Chapter 129: Veteran Corporation Shareholders' Meeting (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: Veteran Corporation Shareholders' Meeting (2)
"I made it sound grand, but the agenda for this shareholders' meeting is simple. Just report to me the information you've gathered while in the Tower, as well as the movements of your respective organizations."
In any case, the people gathered here had either sworn loyalty or were forced into obedience through the 'Brand of the Flame Soul'. However, Jinhyuk planned to conduct the interviews individually.
Keeping a wall of information between them would serve as a strategic advantage in the future.
‘Besides, if employees share too much information among themselves, they start getting ideas.’
When people get too comfortable, their minds tend to wander.
Like complaining about the company's welfare benefits.
Or comparing salaries with the coworker sitting next to them.
And so on.
There was a high risk of insolent and nasty gossip spreading behind his back.
To prevent all of that, he just had to isolate each of them completely.
If he made each one believe they were the most competent, the most useful among them...
And if he could breed envy and jealousy toward their peers...
Only then could he establish a perfectly controlled society of informants.
‘Hehe. I'll suck them dry, brew whatever's left thirteen more times, and then toss their bones as sweet potato treats.’
As long as they were breathing, he intended to work them to the bone.
Just like Sejong the Great overworked Prime Minister Hwang Hee.
* * *
Jinhyuk walked beneath a large boulder and set up a suitable spot.
Two flat stones to serve as chairs.
Two cups of tea brewed from weeds plucked nearby.
This was more than enough.
Indeed, this was a luxurious reception that would make even the shareholders' meeting of Ohsung Electronics jealous.
[The 2-Star Barrier 'Dimensional Severance' has been activated!]
An isolated world unfolded, blocking out not only sight but sound as well.
A moment later, the first batter, Ho Taesik, stepped inside.
He looked incredibly tense, as if he had come for a job interview.
"I'm not interested in trivial gossip, so just give me the highlights. What's been happening at the Awakened Association lately?"
"U-Uh, not long ago, it was President Han Sang-jin's birthday."
His birthday?
Jinhyuk's brow furrowed slightly.
What was he supposed to do with that information? Give the old man a birthday beating?
"Is that it?"
"N-No, of course not! This is some real insider info... Actually, with the appearance of the Tower of Trials, real estate prices in the Gangnam and Seocho areas are projected to skyrocket. Since players from all over the country are gathering here, the demand for housing is exploding. If you'd like, I can let you know in advance which areas are slated for redevelopment... Hehe."
Oh, brother.
This was getting more ridiculous by the second.
Now a public official was leaking insider information to encourage real estate speculation?
Was he practically begging for a thorough tax audit?
"Hmm. Not exactly high-quality information. It seems our Assistant Manager Taesik might have to leave the company soon."
"The company is going through a bit of a rough patch lately, you see."
"I'm planning to downsize and cut any redundant personnel."
At that, Ho Taesik's tone changed instantly.
"W-Wait! The 7th floor!"
"The 7th floor?"
"Y-Yes! Player Jang Eun-seok, who is leading the Dangun Guild's 2nd Raid Team, is currently trying to clear the 7th floor, but progress is slow because of the extreme cold. What was it? They said if you obtain some kind of feather, you can resist the cold."
A feather... Could it be?
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Ho.
Finally, some useful information had surfaced.
‘They're planning to get the Phoenix Feather to prepare for the cold on the 7th floor.’
If it was a feather that raised body temperature through the blessing of fire, the raid team would be able to fight smoothly even in the freezing cold.
The Dangun Guild had headed to the northern end of the 7th floor with that exact goal in mind.
‘Living up to their reputation as Korea's strongest guild, they seem to have a decent amount of information on clearing the 7th floor.’
Besides, Jang Eun-seok... Jinhyuk had met him once before.
He was the player who had been debating with an announcer about the 4th floor.
‘The guy I startled by suddenly triggering the zombie wave.’
Of all the rankers, choosing him as the raid leader meant...
‘Right, so that's what they're after.’
Things were starting to get interesting.
He didn't hold a grudge against Dangun, but when a feast was laid out like this, it would be rude not to pick up a spoon.
Jinhyuk searched his memories of the 7th floor, assessing the Dangun Guild's current level, the method to obtain the Phoenix Feather, and how to paint all of it onto a single canvas.
He began to draft a scenario that accounted for every single variable.
* * *
Next up was Takeshi.
It was actually quite nice to see him after all this time...
"Ohhh...! For the most noble existence in the Tower to summon such a humble human is truly an infinite honor...!"
Damn it, scratch that.
"Hey, I'd really appreciate it if you shut your mouth."
He was dying of embarrassment, so he wished Takeshi would stop using those bizarre flowery words.
"C-Cough! My apologies."
"Whatever. I assume you've secured what I asked for back at the temple?"
"Of course. Whose request could it possibly be? How could I ever make a mistake?"
Takeshi carefully activated his subdimensional inventory.
Emerging amidst a brilliant mist was a sword imbued with a bizarre energy.
Its double-edged blade was tinged with white.
Though the iron sword bore the weight of countless ages, its sharpness had not faded in the slightest.
And for good reason.
This sword, known as Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, was one of the most prominent relics in Japan.
‘I have the Twin Dragon Swords and Fang, so I won't have any use for it myself, but...’
It would serve as excellent leverage to trade for another item of a similar grade.
In fact, there was one specific item he desperately wanted at this point.
An item that was impossible to obtain through ordinary means.
"Thanks. I'll put it to good use."
He meant it.
If he had actually taken Takeshi's life back at the temple, he would have regretted it forever.
Good.
Now, next...
After sending Takeshi out, Jinhyuk called in Min Jung-woo and Lee Yu-ri, who were waiting outside.
The two shared some trivial updates about what they had been up to, along with a few pieces of useful information.
Afterward, Kim Hee-woong gave a regular report on the operations of the Black Crow Guild.
Andrea also spoke about the 5th floor's 'Psychiatric Ward'.
"The Colosseum and the mines were eventually breached, but we are still going strong. Thanks to that, players are hesitant to enter the Psychiatric Ward."
"That's a relief."
True to her status as a boss monster, Andrea had grown incomparably stronger than before.
Alice's various pieces of advice must have played a major role in that.
If she continued to defend her territory and expand her power like this, she would eventually be able to exert her influence far beyond the 5th floor, onto much higher floors.
‘Though she's still a long way off from the level I want.’
Indeed.
She needed to become an existence that wouldn't be pushed around even in the upper floors of the Tower, rather than struggling on single-digit floors.
That was the very reason he had entrusted the 5th floor to Andrea.
"Thanks for making the long trip. I'll see you later, then."
"Don't mention it. You're the one who gave me a second life, Jinhyuk. I'll come whenever you call."
Andrea bowed politely.
Man... I really wish a certain someone renting a room inside my ring would take notes.
They were both boss-level entities of the Tower, so how could they be so completely different?
[What! You were just cursing me out in your head, weren't you!]
Braham's ring vibrated with impeccable timing.
Jinhyuk shoved his ring-wearing hand into his pocket, pretending not to hear.
Was this guy reading his mind? He was getting craftier by the day.
A few minutes later, the final batter, Melena, walked in.
"……."
Her face was stiff with tension.
Ever since her brutal defeat on the 3rd floor, Jinhyuk had been the most terrifying existence to Melena.
Moreover, with the 'Brand of the Flame Soul' engraved on her, she was completely at his mercy.
"Haha. Don't be so tense. Make yourself comfortable. Have some tea over there, too."
The aroma was bitter, but it was somewhat drinkable.
Even if it did seem to contain a trace of poison.
"……Thank you."
Melena sat down cautiously.
When she first arrived, she thought she had recovered from those painful memories to some extent.
But the moment she faced Jinhyuk, her entire body trembled like a mouse before a snake.
A trauma once experienced is not easily healed.
Once the hierarchy was firmly established, Jinhyuk got straight to the point.
"Have there been any unusual movements from the Demonic Humans lately?"
For the past few months, he had been too busy dealing with the Central Plains and the Murim.
His nerves had been on edge ever since the clash at the Elf Forest.
"Actually, there is one thing I should tell you. Some guys from the upper floors of the Tower came to find us."
"……The upper floors?"
"I don't know exactly which floor. But they were vampires with silver hair and red eyes. They were... terrifyingly strong. I never imagined the Demonic Humans we carefully selected would be wiped out so effortlessly."
Silver hair.
Red eyes.
Vampires.
As these three keywords aligned in a single sentence, Jinhyuk's pupils dilated in shock.
He couldn't help but be shocked.
Because those traits pointed to only one thing.
Vibrate!
Alice, inside his pocket, reacted with an intensity incomparable to before.
‘I know, but just hold on for a second.’
He had to remain calm. He hadn't heard the full story yet.
"It was a duo, a man and a woman. They claimed to be vampires belonging to the Decasus Family."
The Decasus...
Jinhyuk's expression hardened further.
"Go on."
"They barged straight into our cathedral and made a proposal. They said if we helped them, they would hand over the relic we've been looking for."
"The 'Apostate's Bracelet' on the 11th floor..."
"Yeah, exactly that. The higher-ups on our side desperately want to get their hands on that bracelet."
"Then what do the vampires want?"
Jinhyuk asked the most crucial question.
To which she replied,
"They said a sinner of their clan, who had been imprisoned in the ruins, escaped. They need the Demonic Humans' help to capture her. Her name was... El...les? No, was it Alice? Something like that."
A familiar name slipped from Melena's lips.
I see.
He had expected it to some extent, but if there was any reason for the vampires of the upper floors to descend all the way here, it had to be Alice.
‘I've hit the jackpot with this information.’
It was the most critical piece of news he had heard today.
Holding this shareholders' meeting to gather intelligence on the various factions was, without a doubt, a brilliant decision.
The Phoenix Feather on the 7th floor, the Apostate's Bracelet on the 11th floor...
And finally, the vampires of the Decasus Family.
His future itinerary had just been decided.
"Can I ask you one thing before I go?"
Melena, who was about to stand up, hesitated.
"Ask away. Personally, I highly favor proactive employees."
"Since this is a shareholders' meeting... does that mean we also have rights in the company? I heard that when a company grows, shareholders get dividends, and if the company goes astray or exploits them, the shareholders can gather to voice their concerns."
Melena spoke cautiously.
Indeed.
A shareholder was an owner of the company.
In other words, a position that could exert pressure on management.
"That's correct. Everyone here is a proud member of this company. You are more than welcome to assert your rights and speak up for your welfare."
Jinhyuk did not deny it.
However.
"Our company is a bit far removed from the law."
It was fine to harbor grievances.
But they had better keep those thoughts to themselves.
Because the moment they even bared their teeth, he would crush them instantly.
That was the founding philosophy and future direction of Veteran Corporation.