Lumian settled back into his seat, taking a casual stance. His gaze locked onto “Giant” Simon as he inquired, “And what’s the matter?”

“Giant” Simon’s cast his light-blue eyes over Louis and Sarkota standing behind Lumian.

“Aren’t they Brignais’s men? Why would you allow them to tail you?

“If it were me, I’d put them to work as bouncers.”

Louis and Sarkota exchanged anxious glances when Simon hit the nail on the head.

Lumian wanted to applaud, grateful that Simon had provided him with an opportunity to win their trust.

However, he couldn’t entirely trust Louis and Sarkota. He had no desire to become a mobster, but he didn’t want to be shot in the back, riddled with bullets someday.

Lumian smirked once again.

“What do you mean Brignais’s men? I used to work under Brignais!”

“We’re all members of the Savoie Mob, loyal to the Boss. As long as I remain faithful, there’s no need to worry about them turning against me!”

Louis and Sarkota nodded repeatedly, impressed by Ciel’s broad-mindedness and demeanor.

That’s right. Baron Brignais changed our status in the Savoie Mob and gave us a lot of trust, but we’re still members of the Savoie Mob. Betraying the Boss is out of the question. And it was the Boss who commanded us to follow Ciel and obey his orders!

Simon choked on Lumian’s words. After a few seconds, he finally said, “You may be loyal to the Boss, but others might not be. Brignais is ambitious.”

You find Brignais unloyal to the Boss? Hidden Blade… Uh… ‘Red Boots’ Franca mentioned that Brignais hasn’t been obedient lately… Lumian suddenly felt pity for Gardner Martin, the boss of the Savoie Mob.

His most capable subordinates lacked loyalty, and his favorite mistress had ulterior motives. The newcomer he had recently promoted turned out to be a spy from another organization…

Realizing he couldn’t shake off Louis and Sarkota, two thugs who often accompanied Baron Brignais and had knowledge of various matters, Simon steered the conversation back on track.

“I came here to discuss the dancers’ basic salary.”

“F*cking dammit, why the bloody hell do we have to give those sluts money every day, even when they don’t have a single customer?

“Franca is overbearing. Just because she’s the Boss’s mistress, she convinced him to agree to such an unreasonable demand!

“We’re mobsters, not a charity. By Steam, when I handed money to those women, I felt like a bloody priest!

“That’s fine by me. I only need to give them a few licks each day. But it’s 1 verl d’or a day for Salle de Bal Brise. The textile workers in Quartier du Jardin Botanique earn only 1.5 verl d’or a day, and they work from morning till night!”

In Trier, hiring female workers cost 55-70% of hiring male workers. The most ruthless employers were unafraid of being investigated, and those who dared to employ child labor paid only 15% of an adult man’s salary, or even less.

No wonder Franca’s beautiful dancers refused to work on Rue du Rossignol. The prices there are low, and the base salary is meager… Why are you cursing like Franca and Jenna? Can vulgarities be contagious? Aurore seemed to curse in the same manner during her occasional bouts of madness… Lumian deliberately ignored Louis’s suggestion and asked with a smile, “What’s your plan?”

Simon’s fury remained etched on his face.

“You, me, and Black, we’ll go to the Boss together. We must make him change his mind and rein in Franca!

“Which of the other mobs pays their dancers a base salary?”

Is he trying to take advantage of my recent takeover of Salle de Bal Brise? Is he inciting me to rebel against the Boss? Heh heh, as Aurore once said, the early worm gets eaten by birds, and ravens who stick their necks out get shot… Lumian raised his hands, cracking his knuckles with a sly smile.

“It’s pointless. Franca is the Boss’s mistress. The Boss will undoubtedly heed her. If you want him to change his mind, there’s only one way—become the boss yourself!”

Is this something you should say in front of so many people? Louis, Sarkota, and the others behind Lumian were so terrified that they almost covered their leader’s mouth.

“Giant” Simon also appeared taken aback.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

Most of his thugs trembled with fear.

“What I mean is…” Lumian suddenly seized the table’s edge and flung it at “Giant” Simon!

Clang!

The table crashed to the ground, and the cups upon it shattered into shards.

“Giant” Simon had already retreated two steps, his expression darkening. His subordinates instinctively reached for their revolvers. He looked at Lumian and demanded,

“What do you want?”

Lumian stood behind the upturned wooden table, seething with anger.

“You wretched dogsh*t, does the Boss mean anything to you? How dare you plot a mutiny in secret, attempting to force him to change his orders!

“Do you truly aspire to be the boss?

“The Boss’s commands must be carried out, whether they’re good or bad. If there’s an issue, you can address it with the Boss privately, but you cannot conspire with others to coerce him!”

The question exposed “Giant” Simon’s true intentions, leaving him unable to explode in anger or continue inciting Ciel.

He spat out his words. “Damn it, is there something wrong with your brain? When did I say I wanted to force the Boss? I merely suggested that everyone should approach the Boss and explain that providing a dancer with a base salary is unreasonable. It places a heavy burden on us.”

With that, “Giant” Simon waved his hand, wearing an expression that conveyed difficulty in communicating with Ciel. He turned and departed, his subordinates trailing after him, descending the staircase.

Observing their departure, Lumian inwardly chuckled.

Thank you so much. Tomorrow, no, tonight, the Boss will come to know how loyal I am!

Lumian had stumbled upon an opportunity to earn Gardner Martin’s trust, and he seized it without hesitation.

Putting on a show, he simulated an angry exhale, restraining his emotions. Pointing at the mess on the floor, he commanded Louis and the others, “Clean this up.”

Just as Lumian finished speaking, a figure emerged from the shadows near the staircase.

It was Jenna, having finished her performance in the dance hall.

Jenna wasn’t wearing a revealing outfit today. Her rose-colored dress, supported by a petticoat, made her resemble an upside-down flower. Her brownish-yellow hair was tied in a simple bun at the back, with some loose strands cascading gently. The dark circles around her blue eyes were less pronounced, lending her a touch of elegance. A mole adorned the middle of her left cheek.

This symbolized elegance.

Observing Jenna, Lumian couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Do the folks in the market district appreciate this style?”

He was referring to Jenna’s less provocative attire.

Jenna smiled smugly.

“It works surprisingly well from time to time. Franca mentioned that sometimes, the more unattainable something appears to men, the more they desire it. F*ck, I can’t quite fathom that mentality.”

“What’s the matter?” Lumian glanced at the waiters tidying up and found another table to sit at.

Jenna took a seat opposite him and smiled.

“I’m here to discuss the singing fee for next week. Previously, it was 10 songs per night, 4 verl d’or, and a third of the money thrown onto the stage.

“Lately, it seems I’ve become more popular than in the past few months!”

Lumian pondered for a moment before responding.

“Has the Poison Spur Mob grown suspicious of you, making it difficult for you to perform at their dance halls?”

“F*ck, that infuriates me! Couldn’t you have disguised yourself better? You were identified so easily, and it ended up implicating me!” Jenna replied indignantly.

A mischievous grin played at the corners of Lumian’s mouth.

“Starting from today, you will still perform 10 songs per night, but the fee will be increased to 10 verl d’or. You can keep two-thirds of the money thrown onto the stage.”

Louis, who stood behind Lumian, felt a pang of sorrow.

Although Little Minx didn’t sing here every night, she frequented the place several times a week. This change would result in Salle de Bal Brise earning 2,000 verl d’or less annually!

However, it seemed that Little Minx had played a significant role in the assassination of “Hammer” Ait, the mob leader. As a consequence, she had lost the opportunity to perform in Poison Spur Mob’s territory, amounting to a loss of over 1,000 verl d’or per year.

Jenna appeared quite content.

Receiving 10 verl d’or for 10 songs and keeping two-thirds of the money thrown on stage was the most generous treatment in the underground singer industry.

She smiled and said, “I can only come for three days next week, from Friday to Sunday night.”

“Seeking opportunities at dance halls in other districts?” Lumian inquired casually.

Jenna shook her head.

“No, I don’t have that much time to bloody sing. I have other things to attend to.”

“Isn’t being an underground singer your profession?” Lumian inquired curiously.

“This is just a part-time gig!” Jenna emphasized with a smirk. “My main job is being the shared mistress of ‘Lion’ Ciel and ‘Red Boots’ Franca!”

Louis’s legs nearly buckled at the jest.

In his mind, Franca was a possessive woman. She had taught a lesson to any man who dared to snatch Little Minx away from her.

If the boss truly became involved with Little Minx, he would undoubtedly face Red Boots’ fury!

This fellow has other identities? Lumian’s thoughts raced as he asked thoughtfully, “Is Jenna your real name or an alias?”

Part-time underground singers often adopted an alias to avoid impacting their other occupations.

Jenna’s lips curled up, and she blinked before replying, “What do you think, Monsieur Ciel?”

She deliberately emphasized the name Ciel, implying that he, too, used an alias.

With that, Jenna rose from her seat, leaned across the wooden table, and whispered into Lumian’s ear, “After hearing your conversation with ‘Giant’ Simon, I have a sincere suggestion. The less loyal someone is, the more they boast about their loyalty. Your performance went a bit overboard, hehe.”

Jenna straightened up, wearing an air of pride, and confidently walked toward the staircase.

Finally, it was her turn to “educate” Ciel!

Is that so? Lumian pondered as he watched Jenna’s departing figure.

“Aren’t you wearing perfume today?”

Jenna turned around, her expression brimming with delight as she inquired, “So you didn’t notice me ascending the stairs?”