Only I Am A Reader-Chapter 579: Secret Meeting

"Uhh… That's it for today. We will discuss this at a later date."

Letting out an annoyed sigh, the neat-looking gentleman rose up from his chair after pushing it back.

As he closed the button of his fancy jacket, the man who had just hit thirty almost looked perfect in his three-piece suit, but his gentle aura was completely dispersed by the sharp glare in his eyes.

"Preferably next week."

Although he slid on a pair of slick shades to mask this imperfection, the man still glared in the same direction. His words might have sounded like a suggestion, but his coercive tone suggested the opposite.

No answer came back, but the man didn't linger for one as he steadily walked out of the medium-sized conference room.

"Well then… See you later, boss."

"I- I will get you a fresh cup of hot coffee!"

"Take care, sir."

Ranging from coworkers and subordinates to figures that were as important as him, every other person in the room found an excuse to depart, leaving the target of the neat man's coercion all alone.

"Fighting back… Are you sure about it?"

…Save for one other old man sitting at the end of the table.

"I see. I'm sure you don't want to hear it from me, but what you are doing isn't helping."

Receiving no answer, just like the neat man before him, the old friend similarly left, only leaving a few more words behind.

"Stalling… All that does is prolong the pain."

Once the room was all cleared out, the man sitting in the main chair gradually broke into cold sweat.

Bang!

Not able to hold it in any longer, the white haired old man hit the table with all he had.

"Sh*t! You think I don't know that?!"

Despite managing the meeting with an iron fist, remaining steadfast through the whole thing, internally, he was nothing but a mess.

Deep inside, he knew his position was only one of a few decorations that the higher-ups had tolerated for the sake of realism, but he still couldn't stomach how powerless he had become.

"Even nobodies get to talk to me like that nowadays."

The man in the suit might have looked like a great person, but he was nothing more than a representative meant to transmit 'their' orders, no different from a fancy mailman.

"Hhh…"

Taking a minute to calm down after letting out some of his pent-up anger, the elderly man unfastened his tie so he could properly catch his breath.

'This will likely be my end.'

Regardless of how he acted just now, he knew that whether his efforts worked or not, this was the end of the road for him.

At most, he might be able to hold back the sinister plot at play for a few more months before he would have to involuntarily 'retire'.

Despite knowing that, however, he just couldn't leave things be. He only held onto this imaginary position of his so he could tilt the scale a little in the right direction.

Most people would find his action cowardly compared to flipping the table and revealing everything, but he wholly believed in what he was doing.

Although he didn't see it in real time, he knew what happened to those who chose to be brave. Compared to their eventually meaningless blow-ups, he preferred to be a coward as long as he could make some difference, no matter how little that was.

'Going along with things this time, however… I would be a real coward.'

The person whom he had chosen to devote his last efforts to was meant to be blatantly escorted to a slow and painful death, one that would even be celebrated by the public!

How could he possibly accept something like that? What future change could he possibly make to justify accepting this wrong?

'If stalling is all I can do, so be it.'

Shaken as he was, the kind-looking old man was resolved to do the best he could.

Unfortunately, in his deep melancholy, he failed to notice that his faint shadow, as fragile looking as himself, was actually moving around.

'Ah.'

By the time the old man could tell that something was off, he knew that it was already too late. A dark figure was standing right next to him.

'Perhaps my estimate was a bit off.'

Let alone a couple more months, it looked like they really wanted to finish things by next week.

"Just do it."

Shock had indeed hit the old man, but it was replaced by tranquility very quickly. Part of himself couldn't help wondering why he wasn't already dead, but he disregarded that thought in favor of making use of the precious little time he had left.

'Only one last thing to do.'

He was powerless to resist, and he made sure to show, but hidden under the table, a secret mobile device that he had prepared for this very moment was already in his hand. Alas…

"Oh no, you don't."

Even that was not allowed… The old man didn't think he would have time to regret either, but there he was.

'Is time slowing down because it's already over?'

"Why make such a sad face? I mean, I can guess what you are thinking right now, but I was hoping you would figure out my identity by now. I especially came with the same face on my bounty picture."

As the mobile device was put away, the old man's hand was free once again, giving him a chance to take a good look at the intruder.

"Man… I thought the famous 'Director' would be a bit more collected than this."

That was right, the old man who was ready to accept death unsurprisingly turned out to be the Director of the Hero Association. Aurora's helper grandpa!

"You…"

As for the silent visitor that almost made that very director say his last words…

"The name's Cassian."

It was none other than the most notorious Villain in Enigma City!