The cameraman, who Felix had failed to catch the introduction for, fell in next to Sean and immediately began asking questions.
Jessica slid up next to Felix and looked at him. “That leaves you with me. I don’t even see any of your minders nearby,” she said, looking around at the bodyguards. “Only your security.”
They’d discussed previously that it’d probably be better if none of his inner circle were here. It’d create a better opportunity for the reporter to think she got information out of Felix directly.
“Ah, yes. They had other duties they couldn’t get out of. That’s the problem with an ever-expanding corporation. Always more work, never enough hands,” Felix said with a grin for the Beastkin.
She smiled back, revealing her canines. They were a bit longer than average, he thought, but then again, Beastkin weren’t humans.
Thankfully he didn’t have to deal with the problems behind the issue of race in Legion. Legion was a complete meritocracy. Species didn’t matter.
“I’ll take that as me getting lucky with you. So, Felix—can I call you Felix?” she asked.
Sean, the cameraman, and the other reporter were moving forward now on the tour.
“You can at that. Honestly, I’d prefer it, Jessica,” Felix said, deciding to help perpetuate whatever false assumptions she and her station would make from all of this.
“With the campus complete, and the approvals now in your favor, what’s your next step?” Jessica asked. She moved her hand to hover beneath his chin, a hand-held recorder in her grasp and recording.
“Our next step? With the college? We’ll be working to increase our student body size. We’ve already hired an entire faculty. From president to groundskeepers,” Felix said. Sean was leading them across an open area. It had a number of tables, benches, and seating areas.
“Yes, we’ve heard about that. There’s been a lot of complaining lately from other colleges,” Jessica said.
Felix chuckled at that. “I imagine. We went around and offered some of their best professors a job. So long as their demands were within reason, they were met. This institution will strive to have the best of the best in all departments,” Felix admitted.
“That isn’t limited to just education though, is it?”
“No. No it isn’t. We made sure to hire leading collegiate coaches.”
“My understanding is that you hired a number of them.”
“Football, soccer, baseball, basketball. We did hire the appropriate coaches and support staff for each.”
“And you made the same offer to them that you did the professors?”
“We did. Though the coaches asked for more facility and resource type of things.”
“That’s all rather interesting, but I can’t imagine it being very profitable. In fact, from everything we gather, tuition will be almost nothing. That it’ll actually be affordable, provided a student is granted a seat.”
“You’re right about tuition. And no, this whole thing is not profitable, and likely won’t be. At all,” Felix said while laughing. “At least, not for a long while. Thankfully Legion is a private company, and I own all of it. Every loss is my loss. This year is going to be brutal for the bottom line. But worth it.”
Jessica didn’t say anything to that, but instead shifted her hand, re-angling the microphone.
He got what she wanted, and decided to give her it.
“I believe in the youth of our country. Tilen will be the first to go through this campus, but not the last. There is no expense so great that it would make the education of the next generation not worth it. Have you seen how much debt these kids are being saddled with as they head into the real world? It’s unimaginable. They won’t be paying that off any time soon. If ever.”
“Why put so much effort into educating them, if their first three years in the real world must be spent in Legion? Isn’t that part of their tuition agreement?”
“It is. And those three years will be paid at market parity. They’ll earn a healthy living, gain real world experience, and be given a job immediately after they graduate. Name any other college that can do that.”
“That’s a fair point. I can’t. Between you and me though, Felix,” Jessica said, her arm brushing up against his as she lifted her hand to his chin again. “What’s next for you?”
There it is, and here we go.
Felix wrapped a hand around Jessica’s hand and stared into her eyes.
“Let’s talk off the record for a minute. A little quid pro quo conversation, and a contract between you and me.”
Chapter 14 - Discrimination -
“—Campbell is indeed running for governor,” said Jessica. On the screen, footage of the campus was rolling as Jessica gave her report.
“In fact, when I questioned him about that decision, he admitted that it was all due to the prison breakout. He told me the story of how his Legion security forces spent the better part of an entire day and night bringing order to the situation.
“I did some fact checking after my interview with him. Everything he said was exactly as was reported by the National Guard. I took some time to speak with residents in the area as well, and they had nothing but praise for Felix and his Legion.
“By all reports, both official and unofficial, Legion held the line and protected the citizens. Brought order to the situation. And ended what looked like it could destroy a good portion of the city.”
The television switched to Jessica sitting behind a desk, smiling into the camera.
“As a Beastkin, and knowing how Legion works, I can’t deny I’m curious to see how Felix will do in his bid for governor. Back to y—”
Felix turned off the screen on his phone and looked back to the crowd of students all flooding into the campus.
“And she got a promotion out of it,” Kit said into his earpiece.
“Good for her. And good for us. That story was everything we wanted and more. That’s some extreme level exposure for our college, and my run for governor,” Felix said.
“Speaking of your bid for governor. The racists are already lining up to crucify you. Your relationship with Andrea, and endorsement from Jessica, has put them on the other side of us. Of course, they don’t call it racism. Amounts to the same thing in the end,” Kit said. “And then there’s the fact that you own slaves.”
Felix could only nod at that. With so many races running around of every different flavor under the sun, there was no question about intermingling.
The larger issue was that people couldn’t escape mentalities of inferiority or superiority.
It all went back to the simple fact that some races were better at things than others. Like an all-Beastkin baseball team.
As a rule, humans were fairly average at all things. Elves, Beastkin, Trolls, Ogres, Dwarves, everything else, all had a niche they could own for themselves.
Many humans took that with a heavy helping of fear.
Felix just thought of it as being the baseline. Everyone needed baseline employees. Never a five, never a one, always a three or a four. If you were lucky, they made up the majority of your workforce.
“Nothing we can do about either situation,” Felix said nodding his head at a young woman who passed nearby him.
She must have recognized him as she quickly looked away and ducked into the entry hall for the administration building.
Everyone who recognized him shied away immediately. Those who didn’t sometimes stopped and talked to him, or asked for directions.
He was happy to help. It was enjoyable.
His security detail wasn’t far off either, and they didn’t seem to mind the people at all. Andrea was on his left, watching everything with an ear to ear grin.
“Besides, they were already after me before when they realized Legion University accepts all races. If anything, this’ll just draw all those in favor of equality into my camp,” Felix said. “It’s doing me a favor. Less backers I have to worry about soothing. They can be part of the pool of essentials and need little in the way of effort.”