Chapter 423

That evening, Arthur gave himself three more days. Then, he would exit the building, no matter what. He could not keep delaying the government, even if some of the delays were due to Manager Kong having to check on my requests or altering the wording of her requests. In those two days, two more arrivals from the Clan appeared - Jan; who had stayed for all of one night to spend time with Yao Jing before leaving for her own works and Eric.

Still there no sign of Arthur’s right hand woman, Mel. He was wondering if she had left already, passed through fast. No way to tell; though Yao Jing was grateful for Eric's appearance since it allowed him to relax a little as the older man took over his duties. Nor was Arthur surprised that Eric chose to wait around for Leia, his lover and fellow student.

Though, he had a feeling they wouldn’t hear the end of it from sifu when they got out for not contacting him.

In either case, they never made it to three days though, since on day two, whilst Arthur was in the midst of an unarmed tai chi routine, he received a visitor. Arthur made sure to finish the current portion of the form before he exited the form, exhaling loudly and pushing energy down into his center.

A rather sarcastic clap issued forth from Casey as she watched him finish, Lam – her bodyguard – looming over her shoulder. He was doing his best to look intimidating, but his fellow bodyguard was doing a better job at it. Some new fellow, short and stocky and probably a Chindian from the looks of it. In this case, he was a hirsute as some Indians but tended towards a much lighter set of skin and more Chinese, upturned eyes. Good eyebrows, I had to admit.

It wasn’t that Lam himself, big, tall, stern and older wasn’t intimidating. However, they all had known him long enough, bled enough with him, slept around him enough that some of the illusion of violence had disappeared. Arthur knew he farted in his sleep, had a liking for J-pop and had a rather intimidatingly encyclopedic knowledge of current and older bands and had a kid.

Hard to have outright fear when one knew such things. Certainly not for him, or Yao Jing.

“If you go slower, the monsters can eat both feet before you finish that punch,” Casey said as she finished clapping.

“Not the point,” Arthur replied, knowing she knew that too. “What are you doing here?”

“No hello? No, how are you doing? Glad to see you’re alive?” she said.

“Hello. Glad to see you’re alive. How you doing?” Arthur said, robotically.

“Terrible-lah.” She threw her hands up. “Someone was supposed to come out a week ago, and never did. My father has been on my case, my relatives all angry. Saying I made the wrong bet…”

Arthur winced, then gestured around. “Just waiting for some of my people. Also…”

“You got another offer and wanted to negotiate with them.” She sniffed, playing hurt. Except, Arthur could swear he saw a little bit of doubt, of concern in her eyes. He bet she had to pay quite a lot to get in here, a fact proven so when Tannah – having disappeared at some point while he was training – came rushing back, Manager Kong beside her.

“Ms. Chin!” Manager Kong said, nodding to her. “I was not told you were coming to visit. Or that you were authorized to come in.”

“Commissioner Koya said I could,” she smiled and gestured to a small man, another Indian who had been hovering in the background, doing his best to be invisible nodded along. He moved to intercept Manager Kong, all smiles on his lips as he found someone who couldn’t crush him their fingers to manage.

“Commissioner Koya?” Arthur said, frowning.

“Of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission – the EAIC.” When I continued to look blank, she shrugged. “They oversee the various police, army, all that kind of things. Including the Menteri Pendaki Menara.”

Arthur’s eyes widened as he understood she had brought the auditors – the internal investigators – into play here. People even the Minister would be worried about, because their job was to make everyone play the straight and narrow.

“Bold move,” Arthur said.

“He’s a family friend,” she replied.

He could not help but think that sounded just as much of a threat as a statement of fact. Once again, he felt that sensation of being in deep water and sinking fast, but he rallied with a shrug. “Good to know you have so many friends.”

Then, looking around, he made a decision. “I guess since you’re here, we should get going then? I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

“And your family will want to talk to you.” She gestured to the side. “I made sure to arrange a dinner for them and your sifu too. Though… I think he declined?” A glance over her shoulder at Lam who nodded in confirmation. “So, it’ll just be them and your closest friends. If they’ll come.”

“Yao Jing? Eric?”

Eric visibly hesitated, but without a reason to decline, he nodded. Still, Arthur considered and looked at Casey’s people, including the new kid. “Do you think you could leave someone behind, watch for more? Eric will take over, later; but for now…”

“Of course.” She smiled, lips pulled wide. “Anything for an ally.”

Together, they swept out; leaving the hapless Manager to the man from the EIAC. He doubted she would get into trouble, since nothing had been signed or any laws broken. But he doubted she was going to have a good time either.

He’d probably have to look at buying some flowers for her or something in apology for his overzealous allies.

But at least, part of his vague plans had come together. Let the big boys clash, while he bought himself time.

 

***

 

Dinner was awkward. Arthur always knew it would have been, but his changed demeanour, the scars on his body, the extra musculature and his paler skin from the Yin Body made him look almost entirely different. Not a problem for many cases; but for his mother and his younger sister, his mei mei, it was strange. They were uncomfortable talking to him, uncertain how to react. It was worse for Chloe with her new boyfriend seated there, looking a little lost and way too into Arthur. Hero worship from the kid was not something Arthur was looking for, especially not someone who hadn't even passed his form six yet.

"Make sure to study hard, okay?" Arthur was repeating himself to his sister, wagging a finger before her. "I should have money soon, for you to go to university overseas. So don't you give up on studying."

"So I should study and you can go play in the Towers?" she said, trying for light but mostly failing. Joking about 'playing' in the Towers as they used to fell short, not when the scars he carried was so clear. 

"Yeah, exactly. Got to make sure you get a real job, you know." Chuckled. "Or have you work for me too. That could work."

"Work for you?” Chloe shuddered. “No way. Sis Chin will hire me though, won’t she?” Spinning to Casey, his sis gave the woman big eyes.

“Of course. Just graduate with a 1^st!”

“First?” Chloe’s nose wrinkled.

“First class distinction. British system,” Arthur said. “Not like Malaysia.”

“Oh…” Resolve forming, she nodded. “Can do!”

Getting rid of the pair, watching his mum – still a bit amazed and quiet through the proceedings – get taken back by the car that Casey had rented for them, Arthur found that part of him that had dreaded the evening relaxing a bit.

He still loved his family, cared for them. But in many ways, they were strangers. Had always been, what with his own intentions to enter the Tower and the knowledge he might die in there. More so now, as he found himself detached and in another sphere.

Which reminded him.

Turning to Casey, with the noise of street cars – much quieter than even in his youth, with the prevalence of electric cars now, compared to earlier when gasoline used to be ever present – in the background and the warmth of the day fading, he waited.

Because it was time to pay the piper. Or in this, the Chin.