Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 260

“Thank you for the compliment. But Vice Chairman Lewis, what can I do for you today?”

Vice Chairman Lewis coughed repeatedly and took a large gulp of his coffee. Then, he abruptly seized Beom-seok’s hand, his voice laced with desperation.

“Beom-seok, you have to help me.”

“Help you? What are you talking about?” Beom-seok asked, surprised.

“You know my daughter well, don’t you? You’ve been practicing swordsmanship with Shaila, haven’t you?”

It had to be Shaila. Lewis didn’t have any other daughters that Beom-seok knew who practiced swordsmanship.

“Are you talking about Shaila?”

“Yes, that’s her. She’s recently become infatuated with some… gigolo, and she’s completely obsessed. And the guy seems determined to take advantage of it. I need you to intervene. Given your past successes, I believe you’re capable of handling this.”

Beom-seok scratched his head, feeling awkward. From a father’s perspective, wouldn’t any young man vying for his daughter’s attention seem like a gold digger? He didn’t want to interfere in a potentially genuine relationship based solely on the old man’s anxieties.

“Come on, Vice Chairman, how can I possibly handle that? I can’t exactly kidnap the guy and rough him up. They need to sort out their relationship themselves. If you’re so against it, why don’t you, as her father, have a serious talk with him and set some boundaries?”

“That won’t work. Shaila isn’t one to listen to reason. She’ll likely just rebel and cling to him even harder.”

“Then I’m not sure what I can do. If even you, her own father, can’t get through to her, how could I possibly succeed?”

Lewis shook his head emphatically.

“No, you can do it. Just like you’ve discreetly resolved problems in the past, you can break them up from behind the scenes, can’t you? I’ll cover all expenses, and of course, I’ll provide a generous reward. Please, just help me this one time.”

“Sigh… It’s not about the money. How can I break up two people who are supposedly in love? I’m not that heartless.”

“It doesn’t matter. This guy is just a gold digger. A particularly persistent and cunning one at that.”

“Oh? How do you know that?”

Lewis’s eyes gleamed, and he adopted a knowing expression.

“He’s happily accepting a lavish allowance in exchange for being Shaila’s ‘companion.’ He claims it’s to manage her money, but that’s a classic gigolo excuse.”

“Is that so? It does sound a bit suspicious.”

Lewis’s face flushed with anger as he exclaimed, “It’s not just a bit suspicious! I recently discovered that he’s actually managing her money responsibly. He’s not squandering Shaila’s funds on himself at all!”

Beom-seok narrowed his eyes, suspecting the old man was jumping to conclusions and unfairly judging an innocent person. The Shaila he knew had always been somewhat careless with money. While unusual, it wasn’t unheard of for a partner to take on the responsibility of managing finances.

“Then he doesn’t sound like such a bad guy.”

“Absolutely not! My gut tells me he’s a manipulative individual who will ultimately ruin Shaila.”

“Maybe that’s just prejudice.”

“It’s not prejudice! He’s exhibiting behavior completely different from ordinary people.”

“How so?”

“He avoids all other Elves [In this context, ‘Elves’ likely refers to attractive women, possibly with a specific cultural connotation] and only focuses on Shaila. Even with all that money at his disposal.”

Beom-seok ran a hand over his face, struggling to maintain his composure. This level of concern bordered on obsessive. Surely there had to be someone like that among the billions of people in the world.

“Maybe he’s just extremely devoted. I’m also devoted, though not to that extent.”

“No, he’s definitely not that kind of devoted! I had him followed, and my investigators reported that he always pauses or at least glances at the Elf Market [A place where attractive women, possibly prostitutes, gather].”

“Oh, is that so? Then maybe it’s because he’s short on cash. He’s managing Shaila’s assets, but it’s not really his money, is it? A truly conscientious person might act that way.”

Lewis’s expression tightened.

“That’s not it. He recently bought Shaila a ring. Do you know how much it cost? A staggering 2 million Krons [A fictional currency]. 2 million Krons! And he’s just a struggling entertainer. He barely makes 10,000 Krons a month.”

Beom-seok’s gaze sharpened, focusing intently on Lewis. That was indeed strange. It was highly improbable for an unknown entertainer earning a meager 10,000 Krons a month to afford a 2 million Kron ring for his girlfriend. With that kind of money, he could buy a couple of low-priced Elves.

“What other gifts has he given her?”

“A lot. Expensive perfumes, gemstone bracelets, pearl necklaces, and so on… The most perplexing thing is that he showers her with these gifts despite having no visible income and incurring no debt.”

“Do his parents happen to be wealthy?”

“He doesn’t have parents. He grew up in an orphanage with no inheritance.”

Then, unless he was secretly involved in some illicit activity, it meant he was receiving financial backing from someone. He could have borrowed money from a close friend, but the scale of the gifts suggested something more significant.

“That’s very strange. What’s his name?”

“Gilliam.”

Beom-seok retrieved his electronic notepad and sent a message to Margaret, requesting information on a little-known entertainer named Gilliam. While Lewis’s account was suspicious, it was crucial to gather objective data. The vice chairman was personally invested in the situation, making subjective bias highly likely.

“Well, have there been any other unusual occurrences?”

“Many. I hired private investigators to forcibly separate them, but they were all defeated without even landing a punch.”

Beom-seok tapped the table with his fingers, his expression thoughtful. Private investigators were typically individuals with some degree of combat skill. To be easily defeated suggested Gilliam possessed considerable martial arts prowess or strength.

“Is he perhaps a modified human?”

“Absolutely not. How could a penniless, unknown entertainer afford physical modification surgery? The defeated investigators claimed a passing Elf intervened to help him.”

“Is that so? Then it could be a coincidence, couldn’t it?”

“If it happened only once, I might agree. But every time I send someone, they’re defeated and sent back. It’s baffling.”

He scratched his nose with his index finger. As Lewis pointed out, it was difficult to dismiss it as mere luck.

“What other strange things have you noticed?”

“Recently, he was cast in a significant supporting role in a popular TNGL drama.”

“What? TNGL Broadcasting [A fictional global broadcasting company], you say?”

Beom-seok stared at Lewis, his eyes wide with surprise. TNGL Broadcasting’s involvement was particularly noteworthy.

TNGL Broadcasting was a global broadcasting company with public broadcasting rights and a prominent internet presence. It was a media giant, considered one of the world’s three major broadcasting networks, alongside MKKN Broadcasting and the Black Society’s WBS Broadcasting. It was highly unusual for an obscure entertainer to land a major supporting role in a drama produced by such a prestigious company. Typically, entertainers had to establish some level of recognition through local broadcasting before appearing on a major network. Of course, Karen had appeared on a music program on WBC Broadcasting when she was unknown, but that was only possible due to the Black Society’s influence and her inclusion as a side act in a new talent showcase.

“That’s right. Doesn’t something seem off?”

There was definitely something unusual going on. Bodyguards, mysterious funding, and a sudden high-profile acting gig. These three factors suggested someone was pulling the strings.

‘Come to think of it, TNGL Broadcasting is affiliated with a powerful economic organization. Could the Ibrahim faction be involved?’

The Ibrahim faction was a dominant force in the Federation Pro-Combat world, and Beom-seok considered them to be closely aligned with economic organizations. While not directly affiliated, the Hyena Group, which had ties to the economic organization, was a member, and they maintained a strong alliance with the Angela faction, which shared similar affiliations.

However, the Ibrahim faction and the Lewis faction were in conflict over interests within the pro-combat world. It was possible the economic organization was orchestrating these events in collaboration with Gilliam.

“Yes, it’s quite suspicious. Does the Vice Chairman have a designated successor?”

It was a sensitive question, and Lewis hesitated briefly before answering. He couldn’t deny what everyone already knew.

“Well… it’s Shaila.”

“Who is aware of this?”

“Everyone knows. How could they not? Shaila is the only one of my children involved in the pro-combat world.”

That made the possibility even more likely. If they could control Shaila, the Ibrahim faction would effectively gain control of the Lewis faction in the future. She was a valuable target for the economic organization.

At that moment, Beom-seok received a message on his electronic notepad. It was from Margaret, containing a brief profile of Gilliam. He was 27 years old, worked as an actor, had a negligible income, and was recently cast in a TNGL Broadcasting drama. While this information alone didn’t reveal any hidden agendas, it confirmed that Lewis’s claims weren’t entirely unfounded.

“Well, if Gilliam’s intentions towards Shaila are impure, he’s likely more than just a gigolo.”

“Not a gigolo? Then what is he?”

“I need to investigate further, but I suspect this situation may stem from conflicts and power struggles between factions.”

He adopted a serious expression, but Lewis didn’t seem surprised. He likely suspected as much.

“I see you suspect the same. Frankly, I believe the Ibrahim faction is behind this.”

“Yes, that’s my initial impression. However, there’s a strong possibility that they’re not the only ones involved.”

“Why?”

“They’ve been too obvious, revealing their hand too easily. Even I, hearing this for the first time, immediately suspect the Ibrahim faction. Perhaps another force is at play.”

“Really? Who else could it be?”

“I don’t know. I’m not even certain there is another party involved. I need more time to analyze the situation before I can understand the full picture.”

Lewis studied him intently.

“Then will you take on this task and resolve it? Is it possible?”

“Well, I can’t give you a definite answer. As you may know, I’ve been incredibly busy lately. There’s the league match, and I need to prepare for the promotion tournament. I don’t have the bandwidth to focus on other matters right now.”

“Don’t say that. Please reconsider. If you resolve this situation successfully, I’ll compensate you handsomely.”

Beom-seok’s eyes flickered with interest. Compensation changed things. He had been enjoying the recent influx of cash. He was curious about what kind of reward Lewis had in mind this time.

But he couldn’t appear too eager, so he feigned reluctance.

“Haa… This is embarrassing. It makes it seem like I’m only doing this for the reward.”

“Nonsense. Anyone who provides a valuable service deserves to be compensated. In fact, I have a gift that I believe you’ll find particularly appealing. If you get rid of Gilliam and expose the person behind him, I’ll gladly let you have her at a reduced price.”

Beom-seok rolled his eyes, confused by the word “cheaply” when Lewis could simply give it to him.

“What are you offering at a reduced price?”

“Kazella, a combatant on our team. Here’s her detailed profile for your review.”

Lewis handed over a document. Beom-seok didn’t even glance at it, his eyes wide with surprise.

Kazella was a promising mid-level combatant for Real Heroes, a World League team owned by Vice Chairman Lewis. At only 14 years old, she had been rotating between the reserve and substitute positions, preparing to become a starter. However, the team recently acquired a veteran mid-level combatant, relegating her back to the reserve squad. Still, she was a talent to be reckoned with. Although her potential ability in the early to mid-900s was somewhat underwhelming, her unique characteristics made her a valuable asset, with a high probability of rising to become a top-tier World League combatant. Beom-seok had been quite interested in acquiring her. However, her market value of 880 million Krons made her unattainable for God’s Knights.

Beom-seok swallowed hard and asked quietly, “How much are you willing to let me have her for?”

“If you resolve this, I’ll give her to you for 400 million Krons.”

That was a discount of 480 million. The compensation was substantial.

“Aren’t you being too generous? I know Kazella is a highly valued combatant. And she’s already quite well-developed.”

“That’s true, but with the right training, you can maximize her potential. My priority is my daughter and the future of the Lewis faction.”

Beom-seok’s decision was already made. With Kazella on board, God’s Knights wouldn’t have to struggle so much in the Central League next season. The risk of relegation would be significantly reduced. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

After pretending to consider the offer for a moment, Beom-seok nodded.

“Okay, I’ll do my best to resolve this.”

“I knew you’d accept. Thank you so much. I won’t forget this favor if you succeed. Oh, and I’ll assign someone to assist you. He’s a reliable friend and will be helpful.”

“Who are you referring to?”

“A man named Rubin. He’s Shaila’s childhood friend, and I wouldn’t have known about Gilliam’s true nature without him. He’s been my primary source of information, so consult him if you have any questions.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll reach out to him for assistance.”

“Okay. Then, please take care of Shaila’s situation.”

After a few more trivial exchanges, Beom-seok and Lewis parted ways. They had met in a secluded location as a precaution, but there was no guarantee that those targeting Shaila hadn’t noticed their meeting. It was more prudent to investigate discreetly. By exploiting any carelessness on their part, it would be easier to uncover their trail.

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Have a nice day everyone. See you again tomorrow.