Chapter 418

"High pressure sales tactics much?" I said, pushing the folder away automatically. I hated being pressured, especially when I hadn't had a chance to think about it. "And shouldn't I be shouting things like 'lawyer' at this point?"

"You're not under arrest," Cynthia said.

"Obviously not, but seems a lot like I'm being told I should do this," I said, arms crossed.

"The government needs your help. We aren't seeing enough people passing through the Tower," Cynthia said. "Your Clan being on the first floor can help that."

"You know, part of the reason for that is because some of them don't want to come out? They've got a life there, some of them. It's a pretty decent one too," I said, recalling the communities, the life on the first floor. "They have Tower Guards that protect everyone, no matter what. They don't care what race or how much money you have or who you know. Pretty damn good, eh? No family to pressure them, no husband to beat them."

"We understand some use the Tower to escape, and if they wish to stay..." Cynthia shrugged. "That is their choice. It is not something we can affect. But what of those who want to leave, but can't? Because they don't have the ability or the skills or..."

She trailed off and I finished for her. "Cultivation techniques or stones. Or knowledge to push ahead. I get it. And the Durians are going to help, anyone who wants it. But it's not that easy, you know."

"Because of the triads and gangs and corporations." Cynthia tapped the table. "We can't curtail them, not once they step in. Not without a presence."

"And you want us to be that."

"Yes."

"That's insane. We're growing, but we're tiny. If they think we're going to try to police them, they'll just kill us." I sniffed. "Anyway, shouldn't your various bumiputera helpers do something of that?"

"You know the sponsored climbers aren't focused on those things." She shrugged. "They're also civilains."

"Sure, sure. They're there to get through the Tower and then pay you all back. Except a lot of them don't, do they?" One of the major scandals in the last few years, the amount of money that the program was losing. A reporter was thrown in jail because they had broken that story, though they had been eventually released. Even so, the fact that the multi-billion dollar system was running at a regular loss was a huge black mark on the government's face.

Cynthia stiffened, eyes narrowing at my tone. She glanced sideways at Elsa and Tannah who were watching the proceedings silently, a slight frown of disapproval on Tannah’s face. “There were… missteps… but I can tell you, our department is much better managed. There are no unintentional mishaps.”

I opened my mouth to point out the strange wording choice there, then closed it when I caught the flash in her eyes. Rather than blather on without thinking, I sat back as I considered what she had intentionally revealed, without being too overt about it.

It was difficult, I assumed, to work in the government. To be a competent manager in a place that was both corrupt and dependent upon the whims of the politicians that you worked for could not be easy. To knowingly have to look aside when your superiors took bribes and pushed through their agendas; even if you disagreed with it.

On top of that, the word unintentional spoke a lot to what might happen. Though she was doing her best to pitch the entire project to Arthur right now, he wondered if she was hinting that he should not take the deal.

That was the one problem when dealing with the government. The leverages of powe were entirely one-sided, in most cases. If they chose not to honour the deal, there was very little that he could do to make them follow through. The courts were slow and, not surprisingly, biased to the government in most instances. You occasionally got a judge willing to stick his neck out and do what was right – just like with Manager Kong here – but they were rare.

Nor was it like an individual or even a gang. Worse case scenario in those cases, you got down and dirty. Beating up or killing a triad member, enforcing your rights on them might be violent – but generally, it was limited. There were only a few thousand members after all, and the ones you had to worry about were at the top. In addition, like he had done in the Tower, more often than not, you could bring your own people or get allies to help.

The government on the other hand was an apparatus. A bureaucracy. An entity made of up rules and laws and a lot of people. Kill one person, beat them up or pressure them and you might find the entire apparatus – including the army and police – after you.

There was a reason smart Malaysians avoided the government.

“This is a lot to think about. And a lot to read.” Arthur tapped the papers. “Perhaps… we can extend my deadline? So long as I don’t leave this complex, the deal can be on the table?” He gestured around him, as he continued. “I did want to see if my friends arrived and give them a few days at least.”

Manager Kong’s hand twitched upward, paused and lowered. She clenched her fingers into a fist, as she continued. “I’ll… ask. I think that should be alright. The intention was to have you decide before…” Again she trailed off, a darting glance to the side to the women. “I’ll ask. But I would start reading immediately.”

“Of course,” Arthur said.

She left him alone then, trailed by Tannah, leaving him alone with Elsa. He looked the young Chinese woman over, dressed in a fetching pant, blouse combo that highlight her slim figure and was just a little too tight for normal office wear. Tight enough that he could tell she was wearing a lacy bra underneath. Her eyes were cold as she caught him looking.

Arthur leaned back, grinned and threw an arm over the back of his chair. “So. How come you don’t dye your hair blonde?”

“That’s so… original.”

He laughed, shrugged. “Eh, you got the wanita ais down already, might as well go all the way.”

“Is there anything I can get you? Tea? Kopi?” A slight qwirk of the lips. “Ice bath.”

“Maybe the latter tonight.” He tapped his chin. “Be good to get back into training. Is there a training ground or place I can work out here?”

“I…” She hesitated. “Don’t know.”

“Find out, please.” He gestured to the documents. “I’ll be here, reading.”

“I’m not supposed to leave you alone for long.”

“Promise I’m not going anywhere.” Though a part of him, now that she had mentioned the possibility, did consider sneaking out. It wouldn’t lose them for long, but it might give him time to meet with his erstwhile allies and get a proper read of how things were.

After a moment, he squashed that errant thought. As amusing as it might have been, disappearing would cause trouble for these three. And he had a feeling having an ally – or just someone sympathetic – within the ministry was going to be important.

“Okay-ah.”

He waited till she was out, before he turned to the documents. It was going to be a pain and a half translating all this, and he probably would need help to clarify everything. Still, he needed to know what was on offer; even if he was almost certainly going to turn it down.

No matter how precious the collar might be, it was still a collar.