Chapter 55 - Undercurrents

<---Chapter 54 - Retribution|Table of Contents|Chapter 56 - Sabotage--->

A week later…

“Why hasn’t the shopping arcade been taken over yet! They should be bankrupt by now!” The chairman tapped the table with his fingernails rasping against the hardwood.

A wave of murmurs spread through the table, where more than two dozen business owners sat. “I say it’s due to us letting incompetent twats into the prestigious South Sector Business Owner Union of Raktor. Unable to even enforce a simple sanction against an uppity upstart, pah!” An older gentleman grumbled as he chewed vigorously before hacking out a large glob of spit tainted with crushed leaves into a spit bowl.

“Indeed! Back in my time, we would just hit every store and shop they owned, no questions asked. Why, we used to burn down entire villages just to kill the supply chains!” Another elder chimed in, nodding vigorously.

“Shut up, old fart! The enforcers might be looking the other way right now, but if we go that far, who knows if the Mad Dog would be unleashed on us.”

A visible shudder spread through the business owners. The tale of the Mad Dog had spread far and wide through the South Sector, her undying thirst for violence unsatiable. Many saw her brutality as a much-needed reprieve from the stranglehold that the gangs held over the city.

But for the owners, they knew if they were caught and exposed, there would be no mercy from her. “I heard she had been posted to the West Sector.”

“Ah, no doubt to keep the two major gangs under control. That brings me some relief knowing that she’s far away.”

“Still, the Seven Snakes are on very good terms with the enforcers. Let’s not give them any ammunition with which to charge us.”

The chairman gritted his teeth. “All this useless bickering won’t do us any good! I want to know how to take down the Seven Snakes and fast!”

The owners all nodded, grim expressions plastered on their faces. It had been three long weeks of continuous refusal to supply any business of the Seven Snakes, harassing other smaller companies into siding with the union instead, and even hiring thugs to disrupt the deliveries.

“We need to put more effort into forming a blockade. We must be united in this aspect, otherwise, just hijacking a few deliveries here and there is not going to make a dent in their finances!”

Someone scoffed from across the table. “United? How dare you say united when I’ve personally seen thugs hired by Solomon hijacking my delivery wagon!”

Solomon was startled, glancing around rapidly in confusion. “Me? I haven’t hired any thugs in a week!”

“Don’t bullshit me! If anything, I would think that you are working as a double agent!” The rival owner continued to accuse Solomon.

The eyebrow on Solomon’s face twitched slightly. “You dare accuse me?! I think it is you who incited my workers to revolt against me just last week!”

As the two bickered on the table, a sense of disunity began to spread through the other owners. “Speaking of that, Deliah, I’ve noticed you’ve begun to poach my farmers.” A sturdy man accused a well-dressed lady in a frill blue Victorian-style dress.

The lady smirked, unfolding her blue fan and hiding her face. “Whatever do you mean? I simply offered them a better price.”

“How dare you? The situation is already as bad as it is, with many businesses moving over to the Seven Snakes district! Why are you contesting me?!”

“Just because we’re in a union does not me it’s a fixed market, darling. Supply and demand. Haven’t you learnt that when you failed in Tryas?”

“You…!”

“ENOUGH!” The chairman slammed the table, interrupting the bickering occurring between the owners. “There is no reason to compete with each other! If we can take down the Seven Snakes, there’ll be a bigger pie for all of us to share!”

The owners grumbled amongst each other, nodding uncommittedly. The cracks between the owners were starting to show, fuelled by the accusations lobbied at each other.

Solomon gave a slight wink to his rival, who winked back in return. They had planned this from the start, planning to draw out the hidden actions that each company had actually been doing to each other. Both of them were already working for Kyle.

The union was made up of a loose gathering of companies – but they were primarily competitors with each other. The chairman tried to convince them for a while longer before they finally dispersed. He sighed to himself, watching the owners leave the meeting hall, with only one person remaining on the other end of the long table.

The person nodded his head at the chairman, permitting him to approach. “I hope you have labelled those who were clearly incompetent. Many of their businesses are about to falter just from such a simple economic sanction of just three weeks. What a rubbish business model.” The person remarked.

The chairman wiped his forehead, his hand clearly trembling. “Sebastian, I don’t think we can hold the sanctions for another month. My businesses may be stable for now, but eventually, the Seven Snakes will come to dominate.”

“I know.” Sebastian smiled gently as he leaned back into his chair. “I never expected Kyle to give up that easily.”

“What?!” The chairman was stunned. “Then what was the point of all of this?!”

“To weed out the incompetent among us. To strengthen the South Sector as a whole. To buy time. There are plenty of reasons, chairman.” Sebastian took out three rolls of blueprints, laying them out on the table.

The chairman walked over to take a look, gasping. “This… this is the construction blueprints from the Seven Snakes for the shopping arcade! How did you get your hands on it?”

“Kyle would like to believe his gang is water-tight. Everyone has a price, do they not? Your sanction has bought enough time for me to build my own rival shopping arcade, with a few improvements. Naturally, you will have a share and first dibs on any property development next to it.”

Sebastian had never planned to implement a long-term economic sanction – it was simply to put enough pressure on the Seven Snakes and stall their growth while the Ardent Cretins reverse-engineered the design of the shopping arcade.

The chairman’s previously confused face slowly turned into the expression of a man who had nailed a deal. “I understand, Sebastian. The longer the sanction…”

“The higher chance you have to knock out your competitors within the union itself. Absorb those who fall to the wayside or are unable to handle the economic pressure. Those that survive will have proven their business model; the rest will be subservient to you.”

***

Reese whistled to himself as he slid his hand over the varnished table, glistening with a smooth glossy surface. He grinned to himself as he look around the posh office, complete with an overview of the streets outside through transparent glass walls.

Ever since he established the Sliver Snake Productions company with Kyle, his lifestyle has only been on the up and up. His invention of the light capturer and the light thrower was the turning point for all of this to happen.

His little daughter laughed happily as she played around with her assigned Seven Snakes bodyguard, the two of them running around the room. Reese smiled as he recalled how close he was to losing it all due to the kidnapping. It was only thanks to Kyle that he had managed to survive.

He had suspicions that Kyle was the one who put out the kidnapping contract in the first place. Maybe it was all a ploy to simply foster a sense of respect and loyalty in me.

That didn’t matter to him as much anymore, having gotten used to the way the Seven Snakes were running things, both legally and illegally. He was only human, after all – he would do anything to see his little girl well-fed and treated. Oh, and a bit of luxury for himself too.

An employee of the company entered meekly, bowing to Reese as her eyes were a bit confused by the burly bodyguard chasing the little daughter slowly around the room. “Sir, the payment for the rental has come in, but they say they will require an extension in the contract. They have provided the additional payment for the extension as well.”

“Which one?”

“The anonymous buyer from three days ago.”

Reese nodded his head in understanding. “Hmm, as long as they paid. Any ideas what the buyer was using it for?”

Part of the idea behind renting out the equipment was to spy on the buyers and figure out what they were using the devices for. Sometimes it was to film an extravagant wedding at the bequest of a rich baroness from another city; other times, it was an inspired film-maker wanting to make an independent show.

This allowed Kyle and Reese to monitor the growing interest and spread of the light thrower industry, or as Kyle calls it: the ‘media’ industry. This will help them stay ahead of the competition.

“No, sir. The buyer was prepared and shook off the observers almost immediately.”

Suspicious… Reese pondered a while before dismissing the subordinate. This was the first anonymous buyer they had, making him wonder what they were using it for. Reverse-engineering? It won’t be possible with the failsafe that Kyle and I have implemented.

The laughter of his daughter shook him out of deep thought, making him smile. Money is money.

Just as he was about to head over to play with his daughter as well, Kyle entered the office, immediately motioning to the bodyguard to leave the room.

“We need to work together to make a degraded version of the engravings.”

Reese had learnt a lot of new terms and concepts over his time with the Seven Snakes, but Kyle’s words nearly threw him for a loop.

“What?! You want to make the engravings worse?” Reese was appalled by the very notion Kyle had put forth. He had spent his entire life improving engravings – was he just supposed to turn around now?

“Relax. I never said we were degrading our own products – rather, we will be creating a less efficient version of it.”

“But why?! Are you intentionally going to create bad products to sell to our customers? That would hurt our reputation.”

Kyle fumed slightly, prompting Reese to stop arguing back and let Kyle explain. Regardless of Reese’s financial status currently, Kyle still intimidated him slightly, with Reese knowing that Kyle could kill him off easily if he truly wanted to.

“You understand that right now, the lightcapturer and light thrower engravings are company secrets, held only by the two of us, correct?”

“Yes. That is why we vet every buyer and their background to trace if the technology is being reverse-engineered. I also engrave every single one of them manually myself.”

It was the only way to control the spread of technology – Kyle did not trust Gordon’s factory workers to be immune to bribery or extortion, potentially leaking details of a mass production process. It was better to keep the supply low, raising the rental prices.

Reese thought quickly about why Kyle wanted a degraded version of the engraving, his face lighting up in understanding. “I get it now! This is ingenious! When’s the deadline?”

“Tonight.”

***

A Seven Snakes associate gingerly adjusted his sleeves, pulling his right sleeve back to check the time. He leaned against an arctech wagon parked in an inconspicuous alleyway, far away from the prying eyes of the pedestrians who filled the streets.

He tapped his foot impatiently, constantly checking the time on his watch as he glanced down the decrepit path. A loud clang was heard, causing him to jump in fright as a rat scampered across the alleyway, dashing between piles of trash and depleted arcite ore.

“Seriously, why I’m always the one taking all this risk!” The associate complained, scratching his bald head furiously, trying to soothe an itch on the back of his neck.

He waited a few more minutes before finally getting impatient and grumbling to himself. “Fucking thugs, can’t even keep to a time.” He opened the driver’s door, only to hear the distinctive click of an arctech pistol. The associate gulped instinctively, raising his arms in surrender as he turned around slowly, coming face to face with a three-man group.

Two bodyguards carrying thick briefcases flanked a lanky businessman, the most distinctive part of his suit being the pink feather in his cap and the purple handkerchief in his breast pocket.

“Took you long enough, eh?” The associate smiled, having already expected them, while the two bodyguards moved forward around him, checking if there was anyone else in the wagon.

“All clear, sir.” One of the bodyguards spoke to the lanky businessmen, who grinned widely, clearing his throat.

“Guang Hwa, president of the Golden Snake Constructions. Or should I say, Brother Long Hua? The instigator of the most recent religious protest, if I recall.”

“It wasn’t a religious protest, but a call to freedom.” Guang Hwa scoffed.

“Feisty. Now, where are the goods?”

“All right here, in the wagon. Where’s the money?”

“Hahaha! Who knew that the great Kyle would be so easily taken down by a greedy subordinate? I feel sorry for him recruiting you to be the spokesperson.”

Guang Hwa scowled, reaching his left hand down to undo a button near his neck, revealing a metal choker that ran right around his neck. The bodyguards immediately stepped forward to check the engravings on the neck, ensuring that it was not a tracking engraving.

The lanky businessman was amused, clearly intrigued. “You two, search the interior of the wagon and make sure our friend here was not followed.”

He stepped forward to Guang Hwa, examining him. “Interesting. It is quite funny to see the head of a prominent Golden Snake Construction wearing such a thing. However, the design is indeed unique. Perhaps you might be interested in selling it to me as well?”

“Fuck you, if this thing goes off, my head goes with it.”

“It is a tough choice, but it is one that I am willing to make.”

“Shut up. Where’s the money?”

“Relax, you will get it once you are clear.”

The bodyguards checked every nook and cranny of the arctech wagon, examining even the spokes of the wheels for any hidden devices or engravings.

“So, who’s the buyer on the other end?” Guang Hwa asked.

“Keep asking questions like that and I may be inclined to think you are an enforcer mole.”

“Except I already sold you the blueprints of the construction before. Went rather well, in my opinion.”

“A fine deal indeed.” The lanky businessman scratched his chin.

“This deal would be even better for you, would it not? I can’t imagine any other information dealer on the black market getting such a catch like this. You’ll be the talk of the town for a while.”

“Surprisingly astute.” The information dealer neither denied nor confirmed Guang Hwa’s comment.

[Sir, no signs of the Seven Snakes or any enforcers nearby.] An arctech radio on the belt of the dealer crackled to life. The bodyguards soon exited the wagon, nodding their heads that it was clear of booby traps.

The dealer walked to the back of the wagon, lifting the cloth that covered them. Arranged in a haphazard fashion, there was one copy of nearly everything that the Seven Snakes had innovated for the construction of the shopping arcade, including a complete lightcapturer and light thrower at the back.

“Jackpot. This will fetch an extremely high price.” The dealer couldn’t help grinning to himself as he stepped into the back of the wagon, looking around. “I don’t see any manuals or notes here – you promised to bring whatever documentation they had as well.”

“I’m just a spokesperson – you think I knew which exact piece of paper to bring? It was already hard enough for me to get my hands on these devices.” Guang Hwa complained.

The dealer bent over to activate the light thrower, which churned and projected a still image of the Sliver Snakes Productions’ logo. “Seems to be in working order. You two, drive this wagon off and do a switch in the next district. Split it up into three separate wagons before converging, got it? Safehouses B and D.”

The bodyguards nodded, entering the driver’s seat, much to the confusion of Guang Hwa. “Hey, why are you driving off my wagon? How the hell am I supposed to get back? The Seven Snakes will find out and-“

“Don’t you worry about that. I brought more friends to take care of that.”

Two more men walked into the alleyway, obviously hired thugs under the dealer’s command. Guang Hwa’s eyes narrowed, knowing what was happening immediately. “You! You promised me five million rakels!”

“And? Don’t you know the rules of Raktor? A contract can only be enforced by the strength of both parties. No one is on your side – no one even knows we signed the contract. Even if I break it, no one is going to intervene for you, not even the Seven Snakes. After all, you betrayed them, didn’t you?”

“Bitch, if I survive, I’ll tell the entire world of your-“

“That’s if you survive. Enjoy the rest of your life.” The dealer smirked, leaving the alleyway as another ten thugs entered the alleyway, surrounding Guang Hwa with a bored expression.

“Alright, say your last words and make your peace.” The leader of the hired thugs yawned, the job being just another one in his books.

Guang Hwa was clearly panicking, his eyes darting all over the roofs. “Come on, boss! Whatever the fuck you’re planning, do it now!” He screamed in fear.

“Huh?” The leader was confused, hearing the sound of something hurtling towards him from above. His instincts kicked in, causing him to jump out of the way and recover into a fighting posture.

“Get all of our men in here NOW!” He did not underestimate the enemy, immediately recognising that it was a trap by the Seven Snakes.

Out of the dust cloud caused by the crash stood Kyle, cracking and stretching his limbs, warming his body up. “Been a while. Damian, Niko, Adrian. You have eyes on the dealer?”

[Intercepting now.]

“Good. Let’s have some fun.”

<---Chapter 54 - Retribution|Table of Contents|Chapter 56 - Sabotage--->