Chapter 724: Round Table (3)
‘It’s a bit of a surprise.’
Thronus and Dominions had thought they would hold hands, but they were stunned by the sudden betrayal of Thronus.
I didn’t think it would be the platinum pigeon that would save me either.
If it weren’t for his support, my plan would’ve ended in a fizzle. It was nothing short of a business.
The budget was limited, and the goal was set. It’s a business that didn’t pay off unless the plan was foolproof.
After judging its feasibility, skeptical public opinion was likely to emerge. The problem was that they didn’t accept it as a business. At least Seraphim’s partic.i.p.ation turned it into an ideological war.
Like politicians who believed communism was the perfect theory and bet on the nation’s survival, he threw dice at the side that was falling into the abyss.
No, technically, it wasn’t an ideology that fell into the abyss. It wasn’t like there was no possibility at all.
The only problem was we had to spend a huge budget.
The shortcomings could be remedied. Considering that we had all the time we needed, it might really be possible to create a new species.
However, even a.s.suming that long years and enormous divinity had to be poured out, it was impossible to know when the turnaround would come.
“They bit the bait.”
“But what’s that, Noona? What are you putting on your face?”
“Oh, it’s like a habit. I don’t think they need to do this because their skin is so good. Rather, it’s just something I want to do. I think this is how I put my mind at ease. Actually, I want to change my hairstyle and try many things, but it’s a little weird to change all of a sudden, isn’t it?”
“A little bit… I think they’re going to look at you strangely.”
“No, I don’t think so. They won’t even be interested. They must be busy fighting because they split up… Is it a big deal that my hairstyle has changed?”
“I don’t know about the other pigeons, but Cherubim might notice.”
“Oh, that pigeon could. He seems to be rather delicate. I was even more grateful to him for running his mouth so violently. If it had pa.s.sed quietly, it wouldn’t have been this intense… Did you hear the story yesterday?”
“What?”
“The elders had a fight. I took a peek, and it was more brutal than I thought. They’re more serious than you think. The t.i.tle ‘Pioneer of the Birth of New Humanity’ seems to have touched the hearts of some pigeons, and most of all, Seraphim is joining our side. Who knew that crazy pigeon would be friendly?”
“I know.”
“Thronus is…”
“We haven’t met him properly yet… I’ll have to spare some time. To be honest, I don’t expect much. It’s a two-to-two balance, and it’s only when it’s this intense that it’s fun watching a fight.”
“You’re right. It’s so much fun to see you go around causing chaos these days. It’s more fun than watching the news on Earth. It’s not only about catching up and dragging our feet but also about forming factions to keep each other in check. It’s good to do something fulfilling, but doing meaningless things is quite exciting.”
“This is just the beginning. We’re all set, aren’t we?”
“Are you ready, Oppa?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s get ready then. It’s time for our major shareholder to come in. Oh, why didn’t I meet Oppa on Earth? We could have done things properly.”
“I think so, too, Noona.”
I watched her get up from her seat and start preparing. I also started reviewing the data I made. While Dominions prepared snacks, I prepared refreshments.
I thought wine would be okay, but I had to do that only after we were done. The lighting wasn’t bad, and the atmosphere was good.
Looking at Jihye’s face, I could already see her expression as if she had become an expert in that field.
‘Wow, sh*t, you’re a natural con artist. Really.’
“Look at the look on your face, Oppa. You’re a natural swindler. You must’ve been born a con artist.”
“…”
“What about the elders?”
“I’ve already taken them into consideration. Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? We’re all set.”
“I see.”
“Useless talks are off-limits from now. It’s almost time. Don’t be nervous, Oppa.”
“Let’s do well.”
“If you fail, you’ll have to die.”
There was no swindler’s face at the table. After completing the transformation into Dominions, we reviewed the data again.
The door opened not long after. I could tell who entered without having to turn my head, but I needed to stand up immediately to give them a welcoming ambiance.
Seraphim nodded when I greeted him with a smile as if I was glad to see him.
“You’re here.”
“Yes, Dominions must’ve arrived here in advance.”
“I came here early for a little more review. It’s not something we’re going to do in vain.”
“That’s right. Cherubim and Thronus don’t seem to understand, but…”
“I didn’t think they would understand it in the first place. Everyone knows that Cherubim can’t accept new thinking. The case of Thronus was a little surprising, but it’s not strange when you think about it. He is a coward.”
“You’re right, Dominions. Thronus is a coward.”
“Perhaps if there’s anything that would benefit him, I think Thronus will join us. It may be difficult to persuade Cherubim, but at least I can refute the old theory he has.”
“…”
“You don’t have to blame them. They’ll understand in the end. That’s why this is important.”
“I know.”
I noticed them looking at me at this point.
“But there’s a little bit of doubt. Oh, of course, my position is the same as yours, Dominions. Creating a new species and creating a new continent has always been my idea.”
‘No, guys. That’s my plan. Are you really taking the credits now?’
It didn’t really matter.
“The plan is impressive, too.”
“Thank you.”
“But there are risks, right?”
‘I knew it.’
It was a reasonable question.
‘He’s not a complete idiot.’
Just because he liked the idea didn’t mean he could follow it. I thought it was a conclusion that he had come to after reviewing the plan.
Although he worked with Noona to make it, the danger that existed didn’t disappear.
It wasn’t a false report, and it was not a fraud.
It would be unreasonable to call the business a safe investment, even if the masked hero duo were the ones that made it.
‘I hid it as much as I could.’
He caught it well.
“Especially when you think about the current situation. I think everyone has thought about the consequences in case the work fails. Dominions, you’re…”
“The same goes for me, Seraphim, but there’s bound to be a risk to anything. We’ve already had one failure. Of course, there were inevitable circ.u.mstances, but the cause of the failure can’t be completely separated from us.”
“…”
“You have to think, Seraphim, of what remains after anger and hatred. Even if we continue this war, what will remain at the end of it? Humans can only see what’s coming before them right now. The future they imagine is different from the future we foresee. They’re going to fight back. I’m not going to conform. If we fight hard, they’ll retaliate even harder. It’s never easy to sacrifice yourself for a long, invisible future.”
“…”
“It’s not an option. Thronus and Cherubim think there are two options, but they’re wrong. It’s not something that we can write off as having different ideas.”
“…”
“It’s not a matter of ideology. It’s a matter of right and wrong.”
“Yes, Dominion is right. This is a matter of right and wrong. Therefore, the test of this plan is necessary, Seraphim.”
‘They’re taking it more seriously than I thought.’
It wasn’t unreasonable to think that the budget had been set too high, but that was the only way to invest. It’s a lucky investment.
It was just a note of the divinity that we needed to produce, right? We needed proper data to shake up the senior pigeons more.
From the looks of it…
‘I’m sure they think something’s a little suspicious.’
They weren’t doubting Lee Kiyoung. Lee Kiyoung had already been judged guilty. What they doubted was whether that work would be successful or not. Maybe the psychological warfare was working.
‘They’re more confident in what they’ve done before.’
The first round was a failure, but it was also an experience. It might’ve felt more stable to re-challenge a market that they had already jumped in before.
That was a whole new road, and the same went for me. If one were to invest, it was logical to invest in areas that they were familiar with. For example…
‘It would be like a restaurant worker entering the fashion business after failing.’
He wasn’t showing it, but he was worried.
When I looked at Dominions, I could see her nodding. Her eyes seemed to give the signal to start, so I had no choice but to open my mouth immediately.
“Of course, I understand your anxiety, Seraphim.”
“I’m not nervous. However…”
“In fact, I was expecting it to some extent. I thought you wouldn’t be satisfied with it. I felt that there were a lot of risks involved and needed more work to be done. There are a lot of errors. I can safely say that this plan is far from perfect.”
“Lee Kiyoung is right. It’s not perfect.”
“The answer would be to allow more time. That would be the way to reduce the budget. But what cannot be done is also a reality. It’s about looking at the long term. We have to produce results before Cherubim starts to do something so that the elders can make a reasonable decision.”
“Then you need divinity?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Seraphim, I acknowledge your concern and my lack of planning. I won’t tell you to invest in dangerous places. It would be enough for me and Dominions to build a foundation.”
‘Yeah, that’s right. We’re going to do it without you.’
“What?”
“You don’t have to be offended. Seraphim, I decided after considering your situation. It may cost more than you think. It’s just creating a test server for the plan, but we can’t predict what variables will occur halfway through. Once we’ve established a foundation, you’d better join us if you decide it’s okay.”
“But you can understand that if we go public with our subsidiary’s shares, less might be going to the latecomers, right?”
“Dominions is right, Seraphim. She has a lot of divinity, so I think it’ll be enough. You don’t have to feel pressured.”
‘We have enough budget even without you, so it’s going to be a big hit, but it’s a bit weird to share it with the three of us. Dominions and I started from the beginning, and you just joined in the middle. I’m just telling you to take the beanstalk that falls later.’
I thought it sounded like that.
“Yes, it is as Lee Kiyoung said. Actually, I should have told you earlier…”
‘This is looking good. We’ll take the t.i.tle of father and mother of the new human race. As for you, platinum pigeon, I’ll just write down your name as a helper.’
I was sure it sounded like that.