Director Cologne's lips kept rubbing his gums.
This kind of vulgar table behavior is not what Director Cologne wants to do when there is a person like General Lance at the table.
Finally, a hard object was pushed out against Director Cologne's gums. Director Cologne took the object that made him embarrassed out of his mouth - it was a broken sheep bone.
Zach raised the wine glass and said, "Sorry, I was handling the ingredients..."
"Grand (Zach) is not responsible for my son's behavior." General Lance glanced at Director Cologne, "It was Grand (Zach) who was preparing this wonderful dinner for us. My son came Interrupting the process.”
"Has Lance (James) been here?" Director Cologne looked a little surprised.
Well, two things. First, the status of the people attending this dinner should be more formal, so the names may take some getting used to. Two, James, is gone.
"The police detective did come and withdrew my invitation to attend his wedding on Monday." Zach replied with a smile on his face as he took a sip of his wine.
Director Cologne continued to look surprised, looked at Zach, and then at General Lance, no longer placing his hope on the lamb chops on his plate, and tasting wine with Zach, "Actually, he doesn't have to be so avoidant. "Colon said very carefully, "You can be regarded as a guest of the bride Kate. After all, the whole Barton people have watched this reporter go from slandering Grande to defending Grande with all his strength."
You all understand what Director Cologne is talking about—
Everyone in Barton's inner circle knew that James got involved little by little in Barton with Zach's secret help. As a helper in the dark, Zach is indeed not suitable for coming to the table. And for those outside Patton's inner circle, James Lance was also involved in a gossipy four-cornered love affair with Grande. This is the so-called 'dislike' to avoid.
The conclusion is to just talk about the relationship between Zachary Grande and James Lance. It is normal for these two highly topical, highly connected, and abnormal people to avoid appearing in a high-profile situation.
However, this high-profile occasion is not just for James Lance, right, there is also Kate.
The relationship between Kate and Grande is much simpler than that between James and Zach. The simplicity here means both exterior and interior. True to form, Kate's attitude towards Grande was written in the Barton Daily. From the initial idea of trying to bring Grande's rhythm, to the last few writings, I have been defending Grande. Kate's attitude was very clear to everyone. James tried his best to exclude Grande's existence before proposing. After proposing, he put everything aside and was extremely friendly to Grande.
As for Grande today, no one would have a problem sending her sincere blessings to the newly married Kate.
After listening to Cologne's words, General Lance glanced at Zach, ignored the mutton chops on the plate, and began to taste the wine, "The funeral industry in the west is imitating the Grande Funeral Home. I thought Grande Funeral Home It has become a benchmark for privatizing the funeral industry in Massachusetts, does it still need a reporter to protect it?"
Of course General Lance will mind Kate's attitude towards Grande. Have you forgotten how General Lance described Kate, a 'sinister reporter'
"Oh." Director Cologne smiled, "The general just came to Patton today. He probably hasn't seen the news about following Patton." I can tell you in advance that Director Cologne is actually just executing his mission to come to Grande for this dinner. It was just a goal. This conversation that took place at the dinner table had already been planned. "Grand encountered something bad during this incident. Thanks to reporter Kate for objectively reporting the incident."
Chief Cologne glanced at Zach and received a look that everything was going as planned, and continued, "Let's talk about the most recent one, Grand Mill. Together with the cooperation agreement signed with the Southern District Police Department last year, it was traded to the same Southern District Police Department. Allen Funeral Home.”
General Lance naturally cast a confused look at Zach - he is a general of the Federation, and no matter how bored he is, he will not pay attention to the internal transactions of the funeral industry in an eastern city. Knowing that the funeral industry in the western part of the Federation was imitating Grande in adapting to the privatization of funerals, this human general was able to extend his vision to the limits of the changes among the Sabbat vampire clans.
Zach responded to General Lance's confusion and looked into General Lance's eyes, "Allen Funeral Home created a lot of difficulties for Grand Mill last year. My poor employees, Madison almost couldn't survive."
General Lance didn't look at Zach for too long and looked away, "That's it." His confusion was not answered.
However, Director Cologne took over Zach's words and just said that this dialogue was designed right away. It was like a choreography. For the current performance, you just have to follow the steps and dance, "Yes, starting from last year." Grande has been making concessions to Allen's funeral, including disputes over compensation for moving tombs, sharing of cemetery resources, and co-signing for insurance some time ago." Director Cologne lifted the quilt toward Zach and toasted this time, "Here we go. Now that Grande is selling the mill, it is easy for the outside world to think that Grande has once again given in to Allen Funeral." Pause, focus, "Even the cooperation project with the Southern District Police Department has been given up."
"Hahaha." Zach smiled and responded to Director Cologne, and at the same time, he also saluted General Lance. "Thanks to reporter Kate for reporting the details of the mill transaction, Allen Funeral Center got a cooperation project with the Southern District Police Department. , but it also gave Grande a large amount of compensation. Grande did not suffer any loss in this transaction."
General Lance accepted Zach's toast and raised his glass. Because the confusion was never resolved, he listened to these more confusing contents, so he could only make a meaningless comment, "That is Grande who really wants to thank you." This reporter defended Grande's reputation on a public platform." Also pay tribute to Director Colon.
After completing the lap, Director Cologne was in a good mood with a smile on his face, but his tone was a little bit: "However, I still hope that the mill can be under the Grand. After all, Barton's southern district, haha, Grand is still under the I made a big loss in the transaction." In a new round of raising the cup, Director Cologne still raised it to Zach.
Zach also continued to answer and raised his glass, "It is indeed a pity for Barton's southern district. After the new port is built, as the trade with the Republic expands, and the natural advantage of the southern district with fewer people in the area, in the future It will definitely become the focus of Barton's development. The cooperation project with your Southern District Police Department in the mill will also inevitably rise in value. Allen Funeral is now offering an equal price transaction, haha, it can only deceive some short-sighted people. I'm here." Passing the toast round to General Lance.
General Lance only now heard something he could understand in this conversation, and trade with the Republic. In the afternoon, the general who had settled in the warehouse with Roy Zmich listened to Roy's story about how he came to Patton -
Rut Lesembra abandoned Zmich's weapons industry... Forget it, I won't repeat this. The key point here is that Roy Zmich was influenced by the Kraken by using the Republic's trade to find a reason to stay here in Barton.
General Lance knows how important trade with the Republic is to the Sabbat.
General Lance raised his glass and responded to Zach's tribute, "I don't really understand the cooperation project between the privatized funeral industry and the police. In the west where I live, this privatization process has just started." He turned towards Director Cologne. Wine glass.
Another circle completed.
Director Cologne looked like he was willing to answer questions, "Oh, General, it's like this: when funeral resources are no longer public resources, the police can no longer access some things, such as death records and body information... as conveniently as before. The police You must go through normal judicial procedures to obtain the right to call these resources. Our cooperation project with Mill is that all relevant case information will be entrusted by the police station to Mill for temporary custody, which means that after the police announce the closure of the case, it will be officially Before the resources become privately owned by the funeral industry, the police can easily access these resources at any time.”
General Lance raised his eyebrows, "So that's it." He looked at Zach without any doubts on his face, "It sounds like you gave Allen a big funeral gift."
This is not wrong. The conversation just now also showed that as the Southern District develops with the new port, the power of the Southern District Police Department will also increase. And mastering the resources that the Southern District Police Department can mobilize will be a certain degree of The one above took control of the Southern District Police Station.
The Sabbat would naturally have such an idea. General Lance didn't need to be reminded of this, but similarly, General Lance had been in contact with Zachary Toledo in Vega. He knew that Toledo The position in the Sabbat is not stable. His confusion was - why didn't Zach keep such a good thing in his own hands
Zach smiled loyally. This smile instantly made General Lance feel uncomfortable. Zach spoke, "Things that are of no use to me are not gifts. James Lance is a police detective in the North District. It is of no use to me to have such a large resource in the South District. You are right." Okay, General~"
General Lance was still reflecting on what Zach's loyal expression meant to him. Zach continued, "But of course, if the general wants James to come to the South District for development." Zach put on a decisive expression. , raising his glass to Director Cologne, "Then I will definitely have to come back to the mill. By then, I may need the Director's help."
There was a reversal in the direction of the toast.
Director Cologne immediately raised his glass after Zach finished speaking, "That's natural, General Lance is here today." He tipped the raised wine glass in the direction of General Lance very smoothly, "I'll just I have never liked the Allen Funeral Group." With a curl of his lips, this 'dance' that had been planned for a long time was improvised, "Especially the new employees (Hamilton and the others)."
General Lance held his own wine glass and looked at the wine glass that was being toasted to him again. He raised his own glass somewhat numbly and opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn't know what to say for the moment.
General Lance, an explanation is needed.
For General Lance, this dinner... was not a formal dinner that was notified in advance.
When General Lance arrived at the table, naturally preparing to enjoy the human diet that a person should be provided with when he lived in Grandly, Zach told him that today's dinner would have to wait for someone else.
General Lance now regrets why he didn't ask Zach what they would talk about at the dinner table before Cologne arrived. Now it won't be so inexplicable.
Speaking of which, it’s no wonder General Lance didn’t ask in advance. How could he know that from the beginning of this dinner, every topic he didn't understand would be brought to him inexplicably! The general started dinner with the same mentality as at noon, when Zack took him to see Bell for no reason. If Zach hadn't introduced Cologne, who was once the direct boss of his son James, but was later demoted to the Southern District as director because he had to make way for Darcy, General Lance would probably not have spoken a word during the whole process. Said.
I didn't want to, so I just said the polite words, 'I don't have to be responsible for my son's actions', and I was roped in.
Since General Lance, who was holding the cup, could not speak, Director Cologne, who was waiting for his respect to be accepted, glanced at Zach.
Zach kept smiling, "General, Director Cologne can be trusted."
With another inexplicable remark, General Lance looked at Zack, 'What to trust? '
"Director Cologne knows that I was sent by the Lance family to Barton to assist James, and Director Cologne has always cooperated with my work~" Zach's smile continued.
All the expressions on General Lance's face disappeared, he put down his wine glass, and quietly looked at the untouched lamb chops on the plate.
The general's IQ will not disappoint everyone.
General Lance raised his head and looked at Director Cologne, "Thank you for taking care of James over the past year." The expression on his face was a smile.
"It should, it should~" Director Cologne also laughed.
General Lance still knew his role at this table. It turned out that Zach was his subordinate~ Then, he put away his smile and said, "I think now, you should explain why you made such an important decision about the mill. , but didn’t tell me in advance.”
"I have already said that James' main development direction is in the North District of Barton, the political center of Barton, not in the South District."
General Lance looked at Zach and said nothing. This can be easily interpreted by third-party observers as the authority of the superior.
Under the general's gaze, Zach finally took away the smile on his face, "General, the future potential of the South District is indeed great. Although the police contract held by Mill is valuable, you are not in Barton. Believe me, the South District is a problem. , whoever touches him will be unlucky. I am lucky to be able to bury Allen now."
"Yeah?"
"Director Cologne." The dance continued, and Zach brought the topic to Director Cologne.
Director Cologne: "Grand is right. The future development of the South District is naturally good, but now, there is still an obstacle, which is the new port that is still under construction. The person in charge of the project is a member of the Barton West Side family. The Falcon family, but now, the Falcons are experiencing some, uh, disputes. In the past six months, there have been many incidents in which people in the West End worked together to squeeze out Mr. Falcon, who is in charge of the new port project. They are all very bad. It's scandalous. It's an internal fight within the Barton West End family and we as a police force are incompetent."
Don't worry about Cologne's exaggeration, the purpose is to release information -
After General Lance heard this, he looked back at Zach, "So you left this trouble to Allen Funeral?"
"Yes. I need to concentrate on assisting James, but I don't have the energy to take care of the struggle between Barton's upper class in the South District. If Allen Funeral wants to participate, feel free to do so."
"Mr. Grand (Zach) and the general are joking." Director Colon's performance in this 'dance' has been completed. "Even if the mill is now owned by Allen, they still can't control it." Infighting among the Falcon family in Newport~"
Everyone, do you understand? The information has been released but has not been received.
General Lance knew that Allen Funeral, the Sabbat office in Patton, could really take care of the Falcon family in Patton. (To be continued)