How to Live as an Immortal

Chapter 55

It’s Me, Your Conscience

***

***

The history of the megacorp B&B was rather short. It had been established when Mars was being pioneered. To be precise, it was a case where two different conglomerates strategically merged and rapidly expanded their power.

The corporate name B&B had also originated from the names of the two companies, Bang and Brooks. Since their interests had been intricately entangled from birth, it seemed inevitable that disputes over shares would arise, yet they quickly subsided as a single corporate ethos took center stage.

That was meritocracy.

They had decided not to look at past records, and to evaluate individuals solely by performance and achievements. It was a policy that thoroughly prioritized efficiency. If B&B had been a company pursuing traditional industries, it might have suited them.

But what they pursued was the management of media outlets.

Since they had advanced into fields that could be called entertainment—fashion, broadcasting, film, drama, shopping, celebrities, and so on—the organization inevitably became rigid.

That flaw reached its peak during the tenure of the former chairman, Cloane Mac. Combined with his disastrous judgment, it had brought about the worst possible results.

It was because of that that they had lost the lead to the megacorp Marstop, which had been closer to a latecomer, and it was for the same reason that they could no longer be satisfied with the perennial position of second place.

Even so, now they were gradually finding their proper trajectory one by one.

Unlike his father Cloane Mac, who had been called the Midas of Minus, the eldest son Damian Mac, who had newly inherited the chairman’s position, displayed performance worthy of that seat.

A representative example was the radical reform of internal corporate systems, which put forward preemptive welfare and rational compensation. His philosophy that people came first delivered a tremendous shock to B&B.

In modern society, exploiting employees was considered common practice.

In that sense, it could even be evaluated as going against the times.

But I held that point in high regard.

There were few proper businessmen who understood the added value that came from intangible concepts such as loyalty or passion.

Of course, that did not mean he was compassionate.

It was merely the manifestation of a scheme to calculate and then exploit even human emotions.

In some ways, he might have been more ruthless than anyone.

And yet the reason I sought to make contact with him was that, among the entrenched powers, there was no one else who at least cared about public perception.

‘At least within the range I could find for now.’

Reception room of B&B headquarters.

Leaning back against a soft sofa, I looked at Sham, who was restlessly shaking his leg beside me.

To be honest, his help had been significant in getting us here.

Among the contacts he had diligently gathered during his time as a reporter, there had been someone who could be called a friend of a secretary working at B&B.

In a way, it could be said to be a good example of using the six degrees of separation. Perhaps it meant that even a network as thin yet wide as a soy sauce dish should not be underestimated.

Click.

At that moment, without any notice, the door opened and a rich, soft scent like warmed milk filled the reception room. It was a signal that someone extraordinary had appeared.

Sure enough, a young man entered.

He wore rimless glasses that emphasized an intellectual impression and a smooth two-button suit that looked as if it had been oiled. His pomaded hair gleamed with shine.

A poker face that seemed as though not a single drop of blood would come out.

He was the very image of a promising businessman.

Thud.

After sitting down, the young man, Damian, turned the hourglass placed in the reception room over once.

“I will give you five minutes. If you fail to persuade me within that time, you will be asked to leave.”

Perhaps because we had used a backdoor method, Damian did not hide his displeasure.

“And I will impose a corresponding penalty. Other meetings have been delayed by ten minutes each due to this sudden appointment.”

An arrogant mindset that would not hesitate to impose private sanctions.

Yet not a trace of apology lingered in his eyes. It was such a natural matter to him that it was not even worth mentioning.

Surprisingly, among the megacorp officials I had encountered, this was the most gentle and courteous attitude.

Sham, who did not know that, merely let his eyes wander through the air.

Regardless, I laid out the events that had occurred in chronological order. They were things I had experienced myself. There was no way I could fail to convey them vividly.

“How astonishing.”

Damian, who had listened to my words to the end, covered his furrowed brow.

“Sexual bribery? Prostitution? Is that all you came here to talk about? This is not a complaints office.”

Even though two uninvited guests had shown up without an appointment, Damian did not overlook it. He had grown up watching giants stumble over small stones.

He had likely expected to hear something important, but instead, his ears had merely been dirtied for no reason.

It was amusing to hear about a competitor’s disgrace, but that was all.

“Leave. I will summon you separately later.”

“I’m disappointed.”

“What did you say?”

“I heard you were competent. Did you even listen to what I said?”

“That Marstop secretly operated hostesses in order to increase its influence. Is there anything more I need to know?”

“You need to see the forest, not the trees. Sex-related scandals are nothing but whining anyway. They’re merely an entrance to dig into the essence.”

From the beginning, it was a matter that could have been taken to the Public Enforcement Corps. With evidence this clear, it would inevitably cause an uproar inside and out. Even so, I had chosen B&B in order to perfectly carry out Raju’s request.

“The core issue is that they manipulated others using illegal Slots.”

“Unethical, but there’s nothing particularly special about it, is there?”

“What if Marstop had planned to implant illegal Slots even into those who indulged in pleasure?”

Naturally, unless the existence of the hostesses was exposed, no one would be able to find the link.

“They’d be dancing on the palm of Marstop’s hand without even knowing it. Do you think those who used the service would stay quiet after hearing this? I doubt it. I imagine they’d be furious.”

There was no way Marstop would make such a self-destructive move. However, Damian vaguely grasped what I was trying to say.

The important thing was not whether it was true.

“So you’re saying we should escalate the issue?”

“Twenty years ago, in order to cope with the economic crisis that broke out, you sold off broadcasting stations. Three of them, at that.”

And all three had become nourishment for Marstop. LOTV, which broadcast Mystic Hundred, had been one of them.

From B&B’s perspective, it was like cooking porridge only to feed it to a dog.

It was a mistake that was still talked about to this day.

“And now that you’re trying to rebuild them, Marstop’s interference isn’t easy to deal with, is it? It must be irritating. Enough to make you want to sink your teeth into them.”

They had the will and the funds, yet could not put it into action. It must have been incredibly frustrating.

Reading Damian’s state of mind, I provoked him.

“But these are all merely your unilateral claims, aren’t they?”

His tone had softened considerably.

Even though all the sand in the hourglass had fallen, Damian did not rise from his seat. That was a clear green light.

I patted Sham on the shoulder. It was his turn to step forward.

“Mr. Tomcat.”

“Uh, me?”

Wasn’t his name Sham? There was nothing more fitting than the nickname Cat. He might not acknowledge it himself, but I pushed ahead regardless.

“Hand over what you’ve compiled from your investigation.”

“Understood.”

After reviewing the information he had received from Sham, Damian let out a low murmur. Fortunately, this had not been an operation directly commanded by Marstop. They had merely been reaping incidental benefits; there was another ringleader.

“B&B will be able to handle them as it pleases. There must be dozens, maybe hundreds, of trainees involved. And if you include officially debuted idols and actors, how many would that be?”

Whether they exterminated them all or not, it would be a problem either way.

“You need results, don’t you?”

It was an undeniable question. To Damian, it was practically a supreme principle.

But—

“Even if I take the lead, this is a case that won’t end unless one person disappears.”

He did not want to stir up a hornet’s nest only for it to drag on into a sluggish courtroom battle.

“You don’t need to worry about that. What I want is only the cleanup before I came in here or after I walk out.”

***

The young man, Eastern Lindberg, sat on the sofa as usual, gazing down at the night view.

Although he had to give up the path to the top because he was the youngest, it was not because he lacked ability. It was simply that the age gap between him and his brothers had been too great.

They had already thrown themselves into practical affairs and solidified their positions even before Eastern was born.

He had been castrated before he was even aware of it, yet Eastern was satisfied.

Merely holding the business card of Marstop allowed him to wield absolute power.

But recently, he could not shake the impression that things were beginning to creak.

From Handel regaining consciousness in the bedroom to the product that should have been delivered safely last night escaping elsewhere, nothing had been unfolding smoothly.

Perhaps because of that,

a sudden sense of foreboding had struck him, and Eastern had ordered the old man to investigate.

He had received the report only a few minutes ago.

“So you’re saying we got caught because of the woman I told you to take care of last time?”

“It seems there was someone who couldn’t forget her even after she was processed as missing. Considering they even hired a fixer.”

“So brainwashing wasn’t a perfect solution after all.”

Even if it was technology capable of erasing a personality, it seemed impossible to erase relationships as well. Since it had been something anticipated from the beginning, Eastern was not surprised. In truth, there was no need to panic.

Even if his past actions were exposed, Marstop would shield him.

“The ripperdoc?”

“We haven’t been able to reach him, but judging by the lack of response from the Public Enforcement Corps, it seems he’s hiding well on his own.”

“Lucas?”

“He is also unaccounted for. However, there are clear traces suggesting he erased himself intentionally.”

There was only one conclusion to draw.

“So both of them are lying low for a while because of that fixer. Fools. If they had given me advance notice, I would have taken care of it.”

No, that was strange.

Both Hald and Lucas were skilled enough to tear apart a mere fixer with a single finger. They were not men who would flee in fear of some inexperienced pup.

There was definitely something more.

The old man was about to say so, but at the sudden sound of the doorbell, he had to close his mouth. It was an utterly ordinary noise, yet an involuntary chill ran down his spine.

It was no wonder. It was the first time the doorbell had rung since Eastern had moved in.

Anyone who visited this place always made contact in advance. Even Eastern’s brothers were no exception to that rule.

But today, that rule had been broken.

Who could the guest arriving in the middle of the night be?

***

The field overseen by Marstop was identical to that of B&B. They specialized in manipulating public opinion through the media.

Although it seemed as though they possessed absolute power, enjoying the first-mover advantage without any special technology, the nature of the underlying industry meant they had no choice but to be mindful of public sentiment.

That was why I had sought B&B’s cooperation.

In a war of public opinion, the one with justification was bound to win.

However, there were parts of the world that could not be resolved by logic and justice alone. Even if good and evil were distinguished, no divine punishment would descend.

To put a decisive end to it, the spark of discord had to be extinguished directly.

That was why I had set foot in Sky Village.

The intercom crackled, and then an aged voice came through.

[Who is it?]

“It’s me, your conscience. We’ve been distant for quite a while, haven’t we?”