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Thursday, January 15, 2026

Shhhh! Digital Media Presents... The Butterfly Dragon: Heroes of our Own Reimagined: Episode 8 - Norler's Edict (Updated January 15, 2026 16:30 EST)





Chapters

  1. Chairman of the Board (Finished January 15, 2026 14:00 EST)
  2. The Other Boardroom (Finished January 15, 2026 16:00 EST)
  3. Order In The Court (coming soon)

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Shhhh! Digital Media Presents:

The Butterfly Dragon - Heroes of our Own: Reimagined

by Brian Joseph Johns

Episode 8: Norler's Edict


Chairman of the Board

Six Years Ago

Tynan And Associates Headquarters
Business District
Toronto, Ontario
Canada


Walton Norler exited the elevator on the sixty-third floor of a building in the Toronto business district, looking to his watch as he stepped out onto the marble floor of the elevator lobby. He wore a stylish  dark grey business suit, which complimented his pale but lightly tanned complexion, and his full head of messy GQ hair despite his rapid approach towards his fortieth year. He was a handsome man and often drew the admiring glances of the opposite (and sometimes same) sex, though he seldom gave attention to such pursuits. 

He walked confidently through the front doors into the reception area of Tynan And Associates, where a rather attractive and refined red headed woman sat, looking to him as he maintained him incoming momentum.


"Good morning Denise. How are you today?" he asked her, throwing her a pleasant smile.


"Quite well Mr. Norler, thank you for asking. If you hurry you might catch the end of Ms. Yoon's financial update," the receptionist responded to him as he passed her desk and continued to the right down a corridor and towards the corporate department.


"Morning Walton," a man with blonde thinning hair and thin framed glasses nodded to Norler as he passed.


"How's Bill today? Catch the game last night?" asked Norler in a familiar tone.


"Which one? The Jays, the Leafs or the Raptors?" confirmed Bill.


"Pick one," Norler responded with a smile as he maintained his momentum down the hall towards the door at the far end, fully aware that all three teams had played the previous night.


"It was good, but the Red Sox played just a tad bit better. Maybe we'll take the next game," Bill responded.


"That's what they get for not using Seung-hwan Oh as their reliever. That guy's a brick wall against those MLB heavy hitters," Norler responded as he arrived at the door, opening it as he looked back to Bill.


"I think there's an opening for pitching coach on the Jays, if you're willing to apply..." Bill stopped and smiled at Norler.


"Maybe next year. Catch you later Bill," Norler continued through the door and to the left into the coffee room.


 "How are you sweetie?" an older woman with stylish short coiffed hair wearing a sleek corporate suit greeted Norler, a cup of coffee in her hand.


"Just fine with a greeting like that, honey. How's Maggie today?" Norler responded, putting his briefcase down and pouring himself a coffee.


"I'm just as fine. They waited for you in the boardroom for as long as they could. I think they already started," Maggie informed him.


"Thanks, but I'm actually early. Max already gave me the financials yesterday as I had a meeting outside of the office. I'm scheduled today to deliver the strategy session, just after Torman's delivery," Norler explained to Maggie as he stirred his coffee.


"Ahhhh. I see. So do we still have a bright future?" asked Maggie of him.


"Not as bright as yours, but if I have my way, pretty darned bright," Norler smiled to Maggie, clanking coffee cups together after which they both took a sip.


"Cheers," Maggie smiled and left the coffee room.


Norler followed her out, going the opposite direction, towards the boardroom.


He passed a series of offices along the way, the occupants of two of them greeting him as he passed.



When he arrived at the closed door of the boardroom, he slowly opened it and quietly slipped in as Ms. Yoon finished the last of his financial projections for the upcoming quarter.


"So this peak here is mostly attributed to the influx of spending during March when our customers at Health Canada, and several other clients whose fiscal year also ends in March, were spending their budget surplus, hence giving us this spike in value due to sales. That doesn't necessarily mean that we'll be seeing a dip in share values compared to the same time in May or June, as two product lines from our Medical division are scheduled for wide release. Both product lines have a backlog of orders and they haven't even been released yet. That should offset the hiccup that arose from March's budget surplus boost, giving us a nice smooth and rising growth, rather than a chaotic and bumpy climb, which would of course make most of our shareholders nervous..." Ms. Yoon turned to face Norler, who nodded at her with a smile.


The boardroom table ran the length of the room, with seats for the eighteen members of the board. The table was populated with sixteen of them, the seventeenth (Ms. Yoon) delivering the financial update and the eighteenth (Norler) having just entered the room.


"Would you like to add anything to that?" asked Mr. Werner, who sat at the head of the table on the end closest to the LED screen that Ms. Yoon was using for his delivery.


"No. That's all that I have prepared for today. I hope that was as insightful as it was for me putting this presentation together for you," Ms. Yoon said professionally as she gathered her support materials and returned to her seat beside Mr. Schwabb, where the two of them began comparing notes, looking up from to the rest of the boardroom as the applause for her presentation filled the boardroom.


"Thank you Ms. Yoon and Mr. Schwabb. Given the recent speculation over the value hits to our real estate holdings, this should go a long way to keeping shareholder trust and confidence," Mr. Werner looked through his bifocal glasses at Ms. Yoon, and then turned his attention over to Grier Torman who sat across the table from her.


During the applause, Norler made his way to his seat, placing his coffee on the table and opening his briefcase to withdraw the reference materials he'd need for his delivery.


"Mr. Torman now is going to give us an update on his progress with common business technology investments such as business class workstations and high speed storage hardware, though from what he's revealed to me, he hasn't been limiting his focus and vision confined to that segment of the market, and he's had some pretty spectacular results. Given his return on investment  track record, I'd say that we should definitely listen. Torman?" Mr. Werner introduced Grier Torman, who got up from his seat and walked confidently, purposely bumping Norler's seat as he passed him, almost causing him to spill his coffee.


"You want to play in the big league? This is how its done, Norler. Listen up, and lets make a heck of a lot of money," Torman said as he walked by Norler, clearly spurring him on.


Norler bit his tongue, and instead turned casually in his chair as had the others seated at the boardroom table to take in Torman's delivery.


He pressed a button on the remote, and a presentation graph filled the screen.


"This is a graph, depicting the values of investments I scouted over the last year. The four quarters of this graph, each represent a quarter of the year just like in finances. This first quarter of the graph, tells you a story of these four companies, represented by the four colours: blue, orange, purple and tan, each representing technology hardware manufacturers in the case of the first two, or assemblers, for instance, like PC manufacturers. Small companies who buy hardware and assemble the components and then slap their brand name on them and sell them. I scouted these four companies, their having found their way onto my radar when they'd gone public, an indication that a company is looking to generate cashflow to spur growth when they've reached their local ceiling of potential," Torman pointed to the graph, indicating the values of these companies which were very close to the bottom during the first quarter.


"Their initial stock offerings were picked up by other buyers on the market, but you'll notice that their growth remained the same, sharply dropping just towards the end of the first quarter. Now, the reason that they're on this graph, is because I've developed a system I use to scout and pick investments whose financial development follows a cycle, that often begins with a serious dip in their value. So much so, that it appears that they're destined for bankruptcy, but I assure you, that is just an aspect of the pattern," Torman pointed out the lowest points in their values.


"Right here? When they'd reached their lowest, given their initial offerings, that's when I picked them up, coming in as the saviour to rescue all of those poor investors who'd doled out their money in these seemingly bad investments. Sure, they lost a bit of money. But at least they got something back. Now if they'd chosen to wait a little longer. To sit on their investment, they'd have seen a graph like this..." Torman hit a button on the remote, which revealed the next quarter of the values and earnings of the four companies, which by that point were under Torman's (Tynan's) ownership.


The graphs had suddenly, about a third of the way into the second quarter, began a steep rise in income and value, depicting a curve that seemed to be accelerating vertically. Everyone at the table recognized that acceleration and knew what it likely meant for the future of the stocks.


"As you can see, we finished the second quarter approaching one eighth of the total height of this graph. Now if you'll look here on the key to this graph, on the Y axis, we're not looking at a linear scale. Here is zero. One centimeter up from there, and its fifty bucks per share. Two centimeters and its a hundred and so on. We're mapping the vertical axis logarithmically, meaning that the acceleration you're seeing is even that much greater. Exponential acceleration of the vertical axis, which is mapped to logarithmic scaling. One centimeter represents fifty bucks. Two centimeters represents one hundred and fifty bucks. Three centimeters represents six hundred bucks and so on..." Torman clicked the remote and the third quarter of the graph was then revealed.


"Here we are in the third quarter. The peak for the values of these companies is roughly nine hundred bucks per share, and they all initially started out with an offering of ten thousand, to lure in quick share sales. Do the math. About ten million bucks, from an outlay of twenty thousand bucks, and that's only the third quarter in our logarithmic scale..." Torman smiled, hitting the remote once again to reveal the final quarter, where each of the companies had achieved a high point near the top of the page.


"Four companies, about twenty thousand bucks outlay for each of them. Fourth quarter final value per share? Nearly two thousand five hundred bucks. Each of these investments brought almost fifty million a piece, home to Tynan And Associates, after which I turned them over and took the money to reinvest using the same pattern and principle. Now I'm not saying that everyone has an eye for an investment like I do, but if you look at my method and my track record, there's something to take home from that. Something to learn about this business. Something that is our future, and will put us at the very top. One day. Or, we could play with the small time medical investments like Norler does, and make a cool million or two every now and then. Remember, we're a business. We're not here to make a difference. We're here to make money," Torman clicked the remote and the graph disappeared, as the boardroom began applauding for him and his success in bringing almost half a billion dollars to the company.


Torman bowed like a showman on stage, walking nonchalantly back to his seat, slapping Norler's shoulder hard as he passed him.


"Let's see you follow that up," Torman said as he took his seat.


"Thank you Mr. Torman for a pep talk that is sure to send shivers down the spines of our investors. That's the bottom line and that's what they like to see and that's what keeps us going," Mr. Werner looked down his nose, through his bifocals at Torman.


"Now. The newest addition to our team on the board of directors. Walton Norler, who successfully headed up two very successful ventures previously, one of them you might recall as having set the precedent in service industry oriented public offerings, which is quite an accomplishment considering that the equity of such a company is almost entirely based upon its service and employee base, rather than hardware and real estate. He gives value and meaning to what employees bring to a company, while at the same time keeping the bigger picture in mind. Ladies and Gentlemen of the board, Mr. Walton Norler will give us his first strategy building session," Mr. Werner finished and Norler stood from his chair and walked calmly to the front of the room, his hands in his pockets.


"How are you today?" Norler asked the members of the board seated at the table, everyone looking to him but not responding.


"I mean really? How are you today? Did you have a good breakfast? Maybe go for a quick jog? A sauna or whirlpool maybe? I mean, some of you must be doing well?" he asked them, looking to each of their faces.


He paused, pacing a few times at the front of the room and then turned once again to face them.


"What if I told you that in the world right now, that roughly seventy-five percent of the world's population believe that the greatest obstacle to humanity's future is big business. The banks. Corporations. Arms manufacturers. Oil companies. What would you have to say to that, given the fact that every one of you here on this board, has a six figure salary. A home most people can only dream of. A cottage. A condo in Florida to where you can flee like the Canada Geese during our sometimes harsh Toronto winters. Your yearly two week vacation. Your yearly bonus. Your stock options. What would you have to say to that?" Norler looked to each of them and not in an accusatory sense, but rather with a look that could only be described as disbelief and perhaps despair.


"I know how hard every one of you work towards the ends of this company and the shareholders. I know the weight on your shoulders. Doesn't it irk you though, that seventy-five percent of the people you run into on the weekend when you're out shopping in Yorkville..." Norler looked to Ms. Yoon.


"Or you're playing the first nine at Glen Abbey..." Norler's eyes turned to Mr. Schwabb.


"Or you're taking your Bentley in for an oil change..." Norler looked to Torman.


"Or you're taking your dog show prize winning greyhound out for designer dog biscuits and a manicure..." Norler looked to Delmond, their portfolio manager.


"I  know. We love our shopping. Our golf. Our Bentley and our pets. But doesn't it irk you at all that more than half of everyone out there believe that we're part of the problem?" Norler asked his peers in the boardroom.


"You could say that we don't work for them. That we work for the shareholders and that the proverbial they, those who don't trust us, are just part of the natural order of things. When you don't have money, there's a lot of people who are apprehensive of those who do. When you're stopped and in your car in a tow away zone, you're a little apprehensive of cops when they come and tap on your driver's seat window. When you line up in a bank, you're always a little intimidated by the person behind the counter, despite the fact that its your money that pays their salary and most bank clerks are notoriously helpful and friendly. Its just the way of things, isn't it?" asked Norler of his seventeen peers, a collection of women and men elected to the board by the shareholders of Tynan And Associates.


"What if I told you that there are reasons why many of them are justified to feel that way, and its not because of us, here in this room, or at least I hope its not," Norler said, looking specifically to Torman, who smiled back, then looking side to side at his peers with much the same grin.


"Its because of the situations arising from the irresponsible actions of some companies, that it stains the general impression of everyone who works in big business," he paused again, pacing a little bit before he turned and faced the room.


"Now its not good practice to focus on your allies and competitors. In business we need to keep our own house clean and in doing so, they'll know their trust of us, at least in the case of our allies, is well placed. To foster the confidence of the market. Our shareholders. Each other. And most importantly, the public. We're accountable in the sense that we have a responsibility to humanity. To the other living critters that inhabit this world and to the entire biosphere that supports this wonder of nature that seemingly happened out of nowhere, or for a darned good reason, depending upon what your personal beliefs are," Norler's face drifted slowly towards the look of determination coupled with the healthy optimism for which he was known publicly.


"Sure. We live in our cozy detached monster homes and enjoy occasions that ninety percent of the world will never have a chance to experience on the same level. Like our homes, we live a detached existence, in excess, and yet we are not separate from these people. We are here, doing this because of them, and our goal, our vision should include the idea that at some point in time and the future, that they too can enjoy the prosperity of their hard work and dedication to a common set of ideals much the same as we're about to start doing so," Norler looked to each of them, somewhat condescendingly and yet not accusingly, for he clearly implied himself as part of their circle.


"The future of all business is dependent upon a vision, that each and every one of us has the responsibility to uphold and pursue. That it should be the first consideration when taking any action in the name of business, and our company, Tynan And Associates, or any other company from this moment forth for whom we find ourselves employed. Let's call this our Edict of Responsible Business. I'm going to break it down for you into four key values that we must each uphold as a permanent ethic during our conduct over the course of our careers alongside our business goals, and I think you'll find that its inspiring enough that it will probably become a way of life..." Norler smiled as he alluded to that last prospect.


"Our first edict: Consideration. Anything we do in the name of business, no matter our position in the company, should be conducted with the edict of consideration in mind, and I'm not referring to manners, albeit that certainly helps alleviate tension. I'm talking about consideration as a front-line aspect of what first comes to mind when you're about to do something for or on behalf of the company or for their interests. I'm talking consideration for the biosphere. Consideration for your spouse and children. Consideration for your neighbours, their spouses and their children. For your pets. their pets and all the other pets that live out there in the wild. Pets of the wild perhaps. Consideration for your client. Consideration for the repercussions of what you're doing. Are you cheating someone out of their house and home? Are you putting a family out on the street by foreclosing? Are you cutting off an important part of the supply chain that might lead to higher prices on food items, putting them beyond a reasonable cost for those struggling to keep groceries in the fridge? Is what you're selling unhealthy in some way? Life shortening? Is your investment in the automotive industry standing to risk keeping us entirely dependent upon fossil fuels? If it is, then maybe seeking out another automotive startup producing a hybrid technology might be the answer. Consider the consequences of your actions. This is the edict of consideration. The important part about this is that when you start doing it, and the more you do it, the more natural it becomes to your business mind's ledger of trade-offs, so we're covering both for the potential of damaging consequences, which should in most cases lead to us averting our action, and at the same time, looking out for and furthering the business, because this is business and we're here to make money, but not at the expense of compromising the edict of consideration," Norler paused, looking to each of them, Torman clearing his throat several times and rather loudly.


"You have something to say do you Torman?" asked Norler politely.


"That's nice and all. Hippy beads and flowers if you catch my drift, but what about them? The seventy-five percent who don't trust us? Are they going to consider us?  Do they have this edict of how to be a better consumer? What's in it for us?" Torman responded, folding  his arms across his chest.


"I just said that when it comes to our allies and our competitors, we mind our own. Focus on our attitude and behaviour. Not theirs. Lets keep our own house clean and if it is, in order for them to further improve us, they're going to have to make sure that their house is just as clean or even cleaner. Do you get it? Just by us keeping our own stack in order, we're improving everyone else, because if they want to goad us about our shortcomings in one manner of our conduct or another, and by that point we should be running a pretty tight ship, they're going to have to be that much better. I mean if your house is a mess, would you start telling your neighbours how to run theirs? Most who are of good conscience would improve themselves to the point of living up to, or very close to their own bar before they start expressing the need for improvement of others. So, by keeping ourselves according to this edict of consideration, we're improving everyone else without urging them to improve. If they notice something about the way we're doing things that needs improving, then they're going to have to at least be at that level before they say anything, assuming that they have a conscience. For us, its the same thing, so lets begin by focusing on cleaning up our house," Norler explained to Torman, though he peered to everyone else in the room during the course of his response.


His audience was held silently captive to his words and his charisma as an orator, though most of all, his sincerity.


"The second edict? Win-Win. I'm assuming that you all know exactly what that means?" Norler looked to the faces seated before him, a few of them smiling in response.


"You close a deal? It has to in some way be a win for both parties, or even better, for as many parties as possible. So you're a company that employs a sales team? Why not split the profit after cost, of each sale fifty-fifty with your sales staff, and implore them to make sure its a win-win situation for them and their customer. In any deal, and in any situation that involves the conduct of business, win-win makes the world a better place. In any exchange, don't treat your client like someone whose money you're trying sneak from their wallet, the more the better. Treat them fair, and make sure that any deal you close is a win-win. Each party profits from it in some way shape or form, or it solves the customer's needs enough so that both parties walk away not feeling slighted, but feeling confident with the deal," Norler paused as Torman once again began clearing his throat.


"Now this sounds all good in theory and in a boardroom, but how is this going to play out in real life? Real life is dirty. We're dealing with people who would rob you blind. How are we supposed to have a win-win when the goal is to get their money into your pocket?" asked Torman, looking around the room for support, finding it in only in the two others seated nearest him.


"First of all, your presentation sounded pretty good in theory in a boardroom, but how did that work in the real world? I'm proposing that when we make a deal, we make a deal. A deal is where two people in a negotiation benefit from a mutual agreement between them. That sounds a lot to me like a win-win situation, and in order to achieve a win-win situation, we only have to remember two things. Look out for ourselves and put ourselves in the other party's shoes long enough to understand their side, and if you can't compromise or come to a win-win deal, then don't do the deal at all. My point is that if one party walks away from the table unhappy about the deal, that will come back later as resentment and public distrust. Imagine, if for every trade we'd closed over the last ten years, that ninety percent of them left the other party feeling slighted, despite the fact that the prospective buyer has no control over the market value, do they Torman?" Norler looked to Torman accusingly.


"Don't be silly! I mean, who could affect the market price of a stock? Only a god could do something like that," Torman responded ever so modestly and with a hint or irony.


"That's true. Dogs do affect the market value of pet food stocks all the time. In fact, much of the market value for pet food is based upon their insights," Norler's words brought laughter to the boardroom as he smiled.


"We're a business, but what gives us the edge is that we're conscious of trying to make the world a little bit better than it was when we got here. Maybe a lot better, but lets take this in achievable steps," Norler paused again, appearing ready to close his talk.


"What about the third edict?" Ms. Yoon leaned forward eagerly anticipating his response.


"I have to admit I'm a bit curious," Mr. Schwabb added from beside her.


"The third edict? Look out for the little ones. The entrepreneurs and small businesses out there trying to eke out an existence under the feet of us giants. Some of them are going to be future giants, and those that aren't are going to hang onto two valuable commodities that even giants shouldn't tangle with: community and familiarity. We should be very cautious about how we affect these businesses, while encouraging deals that benefit us both, without cheating them, secretly or otherwise, a nod to our second edict. We have it in our power to help them by way of our business choices and how we form allegiances. If we can in some way foster a business relationship with the smaller new or established businesses, it could be potentially beneficial for both, assuming we stick to edict one and edict two. Their trust of us will go a long way to chipping away at that seventy-five percent who believe we're humanity's biggest obstacle. Not only that, it involves us in a way that we can engage community, without interference by supporting those well established there within. In most cases, big business is necessary for community growth or to accommodate a growing population, via high volume grocery chains and other means which can offer goods at lower prices thanks to volume purchasing. Some communities don't want to grow in ways that will rob them of their former charm. That's where consideration and win-win come in. If it can't work that way, then maybe its just not time for us to be there. In most cases, we won't be involved at that level, but in the future, if we expand beyond the most common varieties of our portfolio, this consideration will certainly become instrumental to our future," Norler explained to them, confident that he'd made his point.


"The fourth edict? Always respect the other three edicts. When you're seeking a win-win situation, always adhere to the first edict of consideration. Consider the consequences, and when the person you're dealing with isn't aware of the win they're receiving by your deal? Educate them, or allow them to educate you. Sharing our insights in this regard is a sure way to leave them with a good memory of the business you did together, that will come back in the form of not distrust, but optimism. Always look out for the little ones. They're the future of business and our link to community and could be tantamount to helping preserve it. I'd like to make it to my retirement without the thought that seventy-five percent of the world's population didn't trust me simply because I was involved in big business. There's still enough time for all of us to achieve that goal and to set the foundation for a world that can trust our current means of prosperity, enough so that our taxes support a responsible infrastructure and a reliable social safety net. Maybe its time we learned to walk together instead of walking apart. Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen of the board," Norler smiled and then returned to his seat amidst a roaring applause.


Torman too applauded, with an oddly grim look on his face. From within his business blazer, his phone began to ring, but it wasn't the usual ring. It was that ring.


As the rest of the boardroom was distracted with Norler, Torman stood and quietly left the room, stepping into an unoccupied corporate office across the hall from the boardroom where he closed the door and answered his phone.


"I told you not to call me unless it was an emergency. What is is?!!!" Torman answered the phone angrily.


"Its an emergency. We were hit again last night," Hector informed Torman.


"Which one? Not the one we're about to sell?" asked Torman, almost pleading for Hector to lie to him.


"That one. Ninety percent of the inventory is done. Fried," Hector said truthfully.


"The guys who designed the drives themselves wrote them off. They're done. They have no inventory. The sale is done," Hector elaborated.


"Who?" Torman asked him.


"Her. Who else do you think could have done it?" Hector told him.


"By herself? We had fifteen armed men guarding that place. Are you telling me that she took them all out and somehow fried all the drives too?" asked Torman in disbelief.


There was no answer.


"Did anyone get a look at her this time?" asked Torman.


"She has blonde hair. Shoulder length. One of the security cameras got a snapshot of her from behind," Hector informed him.


"I want a copy of that right away. How'd she fry the drives?" Torman asked.


"The designers said that she turned the steel shelving units into an electro-magnet. She hooked up the main power to the shelves and wrapped a copper coil at each end, and it generated a magnetic field that destroyed them all," Hector explained.


"Call a meeting. I want all the Crew Chiefs there. We're going to deal with this problem once and for all. Let me know by the usual means," Torman stated explicitly before hanging up the phone.


...


Back in the boardroom, the fervor over Norler had died down and the Chairman of the Board addressed the room as Torman opened the door and slipped back in.


"So nice of you to join us again, Torman. I'm about to make an announcement that pertains to you and Norler both. As you know, we're looking to diversify our portfolio over the next year, which means that we'll be assigning members of the board to oversee specific industries within our existing portfolio. Most recently, we have made strides towards this end with regard to our medical research division. The opportunity to oversee this division is a career defining goal for many, and we're offering it to three of our board members. Delmond Caruthers is our first choice, his experience in the medical industry is unparalleled from the perspective of any board members, as is his dedication. Grier Torman, who has been Tynan And Associates highest grossing earner for the board over the course of ten years. Topping the charts every time over that time. Finally, Walton Norler, whose previous track record and outstanding regard in the industry despite his short time on board, is likely to lead the medical research division into the future. Gentlemen, may the best man win this opportunity," Werner announced the newly created position on their board, as the room applauded the nominees.


Torman looked to Delmond and then to Norler.


"Life can be a dirty game gentlemen..." he said to himself quietly, still fuming over the news of his most recent losses.


The Other Boardroom

Six Years Ago

Unknown Warehouse
District
Toronto, Ontario
Canada


Torman sat at the head of the table inside of the boardroom in the offices of an old warehouse that he and the other Leaders of the underworld had used as their meeting spot for years. The boardroom was clean and maintained as was much of the building. These men were civilized enough to enjoy tidy surroundings, as much so as they enjoyed their lifestyle and protecting it.


Many of them were as well dressed as Torman, though more than a few of them were solidly built, having more time on their hands to craft their bodies and flaunt their bling than the members of their crew. These men were the ones who called the shots, which came down a from higher tiers in their vast  but elusive organization.


Of those who were not quite dressed for the occasion, most were the thugs. Doing what they were told and not the thinking kind of men. Get it done and get ahead or get out. It was as simple as that.


Money, a lot of it had paid for their hidden empire and made it all possible as they lived secretly on the fringes of society, separate from it and yet the most fundamental part for it was the quick and dirty way ahead in life and its call had reached the ears of many.


"Gentlemen? I recently found out that one of our technology investments, one that we've been building up over the last six months since our having procured it at a bargain basement price, has been demolished. Just to get it through your heads what that means. I spent three million in procuring this company after we'd brought them down to a more appreciable price. Over six months, we elevated their value and projections and had been looking at turning them over next month, for a return of fifty million. That is not going to happen now thanks to our saboteur," Torman spoke and the room quieted down.


"And what does your loss have to do with us?" asked Banters, one of the old school thugs from the east end.


"For one, I was paying some of you for security. Protection. A treaty that was put in place by my father, before his untimely passing four years ago, and as you know, he was the right hand man of the almighty," feet nervously shifted under the table upon the mention of the almighty.


"Since that time, I have taken over that role, and have brought this outfit to the top. We're the envy of all the other crews in every big city throughout the world. We're the ones that they all want to be like when they grow up," Torman's face remained straight-laced and calm.


"We've had three major hits on our business investments in the last year. The first two were negligible. About ten million together in losses. Two nights ago, our losses peaked at nearly fifty million. Now I know you guys aren't known for your genius in finance or mathematics, but if this keeps happening, we'll be faced with bankruptcy, in which case all of you will go back to knocking over liquor stores or gas stations to make a living, feeding on each other whenever you have to. So what I propose is that we deal with this problem together, and get on with making money - and - flinging our bling," Torman looked to one side of the boardroom table, populated mostly by those older in age, and then to the other side, those who were more focused on ego and self-image.


"Show the slide please?" Torman requested aloud.


The lights went out and a still image appeared on the giant screen behind them. They all turned to take the photo in.


"That my friends, is the backside view of the most active, productive and intelligent blonde you'll ever see in your life, and she's gunning for us. All of us. Two nights ago, she took down an entire crew, each of them were armed with submachine guns, and half of them were trained and skilled martial combatants, and apparently she waded through them like a knife through butter," Torman explained to them as they examined the photograph on the slide.


"She killed them? Heck, we should hire her..." Avener laughed as he spoke, causing a few others at the table to laugh along with them.


"No. She incapacitated them. Hospitalized most with minor injuries, but make no mistake, they were all down for the count and Yolo said it happened so fast that he didn't know what hit them. He woke up on a gurney," Torman explained to them, mentioning Yolo, who was a legend among their crews for his abilities as a combatant.


"I'm going to send you all a copy of that image and you can circulate it throughout your crews and get the word around that we're putting up a reward to anyone who can take her down," Torman assured them.


"How much?" asked Avener.


"Five million," Torman said firmly, then pausing for a moment to let it sink in.


"That is priority one. We have to deal with this or we're going to be out of business. Next on the agenda tonight is connected to a recent failed robbery attempt, which has unnecessarily exposed us to the authorities thanks to the lack of foresight and planning of an inept hopeful on one of your crews. I think the fellow's name is Samias?" Torman looked around the room for the man to whom he referred, who stood up.


"Ah. Samias. Why don't you tell them what happened?" Torman requested of Samias, who wore a tension wrap on his right arm.


"We were hitting a restaurant that's one of our own. We hit it every once in a while as part of an insurance scam. The owner, Anatio files a sizeable insurance claim and it pays us all, including Mr. Torman's cut," Samias explained nervously to the men seated around him.


"Go on?" Torman insisted.


"There were three of us and like seven customers in the place when we hit it, though we hit it after a busy morning so we assumed there would be lots of money in the till. When we went in, there was a lady. A Chinese lady. Well dressed. She wouldn't give up her belongings so we threatened her, just as two cops walked in the place. She must have known some kung fu or something, because she grabbed my arm and disarmed me, and dislocated my elbow. Anway, we got arrested and that's pretty much it..." Samias left out the part about his intention to assassinate his ex-girlfriend Monique.


"It just so happens that the Mr. Anatio fellow you mentioned is here with us tonight. Isn't that right Anatio?" Torman remarked to Samias, and then turned to the door as Anatio walked in the room with a thug escorting him to the table.


"That's right," Anatio answered as he hobbled over to the table and took the only empty seat.


"So why don't you tell me the real story of the plan that our friend Samias had?" Torman requested of Anatio.


"Sure thing. The robbery was a front for the fact that he was planning to execute his ex-girlfriend, who had become a security risk to him and his crew, and their connection to a car theft ring. They had come into the restaurant three months earlier and had an argument, which he staged to get rid of her. They broke up and he left. I came over and had a talk with her, paid for her bill and then offered her a job as a waitress and gave her a place to stay on my couch," Anatio explained to Torman and the rest of them seated at the table.


"I bet you did. So, did you do her?" asked Avener, bringing a round of cold heartless laughter from those gathered at the boardroom table.


"Nah...  Too much spirit, that one. Too much fight in her," Anatio responded calmly and as if he were in on the joke.


Samias grit his teeth as he listened.


"The plan was that Samias would show up three months later and accidentally kill her during an armed robbery. He'd be rid of the security risk and I'd be collecting insurance payout and sharing it with you," Anatio finished his tale for the boardroom.


"And you botched it Sammy boy? So how are you going to make this up to us? I mean, with all the trouble we've been having from the blonde lately, having the cops breathing down our necks could potentially complicate things," Torman asked Samias, leaning back in his chair.


"Can I interject?" Anatio asked of Samias.


Samias spit on the floor in the direction of Anatio, and then looked to Torman.


Torman looked to Anatio and nodded affirmatively.


"His ex-girlfriend, she was hired by the Chinese lady that broke his arm..." Anatio began only to find himself interrupted by Samias.


"She didn't break it! You think I'm some pushover to be kicked around by some hussie lady like that?!!!" Samias began to crack under the stress.


"So, we know where your ex-girlfriend is, and we have a lead on how to close all of these loopholes that lead back to us. Why don't you thank your friend Anatio for doing you the service of helping you to fix this situation?" Torman requested of Samias.


"F#ck you! I meant Anatio, Mr. Torman. Really, I did. I swear," Samias once again slipped as the tension got to him.


"We just lost fifty million dollars. Do you see any of us sweating it or freaking out like you? If you want to run with the big boys, you've got to play like the big boys, or you're just a monkey in the jungle throwing his arms around and freaking out every time another monkey sets foot on his turf. Now, thank your friend. Its the last time I'm going to ask you," Torman asserted his authority fearlessly and ruthlessly.


"Thanks... Anatio," Samias spoke the words that tasted like excrement on the tip of his tongue.


"You're going to finish them both. The Chinese lady, and your ex-girlfriend, but we're going to give you some assistance to ensure that you don't screw up. If you do, then you're done with us. No protection. No nothing," Torman assured him.


"I'll do whatever you want Mr. Torman and I'll do it right this time," Samias was not about to throw away his second chance.


Torman's phone rang from inside of his jacket, this time very different from the ring that had prompted the very meeting which he was attending.


"Everyone! Quiet while I talk. This is important to me," Torman ordered them as he answered the phone.


"Hi honey. I'm so sorry I'm not home yet," Torman spoke into the phone with a smile.


"Another late night at the office?" asked Valerie of him.


"And then some. We had a problem with one of the companies we invested in. They lost ninety percent of their equity. A technical disaster of some kind, so we're just tying up the loose ends. How about you, how was your day?" Torman asked as some of the men at the boardroom table stifled their laughter that he was holding such a conversation in front of them like that.


"Oh it was good. We got a new client today. I had Rory with me today, and we took them to lunch and I managed to give them the package deal and some charm enough so that they signed up with us. That's three years from one of the biggest financial consultancy firms. I was hoping that we could have a little candle light dinner tonight?" Valerie asked of Torman.


"I've got a little bit longer to go, I don't think that I could make it honey. Why not tomorrow night. I'll take you out somewhere?" Torman offered her an alternative as more at the table stifled their laughter, one of them even gagging himself as if he were forcing himself to vomit.


"Alright. Tomorrow then, I'll see you when you get home," Valerie said to him softly.


"See you soon honey," Torman hung up the phone.


"I don't want to hear anything out of any of you!" Torman said to them as he pocketed the phone.


Order In The Court



To be continued...


Brian Joseph Johns

Credits and attribution:


Special Thanks To Rocket Fuel Lakeshore Blvd West, perhaps the best place in history to get a coffee, circa 2001-2004. Miss you all very much.


Artwork: Amy Wong, Wendy Pusey, Ghastly, Birdman, Brian Joseph Johns, Daz3D, Unreal Engine...


Tools: Daz3D, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Lightwave 3D, Blender, Stable Diffusion (Easy Diffusion distribution), InstantID, Sadtalker, Google Colaboratory, Microsoft Copilot (Windows 11), Hitfilm, PhotoPea (a great web based Photoshop stand-in if you're on a low budget or in a pinch), Borderline Obsession...


DeepSeek AI for suggestions on exercises to improve aspects of describing scene and settings with a more sensory focused grammar.


InstantID by: Wang, Qixun and Bai, Xu and Wang, Haofan and Qin, Zekui and Chen, Anthony. Research Paper Title: InstantID - Zero-shot Identity-Preserving Generation in Seconds.


Sadtalker by: Zhang, Wenxuan and Cun, Xiaodong and Wang, Xuan and Zhang, Yong and Shen, Xi and Guo, Yu and Shan, Ying and Wang, Fei.
Research Paper Title: SadTalker: Learning Realistic 3D Motion Coefficients for Stylized Audio-Driven Single Image Talking Face Animation.


Gratitude: Our Mentors, Senseis, Sifus, Sebomnims, lifetime inspirations, family, friends, the Nomads (ask Stanton about that one), the Music, the Movies, the Theatre, the Arts, ASMR, (both YouTube and Bilibili and the many other creators on those platforms), the Gaming and Developer communities and of course, the audience.


Martial Arts (in the words of real experts and at least one comedian): https://brucelee.com (home of the real Dragon and an entire family of inspirations), http://iwco.online International Wing Chun Organization (International presence of a very scalable intensity martial art, protected and developed by Shaolin Nun Ng Mui) and the alma mater of Jinn Hua's own specialized variation thereof, https://iogkf.com International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karatedo Federation (even Hanshi had his teachers), https://itftkd.sport International Taekwondo Federation (Here there be Taegers), https://tangsoodoworld.com Tang Soo Do World (the path of Grandmaster Chuck Norris), https://www.aikido-international.org International Aikido Federation (how else would Navy Chef Steven Seagal liberate a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier from a team of hijackers?), https://www.stqitoronto.com Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute (The City Of Toronto's own Shaolin Temple), https://www.enterthedojoshow.com Master Ken's Ameri-Te-Do presence (If we can't laugh at ourselves, then we can at least laugh the loudest at others, and other Zen)


Magic (performance, illusion and perhaps the real thing): Magic Week Archive (I'm currently growing this section so stay tuned)


Special thanks to Aitrepreneur, Mickmumpitz, Hugging Face and the YouTube educational content producers, including those catering to the AI content production pipeline and of course AlphaSignal.


Shi Heng Yi Shaolin Training For Self Mastery 
A reknowned Sifu under whose tutelage you can study the theory and practical applications of the Shaolin Arts for health, physical and mental wellbeing in every day life


Shi Heng Yi Shaolin Training For Self Mastery 
A reknowned Sifu under whose tutelage you can study the theory and practical applications of the Shaolin Arts for health, physical and mental wellbeing in every day life


Jesse Enkamp: Karate Nerd
Jesse, a reknowned Sensei who runs his own dojo, explores the world of Martial Arts, traveling to many exotic locations to meet practitioners of a variety of different arts


Sensei Rokas: Martial Arts Journey
A reknowned Sensei of Aikido who in seeking to understand the roots of Aikido and its applications, seeks to stress test its effectiveness in a number of real world situations while studying its history


Seamus O'Dowd
An extensive growing archive Katas, Techniques and Waza (mostly Shotokan)


Iaido: Train For Katana Mastery Like Samurai 
The original weapons focused curriculum under which Samurai became masters of their art



Extensive courses for calisthenics and body strength, stamina and flexibility


Special thanks to Canva for inspiring other creators and giving them the tools


Special thanks to Captain Crunch and his wonderful sister!


Special thanks to Bandcamp for giving indie music artists a home under one roof


Something to give you perspective: The very first teacher had no formal education, didn't graduate and was self taught, but only because they had no other choice. We do.

This content is entirely produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701 under the Shhhh! Digital Media banner.

Copyright © 2025 Brian Joseph Johns  

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