Asian Sector

The Asian Sector

The businesses and residences of Chinatown continued to thrive through the formation of the Confederated American States, officially recognized by the signing of the Treaty of Richmond in 2034. As part of the deal, the CAS took over the section of Denver containing Chinatown. It came as no surprise that CAS frowned on a group of citizens having (apparently) stronger ties to mother China than to their new home. But because no proposed action seemed likely to produce a useful result, the CAS took no official action against the Chinese-Americans. By this time, Chinatown had grown into a community numbering more than 20,000 souls, among whom rumor placed more than a few powerful mages. Certain Chinese businessmen had also developed strong ties to various megacorporations, a fact that further discouraged any official action against the Chinese enclave. For the next decade and more, Chinatown residents continued to live peacefully and prosper.

I heard that the CAS did try to eliminate the Chinese bosses, but that all their assault teams got seriously fragged. Some of the survivors couldn't eat solid food for years, and their minds are shaky to this day.
Styles (20:35:14/6-10-58)

Your information is somewhat exaggerated, Styles. Any confrontations between the CAS government and my people were certainly limited to minor misunderstandings. There was no planned assault.
Li Chen (21:14:08/6-10-58)

Of course, other Asian-descended peoples gravitated to the Chinese district to live and to work as well; the Koreans and the Vietnamese people found the Englewood district more to their liking, and even some Japanese decided to live in the sector. Over time, these peoples became integrated into the district, turning it into more of an Asian Sector than a true Chinatown. Each separate ethnicity had its own separate area, though the sector remained predominantly Chinese.

The Chinese let the Japanese and Koreans stay, sure, the Oriental people all sticking together through adversity. But they made sure that the rest of them knew who was in charge. Even today you'll note that all the street signs come in two languages: English (which they have to use by CAS law), and Chinese.
Kim Possible (18:23:01/6-14-58)

Even the Chinese weren't happy about the Vietnamese, though. The Vietnamese got told to share the same area as the Koreans, which didn't make the Koreans too happy, and set up a schism between the Koreans and the Chinese. You'll note that the Korean District uses Korean and English signs, not Chinese… and any Chinese wandering through the sector don't like that.
Ken (18:44:33/6-15-58)

The relative calm ended in 2048 with the first Humanis policlub riots in the district. Over the next several years, Humanis members repeatedly looted and vandalized Asian Sector establishments. In the summer of 2052, the raids ceased as if someone had thrown a switch, and all Humanis activity in Denver came to an abrupt halt. Other politicos and business leaders could only conclude that the patient Chinese leaders of the sector had finally worked out their differences with the policlub leaders and come to an understanding.

Can anyone explain just how any minority group "works out differences" with the Humanis skags?
Reefer (14:45:31/6-21-58)

Cut off their fingers one by one and make them eat them until they agree with you. An ancient Oriental custom.
Cain (18:22:56/6-21-58)

In the riots of 2057, the Asian Sector came under attack again, this time by the other people of Denver. Seeing that the Asians had managed to institute rationing to fight starvation, rumors spread that the Asian Sector had supplies of food warehoused, and the looters went to the Englewood District to seize the supplies for themselves. The rioters met with little opposition, as the Knight-Errant forces normally serving the Asian Sector had been reassigned to protect corporate assets. The people of the sector could only watch as the rioters looted and vandalized their way across the sector in a vain search for stored food. When the rioters didn't find any food, they turned their rage against the Asians in the district. Only then did the Chinese and other Asians fight back, using the abilities at their disposal. The battle knit the community more closely together, but increased the amount of paranoia against non-Asians and those who lived outside the district.

The Sector's People

Current residents of the Asian Sector represent mostly second or third generation citizens, but they interact with those outside their community little more than their parents or grandparents did. Insular and clannish by nature, they have become more so as a result of political turmoil. The recent events have made them even more paranoid of outsiders, and it is rare that they will accept strangers into their communities or even do business with them outside of the openly tourist areas.

Members of the Korean District have become more open and accepting of outsiders coming into the community, much to the consternation of the Chinese. If you're thinking of investing money into the Asian Sector, and you're not Chinese, go to the Korean District and start looking for opportunities.
Kim Possible (20:44:31/6-15-58)

The Chinese have a curious attitude towards metahumans. Save for elves, the residents of Chinatown treat the metahumans living on the fringe of their community as second-class citizens. However, most Chinese will trust an ork of Chinese descent more quickly than a human of another racial background. Chinese-ethnic humans and elves seem to view dwarfs, orks and trolls as unfortunate, inferior souls for whom they must take responsibility. Strangely enough, the latter group seems to accept this position without demur — they are brewing no imminent rebellion.

Aside from the political chaos surrounding Denver, the one factor that has changed the lives of the residents of Chinatown is the return on their ancient magic. Regaining their ancestral powers prompted many Chinese to turn away from technology. Others attempt to combine the knowledge of the past with the technology of the present in a synthesis of unimaginable potential. These divergent schools of thought represent something of a rift in the community.

In the wake of the riots of 2057, the leaders of the Asian Sector decided that they could no longer count on another corporation to serve as their main law enforcement service. To this end the business and community leaders looked for a provider from within the Asian Sector to maintain order and security in the sector. Shining Mountain Security Enterprises was eventually chosen as the corporation to serve and protect in the Asian Sector. The fact that SMSE was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Red Dragon Triad was not overlooked; it was felt that Shining Mountain's connection to the Triads could only help maintain order and stability.

The Red Dragons serve as one of the more honorable crime syndicates in Denver. They supply the enforcers for Shining Mountain out of their own labor force. This results in a security force which knows the streets and the community better than any outside force ever could. When something goes down, Shining Mountain knows about it, most often as it happens.
Wun Hung Lo (18:33:01/6-16-58)

I saw those Shining Mountain guys in action. Some jetheads tried to rob one of the banks in the Korean District. The thieves didn't even get out the door before Shining Mountain was there in force. Four of their guys took on six armed robbers, and took them down before most people could blink. I figured they were all wired, so I took a quick astral peek. Nope. All adepts. And from what I learned, that wasn't a special squad… that was just who they had in the area at the time.
Spats (01:04:12/6-22-58)

It's the standard protection racket, made legal. No wonder Shining Mountain is loved by the people in the Asian Sector, or at least the Chinese and Japanese. They actually give something to the community in return for their fees.
Kim Possible (03:24:32/6-23-58)

Crime

Crime in the Asian Sector is governed by the Red Dragon Triad, a split off group of the Black Dragon Triads. The Red Dragons are a respected group within the Asian Sector, and provide security and order through their subsidiary, Shining Mountain Security Enterprises. All criminal activity in the Sector is overseen by the Triads, who have set strict limits as to what sort of activity can happen in the sector. The Red Dragons have even gone so far as to create courts, where the victim of a crime against his person can attempt to gain redress against the person who wronged him. Violent crime in the sector is almost unheard of, and perpetrators of such activity can expect swift reprisal and harsh punishment.

As stated above, the Red Dragons are very honorable when it comes to operations, but only because they know they rule the sector with an iron fist. They can afford to be polite and open in their dealings with other residents of the sector. Outsiders, of course, get the cold shoulder treatment, and any time you deal with a Red Dragon in the Asian Sector, if you're a stranger you get the short end of the stick. The current Red Dragon leadership is held between three people: Grandfather, an ancient Wuxing mage who is almost certainly an initiate, his grandson who is merely known as Fist, and a third member known as Sister. They govern the sector as if it were their own little fiefdom. They recruit from the magically active aggressively, and adepts who fail to sign up with Shining Mountain are ostracized or even expelled from the community, told to go live with the Koreans. Which for a Chinese person, is a pretty bad insult.
Gurka Khan (12:20:04/6-17-58)

The Yakuza's been trying to get a foothold in Chinatown for as long as I can remember, but every time they even try, it seems like the Red Dragons close the door in their face before they even knock. The Yaks have even tried to enlist the help of the other Japanese in the sector. The Japanese went to the Red Dragons about it. Seems the Yakuza never believed that their own people would rat them out to the Chinese.
Wun Hung Lo (14:22:11/6-17-58)

That's just how clannish they are. You don't see sararimen going to the Asian Sector — the Japanese who live there loathe the sararimen with a passion. If you're Japanese and you work for a megacorporation, you're not welcome in the Japanese part of the Asian Sector.
Kimiko (01:01:01/1-11-11)

Oh yeah? What about the Chinese businessmen who have 'ties' to the megacorporations?
Grab Bag (01:17:27/6-22-58)

That's the Chinese, not the Japanese. Now you start seeing where the real power in the Asian Sector is.
Kim Possible (03:28:04/6-23-58)

Been a shakeup recently in Triad leadership. Grandfather's still in control, but Fist is out. They've brought some new guy up from the ranks, who calls himself 'Uncle'. Grandfather, Uncle and Sister, I guess it's just one big happy family.
Twinkie

Magical Notes

To an outsider, the Asian Sector is confusing and disturbing, both at the same time. Although outsiders are welcomed along the outer district in the 'tourist' areas of Wen Long Street, those who attempt to go further into the district find themselves becoming disoriented, easily confused and lost. It is known that the district has its own guardian spirit who accepts only those who live in the district as its own; outsiders suffer the spirit's displeasure, frequently running afoul of wrong turns, feelings of persecution, and other attempts to drive the outsider out of the district. For magicians, this takes an even worse toll. The background count of the sector is one higher against outsiders, but for those magicians who call the sector home, the background count is one less than normal, and some spots even act as power sites for geomancers who call the Asian Sector 'home'.

I've seen this spirit, and I don't think it came from the Denver area… more likely some old ancient Chinese philosopher brought it in, and it's grown since the old days. It's a marvelous gold dragon, shimmering and beautiful in astral space. Of course it tried to eat me, but it was still a sight to behold.
Spats (13:56:34/6-22-58)

The bit about the background count is right. It doesn't seem to be that bad, but get into a mojo-slinging contest with one of the locals and you'll start to feel that resistance right away. Even worse is if you pick a fight with one of the Wuxing magicians down there. They seem to be able to treat the whole Asian Sector like a big aspected power site. I saw one old geezer casting spells that would have dropped me, and he didn't even seem to be feeling any drain or backlash.
Bad Mojo (15:24:32/6-22-58)

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