Is this destiny?

Five minutes later…

JoAnna clicked her tongue. "My, my… Elder Gavril, that sounds like you gave away something important. If they wanted our goods, why didn't you trade with them?"

"It was a trade. They get the goods with minimum casualties and they won't attack my bases in Eastern Asia for six months."

"You are saying… they extorted information you.", JoAnna rephrased his words.

"Yes."

"Why would you do that, Elder Gavril? Don't we have the manpower to deal with them, or to ensure your bases are safe from the attackers?", JoAnna continued probing.

"I don't have sufficient manpower, and if I asked for help, it would mean that I am incompetent to handle my territories. By making this deal, my bases were safe, and Milan got the heat because that shipment was in his jurisdiction."

"How dare you!", Elder Milan hissed.

JoAnna waved to Elder Milan to calm down. "You will get your turn." She turned to Elder Gavril and grinned. "Are you saying that the goods Black Pythons took were Elder Milan's assets?"

"Yes.", Elder Gavril confirmed while avoiding glares from Elder Milan.

JoAnna wanted to make this clear for everyone. "So, you sold out Elder Milan and gave away what is his to manage, in order to secure your bases?"

"Yes!", Elder Gavril shouted, angry at JoAnna and at himself. Why is she asking those questions? And why can't he stop himself from answering? "I sold him out so that I look better, OK!?"

JoAnna bobbed her head. She wanted to ask more about it, but she saw a message from Sophia on her lens, 'That's enough. Move on.'

JoAnna pouted for a second before asking Elder Gavril, "What other deals did you make under the table recently?"

Elder Gavril started narrating one thing after another, making people in the audience gasp and snicker.

Elders looked at Gavril in disbelief. Every Elder has shady dealings on the side, but no one is stupid enough to talk about it openly, in front of the cameras. This was career suicide. Gavril's reputation was plunging lower with every incident he mentioned. After this, no one would want to work with him or to work for him. Not that soldiers have a choice, but they would look for the first opportunity to switch to another Elder or to a different organization.

Eventually, Sophia gave JoAnna a signal that it's enough.

Next was Gavril's assistant, Branimir.

Elder Gavril didn't feel well. He had no idea what happened and why he was unable to keep his mouth shut. He wanted to leave with his first destination a washroom because he needed to splash some cold water on his face, but he was blocked from leaving by Allen and Julius.

"Elder Gavril, you should stick around…", Sarah said with a smirk. Seeing his frown deepen, Sarah added: "You can stay on your own or we can make you."

Elder Gavril looked dejectedly at Sarah and then at the empty chair where she pointed.

JoAnna didn't mind Elder Gavril, she started her interview with Gavril's assistant. "Branimir, why don't you say to the camera what is your role in the Lebedev family?"

"I am assistant to Elder Gavril.", Branimir said stiffly.

Branimir was in shock that his boss spoke so openly because if Gavril goes down, Branimir will go with him. Who will hire him when he is known as Gavril's errand boy? And other than office work, Branimir does not have any other skills.

"Would you say that you are the most familiar with Elder Gavril's business?", JoAnna asked.

"Yes.", Branimir responded.

"Did you know about the deals that Elder Gavril mentioned so far?"

Branimir wanted to think about how to answer this politically, but the response came out of his mouth before he could filter it: "Yes."

JoAnna gave him an approving nod. "In your opinion, why did Elder Gavril make those deals?"

"To hide his incompetence and for his own personal gain."

"Brane!", Elder Gavril shouted in anger.

Branimir frowned while remembering Sarah's words that JoAnna has the ability to make people speak their minds. Is she a witch? Or a mutant? He didn't believe any of those are real, but after this… he was not so sure.

JoAnna ignored Elder Gavril. She was focused on the assistant. "Personal gain? What can Elder Gavril gain out of those?"

"The money that comes through regular routes can be tracked, and this money officially didn't exist, so it was easy for him to put it on his personal account to finance his two villas and his daughter."

JoAnna's eyebrows shoot up in glee that she found something juicy. "Daughter? Our records say that Elder Gavril is single without children."

"He never married the woman, and the daughter is with her mother. They live in Bratsk and Elder Gavril gave them a villa and is covering their living expenses. He visits them for the girl's birthday and sends presents occasionally."

"Hmm…", JoAnna hummed. "So… Elder Gavril is making secret deals that are against the interests of the Lebedev family in order to finance his secret family."

JoAnna turned to the camera and spoke to her audience. "What do you think about this? Elder Gavril abused his position for his personal gain. What should we do? Reprimand him? Punish him? What kind of punishment? Remove him from his post? Cut off his ears? Make him strip and run three laps naked downtown Moscow with condition that if police catch him he needs to do it again? Empty his bank accounts? Take out his kidney? So many options! Send your suggestions to 555-Lebedev, you have five minutes." She turned her attention back to the assistant. "And do you know any other dirty deals Elder Gavril was involved in?"

Branimir gulped a mouthful of air. "Yes."

"Tell us about it while we wait to see what our audience thinks."

Elder Gavril was unable to listen to what Branimir was saying. He stared at the screens that were showing messages which floated from the bottom to the top:

"Kill him!"

"He is not fit to be an Elder!"

"Shame! He risks our lives to fatten himself!"

"Death!"

"Cut off his junk!"

Elder Gavril swallowed hard, realizing that this is not a discussion, how Sarah called it, but lynching. Lebedevs are not showing mercy when someone breaks the rules, and it shows from the comments that are floating on the screen.

Sarah was happy to see how this is progressing. In this way, they will get rid of the Elders and members of the Lebedev family are actively participating in the process which means that there are slim chances of them rebelling due to the changes that are coming.

Sophia said that people will be enthusiastic about this and that their loyalty will increase because they believe their opinion counts, but Sarah didn't think it would be to this point. This is amazing.

When five minutes were up, on the screen it showed the top three votes from the audience:

#1: Death (32%)

#2: Remove from position (27%)

#3: Torture (24%)

Of course, these are results that the Hill sisters arranged in advance, but the actual votes were close to this, so they manipulated the system just a little bit. 

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