The Corporate Cycle
Welcome to my first (published) fanfic. If you are seeking drama, excitement, and semi-historical events in modern times, you have got it here in this story.
Please keep in mind that I will not focus on romance here. There will be a couple of chapters that will focus on the more personal lives of some characters, and quite likely there will be romance, but do note that I do not intend to make it my sole interest. The primary story is going to be a whole heap of genres mixed together so I will quite likely not stick to one genre in particular.
As this is a modern version of The Three Kingdoms War, there will be differences due to the time gap. The main ones are:
1) Kingdoms = corporations. That's how I always saw it, so I'm sticking with it.
2) No style names are to be in use. As much as they are used in the olden times, from the little Chinese knowledge that I do have, they are not in use in modern times, or at the very least they are extremely rare. If any are in use, it's because I've turned it into a nickname. I will try and make sure there is a difference between the two if I do use it.
3) Battles are very rarely going to be fought as ACTUAL battles. There will be few that are fought as such, but the focus is more on the espionage and sneakiness of the companies more than anything. That WILL mean the more martial characters like Lü Bu will likely have more distinct changes than others to reflect this.
And finally,
4) Every character will be written in somewhere but not EVERY character will be portrayed as the newest games do (in the time I'm writing, Dynasty Warriors 8: XL). Examples will include Sun Shangxiang's original tomboy attitude, Zhang He is not so ambiguously, potentially gay (as fun as it is), the Guan siblings are NOT just suck ups to their father etc. I will, however, try to fit in the modern DLC as much as possible but the more ridiculous ones will probably not show up (I'm looking at you, Lifeguard Huang Gai, and especially at you, Ice skating Guan Suo.)
I do not have much knowledge on Chinese history so if anybody could give me some random tidbits involving the playable characters in the series or just a general history lesson of the time period, I would appreciate it.
Final warning: I have a preference for Shu and my favourite character hails from that kingdom. I will TRY not to let this bias affect my writing, but if it does, I apologise in advance. This story is meant to portray all of the kingdoms as neutral as possible and if I fail that, feel free to let me know. I do not mind critical reviews.
Chapter 1: The fall of the Han
History spoke of the rise of fall of man, but in today's society, it rose and fell in such a quick rate that any company worth its merit would be able to barely stand the test of time for more than a century. Here, we are in modern day China, in a period of time where the country continues to be led by communist politics, but little did people knew that despite the various political figures that ruled the various regions and states of the country, there was only one true leader of the country: Han Co.
The Han Corporation was the biggest local business in the country, rivalling that to the biggest foreign companies in the entire world, and while the actions of the company alone helped those who were in need of help as well as helping the country's economic growth sore, behind the scenes they secretly manipulated the government to help itself and other supporting companies in growing bigger and bigger in size.
That did not necessarily mean that Han Co. was necessarily an evil company. On the contrary, they pooled no less than a quarter of their profits into helping the needy, along with setting up a website that decreased the time in shipping process which would greatly help the import and export of materials into the country, giving the website the nickname of 'New Silk Road'. They set up various charities, helping fund many hospitals and schools and police. They were a ruthless business, but that did not mean that they were heartless, for they were aware that their decisions affect the country.
But it would, as those who ruled over long and long ago, be destroyed from within.
The Board of Directors, nicknamed as 'eunuchs' in the newspapers, got greedy with power, to the point that all those who wished them ill would be quietly executed; no one, not even their families, would hear from them again. But this information was leaked, and soon, it was whispered about the corruption inside of Han co. and profits for the company quickly fell. Of course this matched the increase in spending the Board of Directors used on various luxuries outside of work.
It was only until a series of protests by a Taoist group, led by Zhang Jiao alongside his two brothers, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang that truly changed things. Little did they understand that these actions would lead to the downfall of the Han. These protests were many and often became violent, and due to the amount of people wearing yellow scarves and turbans, it soon became known throughout the world as the 'Yellow Turban rebellion'. It was, however, not to last long.
The CEO of Han co. had quickly called for various officials and officers to fight these forces and the followers of the Yellow Turbans quickly fell, but not without a cost. This attack on the protesters had cost an extravagant amount of money, which didn't help the company's declining profits. Buildings got damaged, neighborhoods worsened in quality, and the remaining followers who were still alive became bandits and hackers, stealing whatever they can from Han co. and effectively shortened the budget even further. But it was only after the death of the CEO that the corporation began its final descent into bankruptcy.
He Jin shortly fought the eunuchs in a power struggle, and while the eunuchs fought back, it was only after He Jin called his ally, Yuan Shao, to burn the eunuchs in their headquarters and effectively rid of the eunuchs for good. But it was these events that would start the age of corruption, for there still needed to be a new CEO, and the will of Liu Hong—previous CEO of the Han corporation—stated that his son were to inherit his company. Yet the son was still too young, so from this one man would become the 'caretaker' of the young to-be CEO, using him as a foothold to take over the main Headquarters in Luoyang.
This caretaker is Dong Zhou. And thus…began a rule of tyranny which would lead to a turf battle of the centur—
"Pff, hahahahahahahaha." Liu Bei looked at Zhang Fei with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Liu Bei, but that story is too much."
"Agreed," replied Guan Yu. "You make the story sound as if it happened centuries ago in the days of old instead of the dawn of last month."
"Well give me some credit, you both seemed to enjoy hearing me and my voice wither away." Liu Bei, in exaggerated movements, took a swig of wine from his glass. A quiet but prominent chuckle came from the other two, who watched as Liu Bei's lips turned a lush crimson red not uncommonly found in lipstick.
Zhang Fei had earlier invited Guan Yu and Liu Bei to his villa in the countryside. His harvest of wine grapes, which he had been tending to in between being outsourced to various laborious jobs around China and drinking what remains of last years' harvest, had bloomed and he had asked the two to join him in tasting the first new batch of wine he had distilled from his pickings. Of course, he had already drunk a fair amount by the time the two men located his farm but they shared in the revelry and soon began to tell stories. Liu Bei was giving an update on the current scenario revolving around Han Co. before he was so rudely interrupted, he thought.
"Then perhaps you should tell a different story next time. I think we ALL know that story already. Remember? We were there for the Yellow Turbans." A humorous tone and manner of speaking snuck in as Zhang Fei took a large gulp of wine. "Aah, today was a good harvest, huh." Liu Bei did not reply right away, instead opting to smirk evilly at his comrade before speaking.
"Then how about I make up another one then? Once upon a time, there lived a drunkard named Zhang Fei…" As Guan Yu and Liu Bei laughed uproariously, Zhang Fei only stared at the two. He began to regret inviting the two of them to his farm and he especially regretted handing out the wine that HE had to make just days ago from his own produce and his own machines. No appreciation for good wine, he thought, and no appreciation for old comrades.
"That's not funny." He replied weakly, but he couldn't help but laugh along.
After the laughter quieted down, a feeling of peace and wistfulness overcame the trio. The peaches in the garden were blossoming, the flowers were in full bloom, and the gentle breeze caressed all those exposed to the light. If this was not heaven itself, it was a pretty close description. From this, Liu Bei wondered about something, something that he felt would benefit all of them. The three of them, who have joined forces by fate and bound together by destiny, are souls who are united by the same desire, the same courage to meet this threat head on. The hovering thought in his mind was a proposition that he wished to make earlier, but he didn't have the time nor the bond, he felt, that would make Guan Yu and Zhang Fei agree to this. His time is now, for it will be soon before the three of them will most likely be hired for another job, separated by the constraints that work held on people. He had to do it now. But he lacked the courage to say it out aloud…if he was sober. Three glasses of wine more than helped build his self-confidence.
"Why don't we…no, never mind."
"Aw, come on now. What's on your mind?" Zhang Fei inquired.
"Yes, you must speak up." Guan Yu added.
"It is just…sigh. This peace is what I truly wish for. I miss it dearly. But I am afraid that it won't last long if this…conflict is to go on. Which is why…I ask of you two to join me."
"Join you?!" They both said in astonishment.
"Like a partnership, like comrades, like..."
"Like brothers?" Guan Yu asked. Liu Bei stared vacantly, as if searching for an answer. He soon answered with a simple nod.
"Like brothers." He agreed earnestly, a faint but honest smile forming from his lips.
Zhang Fei chuckled in reply. "Brother…That sounds good to me. Okay, brother. What'cha got?"
"Zhang Fei, I was merely joking at the suggestion of brotherhood." Despite himself, Guan Yu found himself laughing. "But I do admit that it is a good idea. I would've thought, however, that there would've been a bigger ceremony."
"Then I propose a toast." As Liu Bei said so, he raised his glass, high above his head. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu raised their glasses as well. "Although our surnames may be different, we have come together as brothers. From this day forward, we shall join forces for a common purpose: to save the troubled and to aid the endangered. We merely hope to be together, until the ends of time. May the Gods of Heaven and Earth attest to what is in our hearts. If we should ever do anything to betray our friendship, may heaven and the people of the earth both strike us dead."
As the men clinked their glasses together, they stared at each other, all baring smiles on their faces.
For the first time since the conflict started, the three men began to felt true peace. With a grin still glued on his face, Zhang Fei continued, "OK, now that that's done, how about I tell you the tale of this employer of mine. So. Apparently he…"
_
Hundreds of kilometers away, the employee, after hearing the message, rushed through the building to the top floor but he stopped at the office of his boss. Normally, he didn't dare to enter or even look at it if given the opportunity to be up at this level, but he was left with no choice. As soon as he joined this company on the advice of his uncle, he became the resident lap dog, doing all the odd jobs in the building. That included being the messenger for the CEO, a man with a reputation for seeking talent with a disregard for personality all together. He was shady, but far from mysterious. He was reported to have been hanging around celebrities, politicians, you name it. He had the strangely Western attitude which could be quickly summed up as 'I don't care as long as it benefits me', and it was probably this that scared a lot of people, including the employee himself. This was probably why his hand was shaking as he tried (and failing) to latch his hand onto the doorknob. Nevertheless, with a surge of willpower, he slowly opened the door. Inside, his boss was studying a document with curious fascination.
"U-um, news for you, sir."
"Hmm?" The man rose from his seat, and now was inspecting the newcomer. After a second of observation, he dismissed him as nobody important. No doubt this lap dog will forever be a lap dog, with not even the slightest interest in standing up for himself, he thought. He could tell; it practically radiated from his quivering body. Nevertheless, the fact that a man like him arrived meant that there must be something important enough for his emergence. It also must have been bad enough that they purposely sent this man instead of his usual messenger to deliver this news. He would have felt pity for this quivering lump of fat and various wastes had there not be more important matters to attend to. "What do you want?" He said sternly.
"T-this." He mumbled, waiving a letter. "M-my superior said that he found something. Told me to tell you that 'the pig is soon up for the slaughterhouse' or something like that…"
Eyebrows raised, the CEO swiftly took the letter from the still-shaking hand of his employee. It was sad to see such a cowardly man to be in such a position, so he quickly moved his hand to dismiss him. Eyeing the letter, he turned it to its back and found a stamp. A blue stamp, one which he specifically advised to his supporters as one only used for 'emergencies or situations of the utmost importance', as he himself had told them. This better be good, he mumbled in his mind.
He read the contents of the letter and he couldn't help but chuckle a little. Perfect. His plan was going to bear fruit, and he wanted to be there when the juice was being squeezed. He smiled sinisterly as he continued to read the letter, detailing the plans for the attack. The target was going to pay a surprisingly rare visit from his more-than-luxurious condo to the poor wretched souls he called 'employees' at his main head quarters. Along with him was the successor to the Han Corporations, who wouldn't dare be within a km of the target if his enterprise wasn't falling from the corruption scandal. Still, even though the corporations were crumbling as he speaks—or thinks in this case, that man still had the assets from it, and they were beyond enormous. It was two birds with one stone.
"B-boss?" Cao Cao shook his head. He forgot that he left the errand boy standing there while he was coming up with the plan of attack.
"You may go." Cao Cao commanded. The man wasted no time in getting as far away as possible—he was practically running at the speed he was heading for the door which was only 5 metres away at most. Disregarding the speedy exit of his employee, he set about his course of plan. But one thought triumphed out of all, and it was one that he had since forgotten but was now readdressed with the sudden departure of the messenger. He should have kept it in the recesses of his mind, but it drew him in as he vocalised his thought, silently, to no one but himself. He needed to be careful, however. No one must know what he is to do next.
Silently, he opened a website on his computer. If his timing was correct, it will appear soon. After refreshing a few times, a new link was found. He hovered over the link for a few seconds before clicking.
A video appeared, bright colours overtaking all dullness from the previous webpage.
"Do you want to join us on a magical adventure?" An energetic voice from the computer enquired, the speakers pumping away at a low decibel.
"Yeah! Let's go." Another cute voice said.
"OK then. Let's go, to the land of magic and wonder."
Cao Cao smiled broadly, as he hummed to the theme song of 'Pinkie: The Rainbow Cloud Pixie of Miracles'.
_
Sorry, I couldn't help but end the story on a light, humorous note. For those who wanted drama, they will get it in future chapters.
Oh, and sorry for any Cao Cao fans I might've offended. Trust me when I say that he will not be the only one.
