Day 157 - A man named Arch

 A Man Named Arch

 Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

“Ruel, what if I told you that all your money was counterfeit?”

“I’d say I need more than your words to believe an accusation like that.”

“There’s an international cartel that recently arrived in Jakarta. They call themselves Naxis. You and your men can research this all you want after I leave. But you get funding from a gang called The Reapers, headed by a man named Yama. The Reapers worked for a syndicate that used to have a stranglehold on Bandung and were making inroads here before they came up against The Dragon’s Claw. It’s taken years of rebuilding, but The Reapers are back. Mostly because of the funding they receive from Naxis. Now, you might not care about politics or backroom deals and all you might care about is that pile of money that grows larger and larger on your table over there. But that pile is a quarter, maybe a third fake. And the longer you keep getting funds from Yama, the longer you’re really getting funds from Naxis, which really means that pile will soon be half to two-thirds fake, and then pretty soon it will be a pile of scrap paper and kindling.”

“And you’re the man who came to warn me out of the goodness of your heart.”

“Ruel, I don’t care about you at all. You’re just the very bottom of a conflict that is brewing between men in fancy homes who drive fancy cars and never once look upon people like you or me. The Dragon’s Claw is old and slow and haven’t realized yet that they are under attack. Now, I don’t think Naxis can win and I don’t think The Reapers can win, but I do think they can stir up countless problems along the way. Me, I’ve been paid to keep stirring. Stir, stir, stir until The Dragons finally realize and have to respond. If you’re in the wrong place, you get eliminated.”

“So, you’re here to save me.”

“Again, whatever you want to do is up to you. I leave, you talk to your bosses, they lie to you, you go back to work. Or you take some samples of your cash and you find someone in the know who can tell you if it’s real or not. Once you know it’s fake and you’re being screwed, you might be a little more interested in what I have to say. On that day, I will pay you in whatever currency you want, and it will be real. Then you’ll work for me. You keep all that fake money flowing around, let it bleed out into the city and infect every underground cash business there is in this town. Naxis undercuts The Dragons, their grip weakens and on and on. And whenever this great big battle comes, my bosses think they can swoop in after.”

“And I get to on the winning side? Out of the benevolence of your heart?”

“I don’t know who will win. I just know the storm is coming. And I know that if you’re caught with all that counterfeit money, two out of three sides will see you as the enemy, and the other is simply using you as a pawn and didn’t bother to tell you. So, I’m going to give you real money my boss gave me. And in turn you’re going to give me as much of that fake money as you can skim and I’m going to build an army. I don’t need to know which of the three to trust or to follow, I just need to have enough strength built that it doesn’t matter.”

“Again, why me?”

“Maybe I’m appealing to your inner businessman. Or maybe you find out you were a pawn and you decide you want revenge. I don’t know you. You might set me up and get me killed. What I do know is that I’m talking to all the little pawns out there all over town and I’m seeing who’s tired and who’s ready for more. I’ve heard the stories about Ruel the cruel. I know you have networks of your own. Your man Rendy has spies and pickpockets out on the street. I could use some infrastructure. I need information and I need it to be fast and nimble. I’m just offering you an extra source of money and appealing to your greed. You do your researching, ask around about me, whatever. Call me when you’re ready.”

“And if I decide to tell my bosses about you?”

“I guarantee your bosses have already been affected by my efforts. They would probably reward you for killing me. But that’s just a one-time payment where if you let me live, you get a continuing revenue stream. Like I said, greed. You think it over and let me know.”