Chapter 21: Punk City and the Girl

In a world where technology has advanced to such an extent that human dignity is reduced to mere numbers, the meaning of government inevitably fades away.

In such a world, the government’s public authority, meant to suppress corporations, has knelt before overwhelming financial and technological power.

Citizens no longer seek spiritual values and thus do not respond to the government’s mobilization orders.

Only money.

In a world where everything is decided by money, the government is nothing more than a puppet, a playground for corporations.

Hence, it was not an exaggeration to say that each megacorp was a lord and king in the regions where their headquarters were located.

Hexen Group, one of the top megacorps in the United States, was no different.

The state of Colorado was their kingdom.

Employees of Hexen enjoyed better air, better water, and a better life.

Executives and their families, who held positions higher than the employees, were guaranteed privileges and immunity like nobles.

And the king of this kingdom stood above the law.

A skyscraper that casually ignored rights to light and view.

Not only tall, but also thick, this building monopolized the sunlight and scenery in the surrounding area.

As if unsatisfied with that, countless high-rise buildings clustered around the skyscraper, forming a wall.

Thanks to this, the buildings behind the wall lived in darkness, unable to receive sunlight or enjoy the view, coexisting with mold.

All these buildings were owned by Hexen Group.

This place was both the company headquarters and the home of the Hexen family.

At the top floor of this massive castle, the owner of the building, the ruler of the state, was working.

***

“So, did the ninjas fail?”

An old man with a head full of white hair asked a man dressed in the same attire as the ninjas who had pursued Amon and his group.

The man, as if ashamed, knelt and answered the chairman’s question.

“Yes. It seems they lost their targets. All those deployed on the field were defeated and captured by the Paladins.”

“Are they alive?”

“They all succeeded in taking their own lives.”

“I see. Then, we shall overlook this failure.”

“Thank you for your mercy.”

The old man nodded, signaling the ninja to leave.

The ninja quietly exited the room.

Silence filled the room, leaving only the old man behind.

The news of the ninjas’ annihilation didn’t stir any emotions in the old man.

To him, their failure was nothing more than choosing the wrong knife to peel a fruit.

Just as one doesn’t get angry when a coconut can’t be peeled with an apple knife, the chairman had no reason to punish or become angry over the ninjas’ failure.

If they had survived and leaked information, he would have thought of it as cutting his hand with a knife and simply replaced the knife.

But this time, nothing of the sort happened.

The old man decided to assign other tasks to the ninjas and began reading the report.

While reading, he pressed his temple and spoke into the air.

“Secretary. Come here.”

Within less than a minute, a man in a neat suit entered the room.

The secretary bowed to the old man and asked the reason for the call.

“What is it, Chairman?”

“This report. Did Section Chief Bill write it?”

“Yes. Since it’s an important project, the young master insisted on handling it himself.”

“Did he now?”

The old man stroked his chin and spoke again.

“Just to check—has he still been bringing women into the office lately?”

“Speak the truth. Don’t worry about how I’ll react.”

“Well… He’s recently become quite fond of a certain establishment, and he’s been continuously receiving women from that place.”

The secretary nervously observed the old man’s reaction, afraid that he would take out his anger on him after hearing that his son was living so indulgently that he was calling women to the office.

However, the chairman’s reaction was unexpectedly calm.

In fact, it went beyond calm—he seemed to accept it as natural.

“Well, he’s still quite young. It’s probably a good thing. A person needs desire to foster ambition, don’t you think?”

To the chairman, his son’s minor flaws were nothing.

If, by any chance, he had been leaking company secrets or failing to do his job because of his indulgence, the chairman would have been furious.

But his son merely called women to the office and lived a hedonistic lifestyle, while still doing his job well.

Though some employees felt awkward when he occasionally kept women under his desk, work continued smoothly.

Moreover, even without the rose-colored glasses of nepotism, the son was objectively competent.

Despite indulging in women during work, he accomplished more than most executives.

He knew how to send the women away when necessary, and he had no qualms about handling the fieldwork that most businesspeople hated.

If he weren’t his own son, the chairman would have still provided him with a private office.

That’s how capable his son was.

As a result, the chairman allowed his son’s indulgence.

The secretary also showed his agreement.

Of course, calling prostitutes into the office and engaging in illicit activities during work hours could hardly be considered normal.

But what could be done?

The god of this place had declared it normal.

The secretary merely obeyed the god’s word.

Feeling proud of his son, the chairman smiled faintly as he read through his son’s report again.

Suddenly, he remembered why he had called the secretary and hardened his expression.

The secretary immediately straightened up, ready to listen attentively.

The chairman asked him, “Did any important reports come through while that prostitute was here?”

The secretary immediately pulled out his tablet and checked the records of the work conducted at the time.

Comparing the times of the reports and the prostitute’s presence, he found some overlap.

But upon closer inspection, he noticed that the young master always sent the women out of the office when discussing reports.

Thus, the secretary shared this information to defend the young master.

The chairman was quite pleased with the secretary’s defense.

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to scold him. It’s a big project, and he’s probably under a lot of stress. People need to relieve that kind of stress at the right time.”

“Whew…”

“But forgiving that prostitute is a different matter.”

“Understood. I will take care of that matter myself.”

The secretary’s loyalty extended only to the young master.

Gone was the timid, small-time worker who trembled in front of the chairman.

In his place was a cold and calculating businessman.

Thus, the fate of one woman was decided.

She, unable to enter the protective fence of the corporation, was a life of no value to them.

The secretary immediately left the chairman’s office and used his connections to order the woman’s disappearance.

It wasn’t difficult.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened.

How many prostitutes had perished from the time the young master joined the company until he was promoted to section chief? To the secretary, this task was just business.

That being said, it wasn’t as though the secretary had no feelings about the situation.

“Sigh… If only he’d be more careful.”

The secretary’s feelings were of annoyance and mild regret.

But that regret wasn’t directed at the woman—it was for the young master.

Guilt? Does that pay the bills?

The secretary checked the calendar on his phone and muttered, ”The fact that she lasted a whole month means he must have really liked her.

He’s going to be furious when he finds out she’s gone.”

Shaking his head, the secretary called the establishment the young master frequented.

“Hey, it’s me. I think the young master will be wanting a new toy soon. What? You have something new? Send me a picture.”

Ding!

A photo arrived on his phone.

The secretary glanced at it and nodded slowly.

”This should be to his liking. Have her sent over by 6 PM today. Got it.”

Ending the call, the secretary headed toward his small office.

His steps held no guilt, no regret.

Ding Ding

One prostitute was erased from the world, and a new one arrived at the company.

As soon as she stepped into the company lobby, everyone’s eyes turned to her.

‘Wow…’

Though her chest and hips were not particularly full, she possessed such beauty that it hardly mattered.

While the security guards were entranced by her looks, she approached the secretary, who had come to greet her.

“Hello, I’m Ari.”

“…Are you of Korean descent?”

“Do I look that way?”

When Ari smiled with her eyes, the secretary turned his head slightly.

Though he had experience with prostitutes, the woman before him was top-tier.

‘The madam said she was a newcomer.’

Without a doubt, she would become the ace of the establishment within a month.

Perhaps, she might even catch the young master’s eye and become his mistress before achieving ace status.

‘If she becomes his mistress, she won’t die so easily.’

Prostitute, mistress, wife—these three statuses were as different as heaven and earth.

At the very least, if she became a mistress, no one would try to kill her just for overhearing a phone conversation.

The secretary saw no small chance that the woman before him could rise to such a position.

‘It’s like a Cinderella story.’

To go from prostitute to the mistress of a megacorp heir—it would be like a dream come true for Ari.

‘Just in case that happens, it wouldn’t hurt to be in her good graces.’

Having finished his calculations, the secretary began to guide the woman with a polite demeanor.

Not so deferential as to appear subservient, but not so condescending as to make her feel belittled for being a prostitute.

He treated her with the same level of courtesy he would show to the vice presidents of foreign branches.

Ari, seemingly pleased with the secretary’s attitude, kept smiling with her eyes.

‘So this is what it feels like to be enchanted by a fox,’ thought the secretary.

It reminded him of a proverb he’d heard while dealing with the Korean branch.

It was a strange feeling.

She was certainly beautiful, but there was no lust involved.

It was like admiring an idol or a beautiful work of art.

With such charm, the secretary thought it wouldn’t be impossible for her to even take the position of the lady of the house.

In this entranced state, the secretary led Ari to the young master’s office.

”He’ll be waiting for you inside.”

Opening the door for her, the secretary treated her with respect until the very end.

Ari gave a slight bow and stepped into the room.

Click clack

The sound of high heels echoed, but the man inside didn’t react.

Behind a nameplate that read ‘Wilhelm Heisenberg’ in large letters, the man was immersed in his work.

He didn’t spare Ari a single glance, focusing solely on his tasks.

Sensing that she might disturb him, Ari waited silently.

For nearly an hour, silence filled the room.

Finally, Wilhelm, still buried in the mountain of papers before him, opened his mouth.

“You’re hired.”

“Pardon?”

“Most prostitutes try to hurry things along and leave. But there are only a handful of women who wait patiently, like you. Especially without checking their phone while waiting.”

“Well… it’s my first time…”

Ari’s voice, smooth as jade, tickled Wilhelm’s ears.

Whether it was her demeanor, her voice, or her looks that he liked, Wilhelm nodded gently.

“In that case, you’ve passed with flying colors. Just out of curiosity, where did you receive such training?”

Hesitating, Ari shared her story—how she had once been the daughter of a company president, how she could have attended a prestigious university, but how a failed experiment caused the downfall of the company, forcing her to sell her body to survive.

A common story in this world, but combined with her uncommon beauty and melodious voice, it became a tear-jerking tragedy.

Wilhelm found himself even more taken with the woman named Ari.

‘First time… That means she’s a virgin. And her background has no faults.’

If her story was indeed true, it felt like something straight out of a romance novel.

Wilhelm, born into a powerful corporate dynasty and lacking for nothing, was still a man.

He wasn’t entirely devoid of the romantic notion of a fateful encounter.

‘Excellent.’

If, by any chance, she became his wife, he would even consider saving her family.

Wilhelm lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes drifting below her beautiful face.

Flat.

But that wasn’t a disqualifying flaw.

After all, size could always be altered with money.

Satisfied, he nodded and beckoned her over.

However, it seemed she truly was inexperienced, as she froze in place, not moving.

Looking around nervously, she asked, “Is there… by any chance, a monitoring system in place?”

“Hah…”

A monitoring system—used to track the status of important personnel in the office, monitoring their every move.

Most prostitutes didn’t worry about such things, but it seemed that, given her background as a company president’s daughter, she was more cautious.

‘It seems her story wasn’t a lie after all.’

Smiling faintly, Wilhelm reassured her.

“Don’t worry. This is my office. Who would dare monitor me here?”

In this room, Wilhelm had engaged in all manner of unsavory activities.

Even he, however, had no desire to expose his genitals or backside to his subordinates.

As such, there was no monitoring system.

At last, reassured, Ari approached Wilhelm.

Tentatively, she reached out to touch his chin—

Slash!

“Goddammit! I can’t believe I’m having this kind of shitty experience.”

With a curse, Ari slashed Wilhelm’s throat.