It seemed to happen over night one day there was only the Schnee dust company which had a monopoly on all dust exports there were some smaller companies but, ultimately there was only the SDC and now there was a second company that seemed to spring up out of nowhere in a forest that used to house thousands of Grim. The Grim had been taken care of in the area and now it seemed Kashima Dust Corporation was now a top competitor to the Schnee Dust Company. The difference between the two was the management style while the SDC wanted the faunus's to do most of the labour in the mines the KDC had decided that both humans and faunus's would work together in the mines. The working conditions were vastly superior than what was found in the Schnee mines along with the wages and benefits plans inside the Kashima mines. Another point was also the way a person was hired on in the upper parts of the corporation was that a persons merit and skills were taken into consideration regardless if they were human or faunus.
Another note was that Beacon was being given a vast quantity of dust for a rather reasonable rate in fact KDC seemed to be undercutting SDC by a vast margin. There were a couple of other places that had gotten a good quantity of Dust for a good rate like Shade and Mistral not quite the price Beacon was getting theres for but still better than what the SDC was selling though the two kingdoms still favoured the SDC for right now.
There were a few who paid attention to such an event one was Cinder as she could see the resentment delivered Jaques Schnee had for the KDC for simply being there it was childish when she thought about it. The KDC just pops to challenge the biggest dust company in the world and the person who is running it is smiling while the SDC's profits take a massive hit. She had to admit whoever was running the KDC was a person who was either brave or stupid but then another idea entered her head what if the person was toying with Jaques Schnee it didn't seem so smart but, for some reason it seemed like the only plausible idea.
Another person was the very person who was backing Cinder Fall and that was Salem she raised a brow at how fast the KDC came on the scene challenging one of the biggest dust suppliers a substance of very high value across the kingdoms and made to cut into their profits. She found the person to playing with the SDC as if saying you aren't the only one who can sell dust she had no doubt that Jaques was very angry at the moment in fact she heard he was going to visit the head of the KDC in a few days.
Weiss was sitting on her bed staring at her scroll seeing the latest numbers to the market and it looked like the KDC was standing almost equal if just a little behind the SDC.
"Hey Weiss kind of weird how that new company sprung up out of nowhere you know like magic." Ruby said to the white haired girl as she went over her homework.
"I'll say you'd think they'd try and be more subtle you know in the business world." Blake said reading her Ninja's and Love as the new company seemed like a dream come true to the Faunus Equal Rights Federation as they were given a donation from the company.
"It's all about image." Weiss said shrugging her shoulders as she thought about it she hadn't seen Naoki lately after he shared his story he seemed to disappear.
"I wonder what happened to Naoki though it's like he disappeared into thin air." Yang said as she read
Weiss' scroll beeped indicating that she was getting a call from her father she wondered what the could want with her she decided to answer it. "Weiss I'm going to meet with the head of the Kashima Dust Corporation you are to be in attendance with me." With that Jaques cut the call without Weiss giving a verbal answer.
"Wow asshole much." Yang said.
"Yang." Ruby shot at her sister.
"What it's true." Yang countered.
Sighing Weiss got up to go see the her father as he quite possibly tried to make another business rival fall into submission to him. She walked down the hallway as she heard footsteps behind her as she looked back she saw the rest of team RWBY fallowing.
"We were told to go with professor Ozpin to meet the head of the KDC for some reason." Blake clarified.
"Why would the headmaster want you to meet the head to a dust company their most likely some selfish bastard who doesn't know what hard work looks like." Weiss said.
"Odd words coming from you." Blake raised a brow.
"Believe it or not I took my training very seriously it was one of the few things I actually got to enjoy doing." Weiss admitted.
"Ah good you've arrived shall we meet the mysterious head to the second biggest dust company around." Ozpin said somewhat happy to get out of the office for a bit.
"Ready as we'll ever be." Ruby said as they all boarded the Bullhead and took off for the KDC main office building.
The building itself looked rather plain on the inside as it was on the outside the usual Lobby with a security desk elevators that took them to the top floor even the walls were plain with a reflective metal finish. Standing outside the office doors was Jaques Schnee as he was currently glaring at the secretary a faunus woman with bright red hair blue eyes and bright orange fox ears who was in a simple dress shirt tie and black skirt with black shoes and stockings.
"Honestly glaring at me isn't going to make any difference I am sitting here because mister Kashima hired me for the position." The woman sighed at the man.
"Jaques." Ozpin said catching the Schnee heads attention.
"Ozpin." Jaques greeted Ozpin a bit colder.
Then came the voices from beyond the door. "Honestly Naoki when you came to us with your business proposal I must admit that it seemed like a elaborate hoax." That voice Blake knew that voice very well and right now she wanted to be anywhere but standing outside the head office of the KDC.
"It's hard to find a human so willing to work with faunus these days." She recognized that voice to and Blake was about to dart for the elevator if it wasn't for Yang standing behind her.
"Thanks for inviting me along I never thought I'd rub shoulders with a big business guru like you." That was a voice one that both Ruby and Yang knew very well.
"Please I'm merely having a bit of fun now six ball corner pocket." That voice all of team RWBY and Ozpin knew as they heard the sound of a pool cue colliding with a ball and smacking into another as the very distinct sound of a one of the pool table pockets receiving an additional weight.
The doors opened and there in the middle of the room was a pool table with Naoki only looking more human without the tattoos, horn, and yellow eyes instead were grey he was wearing a black hoodie with dark grey jeans and black runners.
"Ah it seems we have company." Naoki said in amusement.
"Blake." Kali Belladona said having recognized her daughter.
"Hi mom." Blake said sheepishly.
"Yang, Ruby." Taiyang greeted with a proud grin.
"Dad." Both Ruby and Yang yelled in both happiness and surprise.
Everyone in the room was crowded around the pool table with cue's in their hands Ghira Belladonna came around to get a good look at his daughter who seemed to want to run like hell at the moment. "Blake I'm glad your safe." Ghira said as the stress of not knowing how well his daughter was doing eased away and seemed to make Blake feel a bit better.
"Ah good everyone's here then." Naoki said. "Shall we continue speaking about business or would you all like a moment to catch up with your family."
"I think business would be more suited now." Jaques said trying to drive a wedge in the happy atmosphere. "I believe you should quit while you're ahead boy or else you will know the full might of the Schnee families power."
"Honestly Jaques you could do to pull that god damned stick that was lodged up your ass a long time ago out then again you weren't born a Schnee you married into it." Naoki said as Jaques was becoming equally annoyed with this boy. "Then again pissing you off is all the more fun for me I have no doubt that this meeting is being spied upon either by some underground public media franchise or one of the undercover reporters who most likely snuck cams in my office as they were cleaning it. Good work guys you definitely earned your money also take a look at who is in the room with me we have Ghira Belladonna his wife both supporters of Faunus rights something I think you are aware of as White Fang splintered from them. Next we have Ruby and Yangs father a former huntsman that used to work for Ozpin at one point in time and last but, not least your daughter whom you are thinking is becoming to willful now." Naoki said with a fond smile admiring Weiss's ambitions.
"Do you honestly think you can outmaneuver me outlast me." Jaques said his fists balled in anger as he was looking at this boy who most likely didn't understand how the business world works.
"Oh Jaques I am well aware of the dirty pool you are capable of the only problem now is that White Fang is so pissed at you they would much rather see you squirm so they'll steal from you more than me." Naoki pointed out while Jaques would make the usual proposal that would lead to comfortable lifestyle Naoki just seemed not to give a shit about the mans power or the one he believed he had.
"And just how do you think you'll fair when the rest of the world realizes that the KDC is being run by a mere child who looks like he dropped out of school." Jaques glared at the boy.
"Honestly a dip in profits nothing I don't think that it will matter much besides I have other areas in which I wish to invest in." Naoki said lining up a shot with the pool cue.
"Not if I tell them not to buy from you." Jaques smiled coldly at the boy feeling like he had him.
"You still aren't seeing the picture are you once are you as you can see professor Ozpin the headmaster of Beacon is in the room as well the kingdom of Vale will need Dust from a reliable source one that not every Faunus for all there worth hates them for and I have sold my Dust at a very reasonable rate." Naoki said.
"So you're hoping to make Beacon your only customer." Jaques shook his head at the folly of the boy.
"Oh hardly they will be my biggest customer however there are thousands of smaller settlements that will need Dust for a number of things which will make up for both Shade and Mistral going back to SDC." Naoki said with a smile.
"I doubt they'll take you seriously." Jaques looked on as if he were a predator eyeing prey oh how wrong he was.
"Oh they already do I'm afraid you see I have guaranteed the villages run by Faunus's support just by having Ghira here and after our business takes off I think I might just yank the other two kingdoms back from your power." Naoki smiled clearly enjoying playing with his food.
"We shall see." Jaques left as he passed team RWBY he looked at Weiss.
"She's here with her team." Ozpin clarified as the man left a bit hotter under the collar than when he came in.
"Did you have to antagonize him like that." Ozpin asked the Demi Fiend.
"Yes, yes I did it was just way to much fun I couldn't resist." Naoki smiled at the headmaster not feeling sorry at all.
"You do realize that he's going to try and make your life a living hell." Weiss said only to get a look from Naoki. "Listen Naoki try to be careful he can be very underhanded."
"Well that's good cause he isn't going to like what I'm about to publicly announce in the next few days I just wonder which part of it he will hate more." Naoki grinned darkly which for some reason Yang found scary and sexy at the same time.
"Honestly you have to be crazy to take on Jaques Schnee however seeing the man get taken down a peg was just way to good a sight to see." Ghira admitted as his wife lightly hit his arm with a wistful grin.
"So how have you girls been doing Beacon treating you alright." Tai said to team RWBY.
"Oh yeah dad it's great though I am surprised that Naoki is the head of the Kashima Dust Corporation." Ruby admitted.
"You shouldn't be as my last name is Kashima." Naoki said.
"Right and how did you?" Yang began. "Know what never mind I get the feeling that it's crazy freaky magic thing you can do."
"Oh Yang somedays it's hard to resist those bad girl charms of yours." Naoki flirted lightly.
"Just admit it you missed me." Yang said smiling at the boys flirt.
"True still though shall we finish up our game and get back to business." Naoki said lining up another shot on the pool table.
It happened in the next few days as a brand new company sprung up Kashima Industries was a major weapons manufacturer along with some vehicles it was a sister company to the KDC. The next bit was the new mines that had been set up for Dust harvesting which to the surprise of everyone was mostly run and operated by Faunus's even the office buildings had mostly Faunus's working in them. The last thing the head of Kashima Dust Corporation announced that at the moment of Naoki's death or disappearance the company would be run by Winter Schnee.
Winter was standing watching the news broadcast as she just couldn't believe it that someone was setting her up to take over a Dust Company that was in direct opposition to her families or namely her fathers way of business.
"I will admit when I saw it the first time I thought someone was joking but seeing it now well it seems Naoki Kashima is doing everything in his power to piss Jaques off." General Ironwood said as he had to give the boy points for his bravery.
"Sir I had no idea." Winter began only for James to stop her.
"Honestly Winter do you really think you would have kept something like that to yourself that special bottle of wine you keep would have been open in a heartbeat." James said.
"Sir this won't get in the way of my duties." Winter clarified getting back into position.
"I know it won't cheeky bastard isn't he." General Ironwood smiled at the boy's ambition.
Salem watched the footage to with some interest a smile blossoming on her lips at the audacity that Naoki would no doubt Jaque's would try and use Winter to take over the company for the SDC. However Winter was no longer an Heiress and that was a big problem because number one he couldn't control her like he wanted to and number two well Salem doubted she would just let her father ruin her families name more than already has.
"Quite ambitious isn't he my lady." Tyrian said.
"Indeed he is we're going to have to be careful with him but I think things are about to get interesting." Salem said as the news continued it's broadcast.