People all have desires and emotions. So, even though Chen Fei resisted from the bottom of his heart, feeling like a fool for stupidly trying to be a so-called hero, he couldn't just stand by and watch Earth be defiled and destroyed by those wolf-like predators. Zhen Jingkong had precisely seized upon this common human psychology, leaving Chen Fei speechless.
Indeed, experience always wins out! Fortunately, this old fox wasn't standing against me; otherwise, this would have been truly creepy and terrifying...
But now, with the conversation over, Chen Fei had naturally made his decision.
「...」
Meanwhile, just as Old Brad, Duke Ovilia, and the other elders of the Brad Family were being driven to the brink of suicide, Melsdom and Mardo finally arrived. They appeared making their intentions clear: they were going to save the Brad Family.
This took the various assembled forces by complete surprise. After all, Melsdom and Mardo… they were also among those nearly killed in the Brad Family's betrayal. So why were they now stepping forward to save them?
No one could understand why, but that didn't mean they were willing to let the matter rest. The incident had been too grave, and too many top-tier powerhouses had died.
But Melsdom and Mardo didn't care about any of that. They demonstrated a terrifyingly powerful force, instantly silencing the other major powers. With Melsdom at the Peak Holy Magister level and SSS-level Mardo wielding a Mid-Grade Holy Artifact, who would dare provoke them?
Eventually, even the high-ranking members of other major powers who had luckily survived the disaster rushed to the scene after Melsdom and Mardo sent word that this was the will of Mr. Chen Fei.
Thus, with so many top powerhouses—including Melsdom and Mardo—personally intervening to save the Brad Family, the other major forces had no choice but to back down, no matter how dominant, angry, or tyrannical they were. There was simply no other way; the situation had progressed to a point where they could no longer push the matter.
Unless they were truly willing to make an enemy of Peak Holy Magister Melsdom, SSS-level Mardo, and the other high-level powerhouses who had rushed to the scene. But was it worth it? Of course not.
Most importantly, Melsdom and the others understood that what is unyielding is easily broken.
Perhaps they still harbored some resentment in their hearts...
After the successive deaths of Schumacher, Beirut, and the three peak Grand Duke elders, the Brad Family was already severely weakened, a mere shell of its former self. They were down to just a handful of ordinary Blood Clan Grand Dukes.
In the end, Melsdom ordered two of them to atone with their lives, providing a final resolution for the other powers. Anything less would have been difficult to placate the masses. The two chosen for this fate were already on the brink of death, like rotting wood about to crumble, so they accepted their fate willingly and acted decisively.
To cap it all off, Old Brad, on behalf of the Brad Family, relinquished their throne among the Major Mafia Families of Europe. This, of course, left the other major forces speechless. With the matter settled, it was finally over. The powerhouses began to leave one after another. Even if some were still resentful and frustrated, they had no choice but to let it go. There was simply nothing more to be done.
To press any further now would be to scheme and take advantage of the chaos. At that point, Melsdom, Mardo, and the others would likely adopt a different approach. With their current power, who would dare provoke them? It would be courting death.
However, the Brad Family—once the kings of Italy's Dark World and a renowned Mafia Great Family in the European Dark World—had ultimately fallen. They were reduced to just 'two or three kittens,' a pitiful sight that evoked sighs and lamentations. But that is a story for another time.
「...」
As the catastrophe that shook Europe and the entire Western Dark World finally came to a close, a defeated and weary Old Brad and Duke Ovilia arrived at Chen Fei's top-level presidential suite.
"Mr. Chen... thank you," they said with the utmost reverence. "Thank you for saving the Brad Family."
They knew perfectly well that if not for a word from Mr. Chen Fei, Melsdom, Mardo, and the others would never have stepped forward to protect them. After all, their family were now pariahs, hated by all. However, this incident had given them a new, direct understanding of Chen Fei's power and the weight his words carried.
That powerhouses like Melsdom, a Peak Holy Magister, and Mardo, an SSS-level expert, would confront so many other forces based on a single word from him… that they would unhesitatingly step in to save the Brad Family… what did that imply? The mere thought was terrifying.
Chen Fei paid no mind to their growing deference. He casually shook his head and said lightly, "It seems there's nothing left for me to do here. I should probably head back to my country soon."
Hearing his intention to leave so soon, both Old Brad and Duke Ovilia's expressions changed. They recovered quickly, however, and Duke Ovilia bowed eagerly. "Of course. I'll have a plane readied immediately."
"There's no need for that," Chen Fei replied with a decisive shake of his head. "Just take me to Rome. I'll wander around for a bit on my own and then take a commercial flight back."
A private plane? He'd always disliked being so conspicuous. Besides, what he really wanted now was to find a quiet place to be alone and seriously consider the matter of pursuing cultivation. In that case, drawing attention to himself was the last thing he wanted.
Hearing Chen Fei, Old Brad understood his preference for a low profile. Not daring to insist, he immediately said, "Since you prefer to travel that way, we will take you to Rome. Regardless, thank you again for everything."
"No need for thanks," Chen Fei said with a wave of his hand. "You should be using this time to figure out how to clean up the rest of this mess. You're going to be busy for a while, I imagine?"
"...Ah, yes. We're going to be very busy..." At the mention of this, Old Brad and Duke Ovilia exchanged a glance and sighed helplessly.
Although the allied powers had let them off, the price was their abdication from the throne of the Three Mafia Families, on top of the family's own devastating loss of strength. They would indeed be busy. The other major powers in Italy and the neighboring countries would surely covet the territories they now struggled to control. With their current power, they no longer had the means or the right to protect so much. They would have to cede some of it.
Just then, Duke Ovilia seemed to have found the flight information he was looking for. "Mr. Chen, I had someone check," he reported with a bow. "The next flight from Rome to your country is tomorrow evening, and it's in economy class. However... if you wish, we could ask the airline to arrange a special charter flight?"
A charter flight? Forget it... Chen Fei thought, amused. If I was going to do that, I might as well have taken their private jet in the first place. Why all the hassle?
"No, that's far too much trouble," he refused, waving his hand. "Just take me to Rome. It'll give me a chance to look around and relax. Since I'm already here, I'd rather not go back with only bad memories. Just arrange for someone to take me to Rome."
Hearing the phrase "bad memories," both Old Brad and Duke Ovilia looked embarrassed and said no more. They nodded quickly. "Yes, Mr. Chen. We understand."
"Oh, by the way," Chen Fei suddenly added. "Are there any famous beaches near Rome? Preferably somewhere quiet, with fewer people."
"Beaches?" Duke Ovilia immediately suggested. "The most famous and closest would be Pengza Island. But if you prefer somewhere quiet, Mr. Chen, I would recommend Sabaudia. It has fewer tourists, and personally, I don't think it's any less beautiful than Palermo, Sicily."
"Not inferior to Palermo, Sicily? Hmm, that sounds like a nice place," Chen Fei said with a nod. He had wanted to visit Sicily, home to Italy's famous "boot" kicking into the Mediterranean.
"So, Mr. Chen, shall we take you directly to Sabaudia, or to Rome?" Duke Ovilia asked excitedly, pleased that Chen Fei approved of his suggestion.
"Let's go to Sabaudia then," Chen Fei said. "I'll relax for a bit and book my own flight when I'm ready."
"Yes, Mr. Chen. I'll arrange it right away," Old Brad chimed in.