Chapter 103: Arrival in New York
"Can we drink?" Looking at the vast selection of fine wines in the cabinet, everyone was anxious.
"Drink, drink freely. Alcohol is meant to be enjoyed. Wine that's not drunk is no different from dirty water on the ground," Joseph said as he opened the cabinet, grabbed a bottle worth hundreds of thousands, twisted it open, and poured half on the floor before setting the remaining half on the table.
"Drink as much as you like. I have a few vineyards in Australia, so there's plenty to go around!" Joseph laughed heartily.
With Joseph's reassurance, everyone relaxed. The aroma of the spilled wine had already awakened the cravings within these drinkers.
Not only was there fine wine, but Joseph had also invited a group of women, and even provided drugs—everything was in abundance. If anyone was hungry, they only had to call, and the butler would bring over meals prepared by a Michelin chef.
Initially, everyone had planned to explore New York and see what it was like.
Now, they were all staying at Joseph's estate, too content to think about leaving.
The initial restraint disappeared after a few drinks and a snort; they let loose, embracing the women, feeling as if they were in paradise.
"Enjoy yourselves," Joseph said, a cigar in his mouth, standing on the second floor, looking down at the revelry below, a smile on his lips.
"Are these the people you gathered this time?" asked a middle-aged man in a black suit, who appeared beside Joseph unnoticed.
"This time, they're not just vagrants and prostitutes. Are you satisfied, Lord Abeni?" Joseph replied, his demeanor respectful and cautious, devoid of the arrogance typical of a billionaire.
"The quality of their souls is acceptable, but only slightly better than vagrants. More importantly, the quantity is still too low," Abeni remarked.
"Master, it's already quite a number," Joseph smiled wryly.
"With your current resources, gathering a few hundred people should be no problem, right?" Abeni raised an eyebrow.
"Having so many people disappear at once would be too conspicuous. We might attract attention from the authorities, making it difficult to gather more next time. Slow and steady is the key to going unnoticed, my lord," Joseph explained.
"True," Abeni nodded.
Downstairs, Frank seemed to notice something, looking up to see Joseph standing on the second floor, seemingly talking to himself.
For several days, everyone lived in bliss, in a state of perpetual intoxication, losing track of time, unaware of how many days had passed.
Frank also indulged in this atmosphere, in a constant haze. When he regained consciousness, nearly half a month had passed.
"This can't continue," Frank thought, pushing away two voluptuous women, rubbing his head.
"Butler, may I go out for a walk?" Frank asked while eating, planning to get some sunlight.
"You want to go out?" The butler was visibly startled, not expecting Frank to make such a request.
"Is something wrong?" Frank asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, allow me to make arrangements," the butler replied.
Upon leaving, the butler contacted Joseph about Frank.
"He wants to go out?" Joseph frowned upon receiving the call while on the golf course.
"Let him go, but have someone keep an eye on him," Joseph said casually, soon forgetting the minor issue.
Frank didn't have to wait long before the butler returned with a man.
"Mr. Frank, this is your driver and bodyguard. He will take you wherever you wish to go, and he can cover all expenses. The car is ready for you," the butler explained.
"Thank you," Frank said, touching his nose, impressed by the attentive service.
"Sir, where would you like to go?" the driver asked.
"Let's just wander around. I haven't been to New York before," Frank replied.
Frank spent the day exploring. New York, a big city, was indeed more developed than Chicago, especially compared to the Southside.
However, despite its development, New York at night resembled the Southside. Decent folks went home, and those left on the streets were either vagrants or unsavory characters, mostly Black individuals. Even the famous Times Square was overrun by the homeless.
"Hmm? Are we missing two people?" Upon returning home after a day out, Frank, now more clear-headed, noticed that a couple of his 'companions' lost to alcohol and drugs were missing.
"Mr. Karl and Mr. Obal have gone home," the butler answered.
"They left? When?" Frank was taken aback.
"A couple of days ago," the butler replied.
"Is that so," Frank pondered, stroking his chin.
He couldn't recall anyone leaving. If someone had departed, there would have been a send-off.
However, he had been in a constant state of drunkenness, often blacking out, so it's possible they left during one of those times.
Not being closely acquainted with them, Frank didn't dwell on it.
In the following days, Frank made it a habit to go out and see the sights of New York.
Returning one day, he found yet another person missing.
"Mr. Basil has also gone home," the butler informed.
"Gone? Without a word? But that doesn't make sense; he was in no state to leave," Frank thought, increasingly puzzled.
Frank distinctly remembered that Basil had shown no intention of leaving before he left that morning. Basil had been drinking and using drugs, completely unconscious.
Frank had been gone for six to seven hours at most. From his experience, Basil shouldn't have been able to wake up, let alone leave quietly.
Frank had many doubts but held his tongue in front of the butler.
"Mr. Frank, a new batch of wine just arrived from the vineyard. Would you like to try some?" The butler approached with a bottle of red wine after Frank finished dinner.
"Never mind, not today. Where's Joseph? I haven't seen him lately," Frank asked, raising a hand before dropping it.
"Mr. Joseph is in Los Angeles attending the annual Pinnacle Awards ceremony," the butler replied.
"Pinnacle Awards?" Frank wondered.
"If you're interested, the ceremony is being broadcast live," the butler offered.
Turning on the TV, it quickly switched to the live broadcast of the ceremony, showcasing an introduction about Tony Stark.
"Tony Stark, a dreamer, genius, and patriot, has captured attention since his youth as the son of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark. He built his own engine at six and graduated top of his class from MIT at seventeen..."