"We signed the transfer agreement now, and the payment is due in three months. All expenses during these three months are on you," Saul explained, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Heywood was reluctant at first, but I convinced him that Mr. Rockefeller would send people to clean up the factory and equipment beforehand, and he immediately agreed."
"He's crazy! Using it without paying for it first—how did you get him to agree to that?" Yuri looked confused, unable to grasp what had transpired.
Jonas and the others burst into laughter and recounted the story of Sean pretending to be a Rockefeller heir to dupe Heywood.
Yuri's mouth twitched. Sean was indeed related to the Rockefeller family, but he had sworn Yuri to secrecy. Jonas and the others remained unaware of this fact.