Chapter 425

The silence lingered in the limo for a bit, Arthur swirling the limau ais around in his glass, the tink, tink, tink of the ice cubes against the glass echoing through the near silent vehicle. The lime within the sweetened drink gave the refreshment a nice tartness, a good counterpoint to the heavy meal they had eaten not so long ago. Now, as the night grew late, they were on a drive to see Casey’s father and others of the Chin family.

His erstwhile sponsors in the Tower. Potentially out here too, if the group could come to an agreement of what they needed.

“For what?” Casey said. “The triads need enforcers, people to beat up. But most work is automated these days. We don’t need enhanced individuals.”

She was showing her privilege once more, her status. Arthur sighed. “Only in the biggest factories and plantations. Only in the largest places.” He gestured outside, to where they were now out of the old city streets, on the highway finally and beginning to speed up. “But there’s a lot of smaller factories that can’t afford the latest machines. Having someone stronger, faster, heck; smarter can be useful. Plantations still need people to pick fruit, to choose what is good. Sure, the drones can work; but a person can do the job just as well if they’re enhanced.

“And there’s a lot of the reclamation works, the rescue and rebuilding things that we still have to deal with. All the government’s shoring up, when the monsoon’s hit.”

“So, what? We should be happy to have more enhanced individuals because they might earn a little more for a bunch of companies?”

“Or cost you less on upgrades,” Arthur said. “Never mind the fact that, yes, having a group of dedicated fighters might be useful. Organized crime is getting stronger every day because they’re willing to put people through.”

And wasn’t that the truth.

“I guess…” She leaned back, frowning. “This is what the government wants, certainly. More enhanced citizens. Did they give you this idea?”

Arthur shook his head. “Part of wanting more people to pass. Just a consequence of it and seeing what advantages that might mean.”

“Fine. Are you offering to make the Durians a security arm for us?”

“No.” Arthur saw her frown and lifted a hand. “We might have groups that are willing to be loaned out, and we’ll certainly explore that. But we aren’t going to be paid thugs.”

“I guess I can’t be angry about that. So enhanced workers in smaller factories.” She nodded, thoughtfully. “Artisanal works. They’re quite popular among the Western elites.”

“Exactly.” Not that he knew that himself, but hey, Arthur figured he should not be getting in the way of her thinking positive thoughts.

“Also, the more people we bring through, the higher the tax. The amount we can bring in, both in the Tower and when they exit. We need enough people exiting regularly to make sure we get a constant outflow of cores and enchanted items, after all.”

“If we get enough people passing through, you could even act as carriers.”

Arthur grimaced at that mention. Using carriers, smugglers or transport individuals between Tower levels was common, but more often than not, the penalty for losing items between floors or someone running away with the goods was harsh. And often enacted on those who weren’t involved.

In this case, the Clan would have to pay the penalties and thus run the real risk. Not something he was looking forward to – though it also made the running of goods and cores quite lucrative. So he wasn’t going to discount it entirely.

“We’re more excited about that, in the end.”

“Bearers?”

“Monster cores.” She tapped her chest. “Keeping the elite fed without having to go back to the Tower is important. More so as more time passes.”

“Rich people problems,” Arthur said.

“Your problem.”

“Nope.” Arthur shook his head immediately. “The moment I start getting low, I’m back in.”

She narrowed her eyes at his announcement but after a moment, sighed. “Of course. You need to keep growing stronger.”

“Exactly. Clan is dependent on me. So, I got to climb.”

That made Casey fall silent, and he wondered what she was thinking. He tried to chase down potential areas of her thoughts, what might concern her. Power imbalance perhaps. Sooner or later, if he climbed enough Towers, he would be strong enough to dictate terms without concerning himself about others could do.

Personal strength, at a certain level, started triumphing organizational strength. There were enough examples to showcase that, though such individuals lived often lonely lives. Obsessed Climbers who rarely spent time in the real world, only staying long enough to rest, recuperate; acquire more goods before diving back in for another climb.

Content to trample on any who tried to get in their way, even including governments.

Most were considered too much trouble to handle, so they were just allowed to continue their almost obsessive climbing.

“So. Money, people, training.” Arthur frowned. “Security, for now?”

“Security?”

“We’re small out here. My family, my Durians families. They might need help, in case the 66 or Ghee Hin bother us.”

She nodded. “We can do that.”

“And in turn, you want what?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but shut it as the car turned, the angle of their ascent shifting. They were entering Damansara Heights, to where the Chin had their houses. Not surprising, really; since the suburb was where the mansions, the noveau rich had their houses.

Casey grew a pensive look, looking doubtful of what was to come which created all sorts of knots in Arthur’s own stomach.