They walked in silence for a few streets, Lam and Arthur watching the surroundings with care. They had a couple of additional guards from the household with them, though the minor additional income on this round was significantly smaller than their first payment. Then again, it was still enough for some to kill for, especially considering there was no official rule of law.
On the other hand, rather than the lawless society some might posit, casual robbery and theft was significantly lower than one might expect. There were a few reasons for that, from the fact that nearly every individual who had arrived on this floor was a trained - and proven - killer along with the sheer volume of Tower techniques available to track down a prepetrator.
No one was going to bother - unless they really were bored - with a small theft. However, murders and killings and maybe even brutal beatings were another thing. And if someone didn't have the money or skill to do it themselves, you could always hire the gangs who had a regular business conducting revenge beatings.
Add in the fact that the gangs themselves kept an eye on the streets, especially the ones in their sector to make sure that thefts were limited - if not entirely eliminated - for their enforcement and protection fees and well, it was relatively peaceful. But relative still meant that there were fights and killings, and so neither party were taking it easy.
Casey on the other hand, while watching the surroundings ritually, was worrying something over in her mind. In the end, she spoke up when they were halfway back, crossing the sprawling seventh floor city.
"Do you really think we're that bad?" Cassey said.
"No."
"Then why?" she asked.
"You're the one who told me to make nice," Arthur said. "And I wasn't going to sleep with her."
Cassey snorted. "You wish. She's a tease, not a slut."
"Good to know," Arthur replied, then frowned. "Should you be using those words for your Aunt?"
"Auntie-in-law," Cassey corrected. Then, added. "Probably not. Sorry. She's just so aggravating. She keeps saying all these things about the family, acting as though she didn't marry into us on purpose!"
"Maybe, but maybe she didn't know what it entailed." Arthur shrugged. "Anyway, I wasn't lying. Having her on our side, especially if what she wants isn't too bad, isn't a bad thing." A twitch of his lips. "Anyway, she's a Chin, right? You wanted me to be more "
Frosty silence greeted his statement.
"I am curious what she can offer. Here and outside. Helpful if someone would give some hints..."
"Oh, now you want my help," she snapped. "Not when you're taking out a loan or buying up real estate or taking out the loan for the purchase of the real estate."
"Still angry about that?" Arthur said, quietly. "I needed to give them something, and sneaking it right by them was important. More than giving Prime Group a little win by selling an unused warehouse. Especially at a discount."
"You..." She shook her head. "You could have asked."
"Yeah, I could. But we don't tell each other everything, now do we?" When she opened her mouth to protest, he continued. "Like a missive that you received that had you hurry away, even after you said you'd be with me on the meeting."
"That was different!" Cassey said, heatedly.
"How?"
"That was private!"
Arthur blinked, noted the flush on red on her cheeks and then chose to drop it.
"Fine, I'll ask you next time if we have to buy something," Arthur said.
"Good."
"So." He watched her look at him, open her mouth and then continued. "We have to buy a bunch of weights. And some more cutlery. And I'd love to get a table and some office chairs."
"Why are you telling me that?" Cassey said. Then, after a moment, growled. "Nevermind. Stop. You know what I mean." Arthur chuckled instead and eventually Cassey joined him. Eventually though, she sobered up and spoke softly. “Auntie Wen, she’s got her supporters outside. Older men, some managers she helped move upwards. Her husband was well liked, and when he died…” Again another shake of her head. “She managed to garner a lot of sympathy and used it well. Then, she volunteered to take this post, which got her even more.” A slight frown, as she continued. “Though, I think it wasn’t just purely altruistic. I think she received some promises, that if she came, they’d help her.
“Since then, her investments outside, the people she helped have done well. She has a good idea for people.”
“Well, of course,” Arthur said, puffing out his chest causing Cassey to roll her eyes again.
“So, what’s the problem? Why are you all upset with her?” He hesitated, before adding. “Beyond her trying to get more money for herself.”
“Because the people she has promoted, the industries she’s involved in, they’re…dodgy.” She gestured to the side. “Some construction. Nail salons. Massage parlors. KTV lounges.”
“Triad places.”
“Exactly.” Cassey shook her head. “She pushes the boundaries. Uses our name to keep them away, keeps her people out from paying for protection.”
“Smart.”
“Dangerous. It causes trouble for us all. Gives us bad PR.”
“So stop her?”
“Her companies aren’t directly affiliated with the Prime Group. And Grandpa still feels bad for her, so none of us can do anything. She just trades on it,” Cassey said. “It’s not stable.”
Arthur just nodded, choosing not to contradict her. Her words did illuminate matters further for him, but he found himself drawing a rather different conclusion.
After all, whether he liked it or not, he was dealing with the triads and gangs already. He wasn’t big enough to stop them from preying on him, and while they were – currently – at abeyance, he had a feeling eventually they’d come in.
And as much as Cassey might like to think their corporation itself was pure, he’d heard the rumors. Really, the same ones that involved any major corporation. That they’d paid off this government servant or that one, that they were affiliated with this gang or that one.
End of the day, grow large enough and you had to deal with the two devils of Malaysia.
The gangs and the government.