"I know. But any effort would be helpful."

"I can let you guys know what's worked for us, too, and coordinate to reduce duplication of effort."

"That'd be a big help."

"It'll be worth it - I value keeping the kids here safe, not just... Building Shanghai's power. But it's not something I can do on my own."

"No one can."

Nod.

"Are you planning to coordinate with New York or London, too?"

"Once we have something more solid to show. They're- not as altruistic."

"No."

"Though... Be aware there's more tension than normal between them and Shanghai right now."

"Why?"

"...One of the smaller enclaves was destroyed a few weeks before Induction, Bangkok - we'd sponsored them a bit back. No one survived, except for one kid who'd been outside at the time - she's a freshman now, in your group actually, named Sudarat." That'd be the only enclave kid in their group at all - and she's in their Wednesday seminar in rescuing freshmen. She's usually withdrawn and moody. "The word hasn't really spread yet, and no one actually knows what happened exactly. If it wasn't an accident, or a mal... It could've been an opening to an enclave war - and New York's the most obvious candidate there."

"Well, shit."

"Yeah."

"It's going to make cooperation harder."

"Now we know, anyway."

"An important step."

"Maybe we can get people to leave all the murdering each other until they're outside the school."

"We'll need to build some trust."

"That's what it always comes down to."

"It does."

"Inter-enclave conflict isn't exactly our area of expertise."

"...I'm not the best with the politics either. Chengsu is, though."

"She's talented."

In a tone of immense fondness: "She is."

"Lucky to have her, then."

"She's a tremendous boon."

"We'll leave the trust-building between enclaves to you and her, then. We want to focus on the indies."