"The Vanya clan has somehow cleared their banking debt with an unexpected injection of shadow credit, Richter, and I need you to coordinate a staged labor strike at Beatrice main foundry right now to ensure her remaining industrial production capabilities are completely paralyzed before she can retaliate."
The voice on the other end of the receiver belonged to one of Richter’s most trusted informants within the lower industrial districts, a man who lived and breathed the soot and fire of the iron works. Richter stood beneath the flickering gaslight of a damp alleyway, his face partially obscured by the heavy collar of his coat. He listened to the frantic instructions with a calm, analytical patience, his mind already dissecting the logistical weaknesses of the Beatrice iron foundry. By p
