It was too late.
If they had stopped him earlier, things wouldn't have come to this. They could risk killing Oboro, but the cost would be catastrophic. The conditions for allowing the Fells family to become the uncrowned country were not made public. Several leaders needed only to verbally agree and implement some procedural conveniences in V5, nothing that would cause them any real discomfort.
If possible, they could even work with the Fells family and let them handle some of the shadier operations. Perfect for controlling the gangs no longer through orders, but through equal cooperation.
If Oboro really was an unreasonable madman, V5 would eliminate him at any cost. A man like that was a potential threat to the entire human world, a volatile factor that couldn't be controlled.
This situation arose precisely because they wanted to take action against the gangs. Maybe if they took a step back, they could find new opportunities for development.
"Calm him down first" "Give him some sweets and let him work for us. If the Fells family can infiltrate the political arena of various countries, they'll become an invisible trump card in our hands.
"Let him make the first move. Let him think we're backing down so he'll lower his guard. When the time is right, we'll replace him with one of our own."
In the secret meeting room of V5 headquarters, several leaders exchanged knowing glances across the table. They understood each other's intentions without saying a word.
A mere gang leader thinking he could outmaneuver V5, how arrogant!
"Fine, we agree," the woman said coldly. "You will have complete autonomy over the gangs, equivalent to the status of a head of state. That's all for now. But you, the Fells family, must lead the gangs on all six continents as soon as possible and make those politicians change their minds. As for your gang joining V5, forget it! You can only be considered an independent country, not protected by the treaty."
"We have an agreement," Oboro replied with a smile and lowered his hands.
The mental power dissipated and the illusory screen disappeared. The woman standing before him with an antenna on her head regained consciousness.
"Congratulations, Mr. Oboro, oh no, I should call you 'King' now." Bruce approached and held out his hand in congratulations.
A human catastrophe had been averted. Everyone present let out an unconscious sigh of relief. They had feared witnessing a historic turning point, one that would affect the entire world and leave no one untouched.
"Fells family, you are welcome to visit us again in the future," Oboro said, shaking Bruce's hand.
"Now that our business is done, we will not disturb your rest. Farewell." Bruce replied politely.
Oboro asked David to escort the entire team of V5 executives out.
As they walked out of the hall, Bruce, who was leading the team, smiled quietly. He wondered if Oboro realized he was being used. This was textbook political maneuvering.
Even if Oboro had noticed, it didn't matter. The gangs couldn't escape the clutches of the V5. There was a fundamental logic to this: V5's power far exceeded the Fells' foundation; they simply weren't on the same level.
In this world, whoever had the bigger fist would always rule. An eternal truth!
Even as an uncrowned country with the ability to influence politics, shape public opinion, and force countries into conflict, these were merely forms of soft power.
The greatest weakness of the gangs was their lack of actual territory. In reality, territorial invasion required a series of wars and a significant investment of time on both sides. A country without physical defenses faced an exponentially higher risk of destruction.
Take the NGL Autonomous Region in the Mitene Federation. V5 couldn't touch them because they had their own territory that completely blocked outside interference. Any plan would require them to engage in actual combat, isolated by territorial boundaries. First, they would have to occupy the territory and start a war before implementing other strategies.
The Fells family could control gang leaders, but so could V5, perhaps more effectively. Human nature seeks profit, and V5 could offer better terms to these gang leaders. The same was true of politicians in various countries.
There were risks, of course. If Oboro discovered their plan in advance, they might not be able to stop this inhuman madman from provoking international chaos.
The V5 leaders didn't want to take unnecessary risks or create problems. Better to let Oboro become an employee and then take over the ready made network. Let the Fells family enjoy this brief moment of triumph, Bruce pushed these thoughts away as he led his people away. Tonight, this invisible war was finally over. Though the process had been exciting, Bruce felt that despite his long tenure on the V5 Committee, he still had much to learn.
"Are they gone?" Oboro asked as David returned after ushering the visitors out.
"Yes."
"Then let's begin the main action."
"Good."
"Time for the buried chess pieces to come into play," Oboro said mysteriously. "Though few in number, their moment has come."
"Those V5 leaders," David's voice trailed off hesitantly.
"They're just trying to fool me," Oboro replied. "Even with these trump cards, the Fells family lacks the strength to truly threaten the V5. We can only intimidate them. These superpowers maintain their status in the human world for a reason."
He continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "Let me tell you something, even if we control these politicians, destabilize nations, and start wars, do you think these five superpowers would crumble if they united?"
"Using ordinary citizens as bargaining chips?" Oboro laughed darkly. "Do you think they really care about civilian lives? About whether other countries perish? They can minimize the effects of the war on themselves. Their anger is just a moral, hypocritical mask they wear for our benefit."
"If we want to dismantle them, we must give our people a voice and corresponding capabilities within the V5 and their respective countries!"
"This negotiation only buys us an 'advantage' for a short period of time. However, with this advantage, the Fells family can provide the energy to place our pawns within the V5 and, step by step, advance something that was impossible before."
Oboro went to the window and looked out, smiling. "They want something for nothing, trading a little sweetness for greater good. Who doesn't want that?"
"I'm good at stealing," he turned to David with a mischievous smile.
The old man smiled back.
In the past, V5 had ignored the gangs. Now, their management model and skills had given V5 a new perspective. They'd begun to pay attention, realized that this ragtag army had considerable value, and began to covet them. Since you want them, I'll give them to you.
But the process had to be drawn out long enough to give V5 the illusion that the Fells family had fallen into their trap.
Given enough time and the growth of their people within V5, the Fells family would ultimately reap the greatest rewards.
The more David thought about it, the more horrified he became. Oboro wasn't just cunning, his mind worked on a completely different level.
What made this lord truly terrifying wasn't his strength, but his intellect. But too many people fixated only on his power David stood and watched Oboro's silhouette against the window, lost in thought.