The Cost of Influence

From the moment Sebastian realized that Leo had obtained the blueprints, he took care of everything related to it in an instant. 

"Thank you so much." 

The one who came to Sebastian's office early in the morning and bowed his head was the person who was currently delegating the position of Vice President of Otterble. 

He bowed his head repeatedly to Leo, expressing his gratitude with an attitude as if he would give him his liver. 

"If it weren't for the magician, I would have opened my eyes to that son of a bitch Madison and almost had the project's results stolen from me. The magician prevented all the efforts of all the employees of Otterble, including myself, from going to waste overnight." 

It is not wrong to say that if the design drawings were actually leaked, there would have been significant damage. 

Sebastian gently patted the vice president's shoulder as he placed the original blueprints into his arms. 

"Isn't it a relief that things are going well? I cannot help but feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I take on a task like this." 

"If it were not for Sebastian, how would we have known about this? I never thought Madison would betray us like this… Thank you so much for not forgetting your connection with headquarters." 

Leo looked up at the vice president's face, who responded ghostly to Sebastian's words, who was skilfully appealing for his own share, with a bored expression. 

I knew it was necessary, so I could not help it. 

A broker's job is to deal with people in this way. 

"I hope you will convey this matter to the boss." 

"Of course. He has been busy running around trying to sort out this situation, but he said he will definitely be available for us sometime soon. I think you can look forward to it." 

"Heh heh!! That is not what I was hoping for…." 

The smile on Sebastian's face did not disappear until he saw the vice president out of the office. 

I think it would be a great benefit if I could strengthen my relationship with the president of Otterble through this incident. 

It took him a while to calm down and sit down across from Leo. 

"I am sorry for getting excited. In fact, it was not easy for me to become acquainted with the people in charge of Otterble. Since they have a fairly solid investor base, they have a lot of influence in the market, but their interactions have been relatively limited. This is a big step forward for me to become acquainted with people in the automobile business." 

"I see." 

Sebastian immediately changed the subject at Leo's indifferent response. 

"That was boring. You had other questions, didn't you? I have gathered all the information you need." 

As he said that, he very naturally took out a file from under the table and handed it to Leo. 

"I've been collecting information by singling out companies with severe internal politics, so I know right away where the information on the companies you want is. Watch and listen." 

Leo did as he was told and immediately handed over the file. 

As Sebastian said, as soon as I opened the cover, all I could see was stories about Dyke Corporation. 

He had already figured out that Leo wanted information about Dyke while gathering information. 

A brief summary of the company. Information about the man who currently sits as president, and an introduction to the board of directors below him. 

And even a photo of the planning team leader, Panoa. 

Sebastian opened his mouth as he watched Leo turn the paper. 

"The Dyke company, which had reached its heyday by manufacturing industrial tools, is currently facing a major internal crisis. The previous president retired in disgrace and the new successor who took over the management rights in the process of inheriting the shares wants to oust the board of directors who had been in place for a long time." 

"...Are you saying this is a fight for dominance?" 

"Yes. However, the new CEO will need to show outstanding performance in order to gain the approval of the shareholders, so I thought of expanding the business base to the 40s area, starting with Panoa. Opening up a new market always leads to explosive sales, so if we succeed, we will be able to immediately take control of the direction of that huge company." 

"And these people have no intention of just sitting back and watching that happen." 

It wasn't difficult to understand, as it wasn't something that was rare on Earth. 

"You're quick to understand. That's exactly what you said. The board of directors, who previously held power, are minimizing support for the project and putting strong pressure on it. The few employees who have decided to cooperate with Panoa, despite the conflict with the board of directors, are the only power in the current project." 

Was the reason for hiring freelancers from the underworld instead of Dyke's wide talent pool simply for a reason? 

If that's the case, then it's somewhat understandable why Panoa used such a crude method to recruit and use manpower. 

Perhaps it means that there was a lack of even the minimum support to filter out such people. 

'As expected, … It's definitely different from what you see on the outside.' 

I'm glad I came to see Sebastian. 

Without this information, I would have been unable to do anything other than simply doubt Dyke's incompetence. 

I don't intend to understand the fact that the operation was poorly planned, but at least it confirms the fact that Leo can take a stronger lead in the relationship between Dyke and Leo than he does now. 

And that wasn't all bad news for Leo at the moment. 

This meant that even if Leo asked for more from Dyke than he was giving now, Dyke wouldn't be able to refuse. 

Leo quickly finished his calculations and immediately stood up. 

"Thanks for the explanation." 

"Are you thinking of going already?" 

"If you have the file, I guess I can replace the rest of the explanation with this. Right now, I have something to do." 

As he spoke, Leo shook the file in his hand. 

Sebastian said, looking at Leo with a sullen expression as he left the office. 

"Do you remember the bike blueprints you brought me?" 

"...what?" 

"I did give the original to Otterble, but that doesn't mean I didn't make a copy during the process." 

"....." 

"If you think of it, come back again." 

Did he even notice that Leo was starting to take a little interest in you? 

The brokers were so sharp that it was hard to tell whether they were quick-witted or had a good intuition. 

Instead of responding, Leo just smiled and walked out of Sebastian's office. 

This time, the information I received in return for accepting Sebastian's request was considerable. 

Of course, Sebastian benefited considerably from the process, but it was a level that could be taken into account for a smooth future relationship. 

I don't know how Sebastian overheard Dyke's internal affairs, but if he could document and provide this much information in a short period of time, there's more than enough reason to keep in touch with him. 

The ability to find the correct answer with only fragmentary information, and the skill to neatly extract the internal affairs of the company that Leo was curious about. 

He says he does business with corporate executives and wealthy individuals, and his skills are so skilled that there is no doubt about his know-how. 

While Jenny had the advantage of having connections and taking on all sorts of requests, regardless of whether they were corporations, mercenaries, gangs, or brokers, Sebastian had a much deeper insight and perspective on his client base, as it was biased. 

Contrary to first impressions, the ability itself is quite impressive. At least during the war of nerves with Dyke, he was definitely a talent to keep close to. 

Leo thought so and headed straight to Jenny's bar. 

All the information I needed was gathered. Now all that was left was to conclude the tedious negotiations with Dyke. 

Victory 

Leo headed straight to the bar and asked her to copy the file Sebastian had given him and briefly explained what had happened. 

Because I knew full well that it would be more convenient in many ways to conduct negotiations with Dyke officially through her. 

As Leo had thought, a confident smile appeared on Jenny's lips after hearing the story. 

"It's better than I expected." 

"...…" 

"I suggested it just in case, but I didn't expect you to come up with such good information. Even if only half of the internal conflicts written here are true, Panoa would never be able to refuse these conditions." 

"How much exactly?" 

"Well… there's no need to set conditions first. If we set the line first, they'll probably like it. In this case, it's better to make a promise without saying anything about the price. There's a high chance that they'll get scared and offer a much higher price than they originally expected." 

Sebastian's abilities were outstanding, but Jenny's insight was also so unique that it felt like my head was opening up when I heard it. 

Leo was immediately convinced. 

"Then, should I send a similar message to Dyke?" 

"Just notify the headquarters of the time you want to meet and go. They'll take care of the rest. Just remember the minimum price you've come up with, and if the stakes Panoa offers don't match that, you can just break the game without hesitation." 

"I don't think that will happen," Leo nodded and stood up, watching Jenny finish her speech. 

"Then please send a message to Dyke. I originally had no intention of working, but I suddenly overdid it… I think I need to rest a bit more." 

I've been pushing myself too hard to dig up the inside story on Dyke's side, so I'm constantly feeling tired. 

Since the bruise on my abdomen hasn't gone away yet and my movements are limited, I planned to rest a little more than usual. 

At that moment, Jordan, who had been quietly listening to Jenny's story with his arms crossed, suddenly opened his mouth. 

"What's wrong with you?" 

"...There is no particular problem." 

"I heard you've been very tired lately." 

Leo looked at Jenny silently. 

Who else would be willing to tell Jordan such a story? 

Even though I knew it was something to worry about, it was useless. 

As expected, she twitched her lips and glanced away. 

"Don't look at me like that, it's a little scary." 

It's not very believable for something to come out of a woman's mouth who wouldn't be too shaken even if a bomb exploded right in front of her. 

Finally, Leo sighed and nodded his head slightly. 

"Well… isn't it common for sorcerers to experience mental fatigue? It's part of it." 

Of course, considering Leo's mental strength and magical aptitude, it would be highly unlikely that he would be burdened by something like this except immediately after a battle, but saying that directly was another matter. 

Leo didn't trust Jordan and Jenny that much yet, and he didn't want to reveal his physical condition to anyone else. 

To fully develop one's magical talent is not simply a matter of mental or spiritual talent. 

Strictly speaking, the talent for innate magical power is a talent of the body, and the ability to sense magical power well and quickly increase it cannot be said that the body does not play a role in it. 

Even though this body is like a fragile glass crystal that you want to replace immediately, it is definitely a vessel that can accommodate the magical talent contained within. 

Leo never wanted to reveal himself through that fragment. 

At least after becoming much stronger than before. 

Even if you reveal your own talents to some extent, it should be to a degree that can ensure safety. 

Jordan, who had been staring at Leo's face, spoke again. 

"It's a bruise." 

"...…. yes?" 

"The lower right side of the abdomen. It must have been crushed by a strong impact. I thought it was a leg problem because it seemed strangely difficult to walk, but it wasn't. Even the sitting posture is awkward." 

This time, Leo was completely speechless. 

Jordan continued speaking, even adding a sharp and unexpected remark. 

"My breathing is probably part of that. I'm trying not to show it by moving my right thigh a lot, but the pain has dulled my senses, so my feet are slightly twisted in the wrong direction. The more I'm conscious of it, the more awkward my gait becomes." 

"...I heard you're a doctor, and it's true. Are you saying you can guess those symptoms just by looking at their appearance?" 

"If you keep saving and killing a lot, there are things you will eventually come to know… Wait a minute." 

As Jordan said this, he went up to the second floor of the bar, brought down a small box that could be held in the palm of his hand, and handed it to Leo. 

"This is a potion patch made with medicinal herbs that are effective in treating internal injuries. It is quite expensive, but it is also very effective. It will quickly relieve the pain caused by bruises." 

Did you even notice that I was already bruised? 

Leo took the medicine Jordan handed him, feeling slightly dumbfounded. 

"Thank you. How much does it cost…." 

"The cost of alcohol alone here would be over 3 million cells. Why bother calculating that? Don't refuse and just accept it." 

"...…" 

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a wrong statement, so Lenok quietly put the medicine in his bosom. 

It wasn't a problem to be overly complicated. 

It would be sufficient to accept it as just a gesture of goodwill to maintain a good cooperative relationship in the future. 

However, what caught Leo's interest was that Jordan's eye was much sharper than he had thought. 

Leo nodded, ignoring Jenny's wink beside him. 

Jenny spoke behind him as he left the bar. 

"I'll contact you after I make an appointment with Dyke, so get some rest. You worked hard today." 

"...." 

Now that I think about it, it's already been more than half a year since I started working with her. 

At first, I thought it was a nest that could be moved at any time, but it turned out that the relationship that had started by chance was lasting a long time. 

Have we become close enough to not only ask each other about our work but also how we are doing? 

Leo himself found it absurd that he would give meaning to such a thing, but on the other hand, he was convinced. 

After all, humans are creatures that cannot live alone. 

It's natural to want to trust and rely on someone. 

It's just that Leo's current situation is wrong, where he has to take the obvious for granted. 

Let's go home. 

We need to reduce useless thoughts and focus on future tasks. 

At the very least, he had to end this tiresome tug-of-war with Dyke within two days. 

# 

The time that Dyke had promised passed. 

Leo immediately got dressed and headed to Dyke's headquarters. 

This time, there was no sedan to pick him up, nor was there any guidance from Killian, but the situation was completely different from when they first met. 

Contrary to their ambitious plan to change the face of the 40th District, their operational capabilities were clearly revealed to be poor, and they even found out that they were woefully short of manpower due to internal politics. 

It would be nonsense not to take the initiative in this process. 

The minimum compensation that was decided with Jenny in advance. If that line is not met, there will be no more collaboration with Dyke. 

With his mind made up, Leo immediately knocked on Panoa's office door. 

"You're here. Have a seat."