Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume9 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 3===

An explosive rise in land prices had affected two different areas in Lost Angels: the west and the east. One was an ultra-luxurious residential district where every house had a jacuzzi and a live-in doctor and the other was filled with ultra-high rise buildings polished enough to look like mirrors.

Mustard Cowboy – and thus the Capitalist Corporations – had their base of operations in the latter area. A set of twin towers stood forty stories tall and one of them had a pool on the roof which was filled with hard rock and beautiful women in swimsuits year-round. No matter how much anyone tried to conserve, the hole in the bottom of the tank would never be plugged so long as people like this remained. The advocates of the World Clock had to be crying.

A bearded man sat in the chlorine-smelling water with paid-for woman on either side of him and he received a report from a male subordinate who looked like he deserved a label saying “abstinence”.

The man was George Coral.

He did not even wear a swimsuit, leaving him nude except for his pure gold necklace, but that defenselessness was an indicator of his power. He did not need to use anything as a shield and he did not need anywhere to hide. If he fired ten thousand rounds into the nearest police station while puffing on a cigar, not a single siren would sound. It was because he had built up that system and because he was protected by that system that George Coral was the organization’s kingpin.

And while he achieved splendid results as a member of the Capitalist Corporations, he had also gained a thorough knowledge of the military’s “barriers” and had created several loopholes for himself. And those loopholes were of course to hide the income from his side businesses that he did not want the military or state to get their hands on.

In other words, his life was much like these twin towers.

It had two pillars and one of those had started to fall. And sadly, when one of the twin towers collapsed, it took the other one with it.

He looked like he was enjoying the scent of one of the women’s hair, but he actually had cold sweat pouring down the back of his neck as his subordinate on the poolside calmly spoke to him.

“Management has requested that ‘Branch Manager Coral’ provide them with an appropriate explanation. And not just about the lens incident. They would like to know about everything leading up to this…in other words, about all of your side businesses.”

“…Ha…ha ha.”

“The bank, the jewelry store, the art gallery, and the various transport vehicles. The attack by Azul Hive – in other words, the Legitimacy Kingdom – has led to losses reaching four hundred million. Also, we just received a telegram saying they ‘hope to do similar business with you in the future’. Management is most interested in how you plan to settle this.”

“There is no distinction between the public and hidden part of a business. Everything I did was to provide the funding we needed for our activities. Surely you understand that.”

“Your answer please.”

“If, hypothetically, I said I had no way of paying, what would happen to me?”

The poolside subordinate did not immediately answer.

Instead, the beautiful women in swimsuits playing in the water all turned to silently stare at George Coral.

The Capitalist Corporations had some truly unpleasant sayings.

Those who do not work, shall not eat.

When the money vanishes, so do I.

The cold wind on that forty story roof robbed the bearded man of his body temperature.

In this moment, the system of this city which had protected him for so long was being switched off.

When that “Branch Manager” finally grasped the situation, his subordinate resumed speaking.

“Some of the more extreme individuals at the emergency shareholders meeting back in the home country are saying we can demonstrate our good faith to Azul Hive with the return of the lens and a newspaper article about a jumper suicide.”