Corrupt

Alexandre thought over the details of what he was about to propose. Chetan Ambani, of course, only cared about the money at this point, so he wouldn't be willing to postpone the duel and lose what he'd already invested.

Not to mention, if they postponed, Chetan would research Alexandre and learn that he was already building a reputation for being an exceptionally powerful student. Alexandre could tell from their brief conversation that Chetan wasn't the kind of person who cared about good sportsmanship and having a difficult, but challenging fight against a worthy opponent.

No, Chetan definitely cared only about money and would never agree to postpone, so Alexandre needed to shift tactics. He said to the arena official, "Why can't we just announce me as William Walton tonight? Come on, nobody will notice! Both he and I are complete newcomers, so it's not like we're committing any fraud from a logical point of view. The people are betting on a brand new student against someone who knows what he's doing… the betting odds would be the same anyway!"

The official opened his mouth to respond, but Alexandre continued speaking in a rush. "Look, who's actually going to notice? Only our Pip-Boy ID numbers will really identify us, especially if I wear a hood to hide my face from the Aurora system! Just announce me as William and nobody will care."

The man seemed very annoyed to be interrupted. He flicked some cigarette ash to the ground. "Funny, you still haven't explained why I should give a shit and take this kind of risk. What do I get out of it?"

Alexandre smiled confidently. "I assure you that it'll be very interesting to you… from a financial point of view!"

"Oh, really? And how exactly is that? You said yourself that you and William are just a couple of snot-nosed kids who've never fought in the arena before."

Alexandre replied, "But Chetan isn't a newcomer at all, is he? I have the feeling that he likes to get in fights with inexperienced students and beat them up in front of everyone, right? I bet he makes a good amount of pocket money off it."

The organizer shrugged. "So what? That's not illegal. It's a little tiresome to see boring fights like that happen over and over, but no rules against it."

Alexandre continued, "Then everyone knows to bet for Chetan to win. Maybe there are a few novice bettors unaware of the situation who bet on the victim of the day, but I imagine that the odds are pretty close to 1 in Chetan's favor, the bets are small and infrequent, and you make almost nothing off them. I'd expect you to almost lose money off him!"

The arena manager rolled his eyes. "Lose money? No. We'd never accept an arrangement where that could happen. But like I already said… Yeah, Chetan and his hobby are something of an annoyance to us from a financial point of view."

"Of course. And that's where my proposal comes in. We'll set me up as William Walton, and then I'll personally bet a large amount of money on myself to win. This will provoke many more people to bet on Chetan. Then, no matter who wins, this will be very profitable to you!"

The organizer tapped his cigarette on the table's thick wooden edge for several seconds, thinking deeply. He was clearly giving the idea more consideration than he'd done a moment ago. "What you're proposing is corruption, plain and simple. What the hell is all of this worth to you? Why would you take such a risk?"

Alexandre heard the underlying meaning, plain and simple: How much is this worth to you?

Alexandre gave a smirk and asked, "Is $10,000 enough?"

The man burst out laughing. "Fucking chump change. Do I look like a bum to you, asshole?"

Alexandre was a bit taken aback. "Well, how much do you want!?" he snapped.

"$20,000 on William Walton, otherwise there's no point. I'm not staking the arena's reputation on a cup of coffee and a pastrami on rye."

The man was obviously being hyperbolic. Alexandre felt pretty sure this wasn't the first time they'd pulled a stunt like this. Nevertheless, Alexandre gave it some careful thought. He had $150,000 left in his bank account. This would be a full third of that. Nevertheless, he also knew that one had to spend money to make it. "Alright, deal. I'll stake my $20,000 on the match. Where do I go for that?"

The man gave him directions to the betting booth and then warned, "Keep in mind that I can see the bookie's odds live. Don't try to pull a fast one on me or you'll have made an enemy you really don't want for your stay at this school. If I don't see the Chetan price rise by at least 1.5, I'll know you're fucking me!"

Alexandre nodded. "What do you think about my proposal to wear a hood? Will that be enough to keep people from knowing who I am?"

The organizer gave a nasty chuckle. "Not as sure of yourself as you were a minute ago, are you? Well, there's nothing to worry about. All the staff will do what I tell them and won't bat an eye. Regarding everyone else… well yeah, put something over your face. Thankfully for you, the arena disperses a pheromone concoction which blurs the Aurora system's perception function. Turns out the strongest Hunters don't want to give their rivals the opportunity to analyze all their capabilities during a duel!"

Alexandre nodded. He was glad to hear that the arena was competent enough to think all of this through. Then he stood and turned to leave, but the organizer called after him one last time.

"One more thing… Don't take this the wrong way, my young friend, but if you get caught by the Militia, me and the arena are denying the whole thing. You're just some asshole who pulled a fast one on us, understand?"

Alexandre gave him a contemptuous smirk. "I'm insulted that you felt the need to warn me again. Don't worry. Just watch the fight, then watch the money flow in." 

He left.