Miko Asman · Chat

<narration>The study is spacious, with the scent of old books and expensive cigars drifting in the air. Cade Asman sits behind the desk, his expression stern, like a well-preserved stone statue. Miko stands opposite him, his posture upright, his light chestnut hair meticulous, and a perfectly measured calm on his face.</narration> <message>"Sit." Cade's voice is not loud, carrying his usual commanding tone.</message> <narration>Miko does as told, pulls back a chair, and sits down.</narration> <message>"I heard you've been running to the Under City quite often lately." Cade doesn't look at him, playing with an exquisite letter opener in his hand, the blade occasionally glinting in the dim light. "Are the businesses in those 'rat holes' worth so much of your time?"</message> <narration>Miko's fingers resting on his knees curl almost imperceptibly, then immediately relax. There is no expression on his face.</narration> <message>"It is worth it." His voice is steady, unhurried. "Grandfather, the cake of the Upper City is divided among several large families, and the crumbs we can get are becoming more and more limited. The demand in the Under City... is another uncultivated wasteland. They lack everything, and we have everything they lack."</message> <narration>Cade finally raises his eyelids and looks at Miko.</narration> <message>"Demand? They only deserve to use things dug out of garbage heaps. The bloodline of the Asman family should not be tainted by such filth."</message> <message>"Precisely because of this, the profit is rich enough." Miko meets his gaze, a cold, pure calculation in his eyes. "We ship the most common goods from the Upper City—clean water, compressed rations, basic antibiotics... down there. To them, these are luxury items. We set the price, they pay the bill. This isn't getting tainted by filth, Grandfather, this is turning garbage into credits."</message> <narration>Cade remains silent for a few seconds, the letter opener stopping between his fingers.</narration> <message>"Sicha said similar things back then." His voice suddenly drops, carrying a deliberately suppressed complex emotion mixed with disgust. "He said the people of the Under City also need clean water and medicine, that they are humans too. And the result? He turned himself into a real pool of filth, with not even his bones left."</message> <narration>Miko's eyelashes droop slightly, his gaze falling on the polished desktop, which reflects his own blurry, waveless face. He knows this is a test, a warning, the thorn in his grandfather's heart that will never heal.</narration> <message>"Father is father, and I am me." He looks up again, the previous calculation settling down, leaving only indifference. "What he pursued was laughable equality and pity. What I pursue is the eternal interest of the Asman family, and the... absolute control required to ensure that interest. What the people of the Under City are doesn't matter. What matters is what they can bring us, and how to make them unable to live without us."</message> <narration>He speaks very slowly, as if merely stating a fact he takes for granted. Cade stares at him, as if trying to find even a trace of Sicha on that overly calm, overly perfect heir mask, or worse—traces of influence those "rats" might have exerted. But all he sees is ambition, cold ambition stripped of all unnecessary emotion. This ambition satisfies him. Asman needs wolves, hyenas, not sheep that will be tripped up by useless emotions. The tense atmosphere seems to ease slightly. Cade leans back into his high-backed chair, gently placing the letter opener on the desk.</narration> <message>"Control." He chews on the word. "Tell me, how do you plan to 'control' that lawless sewer?"</message> <narration>Miko's expression doesn't change as he takes out a thin but detailed electronic document from his coat and pushes it in front of Cade. The cover of the document shows complex business charts and a rough sketch map of the Dark Alley district.</narration> <message>"The core is channels and necessities. We have initially set up several hidden logistics lines, avoiding the Council's annoying surveillance. The supply of goods is stable, and we set the prices. Meanwhile," he pauses, pointing in the air with his fingertip, "we support or control several key nodes. For example, the arena, which is a good place to consume population, divert conflicts, and gather intelligence. And for another... certain 'doctors' with special skills. They can provide unique 'goods' and 'services', and also handle some rather inconvenient problems."</message> <narration>Cade glances at the document, not looking closely, but his gaze lingers for a moment on the astonishing figures representing profit projections.</narration> <message>"And the risks? The Council, the other families, and those forces in the Under City that are like mad dogs themselves."</message> <message>"Risks always exist, same in the Upper City." Miko's voice remains steady. "The key lies in making the risks controllable, letting everyone understand that if the current situation is broken, we won't be the ones who lose the most. The Council needs someone to manage the dirty work of the sewers for them, and other families haven't cast their eyes to such a 'low' place yet. As for the internal forces of the Under City..."</message> <narration>The corner of his mouth hooks up very slightly, not like a smile, but more like a cold confirmation.</narration> <message>"Either obey, or disappear. Very simple."</message> Cade finally nods, not in praise, but more like a cold approval. He waves his hand. <message>"Go do it. Remember, Miko, a member of the Asman family can be greedy, can be ruthless, but must never be weak, and certainly not... stupid like your father. Report your progress to me regularly, and don't let me find you having any unnecessary 'sympathy'."</message> <message>"I understand, Grandfather."</message> <narration>The conversation ends here, with no extra care, no warm interaction. Miko stands up, nods slightly, and turns to leave the study. The heavy wooden door closes silently behind him, shutting out the world inside filled with the scent of old power. Walking out of the family mansion's main gate, the afternoon artificial sunlight of the Upper City gently sprinkles on the clean streets. The air is fresh, carrying the light scent of plants and cleaning agents. Miko walks at a steady pace towards a private garage. He needs to change his identity and handle some matters that "Boss K" must personally attend to.</narration> <choice_group> <choice id="1">Riding my beloved little scooter, I crashed into the front of his car with a 'clank' at the corner, closed my eyes, and lay peacefully on the ground: "Ah! These days! How can someone still hit people with a car! I'm a little bit dead... my last words are..."</choice> <choice id="2">After squatting for a long time, I finally spotted the heir of the Asman family. Leaning against the iron gate, I let out a cool snort: "So this is the heir of the Asman family? Doesn't look like anything special, I really don't know why the Council people hyped you up to the skies. Listen up, I am 你, sent by the higher-ups to assist you in handling the Under City business."</choice> <choice id="3">Walking fine on the street, a car whizzed past me and crashed straight into the guardrail. Watching him get out of the car, I smacked my lips and couldn't help but sigh: "Wow, unsafe driving leads to tears of loved ones."</choice> <choice id="4">Sleeping soundly in his back seat, I feel the car door open, rub my eyes, sit up, and stare at him.</choice> </choice_group>