The high-rise glass prisms refracted faint light.
The lamp post beside the projection emitted a warm yellow halo, one of the few warm tones in the cool-toned room.
The spider plant on the windowsill added a touch of vitality to the cold and monotonous interior decoration of the room.
The black-haired youth tied his hair back behind him.
Though wearing a thin white shirt, for some reason he gave off a sense of high-ranking authority that was hard to disobey.
--Jonas Wetting.
As the heir of the Wetting Conglomerate, at a time when the Wetting Conglomerate currently lacked someone in charge, this notorious young master Jonas finally ushered in the most glorious moment of his life.
--He would enter the board of directors of the Wetting Conglomerate, becoming one of the youngest board members.
But right now, Jonas did not feel happy about this.
Because prior to this, he had already foreseen his own ending.
Ahem, let me reintroduce myself.
Jonas Wetting, twenty-three years old, an ordinary transmigrator who woke up one day to find himself transmigrated into this world.
This was the world within a cyberpunk romance-war SLG-stitched game.
Players would play the role of the Resistance Army leader in the game, romancing game characters while leading the Resistance Army to overthrow the rule of the conglomerates.
It should have been a joyous ending... but when you become the villain in the game, all of this is not so wonderful anymore.
As the conglomerate heir, your subordinates were either turncoats who would be romanced by the protagonist or brainless pig-headed teammates.
Clearly wielding the world's most cutting-edge technology and strongest military might, after working hard and finally annexing all conglomerates... you were ultimately beaten to a pulp by the protagonist-who popped out of nowhere-along with his ragtag group.
Alloy swords fought desperately against thermal swords, a single rifle fought desperately against a mechanical army, and three infantrymen blasted apart a tactical fortress meant for a thousand troops.
Not only was the protagonist as if he were cheating, but your incompetent subordinates also insistently and frantically fed supplies to the protagonist like the Calabash Brothers trying to save their grandfather one by one.
And you, acting as the villain, could only watch helplessly as the protagonist grew stronger step by step, romancing girls while overthrowing the rule of the conglomerate amidst casual laughter...
So here comes the question: was there really not a single person usable in this vast Wetting Conglomerate?
Actually there were, and quite a few at that.
[Black Valkyrie] Esnie Nora, who possessed extremely exaggerated solo combat capabilities, boasting the glorious record of single-handedly taking on an entire mechanical army and countless meritorious achievements, making her one of the fastest-promoting contractual employees within the conglomerate.
However, in the original plotline, during a certain direct conflict with the game protagonist, the two appreciated each other's strength, and were later besieged by an out-of-control mechanical army, developing mutual feelings after facing life and death together.
In the end, she finally made up her mind to join the Resistance Army, charging into the conglomerate tower single-handedly in a certain ending and using a thermal sword to chop off the villain's head.
[Brain-Melding Hacker] Iris, a talent excavated from the Slums by the original owner, possessed an extremely inferior personality and yearned for validation from others, yet after being dug up by the villain, she was always used as a tool.
In a certain ending, she was romanced by the protagonist and hacked into the conglomerate as a hacker, causing massive losses to the conglomerate.
[God of War of the Combat Corps] Noel, a genius strategic commander with paralyzed legs, suffered long-term abuse, and even after being hired into the conglomerate, she frequently received inhumane treatment.
After being romanced by the protagonist, she served as the military advisor of the Resistance Army, dealing a fatal blow to the conglomerate with minimal losses, and the decapitation operation was a great success.
There were many similar examples... Though it all sounded like the original owner reaping what he sowed, who could endure having a group of turncoats under their command?
Taking a deep breath, Jonas tapped his fingers continuously on the armrest of his chair.
About to enter the board of directors... This was not good news for Jonas.
After all, this meant that the plot had begun long ago, and the protagonist had already accumulated a considerable portion of his forces in secret.
If nothing unexpected happened, next he would dispatch [Black Valkyrie] Esnie Nora to resolve a gang riot in the Sete District.
And that would also be the first meeting between [Black Valkyrie] and the protagonist.
He stood up, pacing in front of the full-lens floor-to-ceiling glass window.
What needed to be considered now was not how to steadily enter the board of directors, but how to completely nip the possibility of this [Black Valkyrie] becoming a turncoat in the bud...
Taking a deep breath, he pressed his hand against his temple, and a virtual communication AR interface appeared before his eyes.
The communication was connected very quickly.
He spoke up:
"Send Esnie Nora to my office."
The elevator kept ascending, and the young girl named Esnie Nora flickered her gaze constantly.
Ever since she was hired by the Wetting Conglomerate, she rarely saw that employer of hers.
To be honest, she did not hold any favorable impression of that employer.
After all, the reputation of that young master Jonas treating commoners as mere things was known throughout the entire Lower City.
And as a former member of the Lower City, she held considerable disgust for such behavior of his.
Yet taking people's money to perform tasks for them, she could not say much; this young master Jonas was generous with his money, and Esnie truly needed this sum of money to prolong her younger sister's life.
Esnie was unclear about what this young master Jonas wanted with her, hence there was always a trace of unease in her heart.
--Ding!
Just as the girl's thoughts were complex, the elevator doors slowly opened.
And she laid eyes on that notorious Jonas Wetting.
He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, sunlight spilling onto his body, his ink-like black hair tied back behind him, and the thin white shirt failing to conceal the inborn authority in his bones.
He looked extremely young, yet gave Esnie an unspeakable sense of oppression.
"You're here."
He spoke softly.
"Does Mr. Jonas have anything he wants me for?"
Esnie took a deep breath, enduring that wave of oppression as she looked straight at the youth before her.
"Esnie Nora, twenty-one years old, hailing from the Lower City..."
The man did not answer Esnie's question, instead narrating on his own:
"In a conflict, you used an alloy sword to kill sixteen fully armed gang members, a feat for which people call you the [Black Valkyrie]."
His voice was not loud, and though it was an unhurried narration, it brought immense psychological pressure to Esnie.
She finally could not hold back any longer, keeping her voice low as she spoke:
"Mr. Jonas... what are you trying to say?"
Hearing this, the man standing before the floor-to-ceiling window slowly turned around, and Esnie finally saw clearly the object held in the man's hand.
It was a collar.
"Miss Esnie, I know what you want..."
He slowly spoke, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes.
"You wouldn't want your younger sister to continue suffering pain either, right?"
Before you continue