Falling from grace overnight is something an ordinary person surely couldn’t bear. At this moment, the Taro Prison in the Alps was filled with a crowd of fallen elites. When faced with a crisis, these once-dignified and well-dressed figures were no better than ordinary people. Even after landing in prison, many still refused to accept reality. Shouting, cursing, threatening, bribing—all kinds of outrageous tactics were being put on full display. Leo Cohen was an exception. He quietly squatted in a corner, calmly watching the others perform their acts. As one of the wealthiest individuals among the Jewish community and even globally, Leo Cohen had seen and experienced more than most. To have made it this far, defeating countless competitors, he had relied not just on ruthlessness but, more importantly, on sharp judgment. Before the outbreak of the 1848 Revolutions, when capitalists were indulging in their final spree, Leo Cohen sensed danger and decisively chose to lay low. He managed the family business from behind the scenes, and when the scandal over hoarding and price manipulation broke out, he didn’t wait for the government to come after him. Instead, he cut his losses without hesitation, pushed forward a scapegoat, and let them take the fall for everything. When the Austrian government started settling scores afterward, Leo Cohen went a step further by secretly handing over evidence of his peers’ crimes. It was through the downfall of his competitors and the gap left in the market that Leo Cohen seized the opportunity to rise. He eventually became one of Austria’s largest retail and wholesale merchants. Then, following the typical capitalist playbook, he ran the company through an IPO to raise funds and cash out, before transitioning into the banking sector. More precisely, it was the loan sharking business. The banks under Leo Cohen didn’t deal in standard commercial loans; they specialized in predatory lending during times of crisis. To pursue greater profits, Leo Cohen even expanded into gambling and the drug trade, setting himself on a rapid path to wealth. Looking at Leo Cohen’s life story, it read like a villain protagonist on cheat mode. Through his own efforts, he turned an ordinary Jewish family into one of the top Jewish dynasties in Europe. Unfortunately, luck always runs out eventually. When the wave of anti-Semitism spread to Austria, it immediately caught Leo Cohen’s attention. However, since the domestic situation in Austria was stable at the time, with no signs of large-scale anti-Semitic movements, Leo Cohen hesitated. And then, he was in. Even after ending up in prison, Leo Cohen still didn’t understand how he got there. The vast personal network he had built over the years didn’t just fail to protect him, it didn’t even sound the alarm when danger approached. Although Austria had a reputation for cracking down hard on corruption, that had never been a real obstacle for capitalists like Leo Cohen. Direct bribery may not have worked, but indirect transfers of benefits were nearly impossible to trace. And once he had a bank of his own, oversight became even harder to enforce. Leo Cohen was able to navigate the world of crime and gray areas and build such a vast empire because of the power deals made possible through the exchange of benefits. Over time, with enough transactions, everyone involved ended up with leverage on each other. Now, they were all like grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If Leo Cohen went down, he could drag them all down with him. Under the current Austrian laws, no one would be able to escape. It was precisely because he held enough bargaining chips that Leo Cohen couldn’t understand why he had been abandoned as a scapegoat. At that moment, a middle-aged warden and a squad of prison guards stormed in. Batons in hand, they unleashed a brutal crackdown on the chaotic crowd—kicking, punching, and clubbing without restraint. Before Leo Cohen could even feel relieved for avoiding a beating, the warden barked loudly, “I don’t care who you were on the outside. Here, you all have the same identity—criminals. If you want to walk out of here alive, then behave yourselves. Otherwise, if any accidents happen, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.” The police chief’s harsh words weren’t without reason. The Taro Prison in the Alps had another name—the Gate of Hell. Only the most serious offenders with irrefutable evidence against them were qualified to be locked up here, awaiting final judgment from the court. Generally, anyone who ended up in this place, even if not sentenced to death, would be facing at least thirty years of hard labor. When it came to dealing with these serious criminals, the prison guards naturally had no need to be polite. So-called “leaving here alive” usually meant being transferred from this prison to even harsher conditions in the Middle East or Africa. Upon hearing the warning from the middle-aged warden, Leo Cohen realized things were about to get much worse. There was only one reason the guards didn’t care about their lives, it was because they were all going to be executed. Only when a death sentence was certain would no one care how they died. Seeing the crowd quiet down, the middle-aged warden nodded in satisfaction and slowly said, “Who’s Leo Cohen? You have a visitor.” Everyone turned their eyes toward Leo Cohen in unison. They were all from the same circle, and even if they didn’t know each other well, at least the faces were familiar. In a situation like this, someone still daring to visit despite the risk could only be a true friend willing to face life and death together. Looking at the faces filled with envy and jealousy, Leo Cohen could only feel bitterness in his heart. After all, he had just been brought in. Even if some relatives or friends didn’t mind the stigma and were willing to visit, it was impossible for them to arrive this quickly. Which meant the identity of the visitor was obvious. Leo Cohen had heard very clearly that the word used was “visit,” not “bail.” Just one word made a world of difference in meaning. Seeing the impatience appear on the warden’s face, Leo Cohen, skilled at reading expressions, hurried to stand and replied, “Warden, I’m Leo Cohen. May I ask who...” Before he could finish his sentence, the middle-aged warden interrupted him, “If I tell you to go, then go. What’s with all the talking?” Curiosity killed the cat. This was a lesson Manuel had learned through years of work experience. He never asked about things he wasn’t supposed to know. With Leo Cohen feeling anxious, Manuel brought him to the visiting room, then decisively left the scene. Even the prison guards were pulled back a hundred meters. Lacking confidence, Leo Cohen was the first to speak. “Sir Ledes, how are things outside?” Ledes shook his head and replied, “Things are very bad, Mr. Cohen. So far, thousands of people have been imprisoned. In recent years, you’ve all gone too far. A lot of people have had enough of you, and now there are many eager to kick you while you’re down. As old friends, we will try to get you out, but the current situation is complicated. We must first get things under control and prevent the situation from escalating. If things spiral out of control, you need to be prepared for the worst. Of course, that’s only a possibility and a very small one at that. You should understand how powerful we are. Even if things go completely off the rails, we will make sure your family is not implicated. If necessary, we will even help them leave the country.” Hearing this, Leo Cohen’s face turned ashen. Ledes sounded like he was offering reassurance, but it was actually a warning, clearly telling him that if he talked recklessly, his whole family would suffer the consequences. If he couldn’t get out before his trial, then after the conviction, there would be no chance of leaving at all. If they couldn’t even get one suspect out, then trying to rescue a convicted felon was even more impossible. It wasn’t a matter of willingness, it simply couldn’t be done. Unless Franz personally issued a pardon, Austrian law dictated that anyone who released a convict without proper authorization would be charged with the same crime. Even if some official had the guts to take the risk, the people below him wouldn’t dare follow through. There were just too many people involved. If any part of the chain broke down, everyone involved would be doomed together. There had already been a precedent. A few years ago, there was a notorious case where one privileged second-generation elite dragged over a hundred people down with him. And that was considered lucky. If the person they had freed had been a death row inmate, they all would’ve gone straight to hell together. Now that would’ve been a tragedy. After hearing about so many cases like that, Leo Cohen no longer believed he was important enough for any of the big players to risk everything to save him. “Don’t worry, Sir Ledes, I won’t cause trouble for you. But things inside are a bit complicated. I’m not sure how long I’ll last in here. Maybe you could put in a word for me?” There was no other way. If he couldn’t get out for the time being, then he had to find a way to make life inside a little more bearable. Ledes gave a slight smile and reassured, “No problem. We’ll take care of it. Mr. Cohen, if there’s anything you need, just let the guards know. As long as it’s within reason, we’ll provide it.” After the short visit, Ledes breathed a sigh of relief. At least Leo hadn’t said anything reckless. If he had exposed any problems, they might not have been able to cover it up. After much hesitation, Ledes made a decision deep in his heart: Leo Cohen couldn’t be allowed to live. *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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