The sisters all lowered their heads, feeling a bit ashamed. Yes, so what if he’s from the underworld? He was helping them!

But… it was so terrifying. Looking at the bloodstains on the ground and recalling his brutality just now, none of them could even muster the will to stand up and apologize.

Seeing everyone’s expressions, Christopher Carter’s facial muscles twitched, and he said coldly, “We’re all people who get looked down on. If you’d rather live like this—looking glamorous on the outside but actually pathetic inside—then I’d rather have people fear me. If they’re scared enough, isn’t that respect?”

He paused, then sneered, “For example, Emily Green…”

Emily Green instinctively responded.

“Haven’t I always been a bit too gentle with you?”

Emily Green looked at him with a complicated expression, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start.

Even that time, he could be considered kind to her—at least he didn’t actually take off his pants and force himself on her.

Should she actually apologize to him? Emily Green shook her head with a bitter smile. That makes no sense. This is a real demon who beat up and kidnapped her father and even tried to rape her! No one could possibly treat him nicely!

Christopher Carter sneered, “So… if you’re in the underworld, you have to act like it. Since I’ll never get a smile in return, as long as I can get what I want, that’s enough.”

Emily Green’s heart skipped a beat. “You… don’t do anything crazy!”

Jessica Thompson, who had been listening for a while, realized something was wrong and quickly spoke up, “Mr. Tang…”

Christopher Carter glanced at her, waved his hand, and chuckled, “Relax, we’re in public. What could I possibly do?” As he spoke, he took out his phone in front of everyone.

“Sixth Brother, it’s me. Tell me, if we wanted to play with an idol, that wouldn’t be hard, right? How would we do it? …Mm, mm, I get that it depends on the group’s status and the company’s power… Mm… the group is called…” Christopher Carter glanced at the girls with a half-smile and said calmly, “Apink.”

“Boom!” A clap of thunder exploded overhead, illuminating the girls’ pale faces.

The torrential rain finally poured down.

Chapter 9: No Restraint Across a Thousand Miles in South Korea

“Ninth Brother, it’s not that I’m overly curious… You’ve always done your own thing, living as carefree as a local king. Why the sudden urge to get involved with idols?”

In Christopher Carter’s nightclub, Brian Baker sat in a private room, comfortably propping his feet up on the sofa. Two of the club’s hostesses were massaging his legs, and Brian Baker casually reached into one of their laps to grope her. Christopher Carter sat across from him in a relaxed, commanding manner, with two hostesses massaging his shoulders as well.

Hearing Brian Baker’s question, Christopher Carter swirled his glass in thought for a while, then smiled. “From what I’ve seen over the years, I always thought those girls were just singing for a living, not much different from the girls in the club—just a bit higher class. But lately, I’ve realized… there is a difference.”

Brian Baker chuckled, “Don’t go along with others in looking down on idols. If they were really just high-class prostitutes like some people say, and if music agencies were all brothels, how could so many decent girls from good families keep flocking in? It doesn’t make sense. Even if things have changed, that’s just society’s problem. From what I’ve seen in the industry, there are still plenty of girls who stick to their principles, and those of us running companies aren’t running brothels. Even the fanciest brothel wouldn’t bother with money laundering. Normally, we want our artists to keep themselves clean more than anyone. Of course, there are some situations—you know what I mean.”

Of course he knew. What he wanted to do now was exactly one of those “situations.” Christopher Carter grunted in acknowledgment, then drifted into thought again.

Actually, on one hand, he was angry at their discrimination against him, feeling it was unfair. But on the other hand, wasn’t he also discriminating against them? Mutual prejudice—who owes whom? In the end, it’s all even. Since it’s even, what’s there to be mad about… Now that he’d calmed down, Christopher Carter even felt a bit apologetic, but by then they’d already gone their separate ways, settled the security and performance fees, and gone home. There was no chance to say anything more.

“It’s no surprise you took a liking to Apink,” Brian Baker said with a grin. “Their style and vibe are a world apart from what you’re used to. It’s not strange that you’d be moved when you first saw them—you’ve never even been in love, after all, hahaha.”

Christopher Carter leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “So what if I like them? There’s nothing shameful about it. But this has nothing to do with love—it’s not that kind of thing.”

“All right, I won’t bother figuring out what kind of thing it is,” Brian Baker laughed. “Honestly, Apink isn’t some pushover group. Their momentum is obvious, and the industry already calls them the ‘second Girls’ Generation,’ thinking they might take over SNSD’s spot. With a group like that, ACUBE will do everything to promote them and won’t let just anyone mess with them.”

Christopher Carter listened intently, handed over a cigarette, and personally lit it for Brian Baker. “ACUBE is their company? What level are they?”