Leaving Mel and Casey to handle the various pieces of politics and speaking with both the UN and 66 and in Casey's case, to enquire with the Ghee Hin; Arthur made his way to discuss matters with Auntie Wen. After, of course, taking a proper bath and clearing the accumulated dirt over multiple days of camping.
It sucked, of course, that he was forced to visit immediately after returning. While he had managed to continue cultivating and refining energy from the stones while outside, the greatest joy after being out in the wilds was always the return. That moment when you were able to take a proper shower or bath, clean the accumulated layers of grime, put on fresh clothes and flop onto a comfortable bed. There was no better time to really understand all the luxuries of civilisation than be deprived of them - even as barebone levels of civilized society life in the Tower might be.
Instead, with Jan and Yao Jing, he made his way to the Chin's residence to speak with Auntie Wen. A quick runner had confirmed her presence and willingness to see him. And now, without Casey in the way, Arthur felt that they might actually be able to get to the heart of the matter.
So he was not at all surprised that he was shown into an office rather than a living room, his bodyguards left outside and pleasantries quickly discarded.
"You want me to provide aid against the Ghee Hin. Not just on this floor when my niece leaves but also, in the outside world?" Auntie Wen said, concisely.
"I do, Ms. Wen." Arthur leaned forward on the large table separating them, bringing himself closer to her though the table was large enough that he did not - could not - loom. Especially while seated on this chair that was, he noted, a little shorter than average and put him below her height. "Though what resources you might have, in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia in general, I still am uncertain."
"As you should be," she said, amusedly. "I take great pains to hide them. After all, most of my 'resources' are in the connections I have made and the favors owed me. Rather than outright ownership, like your Casey."
"Not mine," he said. "Though I understand your point. They do have quite the portfolio."
"Yet, they only utilize it so poorly." Reaching forwards, she picked up the cup of tea and sipped on it. Peering at him over the rim, she continued. "I have friends in many of their industries, and often can make use of their resources for minor things without alerting them. I also have friends in the government and police, including a few department heads. Only the deputy in the gang task force, at this time. But I have hopes."
"And they'll do you favors?"
"They'll do us favors. Within reason." She held the cup up, waving it a little as she continued. "So long as we do them favors too. Money, of course. Some prefer beast stones. Enchanted items, when you progress later will be the best." Arthur nodded. "But other favors too, of course. Young ladies or men. Tickets or reservations. Meetings with the important. The favor can be quite varied, though...."
"Though?"
Her eyes crinkled and she sipped on the drink. After a moment, she answered. "There are three main reasons you can make another work for you. Do you want to know them?"
"Certainly," Arthur said, curiously.
"Ah, but what would I get out of it?" she said, tapping her lips. "Perhaps, shall we say, an answer?"
"An answer?"
"To one question. A truthful answer, to one question. Whole and complete."
Arthur grunted. "So long as it's not a secret that affects others or isn't mine to tell."
"Then we have a deal?" she said.
It would be a good test, to see how far she pushed it. How much she wanted, for something that might be - quite likely would be - quite simple. Sometimes, the initial negotiation was not about the actual deal itself, but what people did. "Deal."
"Sex, ego and money." She lowered her fingers after each word, then did the opposite as she went the other way. "Or if you will, love, power and resources."
"A little reductive, is it not? How about blackmail, fear and pain?" Arthur said.
"We were talking of manipulating others to work for you. Fear and pain, blackmail - those work; but they are not consistent or good levers," she said. "Though, threatening another, you threaten one of those three anyway."
Arthur pressed his lips together, wanting to argue but realising it didn't matter. This was, after all, her viewpoint. Not a truth that mattered to him, but a viewpoint to her own worldview.
"Then tell me. Why does the sex lever not work on you? It's obvious you are attracted to women, but yet it seems to matter little." She glared at Arthur and he chuckled.
"Is that what you wanted to know? Have you not asked already?" he said. "It's not as though it's a secret."
"Your Yin body." She gestured at his face with her free hand. "The pale skin, the way you look but don't touch. Your lack of deep emotions. Is that what you're blaming?" He nodded and she snorted. "Bullshit."
"What?"
"A Yin body changes you, but it doesn't make you sexless. It doesn't make you this cold. It is rare, but not that rare. You're not the only one that I've encountered. And they're all pliable, in that way. You're... not."
Arthur offered a wry smile. "I've never been that interested. Call it a flaw or a twist in my makeup, if you want. It's nice, but it wasn't anything that made me jump up and shout. There's always been other things to do, money to be made, training and research to conduct. All the other things..." He looked away, returned his gaze to her. "The Yin body, it's just been a bonus. Dampened it even more, but the fire was never really lit."
"Not boys or girls or anything in-between?"
"If I was interested in boys, you think I'd say it? Even here?" Arthur knew many who had those inclinations escaped to the Tower. Without the government to control them, they could live the lives they wanted - if they survived, of course. Yet, the stigma hadn't disappeared, the rules and laws still existed outside and the tattletales, the snakes and moles were everywhere.
"To me, only?"
"It doesn't make a difference. I don't really get that interested anymore. No more than you would seeing a nice painting or a sunset. Beautiful, but that's it." He shrugged. "That answer your question?"
"I guess so. So, money or power then." She nodded. "And it seems, power is the lever right now."
"Not for myself. If it was just for me... well, it wouldn't matter. But I have a clan." He leaned forward, put the teacup down and placed one hand over the other. No lacing fingers, he had that broken out of him by his tsifu a while ago. "So, do we have a deal then? Your help here, and outside against the Ghee Hin. In turn, we offer you...?"
"What lever would you use on me?" She asked. "What do you think I want?"
"Safety. No, security," Arthur said, firmly. "That's what you always wanted, isn't it?"
"There's no safety in our world. But added layers of protection..." she trailed off, then shook her head. "That can help. Once we started climbing, safety is over. But a legacy, a real one, that is possible."
"A real one?"
"My family. Money, security, stones. Cultivation resources." She stared at Arthur, leaned in and spoke softly. "He'll come in, in a few years. Thinking that being a Climber is everything, that this half-life is worth living. I couldn't - can't - convince him otherwise. This world, it's glamorisation of the Towers. Do you know, that the ones in power, many don't even bother coming in? And those that do, they only ever run a single Tower?
"Instead, they hire idiots like us. Keep control of the world out there. When my son comes in, he'll just be another tool for them."
"Unless he climbs high enough," Arthur said. "Better to be a well shaped one, rather than something they'd throw away." He knew the truth of the world, but when you were one of the uncountable masses, who had no money or influence or opportunity, the Tower gave you a chance. A way to stand out, to pull ahead and keep doing so. "That's the promise of the Tower, at the end."
"You can only do that, only grow stronger if you have the right tools." A cruel smile then. "Or you get lucky."
"Or if you get lucky. But you can't count on luck." Arthur sighed. "You want him to become a Durian."
"Maybe," now Auntie Wen refilled her teacup, drawing the silence out. "If you're strong enough, good enough for him. Right now, the Durians are nothing more than an upstart organisation. But maybe..."
"Maybe." Arthur began to see how she was, how she thought. Auntie Wen didn't have a single plan, didn't choose a single path to victory. She scattered dozens of seeds, watered all of them hoping they'd all grow. Sent scouts on all those roads and if one - or more - became the way forwards, she'd take them all. Unfocused, but he could use that.
So long as she offered him what he needed to. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"