Union Pacific Railroad Company headquarters, Chairman of the Board's office.
Oliver Ames stood by his massive mahogany desk. Although the windows were tightly shut, the commotion from the Broadway assassination outside still penetrated the thick glass.
A cigar lay in the crystal ashtray, its ashes long and unnoticed.
On the desk in front of him were two diametrically opposed documents.
One was a strongly worded public statement drafted by the company's legal team, condemning Felix Argyle as the mastermind behind the assassination, demanding the Federal Government immediately arrest him, and preparing to launch an unending legal battle.
The other was a similarly strongly worded official letter, albeit with "regrettable" phrasing, that had just been delivered by Felix Argyle's private lawyer, Mr. Hoffman, along with an invitation for an "informal private meeting."
Ames felt his head throbbing.
He was not like the hawks on the board.
He was well aware of the cost of a business war.
Moreover, he knew that Argyle had destroyed Cartwright's three hundred armed men with five machines in Nebraska.
Going to war with someone so reckless and possessing destructive weapons would bring no benefit to Union Pacific Railroad Company.
What's more... he glanced at the report on the destroyed suicide note.
Argyle's counterattack was too swift and too bizarre.
He even had his people within the police department, destroying the most damning evidence in an instant.
This man's roots in New York were far deeper than they had imagined.
"Mr. Chairman."
His secretary knocked and entered, "Mr. Argyle has arrived and is in the reception room downstairs."
Ames straightened up sharply.
He had thought the other party would only send a lawyer, but he never expected Felix Argyle himself would dare to brazenly step into the Union Pacific headquarters building after assassinating a company director.
This was no longer a provocation.
This was a self-confidence bordering on contempt.
"Please... please send him up."
Ames swallowed with difficulty. He pressed a button on the desk, and two fully armed internal security personnel silently appeared in the shadows behind the office's side door.
A few minutes later, the office door was pushed open.
Felix walked in, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, his expression calm, even carrying a polite smile befitting a business meeting.
Behind him, only his chief assistant, Edward Frost, followed. Both were empty-handed, as if they had merely come for a cup of coffee next door.
"Chairman Ames." Felix extended his hand proactively, "Thank you for taking the time to see me during such a chaotic moment."
Ames looked at the excessively young face before him, then covertly glanced at the two bodyguards hidden in the shadows behind him.
He extended his hand and shook Felix's; the other's palm was warm and firm, without the slightest tension.
"Mr. Argyle, please sit." Ames gestured to the sofa opposite, while he returned to the authoritative leather chair behind his desk.
He needed the distance of a desk to gain a sense of security. "I imagine you know why I'm here. Crane was a friend of mine for thirty years."
"I deeply regret that." Felix's reply was impeccable.
"Mr. Crane's murder was a despicable conspiracy against all of us. I am here today to discuss this with you."
"Conspiracy?" Ames sneered, "My people have told me everything. The assassin was a fanatical Irishman, and his 'suicide note' was filled with admiration for you and hatred for Crane. Mr. Argyle, you call this... a conspiracy?"
"Chairman Ames."
Felix leaned forward slightly, his calm eyes looking directly at Ames.
"Do you truly believe I would find a pauper who couldn't even afford food and was dying of illness to carry out an assassination? Do I not have enough manpower?"
"And would I painstakingly send his wife and children secretly onto a steamer bound for Europe before the operation?"
"Moreover, I was in the right regarding the previous matter itself, so why would I put myself in a disadvantageous position? Over the past few years, you should be well aware that I have always adhered strictly to business rules and rarely initiated trouble."
Felix's words made Ames even more puzzled. That's right, the other party had no need to find a dying man to do this.
He had a large number of people under him who could do this, and do it discreetly, with no need to cause such a huge commotion.
"That's just your side of the story. Everyone only believes what they see and hear, so why should I believe you?"
"Because my people have found clues." Felix twitched his brow, his eyes fixed on the other party as he spoke.
"Just yesterday, a customs clerk provided a tip to my reward office. He personally saw a man use a carriage not belonging to him to put the assassin Seamus O'Malley's wife and children on the 'Artemis'."
"And that carriage was registered under the name of John Pierpont Morgan."
"What? Wait... are you saying Morgan?"
Ames felt his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.
"Of course, but that's not all, Mr. Chairman."
"My people also found out that the malicious rumors slandering Miss O'Brien in the newspapers originated from Mr. Morgan's anonymous funding."
"And the most interesting thing is that just the day before Mr. Crane was murdered, his always loyal secretary, Benson, also went to Gramercy Park and had a secret meeting with his people."
Felix gently placed on the table a brief compiled overnight by Flynn detailing all connections between Morgan's coachman, customs clerk Finn, secretary Benson, and the editor-in-chief of The World, Slavin.
"So, Mr. Chairman."
"Do you still believe this incident was instigated by me?"
Ames looked at the thin brief on the table, feeling his mind in a state of confusion.
Why Morgan? Why would he do this?
"This... this is impossible." He murmured, "The bank Morgan is with is our underwriting consultant for European bonds... Why would he..."
"Because of this."
Felix pushed another document across.
It was compiled by Frost, showing the stock price fluctuations of Union Pacific Railroad Company over the past three months, and... a secret list of visiting European capital representatives.
"Mr. Morgan and his father in London are organizing a European capital group. What they want is not to help you sell bonds with six and a half percent interest, Chairman Ames."
"Rather, after your stock price completely collapses due to the 'Nebraska Massacre' and the 'Director Assassination Scandal,' they want to buy your entire company at the lowest possible price."
"He orchestrated the conflict in Nebraska to create an excuse for a massacre."
"He also orchestrated the smear campaign against Catherine to provoke me, to make me refuse a settlement."
"He even orchestrated the assassination of Crane to fabricate evidence, to firmly pin me as the murderer, and to ignite an all-out war between us."
"And he, the capital organized by John Pierpont Morgan, will be the ultimate victor of this war."
Ames listened to these words somewhat distractedly.
Argyle's analysis pieced together all the seemingly isolated chaotic events into a complete and sinister picture.
He remembered Crane's urgent letter requesting a meeting before his death.
He remembered Morgan's smile, always with a hint of detachment.
He understood everything.
"This... bastard."
Ames squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, true killing intent appearing on his usually gentle face.
He realized that he and the entire Union Pacific had become sacrifices on that young banker's chessboard.
He looked up, re-examining the equally young, yet seemingly more formidable opponent before him.
"Then, Mr. Argyle. What do you want by telling me all this today?"
"What I want is simple, Mr. Chairman."
Felix stood up and walked to the large map of America.
"First, the truth."
"I need Union Pacific Railroad Company to immediately issue a joint statement with me. Clarifying the truth of the 'Nebraska Massacre'. Tell the public that my employees were the initial victims, and Mr. Crane's misfortune is part of another, larger conspiracy."
"Secondly, profit."
His finger pointed to the vast land of Nebraska.
"My people cannot have sacrificed in vain. The several plots of land that Sonne Mineral Company has set its sights on in the Platte River Valley, I need Union Pacific Railroad Company to assist me in acquiring them permanently at a reasonable price."
"Third," he turned around and looked at Ames, his eyes gleaming, "I want... justice."
"Chairman Ames."
"I need you and me to work together to drag out that viper hiding in Gramercy Park. To pull out his fangs in front of all his European friends. And to properly intimidate them in the process."
Ames looked at Felix, realizing he had no other choice.
Cooperating with Argyle to oppose Morgan might be the best outcome, avoiding a war with Argyle.
Refusing, however, was even more impossible, as Union Pacific Railroad Company also had its pride. As one of the companies specially established by the President, it had its own arrogance and would never allow those who plotted against its company to go unpunished.
"What should I do?" Ames's voice was hoarse.
"It's simple." Felix smiled, "You immediately arrange a press conference. Grandeur than mine, invite all your directors."
"You will announce one thing in front of all New York."
"Announce that Union Pacific Railroad Company will form a 'strategic partnership' with Argyle Group."
"To jointly develop the resources of Nebraska."
"And jointly offer a reward of fifty thousand dollars to apprehend the mastermind who orchestrated... the murder of Director Crane and attempted to incite a war between our two sides."
After Felix finished speaking, a strange silence fell over the room.
Chairman Oliver Ames gazed at the young man before him, and in his eyes, which had seen all the storms of Wall Street, a tempest that outsiders could not comprehend was now brewing.
Felix did not rush him.
He simply returned to the sofa, calmly picked up the now-cold cup of black tea, as if what he had just proposed was not a counterattack alliance capable of shaking the entire financial world, but merely an ordinary cotton trade.
Ames knew he had no choice.
Go to war with Felix Argyle?
Leaving aside the terrifying armed forces at his disposal and even more terrifying evidence, just the destroyed will and Felix's prestige in the Irish community were enough to plunge the Union Pacific Railroad Company into an unwinnable quagmire of public opinion.
What's more, a common enemy, John Pierpont Morgan, had now appeared.
This young banker dared to scheme against both him and Felix Argyle simultaneously, attempting to feast on their corpses amidst the ruins of two battling lions.
Such betrayal and scheming, for an old-school banker like Ames, was an unforgivable crime, worse than an open declaration of war.
"A fifty-thousand-dollar reward..."
Ames finally spoke, his voice hoarse, as if testing the weight of the number.
"Are you sure that amount is enough to make those hiding in the shadows speak?"
"Money is just a signal, Mr. Chairman." Felix put down his teacup.
"It shows the public our mutual determination to uncover the truth. It also signals to the chess player hiding in Gramercy Park that his game... is over."
"What will truly sway his European friends is not the reward. It's the second thing we're about to announce."
"A strategic partnership. Joint development of Nebraska."
Ames silently repeated these words, his banker's brain already working at full speed.
He instantly understood the true purpose of Felix's move.
This was not just a declaration of war against Morgan.
It was also a shot in the arm.
A huge scandal capable of destroying stock prices, under Felix's manipulation, instantly transformed into a major positive development of a powerful alliance.
The formidable industrial strength of the Argyle Group, its advanced weapon systems, and his influence in Washington, once tied to the Union Pacific Railroad Company, a national artery... "The stock price will not only not fall," Ames murmured to himself, "it will even... rise."
"Of course it will rise." Felix smiled.
"When the market sees that we not only haven't gone to war, but are instead preparing to jointly mine gold and establish ranches in Nebraska. When they see that the Argyle Group will provide the most solid security and logistical support for the railroad's westward expansion... will those European capitalists still be foolish enough to follow Morgan and short our future?"
"No." Felix answered for him, "They will, like sharks smelling blood, turn and pounce on Morgan, demanding to know why he missed such a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity."
Ames looked at Felix, feeling as if he were conversing with a demon.
In just one hour, this young man had transformed a crisis capable of destroying both parties into a feast where everyone got what they needed.
The only loser, perhaps, was the self-important chess player, John Pierpont Morgan.
"I understand."
Ames let out a long breath, his heart, which had been pounding with fear and anger, calmed down.
In its place was the resolve of an ally.
He walked back to his desk and pressed the button to call his secretary.
"Benson, immediately draft a top-level emergency board announcement. Notify all directors in New York to convene an emergency meeting here in one hour."
"Additionally," he glanced at Felix, "immediately contact all the editors-in-chief of The Herald, The Times, and The Tribune. Tell them that at 2 PM this afternoon, the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Argyle Group will jointly hold an important press conference here... concerning 'The Future of Nebraska.'"
"Yes, Mr. Chairman." Benson acknowledged and left in a hurry.
"So," Ames looked back at Felix, "how much of the truth do we need to reveal to the public? Durant and those ledgers..."
"Durant and the ledgers are our trump cards, Mr. Chairman." Felix shook his head, "They are for the investigative committee in Washington, and must not be brought to the table."
"At the press conference, we only need to do three things."
"Jointly mourn Mr. Crane's misfortune. Portray him as a... company director framed by a despicable conspiracy."
"Then release parts of Cartwright's confession, only the parts where he was instigated by an 'unidentified third-party force' and where he actively attacked our camp. Emphasize that our side acted in legitimate self-defense."
"Finally, announce our alliance. Define the ultimate direction of this incident with joint development and a fifty-thousand-dollar reward."
"We need to give the public a simple, clear, and hopeful story."
"A story about two giants joining forces to fight conspirators and jointly build the West."
Ames looked at the young man before him; from today onwards, the business landscape of Wall Street and even the entire United States would be completely transformed by this alliance.
"Mr. Argyle," he extended his hand proactively, "it seems I will need to re-evaluate how I interact with a strategic partner like you in the future."
Felix smiled and shook his hand.
"Mr. Chairman. I believe this will be the beginning of a... very pleasant cooperation."
...At 2 PM that afternoon.
The headquarters building of the Union Pacific Railroad Company was once again surrounded by reporters from all over New York.
When they saw Felix Argyle and Chairman Oliver Ames walk out of the main entrance side by side, heading towards the makeshift podium, everyone thought they were seeing things.
"What... what's going on? Weren't they supposed to be declaring war?"
"How is Argyle here? Has he been arrested?"
"Look. Chairman Ames is smiling. My God, what in the world is happening?"
When Chairman Ames personally announced that the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Argyle Group would form a "strategic partnership" to jointly develop Nebraska's resources, and jointly offer a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for the "mastermind" behind the murder of Director Crane...
The whole of New York was plunged into madness.
The editor-in-chief of The Herald rushed to the telegraph office at the first opportunity, not even waiting to hear the full content of the press conference, and yelled the same phrase at his telegraph operator.
"Quick. Send it back to the newspaper. The front-page headline... change it."
"Call it 'Wall Street's Most Unlikely Marriage.'"
Meanwhile, in the quiet mansion in Gramercy Park, John Pierpont Morgan, upon receiving a briefing from his subordinate, Saul, about the press conference...
For the first time, a sense of... bewilderment, which he himself was unwilling to admit, appeared in his confident and calculating gray eyes.
He looked at the tranquil park outside the window, and the expensive French brandy in his hand tasted bland at that moment.
His meticulously arranged chess game had been overturned by his unconventional opponent in an unbelievable way.