Next day.
"Mr. Derek, you know many people in the showbiz industry, even if you worked from a smaller city than this one," Tristan said, gesturing at the view of Los Angeles outside the window. "Help me with something, please."
He had approached the manager during his breakfast. Nel was still asleep, but Derek was an early bird.
Derek smiled.
"It's my job to help you with everything I can, Mr. Gemello. Well... At least until it's related to your art!" He chuckled. "Although even if it's something personal, I'd love to help. I can argue to my boss that your art will only suffer if you are stressed from personal problems."
Tristan grinned and waved his hand dismissively.
"It's not a problem, exactly. You know a rapper called Big Rocket? I want to meet him, but I don't even know where he will be next night. And if I just write to him, he won't even read, I know it."
Derek blinked.
"Big Rocket? Yes, I've heard of him... I didn't think you were interested in his music."
"I'm not."
Derek stared at Tristan. Tristan stared back. A few silent seconds later, Derek coughed and looked away.
"I see, I see. Well, I will do what I can, but don't expect much, Mr. Gemello. As this is a personal matter, I can only help you personally, after all."
Tristan smiled and dug into the remains of his half-finished breakfast.
"That's alright, Mr. Derek. That's all I ask."
***
While Derek did Tristan a favor, alongside his other duties, Tristan continued to spread his web on the streets. With information from some lower-ranked gangsters, he found contacts of people higher in the food chain.
All that was left is to set up a meeting and give these people an offer they can't refuse.
This was all a part of Tristan's plan, although not one he told the other underbosses and Leon Clavon.
First, he will find all he can about the underworld of LA and Big Rocket's dealings with Cuatro Angulos.
Second, he will enlist and unite several local gangs, using the influence of the King Lion Gang as leverage. (And possibly calling in more people from Tristan's home city if necessary.)
Third, he will establish or conquer local sources of income. For himself, not for the King Lion Gang.
Fourth, Tristan will return to Leon Clavon triumphantly and with enough weight behind him that Leon Clavon will have to become his equal partner in leading the gang.
Or even a subordinate.
As if he read the plans in Tristan's mind and wanted to help him out, Derek brought him the information Tristan wanted only a day later—faster than Tristan expected.
"People say that Big Rocket will show up as a VIP guest and a DJ at the exclusive party at 'Urban Mirage' nightclub, among a number of other celebrities. I'd say you could meet him there, Mr. Gemello, but this party is invite-only, and will happen in only two days. I'm unsure it'd be easy to get an invitation in even two weeks—much less two days! This is impossible."
Derek sighed and brushed a speck of dust from his purple and white checkered suit.
"In this industry, you really can't move far without knowing the right people."
Tristan hummed sympathetically, but inwardly he was smiling already.
"Thank you, Mr. Derek. It might not be much, but it's just what I needed. Don't worry, I promise to not act like a stalker and wait for him somewhere near the club's premises... Ha-ha-ha!"
Derek jolted, as if the idea had only just come to his head.
"Please, don't! I didn't say this so you would!"
Tristan grinned.
[Voice control: 811]
[Stage presence: 763]
[Playing piano: 801]
[Video editing: 217]
[Styling: 506]
[Playing flute: 1]
[Playing violin: 1]
[Sneaking: 844]
[Close-quarters combat: 1224]
[Observation: 1426]
[Driving: 618]
[Pickpocketing: 533]
[Firearms shooting: 816]
[Athletics: 419]
[Treating injuries: 201]
[Lockpicking: 1]
[Combat analysis: 505]
[Hacking: 1406]
[Governing: 454]
[Torture: 1]
[Logistics: 4]
[Forgery: 1]
[===Talents===]
[Clark Kent Effect] [Sleepless] [Clean Hands] [Bullet Time] [Hypnotic Voice] [Sight Awareness] [Electronic Sight Awareness] [Ambidextrous]
[======]
With small increases of skills and stats, plus his last rank increase, he had a lot of points.
Now Tristan took a thousand of them and...
[Ding!]
[Hacking skill increased from 1406 to 2406.]
Grinning at the feeling of knowledge that poured into his head, Tristan flexed his fingers.
This was going to be hard. He didn't have the time to inject people's computers with his Beholder trojan and wait for them to type their passwords in.
Instead, he was going to hack someone's account directly and add himself to the list of invites!