Chapter 65

“Sir! It’s such a pleasant surprise to see you!”

Rey was instantly greeted by a very excited Aldred Winsley.

The man was grinning sheepishly at him. He seemed almost starstruck, like a fan meeting their favorite celebrity for the first time.

‘He’s literally gushing…’ was Rey’s impression as he nodded slightly, entering the room.

‘I was just asking your subordinate here when we might see you next.’

Rey glanced at Noah and noticed him giving an uncomfortable smile.

‘Were they pressuring him to convince me to come? Is that why he took so long?’

It was just a guess, so Rey dismissed it.

“In any case, it really is good to have you here. We have a lot to discuss.”

Taking a seat on the sofa, Rey observed as Noah quickly positioned himself behind him.

‘Good. He knows how to keep appearances without me needing to tell him…’ Rey felt relieved.

Noah seemed to be able to handle himself in business now, but sometimes he was still an indecisive klutz.

Like now, when he allowed his time to be delayed by Aldred Winsley.

His discomfort was hidden behind a smile, but Rey chose to overlook it, believing that such experiences were valuable for learning.

‘This is going better than I thought. It seems like they haven’t caught wind of the incoming saturation.’

Rey was relieved, to say the least.

This meant he had a shot here—to sell and be done away with what would soon become useless rocks given enough time.

“Before we get straight into business, I believe there is someone you should meet,” Aldred announced with a smile, raising his hand to speak into a bracelet on his wrist.

"Bring him in," his voice echoed.

‘Who? I wonder what this is all about.’

Ret didn’t need to wait long, because a knock promptly sounded and the door soon opened before he was done making guesses.

Then…

“We have brought him, sir.”

Rey’s eyes darted at the door and he saw two hefty-looking men standing behind someone who looked absolutely miserable.

The man was bound and gagged, wearing tattered clothes and sporting bruises that spoke of recent beatings.

His eyes pleaded for mercy, but he was unable to speak due to the thick gag covering his mouth.

‘What the hell?! Who is that guy?’ Rey wondered in shock.

He caught Noah fidgeting from the side of his eye, which meant that it was probably someone he recognized.

‘C-could it be…?!’ Rey’s eyes widened under the mask as the two men dragged the miserable man into the room.

“We managed to track down and capture the man who claimed to be our Affiliate. A lowlife like this, using our name to scam one of your esteemed subordinates… that strikes me as unjust.”

Despite his shock, Rey found himself nodding in agreement with Aldred.

“And so, we decided to punish him for his acts. Of course, he regrets his actions and would like to say a few things to you.”

Aldred then proceeded to look at one of the hefty men and nodded while saying “Untie him.”

The restraints were removed, and the gag was taken away, allowing the man to finally speak.

Rey watched with a mix of pity and discomfort as the badly wounded man prostrated himself before him, his words muffled by broken teeth and swollen lips.

“I… I am shawry… Sho Shawrry… Sharry for my a-ackshuns. Won’t… won’t do it again. P-pleashe… hab mershheyy…”

The man's desperate pleas were hindered by his injuries, and Rey couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy despite the circumstances.

‘This is brutal…’ Rey thought to himself as he observed the man's remorseful gestures, his head repeatedly hitting the ground in a plea for forgiveness.

‘I feel bad for him. I even got my money back, so there’s no need to be this extreme.’

However, this was the Black Market. He couldn’t say something like this here—to these criminals and brutes.

“Hm. You didn’t have to go out of your way…” Rey responded, turning to Aldred.

“Hah! Nonsense! This is the least we could do for your continued business with us.”

Aldred's smile reminded Rey of someone trying too hard to please, like a salesperson in a shoe store.

‘I’ve spent enough time with Billy in the past to know what ass-kissing looks like.’

It was clear that Aldred and his group were trying to gain something from Rey through this elaborate display.

‘Do I really strike them as someone who would enjoy this? Goddamn!’

Rey was both impressed and worried about this.

‘At least, now I know that this persona works well in the Black Market.’

His black skull mask was crudely made, so he was thinking of getting something new, but with this entire thing, he knew he had to keep it somewhere… just in case,

“Well, it’s fine. It seems he has learned his lesson, so he’s free to go. We have more important things to discuss anyway.”

Aldred seemed very satisfied with this answer, so he turned to the hefty men and nodded.

“T-THANK YOUU! Thank you so muuussshhhh!”

As he was dragged off, the pitiful man thanked Rey with his broken teeth exposed and his bulging eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

‘Now I feel like a criminal overlord or something, how did things end up this way…?’ He nearly sighed to himself.

Bracing himself, Rey prepared for the forthcoming conversation

“Alright. What do you want?” He went straight to the point.

Taking the initiative and leading the conversation was crucial for Rey in this situation.

“Oho! It seems you figured it out, Sir.”

"You wouldn't have gone to such lengths without a purpose. So, I'll ask again... What do you want?"

Rey felt it was a bit insensitive, if not downright rude, to refer to what they did to that man so casually.

However, he understood the ruthless nature of the game they were playing.

He couldn't afford to let his guard down or show any signs of weakness.

“Indeed. The thing is… Sir… we are in need of those Monster Cores you provide.” Aldred began truthfully.

He had a gentle smile, one so genuine you wouldn’t believe he ordered that a man should be beaten up so badly.

He leaned closer to Rey and had that look of excitement still radiating all over his face.

Rey maintained his composure, responding calmly, "I see. How many exactly?"

However, something entirely different was going on within his thoughts.

‘YES! Perfect! The worst-case scenario has been avoided!’

He had to hide his excitement very well, and he felt like his mask also helped with that.

‘I just hope they need as much as I have. It would be suspicious if I try to sell them more than what they are asking for.’

That would ruin the value of his goods, per the law of demand and supply.

‘But right now I’m desperate. I don’t mind selling at a slightly lower price if—!’

“As much as you have!” Aldred’s loud voice interrupted Rey’s intense thoughts.

"Hm...?" Rey responded, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected offer.

As if Rey didn’t hear it the first time, Aldred repeated his words with even more fervor.

“We are willing to buy everything you have!”

*

*

*

[A/N]

Some good news at least.

I wonder what they need so many Monster Cores for, though…