Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 158: Ch.157 Establishing a Distillery

Soon, he found an abandoned underground reservoir that suited his needs perfectly. He deliberately chose this location because it was directly beneath 177A Bleecker Street.

In other words, he was setting up shop right under the New York Sanctum.

If the Ancient One loved to watch, then she could get her fill as a neighbor. She might be curious about something new, but observing the same thing for decades would likely cause her to overlook certain details—an example of the psychological tactic known as "hiding in plain sight."

She wouldn\'t question him about it either; from her perspective, Su Ming knew nothing, and his choice of location was purely coincidental.

Another advantage of this spot was the New York Sanctum itself. It had a similar effect to the Muggle-Repelling Charm from "Harry Potter." If you weren\'t a guest of the sorcerers, you wouldn\'t see it, making it the perfect cover for his distillery.

On this street, there was a 176 and a 178, but no 177A. People who weren\'t invited by the sorcerers would subconsciously ignore the oddity, which meant that no one from the surface would be able to find Su Ming\'s distillery.

The Ancient One was right—it wouldn\'t be their last meeting. Now, they would be neighbors, encountering each other often. Su Ming, in a way, was becoming a constant presence, like a familiar face seen every day.

The Ancient One probably used cosmetics too, he thought idly.

After choosing the site, he proceeded to purchase some equipment and raw materials. Being as strong as a human crane, he simply rented a truck, drove to the coast, found a drainage tunnel, and moved everything underground. Using the complex underground tunnels, he transported the equipment to the space beneath the Sanctum and assembled it. The small barrel of liquor given by the Ancient One also came in handy as a starter batch.

The next day, he began recruiting workers. He targeted former distillery workers or unemployed individuals with no ambition, prioritizing those with families, especially those with elderly relatives or children.

The Prohibition era had caused many legitimate distilleries to close down, so there were plenty of workers available. Su Ming didn\'t have to look far; just walking through a few slum areas, he found many sunbathers who had once been brewers.

The bolder ones were already brewing their own moonshine, but these people, due to various concerns, were afraid to start up their own operations. Su Ming planned to bring them on board.

These workers were desperate for money, and their families made them easier to control. Su Ming had the funds and the power; all he needed was their loyalty.

Moonshining was a risky business that could land you in jail, so the wages were correspondingly high.

However, recruiting was easier than Su Ming had anticipated. All he had to do was approach someone like a spy making contact.

"Hey, have you heard of Amway?" Su Ming asked in a secretive manner, his shifty behavior piquing their curiosity and making them more willing to listen.

"Amway... what\'s that?" the target asked, confused.

"Don\'t ask what it is. There\'s a job that pays $100 a month. Are you interested?" Su Ming lit a cigarette and asked nonchalantly.

"Yes, yes! I\'ll do it!" The target\'s face lit up with excitement.

Who wouldn\'t take the bait? The average worker\'s wage at this time was $20, and Su Ming was offering five times that.

Su Ming gathered the workers together and led them through the labyrinthine tunnels to the distillery. When they realized they\'d be making liquor, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

For that much money, they had feared they\'d be asked to kill someone. Brewing liquor? That was nothing.

Not only were they all from the same industry, but some had even worked together before. They were ordinary people, and one day they woke up to find that the government had declared their lifelong work illegal. How were they supposed to live?

People still had to eat, and $100 a month could buy 700 or 800 hamburgers.

They wouldn\'t dare do it alone, afraid of what might happen to their families if they were caught. But with someone organizing it, they felt more confident.

Even if they were caught, they\'d only serve six months. Prison provided food and shelter, and they\'d come out as good as new. Besides, if they were caught working for a family business, the boss wouldn\'t let their families starve.

Su Ming hadn\'t intended to form a gang, but in this era, his actions and business ventures were perceived differently.

Underground production, organized members, secret meetings, brewing moonshine, illegal sales...

Well, in this era, groups involved in selling and transporting alcohol were considered criminal organizations—gangs, to be specific.

A week later, Su Ming\'s first batch of moonshine hit the market.

Of course, there were no fireworks or press invitations. In the dead of night, a few people emerged from hidden manhole covers, moving crates of liquor into a basement.

Su Ming felt confident in these workers. They knew that their livelihoods depended on the distillery. Without the distillery and Su Ming, their families would starve.

So these workers were reliable. Su Ming had taught them the underground maze routes, allowing them to go to work and come home like normal people, with no restrictions on their movements.

The only difference was that while others commuted by bus or bike, Su Ming\'s workers used manholes.

Since the liquor was produced underground and transported via the sewers, Su Ming named his brand "Skywalker." Unlike most of the moonshine produced during this time, which was sold in dirty jugs or bottles, Su Ming\'s bottles were clean, beautiful, and featured a prominent, attractive label.

Why did trademarks exist? Because long ago, people couldn\'t read but could understand pictures. A trademark was a symbol used to distinguish products. Even as literacy rates increased, the use of trademarks became a habit.

Su Ming understood the importance of branding. This was the perfect time to establish a brand. He used his knowledge of the future to improve certain processes, ensuring that his liquor was unadulterated. If he could build a good reputation during Prohibition, the brand would be a goldmine in the future.

Liquor was a brand-loyal industry. Once someone got used to a particular drink, they would likely continue buying it for life.

Given the current size of his underground distillery, running at full capacity could produce 500 barrels of various liquors a month.

But there was no need to rush. This was just the first month. Five hundred barrels would net him around $30,000. After deducting $3,000 to $4,000 in costs and fixed expenses for the equipment, the rest was pure profit. He just needed to keep rolling the snowball.

The location wasn\'t close to the distillery. The liquor was transported through the sewers by a small truck. Su Ming had purchased a building\'s basement, which he used as his bar.

When he had time, he planned to connect the bar\'s basement directly to the sewers, increasing security.

There wasn\'t much decoration inside—just rows of round tables and chairs, a bar, and a piano. In these times, having liquor was enough to guarantee business; there was no point in wasting money on unnecessary luxuries.

As he watched the workers move the liquor into the shop, bottling it and placing it on the shelves behind the bar, Su Ming nodded in satisfaction.

"Clean this place up tonight, and we\'ll open tomorrow night," he said, walking through the bar and stroking the brand-new counter. He felt a sense of belonging.

"Sure thing, boss."

A young man with glasses followed him, jotting down his instructions.

He was an Irish immigrant Su Ming had stumbled upon during his recruitment. The young man was literate, a rarity in this era, where the literacy rate was around 14%. Finding someone who could read and was quick-witted was no easy task, so Su Ming had kept him close to handle errands and day-to-day management.

After all, the distillery was underground, and Su Ming couldn\'t live there full-time. He had rented a small apartment across from the New York Sanctum and managed everything remotely.

Irish names could be strange, especially those of Nordic descent. Su Ming couldn\'t pronounce the young man\'s original name; it sounded like a string of incantations.

For convenience, Su Ming gave him a new nickname: "Gin." After all, they were running a distillery, so why shouldn\'t his men have liquor-related code names?

Of course, the vibe was entirely different. The other "Gin" was a long-haired assassin in black; Su Ming\'s was a skinny guy with glasses.

"I\'ll be staying in the bar from now on, to prevent any trouble. If you have any trustworthy family or friends, bring them in to work here. The pay is $80 a month."

Seeing how enthusiastically the workers were cleaning, Su Ming mentioned hiring more staff, which made them very happy. After all, the pay was excellent.

Such a good opportunity was best given to family first. Friends couldn\'t be trusted as much as family, and it was better for the money to stay

within the family.

Su Ming had a purpose behind this. By tying the workers and their families to his business through blood and money, he was securing their loyalty.

"Alright, this underground bar isn\'t small, but I only need 20 people. Think carefully about who you want, and submit the list to Gin," Su Ming said, patting the young man on the shoulder, causing him to wobble. "He\'ll review and approve them. Just a reminder: if you bring in someone untrustworthy, it\'ll end badly for everyone involved. I\'m not running a charity."

"Of course, boss. I\'ll have my little brother come in tomorrow. He\'s totally reliable!"

"Right, boss. Do you need a pianist? My son can play a bit."

Seeing their eagerness, Su Ming turned to Gin and said, "You know what to do, right?"

"Leave it to me, boss."

Gin pushed up his glasses, showing a confident expression.

Su Ming was curious about what the young man had done before. With that kind of poise, did he really need to come to America as an immigrant? What was he hiding?

But Su Ming hadn\'t found anything suspicious. The young man was alone, spent most of his time with Su Ming, and hadn\'t done anything wrong.

If you\'re going to use someone, you have to trust them. I\'m not Batman; I don\'t need to suspect everyone.

Su Ming nodded, turning to walk deeper into the basement, where a small room had been sectioned off as his quarters.

"It\'s all in your hands now. If you do well, the bar and distillery will be yours to manage in the future."