Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

As Jack Davis strolled down the bustling streets of New York's Broadway, the city lights illuminated the evening sky in a mesmerizing display. With a newspaper tucked under his arm, he took a long drag of his cigarette, the smoke billowing from his mouth like ethereal tendrils, adding to the ambiance of the vibrant city.

The cacophony of sounds and the hustle and bustle of the city never seemed to quiet down, but Jack found solace in the familiarity of the chaos. His eyes scanned the headlines in the newspaper, but his mind was not focused on the contents of the newspaper but rather on his mission.

Tasked to gather evidence that suggests foul play between Mr. Rockefeller and a state of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and three other states that encompassed the Appalachian Basin.

His client, Mr. Nielsen needed permits and licenses to start drilling oil in the region but the requirements not being fulfilled means he can't start.

After a minute of walking, he finally arrived at the building of his target. The Rockefeller Building. He stood there for a moment, checking his timepiece and checking the time.

It was eleven thirty in the evening, a perfect time to infiltrate a building.

Folding the newspaper and throwing it on the street, he cracked his knuckles and started.

The office building was closed, and the workers there already left, making it easy for him to do the job. He knelt down and pulled out a small wooden case that contained his lockpicking tools.

With a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching, he began to work on the lock.

The clicks and clacks of his tools filled the air as he expertly manipulated the lock, finally hearing a satisfying click as it opened. Jack pushed the door open and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

The interior of the building was dark and silent, the only sound being the faint hum of the city.

Jack moved with precision, making his way to the stairs.

As he ascended the staircase, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. This was what he was trained to do, to gather information and uncover secrets that others wanted to keep hidden.

Finally reaching the top floor, Jack opened the door and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. He took a moment to catch his breath, then began to make his way down the corridor, checking each door as he went.

"That's not it…That's not it…" Jack muttered as he read the plaque displayed on the door. He was looking for Mr. Rockefeller's office

After a few minutes of searching, Jack finally found the door he was looking for. He checked the lock and saw that it was a standard deadbolt. He quickly took out his lockpicking tools and got to work.

Within moments, the lock clicked open and Jack silently pushed the door open. The room was dark, except for a faint light coming from the windows.

Jack crept towards the desk and reached for the drawers beneath it. He tried pulling it to open but to no avail.

Jack sighed, this is to be expected so he had to grab his lockpick tools again. With a few deft movements, Jack expertly picked the lock of the drawer and pulled it open. Inside were a bunch of documents. He sifted through them one by one until he found a particular document.

A ledger.

He opened the file and perused the pages, scanning each line for any information that could implicate Mr. Rockefeller in foul play with the states in the Appalachian Basin.

As he read through the ledger, Jack's heart raced with excitement. The information he was uncovering was priceless, and he knew it would be worth a fortune to Mr. Nielsen.

But as he continued to flip through the pages, Jack's excitement turned to horror as he realized the true nature of the ledger. It wasn't a record of business transactions, as he had assumed. It was a log of illegal dealings, bribes, and payoffs to various politicians and officials in the states surrounding the Appalachian Basin.

One of which is a payment to the states for barring Mr. Nielsen and his company from getting permits.

This ledger was the evidence his client needed to take down Mr. Rockefeller and his corrupt dealings.

He stowed the ledger in his breast pocket and closed the drawer. As he was doing that, he heard a faint sound from outside the door. It was the sound of footsteps, and they were getting closer.

"Shit…there's still people?" Jack cursed under his breath.

"You know I am always expecting an uninvited guest to come to my master's office," a voice reverberated in the hall. It belonged to a man.

Jack quickly looked around the room for a place to hide, but there was nowhere to go.

Moments later, the man who spoke in the hallway arrived at Mr. Rockefeller's office. He was wearing a butler suit, carrying himself with elegance.

"A trespasser huh?" The man spoke and continued. "And what's more, a private investigator. You must be after something important to risk breaking into this office." The butler fixed his gaze on Jack, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized him.

Jack knew he had to think fast. He couldn't let this butler catch him and jeopardize his mission.

"Seeing that you are already standing up means you have found what you came for," the man said. "In that case, I can't let you leave this office alive. The information that you just saw is a matter of great importance to my employer."

The butler reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handgun, pointing it directly at Jack.

Jack raised his hands in surrender, trying to come up with a plan to escape.

"There's no need to resort to violence, sir. I am not paid enough to sacrifice my life for this…" Jack said as he formulated a plan to get out of the office alive. He glanced at the table and saw the paperweight.

"I'm sorry, but you have to die…"

Just as the butler was about to pull the trigger, Jack grabbed a nearby paperweight and threw it at the butler's hand, causing him to drop the gun. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Jack lunged at the butler, tackling him to the ground.

The two men grappled on the floor, each trying to gain the upper hand. The butler was surprisingly strong, and Jack knew he couldn't keep this up for long.

Just as he was about to get pinned down, Jack spotted a letter opener lying on the floor. With a quick movement, he grabbed it and plunged it into the butler's side.

The butler let out a blood-curdling scream, and Jack quickly burst through the door and ran down the hallway, and down the stairs.

Finally, he made it to the front door, threw it open, and ran out into the night, breathing heavily.

Meanwhile, the butler, which is the assistant of Mr. Rockefeller staggered to his feet, clutching his bleeding side. He knew he had to act fast. If the intruder got away with that ledger, it would mean the end of everything Mr. Rockefeller had worked for.

He stumbled over to his desk and picked up the phone, dialing a number from memory.

"Mr. Rockefeller, we have a problem," the butler said when the call connected. "Someone broke into your office and stole the ledger."