"In the past eight months, International Genetic Cooperation Ltd. has completed acquisitions and controlling stakes in 13 major medical centers, and reached long-term supply agreements with another 35 hospitals.
These hospitals are spread across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and all over New York.
According to the company's spokesperson Hammond, the company is also actively seeking expansion into cities such as Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago."
"Bloom Corporation's ctOS system is set to go online in several cities. Its integrated applications have topped the download charts for consecutive months.
Reliable sources say the company is also seeking to build a full industrial chain in hardware manufacturing—from chips to finished electronics. But some internet firms claim the company's services pose a serious threat to citizens' privacy.
However, according to leaks from an anonymous hacker group, these protesting companies themselves have a long history of privacy violations and are suspected of ties to the NSA. The federal government has yet to respond."
"The biggest news in the financial sector lately is the rapid rise of Bloom Corporation and International Genetic Cooperation Ltd. But as everyone knows—
Yes, I mean the companies controlled primarily by Leo Lee and Martin Li—neither has shown any intention of increasing shareholdings or cashing out.
Wall Street elites can only drool over the skyrocketing index, but if I were them, I'd worry about how much longer their own companies will last.
Just last week, two more banks failed, three financial companies stopped paying interest, and the central bank has stepped in to investigate."
"Outside of finance, a new international giant has emerged in Africa.
Atlas Group has landed there. Since the company isn't listed, many of you might be unfamiliar with it.
But when we mention its owner, you'll recognize him. Yes—the owner is still the same Leo Lee we mentioned earlier.
The company is officially registered in infrastructure, automobiles, engineering machinery, special construction equipment, and medical cybernetics.
The new Mayor of New York's official car is an electric sedan designed and developed by this company—zero emissions, fast, and highly secure.
But this is no ordinary tech firm. It has been confirmed that Atlas Group holds private military contractor credentials—
Which contrasts somewhat with Mr. Lee's repeated public statements about peace. The outside world interprets this as a subtle shift in his thinking.
Still, we must accept one fact: before the age of 18, Mr. Lee was in a coma for three years. Less than a year after waking, his net worth had already exceeded 5 billion dollars.
I must stress again—unlike others on the rich list, Mr. Lee's assets are not heavily capitalized or liquid. The true figure is much higher than reported.
If he increased the proportion of publicly traded shares in his companies, he could immediately rank among the world's top ten richest men. This is now consensus in the financial community.
Unfortunately, he seems to have other plans. We're all left wondering: why has this young man chosen not to continue investing in New York, but instead to go to Africa and become its new legend?"
Kingpin watched the television without expression.
His heart was a swirl of emotions—
In fact, he was on the verge of collapse.
If you looked closely, you could see the scepter in his hand was already bent out of shape from his grip.
Ordinary people go into shock just seeing someone they know win the lottery. For Kingpin, it was far worse:
Now both the Mayor of New York, Anthony, and Leo—were nobodies he had once come close to crushing!
Their presence was so insignificant back then he didn't even need to notice them. His criminal empire peeled skin from thousands of such nobodies every day!
If they were a bit weaker, they would've been dead already.
And now these bugs that survived have turned into giants, able to crush him underfoot at any moment. That kind of reversal is enough to break anyone's psyche.
Yes—the power gap between them has grown that wide.
While he carefully managed his criminal assets, speculated in real estate, and smugly enjoyed a few points of growth—
Leo had already strapped himself to a rocket!
The once-unemployed porter was now mayor. The once half-dead young man was now one of the richest people on Earth.
And him?
United Construction Company had absorbed his criminal empire's assets into this gray enterprise, not because it had grown—but because his crime industries had been smashed apart!
United Construction was like a fully matured adult: past the point of growth, only decline awaited.
Even the strongest gangs rarely had more than 1,000 true killers and diehards. The rest were coerced, bribed, or frightened ordinary people.
But ordinary people can't be defined so simply. When the economy is bad and survival is hard, they're more irritable, braver, and more easily pushed into crime.
Now the economy is improving, life is secure, technology is strengthening public safety, and the cost of crime is rising. So petty crime has dropped sharply—ordinary people are just ordinary, not brainless.
They know the choice between living honestly or getting locked up.
As for professional criminals, their costs have skyrocketed. In the past, killing someone might mean bribing or intimidating your way out of prison in a few months—or even walking free as "insane."
Now? Impossible. ctOS surveillance is everywhere. Even a hint of misconduct from judicial staff pushes them into the spotlight.
To think Leo hasn't rigged the ctOS system—Kingpin doesn't buy it. But what can he do?
Maybe some officials weren't satisfied with small perks, but when faced with the choice "take bribes" or "lose your job," they suddenly sobered up.
The old methods—bribes, backroom deals—don't work anymore.
Take his port smuggling and human trafficking operations: once huge, now shrunken.
Buying an illegal immigrant cost $500–$10,000. If higher-ups were interested in the "merchandise," the price was worth it.
But now? Now there's no place to use them. Even the old organ trade black market is collapsing:
Blood prices plummeted, organ cultivation matured, healthcare reformed. Once International Genetic Cooperation perfects its new organ cultivation tech, replacements will cost 1% of what they used to.
The black market is vanishing, while surveillance drives "logistics costs" through the roof.
And all this—because officials can't misbehave under watch!
The cameras have given the judiciary paranoia—
Yes, Kingpin even sympathized with them now: How can you stand it? Rebel!
If you can't misbehave, how can I catch you, bribe you, and corrupt you?
If cameras watch you all day, who am I supposed to sell these smuggled boys and girls to?!
In the end, he could only stuff them into his construction company as workers, filling labor gaps—
Because Leo's side was hiring like mad, with huge infrastructure plans underway. Real workers wouldn't even look his way!
If you don't work for me, others will—but at minimum wage.
That was a shock: paying illegals nothing seemed cheaper, but you had to house and feed them while hiding them from inspectors.
He—the man who once swore to be the greatest crime emperor in New York, even America—was now seriously running illegal migrant sweatshops!
And it was driving him crazy.
BANG!
Kingpin slammed the table, cracking it.
Hating himself for being useless.
He had to relocate.
That required cash, and asset transfers. He was already preparing.
The sooner he left this cursed place, the sooner he could return stronger.
So he made a call.
"Wesley, is the money ready?"
"Still short," his consigliere admitted awkwardly. "Today an owner came asking where the money went. Demanded we make it public. Even threatened to report us and switch management companies."
How dare he?!
Kingpin fumed. Once, he was feared as the emperor of guns, drugs, and flesh.
Now? He was skimming property fees.
CRACK!
His frustration exploded through his scepter—shattered in his grip.
"Kill him."