The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 33: A Dangerous Intervention
Barging into someone else’s life was not a smart choice. It was like feeling a little discomfort in your nose, only for someone to suddenly reach over and help pick it for you.
Leaving aside whether he could even hit the right spot, or whether it would make you feel better, your first reaction would still be, this is fucking disgusting, because he had actually stuck his finger into your nostril.
Feelings, life, and family were the same. Seeing Vera looking as if she were drowning, William gently hugged her once and then let go, asking with concern, “Are you all right? You look awful right now...”
Her face and lips had gone a little pale, as if she had suffered a violent fright. She looked up at William, then quickly withdrew her gaze and began gathering her things. “I have something to take care of. I’d like to ask for leave. I hope you’ll approve...”
As she wiped away her tears, she fumbled with the little odds and ends she carried with her. William nodded and agreed to her request. “Of course. That’s your right. Also...”
Vera looked up at him, and he looked at Vera. “If you need any help, call me!”
Vera gratefully squeezed William’s arm, then quickly stood and left. Gape had another engagement today. She felt some things were better seen with her own eyes. Perhaps ... she had to find an excuse to deceive herself, then let life go on.
Of course, it was even more possible that she was still unwilling to accept the truth. She needed to find evidence to refute herself.
After Vera left, William waited for about three more hours. During that time, Richard and the others came by twice. They had more and more money in their hands, and their exchange speed was getting faster and faster. Every one of them was.
Whether the other two had given Richard some benefit, or for some other reason, Richard told them why he could turn all his money into small change so quickly and so well. As a result, the transactions between William and Mr. Fox became more and more frequent.
After three-thirty in the afternoon, William told them to keep collecting and come back tomorrow morning to exchange again. After checking the money, he handed it over to Mr. Fox’s men, and also chatted with Mr. Fox on the phone for a while.
“William, my friend, many people in Sabine City are now using your method to send money into the bank. Did you know that?” Mr. Fox’s tone was calm, simply stating an existing reality.
As Mr. Fox’s money entered the bank faster and faster, those in Sabine City who were in the same line of business had more or less figured out how he was doing it. They had also begun following Mr. Fox’s method, turning money into small change, reporting it for tax, and depositing it into the bank.
The difference between them and Mr. Fox was that they had no “middleman,” and did not need to pay an extra ten percent handling fee.
Some of Mr. Fox’s men had asked this question more than once. Since everyone could do it, why did Mr. Fox still maintain a good trading relationship with William instead of bypassing William and exchanging the small change himself?
That way, he could save ten percent, and the speed would be faster. Ten percent of hundreds of thousands, even millions, in assets was no small amount.
Mr. Fox was somewhat tempted, but he still had not done it himself like those people. He told William about it, wanting to hear William’s view.
William felt that Mr. Fox truly lived up to his name. After a brief pause, he said over the phone, “Mr. Fox, it is very hard to spot one mosquito among a thousand flies. But if you want to spot one fly among a thousand mosquitoes, that is very easy.”
“When only we were doing it, no one cared about our behavior. We were the minority. But once everyone joins in, they will only force certain people to move.”
“This will start a war. The only advice I can give you is...” He laughed softly. “Don’t take money from other people. It won’t be long before you understand why I said that.”
After listening, Mr. Fox sounded somewhat worried. “Then would it be best for us to pause for a while?”
“No. There’s no need. We’re both doing legitimate business. Why stop? I’d actually hope they come and investigate our transactions. That would instead wash the stains off us.”
William did not say the rest. If the IRS investigated him and found nothing, that would be an alternative advertisement for him. After that, people would be even more inclined to work with him. But Mr. Fox did not need to know those things.
After the two exchanged a few more unimportant words, they hung up. William glanced at the telephone, shook his head, and began taking over some of the work that should originally have been handled by Vera.
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