PACIFIC DASH by Nairene Chet

Author:Nairene, Chet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Banana Leaf Books
Published: 2021-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

All that week I sat in the Mega-Star sales office, hypnotized watching the busy forecourt through the glass. Vehicles continuously streamed in and out, nearly all bearing Singapore plates and driven by Chinese families, Tamils, Malay truck drivers, even Sikhs in turbans. This unending procession past Little Fatty’s gas pumps seemed unexceptional at first glance but was a thing of true commercial beauty. He was turning a profit on every liter sold!

I began to absorb gas station basics and was surprised how, rather than boring, it was actually fun in a way. Like learning a new game. I enjoyed bantering with the staff. Most were slight and dark-complexioned, illegal immigrants from Sumatra who clearly found interesting this pink foreign friend of the big boss. The women were generally demure but at times brazen and locked eyes with me in a hot gaze, perhaps floating an offer. Needing no warning of potential complications down that road, I would just smile back and look away.

One afternoon I sat in the air-conditioned sales office and watched Singaporeans pumping money into Fatty's bank account. He surprised me.

"Okay, Dash, I think you're now ready to meet my partner."

"Ah, the mysterious negotiator?"

"Ha. Yes, but it's no joke. He does a lot more than that. You don't think I achieved Mega-Star all by myself, did you?"

Well yes, actually, I did.

"But Fatty, why complicate things with a partner? I mean look at this place! Banks will give you as much money as you need!"

"You Americans!" He shook his head. "Not always just about money, lah! Partners bring much more to the table."

"For instance ...?"

"Take this land for instance. Do you think it was easy to acquire?"

"If you had the money."

"But everybody has money, Dash. That's not special." He sighed and gave me another pitiful look. "And now, so many would like to steal this jewel. My partner helps protect it."

"Steal, how? You own it, right?"

He feigned disbelief and took a deep breath. "So many, too many ways to steal it. Any government official, even small fry from some tiny local office, can issue harsh new regulations and threaten the business. The lowest agent from the roads department can order constant pavement repairs out front. Block all my customers! Or heavy taxes can be levied. What if some ambitious immigration officer swoops down and raids me, takes away all my workers? There are endless legal ways (or otherwise) to force me out."

I was shocked. Could governmental power be wielded so easily here for personal gain? Did this sort of thing happen everywhere, or did Southeast Asia perhaps have some special competence in such black arts? The message hit me hard and again reminded me: I had a lot to learn.

Little Fatty was on a roll and kept tutoring.

"And that's just the government. Local gangsters might also desire Mega-Star. They can visit and destroy our equipment. A bomb! Or sometimes the owner-operator can die in a suspicious traffic accident, or maybe fall from a great height, eh? And there's always the straight-out shooting of an owner at his station.

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