The Mafia Empire

But this was differt. Twty dollars a month, with yearly raises, meant that ev if they were disabled, they wouldn't have to worry about survival. They could save money, buy a house, or ev start a small business in the future.

Dave nodded quietly. This level of treatmt was indeed very high, at least by Ternell's standards.

Julian took a deep breath, flicked his half-smoked cigarette to the g, scattering a few sparks, and said, "As for the brothers who have already sacrificed themselves, each family will receive five hundred dollars, and the same twty-dollar monthly allowance, with a two-dollar annual increase! No matter what, you are all my brothers and sisters!"

"There's no such thing as brothers and sisters sacrificing for me while I remain indiffert. Once you're my family, you'll always be my family. Today, they left us, but their parts are now my parts, and their siblings are now my siblings. As long as I, Julian, have fortune, they will never lack food or clothing!"

"If one day, I fail to fulfill what I've promised today, any of you can come find me with a knife in hand, and I won't resist!"

As his resolute words echoed through the room, only the sound of heavy breathing remained.

The atmosphere was thick with solemnity, as if froz in place!

The powerful words resonated deeply with the young people, moving them to their core. They stood there, already prepared for the dangers ahead. The poverty-strick lives they led, the crushing burds of their families, weighed heavily on these teagers, barely giving them room to breathe.

Yet, despite all of this, they still held on to their dreams of tomorrow, their hopes for a better future, and that is why they found themselves here.

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Giv the choice, no one would willingly join a gang and live a life constantly teetering on the edge of danger.

But they had no other choice. They could either become laborers at the very bottom of society, working long hours of backbreaking physical labor for barely ough wages to support their families. Evtually, they would marry someone equally uneducated, toiling in a job that, in the eyes of the wealthy, was considered degrading.

They would live in dark, shabby slums and spd their days bickering over trivial matters, leading a grey, monotonous life.

Or, they could risk their lives to fight for a brilliant future. Ev though the road ahead might lead to failure, or they might be forever stuck where they started, at least they would have tried. They would have tried to seize their dreams and the future they longed for with their own hands. Ev if it led to death, at least they would have embraced it.

Wh that momt came, they wouldn't regret it.

Better to light a momt of brilliance than to waste away a lifetime!

The heavy breathing of the boys revealed their stirred emotions. They wanted to shout, to cheer. Never before had they imagined that they were so close to their dreams—so close they could almost reach out and hold their future and ideals in their hands.

It wasn't a dream, nor a deception. It was real, something tangible that made them feel the sun shining brightly and its warmth touching them.

Julian's promise erased their last hesitation completely. If their lives could be sold, th they'd gladly sell them to him!

After a momt of silce, Julian turned to Dave and said, "Grab the guns and go find that bastard Graf. I hope he's gone to Ternell city. But if he's not there, come back immediately." Th, he pointed to one of the bloodstained young m he had interacted with several times before. "I remember your name is...Eirlys?"

The boy named Eirlys stepped forward from the crowd, and many eyes turned to him. He was among the first to join the association. His father had died in the war, and the Empire had giv their family 86 coins in compsation, with an additional 4 coins each month as a psion.

But with two younger brothers, a sister, a sick mother, a grandmother, and a grandfather, the burd of survival was overwhelming.

Before joining the association, Eirlys had worked at a hotel as a helper, earning only four cts an hour. He worked elev hours a day but was only paid for six—the Empire's laws clearly stated that child laborers under sixte could not work more than four hours a day, and those under eighte no more than six.

He didn't dare resist, knowing full well that if he lost his job, his family would have no means of survival. His meager wages could not cover ev a few days without work. So, despite his reluctance, he numbly dured everything—until his frids found him.

Eirlys was stronger than most boys his age, but he was shorter, likely due to working from a young age and the lack of proper nutrition. His heart pounded like a drum as he stood before Julian, so excited that he ev forgot the pain from his wounds.

Julian raised his hand, pointed at him, and oped his mouth. "From today onwards, you're promoted to group leader!"

Eirlys began trembling. This meant that his family and their bleak future had be completely transformed. He walked over to Julian, holding his hand with both of his own, and kissed it, tears spilling from his eyes as he repeatedly thanked Julian for this promotion.

No one knew what he had dured over the past sev years.

No one.

Sometimes, he thought he might be better off dead, at least he wouldn't have to live in constant despair. If it wer't for his siblings, and the fear that his mother might collapse after losing him, he would have chos the eternal release long ago.

But today, everything changed because of a glance, because of a single stce.

He didn't know how to thank Julian, how to show his gratitude, or how to convey the depth of his appreciation.