10-16-2025, 02:31 AM
Zixin was settled at ease through Carter’s presentation, the picture of serenity. But beneath the still surface of his expression, his mind was a whirlpool of calculation.
He had not looked at the young Volthstrom since his entrance, but he had listened. Tobias’s son was his father’s mirror in charisma, but with a touch of the new world’s charm. The resemblance to Tobias was amusing.
He remembered the family's dealings with Dumi Shares. According to the way the Kao's told it, the boardroom was full of desperation and fear while Tobias tried to bluff through a liquidity crisis he’d created. Zixin’s uncle had been the one to call in OD Volthstrom for arbitration only for Tobias’s own firm to side against him. It was an elegant move that Tobias never considered them shrewd enough to pull. When the day ended, Tobias had lost his holdings, and the Kao family had gained them.
Zixin hadn’t expected to see the Volthstrom name in his orbit again. Yet here was the son, standing in Moscow, offering the Covenant a gift on a silver platter.
The Tiles.
He knew what they were. Not in their technical detail, but in their essence. They were power disguised as generosity. Tools that would bind men to the system that created them. It was so clever and arguably was the power of the future. He didn't know exactly how it played out, other than the messenger of greed was Ryker.
Carter, Tobias, Myshelov, Ryker... Likely the Ascendancy himself.
It didn’t matter. What mattered was that Zixin understood the game, and he was more than happy to play so long as he was holding the winning hand.
When Carter’s final words faded, Zixin waited a long moment before speaking. The silence was an intentional reclamation of attention. Then, he stood.
“Mr. Volthstrom, on behalf of the Covenant, I thank you for this most generous gift, and for the vision your family continues to share with the world.” His eyes flicked to the man briefly, polite, unreadable. “We will remember your family's… dedication to partnership.”
He turned his gaze to the rest of the room. The Russians’ stony faces, the Yakuza’s sharp quiet, the gleam of curiosity from the circling fish who sensed a current shifting beneath them.
“You’ve all heard tonight what we are building. A Covenant, bound by mutual prosperity. We are all beholden to the same rules. Myself most of all. Break the balance, and you will find retribution."
His hands spread in invitation, "Now the business of the day is concluded. Mr. Kane has kindly opened the Radiance rooftop bar to us. There is drink, there is food, and I am told there is company for anyone who desires it.”
He had not looked at the young Volthstrom since his entrance, but he had listened. Tobias’s son was his father’s mirror in charisma, but with a touch of the new world’s charm. The resemblance to Tobias was amusing.
He remembered the family's dealings with Dumi Shares. According to the way the Kao's told it, the boardroom was full of desperation and fear while Tobias tried to bluff through a liquidity crisis he’d created. Zixin’s uncle had been the one to call in OD Volthstrom for arbitration only for Tobias’s own firm to side against him. It was an elegant move that Tobias never considered them shrewd enough to pull. When the day ended, Tobias had lost his holdings, and the Kao family had gained them.
Zixin hadn’t expected to see the Volthstrom name in his orbit again. Yet here was the son, standing in Moscow, offering the Covenant a gift on a silver platter.
The Tiles.
He knew what they were. Not in their technical detail, but in their essence. They were power disguised as generosity. Tools that would bind men to the system that created them. It was so clever and arguably was the power of the future. He didn't know exactly how it played out, other than the messenger of greed was Ryker.
Carter, Tobias, Myshelov, Ryker... Likely the Ascendancy himself.
It didn’t matter. What mattered was that Zixin understood the game, and he was more than happy to play so long as he was holding the winning hand.
When Carter’s final words faded, Zixin waited a long moment before speaking. The silence was an intentional reclamation of attention. Then, he stood.
“Mr. Volthstrom, on behalf of the Covenant, I thank you for this most generous gift, and for the vision your family continues to share with the world.” His eyes flicked to the man briefly, polite, unreadable. “We will remember your family's… dedication to partnership.”
He turned his gaze to the rest of the room. The Russians’ stony faces, the Yakuza’s sharp quiet, the gleam of curiosity from the circling fish who sensed a current shifting beneath them.
“You’ve all heard tonight what we are building. A Covenant, bound by mutual prosperity. We are all beholden to the same rules. Myself most of all. Break the balance, and you will find retribution."
His hands spread in invitation, "Now the business of the day is concluded. Mr. Kane has kindly opened the Radiance rooftop bar to us. There is drink, there is food, and I am told there is company for anyone who desires it.”
"Its better to bleed in training than die in war."
+
Zixin Kao - Valtin Korsak - Aži Dahāka - Jörmungandr - Beowulf’s Bane