First Light of a New Age

Chapter 88: Operation Chaperone

"So... tell me your plan."

In the dimly lit, exclusive lounge accessible only to Riley and high-ranking members of ExRump, the man of darkness sat comfortably. With a teacup in hand, he sipped calmly with his black skull mask lifted just enough to reveal the bottom half of his face.

Seated before him were Ronald Rumpan and Barron, positioned exactly as they had been at their last meeting. Ronald sat, while Barron stood silently at his side with hands clasped firmly behind his back and his gaze unwavered as he observed the conversation.

Riley had just told them to explain their plan, so Ronald was already placing a large parchment on the center table between them. It didn't take long before he began to speak.

"Things have escalated since the last time we spoke." He said in a grim tone.

He went on to explain what he meant by how countless markets had been influenced greatly, and how the value of certain items had gone up while others plummeted to the ground.

The ExRump Corporation was barely above water at this point.

It was strange to think that such a monolith in the business world could experience a crisis as dire as this one.

"They've taken over more territory, and at the rate they're going, it won't be long until they swallow up our region."

The parchment that Ronald showed Riley was a map of the entire Third Civilization Zone, though this was a bit special from the ones that existed in mainstream libraries or even the satellite imagery from the Austronesia's satellites.

This map marked key locations from global markets, warehouses, and hideouts. It was an artifact known only to the upper echelons of the Business Underworld, intended to maintain the 'Check and Balance' within the Triumvirate. After all, if everyone had dirt on one another, either side would be too wary to make a move.

So far, it seemed to work out well.

Until now...

"Here," he said, pointing to several marked spots. "These are areas they've already taken over. As you can see, they're tightening their hold, surrounding our territory and advancing as we speak. If we don't act, they'll consume our entire region in weeks."

Riley studied the map. "And even with their locations mapped out, you can't risk attacking to slow them down or as retaliation?"

Ronald's face darkened as he nodded. "If we make any aggressive moves, it'll only give them a reason to escalate. They'll see it as an open declaration of war and quicken their assault."

"We do not currently have the manpower to handle their forces," he admitted, "To stand a chance, we'll have to enlist more forces from the Mercenary Gang."

"And are you certain they haven't already aligned with Scyllary and your other colleagues?" The moment Riley asked this, the face of Ronald darkened even more until he had a conflicted expression on his face.

"I'm no fool, I know that is certainly a possibility." he replied heavily, "But this isn't the first time we've had skirmishes as a whole, and every single time the Mercenary Gang stayed out of politics and refused to take a stand."

From a logical and business perspective, it was the best move to make. If the Mercenary Gang chose a side and the skirmish finally died down, they wouldn't be trusted by the people they sided against.

This would make them lose customers, and since the winning team was already on top, they wouldn't have much use for the Mercenary Gang's services.

To balance things out, they had to stay neutral and simply offer their services to those who desired it. That way, anyone could be their customer.