SCC Chapter 12 Party of Plots(2)
"Since over 400 years ago, resources have been syphoned from the sect, with their destination unknown. Only the sect masters have been privy to this. And stringent oaths must be made before you are brought into the loop."
"Is that all, you have?" asked Reed. Though inwardly shocked at the length of time, he maintained a calm demeanor.
"Surely, there must be more. If this is all you have, then you wouldn't be Livia."
"If I am to give you more, there is going to be a condition." Livia spoke before standing off and moving towards a corner, where a bottle was released from a compartment with a sliding door.
"I am not in the mood for alcohol."
"Who said this was for you? It's going to be mine." Within seconds, perfectly square cubes of ice were condensed within her palm and dumped into the glass, upon which, the cap was removed from the bottle and the liquid cascaded into the glass. Even chilled, it's bouquet permeated the room, tickling his olfactory senses.
"The Mandy." uttered Reed. He wasn't a fun of alcohol, but even he, had heard of that exquisite wine.
After storing back the rest, Livia once again took her seat.
"I am going to throw a banquet... A party of sorts. And I need you to be... The reason."
Reed's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why would you need me?"
"All you just have to know, is the fact that this will allow you to make headway with your revenge plot. No, it might even take off in one fell swoop, cascading events into ending once and for all." Livia lifted the glass to her face and looked through the glass, towards Reed, who had somewhat frozen. Then she took a sip, and a blissful expression crossed her features.
"Are you lying to me?" Reed asked in a grave voice. This was far too important to him. The image of a gentle woman briefly flashed within his mind.
"What are the chances of succeeding?"
"I'd wager a 50/50."
"This banquet... What reason would you provide to the public? And how are you certain that there will be many people?"
"The reason will be a celebration of your exit from seclusion, coupled with a partnership between the Radiance sect and Muti Biotech."
"A partnership. You do know that that will be a hard thing to pull off with the public sentiment against the sects."
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"That's where you come in." She pointed at him after taking another sip from her glass. "You are the darling of the public. Besides, Radiance hasn't done anything to really damage the lives of the others. After all, we have always kept to our mountains. What do you say?"
"Will this partnership be legit? Or is it going to be a red herring?"
"Of course it will be legit! I can see the trend here. The Federation has already grown so much in just a short 400 years. If I wait any longer, won't Radiance be left behind?"
"I am not well versed in politics, but unless this sect becomes entirely akin to a business conglomerate, there is no way the Federation would let it stay as it is. There are many examples already."
Reed stood up from his seat. The conversation had come to an end. And he had very many things to do before the party. The date had already been set.
-----
A cloud of dust swirled upon the platform as the engines of his craft came online. Reed was now nestled inside, being sent off by only Livia. His gaze traveled to the lush vegetation, wondering whether he would be allowed to explore upon the completion of the partnership. Details of said partnership were going to be discussed during the party, scheduled to last a whole seven days.
Within mere seconds upon take off, the craft was outside the set's territory, with him already looking forward to his next appointment, one he was already excited about.
-----
Mars...the planet dubbed as the second colony of humanity. During the year 124 of the Federal Calender, the President had passed a bill that would finance the terraforming of the planet to make it habitable for humans.
Above the planet, there were interlocking sections of a space station that interlocked, like a grid, spreading in every direction, directly above the transparent panels that kept in the atmospheric gasses from escaping due to the weak gravity.
Reed's craft, which had left the Earth, and reached the red planet, was now in the middle of docking with a particular node on the station, one privately owned by his company. There was going to plenty of time in the public eyes, so he wanted to atleast enjoy these few hours, or days, in peace and quiet.
"Why was I brought here?" asked the grey haired woman welcoming him after the opening of the hatch.
"Ms. Toba. Since you became involved in a certain plot of mine. It is my duty to keep you safe. And that means staying close." explained Reed as he passed by her. Though, he heard her muffled steps behind him afterwards.
"Then... What are we going to be doing on this planet? Mr. Reed, I am a person who hates wasting time. Can't you find me something to do?"
"This is going to be temporary. In a few days, there will be plenty for you to do." he answered.
They walked quite a distance in silence after that. Through corridors, elevators, crowds and even other docks, to arrive at the planetary elevator, a contraption acting as a means for reaching the surface of the planet below.
The private dock had also had an elevator capable of the same, but that was the same as him announcing his arrival if he took it. That was why, he and Lily were now being squeezed together within the elevator.
He could feel her modest chest touching his right hand, which made it hard for him to concentrate on anything else. Then there was the reeking taint of spiritual energy in the elevator. Cultivators released spiritual energy and impurities from their pores every single second of the day if they didn't actively control their bodies. And the amalgam of different attributes in small amounts, yet high in volume around places of gatherings, was known as energy pollution. It wasn't dangerous to cultivators themselves as a simple ward could keep such particles away, but if it were a mortal, they would instantly become poisoned.
After the elevator reached the ground, a sigh of relief escaped Reed's mouth. Sexual urges were a problem to control. Maybe him being a virgin played a part.
The elevator had delivered them to a sprawling metropolis, which radiated outwards in all directions with the space elevator as the centre. This was Red Dust city. Even though Lily tried to hide it well, Reed caught the uneasiness in her eyes. The situation was the same for him, but he had learnt to cope with it.
A hovering vehicle, a taxi, one whose hull was sparkling, as if newly minted, welcomed them upon their exit from the large crowd in the station. It had been specifically waiting for them, courtesy of reservations by Lily. She was starting to get the hang of her role. Once inside, their spiritual energy wards were dissolved, as the vehicle had a spiritual energy filter pre-installed.
"Why hasn't anyone dealt with this situation?"
"Mars is a different territory from Earth. Even though the Federal arms of governance reach this place, ultimately, the focus lies with Earth, as it's a life planet. You can take each city to be self governing at the moment, only occasionally following the Federation's directives."
"It holds a little over a quarter of humanity. Leaving it to its own devices might not be the best solution in the long term. Imagine a future where they grow strong enough to fight for independence."
The vehicle set off, joining the traffic lane leading outside Red Dust city.
"That is a problem for those that will be the President at the time. What? Politicking isn't my strong suit. Though, maybe you could run for President some time in the future."
"Has there ever been another leader of the Federation ever since its founding? I know myself best. Unless I achieve an Invincible status like our President, competing for that seat will be akin to signing my death certificate."
"Now you get it!" Reed commented cheekily, only to earn a glare directed my way.