The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 121: The Letter Without a Postmark
William’s “plate” was very large. Sometimes, if a person or a firm wanted to grow big, the first thing they had to do was make others feel their determination to grow big.
If you did not even have the resolve to make yourself larger and stronger, why should anyone else lend you a hand?
This was a kind of “special behavior” that did not appear very often in books. There were not many descriptions of this behavior or the effects it produced, but it truly existed.
If, from the beginning, William had told the mayor that he only wanted to become a small rich man, that he would not consider spreading the secondhand market across the entire state, that he would not talk about how activating the secondhand market could reduce society’s burden, that he would not speak of his willingness to take on the club and revive Sabine City’s athletic spirit, and that he would not discuss how many jobs he could create...
If all he wanted was to earn a little commission from secondhand trading and make a little middleman’s profit, then perhaps he would not even have had the chance to have lunch with the mayor. The mayor and the Intermodal Authority certainly would not have sold him the club’s equity stake for one dollar.
He had established an idea. One could also call it drawing pies. He had allowed people to see his determination and the possibility of making those dreams real. At the same time, he could solve certain problems for others. So everyone, as a matter of convenience, gave him an opportunity, even many opportunities.
We all know the value of courage, and we also know the bloody horror of running with courage straight into a stone wall and smashing one’s head open.
We all understand the meaning of mercy, kindness, humility, honesty, and every noble quality, courage included. We also long to possess those noble qualities ourselves.
But wishing is always only wishing. Under normal circumstances, no one truly runs headfirst into a stone wall. Yet when someone proposes the idea and begins attempting the run, those who carry the same thought in their hearts but cannot realize it themselves do not mind giving that person a push.
If he succeeds, all the bettors become winners. They prove that flesh and blood can break open hard stone.
If he fails, they will merely show the proper amount of sorrow before the mangled corpse at the foot of the wall, summarize the mistakes, and wait for the next practitioner to arrive.
In fact, people like this are very common. People like to summarize these runners with the not especially accurate word “speculator.”
In a certain sense, William could also be considered a speculator, but not completely. That word could never fully capture the spirit and resolve of a true speculator.
“These trucks will be parked here for a while. Someone will come later to take care of them. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Standing beside the club entrance, William looked at the trucks parked in the club lot and at Cooke and his men, then gave Kane an instruction.
Kane nodded repeatedly, submissive and cautious, then asked with some expectation, “And what about me? What should I do?”
He had also been stirred by William’s earlier words until his blood ran hot. Like the others, he believed that in order to cut away certain rotten flesh, William had no choice but to sacrifice these “upright” people, then find a way to hire them back in a “fair” manner.
That was only William’s rhetoric, but Kane and those people truly believed it. This was why, once a person was just a little stupid, he tended to have many friends.
William took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kane. “This was given to me by someone from the Intermodal Authority. They said there is a very professional sports team at this address. Go contact them and see whether we can invite them over.”
The Intermodal Authority was also very clear about Sabine City’s situation. After several years of neglect, expecting these people to rebuild themselves and achieve decent results again was probably possible only in novels and movies.
In reality, the athletes’ form had not been maintained at all. Once they slid down from peak condition, it was very hard to train back up.
The same was true of coaches. After several years without participating in tactical discussions or competing against other teams, they no longer understood the current mainstream tactical thinking or countermeasures. They had already fallen behind the times.
So the Intermodal Authority thoughtfully gave William a business card. On it was a fairly professional coaching staff. Because the head coach had a rather bad temper, he was temporarily idle at home.
Was this help from the Intermodal Authority to William?
Not completely. God knew whose connections this coach had used, but that was not important. If he was capable, William did not mind capable people being a little strange.
But if he was not capable, he and the people behind him would understand what consequences came from trying to fool William.
After receiving the business card, Kane immediately hurried off. Now that the club had undergone such drastic changes, he hoped to rebuild it as quickly as possible. Only then would he feel at ease.
William spoke briefly with Cooke and the others about repairs, and about the need for more truck drivers, then left. That afternoon, he still had to attend a signing ceremony with the Sabine City Handicapped Union.
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