Success, Opulence and Power by Hebru Young (best novel books to read .TXT) 📗

taken a hit, and he’s looking to make up for previous losses. The truth is that we don’t know how long he’ll be on the run before he gets caught, if he ever gets caught. All I know is that we have to take him out. He is a problem for us, and he has always been a problem. Being out of prison just gives him a clearer mind and an opportunity to mobilize his people against us. We think he will attempt to start a war with Sin Nombre, and we’re ready for him. We have many more soldiers than we did when he tried to attack us in the past. This time we won’t wait for him to attack, we will strike first. I know there will be some backlash for this, so for this reason we will be shutting down some of our key operations for a couple of weeks. This includes the restaurant,” Said Manuel.

“Oh, the restaurant?” Asked Eddie.

“Yes. Guillermo’s Cabana, along with a few other businesses, are our main storage facilities. Your restaurant has a good reputation and is one of the cleanest businesses we use. If things go wrong and raids were carried out by law enforcement, your restaurant wouldn’t even be on the cops’ radar. We have to provide extra protection for you and your family for the next few weeks. Once everything dies down, you’ll be able to reopen for business. Make sure you pass this information to your mother,” said Manuel.

“Yes sir, Mr. Gallegos, I mean Mr. Guzman. I will tell her as soon as you leave. We will put a sign up saying that we are closed for refurbishment,” Eddie said.

“Very smart,” said Manuel.

“I take it you want this done right away?” Eddie asked.

“Yes,” Manuel responded.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it as soon as you leave,” said Eddie.

“Good. Something else I wanted to talk to you about is other opportunities within the cartel. Now, what are you plans after you graduate?” Manuel asked.

“I will attend college here in Miami after the summer break. I want to get a degree in business, so I can be a better businessman for the cartel,” replied Eddie.

“Kid, I knew I liked you the moment that I saw you. That is a very good idea. You have foresight and you already think like a boss. Stick with me and I will make you a boss before you know it. Now, the reason I asked about your next plan was that since we terminated Zorro Loco, we’ve not been able to fill his position. I was thinking maybe you would like to take his place. Do you think you could handle that?” Manuel said.

“It depends on how much time I have to put in, I will still need time for studies,” Eddie replied.

“Yes, I am aware of that. Basically, all you have to do is distribute product to the street dealers in Zorro’s old neighbourhood and make rounds to collect money from sales once a week. All the money you collect will be delivered directly to me. So, it’s basically this new job as well as carrying on with the current arrangement at the restaurant. Can you make that happen? Of course, you would receive the same amount that Zorro received when he was doing the job,” Manuel said.

“If that’s all that I have to do, I don’t think there will be any problem,” Eddie said.

“Music to my ears. Now, because you are my protégé, you will be assigned a couple of extra security guys who will follow you everywhere to keep you safe. The guys who currently watch your house and the restaurant will still be there as well,” said Manuel.

“Thank you, Mr. Guzman,” Eddie said.

“Don’t worry about it, young Soap, we look after our own. However, I have one warning for you: It goes without saying you should never ever rat on this family, there is nothing worse than that. Also, if you ever steal from Sin Nombre or betray us in any way, you and your entire family will die. Is that clear?” Manuel asked.

“Very clear, sir,” Eddie replied.

“Good. Now off you go, I’ll be in touch. Happy graduation,” Manuel said.

“Thanks, Mr. Guzman,” Eddie replied.

Eddie went back inside and told Anna about shutting down the restaurant, but he didn’t tell her that he had just gotten in even deeper with the cartel by accepting Zorro Loco’s old position. He felt this wasn’t something she needed to know, because all she would do was worry about him all the time. Anna didn’t hesitate about closing the restaurant.

Eddie and his Assembly showed up at school that morning in style. They were the best-dressed students, and this gave them a sense of pride. The boys had garnered the respect of everyone in the school over the last few months—the students could tell something was different about them. It wasn’t the fact they were now selling merchandise at the highest rate ever, but because they were able to get their hands on cherished, high-quality, hard-to-come-by items that weren’t available at retail. The boys had maximized their inventory and were importing clothing, sneakers, and electronics directly from China. All their stuff was bought at wholesale prices and then resold for a 100 to 150 percent profit.

What was more perplexing was that although the boys weren’t overly flashy, they weren’t dressed shabbily, either. They just had an extra bounce in their step, and they were very confident, and this resonated with the other students. Later that evening, the boys showed up to the school in a brand-new white limousine. In the limo were Eddie’s security guys, who kept an eye on the doors as the kids went into the school building. The party ended around 10:30 that evening, and some kids decided to go out clubbing, but Eddie and the boys went home.

Chapter 30

Business