Nis glanced at Jesse with an amused look, then turned to William and asked, "May I speak freely, Mr. Devonshire?"
"Go ahead," William replied nonchalantly.
Only then did Nis explain with a smile, "Abram Tarasov is the younger brother of Vigo Tarasov. The Tarasov family controls 40% of the underground business in New York and the entire East Coast. So, if Abram Tarasov says the word, we pickpockets wouldn't be able to survive on the East Coast."
A crime family? Jesse stared at William in surprise as he calmly sipped his drink. Unable to believe what she was hearing, she asked, "You can summon Abram Tarasov with just one phone call?"
"Who knows?" William raised an eyebrow. "I'm just a legitimate businessman."
Looking at William's handsome face, Jesse thought it seemed unlikely that someone of his status would have dealings with the underworld. However, she caught a glimpse of Nis smirking out of the corner of her eye. Realizing she'd been fooled, she smacked William on the arm. "You bastard!"
Damn it, Nis flinched in shock. Seeing William frown, Nis remembered certain rumors about the underground world. Within seconds, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Jesse, too, froze at the sight of William's frown, her confidence shaken. Fortunately, William soon broke the silence, saying, "I'll pay you back for that, sweetheart."
"Oh, God! You scared me so much I thought my heart stopped," Jesse said, clutching her chest as her heart pounded wildly. Though terrified, she couldn't deny that she also felt a rush of excitement and attraction. But as she recalled the stark difference in status between herself and William, she downed her wine in one gulp, bitterness filling her voice as she said, "I need to go home. If I stay here any longer, I'll lose years off my life."
When William was interested in someone, letting them go was the last thing on his mind. "Weren't you inviting me for coffee?"
Jesse paused, her bag in hand. "Are you serious?" She placed the bag on her lap and asked seriously, "If you're just playing around, I don't have the time or energy to waste."
"Haha! If you don't mind that I already have two women, then maybe we can spend a long time together."
"F*** you, you jerk!" Jesse shouted angrily, grabbing her bag and smacking William's arm before storming off in her high heels, the sound of her footsteps echoing—clack, clack—as she quickly left the restaurant.
Watching Jesse flee as though she were running for her life, William picked up the wallet and social security card she had left behind. He raised his left hand, noting that the gold signet ring engraved with a fleur-de-lis emblem had disappeared. Shaking his head, he turned to Nis and said, "Hasn't anyone ever told her that selling a gold signet ring, an emblem of an ancient family, at a pawnshop is tantamount to courting trouble? Misunderstandings like that can even get people killed."
Nis shrugged. "Mr. Devonshire, you have to understand. Rookie thieves with no heritage or training don't care about these things. If they can't sell it as an antique, they'll probably just melt it down."
"Well, doesn't that give me every reason to go find that little thief, Jesse?" William smirked.
"Absolutely. Even if you tossed her into the Hudson River, no one would complain," Nis replied with a laugh, adding playfully, "Enjoy yourself, sir."
"Thanks," William said, clinking his glass against Nis's. Then, getting straight to the point, he asked, "I'm curious about your techniques. Mind sharing a bit?"
The question caught Nis off guard. After a brief hesitation, he realized that teaching someone like William wouldn't affect his livelihood. In fact, forming a connection with someone so powerful might even save his life one day. With that thought, Nis nodded. "In our line of work, it's all about distracting the target and focusing their attention on something else—whether it's an object or a conversation. After that, it's all about how fast your hands are."
"Distraction, huh?" William chuckled and shook his head. "Sounds simple in theory, but it's much harder in practice."
He snapped his fingers toward the restaurant manager, Kyle Grammer, who quickly approached. Nis's gaze naturally followed Kyle as he came closer.
"At your service, Mr. Devonshire," Kyle said respectfully.
"Do you have any Macallan rare vintage whiskey?" William asked with a knowing smile.
"Well..." Kyle hesitated for a moment. Seeing William's frown, he quickly explained, "Sir, there's something I should tell you first. Our restaurant does have a rare vintage Macallan whiskey, but the owner has deliberately priced the 1962 bottle at £31,000 as a display piece, not for sale."
"Damn, that's nearly three times the usual price!" Nis exclaimed, visibly annoyed. Though Kyle had already explained, Nis couldn't resist complaining. "At the end of the day, you're just hoping some sucker shows up to buy it."
"Shut up, Nis," William snapped, glaring at him. For someone like William, whether the price was £10,000 or £30,000 made no difference. "Open the bottle."
"Haha, my apologies," Nis said awkwardly, raising his hands in surrender. "Looks like the rumors about you being a Macallan superfan are true. Maybe one day I'll give you a call."
As Kyle went to fetch the whiskey, William, considering Nis's profession, handed him a business card. "If you come across any rare or limited-edition Macallan, call me immediately. I'll pay double the market price. Is that acceptable?"
"Of course, sir. I promise to notify you as soon as I find anything," Nis replied enthusiastically. "Or, if you ever need help locating something, feel free to call me. My number is—"
"No need," William interrupted, pulling out a wallet from his pocket. He retrieved Nis's social security card, credit card, and business card, glanced at them, then returned only the business card while tossing the rest onto the table.
"Oh, my God," Nis muttered, reaching for his chest and realizing his wallet was missing. It only took him a few seconds to deduce what had happened: William had swiped it when Kyle approached, distracting Nis.
Shaking his head, Nis said helplessly, "Good thing you wouldn't stoop to competing with people like us for a living."
"Haha, I can assure you of that," William said with a laugh. "In fact, I'm more likely to provide work for people like you."
"Exactly, boss," Nis replied shamelessly, immediately acknowledging William as his superior.
Since William was the one paying, Nis considered it only fair. However, William added a warning. "If you want to take my jobs, the pay will be high, but the risks will be just as significant. Think carefully about that."
As Kyle returned with the whiskey, Nis took the bottle, waited for Kyle to step back a few meters, and personally poured a glass for William. "For a job that could let me rest for years—or even retire—I'm willing to risk my life. For people like me, what else do we have to bet on but our lives?"
"You can bet your life, and I'll offer high pay. Perfect," William said, raising his glass to clink against Nis's. Taking a sip, he savored the rich flavor and smiled. "It seems we have an agreement."
"Yes, boss," Nis replied confidently.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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