Niihama, Japan – December 13, 2033

“Che scemo, signore! I return to you money now three years! I have ask for nothing. Only give! Give!” Vanni Bruno’s voice was loud but meek as he spoke into the satellite phone, usually tucked away in his safe. He rarely locked the safe, for who would want to take his phone, but then one never knew for sure. The retinal scan was more than enough security in Vanni’s estimation.

He had been dreading this call, as the team hadn’t produced as much profit as he’d hoped. Vail was aggressive with improving the team and hadn’t consulted him on any of the team’s large expenditures. Most recently, the addition of Pak changed the team’s financial projections. Vanni was searching for a way to placate his creditors, while not rousing any questions about them. That meant keeping everyone happy, from the GM, to the fans, to them.

In the years since he acquired the indebted team, losses had strained their patience. It wasn’t until Vail took over and the team was resorbed into PEBA that the bottom line had turned black, but his creditors wanted more. A lot more.

“Signore, the team, it gets much better. We win more and more and the fans, they come more and more. We set records each year, and this year will be no different, capiche? We build more seats and set more records, you will see, signore, you will see!” Vanni must have sounded more confident than he felt. With the Akira having just locked down Tomas Martinez, Toyoma reaching full steam, and the Evas as powerful as ever, it would take a miracle for the Ghosts to compete.

“Ten million euro? You will have it, signore, no question. You will maybe have more, though, except these construction crews that build our stadium, they give nothing but headaches. They want permits and quote prices that are criminal,” the old man knew how to leverage an advantage, and again it would be someone else who paid the price. “Mannaggia tutto, these pricks they want too much! Signore if you could speak to them, I’m sure they would see reason and come to me and signore, ‘we did not know you were friend to our friend! Ti prego, perdonami!’,” Vanni left the request at that – a hypothetical miracle. Hyperbolic and ingratiating, just the way things were done.

After a moment of silence, during which Vanni wiped the sweat from his brow and focused his attention on the deep greens of Oikake Maze, the man on the other side offered to grant Vanni’s wish. “Grazie, signore, grazie! Che bello! Your family, this stadium, and our profits, salute!”

Vanni let the phone drift to his side and didn’t notice the other side end the call. His eyes were drawn to to his computer screen, where the team’s official website statement, announcing the final expansion of Oikake Maze after three years of continuous renovations, sat waiting to be published.

With the addition of 5,000 new seats including 27 new luxury sky suites, Oikake Maze joins the elite of PEBA as their seating capacity has now hit the allowed upper limit. With over 4.4 million fans seeing the Ghosts in action last year, there’s no time like now to get your season tickets!!

“Che bello!” Vanni grinned as he hit “publish”.