Chapter 96: The Charity Event
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: The Charity Event
Lee Ru-da had been swamped with a mountain of work lately.
As one of the Square Garden Clan’s greatest assets, she had to clear dungeons, and as the Clan Leader, she had to manage administrative duties. She had only just finished processing all the resources seized from the Break Line Clan, and there was also the task of supporting Black Unicorn, who drew attention wherever they went.
While her capable staff handled most of the day-to-day operations, Ru-da was the type who couldn't rest unless she personally oversaw the final approvals and knew exactly how everything was running.
On top of that, she was tasked with establishing supporter tactics based on the data Black Unicorn gathered during their dungeon raids and Jeong Yeon-woo’s reports.
Feeling a sense of nostalgia for the early days of Square Garden, Ru-da actually found herself enjoying the increased workload. The tension that had slackened slightly after becoming one of Korea’s top three clans was tightening once again.
The cold reception she received from the world’s heroes when she reached out to recruit members for Black Unicorn had become her driving force.
Right. If I’m going to do this, we shouldn't just be top three in Korea—we should be one of the top three clans in the world.
Her primary motivator was her competitive streak.
Sipping a strawberry-berry smoothie that was twice as thick as usual, Ru-da scanned the final document.
It was for a tedious ship party.
It was a quarterly event where rookie heroes were gathered and unveiled to the "pigs." To Ru-da, "rookies" meant those who had drawn Hero Cards of C-rank or higher, and "pigs" referred to the sponsors who would support them.
She detested them for being people who cared for nothing but money, but the status of a clan or a party improved significantly depending on how many sponsors they attracted.
The desperation was especially deep for parties belonging to weaker clans. Ru-da understood their plight, as a sponsor’s support determined the quality of the equipment they could wear.
However, she found it unbearably revolting that these "pigs" treated heroes—who risked their lives to protect the world—as mere trophies or tools for profit.
Of course, there were heroes who chased nothing but fame and fortune, just as there were sponsors who were actually decent human beings.
In that sense, Ru-da was quite fond of Jeong Yeon-woo, who had refused to wear corporate logos from the very beginning.
Though it was one of the easiest ways to make money, he had asked if he could decline, stating that a hero wasn't a walking billboard. The fact that he even asked meant that while he hated the idea, he was willing to do it if Square Garden required it.
Despite being a young man barely in his twenties, he considered the clan’s circumstances to such a degree that he didn't seem like someone his age at all. It was a period of life where one's perspective begins to broaden, but self-assertion usually grows along with it; yet, Jeong Yeon-woo always looked at situations from multiple angles and asked for her opinion before acting.
It wasn't just that he was smart; it was a level of maturity that came from experience.
People like him usually had extensive experience from being exposed to various situations since childhood or had met an excellent mentor. But for someone who had never even worked a part-time job outside of recruitment for Break Line, he couldn't possibly have much social experience.
A mentor... or he’s hiding something.
Since people write their own resumes, it was impossible to know someone's past unless a formal investigation was conducted.
However, Ru-da had no intention of digging into his background. She brushed aside the lingering curiosity and signed the document.
Since everyone else had participated in the previous quarter, the only rookies from Square Garden attending this ship party were the members of Black Square.
They’ll handle themselves.
They were entering a den of pigs, but she trusted that Jeong Yeon-woo wouldn't be swayed by their silver tongues. Her trust in him had grown steadily since the day he first came to her to sell out Break Line.
Just then, Ru-da’s smartphone rang.
"I put in a request, and yet Cheonlian is slower than our rookie."
She was poking fun at the fact that Cheonlian hadn't been much help when she requested a search after Jeong Yeon-woo was kidnapped by the New Human Alliance.
"Hahaha, sorry about that. That’s why I gave you a refund on the commission fee, didn't I?"
Cheonlian’s voice on the other end was bright and shamelessly cheerful.
"Why are you calling?"
"Hm? Do Iron Fist and I need a reason to talk? Our relationship isn't that lukewarm, is it?"
"Whenever you call first, there’s always something."
"Uh—can't deny that, hehe. I have something to tell you this time."
Ru-da remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Information? How much?"
"No, no, no. Information... I guess? I am giving you info, so technically yes. But I don't need money. Actually, Yeon-woo-chan beat me to the punch, so I couldn't deliver it, but I found him around the same time."
"...Then why didn't you report it?"
"Well... it’s embarrassing to say, but I was in too much shock?"
Since Cheonlian’s primary job was finding people, she had seen many shocking things. From rotting corpses buried in the ground to torture scenes, one was bound to see all sorts of bizarre situations when searching for missing persons.
Ru-da frowned at the mention of Cheonlian being shocked.
"What are you trying to set me up for?"
"No, I’m serious, I really was shocked. I mean... there was something else besides the shock... anyway, by the time I snapped out of it after watching for a while, Square Garden had already raided the Sperm Factory."
"What did you see?"
"I’ll send you a video via secure email."
"A video?"
"Technology has advanced so much lately that I can save what I see as a video file. The progress of technology is truly marvelous."
"A dangerous industrial spy has been born, I see."
"Hey now~ I’m already managed as a Rank 1 dangerous individual by the Association. It’s not like my rating can go any higher."
Because she could monitor anyone as long as certain difficult conditions were met, she was under special management by the Association. Cheonlian joked that there were just too many people with dirty secrets who were worried about being watched, then informed Ru-da that the email had been sent.
"Oh, watch it when you're alone. And... turn down the volume or wear earphones."
"...Understood."
"With this, we’re even for my mistake. And since it’s personal information, keep it hidden or delete it immediately after watching."
Ru-da intended to delete it immediately even without being told.
After hanging up, Ru-da put on her headset as Cheonlian advised. After telling her secretary not to let anyone in until summoned, Ru-da played the video.
"Ha-aaaah! Hah, no, no, it’s stretching too much, hah! Ha-aaaaaaaaah!!"
"..."
A woman with her rear turned toward a man was screaming in ecstasy, her face a complete mess.
At first, Ru-da thought Cheonlian had sent the wrong file. Her next thought was, Is this bitch playing a prank on me? But then, she recognized the man.
The man working his hips vigorously, sweat beading on his forehead, was Jeong Yeon-woo.
The blue-haired woman pinned beneath him was presumably Hornet. Though Ru-da didn't know her exact appearance since she was such an elusive fixer, she knew Hornet had blue hair and eyes.
The fixer, who commanded a significant presence in her field, was now pinned under Jeong Yeon-woo with a completely undone expression.
Squelch—
Though the sound didn't actually play like that, Ru-da had the illusion of a massive greatsword being unsheathed when Jeong Yeon-woo’s cock pulled out.
"..."
Ru-da’s mouth fell open. It was rare for the usually composed woman to make such a dazed expression.
Whether Cheonlian had focused specifically on that area or not, the video zoomed in on Jeong Yeon-woo’s massive member. His cock was the only thing reflected in her eyes.
Ru-da was a woman, so it wasn't as if she had never seen pornography. She had heard many times from her colleagues that porn wasn't to be trusted—that real sizes and firmness were different.
Their words were true.
Compared to the "sausages" of the men in porn, that thing was a nuclear warhead.
Having just emerged from Hornet, his cock glistened with vaginal fluids, and the veins standing out on the rigid shaft boasted a terrifying ferocity.
As she watched blankly, a brawny woman with long hair bit down on his member. It was likely the fixer Jeong Yeon-woo had referred to as Muscle or Wild Boar.
Seeing Jeong Yeon-woo stroke her head as she hungrily sucked him, Ru-da realized why they had betrayed the New Human Alliance.
It didn't feel like they had sold their bodies. It felt more like Jeong Yeon-woo was the one dominating them.
The way he slapped the out-of-it Hornet’s buttocks before thrusting back in, or how he patted the head of Wild Boar, who was drooling and waiting patiently, made him look like their master.
After staring blankly at the nonsensical video, Ru-da abruptly turned it off. She grabbed the mouse and dragged the video toward the recycle bin.
"..."
But her finger wouldn't click to release it.
After a moment of hesitation, her hand slowly moved away from the recycle bin.
Click, click.
After a few more clicks, Ru-da created a folder on her desktop, renamed it "Top Secret Documents - Do Not Touch," and tucked the video inside.
*
"Whoa! This is insane! Master, this is so refreshing!"
"Don't get too excited, there are a lot of people around."
Kwon Ye-jin, standing on the railing meant to keep people from falling, enjoyed the wind blowing in from the sea. I sipped my drink while watching Lee Yu-na try to handle her like a child.
A charity event. I felt a bit out of place at a party I had only ever seen in movies.
And what was with this ship?
Perhaps my standard for "ultra-large" was different, but the ship was massive, looking like two aircraft carriers strapped together. At this point, wasn't it just a floating island?
The ultra-large, ultra-luxurious vessel made even me—someone who had seen it all in the previous world—feel a bit overwhelmed. They said it was built using materials from monsters, but just how expensive must something like this be?
In my previous world, where every scrap of material was turned into military weaponry, such a thing was unimaginable. Being on a ship like this, I couldn't help but feel a little excited, even if not as much as Kwon Ye-jin.
Even if it was a quarterly event, wasn't this a bit too grand?
However, looking at the guest list, it started to make sense. I didn't recognize the faces, but according to Lee Yu-na’s explanation, famous people from all over the world were gathered here. Chairmen of major corporations, famous celebrities, the ultra-wealthy—all sorts of moneyed interests were on board.
For just C-ranks?
It didn't make sense to me, but apparently, it was a global tradition and a sort of culture. They called it gaining social prestige by supporting promising heroes and serving the cause of world peace.
Yeah, right. It sounded nice, but it basically meant they were buying heroes with money.
It was a concept similar to stocks. They’d provide some support to a prospect with a bright future and then expect to get their money's worth later—whether by commissioning them to retrieve materials for promotion or something else.
Once you’ve received support, it’s not easy to refuse their requests. Since A-ranks and S-ranks were already too "big" to catch, the calculation was to spend money early and reap the benefits at a bargain price.
"Are you enjoying the party?"
Lee Ru-da approached us, dressed in her usual attire. Her everyday clothes already had a semi-formal feel, so it didn't matter, but the rest of us were dressed up in flashy tuxedos and evening gowns since we were "precious merchandise."
"Everything’s great, except for this bowtie choking me."
"Then get rid of it."
Ru-da reached out, grabbed my bowtie, and snapped it off. She unfastened the top button of my shirt, tossed the bowtie aside, and looked at us.
"Welcome to the den of pigs dreaming of the sea. I’m sure you’ll handle yourselves, but don't fall for the schemes of those devious bastards."
"Yes, don't worry."
So Ru-da didn't view this place favorably either.
At my answer, Ru-da nodded and left with her executive secretary, telling us to have a good time.
I thought I saw her glance at my midsection before she left—was there something on me?
As I looked down at myself, Kwon Ye-jin spoke to Lee Yu-na.
"Hey, what did the Clan Leader say?"
"She said don't cause trouble and just stay close to me."
"Why with you?"
"I don't like it either, so please don't question it."
Kwon Ye-jin, who hadn't understood Ru-da’s words spoken in English for Anna’s benefit, scowled.
They might bicker, but Lee Yu-na really did take good care of Kwon Ye-jin. As long as she was with her, there shouldn't be any problems.