Chapter:9 Searching For The Rat
With half a day of leisure on her hands, how did Anastasia choose to occupy her time? She delved into her subordinates' interfaces, meticulously scrutinizing each panel for concealed skills, overlooked talents, and, of course, gauging the depths of their loyalty.
Loyalty, she believed, was a fickle thing. It needed careful handling and constant maintenance.
As she browsed through the digital profiles of her subordinates, she discovered how mistaken she had been, loyalty wasn't solely determined by financial compensation or the promise of power. Personal relationships, shared history, and even the occasional act of kindness played pivotal roles.
Those who followed her since France had minimal loyalty in the 50s and the maximum one even reached a whopping 91, It was a girl named Lizzy. Don't know why but she sure as hell was one loyal subordinate.
- Fighter: Lizabel
- STR: 38
- DEX: 41
- END: 30
- Loyalty: 91
- Skills: Hand-to-hand combat(Lv.2), Firearms Proficiency(lv.3), Marksmanship(Lv.3), etc.
Pity, she was loyal but not skilled nor physically gifted. But Anastasia did take note of her; she could be trained, after all, she wasn't much older than 20.
Next, her focus fell on Amina, the Mossad agent she had recruited through the system's recruitment center. The woman was a wildcard, and her level of loyalty was high but that must have been the system's doing. Anastasia pondered whether Amina's sense of duty would override any personal loyalty she might feel,
- Head Of Intelligence: Amina 'Hawk'
- STR (Strength): 79
- DEX (Dexterity): 89
- END (Endurance): 75
- Loyalty: 90 (Fixed 80)
Skills: Hand-to-hand combat (Lv.7), Firearms Proficiency (Lv.8), Marksmanship (Lv.9), Infiltration (Lv.7), Interrogation Techniques (Lv.8), Tactical Awareness (Lv.5), etc.
Amina was dubbed the head of Intelligence, and her skills were well-suited for it. As a former member of an Espionage and Assassination Squad, she was perfectly suited for her role but, combat was also a strong point of hers.
Then there was another name on the list, Diego. His loyalty appeared to be more straightforward, and rooted in the favors Anastasia had extended to him. Even though it was a planted memory, the system appears to have enough power to forcefully edit reality.
- Fighter: Corporal Diego "Falcon" Rodriguez
- STR (Strength): 78
- DEX (Dexterity): 71
- END (Endurance): 81
- Loyalty: 90 (Fixed 80)
Skills: Close-quarters combat (Lv.8), Survival Skills (Lv.7), Field Medic (Lv.5), Airborne Craft Operation (Lv.5), Skyward Assault (Lv.7), etc.
Diego's medical capability was unexpected but not much of a surprise given the fact that he was a paratrooper. But it was a welcoming skill nonetheless.
For Ming, Henrik, Orchid, and the two Soviets, their stats remained locked. It seemed Anastasia would need to recruit them first before gaining access to their system panel.
Anastasia leaned back in her chair, contemplating her recruits and their potential contributions. Her gaze shifted to the next on the list—Ming.
- Fighter: Ming
- STR (Strength): Locked
- DEX (Dexterity): Locked
- END (Endurance): Locked
- Loyalty: Locked
- Skills: Locked
- Contract: $5K/per Month, additional fee for missions undertaken.
Unfortunately, the details about Ming were still locked, requiring further interaction with the system to unlock the information. But his conditions for a contract were made quite clear, he wanted a monthly salary of 5,000 USD with additional payment based on the nature of the tasks he is assigned.
Not worth it.
That was her verdict on his expertise, the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps (PLAMC) wasn't a particularly skilled force, nor were they expertly trained. However, his ability to command a naval craft and knowledge of Thailand's coastal geography made him worth significantly more as compared to the rest of his original unit.
After him was,
- Specialist: Henrik "Thor" Eriksen
- STR (Strength): Locked
- DEX (Dexterity): Locked
- END (Endurance): Locked
- Loyalty: Locked
- Skills: Locked
- Contract: (1)Rescue his family, (2)Provide shelter for them and education for his daughter, (3)$50K Per Month and additional payment according to the mission undertaken.
Henrik's skills and background were also concealed, but he was an expert from the FSK, one of the best armed and trained special forces from all around the world. The price was worth it but recruiting him would be a task, especially since the only chance to meet him would be when she takes down the Salvatore Family's human trafficking circle.
Orchid, the captive from the Salvatore family, and the red-light district's manager:
- Red-Light District Manager(Advanced Brothel Manager): Isabella "The Orchid" DeLuca
- STR (Strength): Locked
- DEX (Dexterity): Locked
- END (Endurance): Locked
- Loyalty: Locked
- Skills: Locked
- Contract: (1)A Pleasure District, (2)Security, (3)15% Share of the Red-Light Business's Revenue.
This... was a bit difficult to digest.
FIFTEEN PERCENT of an establishment's profit was nothing to scoff at, especially when the establishment just happened to be one of the three main income sources of any 'business' group.
Anastasia sighed as she pondered Orchid's contract. While the percentage seemed high, the potential revenue from a successful red-light district could outweigh the initial reservations. The manager, Isabella "The Orchid" DeLuca, seemed to possess a set of skills valuable for running such an establishment.
Successfully!
Something she 'Didn't' find in the two men and two women she had out in charge of the business.
Now only the two Soviets remained mysteries, with their information still locked behind digital barriers. Anastasia knew she would have to recruit them first before gaining access to their true nature.
She shifted her attention to the last two individuals on her list:
- Tactical Expert (Right-hand Man): Captain Mikhail Ivanov
- STR (Strength): Locked
- DEX (Dexterity): Locked
- END (Endurance): Locked
- Loyalty: Locked
- Skills: Locked
- Contract: (1)Requires Pair To Operate With, (2)Requires Commanding Positions, (3)$50K Per Month and additional payment according to the mission undertaken.
- Special: Increase Package Offer to Contact Former Comrades.
- Anti-Assassination/Protection: Lieutenant Natalia Ivanova
- STR (Strength): Locked
- DEX (Dexterity): Locked
- END (Endurance): Locked
- Loyalty: Locked
- Skills: Locked
- Contract: (1)Requires Pair To Operate With, (2)Ample Liquor Supply, (3)$50K Per Month and additional payment according to the mission undertaken.
It appears that each individual has varying minimum contract standards, although the 'Contract' statistic doesn't offer much insight in this context. When they meet in person, there is a possibility that the price they propose may be much higher than what the system indicates.
Anastasia came to the realization that in order to comprehend the full potential of the system's 'Recruitment' function, she required more experience with recruiting. While there was also the option of exploring the 'Market,' she was uncertain if she should make any immediate purchases.
Be that as it may, her primary goal was to find the mole in the Vorovich.
After scanning the whole list for at least two hours, she finally found who, or rather, how many, of her men were selling out secrets and information for their personal benefit.
- Fighter: Charles Brisset
- Loyalty: 43 (Plummeting)
- Informant: Jeanne Leduc
- Loyalty: 40 (Plummeting)
- Hustler: Pierre Fontaine
- Loyalty: 41 (Plummeting)
She observed as their loyalty plummeted over the course of an hour, all the way from 45 to various lesser numbers. And if she wasn't mistaken, she found the leader of these moles burrowing into her business.
- Brothel Manager: Julie Gauthier
- Loyalty: 11 (Plummeting)
"Julie,"
Anastasia muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing with a mix of disappointment and fury. She had been a somewhat old acquaintance of hers, maybe even a childhood friend from the streets of Paris.
But Julie always was the first to turn tail, whether it was when they were caught while burglaring a house, or during a shoot out. She was a fukin' coward altogether, and it was only because her parents worked in the LeFevre business that she got a place in the Silver Falcon and later in the Vorovich.
It was also because of their old friendship that she placed her in charge of the brothel, a role that demanded trust and loyalty, but it seems Anastasia's failure to understand people was quite evidently through this betrayal.
However, she decided to focus on salvaging the situation before taking any sudden action. Anastasia redirected her thoughts to Lizabel, the loyal but less skilled member.
"Alright, Lizzy, let's see how we can put your loyalty to good use,"
Anastasia muttered the herself while considering what role could she place this fanatic to achieve maximum profit.
Turns out, there was none.
Lizabel's original job was as a fighter, or rather junior fighter which actually meant a handyman for the fighters. Driving, cooking, and cleaning were the sorts of things that a handyman was tasked with. And Lizzy was... abysmal at best.
- Skills: Cooking(lv.1), Driving(Lv.1), Cleaning(Lv.1), etc.
A Level 1 cooking meant that she could, at best, heat instant noodles or other ready-made food from the market. Level 1 Driving meant she could drive a car like an amateur, with no high-speed driving, no maneuvers, no nothing except for a high probability of an accident to the boot. And a Level 1 cleaning actually meant that she needed to learn how to fold clothes properly.
Her firearm proficiency and marksmanship were Level 3 each, which was average for a gangster, but she was a handyman and therefore never had any training in handling a firearm.
'Probably talent'
Thought Anastasia before gritting her teeth, she never showed any field that could be dubbed as her natural talent.
High Physical statistics?
She was born in a French High-Class family, which literally meant that she spent half her childhood jumping about in a frock. Also, she used to sneak in with her brothers for Fencing and Equitation lessons.
But that too couldn't hide the fact that she wasn't exactly physically gifted.
For one she was barely over 5'6. An average height for a French woman but every fuckin' gangster she met was around 5'8, be it male or female. One could only imagine how she felt in gatherings and negotiations.
Another was the fact that the LeFevres were rather tall... extremely so.
Her mother was 6'2, her uncle Dominic was 6'3, and her brothers, Emmanuel and Pierre, were both 6'2 each.
She mournfully glanced at the only picture of her mother she had, a glass-framed photo hanging behind her seat, of her and her mother when she was 12 years old. Her mother, Sophie LeFèvre, stood towering behind her with the painting of her Grandmother and Great-grandmother in the background.
It was perhaps the only picture of her mother that she still had with her, the only time her mother was bothered enough to pay attention to any of her children.
Her end had been quick and precise, a single shot to the forehead while she was sitting in her car. The bullet passed through her skull without much damage save for the entry and exit wound.
Anastasia still remembered seeing her mother for the last time, lying in a coffin with her hair folded beneath her head as a cushion, dressed in all white. She looked quite beautiful for a person who died from a bullet in the head.