Rome received Choi Seong-jae with restraint, like an ancient lion watching an outsider encroaching on its territory. The air was saturated with rivalries, echoes of battles, triumphs, and betrayals. Every stone seemed to whisper of an ancient province of power.
Settling into the Contarello Palace, the last but imbued with the spirit of decadence, Son Jae felt the weight of the responsibility he had been entrusted with. Here, in the heart of the Italian underground, he had to prove his right to inheritance, to win the respect and subjugate those who used to consider the fiefdom.
Night after night, in a library lit only by candlelight, Marco pored over ancient documents, trying to unravel the tangle of connections and intrigue entangling the Contarello family. His sharp mind and analytical skills were invaluable in this game where the wrong price was life.
"Boss," Marco said once, his voice echoing around the room, "Contarello's finances are in dire straits. The old Don didn't conduct business with much foresight. Political ties have weakened, and competitors are breathing down his back."
Son Jae stared silently, looking at the ancient map of Rome. He didn't care about wealth and luxury. He was only interested in power.
"Find those who are dissatisfied," he advised. - "Those who hunger for more. We can offer them what they didn't get from the Old Don."
Kim, as always, remained steady in the shadows, watching the scene. His gaze was clear and penetrating, like a knife blade ready to deliver a deadly blow at any moment. He checks security, the threat of elimination, the dirty work no one wanted to do.
During the day, Son Jae attended secret meetings held in a complex room with the various clans. He talked about power, about money, about the future they were chieftains of, but he couldn't accomplish one thing. He proposed an alliance based on mutual benefit, respect, and the common goal of overthrowing the old order and building a new one.
"There are too many players in this city, but too little space," Son Jae once said in a meeting with the head of the Rossi family, a powerful clan that controls the arms supply. - "We keep at each other's throats, losing strength and resources. Or we can speak up and take what is rightfully ours."
Head Rossi, a stern man with a piercing gaze, was silent for a long time, a researcher of Son Jae.
"You say reasonable things, Korean," he said at last. - "But I don't know you. Why should I trust you?"
"I will prove to you that I am worthy of trust," replied Sung-Jae. - "I'll show you that I'm not afraid to take risks. And I will give you what you want - power."
Soon Rome was swept by a wave of war. Murders, bombings, arson became commonplace. It was a war without rules or morals. Everyone pursued their own goals, everyone fought for survival.
Rumors spread through the city about the Falcon, the legendary assassin who brings justice to the streets of Rome. He was said to punish corrupt politicians, corrupt police officers and violent mobsters.
"The falcon is just a symbol," Son Jae once told Marco. - "People need a hero, someone to give them hope. But real strength is in organization, in strategy, in control."
A sudden blow fell on the Materazzi family, the main bulwark of power in Rome. Casinos, the clan's influence, were bombed, contraband warehouses burned, key family members murdered.
The Materazzi responded violently, launching a full-scale war. The streets of Rome became a battlefield of bloodshed and innocent lives lost.
"We must seize the port," Son Jae Marco and Kim said during the meeting. - "Controlling the supply is the key to victory. Without the port, the Materazzi will be doomed."
Sung-Jae knew he would need help to accomplish this. He turned to the Salvatore family, a small but powerful clan that controlled part of the port.
"We can help you take over the port," said the head of the Salvatore family, an old and cunning mobster, "But what do we get in return?"
"You'll get control of the port," Sung-Jae replied. - "You'll get a cut of every deal, every shipment. You will become richer and more powerful than ever."
The Salvatore family agreed to the change. Together they devised a plan to take over the port, to begin that night.
The war continues, and with each death the influence of the Contorello clan only grows, the moment is coming when the city must pass into the hands of the true king