章節 17: Foundations Set
*Third Person POV*
Once inside of the MRAP, Aspen and Ghost relaxed. Ghost started the MRAP and their drive back to their building. Things had gone rather smoothly if one takes into account the fact that they just took down a player with some influence over the underworld. They were both relieved but they still held their sights on what was to come.
"That was rather easy," Aspen said, glancing at Ghost. "I half-expected them to put up more of a fight. But considering how we caught them off-guard, they didn't have much of a chance."
Ghost nodded. "To be fair, they are just some gang, not even mercenaries. Considering what we've faced before and what we've trained for, this was just another Sunday night."
"Yeah, you're right on that," Aspen said as Ghost steered the vehicle through a narrow alley that led to their building. The city was alive with activity, but it felt like a distant hum as they focused on the road ahead.
As they pulled into the dimly lit underground garage entrance of their building, Aspen looked around, seemingly lost in thought. Ghost drove into the building's garage and parked the MRAP in the furthest corner from the entrance, by the elevator shaft and stairs.
Aspen sighed as Ghost turned off the engine. "Well, now we have one less group to worry about. Though I think this time we might have some blowback on us from Ajax's hunting dogs if they get interested in us shaking the underworld. But I also guess they might just ignore us since they probably think I'm alone. And with the energy being produced by the miniature Arc Reactor, we might actually get some breathing room."
"Agreed," Ghost replied, unbuckling his seatbelt. "We can finally start upgrading the interior of this place and start generating extra income once we start renting it out. From your plans, we should be generating a pretty penny. 2 2-bedroom apartments per floor and 4 single-bedroom apartments per floor. We got 8 floors, 32 single-bed, and 16 2-bed."
With a light laugh, Aspen stepped out and stretched, "Yeah, I've already thought of the pricing. Anyone who works in this district makes at the very least 10,000 credits a month, we can rent the single bed at 2800 a month, increasing the prices by 50 credits per floor. Then for the 2-bed, I'm thinking of 3500 a month, increasing by 100 credits per floor. Gotta pay the price for the better view."
Ghost nodded, "Sounds reasonable, and having a place to live close to work would definitely make it worth it."
Aspen walked towards the stairs as Ghost followed behind, "Well, tomorrow's another day. I'm thinking we hit a few more buildings, see if we can get them on board too, and increase the number of credits we're earning daily."
The next day dawned bright and clear. Aspen geared up with a black suit with gold accents, he donned his aviators and put on his half-oni mask which was now becoming pointless with his beard growing to the point that it was more annoying to wear it. He then set out to make the rounds, determined to convince more building owners to sign on for energy at a lower cost.
He navigated through the city's winding streets, visiting one establishment after another. Each meeting felt like a calculated dance— he presented his pitch with manipulating confidence, highlighting the savings and benefits of his energy supply rather than sticking to the city's energy. To his delight, the first few owners were receptive, even eager, to strike a deal.
By the time he returned to their headquarters, he had only been gone for about 3 hours, having spent most of his time either waiting for the owners to get there or walking to the buildings. He had just successfully secured enough contracts to increase their income to 5,700 credits a day.
Ghost appeared from the shadows, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "Back so soon? You didn't scare them off, did you?"
"Not even close," Aspen grinned. "Managed to increase our profits even more."
Ghost uncrossed his arms, his expression shifting to one of determination. "Alright then, let's get this place into shape. I'll reach out to that contractor again, Jarv, I think was his name. What we currently have in our account should be enough to get everything running again."
"You do that," Aspen walked over to a bare wall, tapping it thoughtfully. "I'm going to make a list of what we need. Flooring, walls, some basic furniture…"
With that, Ghost got on the phone and started making calls while Aspen grabbed a tablet and a pen and started planning out the interior renovations, envisioning the transformation of his stark surroundings into a functional, welcoming space. The thrill of their recent successes both on in the business world and on the field mingled with the anticipation of what was to come, a newfound sense of purpose driving them forward.
For the following days, the renovation site buzzed with activity. In place of the traditional construction crews that Aspen was accustomed to seeing and which had been here when fixing the exterior of the building and its foundation, teams of workers controlled sleek, advanced machines that moved with precise efficiency. Automated cranes, guided by human operators through neural links, lifted massive wall panels into place as if they were weightless. A group of engineers wearing sleek helmets gestured towards a floating holographic blueprint, adjusting the layout of the apartments mid-air.
The building's interior began to take shape rapidly. Thin, transparent sheets— molecularly enhanced for durability— were unfurled like fabric by drone-like machines, adhering seamlessly to the barebones walls, forming the base of what would become soundproof, reinforced interiors. Workers navigated around each other with an effortless rhythm, their hands moving over control pads and wrist interfaces to direct the machines in flawless synchronization.
Flooring was laid down next, but it wasn't wood or tile; it was a self-leveling nanomaterial that spread smoothly, adjusting its texture to mimic whatever finish was programmed into it. Workers walked behind small, hovering drones, which smoothed and sealed the floors in one continuous motion, all while scanning for imperfections and repairing them instantly.
In another section, wall panels made from a smart-composite material—able to adjust to changes in temperature and atmosphere—slid into place, locking together with soft clicks. Workers, equipped with tools that projected magnetic fields, guided the panels into their exact positions. Sparks of light flickered as the edges fused, creating a seamless appearance.
Above, ceiling modules were hoisted and set by antigrav lifts, locking in as the magnetic tools sealed them flush. These ceilings weren't just decorative; they housed an array of advanced climate control systems and adjustable lighting fixtures that would respond to environmental data collected in real-time. Some workers meticulously calibrated the lighting units, ensuring the perfect balance between natural and artificial illumination.
Everywhere, the hum of machinery blended with the clatter of tools, voices calling out instructions, and the subtle sound of laser cutters shaping custom pieces to fit precisely into the framework. Even the furniture, still being designed in real-time by Aspen on his tablet, was brought in by fabrication units— floating rectangular machines that materialized chairs, tables, and cabinets from blueprints made minutes before.
Overhead, translucent platforms allowed workers to move swiftly between levels without traditional staircases, while magnetic cranes delivered materials directly to each floor. Engineers monitored the entire operation from holo-screens, fine-tuning every aspect with gestures, making sure no time or resources were wasted.
The entire building seemed alive with activity, and in just under a week, the once-barebones interior had been transformed.
*Third Person POV: Jarv*
Once everything was done Jarv approached Aspen to discuss the terms of the remaining credits owed by him. At first, Jarv had immediately refused to do the work when Aspen and Ghost had informed him that they would be paying in installments over the next 3 weeks. But he reconsidered once Aspen showed that they were netting almost 40,000 credits a week and if that hadn't been enough, Aspen decided to reluctantly let him in a secret which was an experimental reactor in the basement of the building.
Aspen showed him just how much energy it was producing which left Jarv stumped. How can such a small machine be producing so much energy? Well, that wasn't really what stumped him. There were many reactors that could produce as much, if not more energy with ease, but this one seemed like it was being held together with chewing gum and chicken wire. It was made out of pure scraps which led Jarv to rightfully believe that either Ghost or Aspen was a once-in-a-millenia genius.
Jarv approached Aspen who was standing next to Ghost seemingly discussing something of importance, "Hey, y'all." He paused as he shook their hands. "I'm sorry for the interruption, but I'm just here to let y'all know that we're done here. Everything is in order as you asked, we didn't touch the wiring like you requested, but y'all still have an outstanding bill with us."
Aspen nodded at this, "Yes, thanks a lot, and wonderful work. We have paid 40,000 credits over this week and the initial 60,000 credits, which means that 100,000 credits are out of the way. We'll be paying the remaining 120,000 credits we owe you over the next 3 weeks, if not sooner as we discussed."
Jarv seemed satisfied with this, "Yes, just as we said. About that core that you showed me before, I was wondering if you would be interested in selling me one of those if you have any left."
Ghost sucked his teeth at this which made a shiver run down Jarv's back as he realized he may have overstepped his boundaries.
Aspen's look was unintelligible as his eyes were hidden behind the aviator glasses he wore and the well-groomed beard wasn't allowing for his facial expressions to be easily read. "Look, Jarv, we showed you that to help us explain to you that we will be paying you. I am a man of my word, so I will be paying you. However, that piece of technology is not for sale. Not for now, at least, maybe sometime in the future. We owe you a lot for your trust, and I am very thankful for your work. Let's keep it at that."
Jarv nodded his head, understanding the underlying meaning of Aspen's words. He had worked for people like him before, people who did not need to make threats to get their point through, but the difference was that they didn't pay, let alone reveal secrets that could have the city government on their ass in no time. He understood that these two in front of him, although cold-blooded killers, were men enough to not run when it came to paying.
"Alright then," Jarv shook their hands and acknowledged that they would keep their word and would pay up. Even if he couldn't get his hands on the technology that was powering their building and over a dozen others, he had been payed a lot for this job. A total of 220,000 credits for a job that only took a week in a half in total. Sure he had to pay his workers, but even after that, he would net a clean 100,000 credits. "Gentlemen, it was a pleasure doing business with you both."
Aspen and Ghost nodded at this remark and Jarv turned to leave. When he had walked 6 steps away from them both, he heard Aspen call out to him. "Hey Jarv, how much you think you'd do this other building?"
Jarv looked at the building Aspen was pointing to and suddenly went pale. It was a 14-floor building that was across the street from the one he was just working on. It was situated at the corner of the street but that didn't matter. He knew just who this other building belonged to. The Black Vultures. Jarv's brain started working overtime as he realized something. These two, they weren't just dangerous men, they were scum too. This building belonged to the Black Vultures and he knew just how ruthless they were.
Aspen noticed the change in Jarv although he was facing away from him. He walked up to Jarv and asked "What's the matter?"
Jarv looked at Aspen with fear in his eyes, something that seemed to confuse Aspen. "Y-you, you're from the Black Vultures, aren't you?"
Aspen didn't say anything, allowing a few seconds of silence to linger, which just made the tension in the air grow. He then started laughing as he patted Jarv on the back. "Us, Black Vultures? Hahahaha, you're quite the funny man Jarv. No, we're not like those bastards. We took these two buildings from them and allowed them to keep their necks in exchange for it. Quite the deal if I do say so myself."
Jarv let out a sigh of relief when he heard that they weren't from the Black Vultures, however, he gulped the next moment as realization dawned on him. These guys weren't from the Black Vultures… They were much more dangerous than that. They either had to have the backing of some bigshot in the city or were associated with one of the city officials to have taken these buildings from the Black Vultures.
Sure, the building he had just renovated wasn't in the greatest of shapes before undergoing its change and the other was in an even worse shape than it, but that didn't change the fact that the man in front of him claimed to have forced the Black Vultures to chalk it up in exchange for keeping their lives. A new sense of respect, or rather, fear, started growing in Jarv's heart for the pair who he had been working for.
"I-I'm sorry for making such assumtions, I didn't mean anything by it. Are you thinking of renovating it as well?" Jarv asked, regaining his composure as he talked.
"Yeah, we're thinking of getting that one up and running as well as soon as we start generating profits from this one." Ghost answered the question this time around. "So, how much?"
Jarv seemed to think for a second as he looked the building over quickly. "I'm not quite sure, I think I'd need to take a closer look at it. But if you're going to do the same setup and layout as this one, then it should be around… I don't know, 600,000 credits, give or take 50,000."
Aspen seemed to consider the price for a second before coming up with a question. "And what if we had you add a floor and make it a penthouse?"
Jarv thought about it for a little bit before tilting his head from side to side, "Around 1,000,000 credits. It'll probably take about 3 weeks as well."
Aspen seemed to take his answer into consideration before responding. "Alright, thanks fro the quot. Ghost will give you a call when we're ready to get things rolling."
"Alright, I'll be expecting your call then," Jarv said as he started to walk away.
Once Jarv had reached his workers one of them walked up to him and started asking him questions. "So, are we getting the full payment today? And what was that you were talking about, you seemed scared."
Jarv looked at the young worker for a second, measuring his response. "No, kid. But they will be paying us. There's nothing you need to worry about."
"I guess it's always like that when dealing with gangster bast-"
Jarv interrupted the young man by bringing a hand to his mouth. "What the hell do you think you're doing? If they were, that sentence alone would get you killed. They're not gangsters, but that doesn't make them saints either. They're dangerous men, but they're willing to pay. So I'm not worried about what they do. You should learn to watch your mouth, kid."
"Sorry, boss," the young man responded when Jarv removed his hand.
"Let's get going. We might have a big job lined up in the future with them, so mind your what comes out of your pie hole," Jarv said as he and the rest of the workers got into their trucks and drove in the direction of the industrial sector.
Word Count: 2736 Words 🙂
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