Halfway through his next training session with Aera, Hunter realized he'd never gotten Tilda's number. He'd need to correct that as soon as possible. Lost in thought, he didn't see the blow coming. She pulled back at the last second, so he didn't get the wind knocked out of him, but it still hurt.
"Focus, Hunter."
He attacked the pad with as much force as he could muster, which wasn't much, but his renewed effort pleased her. He pushed himself until each punch became a labour. She could almost feel his focus, as he disregarded everything but the pad she was holding and summoning the effort for the next hit. They then tried kicks; she realized he was finished for the night, and they stopped.
They both sat on the floor, waiting for Hunter to cool off before he dried himself and got changed. She waited until his breathing steadied before inquiring into his personal affairs.
"So, tell me about this new distraction you've been having. What's her name?" She asked. Hunter hadn't been ready for the question, based on the surprised look. He seemed almost embarrassed at first, but caught himself and laughed it off.
"The team that won the Youth Artisan Competition, there was a girl with them. The whole team got a sponsorship to the academy, and I met her the other day at the Artisan Department."
"Something Burner, right? Tilly?"
"Tilda," Hunter said, squeezing his water bottle and catching the stream with practiced ease. He'd been working on that one for a while. It took a few sessions to find his mouth. Then, a few more to hit the target without getting water in his eye.
"Right, Tilda Burner. I remember her. A bit of a firecracker, from what I saw. Look Hunter, I'm happy you've made a new friend, but there's something I need to talk to you about."
Hunter didn't seem to like where this conversation was heading, but he kept his thoughts to himself and listen, which she appreciated.
"Being an Oberon means we need to be a bit more careful about who let in to our circle. Understand?"
"I guess," Hunter said, "but she's one of us, right?"
"You're right, but sometimes that doesn't mean much as you think it does, especially at Barnum."
Hunter shook his head.
"She's not a Visgold, and she's been nothing but kind to me so far. I don't see the issue," he said. She could see the protest in his posture, as tired as he was. She tried to see it from his perspective.
Despite the attack, he still seemed naïve towards the motivations of the type of people who were surrounding them.
"We've got more to worry about than the Visgolds, more than I've told you about. There's a lot going on behind the scenes. I've been able to handle it all so far, and there's nothing for you to worry about yet, but I just need you to be careful. Sound her out a bit before you decide to trust her, alright?"
A team of analysts had already vetted Tilda Burner. But that was before she entered Barnum. Aera would give her name to the investigators that were helping her comb into the lives of everyone she'd met so far. They would watch Tilda. If she did anything that even hinted she had an ulterior motive for getting close to Hunter, she would cut the relationship off.
Hunter wouldn't like it, but maybe he'd come around to it after she'd presented him with the evidence.
He might have a stubborn streak, but he'd seemed pretty reasonable and open to change up to this point. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she predicted.
Hunter shook his head, but he didn't protest at her suggestion.
"Alright, I'll be careful. But I think you're being paranoid," Hunter said. Aera shrugged.
"After seeing what I've seen, you'd be paranoid too."
Hunter tilted his head, seemingly pondering something. He started to speak, then changed his mind. She wouldn't pry into his thought process. She didn't care, anyway. His thoughts were none of her business, so long as he'd do what she told him to do.
Once the session was over, Hunter got changed, and they both left for the apartment building. His portion of the session went, with neither of them having much to say outside of the contents of what they were working on. Once more, she left the session with a lot to consider, but feeling content that she was making good progress. This year, they might not recognize her as an Excellence candidate, but the future remained uncertain. There were still two years of academy life left, and she would push herself to learn as much as she could.
She had full faith in her capabilities — nothing can stop her when she set her mind to something.
After the session, she returned to her apartment and got to planning. She had an entire network of contacts to call, and a lot of information to catch up on. It was going to be a long night, but it would be worth it.
Jason Chan must fancy himself as some kind of master of the shadows, but he was underestimating how many resources a motivated Oberon could move. She'd already discovered some very interesting things about what Mr. Chan was getting up to in his spare time, and had taken action based on what she learned.
She had passively gathered most of her data on the man until now, except for her retaliatory display with Pippen, who was soon to be released from the hospital. Now it was time to take a more active approach. Aera needed to light a fire under Jason's ass. Which way would he run? What tools would he use to put it out?
She would put him in a difficult situation, and his response would decide his fate.
---
Jason smiled as he counted the wad of cash in his hand. There were 50 bills, each worth 100 credits each; a profitable evening.
He'd started with about twice the amount he had now, and half of it ended up going to his new friends in the campus security department. They were talented, their ability to look the other way was second to no one.
Every other day, they would let Jason's people sell his goods without interruption. Jason was sure he was fuelling over half of the campus's party culture on his own — and his family only knew about 30 percent of the operation. The other 70 percent he kept secret. It would be a surprise gift, a legacy for the family, presented as proof of his commitment. He would reveal it in the future.
In the meantime, all that extra profit was his to use as he desired. And he had a couple of plans in place, targeted around some of his favourite people.
He smiled as he returned home. His maids left as he entered, having done their best to keep his room clean. They both smiled and bowed as they passed him.
They were students who owed him, and had seen firsthand how he handled debts that weren't paid in a timely manner. Neither of them could afford to pay back the debt on their own, so he offered a deal for writing half of the debt off. They'd keep his place clean, and stick around to make it look like he still had his assigned roommates, and in return, they wouldn't have to be made an example of while they paid back what they owed him.
It was a win/win, and the amount they each owed was almost insignificant in the grand scheme of his businesses on campus. It was the principle that mattered. What you did was just as important as how you did it. Even if that meant you were a complete beginner, making something utterly horrendous. If you approached it with the intention to learn and improve, to do your best at every step along the way, then you had nothing to be ashamed of. It was important to measure the gain and only be peripherally aware of the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Knowing there was room to improve differed from focusing on just how far you had to go. One step in front of the other, that was all that mattered.
Patience was a virtue that Jason Chan was keen on cultivating. It had proven to be not only necessary, but optimal. He had many enemies to tear down — most of them didn't even realize he had set his sights on them. Most of them never would know. Even as their lives crumbled around them and their careers were ruined, and their loved ones and associates turned their backs on them, and Jason stepped in to fill the void that they would leave. They would not understand that he was the one to blame for their misfortune.
Jason smiled.
Some people enjoyed the visibility and the glory. It had once tempted him, but he realized the shadows offered an alluring advantage. He could move more freely, and cause a greater effect. Even if people were aware of who he was, if he played his cards right, his movements would stay hidden, his motives would remain shrouded in a veil of uncertainty.
His phone rang.
"You've got Chan," he said, making his tone as upbeat as possible, hoping to infect whoever was on the other end of the line with his good mood.
"Boss, I've got some bad news. Campus security found out about our deal with some of their guys. They've started detaining people. Some of them are talking."
Jason stilled. He breathed in slowly, doing his best to remain calm.
"Come over to my place. You can fill me in on the details once you're here," he said.
"Yes, Boss."
"Oh, and make sure you have everything. I want every detail. I want to know how they found out, and who snitched after the fact. Everything," Jason said.
He could hear the man gulp on the other end of the line.
"Yes, Boss. I'll be there soon."
Jason knew he was being unfair, but his underlings knew that delivering bad news was less costly than not delivering the news to him at all.
He justified it as a way to motivate his people to excel for him.
That being said, Jason was under no illusions about the sort of person he was. He just liked to hurt people, and there was nothing wrong with that, in his view. It was their own fault for not being in a position of power over him. And if it was through no fault of their own, then it was just their poor luck.
Their problem, his profit. And pleasure.
His grin widened.
Not that any of them would want to be in a position of power over him, either. That would only make them targets. And who would want to be Jason's target? Only fools and dead men walking.
His underling appeared at his front door, head bowed as he entered. They went straight to the kettle to prepare some tea for them both. Jason waited for the knock at this door. He smiled at the clever little man as he entered the apartment. He had a small bag from Jason's favourite convenience store.
But would he let the gesture appease him? He considered it for a brief second and then decided.
Not likely.
He tolerated little failure, and his business here faced potential threats.
Not that he was worried about that. He had the perfect fall guy in place. Jason could rebuild from the ashes of what once was. He was prepared for the worst-case scenario.
"So? Brief me," Jason said, savouring the uncertainty in the man's eyes. He was a third-year student, a couple of years older than Jason himself. His family had woven their web around him.
They owned him, now. Officially, he was a free student, sponsored by the Smith Transport Corporation. He would have had a bright future had Jason not found him. The young man had been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was now under the Chan family's control.
Sucks to suck.
"It took some digging, but it's clear that Aera Oberon tipped off campus security."
"You don't say," Jason sighed, "and how did you find that out?"
"I asked the secretary, who owed me a favour, and knew that he'd be interfering in Chan family business by refusing to cooperate."
Jason leaned back in his seat, crossing a leg as he sipped the tea. It was weak.
The man had failed his attempt at appeasement.
"Good work," Jason said, picking up his mobile phone and making a call. As soon as the man he'd called answered, Jason said, "come," and hung up.
He brought his attention back to the young man in his apartment.
"And who snitched? What's the damage?"
The man gulped.
"It's bad. They found a few of our stashes and are taking more of our people into custody as we speak. They've called in law enforcement."
Jason waved his hand.
"It's no big problem. I can afford the loss. I want a list of names, you understand? Everyone who talked. Don't leave a single. Person. Out. Okay?"
The man nodded, standing to leave and do what he was told, but Jason stopped him.
"Did I give you permission to leave?"
"But, sir," the man said, smiling to show that he was eager to do Jason's bidding, "I must get to work immediately. Time is of the essence."
"I'm aware," Jason said. There was a knock on the door, and he stood to open the door. The man who walked in made his underling pale.
"Once your punishment has concluded, you will get to work. In the meantime, I have a few calls to make," Jason said, smiling at the man who had just entered and patting him on the shoulder. "Have fun. Don't break him, he's just the messenger. I'll have more entertainment for you by the end of the night."
The man grunted.
Jason left him to his devices.
There would be no screaming, nor would there be any evidence that anything untoward had happened in the suite he just left, but one man would leave having relieved his pent up aggression and malevolent urges. The other would leave with some bruising, maybe some scars, and an unforgettable reminder that Jason was not a man that he would want to disappoint.
It would serve as a lesson.
And entertainment.
He called his mother.
"Edith," she answered.
"I've some bad news, mother."
"Oh, Jason. You know how much I love cleaning up your messes. Tell me, what have you done now?"
Jason closed his eyes and bit his tongue. Defending himself would prove fruitless. He told her what he's just learned, and the actions he was taking in order to address it. Then he told her who they suspected was behind their sudden loss of business.
His mother cursed.
"They'll get what's coming to them. The Locke family has blessed our ascension, and we will soon make our move. You need only to be patient for a small while longer, son."
"Yes, mother."
She hung up, leaving Jason feeling comforted by the conversation. He would have some work ahead of him, making sure that the investigators missed his presence in all of this. Alibis needed organizing. He also had to provide law enforcement with a suspect for the drug trafficking at the prestigious university.
He made a call to one guard he had stationed outside of Pippen's hospital room. The pup would soon leave his hospital bed and, according to what he'd told Jason, looked forward to returning to campus life.
Unfortunately for him, Jason had other plans.
"Yes, it's me. You still have the packages I gave you? Good. Put one in his room, and the rest in his apartment. Yes, now. Very good. Let me know when you're done," he said, concluding the call.
It was going to be a long night, but the downfall of his closest friend would be amusing, at least.
Pippen would know Jason had betrayed him, and the temptation to talk would be strong. However, they crafted most of the evidence to imply that his family sent him to sabotage poor, innocent Jason Chan, ruining his future and destabilizing the Chans' position. This would ruin their budding relationship with the Lockes.
But why? The investigators would look for a motive beyond his family's ambitions.
It would turn out Pippen had been driven by a personal grudge against the Chans all along. His journal would reveal that he'd been hating every moment he spent with Jason, but tolerated his company in order to achieve his goals.
By the time the evidence was all planted, it would just be a matter of influencing the course of whatever investigation was brewing. A rumour here, a confession there. Standard operating procedure.
Despite the circumstances, Jason felt his optimistic mood returning. Business would continue, and he would build it back up. The club was growing, and most of the faculty who were aware of the proceedings were agreeing to look the other way. They didn't want to get involved in the games of the social elite, even if it meant that students were being severely injured.
The Chan's influence would continue to grow, and Jason could rest assured that his future with the family was secure.