Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Method of the Hunt (2)
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Prosper Wellness.
A medical insurance giant ranking 52nd in Omega Detroit's capital hierarchy, with a complete monopoly on the city's hospitals.
It was a solid megacorp, showing no apparent cracks in its market dominance or financial structure.
Ironic as it was that they built such healthy books by bankrupting the common folk and squeezing them dry... from the outside, there seemed to be almost no vulnerabilities to exploit.
Which was why they didn't bend even to financial firms larger than themselves.
The attitude of the man before him said it all.
Prosper Wellness's president, Klaus Adler.
He was a tidy gentleman in his late thirties.
"As you know, the medical market in this city has finally stabilized after years of fierce competition."
His low, pleasant voice was smooth and persuasive.
"Countless challengers have come and gone, and it's only after they all fell that we've achieved this peace."
But the essence of it was a firm eviction notice.
"Pushing further from here would just lead to massive losses for both sides. I've always respected your reputation and abilities, but this time... I have to wonder if it's a misstep. I can't fathom why a traditional financial firm like Tessellation would eye our business, but I urge you to make a wise decision."
It was a threat bordering on intimidation, yet not mere empty words.
After all, Prosper Wellness's standing in the city's medical sector was unrivaled.
Hadn't the Church's new hospital project been derailed before ground could even be broken?
"Hmm, is that so?"
But the woman seated across from Klaus merely smiled leisurely.
Celestina Ober, president of Tessellation Investment—his biggest headache these days.
"Oh, right. I heard the news, President Adler. You're getting engaged the month after next. Congratulations."
"...Thank you."
Her sudden pivot to an unrelated topic furrowed Klaus's brow for a moment.
'Showing off her intel?'
His engagement hadn't been announced publicly.
Was that the kind of dirt she could dig up easily? Yet it felt oddly vague for someone of her renown.
His fiancée-to-be was the daughter of the chairman of Madison Biozen, a massive Old Continent pharmaceutical firm.
Marriage was an alliance bound by institutions and customs. Pointing out how this engagement elevated Prosper Wellness's weight class seemed oddly off for her.
As he puzzled over it, Celestina continued.
"But just hypothetically, President Adler. If the son-in-law you're about to welcome had some nasty sexual perversion... Madison Biozen would be quite disappointed, wouldn't they?"
"......"
Klaus's expression nearly froze, but he forced a nonchalant smile.
"Haha, what kind of joke is this..."
But Celestina silently placed a terminal on the table.
A soundless video played on its screen.
"This is..."
A background and angle that felt eerily familiar.
And... the face of the naked man in the video.
Klaus Adler—himself.
"...!"
Before she could say a word, Klaus snatched the terminal away.
His face drained of color as he frantically shut off the screen.
"My, my... such tastes..."
To her leisurely, mischievous tone, Klaus replied in a panic.
"Haha, technology these days is amazing. Dream rendering, generative AI manipulation, memory-weaving deepfakes... Surely you didn't fall for something this fabricated, President Celestina?"
It was a solid ad-lib defense. But Celestina smiled faintly and replied with leisure.
"Oh, by the way—that footage was recorded in .vvid format. Verified Video."
At those words, Klaus's face went ashen.
Vvid format. The standard now accepted as legal evidence by ODPD and all investigative agencies. It had flaws, but its guarantee of original integrity and tamper-proof nature was absolute.
There was no denying it now. This was blatant blackmail.
Celestina delivered her ultimatum.
"My terms are simple. Stay out of our business, and this video never sees the press or the public. Need time to think? I'll give you a week. But if there's no answer by then..."
The unspoken rest was clear.
Everyone in the city would learn Klaus Adler's disgusting true face.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Returning to his top-floor office at Prosper Wellness HQ after the unscheduled meeting, Klaus erupted.
With a roar of fury, he smashed everything in sight.
"Arrrgh!!!"
Crash!
A crystal globe shattered against the wall, papers and datapads scattering wildly.
Unsated, he kicked over chairs and toppled bookshelves.
Only after raging like a madman did he stop.
"Huff... huff...!"
In the wake of the storm, only anxiety remained.
'How the hell did she find that...!'
It was a lapse from long ago.
Why now, of all times, did it come back to bite him like this?
Klaus paced the room restlessly.
'Accept the deal? Or push back hard?'
Logically, even if the file leaked, it wouldn't shake his control of the company.
Corporate executives weren't politicians or celebrities. Shares were all that mattered—no sway from public opinion.
Social standing would tank, sure... but the real damage wouldn't be that bad. Far worse to cede the city's medical monopoly.
The engagement? Manageable somehow.
Pharma and insurance were allies of necessity.
A son-in-law's scandal wouldn't make them abandon profits.
'But still...'
One misstep, and everyone in the city might see that video.
Just imagining it brought crushing pressure and stress.
Torn between face and pragmatism, Klaus finally grabbed a bottle of premium liquor from the corner and chugged.
Gulp. Gulp.
The burn did little to calm his nerves.
Instead, shame softened in the haze, replaced by rising rage.
'How dare she... humiliate me like this?!'
Celestina Ober with her smug grin, digging up his dirt. That Radiance Church cult trash. And...
Right. The video's angle and background—it started at Paradise.
Those Velvet Club mafia bastards must have been involved.
'Those fucking bitches...!'
Whether bribed or coerced didn't matter.
He needed a target for this boiling rage, and he had one ripe for revenge.
Klaus bellowed into the intercom on the wall, eyes bloodshot.
"Security Chief!!! Get your ass here NOW!!!"
Moments later, as the suited man entered, Klaus growled his orders.
"Take every force we can muster right now and head to the western outskirts. Kill every last bug in Paradise—don't leave one alive! And that madam bitch—drag her here alive!!!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ What matters most in a high-stakes game?
A strong hand? Big stakes? Useful, sure.
But does a strong hand guarantee massive wins?
No. If the opponent folds early or bolts, it drags on.
Hunting's the same.
No guarantee of success just because you have good weapons or fancy rods.
So what decides a hunt's outcome?
Celestina put it this way.
"How accurately you can predict your target's actions."
Scout their paths, watering spots, reactions to strange scents.
Know the prey's habits, and even good gear yields trophies—not empty swings.
"Corporate hunts are no different. Predicting behavior is key."
That lets you strike weak points for max gain, min cost.
"But humans are unpredictable beasts, so perfect prediction's impossible."
So simplify the board. Guide their choices.
They think they hold the power, but it's a steered illusion.
This time was no different.
Dangle the black letter like a killing blow, fix Klaus's gaze there.
Give timed options to amp his haste and unease.
Stress and fury over exposure.
That "thinking time" became frantic pressure.
In the end, Klaus vented his rage with an obvious, hasty call.
"Guide their moves as you want, and it's as good as predicting the future."
Just like now.
"Prosper Wellness forces advancing on the western outskirts—all neutralized." Why I'd hesitated on war with the insurer despite our superior forces? No clue how much it'd cost to breach their fortified turf.
But enemies blundering out of their safe nest into our perfect ambush zone on the outskirts? Easy pickings.
Thus, we wiped their city-bound troops overnight, no trace left.
Yet they were a proper megacorp. This loss alone wouldn't topple them.
'Not enough.'
Reading my face, Celestina smiled.
"Don't worry, Eve. The hunt's just starting."
And so the operation began... unfolding like a forced checkmate in chess, just as she'd scripted.
Celestina cleverly inflated the bad news of their forces' pathetic annihilation, leaking it through multiple channels.
Klaus's shares and exec position might shrug off public backlash.
But the masses panic at fear, investors flee risk.
That fanned dread crashed Prosper Wellness's stock temporarily.
Without issues, it'd rebound fast—their fundamentals were solid.
But the real problem? They'd wafted blood scent to the monsters outside the city.
Celestina explained.
"Prosper didn't dominate the medical scene for lack of bigger insurers. They seized the market first and nipped rivals in the bud."
Now, stung and shrinking back.
Big external insurance groups started probing again, licking their chops.
Summit Care (12th in capital), Cygnus Health (26th), Meridian Trust (31st)—all with city branches.
Headlines flooded: one after another declaring market entry.
Truth was, these giants were just testing waters. Early-stage probes, not aggressive yet.
But Celestina was a genius at chaining vicious cycles.
One mishap draws another player.
That sparks the next domino.
The city's medical order devolved into chaos.
Ironically, commoners benefited. New entrants offered better insurance terms to crack the monopoly.
Prosper clung to downtown dominance, but Celestina's masterful chaos left them no bandwidth for us.
Finally, the awaited news arrived.
"Sis! City gov just approved the hospital construction permit!" "........."
After it all wrapped, I met Celestina again.
'Incredible.'
Cool judgment, piercing insight, bold moves shaking the board.
Watching firsthand, her prowess screamed world-class investment firm president.
'I'd have stopped at blackmailing with the black letter.'
She used that weakness as a lever to rattle a titan and seize exactly what she wanted.
Nothing else to say but "amazing."
Lost in admiration, she spread her arms toward me.
"......"
At the silent cue, I hesitated, then awkwardly stepped close for a cautious hug.
In that shared warmth, I whispered the nickname I'd grown used to.
"Thank you, Cela sis."
She squeezed tighter.
Breath caught a bit, but it was fine.
'Good thing we're friends.'
If I'd been her target... unimaginable horror.
I didn't even want to think about it. Really.