Party, Quantum Nexus (3)
Party, Quantum Nexus (3)
"......You're Chairman-nim?"
She must have heard what I called her.
Heishukwoi's tactical operations officer, Hei Rui, asked in a cautious tone.
"...Pardon me, but may I ask your name?"
It was different from when she'd asked my name earlier.
Her tone was exceedingly careful.
Chairman-nim's response was the same as before.
"That's not what matters right now. I'd appreciate it if you answered what business you have with my companion."
She kept speaking with her hands still clasped behind her back.
Those sharp golden eyes shot toward Hei Rui like daggers.
"......It's an internal Heishukwoi matter. If you're not involved, it would be best for you to leave—."
"It's business with an employee of my corporation, so why are you saying I'm not involved?"
Of course, I genuinely wasn't involved.
Because I wasn't actually an employee of Monolith.
But I had technically borrowed that identity to attend the party.
So Chairman-nim's words weren't entirely incorrect.
I quietly read the room and watched their exchange.
If I were being honest, I wished I had some popcorn.
As our conversation dragged on, the eyes of those around us began to converge on us one by one.
Hei Rui must have noticed that fact as well.
After a brief hesitation, she gradually raised her voice.
"You said you're from the same company, yet two of you came together. As far as I know, this party has a basic rule of one person per corporation entry."
Hei Rui let out a scoff of disbelief. Her smiling expression remained fixed.
"Enough with the lies. You seem to be a fledgling corporation still low in the corporate rankings... it's troublesome when you act like a frog in a well."
And then.
The moment her words finished, all the lights in the banquet hall darkened ominously.
It wasn't so dark that I couldn't see at all; the light level had just dropped by about one notch.
A spotlight shone down from the ceiling.
It was a man dressed in a stylish suit.
《First, I'd like to extend my thanks to everyone who has attended this 'Quantum Nexus' party today.》
A voice amplified by a microphone echoed throughout the banquet hall.
《I am Rex Nova, a businessman and entertainer who has been entrusted with the opening proceedings for this event. Though I may not look it, I serve as the CCO of Resurrection Corporation.》
Laughter could be heard following the quip he tacked on at the end.
He definitely seemed like someone I'd seen more on variety shows than in the news.
So people like him come here too.
《However! I have come into some utterly surprising news this time.》
He continued with exaggerated gestures.
《After hearing this news, I felt I shouldn't continue giving the opening speech. So, I asked this person for their understanding beforehand and requested that they give the opening greeting in my stead!》
With that as his final word.
The spotlight fell on us.
On Chairman-nim's position, to be precise.
《I can hardly believe it myself! It is the Chairman of Black Monolith Corporation, Taylor Blackstar-nim!!》
Maybe it was just my imagination.
Perhaps it was the bright spotlight.
Hei Rui's complexion looked ashen pale. Her smiling expression froze, unable to move at all.
Chairman-nim also looked pale, but in a different way—it was the right way to put it.
Her immaculately flawless skin stood out.
The subject of the spotlight, Chairman-nim, took the microphone.
《So, what was that you were saying?》
Hei Rui couldn't utter a single word in response to that voice.
11. Party, Quantum Nexus (3)
Hei Rui disappeared as if fleeing immediately afterward. The sweat pouring off her as if she'd been drenched in water was quite a sight.
['Hei Rui'—I have stored that name in the database, I shall express.]
.......
Setting aside Eve, who was terrifying for reasons I didn't quite grasp.
Anyway, I understood why Hei Rui fled.
If the person she'd been picking a fight with turned out to be the Chairman of a famous megacorp.
......Well.
It was a situation I didn't even want to imagine.
Chairman-nim, holding the microphone, didn't drag out her greeting.
《No need for a long, pointless speech, right? Everyone just have a good time.》
Even though she used banmal at an official event.
No one seemed to mind that part at all.
Chairman-nim handed the microphone to a waiter.
Lengthy applause naturally erupted from all around.
"......The 'King' came here? That's insane. This venue was only ever meant for Monolith affiliate presidents at most."
"...That's an unfamiliar face. Is it really them? It's not as if I'd fail to remember the face of Monolith's Chairman."
"It must be a new body. Why ask so many questions? A female body, is it? When you get down to it, they were born female originally anyway. The fact they still rose to the position of Chairman is truly remarkable."
Murmured reactions spread.
"......."
I thought slowly.
Chairman-nim's entrance.
Although I had defeated the Chinese mafia corporate member thanks to her (his) help.
If I'm being truly honest.
This wasn't good for me.
Chairman-nim walked toward me.
At the same time, the gaze of everyone in the banquet hall was drawn to me.
It was inevitable that the topic of their conversation shifted from Chairman-nim to 'me'.
"...An employee who came with them? That's plausible for Monolith's Chairman, but it's an unfamiliar face."
"Hmm, if this is someone Chairman-nim brought personally, I'll have to look into them separately."
No, everyone.
I'm neither an employee nor anything of the sort.
I'm just someone who lied about his job to get in.
I wanted to shout that.
I wanted to pull out the mask I'd tucked inside my suit and put it on.
......For now.
I slowly moved to a corner of the banquet hall.
I deliberately ignored Chairman-nim following me.
Good.
Now that we'd come this far, no one would be able to eavesdrop on our conversation.
Chairman-nim asked me.
"Did you wait long?"
"...No."
I answered reflexively.
"I didn't wait very long."
Just—I hadn't known you, Chairman-nim, were coming.
I swallowed the rest of that sentence with effort.
"......You said you were busy, so how did you end up coming?"
"Heh heh, it wasn't something I couldn't make time for."
.......
Well, I supposed that was possible.
I started with what I was curious about.
"Um, Chairman-nim."
"Hmm?"
"Your body seems really small."
This was a roundabout way of putting it.
Specific parts, on the contrary, were very large.
"Ah, this? It's a newly cultured body this time."
She lightly lifted the hem of her black dress as she said that.
"I took it out a little earlier than I planned, so the growth is slightly underdone, but there's no major problem."
I thought that maybe she could just come in the middle-aged male body she usually used.
But since Chairman-nim said so, who was I to argue?
Get a grip.
The person in front of me was the Chairman-nim of the megacorp that boasted the number one corporate ranking.
I let out a short, deep breath.
Chairman-nim asked me again.
"Did you find that guy, whatever his name was, Smile Zone?"
"......Not yet."
There were limits to wandering around on my own.
Especially when it came to my weak stomach—I'd reached its limit.
"I had the voice data for Smile Zone analyzed."
"Hoh."
"So it's not that there's no way, but no candidates are coming into view."
Chairman-nim changed posture from clasping her hands behind her back to crossing her arms.
Her chest naturally lifted.
"Good, so that means I just have to help you with it."
"...I'd be grateful if you did."
I nodded sheepishly.
"Then I'll strike up conversations. You just stand behind me."
I was grateful she was willing to go that far.
Since Monolith's Chairman-nim was coming to talk to them.
There wouldn't be a single person in this venue who would ignore that and avoid her.
"Alright, let's go."
"Yes."
We moved our steps toward the center of the banquet hall.
"Ah, did you try the food here?"
"Yes, it was delicious."
"Heh heh, I noticed when we ate last time too, but you seem to really like this kind of cuisine. Let's set a date and have a meal together again sometime."
"Hahaha, let's do that."
I answered without thinking.
A typical Korean greeting came to mind.
'Let's grab a meal sometime'.
I guessed that was probably the intent.
Well, anyway.
Smile Zone.
I'd find him soon now.
Thinking that, I moved while following behind Chairman-nim as she walked slowly.
* * *
He wasn't there.
"...We've pretty much checked everyone by now. There wasn't a single person?"
"......No."
He really wasn't there.
Had the informant Jeonbungi lied to me?
I was at the point of suspecting exactly that.
The person with the highest probability had been 9%, was it?
A single-digit probability was just too low to suspect him of being Smile Zone.
And then.
From one side of the banquet hall, the noisy murmuring of a crowd could be heard.
《This is incredible! Following Monolith's Chairman-nim!! This person has graced us with their presence as well!》
A loud voice rose over the soft classical music.
《It is the Vice Chairman of Koozaka Corporation! Kozaka William-nim!!》
A microphone was handed to a certain middle-aged man.
《Hello everyone, it's a pleasure. It is truly an honor for you all to meet someone like me in a place like this.》
He was a genuinely famous person.
How famous? Someone comparable to Chairman-nim right next to me.
Especially someone who appeared on the news a tremendous amount.
The peak had been when my stocks got obliterated.
As I stood there blankly, I heard Eve's voice.
[Probability of being Smile Zone: 61%.]
"Huh?"
.......
I hoped it wasn't true.
Because if he was their Vice Chairman, he was practically someone who could be called the Chairman of Koozaka.
For me, this was the worst possible scenario.