Chapter 348

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Chapter 348: Affiliated Bussinesses (4)

Where on earth was this guy's limit?

Jiseon stared blankly at her son, who was busily moving around on the barren wedding venue site.

He was just some nobody from a remote planet, yet here he was, already toying with the CEOs of intergalactic corporations.

What kind of being would this monster grow into?

Jiseon couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“Well, our wedding hall doesn’t have a Virgin Road. It only has a Gift Road.”

Meanwhile, Yeongwoo was spouting nonsense again.

—A Gift Road? What is that?

Kobu, thinking it was some unique Earth custom, asked sincerely.

Yeongwoo pointed straight ahead with his finger.

“It’s a grand entrance pathway where the emblem of the top contributor’s ranking is displayed beneath their feet. It stretches from the entrance of the wedding hall all the way to the altar. When the ceremony begins, the bride and groom will walk along this path.”

Then, he raised his finger to point at the sky.

“In this wedding, the top contributor ranking outranks even the parents of the bride and groom.”

—What does that even mean?

Jiseon tilted her head, baffled by the bizarre concept.

Yeongwoo, still looking at the sky, explained further.

“Those who survive the brutal competition of contributions deserve the treatment to match.”

—…?

“Essentially, the person who makes this wedding possible gets the final say before the bride and groom enter.”

—What kind of insane talk is that? If the top contributor says to cancel the wedding, are you seriously going to cancel it?

“Of course.”

—Are you out of your mind?

When Jiseon asked in earnest, Yeongwoo gave a sly smile.

“But, Mom, if you were the top contributor, could you really cancel the wedding?”

—What?

“By now, this wedding has already received contributions from countless beings across the universe. The top contributor, overwhelmingly, has invested the most money. Plus, the ceremony needs to start for us to display their emblem along the Gift Road and on the ranking board behind the altar.”

Speaking with utter confidence, Yeongwoo continued.

“So, no, they wouldn’t cancel. They won’t want to.”

—Then why go through all this trouble?

“To create the ultimate form of ceremony. The power to blow up the entire event with one decision… that’s what being the top contributor grants. At least within this wedding hall, they become the absolute ruler.”

To achieve that, of course, the top contributor would have to pay more than the sum of all the other guests’ contributions combined, so they wouldn’t actually cancel the wedding.

“This is the difference between can’t and won’t. While other guests can’t cancel the wedding, the top contributor chooses not to. It puts them in the position of granting their ‘approval.’”

Yeongwoo figured that no powerful guest who has long ruled over others in the universe would pass up the chance to occupy that seat.

After all, if they relinquished the spot, someone else—a rival businessman or a lowly merchant they despise—would gain the authority to “blow up the wedding.”

Imagine the rage if that happened.

“Once the top contributor is confirmed, the bride and groom’s entrance proceeds with their approval. At that point, the top contributor’s emblem will be displayed along the Gift Road.”

According to Yeongwoo, before the bride and groom even appear, the emblem of the top contributor would be displayed first, leading the way to the altar.

“This symbolizes the way being paved by the top contributor who made this ceremony possible, with the bride and groom following behind.”

—…

Jiseon’s jaw dropped at the sheer cunning flattery of it all.

“When the bride and groom arrive at the altar following the emblem, the contribution rankings will finally be revealed on the wall behind the altar.”

The rankings displayed would show contributors from 1st to 15th place.

The emblems of the top three contributors would be prominently displayed at the center of the wall, with the 4th place and below emblems serving as decorative patterns.

“Of course, the top contributor’s emblem needs to be the largest and most dazzling, while the 2nd and 3rd emblems should have identical size and effects to emphasize their roles in supporting the 1st place. Can you make that happen?”

Yeongwoo looked at Kobu expectantly. H

aving spent his entire life designing prisons, Kobu stared into the void, unsure of himself.

—What kind of effects do you have in mind? If you have reference materials…

“Ah.”

Yeongwoo clicked his tongue.

Good reference materials were abundant on Earth, especially in games where ranking tiers were prominently displayed.

But how could he show that to Kobu?

“As you know, our planet was destroyed, and all those materials are gone.”

—I see.”

“Don’t prisons have any ranking displays? Like for model prisoners or something?”

—There are similar concepts, but they might not align with what you want.

“What are they? Just tell me.”

—Our prisons have defense rankings and release countdown lists.

“…Defense rankings?”

Yeongwoo’s ears perked up.

He had heard that the mortality rate in intergalactic detention centers was 84%, and he had always wondered what went on inside those places.

Now, he had a glimpse into the answer.

“Why would a prison have defense rankings?”

—Every prisoner occasionally faces challenges.

“…?”

—When challenged, they must fight the challenger and survive. Each victory adds to their defense count, which determines their ranking.

“Wait, hold on.”

For the first time in a while, Yeongwoo massaged his temples.

"Who's the challenger? Are fellow inmates the ones who issue the challenges?"

— That is correct.

"Why? Being locked up is already a hassle. Why would anyone willingly pick a fight?"

— Because winning a 'challenge' allows one to take away the other party's incarceration points.

"Incarceration points?"

— It's the currency used within the prison to purchase various amenities or to change housing units.

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"Housing units? You mean they can switch their cells?"

— Yes. For convenience or strategic reasons, some inmates prefer to relocate.

"Wow... so it's not just about being locked up."

— Additionally, collecting incarceration points can reduce one's sentence.

"Ah, in that case, it makes sense."

Yeongwoo finally began to grasp the prison culture of the universe.

"It's like they're imprisoning each other—fighting and stealing incarceration points, even at the risk of death."

The system forced long-term inmates to continually fight due to their need for massive points, while short-term inmates had to avoid fighting to maximize their chances of release.

"So, does this strategic cell switching also relate to the challenge culture? Like moving far away from dangerous individuals?"

— There are various reasons, but what you mentioned is one of the main ones.

"Wow, once you’re in, it’s game over."

— Are you interested in prisons?

Kobu suddenly posed a sharp question.

"Why? Do I look like someone who's about to go to prison?"

— Generally, people don’t want to know about prisons.

"As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never be defeated.' Whether or not I end up in one, it can't hurt to learn about them."

And who knows?

Perhaps one day, he might do business involving ex-convicts or prisons themselves.

Yeongwoo preferred to gather information whenever an opportunity arose.

"Then, what’s the imminent release list?"

— Most prisons have a central square where a real-time updated list can be viewed.

Kobu pointed upward into the air in front of them.

— A jet-black metal board displays various names. Those nearing release are shown at the top, glowing brightly.

Then he gestured toward the ground.

— At the very bottom, a few names are also displayed, but generally, no one dares to read them.

"Are those names of the oldest long-term inmates?"

— The oldest, as well as those with an excessive amount of incarceration points.

Kobu curled his skeletal fingers into a fist.

Yeongwoo couldn’t help but ask cautiously.

"Kobu, you’re an ex-convict, right? It sounds like you’ve seen that list yourself."

Kobu trembled.

— Prison is... an unbelievably terrifying place.

"But it’s possible to survive and get out. It’s an honor to meet a survivor."

— You must be either incredibly strong or incredibly lucky. I was only the latter. I still hope the comrades I left behind find redemption.

Drawing shapes in the air with his darkened fingers, Kobu prayed for the well-being of his “comrades.”

Seeing this, Yeongwoo suddenly remembered something he had momentarily set aside and shifted the conversation back to the ranking of congratulatory donations.

"If prison is such a terrifying place, you must have desperately wished to survive when your release date was approaching. It must’ve taken extraordinary luck to make it through to the end."

— That’s true...

Kobu gazed back into his distant past.

Yeongwoo moved closer and whispered like a devil.

"In that case, why don’t you channel that desperate ‘luck’—the miracle you longed for—into this ceremony? The top donor in the ranking becomes a miraculous presence here."

— Ah...

It seemed Kobu had finally begun to grasp what Yeongwoo wanted.

He slowly surveyed the venue.

— Even in the darkness of that prison, miracles can happen.

"The darker the sky, the brighter the stars. Imagine that moment of release as you work. And don’t worry about the donation rankings anymore."

While Yeongwoo and Kobu conversed, Jiseon stepped back, muttering to herself.

— What the hell are these criminals even talking about...?

She couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of ceremony her son had planned based on the things he was saying earlier.

— But this is it, right? There’s nothing more, right?

Jiseon asked her son, her tone filled with worry.

Still, she thought she could bear this if it was the lesser evil.

And soon after:

"We’re almost done,"

Yeongwoo said, nodding toward his mother.

— Almost?

"Yes. All that’s left is the seating arrangement."

— Hey, isn’t it enough to just set up some VIP seats? What else do you need to do?

"Do you think their wallets will open for something so simple? We need them to open fully, not just halfway."

— What?

"The top donor in the ranking should have the power to kick out any guest they want from the venue."

— You insane brat. You’re going to take away their seats?

"I’m not the one taking them away. It’s the top donor who will do it."

— Who on earth would be crazy enough to spend money on something like that? Sure, the first and second might go crazy competing because they hate each other, but not the rest.

"The rest are nothing but insignificant specks in the eyes of the chairmen. It doesn’t matter. But."

— But?

"Moderately wealthy companies will need to compete with each other."

— What are you talking about?

"The third-place donor won’t be kicked out."

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