Ta-daa!
Did you notice the stamp affixed to this letter? It’s a special stamp celebrating the anniversary of commercial space travel! I know you’re supposed to keep them as memorabilia, but I really wanted to show them to you, so I had to use just one.
Hmm, I don’t really think it matches the snowman envelope. Besides, collecting stamps was always more my brother’s thing. With me, I collect all sorts, like seeds. The kids in my class keep calling me a squirrel. Sad face. I’ve kept every letter you’ve ever sent me, of course. I love rereading the old ones.
Writing is so powerful—the warmth of a line of handwriting, the emotions put into every stroke. I hope this letter makes you feel the same way.
I eagerly await your response.
✦ ✦ ✦
The deck of the Tropical Lady contained a large swimming pool, a place for swimsuit-clad partygoers to stand and eat, and most importantly, an auction house where staggering amounts of money changed hands.
In the center of it all stood the girl known as Pavilion, wearing a purple dress, her long black hair tied and secured by a pair of ribbons that stood up like rabbit ears. She looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. The touch of innocence about her voluptuous body only amplified the lasciviousness of her exposed cleavage and thighs.
She was the sole external contractor to the AI conglomerate White Queen Tourism. Just a hound, to be cut loose upon making a single mistake, yet hers was a significant position nonetheless.
Money (Game) Master was a game of financial dealings where nothing was against the law, not even gunfights or car chases. But at sea, there was nothing to fear from the guns and cars back on land. Especially not when you possessed the legendary #tempest.err.
The guests here were true VIPs, hoping to enjoy some high-risk gambling in a low-risk location. Since virtual snow was more or less equivalent to physical yen, a list of the highest-ranking players could just as well serve as a list of the most influential people in the world.
They had no need for the large sums of money they could get from selling #tempest.err. That’s why this auction had charity in the title. It didn’t matter who took home the mountain of cash. That wasn’t important. What was important was making connections with the people who had enough wealth enough to afford it. Spending time with them. Obtaining that list of the most influential people in the world. Upon completing that, it was like you’d already eaten your fill of the main course.
The important thing about money wasn’t how much of it you had lying in your vaults. It was how much of it you were making right that second. Did you have the power necessary to create wealth? Money changed hands all the time, and power wasn’t in stopping it but in allowing it to do so. Anyone who survived in this business realized that eventually.
Money came from connections. And it was who you connected with that determined how much money you could make. An engine didn’t run without burning a little gas. But at the same time, an engine did nothing if it wasn’t connected to anything. In the same way, you got nothing from brownnosing the unwashed masses. There were only so many hours in the day, which is why it was best to get all the most powerful people in one place and network as hard as you could. It was only natural to focus on what would net you the greatest return. That was just good investment practice.
Life was a finite resource. How were you getting the most out of it? Who would net you the greatest return? That was what Pavilion was here to learn.
And then…if she was successful…
Surely, a certain someone will be pleased with me.
One of the PMCs waiting nearby spoke up. “It’s time, ma’am.”
Indeed. Pavilion nodded, her rabbit-ear ribbon bobbing.
The auction would soon begin. Some lucky buyer would win #tempest.err, the shotgun without peer, and Pavilion, the girl who made it happen, would obtain a list of the most powerful people in the world. Whatever happened after that was none of her concern. The Overtrick could break the game balance and send every person and nation into ruin. The world could be plunged into a second Swiss Depression. As long as she went up in the world, Pavilion didn’t care about any of that one bit.
Pavilion tapped her mic and addressed the floor.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!” She beamed brilliantly. “We’re about to start the main event, the charity auction! I think everyone might already know what we’ll be bidding for tonight, but here it is! One of the famous Legacies of Criminal AO, #tempest.err!”