This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 496

Who was it that said this?

Life’s affairs are like a horse’s face—ever changing.

Truly, the current situation is exactly that.

Thanks to Dogun deciding to step up, it seemed we might finally escape this pitiful situation, but just as we were about to start our operations, this happened.

Sigh… these guys are really…

What should I do?

Rather than contributing to the normalization of the Association, it feels like I’m just stuck here glaring at the mess.

I’m not one to enjoy such things, but right now, I can’t help but want to gather all the heroes presumed to be involved and corral them all together.

The Association doesn’t skimp on funds, and there are even rumors about the allowances given to the heroes being far too generous. Yet, instead of being satisfied, they’re falling for what clearly looks like a scam, just throwing their money away.

This is why I’ve been saying for ages that education for heroes is necessary.

I can’t help but wonder what those who opposed such education because they thought heroes weren’t criminals would look like now upon hearing this news.

I’d love to track each one down personally to check the situation, but that’s not something I can afford to do right now.

Given the severity of the matter, the moment we miss the golden hour, the repercussions will spread like wildfire.

I was originally supposed to discuss how to utilize Dogun…

We had secured public support in that last meeting, so we were meant to talk about that this time, but it seems I need to hurriedly change the agenda.

Moreover, it looks like we need to summon a few extra people beyond those who were already supposed to attend.

I was deep in thought, panting with frustration, and then I reached for the intercom to call in my secretary, who was waiting outside.

“Is there something you need…?”

“There’s that meeting scheduled for twenty minutes from now…”

“Ah, yes.”

“Let’s add a few more people.”

“Just let me know who to call and I’ll reach out as quickly as I can.”

“First off…”

I definitely need to summon the External Cooperation Team Leader.

There’s no way these people could handle matters without their manager; they wouldn’t even be able to pay the electricity bills on their own.

It’s clear that everything was filtered through the managers, and if that’s the case, the External Cooperation Team could provide at least a rough list of who was involved in the investments.

The problem is…

If any fraudsters are hiding among the managers…

How many could there be?

That thought swirled in my mind, but I shook my head.

At this point, it’s wise to assume that a fraudster exists among them.

That way, I can capture all those who dared to exploit heroes for profit.

This is why I decided to also call in the Audit Team Leader after the External Cooperation Team Leader.

Of course, unlike the External Cooperation Team Leader, who outwardly claims neutrality, the Audit Team Leader is firmly on the chairman’s side… but given the circumstances, I doubt they’ll act entitled just because they have different supporters.

If they do, I can deal with that too.

More importantly…

Having assistance from the Audit Team is essential if we want to delve into account statements.

Thus, I told my secretary who else should be included, jotting down notes, when suddenly, I felt a wave of dread wash over me.

Honestly, it couldn’t be helped; if this matter had broken out after executing what Dogun had proposed, it would have been terrifying.

If things went as we expected, people would not just be disappointed in the Association, they’d lose all trust in it entirely.

And without that trust, Dogun’s suggested methods wouldn’t get a foothold…

It would mean all of Dogun’s efforts would have been in vain.

I can almost see how much he’s wrestled with his decision, and it’s just wrong for it to turn into nothing.

In that sense, finding out about this before anything blew up was a stroke of good luck.

Sure, they say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and now I’m probably stuck working past midnight, but…

Still, I’d rather this than collapsing in despair after everything blows up.

Managing my momentary unease, I was likely choosing my words for the meeting.

Just as I was getting ready to make a call, my secretary, who had stepped out, returned a bit too early, saying the meeting was ready.

Looking at how quickly everyone assembled, including those we had called in, it seemed like we all lived lives far from getting off at a reasonable hour.

While I felt a bit guilty about expressing gratitude, the realization filled me with calm as I stood up from my seat.

With my secretary beside me, I headed for the Meeting Room.

*

Quickening my pace, as I arrived at the Meeting Room, I was met with a sea of puzzled expressions.

It looked like adding new faces to what was supposed to be an exclusive meeting had bewildered everyone.

Especially with the Audit Team Leader, known for being firmly in the chairman’s camp, now present…

What must they all be thinking?

Some might be secretly hoping that the Audit Team Leader was switching sides, perhaps?

Well, I guess…

That would make sense.

If the Audit Team Leader shifted over, it would double the influence here.

As such, while some held quiet expectations, those suddenly dragged into this meeting wore nothing but confusion.

Among them, the Audit Team Leader exhibited the most visible signs of surprise.

Though she was called here, it clearly looked like this gathering was dominated by anti-chairman faction members, leaving her wondering what this was all about.

Whether or not she suspected it to be a trap, the Audit Team Leader’s face was a mix of skepticism and discomfort.

Still, seeing as she wasn’t about to storm out, it seemed her confusion outweighed her discomfort just a bit more.

As soon as we walked into the Meeting Room, I gestured to the rising attendees to sit back down before heading up to the main seat.

If I left them to their own devices, they would indeed stalk out of the place, so I needed to clarify why I had summoned them before that happened.

“Has anyone heard of Absolute Coin?”

I started with a question rather than a typical opening statement for the meeting.

I threw that out there first to gauge their reactions quickly.

When I did, thankfully, I didn’t spot any of the troubling responses I had feared.

“Absolute Coin? What’s that?”

“Are you talking about some kind of cryptocurrency?”

Relief washed over me, though I felt a tinge of dismay as well.

That response told me something crucial.

We were still far from truly opposing the chairman’s faction.

While it was fortunate that none of those presumed entangled in this dirty business seemed to be here, I expected at least one person to know about it.

The fact that even the staunchly loyal Audit Team Leader was frowning in confusion was a somewhat reassuring sight.

Though the Audit Team Leader likely figured that this connection between her presence and Absolute Coin was no coincidence…

Still, for her not to know about it…

In a way, it indicated that things were still fresh, perhaps indicating the operation hadn’t gained momentum yet.

And that meant—

“It seems… the Association may have been taken too lightly.”

If I draw my sword now, I can minimize damage.

“I can’t believe even these lowlifes would dare to scheme against heroes.”