VVIP Indulgence and the Detective's Shadow

The shortest hooker in the group glared at me with fiery eyes, voicing her dissatisfaction. All the cash stacked in front of her had been swept away, so she had every right to be pissed. Hell, wasn't that the whole point of this gig—making money?

Right on cue, the room door swung open. Hye-min stepped in, dressed in a sharp suit and carrying a black 007-style briefcase.

"I've brought the money you ordered."

Perfect timing. Hye-min's so damn competent. Hiring her as my secretary was the best move ever.

She used to do development work, but burying a talent like that in the dev team? HR must be full of idiots. If I hadn't awakened her, the company's future would've been bleak.

I nodded toward the table. Hye-min set the briefcase down and unzipped it. Inside were stacks upon stacks of yellow bills—like something straight out of a movie or drama.

The sight of that briefcase crammed with 50,000-won notes instantly heated up the atmosphere again. The pint-sized hooker who'd been raging moments ago now grinned ear to ear, like some supervillain from a superhero flick.

"Good girl."

I patted Hye-min's head. She dropped to her knees like a puppy begging for a treat, gazing up at me. Whether it's people or pets, reward good work. Especially for my pet human, Hye-min.

I unloaded a shot right into her mouth. She accepted it gratefully, chewing and swallowing with relish. Was there any other woman in the world who savored cum like that?

"Whoa! So much cash. First time seeing this much."

"Wonder if all the money I've saved up even comes close."

"How many briefcases is this!?"

I pointed at the pint-sized one, whose turn had been cut short earlier. Since she missed out last time, I'd give her a shot now.

Of course, she'd have to entertain me first to take the cash home. I wasn't running a charity. No money for girls who didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turn me on.

"Dance for me or something. Do it well, and I'll toss you a bundle."

I dangled a stack that looked worth about 5 million won.

"For real!? That's my specialty!"

Having sized me up, the pint-sized hooker spread her pussy wide and busted out that Zero-Two dance from the old YouTube trends. Her ass was a bit lacking in size, but she nailed the moves. Ex-trainee, maybe? She'd be fun to ride cowgirl-style.

"She does adult streams too. Hehe!"

The dark-skinned hooker wrapped around my left arm and said it. Eyes gleaming at the cash stack, she planted a kiss on my cheek.

Felt like a crime boss. Well, considering I ran a mega-corp like Fine however I pleased and wiped out the local gangs, my actual status was even higher.

Movies ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and dramas always have the boss lighting up a smoke at times like this.

I wasn't a smoker. But suddenly, an item I'd gotten ages ago popped into my head.

I pulled the Purifying Cigarette from my inventory and lit up. Never used it before, but the mood hit just right. People do weird shit when they're caught up in the vibe.

It looked like a regular cig, except for the fresh green filter. Lighting it released not the usual stale smoke, but a crisp mint aroma. Even a non-smoker like me had zero qualms.

I took a drag. Harmless to health, so I puffed freely. First cig of my life, but the smoke was smooth, the flavor great—no issue deep-throating it.

"Phew!"

The tangy mint chocolate scent filled my lungs. Like swallowing concentrated throat candy—pure refreshment.

I inhaled deep into my chest and exhaled. The minty freshness spread through the room. Wispy smoke fogged the VIP lounge like mist. This kills the vibe perfectly.

"Whoa! What cig is that? Smells amazing. Mind if I have one?"

The dark-skinned hooker rubbing her modest tits against my side cooed coquettishly. Mint cigs seemed like something chicks would dig, like fruit soju. Even I loved the taste—healthy flavor.

Smoking while staying healthy? Sell this here, and it'd be a hit. E-grade, so buyable with credits from the shop. Worth considering?

Nah. Too wasteful on credits. Can't markup like crazy in Solari World.

No matter how good, it's still a cig. Soul Community's tech level mirrors reality. Mass-trading it'd mean red tape galore.

Could order Fine to open channels, but why bother? Already swallowed the world's top IT firm—what more did I need?

I plucked the cig from between my index and middle fingers and slipped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it into her mouth. The dark-skinned girl took it eagerly.

"Tastes like chocolate! Awesome. Hehe! Indirect kiss~"

I handed a cash bundle to the pint-sized hooker twerking in front of me. Her dance wasn't half bad.

"Spread those pussies, you whores."

*-*-*

Arabian Nights' VVIP service was top-tier. No industry as ancient as prostitution, and now I got why. Chasing sex pleasure's human instinct.

High-class brothel, huh. This'll play well even in Solari World.

Best way to schmooze power players? Pillow service. Once folks get money or power, they crave women automatically. Same for men craving women.

I'd pitch the idea to Lienna and Greia in Solari World. Both had the drive to deliver fast results.

After blasting a few heavy loads into the hookers and leaving the room, Park Il-pyo, waiting outside, approached me.

"Boss. That guy who came to our pawnshop before? Think he's a cop."

"That guy? Who're you talking about?"

Most of my memory slots were reserved for women's looks and bodies. I racked my brain but drew a blank.

"The one who pawned the Zippo lighter. Told you he seemed shady."

"No clue. Don't remember. Anyway, that guy's a cop?"

Didn't ring a bell, but a cop sniffing around was bad news. Low-level beat cops couldn't touch me, though. Probably just some vice squad grunt.

"Yeah. Did some digging after he seemed off. Turns out he's not just vice—he's on the Leon Mask case full-time."

My eyes lit up at Park Il-pyo's words. Intriguing. Useless cops had zero shot at catching Leon Mask, but better stay cautious.

Worst case, brainwash the whole precinct... But it's a legit agency, so tread carefully.

Unlike gangs, agencies don't fold if grunts get wrecked. They'd double down with central power. Might even spin it for public opinion.

"Dug more, and get this—they formed a National Investigation Headquarters for Leon Mask. That cop, Bong Jun-man, heads it."

"Hm. Cops poking everywhere's a headache."

Three-plus ways to sabotage popped into mind instantly. Simplest: bribes. Straightforward and foolproof.

"Got police connections?"

"Some, but not enough to sway the NI Headquarters. Working 'em steady, but nothing usable yet."

"In Korea, what's immune to cold hard cash?"

"This case? Cops are image-conscious with public eyes on 'em. Takes big ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠money."

"Hmmm. That so?"

Time to pivot.

Going out as Leon Mask directly? Nah. He's a dark hero now—attacking cops hands ammo to the other side.

Could beat investigators senseless and frame 'em as corrupt, but high failure risk. Past frames worked on guys with dirt. Cops were human too—dig and find dust—but too risky.

Botch the PR play, and cops counterattack. Image-obsessed pigs wouldn't lose a propaganda war easily. Might even be baiting Leon Mask to strike first.

Then handle it quietly. Or brainwash.

Me personally was cleanest. Minions would just stir the hornet's nest.

"I'll handle it."

"With you, boss, I feel secure."

"Prep the next plan step-by-step. Jinglebell City's not the endgame. We're going nationwide."

"Got it."

Park Il-pyo's eyes sparkled at "nationwide." Ambitious fucker. That's why I'd clean him up eventually.