In a dark alley of Etten-Leur, in a room lit dimly by lamplight, three figures sat around a round wooden table, conversing. This was the second meeting of the three businessmen, Alain Monroe, Juno, and Massimo Leonetti. It was finally time to discuss their plan to contend with the Blackfeather Group, who sought legitimate dealings in the lower borough.
“The Mechanicus Die Firma has used the lower borough as a dumping ground for scrap metal for a century, this is how the Steel Wastes came to be. These territories are controlled internally by the cannibalistic Scrap Lords, and guarded externally by the Peacekeepers. It’s the only part of the lower borough that those dogs from the capital will actively journey to.” Massimo Leonetti explained, taking a drag from a cigarette before releasing a thick cloud of smoke into the air.
“I already know all this. So, what does that have to do with the Blackfeather Group?” Alain asked, annoyed.
“It’s their method of entering the legitimate world. Haven’t you noticed how the Blackfeather Group is able to enter and leave the Steel Wastes freely, when lone scavengers have to risk their lives to do so? This is because they’ve reached an agreement with the Scrap Lords on illegal terms, and the Peacekeepers with legitimate terms. Constantine Adler is skirting the lines between our worlds in order to further his organisation.”
“He used his ties with the Mechanicus Die Firma to secure an agreement with the Peacekeepers, and his reputation as a criminal to suppress the Scrap Lords.” Juno let out a hollow chuckle. “But how did he get a group so hellbent on their idea of ‘order’ to allow him to enter a place full of disorder?”
“It’s precisely because of that which allowed him to enter the Steel Wastes. The lower borough in its entirety is something that the Peacekeepers abhor. But it is the Steel Wastes, this blemish on Leiden that reflects the sun and blinds its citizens that disgusts them most.” Massimo Leonetti leaned back in his seat, sighing. “You’ve heard, haven’t you? There’s been a breakthrough in the welding trade these past couple of decades. Now, even scrap metal can be recycled in order to build machinery.”
Juno and Alain’s eyes widened, coming to the same realisation in that moment.
“So the true reason that they can enter the Steel Wastes freely is because they’re scavenging for scrap metal for the Mechanicus Die Firma. By doing so, they will have officially completed a legitimate business transaction, and be considered an official group, allowed to become a company.”
In the Forger Empire, the quickest way for a company to be considered legitimate was to engage in business transactions with an already-reputable company. This was an alternative method to becoming a sponsored merchant, which didn’t involve establishing a company immediately.
This meant that if the Blackfeather Group achieved this, they would become the first reputable company operating out of the lower borough. They could slowly make acquisitions into the middle borough, expanding their operations, and bit by bit legitimise their illegal dealings.
Because reputable companies often collaborated, bringing in the business of their illegal liquor and gambling transactions would catch the eyes of companies associated with those businesses. They would look to partner and legitimise this new customerbase that came in the form of those who lived in the lower borough, an untouched market.
The Blackfeather Group would become the Golden Goose of all reputable companies looking for a greater profit. Slowly, the life and profit of the criminal groups operating out of the lower borough would be squeezed out of them until there was nothing left. They would be bought out, absorbed by the Blackfeather Group, and there would become no way to rise to profitable heights any longer.
If the Blackfeather Group were to be allowed to rise to legitimacy without competition, the lower borough would become theirs. There would be no place for disagreement, only acceptance.
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Of course, this wasn’t something any of the three men present thought of. As they too were businessmen, their grievances with these developments were more self-centered, greedy. If the Blackfeather Group absorbed all industry in the lower borough, they would be forced to become underlings, middle-men at best. Illegal dealings would cease to have any meaning when the alternative became free of criminal prosecution.
They would lose everything.
For Massimo Leonetti, this meant the loss of his status.
For Alain Monroe, this meant the loss of profit.
For Juno, this meant the loss of his connections.
Juno couldn’t remember any single aspect of his life before the war. This was why his name, the true name of war’s craziest merchant, had become such a valuable commodity. It was because even he didn’t know it. He had taken the name ‘Juno’ from a fallen fellow soldier whose death had been his fault. It wasn’t honouring him, just simple thievery.
If Juno were to lose the connections he had made during that war, the actions he regretted so much would have been for nothing. He would have no in-roads to be of use to the Mythos Garden, and he wouldn’t be able to seek out information on his past life.
At the heart of it, he was someone who simply couldn’t ‘remember’. He was someone who desperately needed to remember.
Juno let an audible ‘tsk’ roll off of his lips. “So, what do you want us to do about it? Have you aligned the support of another reputable company?”
Massimo shook his head. “There’s no need. With the three of us here, all the pieces are present to successfully compete against the Blackfeather Group.”
“And how’s that?” Alain chided, scowling.
“With the proprietary funds that Mr. Juno offered during our last meeting, I was able to secure land and property in the middle borough that can be used for production. Of course, I used much of my own funding to secure equipment for said production.”
“So?”
“I thought that if Constantine Adler was occupied in becoming legitimate and expanding to the middle borough, we could both start out legitimate and in the middle borough from the very beginning, essentially beating him to the punch in both of these aspects. Of course, this wouldn’t be enough to get ahead of the Blackfeather Group if they’re supported by the Mechanicus Die Firma. We need to steal something from them in order to undermine their efforts. Of course, the first course of action the Blackfeather Group would take is to legitimise their liquor business. It is just too profitable not to be the first to expand into the middle borough.”
Juno’s lips curled up slightly, catching on to Massimo Leonetti’s hinting. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Monroe?”
Alain’s eyes widened, slamming his hands onto the table as he stood up from his seat.
“You want to use my business in order to snake potential inroads from the Blackfeather Group!? Do you know how long I spent cultivating this business? In order to get the Lord of Ried’s seal of approval, do you know how many connections I had to forge? Of course, I received help from Mr. Juno along the way, but it was still no easy feat! Years of work. Don’t you understand? Years of work! And you want to use this effort of mine as a pawn in this unruly game!”
Massimo Leonetti nodded his head. “Yes. You’ve spent so long cultivating this business, Mr. Monroe. I know the lengths you went to in order to get to where you are now. You’ve lost so much and ended up where you are now. But will you be satisfied staying where you are? I know you crave more.”
Massimo leaned forward in his seat, staring Alain down. “So come on. Expand with us. Make more money. Gain more customers. Deal with more vendors and businesses. Become a company. Are you abhorred by the idea of more money in your pockets? Is your bank not large enough to hold the profit you’ll gain? What is the problem here, Mr. Monroe?”
His tone was sly, calculating. Massimo Leonetti had hit the mark on what Alain Monroe considered most important.
There was one reason why Massimo Leonetti was able to have a stranglehold over the criminal group known as ‘Black Rats’. That was because all rats feared a snake.
“I’m- I’m still restricted by Lindgram’s Trade Commission.” Alain stammered.
“Not anymore. The party you contended with- Callis Alisander, is now dead. There’s no reason for them to restrict your business practices any longer. I’ve checked in with one of my connections in the Trade Commission. They confirmed that you’re free to practice business in any way that you wish. Turning your business into a company is now completely within the realm of possibility.” Juno smiled slyly. Working in tandem with Massimo Leonetti, it was like a snake had met a crow, plotting animals wishing to control the earth and the heavens in parallel, the business world under their thumbs.
Alain Monroe swallowed nervously, before letting out a sigh.
“Fine. Let’s expand into a company. Let’s drag the entire liquor industry down from underneath the feet of the Blackfeather.”