Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 313

315

“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”

As the match between Sden Orions and Hopen Irix began, the surroundings erupted in noise. The cheers of each team’s supporters reverberated throughout the stadium, threatening to burst Beom-seok’s eardrums. However, he and Liza quietly watched the game.

They didn’t care which of the two teams won. They would be satisfied as long as a good match unfolded, providing valuable insights for their own training.

“Liza, who do you think will win?”

Liza watched the game intently, stroking her chin. Sden Orions, fueled by their home advantage, launched a relentless offensive, but Hopen Irix’s defense was extraordinary. They worked together seamlessly, responding effectively to each attack, showing no signs of cracking.

“Well, it’s hard to say right now. Sden Orions is certainly aggressive, but Hopen Irix’s defense is remarkably solid. I think Hopen Irix will hold their ground in this first round.”

“That’s right. Sden Orions might seem to have the upper hand, but it’s just a fleeting impression.

The momentum of their offensive creates a visual illusion. Hopen Irix, on the other hand, is systematically maintaining its formation and coordinating their plays. That means they won’t collapse easily. If Sden Orions, currently on the attack, makes a single mistake and loses even one gladiator, the entire situation could quickly turn against them.”

“Then what should Sden Orions do?”

Beom-seok pointed towards the stadium. The gladiators of Sden Orions were now halting their attack, retreating momentarily to catch their breath.

“They should pull back for now, just like they’re doing. If they keep pouring on the pressure, they’ll tire out faster than the defense. That increases the chance of mistakes. So, they need to retreat as a unit, take a short breather, and then identify the opponent’s weak spot to focus their attack.”

“Then where would be a good place to attack?”

Beom-seok studied Hopen Irix’s defense for a moment and shook his head.

“The right flank might seem promising at first glance, but it’s beyond Sden Orions’ current capabilities. Hopen Irix is a tough team.”

The current Hopen Irix team consisted of one Central Leaguer-class and eleven Wide Leaguer-class gladiators [Central and Wide Leaguers are classifications of gladiators based on skill and experience]. Sden Orions, in contrast, had two Central Leaguer-class and ten Wide Leaguer-class gladiators.

One might assume that Sden Orions had a slight advantage with one more Central Leaguer-class gladiator, but a closer look revealed a different story. Hopen Irix might have lacked a top-tier player, but the individual skills of each member were so refined that they compensated for the difference in ace power.

The reason they were focused on defense was the disadvantage of playing away from home.

“Then what would you do if you were the master [coach]?”

“Huhu. If I were playing for Sden Orions, the game would already be over. I could easily take on three or four people by myself, so how could the Hopen Irix team possibly hold out?”

His boasting was as predictable as ever. While not entirely untrue, Liza frowned and raised her voice.

“Of course, it would be like that if you were playing, Master. I’m asking what you would do if you were the coach.”

“Well, what should I do? I’d use a hit-and-run strategy, constantly probing for an opening.”

“What if there are no openings?”

“Then I’d aim for a draw. It’s better to draw than to lose by being reckless. And gladiator matches aren’t just one round. There are five rounds, so there’s bound to be at least one opening somewhere. Then you strike and win, and then you switch to defense. The attacking side will then face the same difficulties they inflicted on us.”

Liza refocused on the game. As he suggested, the Sden Orions gladiators were circling around Hopen Irix’s defense, seemingly searching for an opening. It appeared to be a cautious approach, geared towards securing a draw.

“Hmm. I see.”

Just then, Beom-seok’s electronic notebook rang from his chest pocket. He pulled it out and checked the screen, his eyes widening in surprise at the unfamiliar number. It was Julian. Although their relationship had been civil recently, they rarely contacted each other without a specific reason, making this call quite unexpected.

‘What’s Julian up to this time?’

Beom-seok immediately answered the call and brought up the screen.

“Julian, it’s been a while.”

– Hahaha. Yes, it has. I heard you were seriously injured. Are you doing okay?

“Well, you know how it is. But what’s this about? You’re not calling just to check up on me, are you?”

– Well, that too. Is anyone else around?

Beom-seok glanced at Liza and replied.

“Hmm. Yes, there is. Why?”

– It’s a very important matter. Could we talk somewhere private?

“What’s it about?”

– It’s about the Black Society. I have something to tell you.

Beom-seok grabbed the walker in front of his seat and stood up. If it involved the Black Society, it was definitely worth hearing. Those guys had been targeting him frequently lately, so he couldn’t afford to be careless.

He excused himself to Liza and left the stands, heading for a quiet area.

“Okay. What do you mean by ‘talking about the Black Society’?”

– It seems the Black Society is planning to pit the business community and your Ilsim Association against each other.

“Us and them?”

– Yes.

Beom-seok looked at Julian with suspicion. The Black Society and the business community were like oil and water, completely incompatible. This conversation didn’t make sense.

Julian was a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Association, comprised of the successors of the business world. If he informed the business community of this plot, there would be no conflict. Even if they were foolish, they wouldn’t fall for the enemy’s tricks if they knew about them.

“Hey, are you trying to pull my leg? If you know, you can tell everyone and stop it.”

– It’s not that simple. It’s a bit complicated. Besides, the Black Society guys have a critical hold on our Hyena Group. I don’t know what to do.

“What does that mean?”

– They’ve got my grandfather in their grasp and are manipulating him. My grandfather sees Leopard [Beom-seok’s alias] of your Ilsim Association as a dangerous threat. He wants him eliminated before the Black Society. He’s even willing to join forces with the Black Society to do it.

“Then it’s simple. You can persuade your grandfather. Surely he’ll listen to you since you’re family, right?”

– If that would work, I would have done it already. My grandfather is usually very stubborn and cold. Even our father, the chairman of the group, tried to persuade him, but he received a stern warning. He was asked if he wanted to give up his position as chairman. So, we’re powerless to do anything about it.”

Beom-seok said with a sullen expression.

“So, what are you going to do?”

– It looks like our Hyena Group will be at the forefront of attacking Leopard.

“Hey, are you kidding me right now?”

– I’m not kidding. I’m just telling you the truth.

“If that’s the truth, then you’re declaring war right now. You’ve become very brazen. You used to stab me in the back secretly.”

Julian shouted on the screen.

– It’s not a declaration of war!

“Then what is it?”

– It’s just that we should cooperate to prevent this situation from escalating.

“We should join hands? Why?”

– If the fact that the Black Society is involved in this gets out, the business community won’t leave our Hyena Group alone. At the very least, we’ll be expelled from the organization. So, we want to get through this quietly. We want to prevent any damage to the Hyena Group from this incident and further avoid a conflict between the business community and the Ilsim Association.”

Beom-seok said with a strange look.

“Hmm. Why should I do that? If I tell the business community about this, it’ll be over. They’ll stop your grandfather themselves.”

Julian glared at Beom-seok. If that happened, the Hyena Group would be in deep trouble.

– Hey! You’ll really have nothing left! And if we deny it, it’s over. There’s no evidence anywhere that the Black Society and we are connected.

“Really? That’s too bad. Tsk.”

– So, what are you going to do? Are you going to join hands or not?

“What happens if we join hands?”

– First of all, the Hyena Group will compensate for any damage Leopard suffers.

“Your grandfather will go crazy if you do that, right?”

– A company like the Hyena Group has a lot of money hidden away. There’s money that even my grandfather doesn’t know about. It’s enough to cover the compensation.

“And?”

– We’ll definitely provide support when you attack the Black Society. Not only our group but also the influence of the business community will be at your disposal.

“Hmm. Will your grandfather allow it?”

– He’ll understand as long as it’s not related to Leopard. My grandfather is a respected elder in the business community. He doesn’t like the Black Society.

If that was the case, it was worth considering. Beom-seok was extremely annoyed by the Black Society’s constant harassment. He needed to strike a decisive blow and break their habits someday, and the business community’s assistance would be a significant advantage.

“Okay, let’s do it. So, what should I do?”

– Just pretend you don’t know anything.

“Pretend? How can I pretend when our members are being attacked!”

– That’s why we said we’d compensate for the losses. If you intervene, you’ll be playing into the Black Society’s hands. It’ll trigger a direct clash between the business community and the Ilsim Association. Even if it doesn’t, Theresa will definitely make it happen.”

Beom-seok’s brow furrowed. He harbored a strong dislike for Theresa as well. Although she hadn’t directly harmed him, he found her ruthless nature repulsive. The fact that she killed Rubin to sever her connection to the Shayla case was still shocking.

“Theresa? Is Theresa involved in this?”

– Yes. She’s the one in charge of this operation.

“Then it’s not going to be easy.”

– Why?

“She values people’s lives as little as flies when it comes to her ambition. You have to be extremely careful because you never know what she’s capable of.”

– Really?

“Yeah. There was a guy named Rubin who was ruled a suicide in the Shayla case, but I think Theresa killed him. If she did, everything would make sense.”

Julian nodded, as if he understood completely. Given her character, she was certainly capable of such an act. Theresa was even betraying her own mother, Angela, to aid the Black Society.

– So, what are you going to do?

“Well, it depends on how Theresa attacks. By the way, how is she planning to target Leopard?”

– Hmm. It seems she’s targeting Karen first.

“Karen?”

– Yes. Because Karen generates most of the revenue for Leopard Planning.

Indeed, eliminating Karen would be a significant blow to Leopard Planning. She accounted for approximately 70% of their sales.

“I see. Specifically, how is she going to mess with Karen?”

– It seems she’s going to block her appearances on the three major terrestrial broadcasting stations [the main national TV channels].

The three major terrestrial broadcasting stations were WBS, MKKN, and TNGL. Among them, WBS was controlled by the Black Society, and TNGL was aligned with the business community. If this scheme originated with the Black Society, Karen would likely be barred from appearing on at least WBS and TNGL broadcasts.

“The problem is MKKN. If they cooperate with the other two, Karen will suffer a major setback.”

– That’s right. But don’t worry. She’ll be able to appear on MKKN.

Beom-seok looked at Julian with narrowed eyes.

“Are you sure?”

– Yes. It’s not public knowledge, but the president of MKKN and my father are friends. I secretly informed him of the situation and secured his cooperation.

If that was true, it was fortunate. If Karen could still appear on MKKN, she could avoid the worst-case scenario, maintaining her current level of fame and recognition.

“That’s the most reassuring news I’ve heard.”

– It’s too early to relax. There’s one more thing.

“What is it?”

– Soon, a securities company employee will approach Leopard. He’s the funding manager of M-Light Investment & Securities, and he’ll probably try to persuade you to list Leopard Planning on the stock market.

“Why?”

– After listing it, they’re going to acquire Leopard Planning through a merger and acquisition (M&A).

Beom-seok gave an incredulous laugh. They wouldn’t fall for such a transparent trick. If Leopard Planning were to be listed, they would ensure that 50% of the shares were held by the Ilsim Association, just like with the Rainbow Group. But frankly, there was no real need to go as far as listing it.

“Then we can just kick him out right away. There’s no risk if we don’t list it.”

– Hey, you can’t do that. There are countless benefits to M&A. You know that well, considering how much money you made from the Rainbow Group incident, right?

Beom-seok acknowledged that he had a point. He had tricked the Black Society and secured a substantial amount of capital. But Leopard Planning was a completely different scale from the Rainbow Group. Even if it was listed, the total assets wouldn’t exceed 2 billion Krang [currency], so the profit wouldn’t be significant. If they mobilized other Ilsim Association members, they wouldn’t even cover the labor costs.

“Hey, why bother? What are you going to use that small amount of money for?”

– Small amount of money? Do you think money grows on trees? If you don’t seize the opportunity when you have it, you’ll regret it later!

Beom-seok reluctantly nodded at Julian, who was becoming agitated. It seemed he was also planning to profit from this opportunity, and Beom-seok couldn’t refuse him outright. Besides, Leopard Planning needed to be listed eventually to facilitate its growth.

“Okay, I’ll do it. So, is there anything else?”

– It’s still early, so there are no concrete plans in motion yet. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.

“Okay. Then let’s hang up. There’s no point in us talking for too long.”

– Okay. And I’ll send you a burner phone [a disposable phone]. Keep it with you at all times. Once we start taking action, you might be under surveillance. If you talk on your regular phone like now, Theresa might find out.

“Okay, just send it.”

– Okay. Then I’ll hang up.

As Julian disappeared from the screen, Beom-seok stared at the distant sky. He couldn’t tolerate this any longer. He wouldn’t be able to rest easy until he had subdued the Black Society.

His eyes narrowed slightly, he closed his electronic notebook, and headed back towards the stands.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

Have a good day, everyone. I’ll see you again tomorrow.