In a high-end office, the people who had come with the middle-aged man met the "Little-Known Mr." he had mentioned.
The Peng Joe Empire was a country with sharply defined social classes. There was no such thing as freedom here, and fairness and justice were only relative. When meeting someone whose social status was clearly higher than yours, it was best to remain humble.
Disregarding the gap between social classes would be considered a provocation against the Upper Class. That was absolutely forbidden in the Peng Joe Empire!
In the Federation, people could sue the president for swearing too much, even giving rise to the classic line, "I'll never fucking swear again."
But in the Peng Joe Empire, no one was allowed to casually express dissatisfaction with the existence of the social classes or the way they operated.
Because this was the Peng Joe Empire!
The people who had seemed especially lively before entering became subdued after entering the house. Their faces carried an indescribable yet unmistakably humble expression as they stood by the wall near the door.
Unless the host allowed them to walk to the middle of the room, they were not permitted to do so!
"I brought some friends. We talked about this matter last time..."
The middle-aged man spoke first. He tried to seize some initiative and make himself look "capable" in front of his friends.
The Peng Joe Empire's unique social system had an efficient side, such as when war broke out.
But it also had drawbacks. For example, its bureaucracy was clearly worse than the Federation's! When power came from inheritance and imperial favor, it was easy for shadows to grow.
The Little-Known Mr. sitting behind the desk, clearly dressed in a manner that placed him in a different class from these people, nodded.