After a moment of surprise, the Old Man clicked his tongue.
"You're Falcone's daughter, but… wasn't Falcone's daughter dead? Little girl, I have my own intelligence channels. Don't think I don't know anything!"
"Cut it out, Old Man. Your so-called intelligence channels probably only have the 'channel' part left, no actual intelligence. Falcone's dead daughter was Sophia. This one is Selina. Sisters killing each other, so don't try to fan the flames here!" Axel interrupted, putting a firm hand on the Old Man's shoulder.
"Let's skip the pleasantries. You're my first friend in Gotham. Yesterday, I moved some goods from your shop, so I owe you. I'm here to settle up, but I don't have cash, so I have a deal for you. Let's see if you can handle it."
Axel waved at Victor. Instantly, Victor relayed the explosives list from the demolition experts to the Old Man.
The Old Man's eyes widened as he slammed the table in disbelief. "Axel, I've been waiting for you since last night. So many things happened while you were out—if I pretended not to know, I'd be disrespecting our friendship. After your family fell out with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, every arms dealer wants a piece of you. But… damn it, your order is insane!"
He adjusted his glasses, scrutinizing the list. "If it were just tanks, armored vehicles, drones, or helicopters, no problem. Even a few F-16s? I could probably arrange it. But these explosives… the amount you want could flatten Gotham several times over. Honestly, a nuclear bomb would be simpler. I have deep connections in Ukraine; I could probably deliver a few tactical nuclear devices in less than two months."
The Old Man looked at Axel seriously. Axel swallowed and exchanged a glance with Victor, who was just as bewildered.
"You can really get nuclear bombs?" Victor asked. "Your family isn't exactly top-tier among Gotham arms dealers. How can you get something Davis can't?"
"This is America, Victor," the Old Man said calmly. "The closer you are to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the less likely you get the real good stuff. Davis sells to Northern Europe and South Africa. Sure, he's moved nukes, but never on American soil. Those old geezers fear dying. Me? I just want to leave a fortune for my three sons, eight daughters, and forty grandchildren. I might be able to pull out seventeen or eighteen small tactical nukes if I push it."
Laughing heartily, the Old Man patted Axel on the shoulder. Axel's eyes lit up as he grasped the man's hand.
"Give me a dozen of those tactical nukes first. And gather the rest of the explosives from my manifest on time. Old Man, aren't you eager to make money? This fortune just fell into your lap!"
"But…" The Old Man sighed, pointing at the manifest. "I can get everything you want, but one day isn't enough. Just transporting the goods from various sources would take almost two weeks. I can only manage half; you'll need to handle the rest yourself."
He contacted his son to coordinate. Fifteen minutes later, the Old Man returned with a price list. Victor reviewed it carefully.
"Boss, three 400-kiloton medium-range nuclear bombs with launchers and command systems. Price: 850 million dollars. The other explosives and items total about eighty million—small change in comparison. Overall, a fair deal."
Axel leaned back, smiling. "I'll pay more."
"More money won't solve it," the Old Man said. "Clearing other arms channels would make my supply look scarce. Other clients would look down on me."
"Triple it."
"Damn it, not about money!"
"Cash or gold!"
"Oh! Why didn't you say so earlier, Buddy? If I'd known, I'd have started finding solutions sooner. You're in too much of a hurry, but the more time I gain, the better our chances. Anything else, or should we get moving? I'm going to be busy as hell!"
Beaming, the Old Man put away the materials and ushered Axel and his companions out.
Victor exhaled. "Gotham really has hidden talents. Genuine nuclear weapons from a small shop! Axel, even though Carmine took a huge sum, our foundation is still the strongest among Gotham gangs. A billion dollars is nothing. I'll contact the others and gather the funds immediately."
Axel smiled. "Good. Keep this up. Who knows, when you die, I might pull you out of Hell myself."
Victor made the sign of the cross and began contacting Oswald and others. As Dead Souls' chief gunman, he was second only to one, yet Oswald handled the finances.
Axel turned to Selina. "Zsasz will be busy for a while. I need to swing by Wayne Group. You coming?"
"I don't think so," Selina said. "I still need to clean my apartment and bury Betsy. Luckily, she didn't know you, so I can preserve some of her remains. If I don't act fast, even her last fragments might vanish—cursed by you!"
Selina leaned in to kiss Axel briefly, then walked away into the distance. Axel watched her go, then headed alone toward Wayne Tower.
Behind him, Victor suddenly shouted, "What did you say? Damn it! You're questioning why I'm spending money? That's Axel's decision, and I fully agree! You never mentioned having nuclear bombs! Who knew you were hiding that? Forget it—the more the better. This is Dead Souls' first contract with Gotham's underground market. It's worth far more than a billion. Don't complain; once Axel finishes his business, he'll explain. Be ready!"
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