Inside ME Corp's enormous conference room.
Li Mu sat at the far end of the long table, wearing plain, non-reflective glasses.
He leaned forward, elbows braced on the tabletop, fingers interlaced beneath his chin.
Across from him, every seat was filled. One by one, ME Corp's executives sat stiffly upright, occasionally sneaking nervous glances in Li Mu's direction.
The president of ME Corp slowly lifted his head. A cold gleam flashed across his lenses as his voice echoed through the room.
"Everyone, I have something to inform you of." Li Mu's gaze swept across the room. "Just now, I diverted several billion in funds."
The already silent room dropped into absolute stillness. You could have heard a pin fall. Even breathing became cautious.
"So," Li Mu continued calmly, "what do you all think?"
The executives exchanged looks, eyes darting between neighbors, but no one dared speak.
Until one brave soul stepped forward.
A middle-aged man with meticulously pressed clothes and a severely receding hairline cleared his throat.
"President… I believe this action violates corporate regulations—"
Li Mu glanced at him.
"What an honest man," he said mildly. "Please go settle your salary with Finance. You've been optimized out."
The man's face drained of color.
"President, I was joking—"
The conference room doors swung open.
A pink-haired woman in a Security Division uniform, employee badge hanging from her chest, strode in with several guards and dragged the man straight out of his seat.
Moments later, the doors closed again.
"One fewer person," Li Mu said evenly. "Let's continue. I diverted several billion. Thoughts?"
This time, everyone sat up straight.
One executive hurriedly said, "President, this isn't an issue at all! It's just moving money from one hand to the other. Other companies do it all the time. As long as it's paid back on schedule, there's no problem."
"Even if something goes wrong, you just apologize publicly and have a temp take the blame."
Li Mu quietly observed their reactions.
These people were former executives from companies ME Corp had acquired. Since ME was still just a framework with no loyal staff yet, he had temporarily kept these old managers.
The downside was obvious. They brought their old networks, formed cliques, leaned on seniority, and even dared to posture in front of him.
They were a serious obstacle to his plan to build the St. Freya Academy City Cluster.
Seriously. I hold almost all the shares. Where do you people get the nerve?
Li Mu had no patience for anyone who dared bare their teeth at him. He had already cleared out plenty of dead weight.
He had thought ME Corp was already fully under his control. Turns out, some people still hadn't learned.
He needed absolute authority to build St. Freya within a year. Anyone who tried to slow him down at this stage could go pick bananas in the East African Rift.
"In that case," Li Mu concluded, "let's find someone to take the fall."
"Wise decision, President!"
Darkness.
Ryoma's consciousness slowly resurfaced.
He woke from unconsciousness.
Before he could register where he was, sharp pain flared in his neck, making him gasp.
"Hiss… what the hell—?"
Clutching his neck, he looked around.
Ahead of him was a massive floor-to-ceiling window. Through it, he could see Nagazora City sprawling into the distance. He even spotted Chiba Academy, where his daughter studied.
Turning his gaze inward, he took in the room.
The space was vast, decorated with understated yet tasteful furnishings.
Then he looked at the desk in front of him.
Stacks of documents lay neatly arranged. In his peripheral vision, he caught phrases like "St. Freya Academy City Cluster," "Grand Yae Shrine," "Creation Engine – Heavenly Father Mech Project," and "Controlled Seismic Generator."
None of it made sense.
Finally, he looked down at himself.
He was seated in a soft leather executive chair, dressed not in plantation work clothes, but in a crisply tailored suit. Even he could tell it was custom-made and expensive.
From all this, Ryoma concluded he was in a powerful figure's office.
"What happened before this…?"
His memory stirred.
Pachinko. Total loss. Despair.
Then that strange pink-haired woman.
He had mistaken her for someone like the so-called Faded Fairy and tried to trade the rest of his life for money.
After that… nothing.
"How did I pass out?"
No matter how hard he tried, the answer wouldn't come.
Deciding to leave first and ask questions later, he rose from the chair.
Just then, the office door opened.
A pink-haired woman entered, holding documents. She wore secretary attire and plain glasses.
Ryoma's eyes widened.
Even without a mask, he recognized her instantly.
She was the last person he had seen before blacking out.
"You—"
"President," Sakura said calmly, "there is a fifty-billion fund awaiting your decision."
Ryoma stared at her, then pointed at himself.
"You… what did you call me?"
Adjusting her glasses, Sakura replied, "President. This isn't a guessing game. The funds require your immediate attention."
"Don't joke with me!" Ryoma bolted upright and ran for the door. "I'm not a president! I didn't mean to come in here. I'm leaving!"
Sakura did not stop him.
Ryoma rushed through the building, heading for the exit.
At first, he thought it was some elaborate prank. Those weren't rare in the Far East.
But something felt off.
No one stopped him. Everyone he passed greeted him respectfully.
Outside, he turned back.
This was Nagazora City's tallest landmark building.
And now, emblazoned across it, were the letters ME.
His heart skipped.
That wasn't cheap. Renting an entire landmark just for a prank would cost a fortune.
Then he noticed a massive screen on a nearby building, playing an interview.
With him.
He saw "himself" shaking hands with high-ranking officials from the Far East and beyond.
"…This prank is a little too expensive, isn't it?"
As he watched more, the truth settled in.
This wasn't a prank.
A notification buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled out a communicator, hesitated, then answered.
"President, please stop joking. ME Corp needs your decision."
His throat tightened.
"I'll… be right back."
Soon, Ryoma was seated once more at the desk, facing the pink-haired secretary.
At last, he understood.
A miracle had happened to him.
Maybe he had crossed into a parallel world.
Here, he wasn't a failure. Not a disappointment of a father. Not a gambling addict.
He was successful.
A real somebody.
This was a chance to sever ties with his miserable past and start anew.
I will become a father Mei can be proud of.
"President, there is a fifty-billion fund awaiting your decision," Sakura repeated.
"Fifty… what?!"
"Fifty billion."
In his mind, mountains of cash flashed by, then transformed into clattering pachinko balls.
"How many rounds could that buy…?"
The thought barely formed before Ryoma jolted.
Smack.
He slapped himself hard.
"Ryoma! You're a successful man now! You must cut ties with the past and become someone Mei can be proud of!"
The urge to gamble receded, his mind clearing.
"President, please don't harm yourself," Sakura said. "Please decide how to allocate the funds."
"Right… yes." He forced calm into his voice. "Do you have a recommendation?"
"As your secretary, I shouldn't interfere," Sakura replied, "but according to existing plans, I recommend investing in plasma weapons research."
Clueless about business, Ryoma nodded.
"Then do that. Plasma weapons."
Sakura nodded and turned to leave.
Ryoma leaned back, exhaling, his gaze drifting to the window.
Beyond the glass lay familiar streets.
Down that road was where Mei bought groceries.
A little further…
A pachinko parlor.
"Wait," he called suddenly.
Sakura turned back. "Yes, President?"
"…I can freely use part of that money, right?"
"Of course. You are the president."
"Then… withdraw a little for me. Not much. One million will do."
"Understood."
After she left, regret and excitement warred within him.
The excitement won.
"With this much money, even brute force could get me one win, right?"
"Just one win, then I'll quit for good. Right… easing temptation is better than blocking it."
Then—
Boom!
The office doors slammed open.
Sakura returned, but now she wore a Security Division uniform. Several guards followed behind her.
Before Ryoma could speak, they dragged him from the chair.
"What are you doing?!" he struggled. "I'm the president! Are you rebelling?!"
Sakura's expression was flat.
"President Ryoma, your misappropriation of funds has been exposed. You will now face imprisonment."
"Misappropriation?"
"Prison?"
This opening was wrong.
"Wait! I'm the president! You can't do this!"
He was hauled out of the building.
Through the glass, his eyes caught a glimpse of Mei below, laughing with a man who looked exactly like him.
His eyes bulged.
He screamed with everything he had.
"Mei! Save me! Save your dad!"
Outside the MEI building, Mei paused mid-conversation with Li Mu and looked up.
The glass reflected only sunlight.
"Is something wrong, Mei?" Li Mu asked.
She watched for a moment, then smiled and shook her head.
"For a second, I thought Father was calling me from inside."
…
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