7:30 PM | Inside the Virtual World: TREAM

  At a luxurious open-air restaurant atop a mountain peak...

  The surrounding atmosphere was airy and unconfined, with a gentle, cool breeze blowing through the space. One by one, the major shareholders of GREM began to materialize.

  Mook and William stood ready to welcome them. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, betraying us like this,” Eleanor greeted him, squeezing Mook’s hand with painful force as a warning.

  “Hehe... I’m truly sorry,” Mook apologized from the bottom of his heart. Only then did Eleanor release her grip and stride into the venue.

  Eventually, everyone had arrived except for Saito. But it wasn't long before the thin, bespectacled Japanese man appeared.

  “Mr. Saito...” Mook extended his hand in greeting. Slap! But his hand was coldly brushed aside without a second thought.

  “At least he showed up at your invitation,” William whispered comfortingly. The two then led everyone to their seats at the dining table.

  An oppressive silence blanketed the table. Every pair of eyes was fixed solely on Mook, making it nearly impossible for him to even swallow a piece of chicken.

  “That glass over there can change the flavor of your drink into over a hundred different varieties. Choose whatever you like,” Mook tried to shatter the silence, reaching his fork out to stab a meatball from a central platter.

  Thunk! Eleanor used her fork to knock the meatball off Mook’s fork. She glared at him with biting intensity. “Aren't you going to explain why you betrayed us? Or was it because of that ‘little brat’ you had with that girl?”

  “Uh...” Mook stammered. “I didn't betray anyone. The ‘pretty people’ are still as worthless as ever. There are even suicides! Look, look!” Mook conjured a holographic display of data, showing it off like a proud child.

  “But the world isn't ruined enough to have ‘slaves’ like before,” Eleanor grumbled. In the first timeline, she could use women as labor slaves at her whim. It was the revenge she enjoyed most—seeing those devotees who used to worship outward appearances reduced to being her servants, groveling for scraps of money.

  “Come on... you can vent those feelings inside TREAM just the same,” Mook offered a grin that didn't help anyone relax.

  “Get to the point,” William tapped Mook’s back lightly as a reminder.

  “Sigh...” Mook let out a long breath. “I know how much everyone hates this fake, superficial society. But we’ve already succeeded in destroying them. Many have committed suicide or fallen into ruinous debt. Even if it’s not as extreme as before, I believe it’s a fitting revenge.”

  He looked at the figures of unemployed people—those who were so obsessed with their looks they couldn't find a way out. “I just want everyone to let go. Because we’ve won before, and we’re still winning now.”

  In the period before Linnea decided to travel back in time, the global society had collapsed to a terrifying degree. The male unemployment rate had reached 25%, while female unemployment skyrocketed to 70%. This massive number didn't just include those who profited from their looks; it also included workers in the garment industry, translators, accountants, service staff, and many other professions that the ‘GREM’ system had eradicated.

  Naturally, when their old jobs vanished and new opportunities were completely blocked by GREM, they had no path forward. This ultimately led to a tragedy where the global suicide rate hit 20,000 people per day. Those who remained and lacked the courage to end their lives had to endure severe oppression and hardship.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  But in this new timeline, the unemployment rate was no longer so dire. Male unemployment was only 5%, and female unemployment stood at 15%. This entire group consisted solely of people who had previously profited from their beauty and handsomeness. They were the ones who had lived in luxury based on their outward appearance. When those values suddenly evaporated, they couldn't accept reality. They refused to lower their pride to take other jobs with lower pay. That was the primary reason they remained unemployed.

  As for other groups—skilled laborers or service workers—even though their old roles had vanished, the new jobs created within the ‘TREAM’ system provided an income comparable to their previous ones. Moreover, it offered them more freedom in life. For those who were never immensely wealthy or at the top of the social ladder, this change wasn't particularly painful, allowing them to move forward without obstacles.

  “And how can you be sure the superficial society has truly ended, when your TREAM still gives them a way to make a living?” Eric questioned.

  “Top-tier singers or actors used to make an average of three million baht a day, you know? And do you know how much they make now...? Just over three hundred baht. And that’s for the top stars. It’s lower than the minimum wage.”

  “Are you that confident?” Saito asked without looking at him.

  “Yes. Before, you had to be both good-looking and talented to be famous. But now, in the virtual world, anyone who wants to be handsome or beautiful just adjusts their settings. When the ‘cost’ of appearance is leveled to zero, all that’s left is a competition of pure talent. Right now, TREAM is flooded with actors. The competition is so high that wages have plummeted. If you want to earn even a thousand baht, you have to work all day. You can't just sing and dance for a few hours like before anymore. Ultimately...”

  Mook paused for a breath. “Those who sell their looks used to be a brilliant light, like a giant sun. But now, they are just a tiny light on a firefly’s tail. It might still look pretty, but it’s no longer as blinding as the sunlight.”

  “You certainly have a way with words,” Eleanor praised.

  “Oh... and your products? I’m more than happy to let you monopolize the market within TREAM as before. So, if you don’t hire them, no one gets easy money.”

  “Hmm. You sound like you’re taking the path of righteousness. Why allow us to monopolize the internal market?” Eleanor wondered.

  “Well, I don't know. You know, in the last timeline when you monopolized the market in GREM and took over various markets in Thailand, the upstream producers you bought raw materials from actually got more money than when the old capitalists bought from them. My mother is a rice farmer. So, I figured it’s better for you to monopolize the market. Plus, no one will break ranks to hire those ‘pretty people’ to review products in TREAM and make them valuable again. Don’t you think?”

  Mook finished and gave a small smile. “Oh, Mr. Saito. Regarding your family... right now, I can't risk traveling back in time again because the side effects are dangerously high. But...”

  Mook conjured a hologram showing the news of the two families’ deaths.

  “Your ex-girlfriend and that famous actor... they are currently safe in prison. But their families have all passed away.” Mook pushed the hologram news toward Saito.

  Everyone looked at the news with an indescribable emotion. They were shocked, stunned, and respectful all at once. There was no way twenty-three people died in an accident by chance. The Mook standing before them didn't seem like the old Mook they knew, yet he was still the same gentle Mook.

  “The day you gave me money to treat my mother, I was so happy. I was willing to work my head off without any regard for morality, conscience, or ethics. But... a world that is completely broken is not a nice place to live.”

  Mook finished and gave a broad, warm smile, a stark contrast to what he had just done. “Now, let’s eat.”

  Saito and the capitalists stared at Mook for another moment. They had lost to him completely. Yet, even so, Mook offered them a deal that would return them to their previous level of immense profit. Everyone sat in silence, contemplating.

  The fake, superficial society was destroyed. Did they really need to do anything more? Did they truly want a world where society was utterly shattered?

  “Let’s eat. I’m hungry.” Eleanor picked up her juice, took a sip, and began tackling the roasted chicken in front of her. Once she led, the others followed...

  They had their money, and their vengeance was settled. What else could they possibly want? Yes... they wanted for nothing more. Everything else would just have to follow its own natural cycle.