LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 33
Middle-Class.
If we were to pick the most famous and heavily trafficked area among the regions in the Business Zone, without a doubt, the name ‘Center Plaza’ would pop up.
It was home to the headquarters of various companies, and there were many franchise cafes, restaurants, and accommodations.
Naturally, this was to be expected.
And right now, I was seated inside the building at the very center of that Center Plaza.
Turning my head slightly, I could see the gigantic city ecosystem clearly beyond the transparent glass walls.
The massive dragon hologram, which usually looked like it was floating up in the sky, was now gliding low through the water, as if submerged.
It’s surprising how just a few hundred meters of height difference could create such a different view.
Here, at the headquarters of the Black Monolith Corporation, was the 152nd floor of the Monolith Tower.
Considering the entire building consisted of 153 floors, it felt almost like being on the topmost floor.
From the outside, it looked like a huge black obsidian tower that didn’t reflect light, but the inside was quite different from that impression.
Even just walking through the hallways, elevators, and bathrooms, luxurious decorations were commonplace.
Real plants in every corner added vitality to the space.
Even the air inside was so clear that I felt no discomfort despite having removed my mask.
Being on the 152nd floor, and as this was the interior of the conference room, the last stage before meeting the chairman, the space itself felt like another world.
I made an effort to move my trembling hands due to the tension.
Lifting the tea that was on the round table made of natural wood, I took a sip.
Slurp.
The flavor and taste lingered throughout my mouth.
It was nutty with a subtle sweetness that was exquisite.
I had no idea what it was called, but it definitely didn’t seem like ordinary green tea.
And suddenly feeling a bit hungry, I indulged myself in the luxurious snacks and tea.
It was beneficial to eat now.
It must be incredibly expensive, after all.
If there’s any magic in cyberpunk, it would be that.
Just attaching the words ‘natural’ or ‘real’ before food or items makes the prices soar several times over.
Just for the silly reason that I was nervous.
If I let this golden opportunity slip by, I would not be a true citizen of Neon City.
Huff.
At the same time, I let out a short sigh.
…Maybe I should’ve found another way.
I regretted contacting them.
Wasn’t everyone around me already tracking Smile John even without me doing anything?
Without realizing it, I got carried away.
I regretted it too late.
I should have just stayed at home and played games.
—
9. The Chairman Goes Out (1)
Would it be okay to take the snacks home?
Just as I was thinking that, the luxurious patterned automatic door swung open.
A man with neatly styled black hair walked in.
He looked like a vigorous young man, but…
Where was this?
In a cyberpunk world devoid of mercy or tears.
It’s a place where one cannot guess a person’s age just by their appearance.
Looking back, I remembered that his age likely exceeded mine.
I estimated it to be about double my age.
The executive secretary of the Monolith Corporation.
If anyone held real power in the company, it would be him.
Justin—no, I couldn’t remember his full name.
He approached me.
“We’ve met a few times before, haven’t we? Nice to meet you. I’m ‘Justin Borg’, in charge of the chairman’s secretarial duties.”
Right, that was his name.
I stood up and accepted the handshake he offered.
“Nice to meet you too. I’m Siwoon.”
“I naturally remember, Mr. Lee Shun.”
“…”
I didn’t mind it too much.
After all, it was rare for someone to pronounce it correctly in this world after just one meeting.
Although we had met several times, the mispronunciation was unavoidable.
Or perhaps the translation module he used was overly sensitive.
Anyway.
His name was Justin Borg.
He was one of the characters who appeared in the game.
He was in a direct position serving under the chairman, known as the ‘executive secretary.’
Thus, he was a person with power exceeding the authority assigned to him.
He likely had more influence than most heads of subsidiaries.
“You didn’t have to contact the chairman directly; you could have reached out to me instead.”
“Ah, I was a bit scattered, so I didn’t pay attention to that part. My apologies.”
“No, it’s not something for Mr. Shun to apologize for.”
Though he smiled as he said that, objectively, this man disliked me.
No, it wasn’t just me.
He probably disliked everyone living in the lower or middle class.
It would be easy to assume this was due to an inherent sense of authority etched in his bones.
He lived in the upper class, so I could understand.
Most people living in that area had a mindset similar to that of this executive secretary.
They were like nobility living in a cyberpunk world.
However, since this was still a somewhat official setting, it wouldn’t be wise for the secretary of a megacorp to openly display such disdain.
Even though I was just an ordinary mercenary, I was presently a guest of the chairman.
He wouldn’t openly show hostility toward me.
By the way, I realized this fact through a sub quest from the game.
It was a quest about digging up hidden personal lives.
It was quite memorable in many ways.
That’s why I remembered it even after ten years.
Well, anyway.
Even if I knew his true nature, he had never really harmed me.
He had never taken an openly hostile stance toward me.
The fact that we could have a pleasant conversation right now was thanks to that.
There was no need to build a wall between us.
In other words, we could be seen as just two acquaintances who knew each other to a certain extent.
The executive secretary casually asked me,
“Speaking of which, are you still working as a mercenary these days?”
“Oh, I’ve been taking a break recently. The guys you saw me with before are still at it.”
At some point, I noticed that the tea I’d consumed had been refilled again.
I guess the speed of movement was swift at the secretary’s level.
“Ha ha, the offer we made earlier still stands. We mentioned wanting to bring you to our security department. I also told you that even if not directly with security, contracts in the private mercenary front are possible.”
I took a sip of the expensive (probably) tea and replied.
“Thank you for the offer, but there are still those who dislike being affiliated anywhere, so I’d rather not.”
“It’s not a burden. I simply wanted to remind you that our offer still stands.”
He really was a professional.
How many could hide their emotions like this?
Being able to suggest recruitment while smiling in front of someone they disliked.
It truly seemed that only someone of his caliber would take on the position of executive secretary.
His mechanical eyes revealed a circular light, indicating that information was being transmitted through the visual interface.
“Hmm, the chairman has completed his morning tasks. He says it’s okay for you to come up.”
“…Ah, then I should hurry.”
I intended to drink another cup of tea, but when I focused, I saw that the cup I hadn’t drunk from was already in his hand.
Well, if the chairman calls, I must go immediately.
I checked my state for a moment.
What, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?
Of course, I had my mask off.
I was in a neat suit as well.
To further add, it was the expensive suit Catherine bought for me when we went to a concert.
No matter how much I went out, there was no way I’d wear a bulletproof jacket to meet the chairman.
That would be an embarrassment too much.
Still, I should be cautious.
I moved toward the gigantic circular elevator positioned in the center of the room.
This was the only elevator that led to the chairman’s office, operating between just one floor.
Eventually, the doors of the elevator closed.
From the vibrations I felt, it seemed to start going up at a very slow speed.
[Heart rate has reached 150. I recommend deep breathing.]
Taking that advice, I lightly took a deep breath.
Here, if you don’t feel tense, you’re not human.
Unless I had replaced my heart with cyberware, I still had a perfectly normal heart.
Given that this elevator directly led to the chairman’s location, there weren’t any surveillance cameras.
“Of course, I’d be tense.”
Thanks to that, I could answer Eve comfortably.
Then several small screens popped up in my visual interface, and long, slender content followed alongside.
Looking at the contents, they seemed like news articles.
People of different genders and appearances were featured in the footage.
[As a result of searching for information in the Net Space, I confirm that there seem to be multiple positions of Chairmanship within Black Monolith Corporation.]
“Indeed, there are several.”
In reality, different individuals had been observed operating in various roles.
[However, according to the results announced by the company, they have stated that there is only one chairman for Black Monolith Corporation, and I have a question about that.]
“That’s also correct.”
[Question.]
My answer to that was simple.
Just then, the elevator doors opened.
It appeared to be true that the entire floor was used as an office.
A very spacious office view unfolded before my eyes.
The walls were all made of glass, and it was an unobstructed view of the entire Neon City.
And in the center, there was a massive desk.
A man sat at the desk, working.
His neat, slicked-back white hair suited him well.
His face bore several scars, and the cigar he held in his mouth puffed out white smoke.
A middle-aged man—the chairman—recognized me.
He crushed the barely smoked cigar somewhere.
In the cyberpunk world, it’s rare for someone to casually discard a hand-rolled cigar made of natural tobacco without having taken a few puffs.
“This is quite a long time.”
“…Yes, it has been a while, Chairman.”
He nodded once.
I slowly walked toward him.
The top of the megacorp.
The person at the pinnacle of a company that boasted nearly a million employees.
It is said that his known age casually exceeds three digits.
In this world, it was considered scientifically impossible to surpass that age.
The reason that was possible was different.
“Looks like it’s that body today.”
“Well, I’ve been like this recently. It’s convenient for work, and I can smoke as much as I want.”
“Ha ha.”
Whole-body replacement technology.
He possessed the wealth and technology to change his body whenever needed.
For reference, this person.
When I first saw him, she was a woman.
I heard her original gender was female, and she was the most famous gender fluid in this cyberpunk world.