123: Chapter 123 The Shadow of the Umbrella Committee
It was unknown how much time had passed, but it felt as long as a century.
William Wrigley finally opened his eyes, dazed.
As soon as he looked up, he was almost scared out of his wits by the scene before him!
Several mysterious figures draped in wide black robes and wearing menacing golden masks were looking down at him from above!
The entire space was huge and cold. Only a few flickering kerosene lamps hung on the surrounding walls, making the light extremely dim and exuding the eerie atmosphere of a medieval inquisition.
William Wrigley found himself slumped in a cold chair; the arrangement of the environment was exactly like an underground court!
And he himself was the unlucky suspect being dragged to the defendant's seat.
The mysterious figures wearing golden masks above him were the "Chief Judges" holding the power of life and death, preparing to pass final judgment on him.
Looking at the golden masks above that appeared increasingly eerie in the candlelight, William Wrigley swallowed hard, too terrified to even breathe.
"Mr. Wrigley, there is no need to be so nervous. Relax, we have no interest in your life."
The man sitting in the main seat in the center, wearing an extremely menacing solid gold bear-head mask, spoke first.
Judging by the voice, he did not seem old; he should be a young person of high status.
Hearing the other party guarantee not to kill him, William Wrigley regained a little sanity and cautiously probed:
"May I ask... who exactly are you? What was written on the invitation, that you can help me save my company, is it true?"
Hearing this question, the man in the bear-head mask replied unhurriedly:
"Remember the name of our organization—Umbrella Committee! This is a top-secret society founded by the great Founding Father, George Washington himself. Its only mission is to secretly protect the national destiny of the USA."
"What?! Founded by President Washington?!"
William Wrigley was stunned by this earth-shattering news, so shocked that he bounced right up from the chair.
"That's right. All things considered, our Umbrella has been secretly lurking on this land for over a hundred years!"
At this moment, the man sitting next to him, wearing a mighty lion-head mask, took over the conversation. His deep and vigorous voice echoed in the hall, possessing great persuasiveness.
"If you really want to trace the origins of the organization, it has to start with the Crusades back then..."
"That's enough, Vice Chairman J. We are short on time today, so let's not give the newcomer a lecture on the long history of the organization's development."
The man in the bear-head mask raised his hand to interrupt his companion's long-winded speech, then locked his sharp gaze on William Wrigley, his tone unquestionable:
"After years of investigation by our organization's intelligence department, your keen sense of smell and methods in the commercial field have reached our standard for a 'B4-level potential talent'."
"Therefore, we have decided to make an exception and officially extend an invitation to you. Welcome to the Umbrella Committee!"
After hearing this, William Wrigley forced himself to calm down, his brain racing.
He was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and asked:
"There is no such thing as a free lunch. I want to know, if I pledge to join, what price do I need to pay for the organization? At the same time, what substantial benefits can I get from the organization?"
As a shrewd businessman, he didn't care if this organization was built by Washington, nor did he care how mysterious it was. On this land of the USA, all kinds of mysterious societies putting on airs were as numerous as ox hair.
Religious fanatics, extreme political groups, underground commercial Freemasonry, and so on—there were plenty of people grouping together for warmth and exchanging resources.
Some organizations hidden under the water—you might not have even heard their names, but the power they held in their hands could scare people to death.
The only thing he cared about now was whether this Umbrella, which sounded so impressive, could help him get through his current bankruptcy crisis! Was it worth him selling his life and property for?
"As an external B4-level talent, apart from the annual mandatory payment of $1,000 for the organization's daily operating expenses, in peacetime, the organization will never interfere with any of your commercial operations, nor do you need to pay anything extra."
The man in the bear-head mask stated the conditions in a flat tone.
Immediately after, his tone changed, his voice instantly turning as cold as ice, revealing bone-chilling killing intent:
"However! Once the organization issues an emergency call-up order, you must obey unconditionally and exhaust all resources under your name to serve the organization!"
"And there is one final iron rule. If you dare to betray Umbrella, even if it's just a thought in your mind, I guarantee that the organization's intelligence network will instantly lock onto you, and within twenty-four hours, use all its power to grind you and everything you have painstakingly built into dust! Not even a scrap will be left!"
...
As for what happened next, William Wrigley even had a memory lapse.
He had absolutely no idea how he was sent out of that underground castle.
When he suddenly woke up and came to his senses, he found himself lying on the leather sofa in his own villa in Chicago, completely unharmed!
Three days later, still shaken.
The private phone in his house suddenly rang; it was the confirmation line from that mysterious organization.
After three days and three nights of crazy internal struggle, William Wrigley ultimately could not resist the temptation of money and gritted his teeth to choose to join.
Soon, the cruel reality made him deeply realize that he had made the wisest and also the most terrifying decision of his life!
Less than twenty-four hours after signing the membership agreement!
William Wrigley unprecedentedly received an official red-headed document from the USA Rifle Association: His chewing gum, skipping the cumbersome review process, was forcibly designated as the only cooperative procurement brand for the Rifle Association!
Immediately after, the editor-in-chief of the advertising department of The New York Times, the top-circulating newspaper in the USA, called personally, fawningly stating that they were willing to plan a full-page giant advertisement for his chewing gum brand in the golden position of the front-page headline for free!
This wasn't the end; what made him feel the most creeped out was this.
That absolute energy monopoly giant dominating North America—Standard Oil—actually had its top management issue a direct red-headed document, ordering all gas station convenience stores across the USA bearing the Standard Oil sign to stock his chewing gum on the most prominent shelves across the board!
You have to know! When he was at his wit's end, William Wrigley had once acted like a grandson, running countless times to beg those gas station procurement managers, even willing to offer outrageous profit shares.
The result was that he was beaten out with sticks by the other party like they were chasing away a beggar.
But today, those once high-and-mighty tycoons were actually lining up to send him money!
After hanging up those calls that were enough to make his company take off instantly.
William Wrigley slumped in his chair. There was no ecstasy of getting rich overnight on his face; instead, it was filled with unfathomable fear. Cold sweat instantly soaked his shirt.
Only at this moment did he truly catch a glimpse of the Umbrella Committee's terrifying influence, which was so vast it was despair-inducing!
This also made him completely give up: In this life, even if he died, he absolutely, absolutely could not betray the organization! He didn't even dare to have the slightest thought of rebellion ever again!
In front of this massive machine, his commercial talent, which he was so proud of, was so insignificant it wasn't even worth a fart.
And this was just the tip of the iceberg of Umbrella's external operations.
Besides William Wrigley, all over the USA, there were countless elites from all walks of life targeted by Umbrella who had experienced almost identical coercion and enticement, and finally tremblingly pledged their loyalty.
Among them were shrewd businessmen like him who were floating and sinking in the sea of commerce.
There were top professors working hard in the MIT laboratory.
And even those politicians and congressmen who were powerful and glamorous in the political arena!
For example, William Wrigley himself.
His English surname "Wrigley," which he was so proud of, was translated into a legendary brand known to every household in the Eastern Great Power of later generations—"Wrigley's"!
That's right, he was the absolute founder of the Wrigley's Confectionery Company in the USA, the future international chewing gum overlord that would thoroughly rule the global candy empire and become the undisputed king of the industry!
The Doublemint and Juicy Fruit chewing gum seen everywhere at supermarket checkout counters in later generations, and even the Big Babol bubble gum that swept through the childhoods of several generations, were all part of the massive commercial empire he created single-handedly.
However, such a top-tier commercial legend who could influence the chewing habits of billions of people globally and be wealthy enough to rival a nation in the future.
Inside the terrifying Umbrella Committee.
Throughout his life, despite doing his utmost, he could only climb to the humble position of a mere "B4-level external talent"!
He didn't even have the qualifications to look up at the core secrets of the committee; he was just a high-level pawn manipulated at will by the organization to earn cash flow.
And big shots like him were a dime a dozen on Umbrella's external list.