Chapter Eleven
Clarity followed Elsie Chu along the alley leading to the Somerset Heritage serviced home. Located near the Singapore polo club north of the Pan Island Expressway, the home catered to expats and militaries on assignment, and came with a full staff of servants, fully equipped kitchens, a spacious living area, and business services such as broadband. Elsie Chu checked a message on her smartphone from Olivia Chai, who had arranged the rental of the bungalow for one day, and was managing several properties in the area. The message from the real estate expert stated that all payments related to the evening had been carried out, by using funds coming from the Telval account at OCBC.
Vanity Lane welcomed them on the doormat of the bungalow with a pineapple cocktail, dressed in a rosegold and silver Akiko playsuit made by Agent Provocateur. Several rose gold-colored chains draped the slim silhouette of the maid, creating a v-shaped neckline and meeting in a curve at the midriff.
A pair of pasties covered her nipples. Around eleven thirty at night, the guests began to show up, driving or being driven inside black Mercedes cars, Lincoln Continental limousines, and Bentleys, creating a traffic jam in the alley leading to the home. A crew of fifteen good looking women hired and supervised by Vanity began to gather around the prominent members of Singapore high society, an array of business persons, politicians, trade officials, technology representatives, and international executives, both men and women. Some of the guests had received the invitation at the Premier Branch of the Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation where Telval had its account, and others had picked up their invitation at the Polo Club, from Vanity herself.
"Did you verify that everyone has paid their individual charter membership at the Luxury Network?"
"Yes, everyone is over twenty five, all of them are single, or divorced. The polo club has a database of fifteen hundred members, and it was useful to get in touch with some of the visitors tonight, but I used their contacts with the Luxury Network to come up with the final list of twenty guests."
Elsie Chu brought Clarity away from the crowd to a bedroom on the second floor of the bungalow. The teleoperator with auburn hair admired the high ceilings and lush interior of the home.
At twelve past midnight, a white Cadillac XTS Royale limousine showed up, carrying Shalia Owell inside. Clarity opened the door of the luxurious car, peeking inside the Vanilla color Caprone interior of the cabin, filled with wrap-around consoles with oyster accents, blond birch trim, two mini-bars, and a thirty two inch retractable television set.
"You," said Shalia, glaring at Clarity. Vanity dismissed the grudge of Shalia, and helped the blond girl out of the car, while Clarity carried a small trolley brought by the wealthy socialite, filled with various items of lingerie.
"You couldn't get rid of me," said Clarity.
"This fantasy better be good."
"It's not a fantasy, it's very real."
Vanity gave instructions to the courtesans of Telval to undress everyone, and to place all clothes in a large wardrobe designed to hold about one hundred garments. Followed by Clarity and Shalia, the maid walked upstairs to the main bungalow window, joining Elsie Chu, who closed the door.
"Everyone is getting naked downstairs," said Vanity, "the girls are beginning to film. It's all being recorded in the Casa Mollino file."
"And my husband?" Asked Elsie Chu.
"He's at Wilkinson Vue. I've sent two twenty three year old escorts recruited by Telval with him. I spoke with the girls, they are having fun at the penthouse, playing with the statue and his belly." Elsie Chu turned to Clarity and Shalia.
"What about these two?"
"They've been discussing their differences," said Vanity.
"I want you two to get along," said Elsie.
"We get along just fine," said Shalia. Clarity did not agree, but she was surprised by the statement of the wealthy O&O seat holder.
"I guess you can be mature, when someone mature is around you," said Clarity.
Vanity dressed Shalia in a glistering g-string crafted with rose gold tulle, and ornamental Swarovski crystals. Several Akiko chains fell from the side, drawing attention to the hip. A chain embellished garter gave the blond girl a naughty feel of intrigue and decadence.
"Would you like to wear the bra?" Asked Vanity.
"No, just the tassies."
Elsie Chu got naked and donned an Azaleah showgirl playsuit with cris-crossing black bands of stretchy elastic, with two tassels covering her nipples. The rear was completely open, except for two double straps which hid beneath each plump bottom cheek. An eye mask, adorned with rows of jet-hematite crystals, completed the look.
Clarity put on her own babydoll dress and Ophelia thong, helping out Elsie Chu with a tripod and a video camera. The cheeky doyenne turned on the camera and Vanity began to run her hands along the back of Shalia Owell, stopping at her hips. She turned around the wealthy socialite and began kissing her. The eyes of Elsie Chu were fixed on the camera, and at times, she looked at the LCD screen of her laptop, to ensure the framing was correct. Without looking at Clarity, she grabbed the hand of the teleoperator, and brought it to her breasts for a delicate massage.
The wife of Dao Bin brought Shalia to an L-shaped couch, leaving Clarity as official porn director in front of the camera. The older woman reached for her Opal clutch bag and took out a ring similar to the one she was wearing. She slid the ring along the ring finger of Shalia.
"This is for you baby, it confirms that you are a member of the Privilege club. As long as you do what I say, you won't run into trouble. Don't tell anyone that I gave you this ring."
Shalia nodded, in a hazy daze of confusion created by the touch of Vanity on her body.
Vanity performed a full body massage on Shalia, while Elsie Chu worked on Clarity, lifting her dress. After twenty minutes, the wealthy socialite and the teleoperator came several times, brought to a climax by the deft hands of the two women in charge of the Telval event. Around five thirty in the morning, most guests had left the bungalow, leaving the Telval courtesans frolicking on the ground floor, toying around with a magnificent grand piano made of maple and spruce by the Baltimore company Knabe & Co. There was a knock on the door. The attractive figure of Madame Wa entered the room, displaying a two-piece white gown featuring a high split on one size of the skirt. Vanity stopped her massage on Shalia, and began holding her hand. Clarity stepped behind the L-shaped sofa.
"I have come for the ring," said Madame Wa, "the vanity ring." Elsie Chu turned to Shalia, who avoided her stare. For sure Shalia Owell had spoken about her ring to Madame Wa.
"I want to head the Shade of the White Lotus," replied Elsie Chu.
"There is a hierarchy in our Secret Society, I am the sole head and director, however you want to call it, you are just a member. You do not have the esoteric knowledge required to head anything." Elsie Chu lifted her hand and showed the manicure specialist her ring.
"Then, you cannot have this ring, the Privilege club is not open to you. You will not be a part of it."
Madame Wa walked towards the tripod with the camera.
"I picked up the charts and the content of your deposit box at Le Freeport," said Madame Wa. Everything was placed on the cargo planes with the containers, just like Professor Chang told me."
A thought in the form of a one ton heavy deposit vault from Le Freeport fell on Clarity. The decryptor was not with her anymore, and there was no way to reach that plane headed for China. She turned her distress into serenity by marveling at how clean the white floor of the bedroom was.
"Then, you can have a copy of Golden Lamp of Casa Mollino. Vanity will give you a copy of the file."
Elsie Chu turned one of the rows of her ring, to transfer the contents of the camera being filmed downstairs, to a chip inside the camera in the bedroom. Vanity reached for the clutch of Elsie Chu and took out a pen drive. She copied the file labelled 'Casa Mollino' on it and gave the memory drive to Madame Wa.
"Those attending the p
arty tonight are not interested in esoteric knowledge," said Elsie Chu.
"We'll see, Professor Chang wants to teach esoteric knowledge to as many wealthy people as he can. Did you complete the funding?" Asked Madame Wa.
"Yes, each of the twenty guests have paid half a million dollars to be here tonight. They have all been granted Pink Diamond membership status at Telval, and their invitation on the hell bank note serves as confirmation of their shareholding interest in the Hunan health phone project. They'll receive any dividends through Telval, if the business becomes profitable."
"How did you convince everyone to attend an adult-themed party?" Asked Madame Wa.
"The money paid to attend ensures its exclusive nature. They all know that my husband is a shareholder of Telval Studios, they trust his reputation, and my own."
Clarity noticed that Shalia was taking off her thong, and donning a pair of jeans. The teleoperator walked towards the camera filming the scene, realizing the conversation was being recorded. She glanced at the LCD screen of the laptop, noticing the fresh, camera-ready look of Vanity. Madame Wa left the room, leaving Clarity with Elsie Chu, Vanity and Shalia Owell.
"I have to go," said Shalia. The blond girl seemed distressed by the conversation, and she called the limousine chauffeur, telling him to turn on the car engine.
"You are vulnerable to the left hand path," said Vanity, looking at the ring worn by the socialite.
"What?" Asked Shalia. The blond girl tried to dismiss the comment.
"I saw you looking at Madame Wa. You revere her. You are vulnerable to the aggrandizing of personality and apotheosis, anointing of yourself as goddess. You should let your ego diffuse and dissolve."
"Apotheosis is legitimate, that's why I like the Shade of the White Lotus, because they allow the elevation of a person to the status of a god or goddess." Elsie Chu interrupted the incipient argument.
"Shalia is moving away from the Secret Society of Madame Wa. She will be more comfortable with Telval and other wealthy members of the Privilege Club. That's why she received that very special ring."
Elsie Chu reached for the hand of Shalia, turning one of the two rows of the ring counterclockwise.
"When you turn the ring counterclockwise, the ring will connect with your smartphone, and I'll get a call from you from a number no one can trace."
Shalia nodded and put on the rest of her clothes.
"I'll call you," she said, before leaving the main bedroom of the bungalow with her trolley. Clarity stared at the tripod and the handheld Sony HXR camcorder above it, realizing she'd shot her first amateur adult scene. Paris Hilton would have been proud of her.