The three of them came out of the room, and from some way off saw four people in uniform standing there, sizing up the shop.
"Is this the outfit that calls itself Galaxy Technology, or whatever it is? Not much of an operation, is it. Cramped little place. Can you even call this a company?"
Delaney said it scornfully, looking all around him. Of every company he had come across that day, this was the sorriest.
"Inspector Delaney, this is a start-up. It was founded not long ago, and its president is a young man of eighteen. And besides the president, the manager and the other senior people under him are two more young men. The name is grand, but that's all there is to it."
A man with the look of a secretary leaned in to say it. He was reasonably well informed on this sort of thing.
"Oh, is that so. And do these young men have any personal dealings with those people? Any business together?"
Delaney asked it as though the question had only just occurred to him.
The secretarial man beside him knew perfectly well what he meant, and answered, "They do have a few pieces of business newly under way. From what I was able to find out, the arrangement came out of the Quillon family's banquet, so I should think there's nothing behind it connecting them to those people."
"Ah. I see."
Delaney nodded. Now that he had the lay of the land, he had already decided how he would play the next few minutes.
"Let's hope this company sees its way to something for our trouble. It isn't easy work, for us lads."
"Quite so, quite so."
While they were talking, Vance and the other two came up to meet them.
"Good day, officers. I'm the man in charge here. Vance."
Vance stepped forward and put out a hand, his face all modesty as he said it.
"Ahem. Yes, we know."
Delaney cleared his throat and did not take the hand, keeping his chin up and looking over the things inside the shop instead.
"Heh heh. Is there official business that brings you here today, officers? Anything you need from us?"
Vance was not embarrassed in the least. He drew his hand back and asked it.
"Of course there's business. What else would bring us to a place like this?" one of the men beside Delaney said loudly.
"Yes, of course. Officers, do come through to the office — it's untidy out here."
Ambrose, seeing how things stood, spoke up as well.
"Very well, we'll explain it to you. This is an important matter. The order came down from Chief Xander of Celadon City, and it concerns Team Rocket!"
Ambrose and the other two led the way, and the party went into the office.
Once they were all seated, tea was brought in.
"This is good tea. President Vance must be making a fair bit of money, to put out something this good."
Delaney took a sip, set the cup down and said it with a chuckle.
"Not at all, not at all. We make just enough to pay for the effort. We've been open barely a month; we haven't even earned back what we put in."
Vance answered with a smile all over his face.
"Ahem. We're from the inspection team, and this is Inspector Delaney, who heads it. We're here to go through the businesses in the city, root out any group in league with Team Rocket and remove the danger to public safety."
The secretarial man made the introductions.
"I see. That's hard work, officers."
Hearing that, Vance had a fair idea of what they had come for.
"Running about for the safety of the public is only right. Now, to the point — you haven't been trading recently with anyone of unclear origin, or with any organization, I take it?"
"No, no, absolutely not. The three of us are law-abiding to a fault, honest citizens who support the League. Very honest citizens indeed."
Ambrose answered at once.
"Officers, I'll have a member of staff put together a sales list so you can see where the goods went. Nothing has been sold to any dark organization. Emery, go and print it, and print the tax records while you're at it." Vance said it looking at Emery.
"Right, right. Yes."
Emery got up and went out, and was soon back with several sets of documents, which he handed to two of them.
"Ahem. The destinations are properly accounted for, but these few items are still unclear. And these receipts — why is there a shortfall of five hundred thousand? What's the meaning of this?" One of them took the papers, looked them over and cleared his throat.
"Ah. My colleague may have printed the wrong copy. I'll go and print another one. If the officers would wait just a moment."
Vance said it cheerfully, and got up and went out.
"But that—" Emery's face was blank with confusion. He did not understand it at all, and had just opened his mouth to say something when a look from Vance stopped him, and he said nothing.
"Ambrose, keep the officers company."
"Right."
Vance left the room, printed the documents at the counter, then took out an unregistered bank card, transferred five hundred thousand into it, wrote the PIN on a small slip of paper and stuck it on, and slid the card in among the sheets.
When he came back to the room he found a smile on Ambrose's face and the men across from him talking loudly about something.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting so long, officers. Here are the documents, printed again. Please take a look."
One of them took them, opened them, saw the bank card inside, and a satisfied smile spread over his face.
"Mm, yes, that's more like it. Couldn't get it all sorted in one go, could you. Really." Then he looked at Delaney and said, "Chief, there's no problem here."
"No problem, then. Good. And my apologies as well. There was a Team Rocket attack outside the city a few days ago, and we had no choice but to come. Since there's no problem, we'll be on our way. There are a few more firms to look into."
Delaney stood up, as though in apology.
"Not at all, not at all. It's hard work for you, officers."
"Mm. Quite."
The party talked and laughed their way out to the front of the shop, and the moment Vance had seen the last of them off, the smile vanished from his face.
"Damn it, what a shakedown. Five hundred thousand gone in one go."
Ambrose said it as though he had toothache.
"Five hundred thousand? Gone where?"
Emery did not understand, and asked.
"Back when you were printing those documents." Seeing the look on his face, Ambrose rolled his eyes, and then explained.
"The set you printed and the set the boss printed were no different at all. Exactly the same. Only the boss's had something extra in it, and that's why there was no problem."
"Something extra — you mean the five hundred thousand? They came here to shake us down?"
Emery had it now. He had thought as much — how could there have been a mistake?
"Near enough."
Ambrose let out a breath as he said it.
"Five hundred thousand. That much. They've got some nerve."
Emery said angrily.
"Money lost is trouble spared. We're safe, and that's what matters. Besides, this isn't where we make our money."
Vance said it philosophically, and turned and walked back into the shop.
"Damn it, this League is rotten through and through. Bah."
Emery spat, and followed him in.
"Hey. If the League weren't rotten, nobody would be joining Team Rocket and the rest of them. Take it in your stride — this is the world as it stands."
"Hmph."
Shaken down for five hundred thousand, Vance's expression never changed. Five hundred thousand was half a month's takings, but as long as nobody was hurt, it was fine.