Chapter 222: The Sit-down
[Jake’s POV]
The Jade Palace executive suites were located on the top floor, far removed from the noise of the casino.
The elevator was silent. Mirrored walls. No music. I watched my own reflection. The Pelican case in my left hand felt heavier the higher we went. The air inside was cold and smelled faintly of glass cleaner.
I walked out of the elevator, carrying the Pelican case in my left hand. The hallway was lined with dark wood paneling and thick, sound-absorbing carpet. It smelled like lemon polish and money. The lights were recessed, warm, and dim. Standing outside the double doors of the director’s office were four Aegis contractors. They had their hands resting aggressively on their holstered weapons, their eyes locked onto me with intense hostility.
They knew I was the one who had dropped their men in the stairwell.
I didn’t slow my pace. I walked directly up to the lead contractor, stopping just inches from his chest. I could smell coffee on his breath and the faint tang of metal.
"Ms. Chau is expecting me," I said, my voice flat.
The contractor glared at me, his jaw tight. He reached out, patting me down roughly. His hands were cold. He found the suppressed USP and the combat knife, pulling them from my waistband and ankle. He handed them to one of the other guards. The weapons made a soft sound as they left my body.
"Open the doors," the contractor muttered.
The doors opened with a soft hiss.
I stepped into the office. It was a massive, modern space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Cotai Strip. Night had turned the city into a circuit board of light. Vivian Chau sat behind a sleek glass desk. She was in her late thirties, wearing a sharp, tailored white pantsuit. Her dark hair was cut in a precise bob. She projected an aura of corporate efficiency, but the tension in her shoulders betrayed her anxiety.
The glass reflected the neon outside and threw it back into the room in fragments.
Standing behind her desk were two more Aegis contractors, their hands resting on their weapons.
I walked to the center of the room and set the Pelican case on the glass coffee table. It made a soft, solid sound.
"The seal is unbroken, as promised," I said, taking a step back.
Vivian stared at the case, then looked up at me. "You have a lot of nerve walking into my office after assaulting my men."
"Your men were in the way," I replied simply. I looked at the two contractors standing behind her. "If we are going to discuss a partnership, Ms. Chau, I suggest we do it in private. Your security detail has already proven they are a liability."
The contractor on the left took a threatening step forward. "Watch your mouth, ghost."
I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes locked on Vivian. "They operate on ego, Ms. Chau. Ego gets people killed in the Outer Harbour. Dismiss them."
Vivian studied my face for a long moment. She was weighing the risk. The room was so quiet I could hear the HVAC breathing. Finally, she gave a short, sharp nod.
"Wait outside," she ordered.
The contractors hesitated, clearly unhappy with the command, but they eventually filed out of the office, the heavy doors clicking shut behind them. The sound was final.
We were alone.
The room felt larger without them. Only the faint hum of the HVAC and the distant glow of the Strip.
"You said you represent the Golden Koi," Vivian began, leaning back in her chair. The leather creaked. "Madam Bai’s syndicate. The word on the street is that the Golden Koi is dying. That the Black Lotus has been bleeding you dry for months."
"The street is misinformed," I said, taking a seat on the leather sofa opposite her desk. It was cool. "The Black Lotus no longer exists in the Outer Harbour. We burned their warehouses last night, and we absorbed their territory this morning. The Golden Koi is the undisputed power in the district."
Vivian’s eyes widened slightly. The corporate facade cracked just enough to show her genuine shock. "You burned Wei’s warehouses? The Four Dragons will tear you apart for that."
"The Four Dragons called a summit," I corrected. "They audited our ledgers, and they accepted our expansion. We have the capital, and we have the manpower. But the Empress increased our revenue quotas. We need to generate more capital to maintain our position."
"And you want to use my casino to do it," she said, her voice hardening. "You want to run a protection racket on the Jade Palace."
"I don’t want your money, Vivian," I said, leaning forward. "I want your infrastructure. The Golden Koi is expanding rapidly. We are taking in massive amounts of street-level cash every day. We need a reliable, high-volume location to wash that money and integrate it into the legitimate banking system."
She crossed her arms. "You want me to launder triad money. If the gaming commission finds out, I lose my license. If my mainland investors find out, I lose my life."
"If you don’t partner with us, you’ll lose the casino anyway," I stated, my voice dropping to a cold, analytical register. "The Four Dragons are going to war over the vacuum Wei left behind. They are going to need cash to fund their soldiers. They will look at the Jade Palace—an independent casino with weak, privatized security—and they will bleed you dry. Aegis Solutions cannot stop a coordinated triad assault. I proved that tonight."
I let the reality of the situation settle over the room.
"If you partner with the Golden Koi," I continued, "we provide absolute protection. We place our own soldiers on your perimeter. We handle any triad interference before it reaches your doors. In exchange, you process our cash through your VIP rooms and take a five percent management fee. You keep your casino, you increase your revenue, and you gain the backing of the strongest syndicate in the Outer Harbour."
Vivian stared at the Pelican case on the table. She was a businesswoman. She understood risk, and she understood leverage. I had demonstrated that her current security was useless, and I had offered her a highly profitable alternative.
"Five percent," she murmured, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. "And you guarantee that the Four Dragons will not touch this property."
"I guarantee it," I said.
She took a slow, deep breath, her posture relaxing slightly as she made the decision.
"I will need to review the volume of cash you intend to process," Vivian said, her tone shifting back to crisp, corporate efficiency. "And I will need to integrate your security personnel with my floor managers to ensure the transition is seamless."
"My brother will handle the logistical integration," I said, standing up. "He will be here tomorrow morning with the first drop."
I turned and walked toward the door.
"Mr. Reed," Vivian called out.
I paused, looking back over my shoulder.
"Aegis Solutions has held this contract for three years," she said, a faint, calculating smile touching her lips. "They will not be happy about being replaced by a triad."
"They can take it up with me," I said.
