Food Wars: The Golden Hands

The Roads to mount Fuji is long and foggy at this early in the morning. Alexander is looking through the window admiring...Nothing? it's all just road and greenery, it's making him get bored and from time to time he would leak a big sigh getting Vlad's attention.

"We're about to reach the Romano house, its just 15 more minutes." He pushed his glasses up and took out his laptop "In that time, why don't you look through this?"

Alexander looked at the laptop and skimmed through what is on display "Is this the Etsuya boy company's business activity?" he asked

"Yes...His business is heavily relied on Liquire, importing drugs, blackmail and managing multiple brothels at once, he also has a bunch of boys inside his territory going around asking for protection money." Said Vados, his tone carries a huge amount of mockery. What he said is one of the low mob bosses activity, it just showed Vlad how much of small ante they are going to kill the following days.

Alexander looked at the doc.u.ments carefully and he went into his deep thoughts mode and Vlad gave him complete silent so he won't disturb him.

No sooner, the cars reached a huge gate in front of the road. 4 guards with guns walked to the first car they asked a few questions and let them pass, they removed the obstacles and the parade of black cars entered the Territory of the man who was once called the [The Clean Criminal] due to his business being in the underworld but no one can point where he is involved, no one, not even the cops.

The cars soon entered a new territory and Alexander started hearing savage sounds and screams, he snapped from his thought and he looked outside of the window of his car. What he saw shocked him.

A Zoo?!! he thought, on the muddy road, several fake habitats for the animals are placed on the 2 sides of the road

Buffalos, Lions, Zebras, Giraffes, Wolves, and even chickens....etc all kind of animals are in this place. Alexander could only marvel at this.

"Why there is a Zoo in mount Fuji?" he asked

"Who knows, I didn't know about this either." Answered Vlad, he too was amazed by this sight. A lot of money must have been wasted on these and even more, money to take care of them daily.

"Stop the car." Ordered Alexander, Vlad repeated his order and the driver honked and all the cars stopped in their track.

"Let's walk." Alexander got out of the car and Vlad followed him with 10 other men.

Alexander walked by the cages' side, he touched the animals and fed them and all of the other stuff. He took the chance to take a look at all the animals and pet them, well those he can pet. A Lion won't just sit there letting you touch him without you leaving your arm behind.

Alexander kept on walking for 1 hour until he reached the house gates, surprisngly, the house isn't that big, it can be described as a small Villa.

The servants greeted Alexander saying they were expecting him. He and Vlad were led inside the villa while his men stayed out, The Romano family is not hostile and Alexander is confident that nothing bad will happen.

Alexander and Vlad knocked on a door, and as his habit, he never waited for permission and just entered finding a middle-aged man sitting on a large dark brown desk smoking cigarette. His hair is red like blood and his eyes are green like leaves, he is wearing a pajama, his whole aura scream against the norm.

"Excuse me"

"You're already in," said the middle-aged man

Alexander sat in front of the old man with Vlad behind him.

"How are you doing? Mr. Roberto Romano" Alexander asked

"Good, would you like some tea or milk...or cereal?" He asked which caused Alexander to chuckle

"A cup of milk, that would be great!" He said

The red-headed Roberto picked his phone and called "Bring me a cup of tea and milk here for me and my guest here"

After a period of silent, Alexander asked: "So...Why does Mr.Roberto want from me?"

Roberto looked at Alexander for a moment before he went back to looking through some doc.u.ments which annoyed Alexander

"Both of us know that you're not doing anything, so if you please, I'm a busy man." Said, Alexander

"Yes, I know, but I'm waiting for my tea"

Alexander frowned, he sighed and moved to find a comfortable spot on his chair and waited for the damn tea to arrive

After 30 minutes, a maid came in and handed Roberto a cup of tea and left, she didn't bring any milk for Alexander.

Of course, Alexander know that all of this was international but he isn't some low mob who gets angry over this

"30 minutes to make a cup of tea...You have great servants... Normal people take 10 minutes at max but 30 minutes is so fast, I don't know how they managed to make one single cup of tea in that short time" Alexander mocked the earlier display clearly which made Roberto chuckle

"Isn't it?!!" He said "I pay them huge amount money for this"

"Do you want to finish your tea or do we speak..." Said Alexander as he pointed at the cup"Because if you want to make me angry or something like that...then jut give,"

"I am not trying to get you angry Mr. Saiba Alexander ... Wait? Wasn't it Alexander Helmet? which one do you prefer?"

Alexander sighed "Since I am not wearing my school uniform then...Helmet, if you want to" he answered

"Then, Helmet, what I called you here for is..." Roberto decided to quit playing around with the boy and not step out of his boundaries. After all, Alexander is the leader of the Red Blinders "...I want to join our families!" He said

"And why do you want to do that?" Asked Alexander

Roberto smiled "I am getting old and I am no more interested in working in the dark. And...I'm exhausted" his eyes dimmed a little at that

"In the past 19 years here, in Japan, I enjoyed my life to the fullest, with my wife and daughter...But I know that the moment I step out of the game or I die, my family will pay the price...with blood" Roberto looked at Alexander, he knows that Alexander understand what he means

"Unlike you Mr. Helmet... I don't have any loyal followers... All of them are l.u.s.ting after my money and others are power-hungry wolves after my position, some of them are openly displaying their desires while others are in the dark"

Alexander nodded, that is to be expected when you go in this line of businesses "So your reason is..."

"Yes, I want to protect my family." Roberto didn't hesitate to admit his desire

"And why us? We have the same problems as any other family out there"

"Your family is different... You all protect each other, protect each other and mostly...you all love each other!" Roberto investigated the history of the Helmet family and not once did he come across a family dispute.

"I want my family and yours to be linked by blood, my daughter is the most precious thing in this world to me...If she can be protected, I am willing to sell my soul to the devil!"

Alexander closed his eyes and sighed, this is getting in the wrong direction he wants!

"And what if I refuse?" He asked, Alexander isn't going to accepted just because he was asked to, joining the families is a good thing and it can boost their power greatly but it is not necessary.

Roberto blinked for a moment "Then...there is nothing I can do, I won't press the matter any further." He sighed and lanes on his chair

"Okay...I am going to accept your deal then...." Roberto heard this and he almost jumped from his chair but he calmed down "All of your businesses must be handed to me and a few of your higher-ups must die in the prosses, your force will be reformed and will be dispatched to various branches of our family, and you won't own anything anymore"

Roberto almost puked blood. Nothing?!!!

"Young boy...Nothing is a bit... too cruel!" Roberto faked laughed and sweat fell on his forehead "even if I was desperate to protect my family you're asking too much"

Vlad who was behind Alexander spoke this time instead of Alexander "It is not too much, Lord Roberto"

Roberto looked at Vlad for a moment

"Joining two families is not as in the past where the two families marry and support each other, it is not the same as today and certainly not the same for our family"

"What do you mean?"

Alexander raised his hand, he wanted to say it himself "You will be one of us, you won't be Roberto Romano anymore... but Roberto Helmet from the day we join each other, and as the head of the family, I naturally own everything you own." Alexander crossed his legs and with prideful eyes, he waited for Roberto's respond

Roberto looked at Alexander and he was taken back when he found himself drawn to him, the way he presented his point of view was overwhelming that even an old and experienced man like him couldn't pull off.

"...I understand" Roberto stood up for his new boss and bowed to him, this scene here is the simplicity of the two bosses agreeing on one thing...That one of them is higher than the other.

"Now, you said, we join each other by blood...Do you mean that you want to marry your daughter to me?" Alexander asked Roberto who straightened his back and sat back on his desk.

"Yes. " Said Roberto.

"Does she agree...?"

Roberto looked up at the ceiling before he sighed "She didn't accept but neither refused" he said, "She insisted that she will say her opinion about this until she meets you."

"Well, I don't see any reason to refuse meeting her, If she is going to be a wife of mine, then it is only reasonable that we meet first so we can know each other," said Alexander, he pushed his hair back and he took Roberto's cup of tea to drink it

"Who is she by the way?" This is the first time Alexander questioned about her since the beginning.

"She goes to Totsuki, you maybe know her, her Name is Rindo Romano or...as she goes with now...Kobayashi Rindo, the elite 10's 2nd seat."

Alexander chocked on his tea and spat it out on the floor

"What?!!" he asked