Arknights - Hearts of Fortune collection

Pandora's box

Columbia, inside a Café.

"Shocking developments from Iberia today," The small TV in the corner of the Café announced. "Reports of an unexplained attack, possibly linked to Reunion terrorism. Witnesses in Sentinel, a quaint sedentary town, describe fire and explosions ripping through the only skyscraper, a hotel. The Iberian penal battalion—"

"Seems like Iberia's stirring up quite the commotion," a deep voice interrupted.

I glanced up from my paper to see a burly Perro man sitting across the table. He wore a simple brown trench coat, and the most defining features of his body are his scar in the right cheek and his glasses.

"Aren't you Iberian, Mr. Valor?" The man continued as he put his briefcase on the table.

"Indeed I am. Looks like a rough day at work, isn't it, Senator?"

"Indeed...imagine having to sit through a 10-hour-long filibuster." He sighs, "You're doing better, I assume?"

I put down the newspaper and took a sip of the coffee I ordered beforehand, "not much greater than yours. I just arrived in Columbia yesterday."

"You seem to like Columbia very much. Immigration sees that you've entered this country at least 10 times this year," he flashed a brief smile. "Ever considered a Columbian citizenship?"

"I'll think about it. But let's talk business, yes?" I straightened my posture and laid back slightly. "How did it go?"

The Senator mirrored my movements and sighed before answering, "The filibuster I mentioned earlier gave us a minor setback. But the bill won't be blocked, it won't fail."

"Good. Looks like I'm getting worried over nothing," I smirked. "Since you kept your end of the bargain, I'll keep my end. There's going to be a drop in stock value for a company called 'AstraCare'. I'd suggest buying a couple hundred thousand shares."

"AstraCare?" He raised an eyebrow. "The company that filed for bankruptcy a few days ago?"

"Correct. Recently I bought it for dirt cheap. Tell me, do you know what they do?"

"Medicine. They work in medicine as the name obviously suggests." The Senator crossed his arms.

"That's right. And I don't know if the rest of the population knows this, as I'm sure your government wants to keep this a secret for a little while longer. An unknown type of virus outbreak in the frontier territories," I stated. "Surely, that pandemic wouldn't just stop at the frontier. Your pioneers would find a way to break quarantine and go back to core cities. And by then, boom. A pandemic."

"You're saying you intend to monopolize on this for profit?" The Senator widened his eyes in recognition.

"Not profit, Senator," I corrected. "Merely ensuring a fair return on investment. Producing the vaccine will be cost-effective once we identify the virus strain. And with the 'Freedom of Pricing Act' I've been lobbying for, I can set prices as I see fit."

He paused, "Wouldn't that risk driving customers away to competitors? AstraCare isn't a major player in the market."

"Ah, but they will be," I smiled. "Once the pandemic hits, demand will skyrocket, and other companies will face shortages. Fortunately, I've secured suppliers who are willing to provide me with the necessary resources at a reasonable cost."

"Hmm... What did you say before? A couple hundred thousand shares, huh? I'll buy them. Hopefully you are not wrong in your judgement, for your sake."

I smiled, "Rest assured, you will not regret it. And I assume that's the thing I asked for?" I glanced my eyes over to the briefcase.