The Rockefeller Proposition
New York.
The largest city in the United States and the beating heart of the global economy.
The moment I stepped out of the airport—
“Mr. Yu!”
“The hero of the Spice Islands!”
Click! Click!
Flashes erupted from every direction.
“Donnie Vermillion from UNN. You made quite an impact in the Dunhuang Desert as well. Could you tell us more about—”
“We heard China’s top ranker, Zhang Wufei, died during the Break incident. Could you elaborate on what happened at that time…?”
The atmosphere was chaotic, but after experiencing this countless times both before and after my regression, it felt almost routine.
“As the contractor of Yeo, this is only natural.”
Nyx, now manifested, nodded with satisfaction.
Questions poured in, yet I merely offered a faint smile and said nothing. Discussing Zhang Wufei would be troublesome—there were still unresolved grudges with the Chinese government.
After roughly a minute of silence—
“Mr. Yu is a guest of Gold Moon. Please direct any further questions through us.”
A deep, resonant voice effortlessly silenced the reporters.
A man with slicked-back blond hair approached the airport exit at a measured pace. The crowd of journalists parted on either side as if by Moses’ miracle.
My eyes settled on the man who had quelled the press with a single sentence.
“William Rockefeller.”
“That is the man’s name?”
“Yeah. The head of Gold Moon. Or rather, my patron.”
“I see. I must express my gratitude.”
“Your jokes have grown quite bold, Goddess.”
While we exchanged idle banter, William Rockefeller reached me. Though I was not short, he stood well over 190 centimeters, forcing me to look up.
After staring down at me for a moment, he finally spoke.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yu.”
He extended his hand first. I accepted it without hesitation.
“Thank you for personally welcoming me, Guild Master of Gold Moon.”
This was my first meeting with William Rockefeller—a man who had moved the world both before and after my regression.
* * *
A skyscraper that pierced the heavens. The headquarters of Gold Moon, the largest guild in the United States.
“It’s even larger than the Black Market we visited before.”
“Shh. Save that kind of talk for when we’re alone.”
Good grief. The Black Market was not a topic to discuss openly. Even if Nyx had grown accustomed to life on Earth, she still had much to learn.
“Hmph. This time, I shall follow your lead.”
“I am grateful for your boundless mercy.”
Occasionally, when Nyx said something wildly out of place, I felt my lifespan shortening by the second.
Nyx leaned closer and whispered, her lips barely moving.
—That William fellow seems quite the big shot.
—What makes you say that?
Since she had not yet mastered telepathy, I replied through sound transmission. Thanks to the True Yeouiju, converting mana into inner energy carried little burden.
—I can sense your emotions.
—He’s not someone you can neatly label as good or evil.
—Oh? So he’s a gray man, unlike Zhang Wufei.
—That guy was beyond redemption, but William Rockefeller is different.
Redemption? The word felt ill-suited for William. Before the age of destruction, we had fiercely competed for world rankings, yet when the Tower began devouring Earth, he poured out his hoarded wealth to support the resistance with both resources and manpower.
—Then he is an ally.
—Not entirely. He’ll stop at nothing to make Gold Moon the number-one guild in the world.
William Rockefeller was an extraordinary tactician—the eldest son of the Rockefeller family, one of America’s most powerful conglomerates. He possessed not only immense wealth but also an intimate knowledge of legal boundaries, allowing him to skirt the line while growing his guild. Only after the Tower’s synchronization with Earth reached 100 percent did we form an alliance. Before that, he had been an adversary who blocked me and countless other players.
—So that is why you called him gray.
If I could fully recruit William Rockefeller as an ally, he would become a tremendous asset in changing the future. It would not be easy, though. His sole interest lay in elevating Gold Moon to the top. Right now he was friendly because he had invested in me, but once Yeokcheon grew large enough to threaten Gold Moon’s dominance, he would undoubtedly turn hostile.
“You must be tired after such a long journey, Mr. Yu.”
William Rockefeller offered me a seat with a calm expression, seemingly unaware of my complicated thoughts.
“Thank you again for your hospitality, Representative Rockefeller.”
“Hah, I prefer being called Guild Master rather than Representative. I may not be as strong as you, Mr. Yu, but still.”
William was a player in his own right. Though not a ranker, he possessed combat ability on par with one. There was no way that arrogant man would show genuine humility—he was subtly keeping me in check.
“Thanks to you, Guild Master Rockefeller, I was spared a great deal of trouble.”
This meeting had not been prearranged. William had orchestrated the event both to accommodate me and to hold a private discussion. I had anticipated something like this the moment I decided to come to America.
“Would you mind if I spoke casually?”
“By all means. I’m not used to being spoken to so formally by my elders.”
“Then I’ll drop the formalities.”
Natural informal speech flowed from William Rockefeller’s mouth.
“You don’t seem particularly surprised, Mr. Yu.”
“Of course not. I simply didn’t expect the Guild Master of Gold Moon to come in person.”
William Rockefeller’s blue eyes stared straight through me. Meeting his gaze felt as though he could read my every thought—not through mind-reading, but by analyzing the tiniest shifts in my eyes, nose, and mouth. He was famous for his ability to discern people’s true intentions.
Let him observe all he wanted.
After a brief silence, William’s eyes moved slowly before he spoke again.
“Mr. Yu, I heard you invested in Rayon Corporation?”
“Yes. I’ve taken an interest in spatial movement technology.”
“As far as I know, they haven’t even produced a proper prototype yet.”
“Investments are what make results possible in the first place.”
I leaned back against the sofa.
—He suspects you.
Nyx sent the thought. Her ability to perceive mortal emotions as colors was proving useful. Bringing her manifested form had been the right choice.
So he was trying to read my intentions after all. At this point in time, Rayon Corporation was still an unremarkable company. In the original timeline, it would take another ten years for spatial movement technology to be commercialized, so they likely had nothing concrete yet. I had searched the internet after mentioning the investment to Ellen, but nothing notable had come up.
Whether William Rockefeller smelled money in my actions or suspected another motive, I would need to play at least one card to dispel his doubts.
Lightly tapping the floor with my right foot, I activated the skill.
[Shrink has been activated.]
I unfolded the divine technique that folded space itself.
“Mr. Yu, that technique—?!”
“Now do you understand why I’m interested in spatial movement technology?”
“It’s a little different from Blink or Phase Shift.”
“Yes. It’s called Shrink—an art used by the hermit-type constellations.”
Even in the present era, there were several skills capable of transcending space besides Shrink. The most famous was Blink, beloved by magic-type players. It was a convenient spatial magic that teleported the user anywhere within a thirty-meter radius.
“If it were Blink, you wouldn’t have been able to maintain your balance afterward. Am I right?”
“Your eye for detail is impressive, Guild Master Rockefeller.”
I clicked my tongue in feigned admiration.
“I obtained Shrink through certain means, but I haven’t been able to make it fully my own yet.”
“So you’re planning to entrust the analysis of its skill mechanism to Rayon Corporation.”
“I would appreciate it if you understood it that way.”
I gave a deliberately vague answer. If I outright stated that the investment was for researching Shrink, it would only leave William more room for suspicion.
“Interesting. In that case, we should invest in Rayon Corporation as well.”
“Gold Moon will?”
“It might prove helpful to you, Mr. Yu.”
Oh, this old man. I was investing with future knowledge, and now he wanted a piece of it.
—Heh. He has an uncanny nose for the scent of money.
Tsk. He claimed it was out of goodwill, but William Rockefeller would never move for that reason alone. He must have investigated Rayon Corporation himself and judged it a worthwhile investment—while also placing me in his debt as an investor. When it came to an investor’s instincts, I could not beat that man.
Well, receiving investment from the Rockefeller family would only accelerate the commercialization of spatial movement technology, so it was hardly a loss.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The doors opened on both sides, and Ellen Taylor walked in slowly.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Yu.”
“It has. Though I’ve heard your voice plenty of times.”
“Hohoho, the way you say that almost sounds like we’re lovers.”
Twitch.
Nyx’s shadow rippled for an instant. Why was this goddess suddenly so agitated?
“Come on, you’re quite the joker.”
I brushed off Ellen’s remark and turned my gaze to William Rockefeller.
“Executive Director Ellen said she had something she wanted to ask you, so I called her in.”
A subtle smile played at the corners of William Rockefeller’s mouth. In contrast, Ellen’s expression was unusually stiff, creating a stark contrast between them.
“I’ll be direct. Did you kill Zhang Wufei, Mr. Yu?”
“Yes.”
I answered without the slightest hesitation. From the moment I decided to come to America, I had expected Ellen to ask about my grudge with Zhang Wufei.
“I didn’t think you’d admit it so readily.”
“You already suspected as much, didn’t you?”
Ellen’s eyebrows twitched slightly—her habit when caught off guard.
William Rockefeller leaned forward slightly.
“I thought the opposite, but it seems Executive Director Ellen’s prediction was correct.”
“You don’t look surprised at all, unlike what you said.”
“When you’re in management, you have to account for every variable.”
He already knew the outcome of my spar with Ellen. William Rockefeller’s mind was probably racing as he reassessed my value.
After some time passed—
“I have a proposal.”
“I’m listening.”
“Mr. Yu, do you have no desire to reign at the very top of the world?”
William Rockefeller made an unexpected offer.