Crowds on both sides of the road reappeared and the familiar sights of neon lights, clubs, and the dark alley between concrete buildings. Feel like the car window is a TV and I'm watching some third-rate cop show. The car had entered 'Nochnaya'(noch).
Nochnaya is the Russians' territory, located in the southwest of the city right next to piao jie and a few blocks away from the end of glen avenue (or the start of it depending on your perspective).
Much different from Chinatown's landscape, noch has the most popular nightclubs and pubs in town. And of course, any lucrative businesses in this area are owned, run, protected, and blackmailed by the Russian mobs (they have a name, but I can't pronounce it).
Before Faust became the city it is now, it used to be one of the biggest transfer stations for smugglers. Back in the day, they use uninhabited islands close to Faust and the city's geographic location to switch, guns, drugs and people, from cargo ships to local fishing boats in order to bypass inspections from customs on the continent. Then some genius decided to build a giant canal.
Now that Faust became one of the most developed cities in the world, the illegal trafficking business become even easier to operate than before. The cargo on freights can go straight through the canals without needing to switch contrabands to fishing boats. Without needing to use any other coastline cities or inland smuggling routes on this side of the continent, Euforia single-handedly takes over the task of delivering happiness for half of the world.
***
In the initial confrontations between all the criminals wanting to get a slice of the second American dream. The Russians were blood-bathing with the Latinos, both sides lost a lot more than they were willing to sacrifice so at the end they come to an agreement. They share the trafficking business of this city (guns by the Russians, drugs by the Latinos)
The west side of the canal belongs to the South Americans, the east belongs to the Russkiye's as long as no one oversteps the other side of the river. An agreeable peace was made. But that doesn't mean they like each other.
If the Latinos were the old nemesis of the Russians, then the Chinese is the new rival.
Chinatown used to be a simple migrant community; they weren't here for riches they were here for honest work. But this land seems to be able to drag the most primordial instincts out of its inhabitants, people begin to ask themselves: what can I do to earn a few dollars more?
The answer is simple, you sell your soul and dignity, they started engaged in illegal business but since both guns and drug business are already taken and the other two players in town, they are not keen on sharing, they have to come up with their own game.
And since people in this city always have a thing for exotic, new things. And what's more exotic than having a Chinese girl by your side or more over, by your arm? Thus, the red-light district and glen avenue were created.
Over the course of years, the Chinese in the city had built their own kingdom using opium den, badger game, tricking young Asian women to sell love in this city of dreams, controlling the prostitution business with highly addictive drugs, and many more.
People often speculate where the Chinese get their hands on so much opium and drugs but since china town is an ecosystem of its own (a very EXCLUSIVE one) so no speculations were proven right yet.
***
And why would the sex business got anything to do with gun trafficking? Because both sides overstepped.
Recently the Russians are planning to get into the prostitution business since they already have their supply of clubs and girls so creating a little side business seems like a reasonable choice, but in the process of these 'expansions' they notice some Chinese girls that come to Nochnaya for the party were actually prostitutes from 'piao jie'. (Glen Avenue goes from Demand exceeding supply to oversupplying)
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
This action wasn't much of a deal, but the Russians also find out that there have been Poor quality firearms circulating in Faust, and those were factored by none other than, The Chinese.
That pissed off the Russian mobs. (In their own words 'they went from tingling the sleeping bears balls to leaving a bite mark on it.')
They started blocking Chinese women from entering their clubs and beating anyone caught with weapons made in China town and confiscating(destroying) the guns.
In return, the Chinese starts blocking the Russians from entering their establishments and keep making self-made guns. Both sides are unwilling to speak another's language (figuratively and literally) small conflicts across the city start happening more and more often.
Piao jie and noch are like minefields for the opposite sides.
***
After leaving the neon garden of nochnaya, Viviane made two left turns onto the highway, to the right, skyscrapers at the city center reshape the skyline and down there is 'via martinase' the main road that cinctures city center and its many branches that leads to all the corners of Faust.
To the left is the root of all evil conjured in here in the past half a century, the great canal. 300 meters wide, glistening under the moonlight like a silver choker necklace worn by royalties of old dynasties.
Viviane wasn't a Sunday driver to begin with, and now on the highway, she drives like she's trying to send this car to an early grave. Does she always drive like that, or does she really want a drink?
300 meters width canal is behind us in no time, and on the west side of the river, there's something very different from all the high-rises at the city center right next to it.
***
A bunch of relatively smaller and lower houses came into view. Churches, schools, basketball courts, and streets are painted with graffiti. A couple of hours later the plaza will be full of kids playing soccer and religious citizens will swarm into the many churches in the area for mass and to pray.
The whole neighborhood seems to be in perfect harmony, a specimen of a much simpler time. If you're able to overlook the gang members of la vina patrolling the streets on the back of a truck or walking with semi-autos in their hands without care, giving children dope and teaching them how to hide it properly.
'Desalos' is the hometown of 'la vina'. The primary Latino gang in Euforia. Imagine a place where people put Honer, creeds, and family before law and morality. People there can be considered the aborigines of this place before the others show up to escalate and complicate Faust, the good people of desalos are very familiar with daily lives messed up with drugs, bullets, and gang wars.
They're the only ones who see through the lies this city told so they stick together. No matter how bad life is back home at least is already something you're used to. Drugs and guns aren't all the problems they have to deal with, there is also the problem of poverty.
If you inspect the neighborhoods closely you will understand the reason desalos don't have any notable slums or impoverished areas is that the whole place IS a huge slum; even with the lowest housing price in town, people still choose public housing at suburban over desalos.
With the lowest per capita income in Faust, there are only two options for people to make a living here. By joining la vina and engaging in drug dealing and drug trafficking; or you lower your head and keep doing physical labor, either way, you are destined to visit the church a lot.
La vina is a strange gang. They claim to be the most honorable thief in Faust, while in reality, they're responsible for 80% of the drug abuse cases in town and further escalate any possibilities of yet another all-out drug war. The higher rank capos in la vina live their bountiful life in Monclea in the north, and the others stay at this hellhole they call home for control, recruiting new members and of course, making sure the cargos are shipped on time through the canal and distributed to the world.
The highest-ranking officer in desalos is 'the priest' he was here with la vinas before the place changed dramatically, as a trusted subordinate and bosom family friend for the cartel he has the executive power for most matters in desalos.
The only time I met him is at one of the churches' Sunday masses, (I wasn't there for religious purposes of course) an old Latino man in his 50s with a gray stubble beard and a reassuring smile, wearing clerical clothing and surrounded by armed gang members.
According to the locals, he is 'the most caring and generous person in the world.' As a highly respected individual in desalos he has full control of the citizens there. I even saw graffiti of him standing next to Santa Maria.
I don't have many connections in the Latino community nor am I familiar with the la vina members, but in one of the jobs I did for them I manage to gain the trust of a sicario; when I ask him about the priest. He said.
"Be sure to taste your words before spitting them out. He is not as 'Forgiving' as the lord."
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