Corporate Villainy: Trampling Protagonists as a Business Dad

Vincent sent Helena, Olivia, and Emily back to his mansion first. Olivia had been exhausted from the past few days, and the recent incident had pushed her to the verge of collapse. Vincent already considered her his woman now, so there was no need to think about letting her stay somewhere else.

He was also mentally drained from tonight's events. He swore that after finishing up here, he would go and relax. But there was still a very important matter he needed to deal with.

"Bring him in," Vincent said as he sat in a chair in Olivia's apartment.

The bodyguard gestured for Jin to enter. Jin stepped inside, silent but his eyes burning with hatred.

"David, come in."

Soon David's figure emerged from outside. His face was serious, and he gave Jin a cautious look that left Jin puzzled.

"Did you check it?" Vincent asked.

"Sir, I've checked it thoroughly," David said while handing over a tablet. "We found crucial evidence that could be used against us."

Vincent's face darkened while his gaze never moved away from Jin. Vincent and David were talking about the black box from Jin's taxi.(Kind of a recording device). Vincent looked through the compiled videos one by one, his eyes growing colder with each frame.

He saw videos of his intelligence officers and compromised employees from Annapurna and Meridian. There was even a glimpse of him walking inside a building while many people bowed to him—people who could easily be confirmed as his intelligence officers from other footage.

Vincent eventually closed the videos and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. His voice was icy cold, his eyes sharp enough to cut steel.

"How do you have this? How did you know?"

Jin looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me ask in another way. All the routes you took for the past three days—why did you take them?" Vincent asked, observing him closely.

Jin hesitated before answering. "I just gave rides to passengers. What about it?"

"Then you should know what you've recorded in this." Vincent held up the black box.

Jin sneered. "What? Did I record your affair or something? Or did I record you doing something inappropriate on the streets?"

"You dare—"

Raghu's eyes shone with ferocity as he moved toward Jin with clenched fists, but Vincent stopped him with a gesture. Raghu hesitantly backed down, still glaring at Jin.

Vincent gave Jin a charming smile that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Looks like you don't want to see Sophie again. I should cut off two of her fingers to see if you'll talk then."

Jin's expression changed drastically. "Bastard, you dare!"

"Three, or maybe four," Vincent said while counting on his fingers.

Jin's jaw tightened. He took a deep breath. "I... I really don't know what you're talking about. I was guided by the app to transport customers. How could I deceive you? You can check my app."

Jin naturally couldn't reveal that he'd been given these missions by his system, but now he could slightly understand why the system had given him those missions. He must have recorded something crucial in his black box, but because he hadn't realized this earlier, he was now caught without taking any protective measures.

David's phone buzzed, and Vincent felt like throwing it out the window. It had been ominous news every time that phone buzzed for the past few hours.

Sure enough, he saw David's hesitant expression.

Vincent rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What is it, David? Just tell me."

David whispered in Vincent's ear about the failed kidnapping incident, and Vincent squinted his eyes. The whole Marigold family wasn't as simple as they appeared.

Marie Marigold, the intern Vincent had used in the clothing store to give Jin tampered water, and Sophie Marigold, her sister whom Jin had fallen for in a day—they were sisters. If Jin knew this, he would be horrified, considering he'd slapped his crush's sister a few days back.

Now there was also a powerful refined-stage or even higher-ranked cultivator at their house, possibly their mother. Not to mention all three of them were beautiful in their own way. He guessed they were all heroines—like the ones protagonists get from a buy-one-get-two-free package. But he didn't know who the protagonist was yet. He didn't think it was Jin because he was not supposed to meet them.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he waved his hand.

"Don't worry. No need to send someone again. I can handle it."

David nodded.

Vincent turned his attention back to Jin, his expression shifting to something almost businesslike.

"Let's discuss something more productive than your amateur spy work."

"What now?" Jin glared at him.

"Your shares," Vincent said simply. "Fifteen percent in Cornelius Holdings. Five percent in Annapurna. Ten percent in Meridian. Quite an impressive portfolio for a taxi driver."

Jin's face went pale. How did Vincent know the exact numbers?

"I'll buy them from you," Vincent continued conversationally. "All of them. Fair market price, of course."

"I'm not selling anything to you," Jin spat.

Vincent's smile widened. "Oh, but you are. You see, Sophie is currently... let's say, enjoying my hospitality. Her wellbeing depends entirely on your cooperation."

"You-You're lying," Jin said, but his voice wavered. "You don't have her."

"Don't I?" Vincent pulled out his phone, scrolling through it casually. "With my power and wealth, do I need to lie to you? One phone call and she loses a finger. Another call, maybe an eye. I'm a very methodical man, Jin. I like to work systematically."

Jin's hands clenched into fists.

"You bastard! Let me see her! Prove you have her!"

Vincent laughed softly.

"You think I carry kidnapped women around like accessories? She's somewhere safe, as long as you're reasonable. The moment you become unreasonable..."

He made a cutting gesture across his throat.

The room fell silent except for Jin's heavy breathing. Vincent could see the war raging behind the young man's eyes—hatred battling with fear for Sophie's safety.

"The contracts are simple," Vincent continued, gesturing to David who produced a tablet. "You transfer all shares to me. The payment terms are quite generous—one hundred years, no interest. Practically a gift, really."

"One hundred years?" Jin's voice cracked. "That's practically worthless!"

"Worthless?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Jin, my boy, you seem to forget your position. You're a taxi driver who somehow acquired shares in major corporations through questionable means. You've been caught with evidence that could destroy you. Your girlfriend is in my custody. Exactly what leverage do you think you have here?"

Jin stared at the contract, his mind racing. The system had given him those shares as rewards, but now they felt like chains around his neck. Every second he delayed was another second Sophie might be suffering.

"If I sign this," Jin said through gritted teeth, "you'll let her go?"

"I'm a businessman, not a monster," Vincent replied smoothly. "Honor the contract, and Sophie returns to her normal life. It's quite simple."

If a protagonist was threatened with his life, he would rather die than submit to the villain but they wouldn't do that when it comes to their loved ones. Did Vincent feel guilty for doing this? Absolutely not. He would do it again if it's this kind of broken system protagonist.

Jin grabbed the tablet with shaking hands. The numbers swam before his eyes—millions of dollars in shares being transferred for payments that wouldn't complete until he was long dead. But Sophie's face filled his mind, and he started signing.

Each signature felt like a piece of his soul being torn away. The system rewards he'd earned, the power he'd been building for the last three days of hard work—all of it flowing into Vincent's hands with a few taps on a screen. If someone heard Jin's internal monologue right now, they'd want to beat him to death.

"Excellent," Vincent said as the final signature was completed. "David, process these immediately."

Jin stood there, feeling hollow.

"Now let her go."

Vincent's smile was genuinely warm now, which somehow made it more terrifying.

"Of course." He pretended to type something on his phone.

"She'll be free to go about her business immediately."

He nodded to his bodyguards. "Escort Mr. Ashera out. I believe his taxi is still downstairs."

As Jin was led away, his legs felt like lead. He'd lost everything—his shares, his power, his dignity. But if Sophie was safe, maybe it was worth it. Maybe.

The moment Jin left, Vincent's expression shifted back to cold calculation.

David beside him said,

"Sir we have been checking the source of his money but all of it seems to come from foreign accounts and we were unable to track it in short term. Even the shares seem to come from multiple sources some from dead shareholders without heirs, disputed shares, small amounts from multiple investors, etc."

David's head was lowered and he was ashamed that he had let things come to this. He was going to be promoted to be head of intelligence department but he felt like perhaps he was really getting old to make these mistakes. If sir had not asked to check on Jin, something really bad might have happened.

"No need to check all this anymore and… don't worry about it, these kinds of things will happen more in the future so you better prepare yourself David, I'm not letting you retire anytime soon."

Vincent smiled understanding David's thoughts.

David felt warm in his heart. He bowed respectfully.

"Yes sir. I will do my best."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Protagonist Jin has been partially, financially devastated through coercion

Jin LP — -200

Vincent LP — +200

VP — +400

Vincent leaned back in his chair, finally allowing himself to relax slightly. The corporate war was far from over and he had acquired an unexpected yet very pleasant surprise.

Now it was time to go home to his women and plan his next move.

Outside the building, Jin's hands shook as he dialed Sophie's number. The phone rang once, twice, thrice—

"Hello?" Sophie's cheerful voice came through clear as day.

Jin nearly dropped the phone.

"S-Sophie! Are you okay? Where are you? Did they hurt you? Don't worry I won't let them touch even a hair of you."

"Eh? Hurt me? Touch my hair? Are you having a bad dream? I'm at home, just finished watching a movie with my mom and sister. Also it's very inappropriate of you to call so late at night."

The world tilted around Jin. His knees buckled, and he had to lean against his taxi to stay upright.

"You... you were not kidnapped? You were all right? You must have been unconscious"

"Kidnapped? Ah, I get it now."

Jin's face brightened "You were, right? Where are you now? I'll come get you."

"Humph, you want to scare me because I watched a horror movie. I'm very brave ok? I can even go to the toilet and come back without help. I'm going to bed now, don't call me so late. Good night."

Beep - Beep

Jin's vision went red. The phone cracked in his grip as rage consumed him completely.

"VINCENT CORNELIUS!" he screamed at the night sky, his voice echoing off the empty buildings.

"I'LL KILL YOU! KILL YOUUUUU! GIVE ME BACK! MY SHARES!"

But his shares were already gone, transferred legally and irreversibly. And somewhere in a mansion across the city, Vincent Cornelius was probably laughing while recounting the events to the ever excited Helena.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Protagonist Jin has discovered the deception

Jin LP — -100

Vincent LP — +100

VP — +200

Warning: Protagonist's hatred has reached critical levels.