Pope Augustus

After a series of insincere pleasantries, both parties quickly moved to the main topic of their conversation today.

"Mr. Faol, may I be so bold as to ask, what is the purpose of your visit today?" Faol was in no hurry; if Gaspard didn't mind, he was content to drink coffee and eat bread with him, chatting from morning till night.

However, Gaspard was already in a desperate situation; having seen a glimmer of hope, he quickly grew impatient.

"It's like this: I've long admired your reputation, and I heard you've recently encountered some minor troubles. I specifically came to ask if you need any assistance?" Faol said nonchalantly.

Gaspard certainly needed a lot of help, but he couldn't appear too eager. There was no such thing as a free lunch, and if he exposed his predicament from the start, wouldn't he be allowing the other party to demand exorbitant prices, leaving him no chance to bargain?

"We can still manage these minor troubles for now, thank you for your concern."

"Oh, that's good then. It seems I worried too much. In that case, I won't bother you any longer. Goodbye." With that, Faol stood up, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Gaspard blurted out. What he had just said was entirely to set the stage for negotiation. Why was Faol just leaving without discussing anything? He wasn't playing by the rules.

Gaspard was utterly confused, but Faol knew full well. Did he not know if Gaspard could handle it? Even if Gaspard wanted to save face and suffer, at worst, he would just go back and add more fuel to the fire. It might take a few years to bankrupt all of Gaspard's businesses, but it would take at most a few weeks to break his spirit.

"Is there anything else?" Faol asked, feigning a bewildered expression.

"Well, that... Although we can handle this trouble, the losses won't be small. If possible, we still hope to resolve it as soon as possible, so..." By asking Faol to stay, Gaspard was already at a disadvantage, and asking for help was somewhat difficult to say.

"So you still hope I can provide assistance?" Already in an impregnable position, Faol no longer beat around the bush and directly spoke the rest of Gaspard's words for him.

Gaspard gritted his teeth, lowering his voice and squeezing out a "Yes" through them.

Upon receiving the affirmative reply, Faol sat back down, and Gaspard breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tell me your conditions? You wouldn't help me for free, would you?" Gaspard probed.

"Dealing with smart people always saves a lot of trouble. I hope you can transfer the Rome Newspaper to me," Faol said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Gaspard's eager gaze quickly cooled.

"You mean, for me to voluntarily give up the Rome Newspaper, which has been managed by generations, just to speed up the resolution of a problem I could solve myself?" Gaspard questioned.

"If the information I received is correct, the trouble has been going on for some time, hasn't it? I wonder how long it will continue, and have you thoroughly investigated your opponent's situation?"

"Could it be that you know the situation better than I do?" Gaspard stared into Faol's eyes, attempting to see a hint of panic to confirm his suspicions, but found nothing. Faol's gaze was as calm as ever.

"I wouldn't say that, but I might indeed know some things you don't."

"Tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gaspard, we haven't reached an agreement yet."

"If you don't say anything, why should I believe you?"

"You can consider it for a few more days."

Gaspard fell into deep thought. Gaspard didn't know the saying, "An innocent man is guilty of possessing a treasure," but he understood the similar principle very well. When Faol made his demand, Gaspard knew that the Rome Newspaper could not be kept. When strength and ambition did not match, things that did not belong to oneself would only accelerate one's demise.

However, easily giving up the Rome Newspaper was something Gaspard could not accept, neither financially nor emotionally. If Faol's conditions were truly unsatisfactory, Gaspard wouldn't mind deflecting the trouble and setting up his scoundrel relatives who had stabbed him in the back.

"I heard there's been some discord within the Borgia Family recently?"

"Those guys who have no sense of family honor are all disloyal and unjust cowards! They are a disgrace to the Borgia Family!" When the family was mentioned, Gaspard became furious.

"I can also help you gain a transcendent position within the Borgia Family."

Upon hearing this, Gaspard's eyes lit up. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; no matter how strong the family's power, if everyone acted independently, it had nothing to do with him. In times of crisis, they even took advantage of the situation. At this moment, Gaspard's resentment towards them surpassed that of anyone else.

"Is that true?"

"My word is my bond."

"Is this His Holiness the Pope's intention?" To prevent Faol from agreeing now and then reneging later by saying he couldn't make decisions for the Pope, he decided to ask clearly at once.

"This is my intention."

"Then you can make decisions for His Holiness the Pope?"

"His Holiness the Pope? What does this have to do with His Holiness the Pope? How could I possibly make decisions for His Holiness the Pope? And why would I need to make decisions for His Holiness the Pope?" Faol asked nonchalantly.

Gaspard's anger flared up instantly. So you came to play games with me? If you can't make decisions for the Pope, then what are you discussing with me?

"If you can't make decisions for the Pope, then how can you help me solve this trouble? And help me gain a transcendent position within the Borgia Family?"

"By myself, what's wrong?"

"You? What do you have?" Gaspard felt both annoyed and amused. This type of person, who rises because of someone else's success, really thought too highly of himself. Without the Pope, he wouldn't even have the qualifications to enter.

"The Pope has authorized me to use a portion of the Holy See's wealth, and I also have extensive business experience. Is there a problem?"

"No... no problem. You should have clarified earlier. I thought you were just playing with me. I apologize, please forgive my rashness. Let's continue our discussion." Gaspard now understood. The Pope did not intend to directly intervene in this matter but had given Faol sufficient authority to handle it. He truly hadn't expected the Pope to trust Faol so much.

"I have nothing more to say. I've said everything that needs to be said. It's up to you whether to accept it or not."

"Good! I accept your conditions. As long as we overcome this crisis and my lineage becomes the strongest within the Borgia Family, the Rome Newspaper will be yours."

"It's a deal. So, the agreement is reached. I can fulfill my promises first, but words alone are not enough. A written agreement is needed as proof. I need a written agreement. Since it concerns the Rome Newspaper, I also hope you will make our cooperation public through the Rome Newspaper."

"Absolutely no problem." Gaspard had no reason to refuse. He had no intention of breaking the contract anyway, and making this matter public through the newspaper was entirely beneficial. Faol didn't even have to suggest it; he had already planned to do so himself, as it would both display his status and deter his enemies.

After signing the agreement, Gaspard's worries and frustrations of many days vanished. Gaspard did not completely trust Faol's abilities, but what did it matter? If he succeeded, everyone would be happy; if he failed, it would be a free aid.

Faol also got what he wanted, being able to further weaken the Borgia Family's power through Gaspard and acquire the Rome Newspaper. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

"Happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"