Who is the Boss Among Us?

Aditya and Mario get into the car. Aditya becomes the driver as usual.

"When will you go home to your own home?" asked Aditya, making Mario snort.

"The house is too big for me to be alone in it," Mario replied. "Why do you always drive your own boss away, huh?"

They are used to talking like this to each other. Sometimes Mario wonders why he can be so tolerant of Aditya. Who is the boss among us?

"You always drive me away," Mario sulked.

"I didn't kick you out, but try to imagine that I go home and go to the office with you every day and we live in the same house. You are in places where I want to be in my house. My home feels like an office because you're there, including on my days off! Isn't it normal for me to complain?"

Mario did not answer. He looked out. The buildings looked like they were running a race.

"Have you figured out who Zi really is?" Mario spoke in his inner voice. This means Aditya can't flirt with him anymore and considers him as a friend.

"I'm figuring it out. We won't find answers if we only talk to the creatures of the underworld. I contacted an organization specialized in this field. The organization was called Mantis. I sent an email and this morning I got a reply. They would send someone to explain who Zi was. Even though they said the information they had might not help much, I thought it wouldn't hurt to see the agent," Aditya explained as he looked ahead. His glasses were perched sweetly on his nose. This morning he locked his hair so that his bangs looked more domineering on her face.

"What time are you going to see him? I have to come along."

"They set two o'clock this afternoon. Otherwise, they can't determine another exact time because the agent was sent to deal with a serious problem and doesn't know when it will return. At two o'clock this afternoon, you have a meeting with Prakas Bhoja."

"Ah, regarding Bhoja Entertainment's project?" Mario confirmed.

Aditya nodded.

"Postpone the meeting with Prakas Bhoja. Did they determine the place?" Let's ask for a meeting with Mantis's agent.

"Yes," Aditya said and he mentioned the name of the place.

"Isn't that the same place where we will meet Prakas Bhoja?"

"That's right. That's why I think when you meet Prakas Bhoja, I will take care of the agent," Aditya said.

"No. I want to hear the information from Mantis's agent myself."

"Alright then, I'll reschedule it. I hope Prakas Bhoja doesn't complain."

Mario smiled. "Even if he complains, he will obey."

Aditya smiles too. He understood the meaning behind Mario's words. He knows that Mario is the more dominant party in the symbiotic relationship of mutualism for business between them. Mario is an investor, while Prakas Bhoja is the one who needs Mario's money.

"Aren't you afraid that he will choose other investors?" Aditya sometimes wants to know Mario's deep thoughts.

"No. Zi shadows Prakas Bhoja. Therefore, that person would not dare to come into contact with another party who is not under Zi's wings."

Aditya looks straight ahead.

"That's why I'm curious who Zi really is. I think he is too superpower. If he wants to rule the world, why doesn't he emerge as a politician and become president? Why would he prefer people from the Conglomerate?"

"Maybe his goal is not to rule the world."

"Can you guess what it is?"

Aditya thought for a while. The red light made him have to stop the car. He can do it seamlessly.

"No. I can't think of anything. He is very random. His behavior and even his way of thinking. He supports criminals as well as good people. So, I can't understand it at all."

The traffic light turned green. The car walked back. Within a few minutes they continued their journey in silence.

"I have something to ask you," Aditya broke the silence between them.

Mario invites Aditya to ask.

"Where did you go last night? I left you in the library for a while, when I come back you are no longer there."

"Last Night?" Mario recalled what he did last night.

Last night, Mario darted away to White Castle to save Victor from the illusions of the demons, the Phantom.

"I went to White Castle," Mario said.

"White Castle? Isn't that where Victor currently lives?"

"Yes."

"For what? Are you worried about it? What if Zi knows?"

Tension sets in Mario. He couldn't predict what would happen if Zi knew. One thing he was sure of was that Zi wouldn't eat Victor because they were already bound by a covenant. However, when he thinks back to the incident of Zi eating a woman at Paradise's party, Mario becomes bitter.

"Nothing will happen to him. But, if I keep quiet, Victor will be eaten by those white-class demons. I can't let that happen."

"Zi's goal is to help you awaken Victor's identity. You can be regarded as annoying by Zi. I'm afraid it will cause something we can't anticipate later. You also know that we won't win against Zi even if he's in a fake body."

Mario was silent. He considered every worst possibility, but his instinct couldn't let Victor be eaten.

"Those demons are unaware of the agreement between me and Zi. Those Demons acted according to their instinct to eat Victor. Therefore, I move by myself."

Aditya glances at Mario.

"Is there no other way to trigger Victor's power?" Aditya wonders about this all the time.

Mario did not answer. He knew there was another way, but that way was also risky.

"Then did Victor realize that it was a real incident?"

"Maybe he will regard it as a dream."

Aditya doesn't believe that Victor will easily consider the incident as a dream. At the very least, Victor would definitely hesitate. Although his mind can convince him that it is a dream, his body will tell him that it is not a dream.

"Aren't you curious?" Aditya provokes Mario's reaction.

"Of course I'm curious," Mario replied after a long pause. He has a high enough shyness that it takes time to confess.

Aditya smiles. At a time like this, Mario looked quite funny in his eyes. Even so, in the eyes of his business enemies, Mario is notorious as a cruel and terrible person.

Aditya glanced at Mario again. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Mario replied.

Aditya can't believe that Mario isn't thinking about something. Aditya suspects Mario is thinking of Victor but due to his high self-esteem, he evades confessing.

They arrived at the office. When he entered the office, Mario looked completely different. So far, only Aditya can see Mario's cute side.

Before two o'clock in the afternoon, Mario and Aditya had already arrived at the mentioned meeting place to meet Mantis's agent. Mario and Aditya arrive first. At exactly two o'clock in the afternoon, a Mantis agent appeared in front of them.

The agent had a waist bag attached tightly. He wears boots, stretchy black pants and a black tank top and parachute jacket.

"You are Mario and Aditya?"

"Right," Aditya greeted the agent. "You are from Mantis?"

The agent nodded.

"That's right. I'm JoydaG from Mantis," she said then pulled out an ID, a necklace with a special pendant marked with the Mantis organization and her name engraved on the back.

JoydaG, Aditya, and Mario sat around a round table. All three form a virtual line of isosceles triangles.

"What is the reason you want to know about Zi?" asked JoydaG.

JoydaG is straightforward. She doesn't like small talk. Since they already know the essence of the meeting, it is better to directly talk about the essence of the meeting so as not to waste time.

Mario revealed the reason. Of course, he kept some things that he felt JoydaG didn't need to know.

"And how did you come to know about Zi?" Aditya asked JoydaG respectfully. JoydaG is a woman with a knightly spirit. Aditya can feel her aura of leadership, charisma as an alpha, and her accuracy in defeating enemies.

"Because I'm chasing that creature. He has already caused many incidents. That's why I'm gathering information," JoydaG said.She looked at Mario and Aditya in turn.

"According to the agreement, we will exchange information. I will tell you what I know, and you tell me what you know, how?"

"I told you earlier," Mario said.

JoydaG grinned. "You haven't told me everything," she said. Her gaze was sharply directed at Mario.

"Oke," Mario said after realizing that the woman in front of him could not be lied to or cheated.

JoydaG smiled. "Good."

JoydaG then crossed her legs and started talking.

"Recently there was an incident related to the Black Skull Demon at the Panther stadium. A child was possessed and killed many people. His real target is the crown prince of the phantom Panther. You must know him," JoydaG said.

Aditya and Mario nodded. The Panthers are their business rivals. One of the Top Ten business people in the world. Number one is D'Kingdom. Many rumors say that the Panther served D'Kingdom since ancient times.