Corporate Villainy: Trampling Protagonists as a Business Dad

Marcus looked at the man in front of him. He didn't know why, but every time he saw him, a flame of anger would rise in his heart. He felt like he had met an enemy he couldn't remember. Though he was sure that if such a weakling was his enemy, he would have already dealt with him by now.

When he heard about those women being his lover and secretary, he almost couldn't believe it at first. Can someone so pathetically weak still have women of this caliber around him? Although he looked refined and handsome, that wasn't enough to protect your women. But he had no choice but to accept the fact.

Seeing those women smiling and chatting with other businessmen, Marcus's interest dropped significantly. Look at this guy, trying to impress Celia with his smooth talk, while his women are over there practically flirting with half the room. If I had someone like that, she'd be focused on me, not seeking attention from random businessmen.

These kinds of protagonists who act domineering and arrogant are often like that. They will lose interest in a woman if she is not pure and innocent.

Marcus's snort was barely audible, but Vincent caught it. The mercenary's worldview was clearly struggling with the concept of women as anything other than possessions to be guarded. The mercenary seemed to be forming opinions about everyone in the room, his perspective clearly at odds with the sophisticated social dynamics at play.

Vincent chatted pleasantly with Celia for a few more minutes before excusing himself. Lingering too long would make her suspicious, and he'd already gathered valuable intelligence about both her and Marcus's personalities. The next phase of his plan was already forming.

As the evening progressed, Vincent arranged for the entertainment to begin. He'd spared no expense in securing the services of Master Chen, a renowned spiritual acrobat in the city whose reputation for impossible feats had made him the most sought-after performer in the cultivation world of Autumnvale.

Don't be surprised about cultivators working as entertainers. In Autumnvale, if it's a cultivator below core stage, given enough money, they would be willing to even spin three times and bark for you—let alone this being just a display of balance and martial prowess.

Master Chen took the stage with theatrical flair, his robes flowing like liquid silk as he approached the narrow beam suspended fifteen feet above the marble floor. The beam was just a finger's width. The crowd fell silent as he began his routine—balancing on the tips of two toes while maintaining perfect stability, a crystal wine glass held steady in his outstretched hand.

Then slowly he started. Not walking, but sliding using spiritual energy concentrated on his toes.

"Incredible spiritual energy control," someone whispered in awe.

"The level of concentration required..."

"Look at how the wine doesn't even ripple!"

Many of the people present were either non-cultivators or stuck at the basic level because of lower-grade spiritual roots. Although they couldn't do it themselves, they could still have others do it for them, which was also quite enjoyable.

Master Chen executed a perfect front flip while maintaining his balance, the wine glass never wavering. The crowd erupted in appreciative applause, with many guests shooting admiring glances at Vincent for providing such exceptional entertainment.

Helena and Olivia had come to sit beside him at some point after socializing with the other guests. As they watched the performance, Helena nudged him with her elbow.

"Is this what you were planning since this afternoon?" Helena's curious eyes had a hint of disappointment, like she was expecting another asshole to burst into a fountain—which maybe she did. Although Helena had been talking to guests, she was aware of her surroundings. She saw the man beside Miss Annapurna looking at her strangely, but she was already used to things like that as a PR official of the corporation. So she concluded that he may be a lover boy of Miss Annapurna, not knowing what's right and wrong. But later she was shocked to learn that it was actually the rumored bodyguard. A bodyguard behaving so inappropriately—she didn't like it at all.

Olivia tilted her head, ears also perked up, wanting to know what her boss was planning by calling Master Chen.

Vincent chuckled at their antics. "Don't worry. I'll let you girls watch a good show after this one." He placed his hand on each of their shoulders. Helena nuzzled up to him while Olivia became stiff as a statue, like a rabbit caught stealing, not knowing what to do in this situation.

As the sweating Master Chen crossed the whole beam, another wave of applause followed.

"Master Chen is Master Chen indeed. Nobody can compete."

"Of course no one can be as good as Master Chen. NO ONE."

Suddenly, Marcus let out a scoff. These soft city people get excited over party tricks, Marcus thought dismissively. If they think this is impressive, they have no idea what real skill looks like. I've seen actual warriors perform under fire—this is just theatrical nonsense.

What's so impressive about this? I could do that as a child—blindfolded, he thought with obvious contempt written across his face.

"What did you say? Master Chen's performance was pathetic and you can do something like this without breaking a sweat?!" suddenly a man beside him shouted, pointing a finger at him.

"What the fuck?" Marcus was dumbfounded. When did he say something like that? No, he didn't even say anything. Are you reading thoughts?

Marcus's face darkened. Isn't this bastard just framing me?

Disapproving murmurs rippled through the crowd. The guests were already irritated by Marcus's possessive behavior around Celia, and his dismissal of a respected performer struck them as profoundly disrespectful.

"If it's so elementary, perhaps you'd care to demonstrate?" someone challenged from the crowd.

"Yes, let's witness this extraordinary talent," another voice added with barely concealed mockery.

"Some people really don't know their place," came a third comment, dripping with contempt.

Marcus's face darkened even further. He didn't know why he was being targeted, but now this was a matter of his pride. His gaze swept the crowd with visible contempt, taking in their expectant faces and barely concealed mockery. These pampered city dwellers thought they could embarrass him? Him? The Shadow Wolf King who had survived countless battlefields? His eyes lingered momentarily on Celia, as if her presence somehow validated his need to prove himself superior to these soft civilians.

The mercenary's jaw tightened as if the thought of proving himself to these people was already beneath him. Whether this was a setup or not, backing down now would be admitting weakness—something his pride would never allow.

"Fine," Marcus announced, his voice carrying the absolute confidence of someone who'd never truly failed at anything physical. "I'll do it on one toe to prove how easy it is." 

"Damn, what an arrogant man."

"I'd like to see how he fails."

"Marcus," Celia frowned, "perhaps this isn't—" she began, but he cut her off with a dismissive gesture.

"Don't worry, I've got this." His eyes swept the crowd again, and Vincent saw the same arrogant smirk forming on his face. Although

A waiter approached with a crystal wine glass, offering it to Marcus with a respectful bow. The mercenary accepted it with the casual arrogance of someone accustomed to being served, his eyes scanning the crowd as if ensuring everyone was watching his impending triumph.

The crowd watched with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation as Marcus approached the beam setup.

The crystal wine glass caught the ballroom's chandelier light, creating tiny rainbows that danced across Marcus's determined features. He rolled his shoulders, loosening muscles that had carried him through countless battles. In his mind, this was just another challenge to overcome, another opportunity to prove his superiority.

"See? A good show is coming." Vincent smiled devilishly, which caused Helena to become excited while Olivia remained like a statue, looking down and blushing with Vincent's arm around her shoulder.

P.S.— Guys this book is now contracted thanks to your love and support. I have learned a lot while writing these 68k+ words and you will continue to see my improvement through this arc and ahead. I have a lot of protagonists coming some of which you may know about lol.

Lastly, from now on this shameless author will not only ask you to hand over your power stones but will also ask you for gifts and golden tickets so... give🔫