Chapter 7 Chapter Six

The apparent intimacy between Constantin Demiris and his brother-in-law Spiros Lambro surprised everyone. Spiros Lambro's wealth and power almost rivaled that of Demiris.Demiris has the largest transport fleet in the world; Spiros Lambro is a close second.Constantin Demiris controlled a string of newspaper offices, airlines, oil fields, steel mills, and gold mines; Spiros Lambro had insurance companies, banks, untold real estate, and a chemical plant to his name.They are like friendly competitors, even brothers and sisters. "How wonderful," people remarked, "that the two most powerful men in the world are such good friends!"

In fact, the two of them despise each other and are sworn enemies.When Spiros Lambro bought a 100-foot yacht, Constantin Demiris immediately took over a 150-foot yacht with four GM engines, a crew of 13, two The speedboat also takes over a freshwater swimming pool. When Spiros' fleet expanded to 12 large tankers with a deadweight of 200,000 tons, Constantin Demiris expanded his fleet to 23 tankers with a total deadweight of 650,000 tons.After Spiros Lambro bought a few racehorses, Constantin Demiris confronted him and wanted to compete with Spiros Lambro. He immediately bought more racehorses and won frequently in the races .

There are many opportunities for the two to meet.They both work for charities, sit on the boards of many large corporations and sometimes attend house parties. They have very different personalities, and they are incompatible.Constantin Demiris rose from the ghetto to his current position, while Spiros Lambro was born aristocrat.Slender, elegant, impeccably dressed, he was a polite old-fashioned man.His family tree can be traced all the way back to Otto, the Bavarian king who once ruled Greece.During the political turmoil of Greece's early years, a small group of oligarchs took the opportunity to amass vast fortunes from trade, shipping, and land transactions.Spiros Lambro's father is also one of the beneficiaries.The money empire he built was passed on to Spiros Lambro.

Over the years, Spiros Lambro and Constantin Demiris have maintained this fake friendly relationship, but each is secretly determined to destroy the other completely in the end.Demiris did this out of survival instinct, but Lambro did it because he couldn't tolerate his brother-in-law's brutality to Melina. Spiros Lambro is a superstitious man.He is very satisfied with his affluent life and does not want to offend the gods.He often turned to witches for advice.Of course, he could recognize the tricks of witches.However, he discovered that there was a witch god who was unpredictable.The sorceress had predicted that his sister Melina would have a miscarriage, and that her marriage would be unhappy, among many other things, and it all came true.This witch is in Athens.

Her name is Mrs. Pierris. ※※※ Constantin Demiris is used to arriving at his office on San Geronda Street at 6:00 every morning.By the time his competitors start working, he's been doing business for a few hours with offices stationed in more than a dozen countries overseas. Demiris' office is richly decorated.The scenery outside the window is beautiful, with a panoramic view of the city of Athens.The floors are black granite and the furniture is made of steel and genuine leather.The walls are covered with cubist art, including works by Léger and Braque, and half a dozen Picasso.The massive desk is made of steel and glass, with a leather upholstered throne.On the desk is a death mask of Alexander the Great, covered in crystal glass, with a line of words engraved on it: "Alexander, protector of mankind."

Early this morning, Constantin Demiris's personal phone rang.There are only five or six people who know this phone number. Demiris grabbed the phone. "Good morning." "Good morning." The voice of Spiros Lambro's personal secretary Nikos Viritos came from the other end of the phone.He is a little nervous. "Excuse me for disturbing you, Mr. Demiris. You want me to call this as soon as I have a situation. You may—" "Yes, I said so. What's the matter?" "Mr. Lambro intends to buy Aurora International. This company can be found on the New York Stock Exchange. A friend of Mr. Lambro's on the board of directors of this company told him that the government is going to inject a large amount of capital into them. Build bombers. Of course this information is very confidential. The company's stock will rise sharply..."

"I'm not interested in the stock market," Demiris yelled. "Unless you have something more important, don't bother me." "I'm sorry, Mr. Demiris. I thought..." But Demiris had hung up the phone. ※※※ At eight o'clock, Demiris' assistant, Giannis Tihalos, walked in.Constantin Demiris looked up from the table. "The New York Stock Exchange owns an Aurora International Corporation. Inform all papers that the firm is on trial for fraud. Not using its real name, but as long as word gets around. Let them keep reporting and blowing it up until the stock drops. Get down. Then, start buying until I can control the company."

"Okay, sir. Is that all?" "Also, once I have control, announce that these rumors are pure fabrication. Oh, and also, try to let the people in the New York Stock Exchange know that Spiros Lambro bought their stock with inside information." Yannis Tihalos said cautiously: "Mr. Demiris, in the United States, that is a criminal offense." Constantin Demiris laughed. "I know." ※※※ A mile away, in Syntagma Square, Spiros Lambro is working in his office.The furnishing of the workplace reflects his characteristic of learning from others.The furniture is rare antiques, combining French and Italian styles.French Impressionist artwork hangs on three walls, while Belgian artists such as Van Rieseberg and De Smet are arranged on the other.On the door to the office read: Lambro and Assistants.But there was never an assistant in the office.Spiros Lambro inherited his father's successful business entity.Over the years, Spiros Lambro has expanded it into a worldwide conglomerate.

Spiros Lambro should have been a happy man.He was rich, successful, and in good health.But as long as Demiris lives, he cannot be truly happy.His brother-in-law always made him restless.Lambro dismisses him, thinking that Demiris is a Polymichanos, that is, a thug with vicious methods and moral depravity.Lambro has always hated Demiris because of his attitude towards Melina.But the grievances between them are not unrelated to business conflicts. This started ten years ago.Once, Lambro had lunch with his sister.During the dinner, she found that Lambro had never been so excited. "Melina, did you know that it would take a thousand years to form the fossil fuels that the world consumes every day."

"I don't know, Spiros." "The future demand for oil will be huge and there will be a shortage of tankers." "Do you want to build your own tanker?" He nodded. "But not ordinary tankers. I want to build the world's first fleet of large tankers. The tankers will be twice the size of the existing ones." His voice was full of passion, "I spent months calculating Just a minute. Listen, right now, it costs seven cents a gallon to ship crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the east coast of the United States. But with the big tankers, it's down to three cents a gallon. You know what that means ?"

"Spyros—where are you going to raise a lot of money to build a fleet of tankers like this?" "That's the part of the project I'm most proud of. It doesn't cost me a penny," he laughs. "what?" He leaned forward. "I will go to the United States next month to meet with the giants of the oil companies. Using these tankers, I can help them transport their oil to the United States for half the current shipping price." "But...you don't have such a large tanker yet." He laughed even harder. "I don't have one now, but as long as I sign a long-term charter contract with the oil company, I can get a loan from the bank to build the tanker. What do you think of the idea?" "I think you're a genius. It's a brilliant plan." ※※※ After hearing her brother's plan, Melina mentioned her brother's idea to Demiris when she got excited during dinner. Once she had finished explaining, she asked, "Is the plan seamless?" Constantin Demiris was silent.After a while he said, "Your brother is dreaming. This plan will never come true." Melina looked at him in surprise. "Why, Costa?" "So hasty. First, there isn't that much demand for oil, so, his fabulous fleet can only run empty. Second, how can those oil companies give precious oil to a huge tanker that has no shadow What about the fleet? Besides, the bankers will laugh at his plans and throw him out of office." Melina's face was clouded with disappointment. "Spyros is very enthusiastic about this plan, can you persuade him?" Demiris shook his head. "Let him have a sweet dream. Melina, it's best not to let him know about our conversation." "Okay, Costa, do as you say." ※※※ In the early hours of the next day, Constantine Demiris was on his way to the United States to discuss plans for large tankers.He knew in his heart that, in addition to the United States and the Soviet Union, the world's oil reserves are mainly controlled by seven sister companies, they are: Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, Standard Oil Company of California, Gulf Oil Company, Texas Corporation, Saucony-Wacom companies, the Anglo-Dutch Shell Oil Company, and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.As long as one of them cooperates with him, the others will follow suit. ※※※ Constantin Demiris' first visit was Standard Oil of New Jersey.He had made an appointment with fourth vice president Owen Curtis in advance. "What can I do for you, Mr. Demiris?" "I have an idea that can bring huge economic benefits to your company." "Oh, you already talked about it on the phone." Curtis looked at his watch, "I have a meeting in a few minutes. If you can be concise..." "I will. You pay seven cents a gallon to ship crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the East Coast of the United States." "Not bad at all." "I want to tell you, what would you think if I promised to deliver your crude oil for three cents a gallon?" Curtis smiled arrogantly. "Then I would like to ask you how to create this miracle?" Demiris said calmly: "Use a large tanker that transports twice as much oil as the existing tanker. I can transport as much oil as you want right away." Curtis stared at him with a thoughtful face. "Where did you get such a large fleet of tankers?" "I build it myself." "I'm sorry, we're not interested in investing in..." Demiris interrupted him. "It won't cost you a dime. I'll just sign you a long-term contract to ship you oil at half your current freight rates. I'll get the money from the bank." After a long period of silence and calculation, Owen Curtis finally cleared his throat and said, "I think I'd better take you upstairs to talk to the president." ※※※ This opened up the situation, and other companies have signed contracts with Demiris' new tanker.By the time Spiros Lambro learned everything, it was too late.He flew to the United States, and although he got some contracts from independent oil companies, Demiris had swallowed all the fat in the oil market. "He's your husband," cried Lambro, "but, Melina, I swear to you, one day I'll make him pay for what he's done." Melina was devastated and felt that she had betrayed her brother. But when she confronted her husband, Demiris shrugged. "I didn't go to them, Melina. The oil company came to them. How can I say no to them?" The matter has never been brought up again. ※※※ However, Demiris' rough treatment of Melina aroused a stronger hatred in Lambro than the confrontation between the two men in business. He could turn a deaf ear to the scandal of Constantin Demiris' philandering—men, after all, have to have fun.However, Demiris' blunt approach not only insulted Melina, but also the entire Lambro family.Demiris' affair with actress Noelle Page was the culmination of his egregious behavior and made headlines around the world.Someday, thought Spiros Lambro, someday... ※※※ Lambro's assistant, Nicos Viritos, entered the office.Viritos has been with Spiros Lambro for 15 years.He was competent at his job, but unimaginative, a dead man, always vague and without personality.The rivalry between brother-in-law and brother-in-law offered him what he thought was the best opportunity.He calculated that the final winner would be Constantine Demiris, so he leaked important secrets to Demiris from time to time, hoping to get a proper reward. Viritos came to Lambro. "Excuse me, but a gentleman named Anthony Rizzoli wants to see you." Lambro sighed. "We can only deal with it first," Lambro said, "call him in." Anthony Rizzoli was a dark-haired man in his mid-forties, with a thin, hooked nose and brown eyes set deep in their sockets.He walked gracefully, like a well-trained boxer.He wore a tailored serge suit, a yellow silk shirt, and moccasins.He was soft-spoken and courteous, but always strangely menacing. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lambro." "Please sit down, Mr. Rizzoli." Rizzoli sat down on the chair. "I wonder what you want me to do?" "Ah, I just told Mr. Viritos that I would like to charter a cargo ship with you. Well, it is like this. I have a factory in Marseilles, and I have some heavy machinery to be shipped to the United States. If this business can be negotiated If so, we can continue to do large transactions in the future.” Spiros Lambro leaned back in his chair, studying the person in front of him carefully.He came with bad intentions. "Is that all you want to ship, Monsieur Rizzoli?" he asked. Tony Rizzoli frowned. "What did you say? I don't understand." "I think you should understand," said Lambro, "that I cannot charter my boat to you." "Why? What do you mean by that?" "Drugs! Mr. Rizzoli, you are a drug dealer." Rizzoli narrowed his eyes. "You are crazy! You have heard too much gossip!" But for Lambro, this was no longer hearsay.He had scrupulously investigated the man and found out that Tony Rizzoli was one of the biggest drug dealers in Europe, a Mafia.According to rumors, Rizzoli's drug trafficking channels were almost exhausted, so he urgently needed to make a deal with Lambro. "I'm afraid you'll have to hire someone else." Tony Rizzoli sat staring at him, his eyes stern.It was a while before he nodded. "Okay." He took out a business card and threw it on the desk. "If you change your mind, you can find me with the number on it." He got up and stood for a while before leaving. Spiros Lambro picked up the card and read: "Anthony Rizzoli - Import and Export Business." Below the card was the address and phone number of a hotel in Athens. Nikos Viritos had been listening to their conversation with wide-eyed eyes just now.As soon as Tony Rizzoli came out of the office, he came over and asked Lambro: "Is he really..." "Yes, Mr. Rizzoli is in the heroin business. Once we let him use any of our ships, the government will terminate our entire fleet." ※※※ Tony Rizzoli stormed out of Lambro's office in a rage.This Greek bastard is taking me for a country bumpkin!How did he know about the drugs?The quantity of this batch of goods is not small, and the final price will be at least 10 million US dollars.But the problem is how to get to New York.The damn narcotics police have Athens surrounded.I have to call Sicily quickly and try to delay it for a while.Tony Rizzoli has never missed a hand and he doesn't want to lose this shipment.He thinks he is born to be a winner, he will not lose. He grew up in what is called "Hell's Kitchen" in New York.This area is in the center of both ends of Manhattan, between 8th Avenue and the Hudson River, from 23rd Street in the north to 59th Street in the south.However, in people's minds, "Hell's Kitchen" is a city within a city, an armed territory.The streets are dominated by gangs, the Gophers, the Living Room Mob, the Gorillas, and the Rhode Island Gang.Here, the price tag for killing a human being is one hundred dollars, and for seriously injuring one, less. Residents of "Hell's Kitchen" live in filthy tenements infested with lice, rats, cockroaches, and the like.There was no place to take a shower in the room, so the kids had to figure it out on their own.They stripped naked and jumped into the Hudson River.The river bank of the pier is the sewer outlet of the "Hell's Kitchen" area. There are many dead dogs and cats floating in the river, emitting a pungent smell. The streets are buzzing with endless activity.Now a fire truck whizzing past, heading to the police station...a gang of hooligans fighting on a rooftop...then a wedding...someone playing hockey on the sidewalk...someone chasing a runaway horse...one sound gunshots.The only places kids play are the streets, apartment rooftops, garbage-strewn parking lots and, in summer, the stinking river.Everything reeked of abject poverty.Tony Rizzoli grew up in such an environment. ※※※ The first thing Tony Rizzoli can remember is being knocked out and having his milk money stolen from him.He was only 7 years old at the time.Boys who were older and taller often threatened him.The road to school is simply not for people to walk, and the school has become a battlefield.By the age of 15, Rizzoli already had a strong physique and was very good at fighting.He likes to fight, is superior in skills, and takes pleasure in it, and has a feeling of being above others.He started a boxing match with his friends at the Stillman Gym. People from gangs often come to watch the fights of their own boxers.Frank Costello comes here once or twice a month with Joe Adonis and Lucy Luciano.They are very interested in the boxing of these young people.For fun, they started betting on these boxers.Tony Rizzoli was always able to beat other boxers, and soon became the favorite of gangsters.While changing in the locker room one day, Tony Rizzoli overheard a conversation between Frank Costello and Lucky Luciano. "This kid is a goldmine," Luciano said. "I won five thousand dollars on him last week." "Are you going to bet on his match with Lou Domenic?" "Of course, I want to bet ten thousand dollars." "How much do you have to bet?" "Ten to one. But so what? Rizzoli will definitely win." Their conversation, Tony Rizzoli did not understand.He found his brother Gino and told him what he had heard. "Jesus!" his brother exclaimed, "those guys are betting big on you." "Why is that? I'm not a professional player." Gino thought for a moment. "Tony, you've never lost, have you?" "No." "Maybe this group of people was just a small gamble at the beginning, just try it. See if you play well, then start playing for real." The younger brother shrugged. "What does this have to do with me?" Gino grabbed his arm and said eagerly: "It matters a lot, to you and to me. Listen, young man..." ※※※ Friday afternoon's game against Lou Domenic is at Stillman Coliseum.Those guys were there—Frank Costello, Joe Adonis, Albert Anastasia, Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky.They love to watch the boys' games, and of course they want to take the opportunity to make a fortune from the children. Lou Domenic was 17 years old, a year older than Tony and 5 pounds heavier, but he was no match for Tony Rizzoli.Tony Rizzoli is skilled and has a killer instinct. The game is divided into five rounds.Tony Rizzoli took the first bout handily.He still won the second round, as well as the third and fourth rounds.The gang guys are already counting the bills. "This kid is going to be world champion," said Lucky Luciano. "How much did you bet?" "Ten thousand," replied Frank Costello. "I bet fifteen to one at the top. The kid's already famous." Suddenly, however, something unexpected happened.Midway through the fifth round, Lou Domenick knocked Tony Rizzoli to the ground with an uppercut.The referee starts counting... very slowly, looking worriedly at the lifeless faces of the spectators. "Stand up! You bastard," screamed Joe Adonis, "Stand up! Hit!" The counting continued, already very slowly, but I still counted to 10.Tony Rizzoli was still lying motionless on the floor, unconscious. "Son of a bitch, that was a lucky punch!" The few of them counted the money they lost.quite a lot.Gino carried Tony Rizzoli into a dressing room.He kept his eyes tightly closed, lest those people would find out that he was still awake and show him color.Tony didn't feel relieved until he got home. "We made it!" his brother exclaimed excitedly. "Do you know how much the goddamn money we made at once? A thousand dollars!" "I don't understand. I..." "I took a loan shark from the gang and I bet fifteen to one on Domenick. We're rich." "Aren't they going crazy?" Tony asked. Gino smiled. "They'll never know." ※※※ As soon as Tony Rizzoli left the school the next day, he found a long black car parked by the side of the road.Lucky Luciano sat in the back.He waved for Tony to come over. "boarding." Tony Rizzoli's heart was pounding. "I can't, Monsieur Luciano, I'll be late..." "boarding." Tony Rizzoli got in the car.Lucky Luciano to the driver: "Run around the block." Thank god they weren't trying to drive him away! Lucky Luciano turned to look at Tony. "You pretended to be knocked down," he said bluntly. Tony Rizzoli blushed. "No, sir. I..." "Don't play tricks on me, how much money did you earn in this competition?" "Nothing, Mr. Luciano, I..." "I'll ask you again, how much money did you make by pretending to be knocked down?" Tony Rizzoli hesitated. "A thousand dollars." Lucky Luciano laughed. "It's a dribble of money. But, I guess, for a...how old are you?" "It's almost 16." "That's a lot of money for a 16-year-old, I suppose. You know what? You've cost me and my friends a lot!" "I'm sorry. I..." "Don't take it to heart, you are very smart and have a bright future." "thanks." "I can keep it a secret for you, Tony, or my friends will make you go all out. But I want you to see me on Monday, and from now on, you can do it with me." ※※※ A week later, Tony Rizzoli was working for Lucky Luciano.He started out recruiting people to play the number lottery, and then rose to the law enforcement officer in the gang.With cleverness and quickness, he soon became Luciano's right-hand man because of his excellent work. Later, Lucky Luciano was arrested, found guilty, and sent to prison.Tony Rizzoli stayed on in Luciano's organization. ※※※ This big family runs casinos, lends usury, runs brothels, and does everything that can make illegal profits. Only drug trafficking is opposed by the family.Still, there are those who insist on getting involved.Although the big family was dissatisfied, they had no choice but to allow them to establish their own drug trafficking network. Tony Rizzoli was obsessed with it.He saw that the drug dealers were disorganized.They have no leader, and they lack a leader to organize and correct the direction... He made up his mind. ※※※ Tony Rizzoli has method in everything he does.He first found out all the materials related to heroin and started reading. Heroin is fast becoming the king of narcotics.Marijuana and cocaine can produce hallucinations, but heroin can produce a painless, carefree high.Addicts who become slaves to heroin will sell everything they own, steal anything, and commit all kinds of crimes to get it.Heroin became their religion, their reason for living. Turkey is the world's largest producer of the opium poppy, the plant from which heroin is derived. The big family had ties to Turkey, so he spoke with a head of the family named Pete Luca about his ideas. "I'm going to join," Rizzoli said, "but I'm only working for my family. I want you to know that." "You're such a nice boy, Tony." "I'd like to go to Turkey first and do some research. Can you arrange that?" The old man hesitated and said, "I will pass on the word. But they are not like us, Tony. They have no faith, no morals, they are a bunch of beasts. If they don't trust you, they will kill you." "I will be careful." "Better so." Two weeks later, Tony Rizzoli hit the road for Turkey. He traveled all over Izmir, Afyon, and Eskisehir where poppies are grown.At first, others had doubts about his arrival.He was a stranger there, and strangers were not welcome. "We'll have a lot of business to do," Rizzoli said. "I want to see the poppy fields." The other side shrugged. "I don't know what a poppy field is. You're wasting your time. Go home." Still, Rizzoli's resolve has not wavered.He made five or six phone calls and sent and received several coded telegrams.In the end, he was allowed to go to Kilis on the border between Turkey and Syria to watch the largest local farmer Karila's farm harvest opium. "I don't understand," Tony said, "how did you guys get heroin out of a fucking flower?" A scientist in white told him: "How many processes are there, Mr. Rizzoli. Heroin is synthesized from opium, which is obtained by treating morphine with acetic acid. Heroin can only be extracted from a certain kind of poppy. , this kind of poppy is called opium poppy, which means 'flower of sleep'. The word opium comes from the Greek opos, which originally means 'juice'." "So that's what happened." When it was harvest time, Tony was invited to go to the big farm owned by Calella.Each of the Carreras has a sickle that cuts with precision, like a scalpel."The poppies have to be harvested within 24 hours, otherwise they are useless," Carrera explained. There are nine members of Carrera's family, and everyone worked like crazy, trying to finish the cut in time.The air is filled with a dream-inducing aroma. Rizzoli felt dizzy. "Be careful," Carrera reminded him, "and stay awake. If you fall on the ground, you'll never get up again." During the intense 24-hour harvest, the doors and windows of the farm house were kept tightly closed. ※※※ After watching the harvest, Rizzoli came to a "laboratory" on the hillside and visited the whole process of transforming the white glue of poppies from morphine to heroin. "That's it, isn't it?" Calella shook her head. "No, my friend, that's the beginning. It's the easiest way to make heroin. The hard part is getting it out and not getting caught." Tony Rizzoli was excited.That's the job he's going to be able to take over.So far, this job has been done by idiots.He wants these guys to see how professional dealers deal drugs. "How do you ship these things?" "There are many ways, trucks, buses, trains, cars, mules, camels..." "With a camel?" "We used to sell heroin in cans stuffed in camels. Then the border guards used metal detectors. We switched to plastic bags. The camels were slaughtered when they arrived. The problem is sometimes these bags It would burst open in the camel's belly, and the beast, like a drunk, staggers along and is easy for border guards to catch." "Which way are you going?" "The heroin trade sometimes takes the route of Aleppo, Beirut, Istanbul, and then Marseille; sometimes it goes through Istanbul via Greece, then through Corsica and Morocco to Sicily, and then across the Atlantic Ocean." "Thank you very much for your cooperation. I will pass on the situation to you. I also want to ask you for a favor." "What's busy?" "The next time you are trafficking, I want to go with you." The other party held back for a while before saying, "That's very dangerous." "I want to try my luck." The next afternoon, Tony Rizzoli was introduced to a hulking man with a bushy beard and a tank-like body. "This is Mustafa from Afyon. In Turkish, Afyon means opium. Mustafa is the most sophisticated drug dealer among us." "You must be experienced." Mustafa said modestly, "There are many dangers!" Tony Rizzoli grinned: "But it's worth the risk, isn't it?" The expression on Mustafa's face became solemn. "It means money. To us opium is not just a plant that can make money. It has some magical powers. It is the only crop that is more useful than food. This white liquid is a God-given panacea that can be used as A natural remedy taken in small amounts. It can be taken internally or applied directly to the skin, and can treat many common ailments—such as gastrointestinal problems, colds, fevers, aches, aches, and bruises. But, be careful. Big When used in high doses, it will not only destroy sensory functions, but also impair sex in bed, impotence is the most demeaning thing for a man in Turkey." "Of course, I agree with what you said." ※※※ They set off from Afyon in the middle of the night.A single file of peasants marched through the darkness to Mustafa's place.The mules were fully loaded with opium, totaling 350 kilograms, or about 700 pounds, tied to the backs of seven strong mules.The unique sweet and strong taste of opium, like the smell of wet hay, lingers around people.Mustafa came with a dozen or so peasants, each carrying a rifle, bearing the burden of protecting the opium during the trade. "Everyone needs to be more careful these days," Mustafa told Rizzoli. "Interpol and the police are looking for us. Trafficking used to be a lot more interesting. Back then, we carried coffins with black veils on them. , passing through villages, cities, and seeing passers-by on the street, as well as policemen taking off their hats and saluting coffins full of opium, we couldn’t tell how happy we were.” Afyon Province is located in the western center of Turkey, which accounts for 1/3 of the country's area. This is a plateau at the foot of the Sultan Mountains. It is located on the border and is almost isolated from the country's main cities. "This zone is in our favor," said Mustafa. "We are not easily detected." In the barren mountainous area, the team of mules moved forward slowly.Three days later, in the middle of the night, they reached the border between Turkey and Syria.A woman in black greeted them.She led the way with a horse carrying a sack of plain white flour on its back and a hemp rope tied loosely at one corner of the saddle.The rope swung behind the horse, but didn't touch the ground.The rope was more than 200 feet long, and Mustafa held the other end.The 15 men who followed him were hired to run errands.All of them bowed their heads, almost touching the ground, holding the rope in one hand and carrying a sack of opium in the other.Each bag weighs 35 lbs.A woman leads a horse through a terrifying minefield.But before they came, someone drove a flock of sheep out of a safe passage.If there is a policeman ahead, the woman will let go of the rope and signal Mustafa and others.Even when she was detained and questioned by the police, the drug traffickers kept going, crossing the border safely. They crossed at Kilis, a particularly dense junction with Bray.Beyond the police patrol, you entered a three-mile-wide buffer zone.When they arrived at the location of the transaction, they were greeted by Syrian drug traffickers.They put the sacks of opium on the ground, and the other handed a bottle of raki, and they drank it from hand to hand.Rizzoli watched all this.The opium was weighed, piled up and tied, and mounted on the backs of a dozen dirty donkeys of the Syrians.The deal is done. Well, Rizzoli thought, the next thing is to see how the Thai boys behave. ※※※ Rizzoli's next stop is Bangkok.After the other party was convinced of his sincerity, he was allowed to board a Thai fishing boat.The empty kerosene drums hanging from the bow contained drugs wrapped in polyethylene film.When the fishing boats approached Hong Kong, they dropped the kerosene drums neatly in the waters of the Laima and Wanshan Islands.香港的渔船只要来到这里，使用一种捞钩，就能轻易地取出这些毒品。 “这主意不坏。”里佐利嘴上说着，心里却在想：一定还有更好的办法。 ※※※ 种植罂粟的人把海洛因称为“H”或“马”，但托尼·里佐利却把它当做金子。利润是惊人的。种植鸦片的农民卖掉10公斤鸦片的价钱也不过350美元，等到这些鸦片经过加工在纽约街头出售时，价格已提高到25万美元。 这钱来得太容易了，里佐利心想，卡里拉说得对。难的是把它运出去，而又不被抓住。 这是里佐利开始干这一行时的情形。一晃十年过去了。如今干这一行更难了。国际刑警已把缉毒作为首要任务。所有驶离贩毒通道港口的船只，只要稍有嫌疑，便有警察登船搜个底朝天。这就是里佐利来找斯皮罗斯·兰布罗的原因。斯皮罗斯·兰布罗的船队是不会被人怀疑的，很难想象警察会搜查他的船。但这个杂种拒绝了他。托尼·里佐利心想：我会另谋出路的，不过，越快越好。 ※※※ “凯瑟琳——是否打扰你了？” 已经是半夜。“没有，科斯塔，很高兴能听到你的声音。” "everything fine?" “都好——谢谢你了。我真的很喜欢这儿的工作。” “那就好。过几个星期我要来伦敦。希望能再次见到你。”得悠着点，不能性急。“我想和你谈谈公司的人事问题。” "OK." "Good night, then." "Good night." ※※※ 这一次是她给他打电话。“科斯塔我不知该说什么好。那个项链匣太美了。你真不该……” “只是一个小小的纪念品，凯瑟琳。伊夫琳跟我说过你帮了她的大忙。我这么做只是想表示一下我的谢意。” ※※※ 真是易如反掌，德米里斯想道，小小的礼物，加上几句奉承话。 下一步：我妻子要和我分手了。 然后就到了“我很寂寞”的阶段。 含糊地提一提婚姻的事，再邀请她上自己的游艇到私人小岛去。这个程式他屡试不爽。德米里斯心想：这一次将会令人特别心醉，因为这一次的结局和以往迥然不同。她将要死去。 ※※※ 他给拿破仑·乔特斯打了电话。这位律师一听是他，非常高兴。“好久不见了，科斯塔，别来无恙啊？” “好，好，谢谢。我需要帮忙。” "That's fine." “诺艾丽生前拥有拉菲纳的一座小别墅。我要你用别人的名义给我买下来。” “那是自然。我安排本事务所的律师……” “我要你亲自出马。” There was a brief silence. “很好，我亲自来办。” "Thank you." 拿破仑·乔特斯坐在椅子里，呆望着电话机。那座别墅是诺艾丽·佩琪和拉里·道格拉斯幽会的爱巢。康斯坦丁·德米里斯要它干什么呢？