After tasting the benefits of exploiting Neon's predictions, his ambition expanded rapidly.
He believed that as long as he could freely use accurate foresight, he could even control the entire world.
Reaching the rank of the Ten Mafia Dons would no longer be a dream.
He was inherently a mad gambler, for money, power, and status, he dared to wager everything.
If he were already the successful and established leader he would become later, perhaps he would not act so rashly.
But now, as a mere thirty-something small-time local boss, he naturally had the courage to gamble everything.
After all, he was a lone man with nothing to lose.
Even with Neon's ability, if he couldn't make use of it, then it was useless.
What's more, he had not yet fully profited from it, nor learned how to properly use it.
Right now, Light Nostrade's entire mind was fixed on using this prophetic ability to pursue his ambition.
After all, Pablo Escobar was a vivid example right before him.
Someone who had been nothing, merely a nephew under the previous Mafia Don, but once he found backing, he soared into the sky, instantly becoming a prestigious, influential underworld king!!
A true major figure in the underworld, even the other Mafia Don faintly feared and respected him!!
With such an experience, status, and brilliance, who wouldn't feel envy? Who wouldn't desire to replace him?!!
Pablo Escobar clearly had nothing remarkable, but because he followed the right person, he gained everything.
His rise was unbelievably fast.
He was a living example, continuously stimulating people like Light Nostrade, these extremely ambitious men who dream of rising in a single leap!!
Even someone like Pablo Escobar could be supported to become one of the Ten Mafia Dons.
Then Light Nostrade, who didn't feel he was inferior in any way, also felt he completely had such a possibility!!
He, too, had drive, had ambition, and he, too, could pledge loyalty to this great person behind the scenes!!
As long as he could obtain such power and status, he would gladly accept it.
Thus, when facing this path that could almost be described as a direct ascent to the heavens, even though Light Nostrade clearly understood that as long as he kept his daughter Neon's special ability to foresee the future, and steadily waited for the right timing using that ability, continually relying on that ability to accumulate his own strength, only then would he have enough foundations and capital to truly become a powerful figure full of confidence in the future…
But… faced with what could be called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with power and status within reach, Light Nostrade still ultimately chose to gamble crazily.
He wagered his own future and his daughter's future entirely on this chance to meet with Luke.
As long as he could earn Luke's attention, as long as he could be valued by this great figure… then even if he sacrificed Neon's ability, so what?!!
"Anyway, even if in the future I rely on Neon's ability to rise, who can know what accidents might happen in between!!"
In his madness-filled mind, Light Nostrade also calmly considered other things.
The underworld was far too cruel.
Maybe he planned everything well now and was extremely cautious.
But it was entirely possible that he might die in tomorrow's mafia clash.
Perhaps he would be hunted for revenge by relatives of enemies he once eliminated.
Perhaps he would simply be targeted for his territory, and someone would want to rob him of his power.
Or maybe he would just encounter a completely unjust disaster, get implicated or caught in a crossfire, and be killed accidentally…
Danger and accidents, no one knew which would arrive first tomorrow.
There was an extremely high chance he would be killed before he ever rose.
Thus, rather than placing his hope in an illusory tomorrow that might never come, it was better to seize this opportunity before him and shape the future in advance.
Perhaps the future he exchanged would be a defective product, paid for ahead of time.
But even so, Light Nostrade believed what he would gain would definitely exceed his imagination!!
"You really are quite the gambler."
After finishing reading Neon's fortune poems, Luke gave this evaluation to Light Nostrade standing before him.
"Sir, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to climb upward..."
Facing Luke, he did not conceal his ambition in the slightest.
Since he had already come this far, hiding anything was meaningless.
It was better to be honest and show his truest intentions: "I... Your subordinate wants to serve you better!!"
In Light Nostrade's eyes burned a blazing flame called ambition.
"Not a bad ambition."
Luke glanced at him, then nodded: "Coincidentally, I also appreciate people who like to improve themselves."
On Light Nostrade's face, which was gradually turning ecstatic, Luke waved his hand: "I'll place you and your daughter under surveillance."
Luke spoke very directly: "But I won't interfere with your and your daughter's normal life."
"I only need your daughter to provide suitable prophecies when necessary."
"And similarly, I also happen to need some representatives..."
Luke looked at Light Nostrade, who was barely suppressing his excitement and joy while forcing himself to calm down: "I'm preparing to establish a base in Yorknew City to prepare for the underground auction."
Among the Ten Mafia Dons, an underground auction would be held every year, starting September 1st, in Yorknew City.
On one hand, it was an opportunity for the low-level mafia families to show loyalty.
On the other hand, it was a chance to offload things they didn't need or didn't want anymore, to exchange them for prices that satisfied them.
However, during the past two years, because of the existence of the Ambrossa, the Mafia Dons' attention was focused entirely on dealing with that city.
The underground auction had been running with all kinds of bumps and setbacks.
But this year was clearly different.
With Ambrossa fully developed and the Mafia Dons' prestige diminished, this upcoming underground auction was the perfect chance for Pablo Escobar to perform.
Naturally, Luke would not let it slip by and began arranging things in advance.
This ambitious Light Nostrade was an excellent chess piece.
Luke gave him ample funds and resources before sending him to Yorknew City to lay the groundwork.
This was also a test for Light Nostrade.
If he couldn't even handle such a small matter, then he might as well get lost early.