Scheming against another

In the alley, as Lorenzo discussed business with Max and the others, Max turned to Lorenzo with a stern look and said, "Now that you're part of our group, Lorenzo, would you mind staying away from Deborah?"

Lorenzo met Max's gaze squarely and replied incredulously, "What?"

Patrick echoed Max's request, "Didn't you hear him? Leave Deborah alone."

Lorenzo chuckled lightly and countered, "And why should I do that?"

Patrick and Philip exchanged looks before Philip interjected, "Deborah is our friend Noodles' interest."

Max nodded and added, "Exactly. Noodles has feelings for Deborah, and now that you're with us, it's only fair that you respect that."

Lorenzo's chuckle turned icy as he retorted to Max, "Oh? So now that I'm part of the group, you think you can boss me around?"

Max's expression was icy as he said, "Lorenzo, what we're asking of you isn't too much, is it?"

Officer Whitey watched the unfolding drama silently from the sidelines, careful not to get involved. He still felt the sting of Lorenzo's knife at his throat and dared not provoke him.

Lorenzo smiled and asked, "Where's Noodles?"

"He's in prison," Max replied.

Lorenzo clapped Max on the shoulder, scanning the faces of Max, Patrick, and Philip as he said, "Then there's no point discussing someone who isn't here." He paused, then continued, "I like Deborah, and none of you can stop me from being with her, even if I am part of the group."

Patrick's anger was palpable as he turned to Max and said, "Max, if he's not willing to compromise, maybe it's best we kick him out of the group."

Max was silent for a moment before asking Lorenzo, "Are you really not willing to leave Deborah alone?"

Lorenzo smiled and replied firmly, "No." His gaze hardened as he looked at Max, "What are you going to do about it?"

Just as Philip began to speak, saying, "Max, I don't think this guy really deserves to be in our group—" he was abruptly cut off.

"Not deserving of your little group?" Lorenzo chuckled. "You know, Max, it's fine if you kick me out right after I've joined. But just remember, your group is losing ground to others. Soon, you won't have any operations left, even in this small neighborhood."

Patrick snapped, "Don't listen to him, Max—we can operate just fine without him."

Max gestured for Patrick to be quiet and turned his attention back to Lorenzo. "You love Deborah?"

Lorenzo smiled, "Yeah, things are progressing well with her."

Max flinched momentarily upon hearing this—a reaction he quickly masked, but not before Lorenzo noticed.

Lorenzo thought to himself as he observed Max, "It seems my suspicions were correct... Max has feelings for Deborah." He sighed and said, "Well, it looks like we already have our differences. Maybe I should just leave the group."

"You don't need to leave," Max replied.

Patrick and Philip looked surprised when Max continued, "If you really love Deborah, you can pursue her."

"Max—" Patrick started to object, shocked, but Max silenced him with a gesture.

Max continued to gaze intently at Lorenzo as he explained, "The reason I asked you to stay away from Deborah isn't just because she's Noodles' love interest."

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? Then what's the real reason you want me to avoid her?"

Max replied, "Deborah is a good person—and with you getting involved in our criminal activities, it becomes riskier for her to be around you. There's a chance she could get hurt if you continue seeing her..."

Lorenzo appreciated Max's candor and admitted that it was a legitimate concern. "Don't worry. She won't get hurt. I'll be careful—there's no need for concern."

Max looked somewhat defeated, seeing that Lorenzo wasn't persuaded to give up on Deborah.

"Let's put that aside for now and focus on our current problems with the other gangs who are poaching our suppliers," Lorenzo suggested, changing the subject. He looked at Max for confirmation. "The first gang operates out of a certain tenement building, right?"

Max nodded, adding, "Those four guys are actually quite strong and tall—way out of our league. They also have a bunch of kids and young men working for them, so they greatly outnumber us."

"They're strong and tall? Why didn't they enlist for the war?" Lorenzo mused aloud before shifting focus. "Anyway, let's head to their base. We need to find out more about them—do they have other weapons, maybe even guns? We need information..." As they walked towards the tenement where the rival gang was based, Lorenzo turned to Max. "Do you have anyone else who can help us gather intel?"

Max nodded. "I do, but it's just one person, and she's a prostitute."

"Prostitute?" Lorenzo raised an eyebrow.

"Her name's Peggy," Philip interjected, his tone protective. "But she won't work for a punk like you."

Lorenzo replied coolly, "I'm not interested in her services, so there's no need for hostility."

As they walked on, Lorenzo noticed that his relationship with Max, Patrick, and Philip had improved slightly according to the [Relationship Tab], though they were still categorized as "enemies."

Then, Officer Whitey, who had been with them, excused himself. "Alright, I'll be off now. I still have my duties." With that, he left.

"That fartface seems scared that we're getting close to the base of the rival gang," Patrick muttered disdainfully, spitting on the ground as he spoke of Officer Whitey.

As Lorenzo walked alongside Max and the others, he realized the neighborhood felt very familiar. After all, it was close to the tenement where he rented an apartment.

Lorenzo turned to Max and asked, "Where's this place we're heading?"

Max pointed to a particular building and explained, "That's where Kaplan's group is based."

Lorenzo looked surprised as he gazed at the tenement Max indicated. "That building?"

Max nodded, "Yes... It's quite dangerous, so we need to be careful." After all, they were rivals of the Kaplan gang and risked being recognized.

"Are you sure that's the place?" Lorenzo pressed.

"Yeah, no doubt about it. Why?" Max replied.

"That's where I live!" Lorenzo exclaimed.

Hearing this, Max and the others reacted with astonishment. "You live in that tenement!?" Patrick asked, clearly surprised.

"Yes... That's where I rent my apartment," Lorenzo confirmed.

"Have you ever heard of someone named Kaplan? He's the leader of the group I'm talking about," Max asked.

Lorenzo shook his head, replying, "I haven't really talked to the other tenants, so I wouldn't know. But from what I've seen in the time I've lived there, there are definitely illegal activities going on. I just assumed it was normal, given that this kind of thing seems widespread in the city."

Lorenzo wasn't being flippant. He had simply become desensitized to the illicit activities in his building, even managing to ignore the unmistakable noises—like the frequent loud arguments and the moaning from his neighbors' apartments. Thanks to his self-control, he hadn't felt compelled to confront anyone or make a fuss about it, especially since he was still adjusting to city life.

"Since you're actually living in the tenement where the rival group is based, you're in a good position to do some snooping around and see what you can find out about them, right?" Max suggested.

"I suppose that's true," Lorenzo agreed. "I think I'll try to find out who this Kaplan really is."

Max nodded, and then Lorenzo made his way into the tenement.

Once Lorenzo was out of earshot, Patrick turned to Max with a hint of skepticism. "Are you really sure about letting Lorenzo into the group?"

"Noodles is gone. We needed another member, and Lorenzo has proven himself capable enough to fill in for the time being," Max responded confidently.

Philip couldn't help but interject, "But he just beat us! Are we really going to let that slide?"

Max shook his head, "That's exactly why I know he's capable—he proved himself by beating us."

Patrick looked at Max incredulously, "Are you serious?"

"Stop overthinking it," Max advised. "If Lorenzo turns out not to be as good as we thought, we can always cut him loose. We should judge him based on his performance, not hold grudges."

Hearing this, Patrick and Philip exchanged glances, silently conceding that despite their reservations, Lorenzo's strength and fighting skills were indeed impressive, having witnessed them firsthand...

What Patrick and Philip didn't realize was that Max had ulterior motives for bringing Lorenzo into the group. He was grooming Lorenzo to be the new "Noodles," aiming to cultivate his loyalty under the pretense of friendship. Max planned to use Lorenzo's skills in the criminal underworld to further his intentions and ambition, though unlike his genuine friendship with Noodles, Max had no intention of forming a real bond with Lorenzo.

However, Max was unaware that while he was devising plans for Lorenzo, Lorenzo had already begun to suspect his motives. It seemed strange to Lorenzo that Max would so quickly and easily accept him into the group without any clear justification.

At the same time, Lorenzo was quietly crafting his own strategy against Max. With the aid of "Godfather System," Lorenzo planned to subtly take control of the group. His aim was to quickly usurp Max's position as leader. By doing this, Lorenzo hoped to win over Patrick and Philip, securing their approval and allegiance in the process.

Lorenzo realized that his plans for war might need to be postponed as he focused on building a solid foundation for his future mafia family.