Chapter 4

The next morning at 7:50 AM, the massive shipping bay was completely overrun. Not a single empty space remained. In all my years running this syndicate, we had never seen a turnout this absolute.

The warehouse floor vibrated with a smug, celebratory buzz. Muffled snickers and cocky muttering echoed off the steel beams.

Beatrice and Marco occupied the very front, behaving like undisputed victors among an inner circle of loyal followers. Marco was boasting loudly. "What did I tell you? Victoria is nothing but empty threats. You flash a little collective muscle, and the leadership folds every single time!"

Beatrice wore a triumphant grin. She had already anchored her smartphone onto a compact stabilizer, broadcasting live to the world. The caption flashing across her stream was aggressively loud: Solidarity Beats Dictatorship! Watch a Mafia Don beg for mercy!

At 8:00 AM sharp, I stepped into the bay.

Every head snapped in my direction. I felt the heavy weight of their unified stare.

A toxic blend of arrogance, amusement, and a lingering trace of terror from the few who actually knew what I was capable of.

I walked straight to the center forklift platform, bypassing the microphoned podium completely, and carelessly tossed my encrypted phone onto a wooden crate.

First, I faced the mob. And I gave them a low, deliberate, traditional bow of regret.

"I am deeply sorry."

An instant wave of chaotic whispers tore through the crowd. On Beatrice's live feed, the chat stream went completely berserk: 【SHE'S BREAKING!】 【THE INTERNET SUBMITS THE MOB!】

I stood up straight, my posture rigid.

"I am sorry that my rigid posture caused me to lose sight of the traditional heritage we are supposed to honor," I announced, my voice carrying a flawless layer of profound remorse. "And I am deeply sorry that my mismanagement allowed such toxic publicity to stain our family name."

"For those failures," I said, locking eyes with the front row, "you have my apologies."

A scattered applause broke out, shaky at first, before spreading across the floor. Marco jumped to his feet, cheering. "That's our Boss! She respects the rank-and-file!" A dozen other warehouse workers joined the shouting. "Respect, Boss!"

Beatrice proudly angled her lens directly into my face, broadcasting my submission to her millions of viewers like a prize hunt.

I waited until the noise drained out completely. Then, my energy turned freezing cold.

"To truly embody the spirit of Thanksgiving, and to prove my unconditional devotion to our cultural heritage, I spent the late hours auditing our entire compensation infrastructure. And I have authorized an immediate, permanent restructuring."

The shipping bay fell so quiet you could hear the coolant humming in the trucks outside. They leaned in, practically drooling, waiting for me to declare the ultimate jackpot: the raw gold bullion and the premium turkey dinners.

I swept my eyes over the crowd, letting my gaze stop for a split second on Beatrice’s glowing, arrogant face. Then, I pulled the trigger.

"Effective immediately, to purge all transactional greed from our brotherhood and refocus on true value, the family is permanently abolishing the long-standing gold bullion distribution program."

The air was instantly sucked out of the warehouse. A suffocating stillness paralyzed the room as a hundred smug expressions turned to absolute horror.

I didn't offer them a second to breathe. I delivered the final blow.

"In its place, as an expression of the syndicate's gratitude, every worker on this payroll will be handed a standard, individually wrapped, industrial Thanksgiving turkey."

I held the silence, letting the reality of their massive blunder crush them in the frozen air.

"A reward that perfectly aligns with your demand for traditional values. Sourced straight from the discount supermarket tier. Retail value: nineteen dollars and ninety-nine cents."