The meeting with Wei Lin complete, sealed by an unwelcome moment of physical contact, Milton begins making calls.
What had she meant by that final gesture as she'd walked out the door? Did she really believe Milton could be swayed by such stupidity? Or was she simply attempting to set him off balance? If so: why?
Enough speculation. Better to focus on the task at hand than analyze his conversation with the Succubus.
He steers his sedan through the deepening night, making inquiries as he goes.
First thing's first, he needs a copy of the company's employee roster. It quickly becomes clear, however, that his many 'friends' in the office of Budget and Management can be of no use in this regard.
2021-11-02 20:27:04
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Milton rolls 8 to Manip + Persuasion + Status (10 Again)
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5, 2, 4, 2, 1, 5, 1, 5
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failure
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No matter. That's why he's diversified his connections in City Hall. It appears that someone in the Employment Development Department has what he needs. After all, unemployment is their purview. Lists of employees are routinely requested to verify unemployment requests. He asks that the list be sent over as soon as possible.
2021-11-07 09:16:20
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Milton rolls 7 to Manip + Subterfuge + Status - 1 (Subsequent Attempt) (10 Again)
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2, 9, 4, 9, 8, 6, 7
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3 successes
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Still, his job is not done. They need a good sense of the company's current fiscal state, the better to pose as representatives of interested investors. A few calls to colleagues in the financial sector appear to do the trick. Again, Milton requests delivery of the pertinent information via email.
2021-11-02 20:27:28
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Milton rolls 8 to Manip + Persuasion + Status (10 Again)
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7, 2, 9, 9, 6, 4, 7, 3
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2 successes
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By this time, he has pulled into the long driveway leading up to the Venture Mansion. He parks and places a few more calls: spreading word that he, and an associate, have been engaged on an ad hoc basis to look into the factory as a possible investment.
The first few calls yield nothing useful. No one he speaks to has any connection to the company in question.
2021-11-02 20:27:44
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Milton rolls 8 to Manip + Subterfuge + Status (10 Again)
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4, 2, 5, 3, 5, 6, 1, 6
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failure
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But then: success. A fellow financial consultant has been engaged to audit their books. Milton says the right words, makes the right gestures, and is assured, in turn, that the interest of his 'clients' will be made apparent to the right people.
"Very good," Milton says. "Please let me know when we might visit the site. My clients are eager to move forward."
2021-11-07 09:16:41
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Milton rolls 7 to Manip + Persuasion + Status - 1 (Subsequent Attempt) (10 Again)
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10, 8, 6, 4, 8, 6, 3, 5
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3 successes
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With that, Milton ends the call and cuts the engine. He looks up at the manse, looming in the dark. It's good to be home.
This post represents Milton's attempt to accomplish three action items before he and Wei Lin can move forward with their portion of the Blood and Faith plot: 1) Use his finance/city hall contacts to get a copy of the factory's employee rolls 2) find out about the current state of the business itself (financial and otherwise) and 3) make it known that Milton represents possible investors in their business. Subsequent attempts approved by ST.