Beach episode!
You see, with Gjallahorn not up our ass with a ten-foot pole and the conference being far away enough to travel there and back three times over, Orga and I, with the permission of Makanai and Naze, who came with us, decided to allow the guys to relax for a day or two.
Plus, the ship Naze hired to take us to North America needed time to arrive, so it was a win-win.
" Alright, do you guys finally understand?"
I got a round of yes's. I even decided to join in the relaxation with things going so well, introducing a new game to the guys that fit the atmosphere.
" Volleyball isn't hard to learn. So you should all be alright. Now, I'll be picking my team first. "
" What, why? " Andre protested as he eyed up some of the guys who were eager to play.
" Leader's rights, now shut up. I'll be choosing…David first."
" Damn it!"
" Don't worry, you can have Ricky as compensation."
That just earned a scoff from the big boy, which I snickered at. Fist-pumping my teammate with a buzz cut, I began stretching. Been a while since I played. Or one could say, a lifetime.
We soon split into even teams, even the likes of Orga and Mika playing, the bastard Andre getting Mika on his team, while I got Orga, who was alright, I guess, cause he was pretty tall.
The game went as well as expected when we first began. An utter joke really, but it was their first time so what did you really expect? They seemed to have fun and the ball did stay in the air for more than a minute a few times, so there weren't completely trash at the sport.
I decided to make the game more enjoyable and amusing by moving it into shallow water. We were preparing for the second game when the ladies finally came out, and suddenly, there was fire in most boys' eyes.
You'd swear they had been playing volleyball their entire lives with how well everyone started playing.
Still, my team came out on top by a one-point difference. Lucky to, cause I put a lot of money on myself.
Next came swimming.
I determined my injury was good enough to survive the sea since it survived some volleyball, so I took off the bandage and took a real dip.
Felt..a biit weird but tolerable. The salt did sting but I was made of sterner stuff.
I wasn't surprised that no one but Andre and I knew how to swim but what was surprising was how more than a few of the girls didn't either. I would have expected that Naze would have had them taught or something but then again, it's not like it's an essential skill, especially in the space age.
For many, this is the first time seeing an ocean or just a large body of water in general. Surprise surprise, mars wasn't exactly water-dense, so some people may not see this amount of water in their lives.
Andre and I were planning on giving a quick tutorial to everyone but we both thought critically on it, and decided Kudelia and some of the other girls who knew how to swim could teach the guys, as it wouldn't make sense for only two guys to try to teach so many.
It was better that we did personal lessons, which is why…
" You better not drop me Kingston!" Harley half commanded, half pleaded as I held the girl floating on her back from sinking.
"Just relax. Being tense is only making it harder on yourself." I amusedly replied, the distant laughter of Cassady making the entire thing funnier.
Too bad Harley didn't agree.
"Keep laughing, and I'm tying you to the underside of a speedboat and taking it for a ride around the globe," Harley growled without even turning her head, earning another snort of laughter from the ginger on the shore.
While that entire interaction happened, my eyes fell upon my love-sick friend.
Andre was a dozen or so meters away from us with the target of his affection. The guy was always a milf chaser so I wasn't surprised that the woman with his heart looked like a dommy mommy.
From the little interaction I've had with the woman, she reminded me of Akeno from DxD but if she became a milf.
She has my boy looking like a worried father, a highschool girl with her first crush and an overexaggerated fanboy you'd see in, well, you'd see in Dxd actually.
Reference coming in full circle. Go me.
"You're doing fine," I tried to reassure. "I shall say it again. You're stiff because you're thinking too hard. Try closing your eyes. Focus on the sun and the water. Nothing else."
"Sun and water," she echoed mockingly, eyes still open. "I swear, you sound like some cult leader."
I sent her a deadpan look despite the amusement, which got the signal across cause she took a deep breath then closed her eyes. "If I drown, I'm haunting your shower for the rest of your life," she muttered.
"Quite the specific place. Any reason why?"
" Shut up."
" Not so closeted pervert I see."
" Not as good at language as you think you are I se cause you clearly don't know what shut up means."
That was when an idea of how to get her to stop overthinking came to mind.
" You know, after this, I wanted us to team up and chump everyone. With how good we are, we could earn more than a few credits."
By the way she perked up and her eyes lit up, I had her.
"Now you talkin my language."
" Oh yeah? Well, you'll be even more excited to know that we'll be going to a city where, if all things go right for me, we could be gambling with some bigwigs. Edmonton, for a mission that will likely involve a lot of fighting with those Gjallarhorn meatshields and maybe even..."
I had to lean in for this one, whispering it into her ear for that extra tension. "The use of Mobile suits."
Her eyes flared wide before she leaned forward, nearly dunking herself in the process. "You're serious?" she asked, voice hushed but sharp with excitement, like a kid hearing about a stolen treasure map. "You're actually serious?"
" Maybeee…"
She couldn't help the way her grin broke across her face, feral and wild. "Darius… if you're lying to me, I swear to God I'll shoot you."
" I'm being serious. Sheesh."
She leaned back with a giddy little chuckle. "God, I could kiss you right now, but you are still my floatie. Don't let go."
" That's the thing, I let go a while ago. " I said and when she realised I was telling the truth, she began to flounder, causing me to burst out laughing even as I caught her immediately. "Relax, I'm here."
"You ass!" she snapped, pushing back her wet hair. "You dropped me in the goddamn ocean!"
" Oh relax. Your mind was so busy with everything but the current event that you hadn't even realised till I told you. "
Still, she rolled her eyes and folded her arms as she stood back up in the shallow surf. "Tch. I'll remember that the next time you ask for help cleaning your pistols. Anything can happen with how sensitive those triggers can be."
" Duly noted. Now look on the upside. It's Cassady's turn.'
The multicoloured-haired girl's smile grew predatory as she turned to the shore. " You're right about that. Let me go get her.'
May the stars be with the ginger.
**********
" We are ready to open up the first three gambling dens." Cody informed me, his excitement badly hidden.
" I'd be pissed if it wasn't. I've already invested a shit load."
Cody and I, throughout the journe,y had planned and begun the gambling den idea. I even put a lot of my personal money on the line to buy the right buildings, materials for renovations and equipment needed for this project.
If there's anything people, rich, poor, young or old love to do, its waste their money gambling and I'd know, I do it all the time, from both the host and gambler's perspective.
Luckily, the communities we have been protecting and Pete have been a great help in this, introducing us to friends that made buying the land, materials and even getting us the licenses easier and cheaper, funnily enough, for a price that was still overall cheaper than market value.
I'm now the proud owner of The Boar Hat Bars LLC. The front to the dens. While gambling isn't exactly illegal in the region we're operating in, it does have complicated laws that go with it and we require a permit and blah blah blah. It's a hassle that isn't even necessary, considering it isn't enforced. Just don't blatantly say youre a gambling den and you're good.
The three bars had begun operations yesterday but the dens were still going through their final touches. We have also needed to revisit the community contract in order to provide a discount to ensure silence of the communities. Don't want any snitches, and we especially don't want to attract the attention of any local gangs, as most use dens as as both a source of income and to launder.
Cody nodded, briefly looking off-screen, then back at me. " Hey, at least Mr Pete is gonna be there for the opening of the first one. Plans to play a bit with some of his guys. Ah, that reminds me. He said he wanted in on this and to tell you as soon as possible."
It seems Pete also sees the vision. I guess I could let him in. I need help with protection, and depending on how well this goes, his cash could help expand this thing quickly. "See if you can get him on the call."
Cody nodded again, fiddling with his device for a moment, and after a minute or so, Pete's ugly mug was on my screen too. " Kingston."
" Pete. Good to see you're not dead."
He sent me a toothy grin. " I could say the same."
" Yeah. So, I heard you wanted in?"
He nodded, gulping down what I guessed was gin from the way it looked. " Yeah. From what I've seen, this shit looks good. I was sceptical at first, but Cody allowed me to see the near-finished product and I can tell this will be a money-making machine. I'm willing to part with a good amount of money."
What a risky play, trying to get in on something you don't even know will work.
Classic Pete.
I ran a hand through my hair, taking a moment to look out at the starry sky. Evening had hit when I decided to check in, and quite a beautiful one at that. " Sure, I don't mind letting you in. I've already discussed how to handle the additions of partners with Cody. You'll discuss that with him. "
Pete's lips thinned at my words, but he nodded." I can deal with that."
I got nods of affirmation. " Then I shall take my leave. Cody, you know what to do. Pete, don't try anything funny."
Cody nodded while the gang leader flipped me off before the call finally ended. With that done, there was someone else I needed to meet tonight. I didn't have to wait long either, said the man arriving right on time and standing next to me as we looked out toward the starry sky.
Naze.
I've come to greatly like the man. I didn't get to spend as much time as I'd like solidifying our relationship. A shame considering the man is a major reason Tekkaden is where it is at the moment but the time I have spent with him was rather enjoyable. The man knew how to take a joke and send it right back, and he was quite the intellectual behind that suave personality.
Like Harley in that aspect. I especially liked how he treated us as equals when not being something of an elder brother figure for the group. Didn't need to mince words with him.
" Thanks for the late meeting. I won't take too much of your time." I said, finally looking at him. " You see, I have some personal disposable cash and seeing how well you're doing, I'd like some help in investing or linking me up with people who can help me in that aspect."
This was something I was thinking about. Whether I planned to stay with Tekkaden or not, it was never good for money to grow cobwebs. While I used a lot in business, I still had a good amount and I didn't want to spend it all in one place.
The man smirked, shaking his head. " You know, Orga told me about what happened and I must say, I'm impressed. Even with the stars out, you're thinking of markets and banknotes. You remind me of my younger self."
I had to hold back the roll of my eyes at that.
"Far as helping you out goes, I've got a few guys who'd be happy to take your cash and turn it into something real. Depends on how much you're lookin' to throw around and what kind of return you're hoping for. I can link you up with brokers in Teiwaz, or small-time traders lookin' for backing. Real estate, transport routes, weapons manufacturing, even agricultural ventures on a couple outer colonies. All depends on your taste."
Well…that was more than I thought. Unfortunately, I don't have the knowledge or time to see where it's best to put my cash on the galactic stage, So I needed someone to do my investing for me. At least until I can devote more time to it myself. " Know anyone trustworthy I can get to handle this stuff for me?"
Naze exhaled slowly, looking up at the night sky. "Trustworthy, huh. That's a word we don't throw around lightly in this business. But yeah. There's a couple."
He started ticking off names on his fingers as he spoke.
"One is an old hand in Teiwaz. Goes by the name Kurota. Used to run logistics for McMurdo, but now he's semi-retired and handles investments for some of the captains. Real no-nonsense type, but if you come recommended by me, he'll give you a fair shot. Won't cheat you, and he knows how to keep things quiet."
He shifted his weight slightly, voice thoughtful.
"Second option's a little riskier but more flexible. A young woman named Elian Ryugo. Grew up in the Martian trade slums, clawed her way into finance with nothing but grit. She's got connections in places Kurota doesn't, some legal, some… less so. But she's clever, and more importantly, hungry. Like you."
He glanced at me again, eyes narrowing just slightly.
"You strike me as someone who'll want to mix it up. Take some safe bets, and some that might pay off big if you can stomach the heat. You want both structure and opportunity, right?"
I gave a simple nod.
"Thought so. I can make introductions for you, Darius. But remember something. As someone who's walked down a path like this, once your money starts moving, it becomes a part of a bigger web. That web pulls you in. One wrong thread and you're tangled up. God knows how many times I've found myself in a shitstorm that could have ended my career then and there. The key is knowing which threads to pull, and which ones to cut."
Telling me something quite obvious, old man. Still, it never hurts to be reminded of the basics, I suppose.
" I'll keep that in mind, thanks. As for the options, I don't see why I need to keep all my eggs in one basket. "
Naze nodded, his smirk widening a bit. "Indeed you don't. "
Glancing back up at the stars, I let out a long, drawn-out sigh. I'm in it for the long game now.