chapter_0169

168 – Living Thin and Long

168 – Living Thin and Long

Otto took a deep breath and closed his eyes after hearing Daniel’s words.

He was reminiscing about the past for a moment.

Otto’s motto was, “Live a thin and long life.”

The reason for this motto was simple.

Thanks to being born into a noble family, he had seen and heard a lot since childhood.

‘Unfortunately, most of them were unhappy events…’

Usually, the moment one became greedy for power or took the wrong side in the power struggles of the higher-ups, they met a miserable end.

Otto’s father was a prime example.

When the late Emperor was alive, Duke Belvar had put forward his son to expand his business explosively in order to dominate the Empire’s domestic economy.

Based on Duke Belvar’s funds and abundant personnel, the ‘Reideschaft Company’ quickly made a name for itself in the Empire.

However, as is always the case with business, it is not always smooth sailing.

It was commonplace for those who had entered the market first to check those who were rising from below.

At that time, Count Forion, who was accelerating the automobile industry, strongly protested against Duke Belvar’s actions.

Count Forion, who did not like the rapidly rising Reideschaft Company, looked for an opportunity to file a patent lawsuit.

He also personally investigated several supply chains that had contracts with Reideschaft Company, and in the process, discovered that some products were of low quality and reported it extensively.

He implied that there was a reason why Reideschaft Company’s vehicles were cheap.

Naturally, Reideschaft Company’s sales plummeted as its image deteriorated, and Otto’s father, who also thought there was a problem with producing vehicles through low-quality products, sided with Count Forion.

And then it began.

The power wielded by Duke Belvar.

First, Duke Belvar downgraded the credit rating of Count Forion’s company through his connections with the national bank and immediately recalled the loans.

In order to expand the business, transactions were naturally made with borrowed money, but when the bank suddenly demanded repayment of the loans, Count Forion’s cash flow was blocked.

As the cash flow was blocked, the production volume of vehicles inevitably fell, and investors who were watching this began to withdraw one by one, citing the lack of results.

Duke Belvar went further and lobbied high-ranking officials, subtly suggesting that Count Forion’s company was not cooperative with the government.

In an era where productivity was seen as loyalty to the nation, Count Forion’s company, which was struggling with vehicle production due to blocked funds, was easy prey for high-ranking officials to tear apart.

With the company already faltering, Count Forion had no choice but to surrender due to the added pressure from the government.

Although it was not certain, rumors had it that Count Forion had visited Duke Belvar’s mansion at the time, knelt down, and begged.

Please, spare me.

However, Duke Belvar did not forgive Count Forion, who had rebelled against him.

He tormented and tormented him until the company went completely bankrupt.

After that, Otto’s father, who had sided with Count Forion, also stepped down from his position as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and retired from the front lines.

He pretended that he was quitting because he was old, but Otto knew.

His father had been abandoned because he had taken the wrong side.

After experiencing that series of events, Otto made a decision.

Live a thin and long life.

Don’t take risks.

So, don’t take anyone’s side.

Rather than being a shrimp caught in a fight between whales, it was more beneficial to become a shrimp that swore allegiance to the whale after the fight was over.

Most of the whales, drunk with victory, willingly accepted Otto’s ‘false loyalty’.

Otto was an opportunist, but he was not incompetent.

Everyone thought that there would be parts that could be used if they kept him by their side.

In that way, Otto was able to live a thin and long life and rise to the position of Security Agency Director.

‘I might have been careless.’

He was complacent, thinking that he was not at the level to confront a whale, but he was at least a shark.

The arrogance that even if you are a victorious whale, you cannot easily harm me, a shark, created the current situation.

‘To think there would be someone who could maintain composure without being intoxicated by victory.’

Otto came here as soon as he confirmed that Daniel had been promoted to Emergency Security General after receiving the White Dragon Medal of Honor.

People in high spirits tend to easily turn a blind eye to the petty mistakes of others.

‘However…’

Daniel did not seem to be in a good mood, but rather seemed angry.

The fact that he was at the pinnacle of power that a mere Officer could reach, yet did not seem happy at all, gave him a sense of unease.

‘Does that mean that holding power was not the goal? If so…’

Daniel might be someone who genuinely wants to make the Empire greater in the purest sense.

He was truly an iron-blooded human being.

Otto slowly opened his eyes and could see Daniel Steiner staring at him.

‘I’ve dealt with countless people who have seized small and large powers, but this is the first time I’ve seen this kind of person.’

He had no idea how to deal with him.

Otto, who was sweating profusely, decided to make excuses as much as possible and opened his mouth.

“…Colonel Daniel. There’s a misunderstanding. It’s not that I collected proper data and then told you to be careful of Duke Belvar. I was just giving you advice based on my gut feeling.”

He meant that the Security Agency could not do anything because there was no evidence that Duke Belvar would cause a rebellion.

Daniel, who thought it made sense, tapped the desk with his index finger and said.

“Still, there’s one thing I don’t understand. You had a gut feeling, but why didn’t you investigate-”

“Because I had to risk my life to investigate.”

Otto, interrupting Daniel’s words, made the most aggrieved expression possible.

“As Colonel Daniel knows, Duke Belvar has spread people like a spider web throughout the Empire. In a situation where it is impossible to know who Duke Belvar’s henchman is, it is very easy to see blood if you act rashly.”

Otto finished his explanation and waited for Daniel’s next words.

He had decided to plausibly package and excuse whatever Daniel said.

However, Daniel did not say anything.

He just looked at Otto quietly with a faint smile.

Thanks to that, a heavy silence fell between Otto and Daniel.

Tick tock—

The sound of the second hand ticking on the wall clock was clearly audible.

In a situation where his hairs were standing on end, Otto tried to maintain his composure.

Daniel, who had been watching Otto, who was more nervous than usual, chuckled softly.

“Security Agency Director. I’ll say it just once.”

Daniel put both hands on the desk and clasped them together.

In that leisurely action, Daniel slowly erased his smile.

“Don’t interrupt me again.”

The voice he spat out with a straight face sounded like it was cutting through his skin.

Otto, unable to meet Daniel’s eyes, slowly lowered his gaze and nodded.

Daniel, who liked that, regained his smile and said.

“Apart from interrupting me, I listened to your excuses well. But it’s sophistry. You endangered the nation for your own safety. As someone who has received a special order from His Majesty the Emperor, I can’t help but think this.”

Daniel leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk, and whispered in Otto’s ear.

“Is this son of a bitch playing games with me right now?”

Otto’s mouth opened slightly at the chilling voice.

Daniel, seeing that, patted Otto on the shoulder and got up from his seat.

“Neither I nor His Majesty the Emperor particularly like people who play games. But I don’t dislike people who are clearly aware of what position they are in.”

Otto did not answer.

No. He couldn’t answer.

His heart was beating so fast that he was devoting all his attention to calming himself down.

“I will let you keep your position as Security Agency Director. I will make sure that it ends with a salary cut and a written warning. However, you must promise me one thing.”

“…If you’re talking about a promise?”

“After talking with His Majesty the Emperor today, I’m thinking of creating a National Security Oversight Agency. In the future, a dual monitoring system will be introduced, and agents from the National Security Oversight Agency will be dispatched to each government department.”

The justification was to prevent treason in advance, but Otto somehow felt that the National Security Oversight Agency would become Daniel Steiner’s henchmen.

“There will be some noise, but everyone will accept it because we can’t have someone like Belvar come out again. Isn’t that right, Security Agency Director?”

Those words meant, “Convince the other departments by taking the lead in supporting the creation of the National Security Oversight Agency.”

This was not just about helping to create the National Security Oversight Agency.

If the Security Agency Director supported the creation of the National Security Oversight Agency in front of each government department, it would appear to others that the Security Agency Director had sworn allegiance to Daniel Steiner.

It was like forcing them to board the same ship so that they could not betray him.

Otto wanted to refuse, but he couldn’t.

He could clearly feel Daniel Steiner holding his leash.

‘The moment I refuse here…’

Not only would he be removed from his position as Security Agency Director, but in severe cases, he would not be able to avoid prison.

Even if he racked his brains to find another way, they were all blocked by the person named Daniel Steiner.

All of Daniel’s words and actions so far had blocked the exit.

Now he had to admit it.

Daniel Steiner was a man who knew how to put power into his words.

‘How can he… just one day after taking office as Emergency Security General…’

Otto, shaking his head, stood up and faced Daniel.

The will contained in his black eyes glistened as if it were representing the consensus of the Empire.

Otto, realizing that he could not dare to oppose him, knelt down on one knee and bowed his head.

“I will do as the Emergency Security General says.”

He swore obedience, but Otto’s motto did not change.

‘However…’

He just thought that becoming Daniel Steiner’s confidant was the right thing to do in order to live a thin and long life.