Awakening the War God

Chapter 288 A Peculiar Riddle

Shawn's intentions had become quite apparent to Gabriel.

The old fox aimed to eradicate the Ghostly Purgatory Hall and the Southern Heaven Association in Gumoldur City, ultimately making himself the unrivaled underground king of Gumoldur City.

Human ambitions, it seemed, had no bounds.

Even with Shawn's already substantial influence in Gumoldur City, he still aspired to reach greater heights, seemingly unafraid of the potential consequences.

Shawn's purpose in seeking him out was clear: he wanted to collaborate.

To put it more explicitly, he wished to use Gabriel to dismantle the Gumoldur City's Ghostly Purgatory Hall.

After some consideration, Gabriel wore a knowing smile as he asked, "Mr. Jeff, how do you propose we cooperate? What's in it for me if we join forces to dismantle the Gumoldur Clan of Ghostly Purgatory the Southern Heaven Association?"

It was like playing a game of chess, each move calculated to gain an advantage over the other.

Shawn smiled and explained, "The matter with Chewing Gum is simply a token of my sincerity. As for our cooperation, it's quite straightforward."

"Mr. Gabriel, you and Vicky have always been rivals, and your mutual disdain is no secret. I can change the game at any moment and team up with you to bring Vicky down."

"However, I've been hesitant to act against Vicky, because the Ghostly Purgatory Hall extends far beyond Gumoldur City and has a massive support network-it's a colossal force that's difficult to manage.

"Even if Vicky is defeated, others would step in to continue running the Ghostly Purgatory Hall's operations. It's an endless cycle."

"Moreover, if I make an enemy of the Ghostly Purgatory Hall, they could come after me from their headquarters. I can't afford that."

At this point, Gabriel had a better understanding of Shawn's intentions.

Dealing with Vicky was simple, but behind her stood the entire Ghostly Purgatory Hall. If Vicky fell, the Ghostly Purgatory Hall could support numerous successors to continue managing the hall!

Based on this, Shawn could never completely eliminate the Ghostly Purgatory Hall Clan in Gumoldur City.

The old fox had likely seen the example of how he supported Thomas in controlling the Silverwood Clan's territory and wished to replicate that strategy, namely, finding a puppet who could take over the Ghostly Purgatory Hall's clan in Gumoldur City.

As a result, he could completely control the entire underground world of Gumoldur City.

This was the true reason behind their potential collaboration.

"Mr. Gabriel, given your current association with the Ghostly Purgatory Hall, I want you to utilize your resources from the Hall, much like you did with Thomas, to support a puppet who can take over the Gumoldur City's Ghostly Purgatory Hall's operations. Afterward, you and I can work together to discreetly manage the influence of these territories."

Shawn finally revealed his ultimate goal.

Since Shawn had no association with the Ghostly Purgatory Hall and lacked a suitable puppet, he couldn't control the Ghostly Purgatory Hall's operations himself.

Additionally, the Ghostly Purgatory Hall's headquarters wouldn't allow an outsider like him to manage their operations, so it had to be someone from within the Ghostly Purgatory Hall.

Considering this, Shawn seemed to want to follow his example and support a puppet to control the Gumoldur City's Ghostly Purgatory Hall's operations.

His meticulous knowledge of Gabriel's actions was evident from his detailed understanding of Gabriel's previous actions.

Shawn continued, "Mr. Gabriel, don't be surprised. Regardless of whether it's an enemy or a friend, understanding each other is crucial. If I didn't know about you, I wouldn't have dared to approach you for cooperation."

"Understood, Mr. Jeff, please continue," Gabriel said, with a calm and inscrutable expression.

Two reasons likely explained why Shawn hadn't sought out a puppet himself but instead opted to cooperate with him.

First, since he had investigated Gabriel, he knew of his combat abilities, and it was apparent he held some apprehensions about him.

The struggle in Gumoldur City was something Gabriel preferred not to escalate.

The second reason was that Shawn undoubtedly knew that Gabriel had a complex web of relationships and significant influence within Ghostly Purgatory Hall. With associates like Elizabeth and Leon, there was a better way to support a puppet.

It was these two factors that led Shawn to propose a collaboration with Gabriel.

Shawn continued, "As for the Southern Heaven Association, it's already riddled with problems. With Jason's worsening health, it's headed for a complete downfall. Without your support, Mr. Gabriel, it

could be wiped out in no time!"

"I know you seem to have an interest in Matilda. Once I bring down the Southern Heaven Association, she'll be yours."

Gabriel couldn't help but chuckle with a wry smile, "It's so considerate of you, Mr. Jeff."

In fact, Matilda had already become a devoted fan of his without any involvement from Shawn.

But Gabriel started to wonder: did he really come across as someone who would entertain such thoughts about Matilda?

Otherwise why would Shawn think so?

And why was it so conspicuous?

Gabriel realized he needed to keep his thoughts hidden, particularly the unsavory ones.

Shawn expanded on his proposal, "Once the Southern Heaven Association falls, I can leverage the Jeff family's influence to establish a new association within the existing Southern Heaven Association framework. Together, we can dominate the entire underworld in Gumoldur City, along with your control over the Ghostly Purgatory Hall here in this city."

"In terms of the Assembly, while council member Sam might have someone higher up, he also enjoys substantial support.

"From what I've learned, council member Barry of the Silverwood also wields significant influence. Your relationship with him is deep. If they join forces, by the time the political landscape changes, Sam can rise further and become the city's ruler."

As Gabriel listened to Shawn's passionate vision, he felt somewhat tempted.

He chuckled inwardly, realizing it was indeed a compelling plan.

After a while's thought, he replied, "Well, Mr. Jeff, I accept your generosity, and here's the thing, as long as you tell me the messages about Chewing Gum, I'll cooperate with you."

He decided to agree-partly to discover the true identity of 'Chewing Gum and partly to utilize the Jeff family's resources to deal with Vicky.

Dealing with Vicky using only his combat skills and the weakened Southern Heaven Association would prove quite challenging.

The aspect of continued cooperation after dealing with Vicky was another matter.

"Excellent!" Shawn exclaimed. "To demonstrate my sincerity, I'll provide you with the information about Chewing Gum right now."

He reached into his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper, which he handed to Gabriel.

Gabriel accepted the paper and, upon reading it, was entirely perplexed.

The content stated, "The information about Chewing Gum is hidden below. Decode this riddle to unveil the identity of Chewing Gum."

Below that line was an extremely cryptic riddle:

Given: scoop = 1! NôvelDrama.Org is the owner.

Please answer: Did the Norman Dynasty cultivate rice and rice paddies? If so, what was the daily yield?

"What... what on earth is this?" Gabriel muttered, reading the content on the paper several times, his eyes widened with bewilderment.

Was this nonsensical riddle really connected to Chewing Gum?

Shawn sighed, "According to my sources, this is the only information we've found about Chewing Gum. If we can unravel the puzzle within, we can discover who Chewing Gum is!"

On hearing Shawn's words, Gabriel felt really like cursing Shawn.

Shawn seemed to be pulling his legs.

However, the demeanor of Shawn seemed nothing short of a practical joke.

That was strange. What did this paper mean?

A nonsensical question. What did it have to do with Chewing Gum?