Chapter 438

“Nice suspenders,” Arthur said, greeting his friend and shaking hands. Why the man felt the need to carry his guns in side-holsters – and how he managed to get the license to do so so openly in Malaysia – still puzzled Arthur, but he couldn’t fault his dress code. Preppy and semi-rogueish adventurer it might look, but the boy had style at the least.

“Arthur!” Rick reached over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good to see you. But what took you so long?”

“I was hanging out lah. Waiting for more of my people till Casey found out and then dragged me out of the Tower exit building,” Arthur explained.

“Why didn’t you contact me?”

“So clingy,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I just got clear yesterday.”

Rick sniffed, waving Arthur up the stairs as he turned and followed, the doors propped open to let chilled air out. Arthur frowned at the casual wastefulness but kept silent as his friend continued speaking. “You could have asked if you needed money, you know.”

“Why?” Arthur tapped his pockets. “I can make my own way.”

“And we’d buy it! Or Casey would. You don’t trust us to give you proper numbers?”

“Mr. Chua has made it clear to the Ghee Hin, the 66 and the government that he will be taking competing bids,” Keith, trailing along behind, said.

“Have you now?” Rick said, amused.

Arthur quickly relayed the story of what happened, ending with a shrug. “Easiest way of getting out of it, though I wasn’t really looking for all that. I just wanted to get some duit, you know?"

"You didn't sell it, right?" Rick said, leading Arthur through the main foyer, up the stairs that emerged almost immediately and split to lead up to the next floor. Downstairs, Arthur had glimpsed further rooms, living rooms and what looked like a ballroom but Rick took him pass all that to the second floor, bypassing even more receiving rooms and living rooms to enter a study replete with books. Arthur could not help but glance at the titles, found himself smirking.

He somehow doubted that those rows upon rows of old school encyclopedias and pretty classic covers had ever been cracked open, not for the books on the right of the door. The ones on the left of the desk, however, showcased much more wear; with covers that screamed 'western' and titles like 'Lone gun saloon, 'High Plain Drifter' and the like.

Rather than take a seat by the desk though, Rick wandered over the lounging chairs set to the left of the room, flopping down on it. Moments later, a maid popped in, a serving tray of coffee, tea and snacks including slices of bak kwa - the Malaysian version of jerky which, of course, consisted of meat marinated in soy sauce, rice cooking wine, soy and fish sauce and most importantly - sugar.

There was a reason Malaysia was the diabetic and overweight capital of Asia.

Immediately snatching a slice of the thin, glistening pork jerky up, Arthur leaned back as he agreed to the kopi, eyes idly tracking the maid. Rick, of course, ignored the Filipino woman working for him, dressed in smart and casual clothing but not, at least, in any weird English maid outfit.

If she had, Arthur might have had to revise his entire plan on being friends with the boy. Rich was fine. Rich and eccentric, no problem. Rich, eccentric and a pervert?  Nope.

"So, you want money or not?" Rick said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a fat cash stack. He rifled through the colourful Malaysian Ringgit. "I'll buy it from you, at whatever best price you have and say, half more?"

"Wah, so rich, ah?" Arthur said, falling into slang as he stared at the stack. Considering the sheer size and volume of hundred dollar bills in that amount, he could probably have paid for his rent for a few months from just what the man carried around casually. And Arthur was almost certain this was just 'walking around' money, rather than anything taken out to impress him.

Rich people.

"You know I don't care about this small amounts." He chuckled. "Also, didn't I promise you money for helping me exit so fast?" His grin widened. "You wouldn't believe what my dad had to say when I came out so fast. Well worth the look on his face."

"Was it, now?" Arthur sighed, fished out the cores and dropped them on the table. He named the sum that he figured he would likely have gotten and watched as Rick counted the amount up, rounding up and handed him the cash before slipping the roll back into his pocket. "And the money for the Clan goes to the Clan."

"Not you?"

Arthur shook his head. "I might be Clan Head, but best to keep money separated for now."

"Don't forget to pay yourself, though." He tapped the table. "A lot of people forget to do that, early on. Terrible practise, because then they never pay themselves and then burn out and complain." 

"Oh?" Arthur cocked his head to the side. "You know a lot of Clan leaders?"

"Entrepreneurs. We invest a lot, you know. And l, my uncles and some of my dad's friends always laughed about it." 

"Not your dad?"

"Dad always made sure they paid themselves. He always said it was better to keep the founders running the company as long as you could, especially while they were in the startup and most growth stages. After that-" Rick hesitated, looked guilty.

"Kick them out?"

"If they're the wrong people!" Rick hastened to add. "And that's companies, you know. Different from Clans."

"Uh huh." Arthur shook his head a little, even as Rick started talking again.

"I'm not my dad too. I want to invest in Guilds and Clans and build them up. Which is why I want to work with you, Arthur. I want you to be the first one, which means you'll be extra special too!" Rick hurried on. "I know you've got great advantages, but you really aren't, umm..."

"Suited for running a giant Clan?" Arthur supplied.

"Right! But I know some great teachers. I can bring people in from the States, old Guild Treasurers or people on their boards, or people who had Guilds and they can teach you."

"We're a Clan, not a Guild, remember?"

"But the mechanics are very similar!" Rick rushed on. "And I used to have private tutors for all the accounting and managerial things, a business coach, even a therapist. We can get you all those and even a PA." He tapped the table. "There's no reason for you to be going out and selling individual cores for yourself. Even if you want to keep the money seperate - and that's not a bad thing, not at all! - you shouldn't waste time on errands like that."

"Oh, I should be doing something else?"

"Training. Learning. Negotiating with people like uhhh..."

"You?"

"And Casey! And the Ghee Hin boss and the government. We can help with the government too, you know. My dad - I - know people pretty high up. " 

Just to needle the boy further, Arthur could not help but add. "So do the Chin's. In fact, they have people who have Clans of their own. They're local, so they know the triads and gangs better too."

"Maybe, but I can get you international contacts." Rick leaned in. "You can't want to just be stuck in Malaysia, do you? You'll need to climb other Towers, at the very least."

Arthur grimaced at the truth of that statement and inclined his head. He hated being pitched like this, but if it was going to happen, at least he was getting good snacks and kopi out of it.