Chapter 008: The Most Superior Products

At this point, Hayden suddenly realized something quite strange: if one were to view the issue from the perspective of Karen's theory of descendants, then her parents were actually quite lenient with her, weren't they? After all, Karen was still able to enjoy the freedom of living independently, expressing her emotions, taking on part-time jobs to earn some extra money, and choosing not to marry

So... I guess you don't want to see our Human Resources report, right

Karen shook her head upon hearing this: "You are only partially correct; ordinary relationships are not sufficient. Both you and Adam are ordinary humans without genetic modification or family background. How could someone like that become a project manager at a large company at the age of 29 solely on their own merit? Half of his current position is due to marrying into wealth. The woman he married yesterday, Alicia Apsara, is the third daughter of the Deputy Marketing Director of the Mithra Group in the American Federation."

I can't stand it, please don't speak in that fake voice, it's too disgusting

Who do you think I am? I am not ignorant of the matters concerning urban mercenaries

No wonder Karen said they get along quite well

However, Hayden shook his head, not agreeing with Karen's perspective: "I truly desire a partner and a family. Do not forget the fundamental social function of marriage."

However, as Hayden turned to the next page, the content displayed in the report began to seem somewhat off.

What function? To give birth?

How could you possibly come to ask me this out of curiosity... No, if it were you, it might actually be possible

He stroked his chin and still spoke well of his good friend

But for a commission of 10,000 gold coins, and also for his own curiosity, Hayden still has many things to attend to

Regardless of beauty or ability, everything has been crafted to a first-class standard by her family, which is what is referred to as a high-end product. She lives for this purpose, using her beauty and abilities to forge connections with others; this is the mission of this product

Realizing that Karen was quite displeased, Hayden wisely decided to change the subject: "Regardless of whether it is a marriage of office politics, love is something that is difficult to define. So how is the relationship between the couple?"

Hayden found himself in an uninteresting situation, so he had no choice but to obediently keep quiet and continue reading.

By the way, in contrast to the questionable matters involving Alicia, there is absolutely no evidence of Adam engaging in any misconduct in the personnel department's records, not even a hint.

"What the heck?" This finally took Hayden by surprise, "Someone who is about to get married still goes to places like this?"

Karen replied irritably

Moreover, even if it were to be discovered, so what? After all, everyone marries merely to gain economic advantages or to elevate their social status. As long as the objective is achieved, no one truly cares about what their spouse does in their daily life. As long as it does not create a public uproar or cause embarrassment, everything is fine. Marriage? It has long been an outdated social relationship.

That makes a lot of sense

Is there really nothing tangible? Audio recordings, video footage, or even just photographs would suffice

Although Hayden had always been aware of Angela's strange behavior, he did not think too much about it at that moment

Although he obtained the personnel department's information from the Mitra Group through Karen, Hayden couldn't help but feel a deep sense of disappointment at seeing her unperturbed expression

Being a son-in-law is not shameful. Rather, one could say that being able to marry into such a high-ranking family is a skill in itself. I do not possess such capability yet

I do not like to gossip about others, but I will make an exception this time

From these records, it appears that Adam and Alicia are getting along quite well. During their first week, they merely dined and chatted at upscale restaurants without much excitement. However, starting from their second date, they frequently visited more interesting and relatively casual places—such as coastal walkways for night views, sky gardens overlooking the city and stars, the Space Needle, department stores, flower shops, and even game centers. Judging by the photos, they seem to be enjoying these outings quite a bit. After just one month of dating, they officially decided to get married

Many people in companies collaborate with street thugs. They buy information from intermediaries, hire mercenaries and hitmen for dirty work, and bribe journalists and police... The so-called urban mercenaries are merely a collective term for professional criminals from the streets and underworld. I know you certainly do not lack professional skills, so why are you still particularly surprised

Hayden frowned as he set down the report

It appears that the Uppsala family had intended to bring Adam into the family as a son-in-law a year ago. Three months ago, they arranged for their unmarried third daughter, Alicia, to meet Adam for a courtship, and the two were married just three months later

As soon as Karen spoke these words, Hayden finally had an epiphany. When he previously received the work materials from the counter clerk, he was somewhat puzzled about how Adam Smith had become Adam Smith Uppsala; now he finally understood.

These intangible matters are indeed troublesome. At the very least, there needs to be something concrete for Hayden to report back to the intermediary and receive payment

Hayden leaned closer to the projection, scrolling the screen to begin reading

Hayden raised his eyebrows and replied: "Basically, it's curiosity. You see, Adam and I are pretty good friends, but I had no idea he was getting married, especially to the daughter of an executive from the world's top giant company. It's quite normal to want to inquire about it afterward, isn't it?"

Why should I continue producing this kind of product

Karen waved her hand and said solemnly

In the end, Adam has become a son-in-law who has come to live with his wife's family

Thus, Karen did not notice that Angela was eagerly observing the interaction between her and Hayden, as if she were continuously recording and analyzing something.

This action indeed incurred Karen's malicious curse: "To be honest, you should just go get sunburned once, it's too disgusting."

Ah, this.

No wonder you said that it is basically all about chasing shadows

Hayden shrugged: "Of course I have thought about it. That guy is tall, handsome, and loved by everyone; he is also very sociable. As soon as we entered university, while we were busy studying, he was already putting effort into building connections and networking. It wouldn't be surprising if he managed to maneuver his way into such a position after graduation."

So... why are you not surprised at all

Thus, he rarely and earnestly thanked Karen: "I owe you a personal favor"

Adam is also quite talented. His magical skills may not be on par with ours, but what the business department needs is social ability. If he lacked capability, the executives would have no reason to choose him as a son-in-law

She asked with profound significance

Hayden recognized the name of one of the upscale restaurants, as its private rooms were particularly favored by those with special intentions—according to his knowledge, those rooms had been imbued with all possible spells to guard against eavesdropping and prying, making them nearly absolute magical sanctuaries

However, perhaps due to the rather bizarre impression that Hayden had always left on Karen, she actually found herself somewhat believing him after he said that

It is essentially curiosity, and the rest is for the purpose of making money. According to Hayden's standards, this cannot be considered a lie

So what? After all, there is only this one photograph.

Never meddle in the personal affairs of executives at large companies

I am afraid. Therefore, you can only view it here; you are not allowed to take it away or make copies. Moreover, you owe me a favor.

If Karen is truly being used by her parents as a tool for political marriage in the office, shouldn't there immediately be a team of elite security personnel dispatched to apprehend Hayden, this unemployed man? How can he be allowed to stay in Karen's apartment?

Karen's voice is very cold

Well, this elf is quite perceptive

He quickly scanned the materials and summarized the points he found interesting

Thus, Hayden deliberately assumed his heaviest expression and replied in a slightly hoarse tone:

However, for now, let's not be curious about this. Hayden still has important matters to attend to.

I have read the report; they got to know each other and spent three months together before deciding to get married, and their relationship seems quite good. I have also come across some negative remarks, suggesting that Alicia is quite the socialite... However, these are mostly just rumors.

In this day and age, descendants are merely a form of commodity. Just look at this Alicia.

I have purchased retirement insurance, and I have been working part-time in alchemy to earn money. Even if I were to live to four hundred years old, it would not matter at all; I do not need a family or children.

She sighed at this point, suddenly turned her head, and gazed into Hayden's eyes

Karen scoffed

"I have seen this information before," Karen said impatiently, "Don't read it out loud."

She calmly said while projecting the personnel department information that Hayden wanted onto her phone—Kallen was not foolish enough to let Hayden take the company's information away. Regardless of whether Hayden was kind enough to bring her hot soup, he could only temporarily view it on her phone.

So Hayden nodded, giving her the most confident and charming smile: "Don't worry, it's just a high-end entertainment venue; how could it possibly intimidate me?"

Furthermore, you must tell me why you really want to see these things. Don't tell me it's purely out of curiosity—what exactly are you doing as a freelancer? A gossip journalist? A private investigator? Is someone paying you to investigate Adam's marital status?

Of course, I understand. The personal affairs among company executives are equivalent to power struggles—this perspective indeed reflects Karen's style

Furrowing her brows, she sighed for a moment, but ultimately spoke up

Ordinary people generally do not believe that someone would suddenly come to ask such a question purely out of curiosity

It is well known that elves hardly age and do not suffer from dementia; even without consuming rejuvenation potions, they can live for three to four hundred years. Karen dares to say these words not without confidence

In fact, I am a mercenary

Karen directly pulled out a photograph. The image captured was surprisingly from a month ago, depicting Alicia as she entered a high-end entertainment club in the city center. The sign on the six-story building displayed an elegant name: "Wenle Club"

Kallen's attitude has indeed softened a bit as a result

Hayden stared at her for a moment, then broke into a smile: "Aren't you afraid of being punished by the company again?"

Karen, however, did not like to hear this and immediately disdainfully said: "Do you think what I just said about those mid-level employees in the rat race was false? Even if he can outmaneuver many people, how far can his abilities really take him? Competence is merely one part of the promotion criteria. The office politics in large companies are incredibly dirty. If he doesn't rely on connections and only depends on himself, Adam, even if he works until the age of 59, will at most be a team leader in the business department and will never climb higher."

... ...

Only this

You also know that Adam is currently the Deputy Manager of the Business Department at the Mithra Group's Xinyatu branch, as well as the Supervisor of Graphics and New Projects, right? Not too big, not too small; this can be considered a middle management position. But have you ever thought about why a young person who has only been with the company for six or seven years can hold such a position

As Karen mentioned, there are indeed many interesting aspects in the investigation materials from the Human Resources Department regarding Adam and his wife

"Next time, I will make you pay it back," Karen said seriously. "So no matter what work you intend to do with this information, you must not get involved in the personal affairs of the executives in large companies; otherwise, be careful for your life. Do you understand what I mean?"

Firstly, the Human Resources Department of the Mitra Group has discovered some long-term communication records between Alicia and several other young middle managers within the company. Although it is not possible to directly eavesdrop on the content of these communications, the records indicate that even during the three-month period of their interactions, Alicia has maintained ongoing communication with several young male middle managers at the Mitra Group. Furthermore, it is not just communication; there are also reservation records in the databases of some high-end restaurants showing that she has met those men alone on multiple occasions.

Thank you for the information, Karen

Do you in the Human Resources Department of the Mitra Group know how things are between Adam and his wife?

Unexpectedly, Karen shook her pointed ears and instead scoffed at it

Of course, these do not indicate anything. Perhaps Alicia is merely discussing work-related matters with those young men or engaging in office politics

He originally wanted to see Karen's startled reactions.

In fact, Hayden could also guess why her mood was so poor. This was because Karen's father was the head of the Human Resources Department at the Mithra Information Group in the Federation of America, a true executive of a large corporation. Although she had left her hometown, Karen still lived in this upscale apartment belonging to her parents, which must make her family situation rather awkward

In response to this, Karen's reaction was

Although Hayden was eager to criticize Karen's temper, he prioritized the matter at hand due to the pressing debt situation

Although it is a serious matter, this question is indeed quite strange. Therefore, when Karen heard it, she immediately raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why are you asking about this?"

She pointed to the photograph on the projection screen