If Hayden is just Hayden, or simply the owner of a military mercenary agency seeking "retribution," then he has no right to "discuss cooperation terms." The Protoss would only think he's a joke or a con artist—what cooperation could a virtual idol possibly have with a mercenary like you?
But if Hayden were to invoke the name of Kallen or the Peacock King, the other gods would immediately change their minds—the Peacock King has countless industries under his control! What's wrong with Hayden representing Him or Kallen to negotiate business deals? Why can't they cooperate?
One of the most interesting things about capitalist society is that when everyone thinks you're rich, it doesn't really matter whether you actually pay a penny or not. Every capitalist is in debt, and the bigger the capitalist, the more they owe—hundreds of millions, billions, tens of billions, piled high with debt, yet they're still capitalists, able to shake the world with their hands.
Even if you're human, the gods treat you as a god, even the weakest one; things are different then. If Hayden were willing to do something like that, he could borrow a huge sum of money and make investments just by using his connections.
Frankly, this is terrifying. A bubble becomes real as long as everyone believes it. Human nature is the greatest barrier between social classes.
Now that the Protoss all regard Hayden as a Protoss, they naturally had no doubts when he said they might discuss cooperation. However, Lady Skeleton Echo didn't reveal the secret directly. Instead, she thought for a moment and then said:
[Mr. Hayden, you see, I'm currently just a producer of virtual idols. This isn't something I can discuss directly on behalf of the board, you, or those behind you.]
However, Director Miktikashiva happens to be having lunch with me right now. Would you like to come over and speak with her in person?
……ah?
Even Hayden, with his vast experience, was stunned by what Ms. Eckel said.
Uh, this means he's being asked to meet someone who, without any prior preparation, is at least on par with Hela, even if not as powerful as the Peacock King... and is also a director of the infamous Smoke Mirror Company!?
--------------------------
Just to be on the safe side, Hayden sent Karen a text message first, telling her that he was going to meet with Mickett, the Goddess of Death from the Smoke Mirror Company, to discuss business—in case the other party really did capture Hayden, Karen wouldn't even know where to rescue him.
In addition, just to be on the safe side, Hayden also brought Angela along, pretending she was his secretary.
In terms of actual strength, the director of Smoke Mirror Company is probably weaker than Peacock King, with combat power at most at the level of Goddess Hela. However, in terms of social status, wealth, influence, etc., the two are not significantly different on the surface, and the same goes for Goddess Hela.
In other words, if Hayden were to use the Karen family's influence, although he might appear to be inferior to the goddess Mikkelsen... he would only be inferior by a small margin.
Being just one head shorter means that you're essentially the same kind of person. It's like a distant aunt looking at a distant nephew; even if she doesn't like him, she can't just swat him away like a mosquito.
It sounds a bit low-class, but Hayden still took out these insurances just in case.
And so, he and Angela were teleported to the mansion where the goddess Mikt was currently staying in New Yatu. It was so large that it was hard to believe it was merely a villa for temporary residence. However, compared to the "heavenly palace" like the Peacock Palace that Hayden had visited, this earthly villa of the goddess of death seemed extremely eerie.
It was a majestic gray castle perched on a hillside in the affluent New Jersey neighborhood, exuding medieval charm and seemingly bearing a heavy, imposing weight on one's head. Even the intense midday sun seemed to distort into shadow in the vicinity. The lawns surrounding the castle were lush and green, yet there was not a sound of insects or birds chirping.
Moreover, despite it being midday on a clear day, there was no sign of life in the castle.
Hayden and Angela walked along the stone path through the castle. The neatly arranged trees, the gleaming marble statues, and the staircases and corridors leading to who-knows-where all seemed meticulously cleaned every day. Yet, there was no sign of life here.
Only the dead.
Only all sorts of skeletons walk through this gloomy castle.
There was no sunlight in the castle. A thin layer of darkness enveloped the gloomy corridors, not only because the windowpanes blocked the sunlight, but also because of the dim lighting.
Hayden could feel a powerful will enveloping the entire castle. He had grown rapidly in recent months, and the more he grew, the clearer his perception of the terrifying power of other powerful gods and demons became. Now, as Hayden entered the castle, he could feel as if a black sun had completely covered the sky, plunging the earth into boundless darkness.
Of course, this is purely a spiritual feeling.
The outside environment hasn't changed at all; it's still sunny and breezy.
But Hayden felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed this dark aura.
Ignorance breeds fearlessness. The more you know, the more you fear.
But Hayden didn't stop and continued forward, with Angela following behind him. This time, even Angela frowned, but she wasn't afraid; she seemed to simply dislike the place rather than be truly afraid of it.
The interior of this medieval-style castle was entirely Gothic in style, and the pathways were intricate. Fortunately, candles were lit along the walls on both sides, one by one, as Hayden walked, keeping the darkness just a few meters away, until he and Angela finally entered a magnificent hall, but one that was decorated only in black and white.
In the center of the hall stood a long, heavy table covered with a white, silk-like cloth, upon which were laid out exquisite and high-end porcelain and silverware, all laden with delicious food.
At the other end of the spacious hall sat a beautiful woman having a meal.
She had long, dazzling blonde hair that almost touched the ground. Her floor-length black gown cinched her slender waist, outlining her full curves and exuding a dreamlike, otherworldly beauty.
Unfortunately, at the same time, this beautiful woman exuded an aura of bloodshed. A flame flickered deep within her emerald eyes. In the shadows, her moist lips appeared as red as blood, conveying an impression of an insatiable hunger.
She held a crystal goblet filled with a wine-red liquid in her hand. Streams of fiery red light churned and twisted within the dark liquid.
Do you know how this drink is made?
It's actually quite simple. Construction workers, factory women struggling to make ends meet, workers who jump to their deaths after being beaten for not receiving their year-end wages, parents scrimping and saving to pay for their children's medical treatment… Squeeze their blood and sweat, throw them into the fermenting mash, and they'll create this rich and subtle flavor. Once all of this flows into the digestive system of the capitalists at Smoke Mirror Company, it will burn like fire.
But that will be a fire of darkness.
Miktikashiva, the Goddess of Death and director of the Smoke Mirror Life Construction Company, raises a toast to the guests.
Her race is vampire.
The capital gods of Smoke Mirror Life Construction Company are all true vampires.
146: You can't even imagine the happiness of the rich.
Miktikashiva, the goddess of death from the Smoke Mirror Life Construction Company, is a true vampire.
That is, a real vampire.
In reality, the top capitalists of Smoke Mirror Company are all true progenitors among vampires.
Some might wonder, aren't vampires monsters from Eastern Europe? However, in reality, undead monsters that drink human blood have existed all over the world since ancient times. Vampires are definitely not limited to one culture or region.
Any monster stronger than mortals that feeds on and grows stronger by sucking and exploiting human blood can be considered a vampire in a broad sense. Therefore, theoretically, all capitalists could be considered vampires.
The reason the top executives of Smoke Mirror Company are considered true progenitors of vampires is because they are not only exceptionally skilled in this art, but also exceptionally adept at using the power of blood and manipulating life force through magic. Ancient European vampires were no match for their American counterparts in this regard. Blood is life; blood can give life. Blood magic is Smoke Mirror Company's most formidable specialty, unmatched by any other major corporation.
This is similar to how Mitra Information Group controls the Astral Network and dominates the information industry. In the field of biotechnology, no one in the world can compare to Smoke Mirror Corporation. So much so that Mitra Group's American branch had to share profits and collaborate with Smoke Mirror Corporation to successfully develop things like the "Kowtowing Bug," dream education chips, and cloning technology.
Hayden is now facing a board member position at such a giant corporation.
Furthermore, Hayden had also been involved in their dream chip and "Kowtowing" project.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hayden. I've heard some things about you lately."
The beautiful blonde vampire sized Hayden up and down for a moment, then said slowly and deliberately...
"I heard you have a bunch of demi-humans under your command. The daughter of the Peacock King even let you use them to build a city in the wilderness. When the great demon Pazuzu came to raid the city, the daughter rented the climate control system of New Jersey and killed it."
Judging from her tone, this death goddess of the Smoke Mirror Company seemed to know everything Hayden had done in the previous two months.
...That being said, Hayden knew she couldn't possibly know everything. If the higher-ups at Smoke Mirror Company knew everything Hayden had done in the past two months, how could this goddess Micket be sitting here so calmly, eating and chatting with Hayden? The entire Smoke Mirror Company would probably have already launched an attack on Newbud City, desperately trying to seize Angela and the apple tree she had tinkered with.
Even so, this goddess Mikkuri was still incredibly terrifying. She had long, golden hair and shimmering blue eyes, completely unlike the typical image of a vampire (recently, white hair and red eyes seem to be the norm for vampires). However, Hayden could sense that this goddess of death was not actually golden at all; rather, she was like a shadow that could even block out the sun. Like a solar eclipse, darkness completely enveloped the earth, swallowing everything.
In the Old Gods era, almost every culture around the world believed that solar eclipses were caused by giant monsters or evil gods devouring the sun. Although this was not true—a solar eclipse was merely a non-magical natural phenomenon—in Hayden's eyes, the goddess Mikt was just like those legendary monsters capable of swallowing the sun.
Of course, this is purely a spiritual feeling.
A few months ago, Hayden first encountered a deity like the Peacock King, unaware of his immense power; at that time, ignorance was bliss. Now, Hayden's insight and intuition have become increasingly sharp, and his perception and vision have broadened considerably, enabling him to sense such an aura.
This is a god of capital!
“You brought back the ‘lost’ Terasque. Eko tried to pretend it never happened, but I could tell at a glance that its flesh and blood had recently been regenerated, and there were traces of someone else taking materials from it.”
The vampire goddess smiled slightly, revealing sharp white fangs at the corners of her lips.
"Could it be that you were the one who did this from the beginning? You sent your demi-human subordinates to steal Terasque while she was walking her dog, stripped her of her flesh, and then conveniently returned her to do her a favor?"
噫
This is truly a case of finding fault where none exists.
However, it's true that it's difficult to defend oneself. The demi-humans of the King Kong tribe are indeed citizens of Hayden's New Sprout City, and Terasque has indeed had a large amount of flesh and blood material extracted by Hayden. If this happened to someone else, and that person claimed it was all a coincidence and not their doing, Hayden himself probably wouldn't believe it.
What way could Hayden possibly have to prove he wasn't behind this? Besides, this female vampire didn't actually want evidence; this wasn't a courtroom. She just wanted to use this excuse, this pretext, to cause trouble or steal benefits.
Therefore, Hayden absolutely cannot back down at this time.
"You're really joking."
Hayden then threw his head back and laughed heartily.
"If I had arranged for the demi-humans to steal Terasque beforehand, it would probably still be in the Peacock Palace right now."
Who was Hayden? He was a genius among wizards. And what wizards are best at is using the name of a great deity to do their own thing. When Hayden used the Peacock King as a powerful weapon, even the goddess Mikkelsen was slightly taken aback.
Hayden, however, remained calm and composed.
These vampires from the Smoke Mirror Company are literally hungry ghosts and evil gods. The more timid and hesitant you are in their presence, the more likely you are to suffer. On the contrary, if you stand a little tougher, and Hayden acts in the name of the Peacock King, Goddess Mikkuri can't very well turn on him and kill him. If Hayden shrinks back in fear, she can take the opportunity to cause trouble and profit from him, Karen, or even the Peacock King.
“Ms. Miktikashiva, we all know that Terasque is nothing more than a rare pet to be played with. We are all respectable people, and we won’t let these unfounded things affect our business, will we?”
So Hayden smiled and said this to the vampire with a grin.
This action did not anger the goddess Mikkuri; instead, it made her laugh.
"Hahahaha! Well said! Peacock King really found a good son-in-law... or perhaps it should be said that Karen found a good boyfriend?"
Ok?
That sounds a bit strange.
However, Goddess Mikkelsen quickly finished laughing and clapped her hands lightly. A second later, a beautiful young woman dressed in a black maid's uniform, dressed very elegantly, walked into the room carrying a tray.
Hayden glanced at her and noticed that the waitress's skin was as pale as a full moon, devoid of color, and sharp canines protruded from her bright red lips—she was also a vampire, albeit a lesser one. This was as different as the difference between ordinary gods (like ordinary elves) and named celestials.
While ordinary vampires, as members of the divine race, can indeed drink the blood of those of lower classes, they are still subject to being drained of blood by higher-ranking, true vampires. Therefore, ordinary vampires are essentially secondary vampires. These secondary vampires are both the drinkers and the victims of vampirism.
This absolutely does not symbolize any structural problems in capitalist society.
"It's lunchtime. Discussing business while eating is part of the corporate culture of my smoke mirror company."
The goddess Mikt smiled and said,
"This is just a villa where I'm staying; the food and amenities here are probably not as good as those at the Peacock Palace."
That being said, Hayden didn't see it that way at all. For example, putting aside what they ate and drank, the large dining table in the villa's hall was already quite unique in appearance. It was neither stone nor wood, but antique in style, with various intricate patterns carved on it, and it even emitted a fragrant aroma that whetted the appetite. The wine glasses and containers on the table were all treasures that could easily be collected in an art museum.
If even the tableware is like this, what kind of dishes will this capital goddess from Smoke Mirror Company serve up?
Incidentally, the goddess Mikite did not prepare lunch for Angela, who was dressed as a maid following behind Hayden. She merely glanced at Angela, seemingly without looking closely, and then paid no further attention to her.
Angela is mysterious and eccentric, inexplicable. Even the Peacock King couldn't figure her out. Perhaps only the eight Bodhisattvas of the Mitra Group, at their level, could possibly know what Angela truly is. The Death Goddess of the Smoke Mirror Company is clearly still far from being a true expert.
Hayden glanced down at the dish the lesser vampire had served him. The waitress respectfully placed a black iron plate before him. In the center of the plate sat a piece of meat, sizzling and oozing with a rich, fragrant aroma, coated in red sauce. Besides the main dish, there were several smaller plates and porcelain bowls filled with various delicacies. For some reason, the staple food was rice, glistening like jade, like diamonds, making one want to take a bite and taste it. Hayden was truly puzzled as to what kind of rice it was.
At least, Angela had never seen these things before when she shopped online. It would be impossible for Hayden to see these rare items and not want to try them at all.
...But looking at the cup of mortal blood wine in the hand of the goddess Mikt, who would dare to eat this piece of meat whose origins are unknown?
Seeing Hayden's refusal to speak, the vampire goddess laughed first: "Don't worry, it's just wild boar meat. I can tell you haven't undergone complete genetic modification, and besides, it's not a model from our Smoke Mirror Company. Some delicacies are useless to eat, and may even be harmful."
Although he maintained a calm expression, Hayden secretly breathed a sigh of relief at this moment. He slowly picked up the gleaming silver knife and fork, cut off a small piece of roasted wild boar meat, and put it in his mouth.
The meat was incredibly fragrant, with absolutely no gamey smell; in fact, this rich, fatty aroma was the kind only found in the fattest cuts of pork. Moreover, the sauce coating the pork brought out the flavor of this wild boar exceptionally well. Hayden couldn't discern the exact ingredients in the sauce, but its slightly sour taste made the greasy pork much more refreshing.
With Angela constantly by his side, Hayden's palate had become quite discerning, and even by the standards of ordinary gods, he ate quite well. However, the goddess Mikt was clearly no ordinary god. The lunch she had brought him was so delicious that after just one bite, Hayden found it utterly delightful. The flavor was certainly on par with Angela's usual cooking. Although it lacked the vibrant life force of Angela herself, the steak still possessed a rich vitality.
Angela's life force was given and received freely. The life force of this grilled wild boar steak, however, was plundered, a product of the survival of the fittest. Each embodies a different principle of the world, and each will have different effects on the human body.
"Our chefs at Smoke Mirror Company may not be as good as those at Mitra Group in many ways, but they place the greatest emphasis on health and wellness. By manipulating life force during cooking, they can preserve the essence while burning away impurities, without harming the stomach and intestines, and are extremely good for the body. This is something you can't find anywhere else; it's usually only provided to those who work within the company as a reward for their efforts."
The goddess Mikkelsen explained with a smile.
"A person's achievements largely depend on what they eat. Those who eat water are good swimmers and can withstand cold; those who eat grass are good runners but foolish; those who eat meat are brave and fierce; those who eat grains are wise and skillful; those who eat stones are plump and ageless; those who eat mushrooms live long and are immortal. Those who eat vital energy cannot be buried by the earth or killed by the heavens—this is the ultimate truth of the world. The strength of the gods comes from what they eat. Strength and wisdom can only be obtained by eating enough good food to obtain such enormous energy and nutrition."
Hayden remained noncommittal upon hearing this, but a nameless sense of dread flashed through his mind. The culture of the Smoke Mirror Company held that the gods needed to eat the best food to become strong and stronger. This wasn't entirely wrong; all capitalists ate people, but at least they didn't actually put human flesh and blood into their mouths. These vampire capitalists of the Smoke Mirror Company were different.
They are masters of biotechnology, even going so far as to modify their bodies to be exceptionally voracious, capable of extraordinary digestion, and able to eat and perfectly absorb anything. They truly eat people, gaining power and wisdom from them.
Thinking of this, Hayden couldn't help but glance at the goddess Mikt's own lunch.
She now appears to be slowly eating something from a bowl. It looks like soft, reddish-gray meat, very fresh, almost raw. The goddess Mikkhot has frozen it in ice water before dipping it in a sauce and eating it bite by bite. The sauce is made from countless spices and herbs, filling the room with an irresistible aroma.
Eating raw meat isn't particularly strange. It's a dish found all over the world.
However, Hayden felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the other person eat like that, a strange sense of dread creeping up his back.
“Ms. Miktikashiva,”
So Hayden couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, what are you eating?"
These words made the vampire goddess turn her head and smile slightly: "I'm eating brains."
噫
She calmly gestured to the lid of the container holding the precious ingredient. The container was filled with pink and grayish-white brain matter. Goddess Mikkelsen picked up a spoon and scooped out a piece of her frontal lobe, placing it into the bowl of ice water. The ice water contained lemon juice, which would acidify and harden the brain slice before adding a sauce.
Hayden felt a chill run down his spine. Not because the image was disgusting, but because of a terrifying intuition. A horrifying possibility immediately came to mind: "So what is this brain?"
No matter how you look at it, Hayden felt that it was a human brain.
Could it be that this vampire capitalist actually takes the brains of living people to eat and increase her own power?