Present World, South City, Six Waters District.
At nine in the morning, Rainflower Avenue, South City Bank had just opened its doors when the customers who had waited for so long surged in with stacks of documents. Amid the representatives from various companies, hospitals, and nursing homes, a middle-aged man in a black suit strolled leisurely among them. After presenting his credit card, he was quickly shown into the VP reception room.
Beneath an exquisite ancient painting, the staff served tea. Before long, a smiling bank manager entered, took the initiative to shake his hand, and greeted him warmly:
"Welcome, sir. How may I assist you?"
"A transfer. No rush, just something incidental. More importantly, I came to see you."
The man in the black suit smiled faintly, took a coin from his pocket, and pushed it across the table. In the instant the bank manager stared at it in stunned confusion, he heard the visitor speak:
"May I ask if Lord Spider is present?"
The bank manager froze where he stood.
Dumbstruck.
In an instant, the coin flickered and vanished.
Thus, in the gloom Outside the Real World, Spider heard a knock at the door—a summons from the Present World.
A few seconds later, the rigidly standing account manager seemed to come back to himself. The warm smile vanished from his face, replaced by cold gloom as he glanced at the guest before him.
"Your Excellency, it has been a long time."
The messenger from beneath the vortex smiled and nodded in greeting. "It is truly an honor that you spared the time to meet me."
"Smooth-tongued flatterers are tiresome no matter how many times one sees them." Through this shell, 'Spider' asked coldly, "Since Sower stood by with folded arms when I needed him most, the agreement between