SBC News Headquarters.
In the glamorous office room, Daniel sat across the table.
A few moments ago, he was celebrating the success of the news on Kiba. He knew he might upset both White Angel Corporation and Kiba, but he didn't care. After all, he was earning a great profit, especially considering his deal with Sylvan.
When Kiba called him, he thought he should entertain him. They might become enemies, but being cautious was wise.
Now, his joyous mood was ruined by a single statement from Kiba. If he had heard that statement from anyone else, he wouldn't be worried, but it was Kiba! Kiba's history was proof that he had succeeded in fucking others' wives! Instantly, Daniel regretted making Kiba his enemy.
"Kiba, what do you mean?" Daniel tried to be patient. He knew he couldn't let anger cloud his judgment, otherwise, there would be drastic consequences.
"You know what I mean. Anyways, there is a quote I religiously follow in my life," Kiba replied, changing the subject.
"Which quote?" Daniel curiously asked.
He wouldn't waste the chance to understand the thought process of his enemy. Based on that, he could even take some precautions.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
This famous saying had benefited Daniel a lot and this was why he wanted to know the quote Kiba religiously followed.
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant," Kiba had a profound expression on his face as he spoke. There was an extraordinary gleam in his eyes when he said 'seed' and 'plant.'
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Daniel didn't dare think about the meaning of 'seed' and 'plant.'
"Your channel showed the news about the 'harvest' I reaped. So I will show you the process of 'planting' the 'seed'," Kiba patiently continued his explanation. "Honestly speaking, all I care about is the planting process. I leave harvesting to guys like you."
"Son of a bitch!" Daniel was incensed.
"Come on! I am doing it for your sake," Kiba's expression showed how disappointed he was at Daniel's incompetence to understand. With a sigh, he continued, "Imagine the TRP your channel will earn when the world learns of me planting my seed inside Sarah! Imagine how glad your wife would feel to have an extraordinary seed planted inside her! I do all the hard work but you get to reap the benefits! It is a win-win situation, no matter how you look at it!"
"I will kill you!" Daniel cursed.
"The world doesn't appreciate kindness but this doesn't waver my determination of helping you or your wife," Kiba added in a voice filled with deep sorrow.
A sage won't stop rescuing the life of a mortal just because the mortal doesn't want to live. Helping others was the duty of sages, and Kiba felt the same when the wives of others were concerned.
"Motherfucker, don't you dare say another word!" Daniel's anger surged out. The glass windows started shaking and the lights dimmed.
He had been happily married for over a decade and even fathered two children. Now, this 'Wife Hunter' was targeting his wife! So how could he control himself!?
"Becoming a cuckold is good for you. Imagine the happiness your wife would feel to be in my arms," Kiba's expression showed he was imagining the 'happiness' of Sarah.
"I will rip you to shreds if you dare come near my wife!" Daniel fumed with anger. The windows cracked and the lights blasted apart.
"I'm talking about love and happiness, and yet, you have been caged by negative emotions. Please know the greatest enemy of mankind is anger!"
"#$%!"
"Let me ask you something: Doesn't the happiness of a husband lie in the happiness of his wife?" Kiba asked.
"It does! And I have provided her with all the happiness!" Daniel answered proudly. He had treated his wife Sarah like a queen and had never cheated on her despite countless opportunities.
"You haven't," Kiba disagreed.
"I haven't!? How would you know?!"
"I know such things but I can't share details as they are trade secrets," Kiba replied with a faint smile.
"YOU!"
"I am sure you are a good husband and hence perfectly suitable for the role of a cuckold," Kiba added with a smile full of good intention.
Daniel was turning insane with every passing second. How could being a good husband make one suitable for becoming a cuckold?!?
"Don't you get bored if you eat the same food every day? Don't you feel annoyed if you have to wear the same clothes every day?" Kiba asked.
"How are they related to being suitable for a cuckold!?" Daniel was having a hard time understanding Kiba.
"It is normal for human beings to get bored if they follow the same routine every day. Sure, they might not complain but that's because they don't have any choice. This basically means they are not happy!" Kiba slowly explained as if he were a professor explaining to his weakest student.
Daniel snapped his teeth in frustration. He could now understand what Kiba wanted to tell him.
His wife was tired of only having him as her sexual partner. She needed a new partner in bed and Kiba was volunteering! This was the kindness and help he was talking about!
"If you love your wife then don't bind her in the shackles of marriage. Allow her to have the happiness she has always craved for!"
Kiba took a brief pause before asking.
"You want to be a good husband, right?"
SBC News Headquarters was located in the inner zone of the city. Matching its reputation as the number one media corporation in the city, the headquarters occupied a twenty-story building.
The employees working at SBC took great pride in their career field.
News had the power to destroy a hard-built reputation. Similarly, a single scandal was enough to ruin a company.
In a way, news channels were perhaps more powerful than mutant abilities! After all, the mutants couldn't use their powers as they pleased due to the laws. But news channels were different!
On the 18th floor, a group of ten employees stared at two computer screens. On one screen, the news about Kiba becoming a father was displayed. On the other, the real-time TRP ratings of the channel were projected.
This group consisted of high-ranking members of the channel. Naturally, the TRP ratings mattered to them since it directly affected their pay. As they observed the screen, smiles bloomed on their faces. The TRP ratings were soaring!
"Daniel and Sarah have outdone themselves once again!" a female official said with reverence.
"Indeed, the TRP is great! It has even surpassed entertainment channels!" a male official exclaimed.
"Sarah truly knows what type of news sells!" another female official added. The information about Sarah buying the source of 'breaking news' was a secret known only to the core members.
"Daniel is amazing as well. He has prepared the news script himself," another official chimed in.
It was no easy feat for a news channel to surpass the TRP of entertainment channels, but now their channel has achieved that. So how could they not be proud of Daniel and Sarah for knowing the nerve of the public?!
"Truly, scandals always sell!"
Especially if it involved a married woman that resulted in pregnancy. And presenting the scandal in an innovative way could turn it into a lifetime product!
"We should be grateful to Kiba for his womanizing habit otherwise we wouldn't have this scandal!" a male officer joked. Inside his heart, he cursed the gods for giving Kiba such enviable luck with women.
"Agatha deserves credit as well for being a slut!" a female employee remarked. Her expression denoted how she despised women like Agatha for having an extramarital affair.
"Haha, I'm sure Agatha won't be able to show her face to the public," a male employee said. He wanted to get on the good side of the female employee, so he took her side.
"She deserves it!" the female employee from before added with a smile.
"Daniel would be extremely pleased as well with the progress our channel is making!" a female employee wearing glasses remarked. She tried to change the topic since she wasn't comfortable with negative remarks against Agatha.
"Of course! Daniel would be dancing with joy!"
"True. If I were Daniel, then I would be celebrating!"
The group nodded while their gaze unconsciously passed to the office room nearby. It was the office of Daniel.
The male employees cast envious looks. Daniel had a stunning wife in the form of Sarah, and knowing that, they turned jealous.
"Daniel is a good husband as well!" a female employee exclaimed. Women liked successful men and Daniel had gone a step ahead by being a perfect gentleman.
"I want to have a good husband like Daniel as well," another female said.
Just then a loud bang came from Daniel's office.
*BANG*
The group was dumbstruck as they saw a table crashing out of the office window. Not only did the window break, but even the wall nearby showed signs of cracking!
"MOTHERFUCKER! I DON'T WANT TO BE A GOOD HUSBAND!!" Daniel thundered so loudly that the floor violently trembled.
The group was shocked. Just a few seconds ago, they felt Daniel would be celebrating in joy, but now... He definitely wasn't happy!
Just what happened?
And what did he mean by not wanting to be a good husband?!
The female employees were even more shocked. They had praised him for his gentlemanly behavior!
---
Inside the office room, Daniel huffed in anger. He couldn't control his anger any longer, so he vented it on the furniture.
He took a deep breath and focused his attention on the virtual screen where Kiba's holographic image was projected.
A minute ago, Kiba had said: "If you love your wife then don't bind her in the shackles of marriage! Allow her to have the happiness she has always craved for!"
Like that wasn't humiliating enough, Kiba went a notch higher by asking: "You want to be a good husband, right?"
Good husband?!?
Fuck! I don't want to be a good husband if it means becoming a cuckold! What type of man would I be if I let my wife sleep with another man?!?
He felt a type of humiliation he had never suffered in his entire life. He was a respectable media tycoon in Delta City but now this wife hunter stated his intentions of turning him into a cuckold!
The most annoying part was that this wife hunter pretended it was for his well-being!
By saying his wife's happiness relied on him being a cuckold!
This bastard wanted to sleep with his wife so that she could feel the happiness she had always been craving for! Just what type of happiness was that?!?
Sure, I want to be a good husband who keeps his wife happy, but I don't want to give my wife this type of happiness!
This happiness would kill me!
Daniel wanted to retort, but he didn't know how to respond because Kiba's words technically made sense! He didn't want to admit it, but there was logic in Kiba's words, no matter how outlandish!
If one gets tired of having the same food and wearing the same clothes, then what about having only one lover throughout life?!?
Son of a bitch! Why am I thinking his words make sense?!?
I don't want to become a cuckold!
If it were possible, he wanted to strangle Kiba, but he knew the image in front of him was nothing but a virtual projection created by the telecommunication device.
He tried to calm himself but failed after seeing the relaxed attitude of Kiba. His blood started boiling again.
"I swear I will kill you if you make a single move on my wife!" Daniel blurted out a warning.
"How disappointing for you to not appreciate kindness," Kiba responded in a disappointed tone.
"Kindness?!?" Daniel was just going crazy thinking about the kindness Kiba wanted to offer.
"You might not want to become a good husband, but I will make sure you become a good husband!" Kiba declared, ignoring Daniel's warning.
A man might want to commit suicide, but how can a sage allow that to happen? Similarly, a husband might not want to become a cuckold, but how could Kiba allow that?
It was the duty of a sage to save lives, and similarly, Kiba felt he had a duty to make every man (with a beautiful wife) into a cuckold.
It was a sense of responsibility! It was a mission he lived for!
How could Kiba back off from his holy duty because of Daniel's threats?
"Anyways, I will make sure to send you some good video clips for your entertainment!" Kiba added as he ended the call. "Wait for them!"
Video clips?!?
Daniel almost coughed up a mouthful of blood thinking about the content of those clips...
----
Kiba was calm. A smile was visible on his face as if he had succeeded in something big.
[[Congratulations, sir.]] As an advanced artificial intelligence, Claudia could understand the psychology of humans and knew why her master gave a 'courtesy call' to Daniel.
"Congratulations?" Kiba asked.
[[You have successfully baited Daniel. Since you have succeeded, congratulations are in order.]]
"Hehe, thanks. To be honest, Daniel was much easier to bait than I thought."
[[That is all thanks to the infamy you have.]] Claudia said without mercy.
"Hey! You are giving the credit to my fame, but I have done hard work to achieve it!"
[[Sir, I used the word infamy and not fame.]] Claudia corrected him.
Kiba's mouth twitched. He knew she was referring to his reputation for having affairs with married women. It was known to almost everyone in the city that he had affairs with the wives of top executives. People knew he hadn't spared even the daughters and wives of government officials.
This reputation was infamy, and hardly anyone would doubt his skill in seducing a woman, married or not.
What others didn't know was that sometimes Kiba used his reputation as a weapon. If an ordinary person told Daniel that he would cuckold him, chances were Daniel wouldn't believe that person nor give any importance to the threat.
The reason was simple: a marriage was founded on love. Not anyone was capable of ruining that holy bond.
But Kiba? He had the reputation of destroying even the best of marriages! He had affairs with women who were madly in love with their husbands and yet they succumbed to temptation!
This was why during the conversation, Daniel didn't say words like "no one can break my marriage" or "my marriage is too strong to be destroyed."
The reason was not that he didn't trust his wife. Instead, it was because he believed Kiba had the ability to have an affair with his wife.
The truth was Kiba could have seduced Sarah even without baiting Daniel. He only baited Daniel to make him feel suffocated.
This conclusion would become a demon in his heart, and he would always be haunted by it. He would start doubting his wife and become suspicious of her even in normal matters! This, in turn, would create a small spark in the marriage!
[[If conditions are right, a small spark can turn into a mighty flame that burns everything!]]
"I have to make the conditions right for my next step," Kiba said with a sigh. He wasn't the type of person who would force himself on a woman, so he had to make favorable conditions for the woman to fall.
Making a married woman consent to an affair was a difficult process. It required time and patience.
"Claudia, start finding out which 'category' Sarah belongs to," Kiba ordered.
[[Understood.]]
Claudia knew what category her master was talking about: the type of marriage a woman was in.
After years of trial and error, Kiba had made a category classification that would help him in his hunt. He had basically divided the marriages into three categories:
1. Broken marriage - The woman was unhappy with the marriage. It could be due to a variety of reasons such as monetary issues, a dull sex life, etc. Kiba found women in this category easy to seduce.
2. Adventurous marriage - The woman was looking for fun outside the marriage. She might be happy with the marriage but wanted fun. Kiba believed this category was difficult to handle as the woman looking for fun might have conditions of her own. She wouldn't have an affair with any Tom, Dick, or Harry. This category was the reason Kiba decided to become a master of all trades.
3. Happy marriage - The women in this category had a blissful married life. They didn't need any thrill from outside since they were completely satisfied. This type of woman was the most difficult to seduce.
"I truly hope Sarah doesn't belong to the third category!" Kiba mumbled. "Otherwise, I would have a headache with all the plans I need to think!"
[[...]]
"How can the world know the amount of hard work I do for weeks and months just for a day of pleasure!" Kiba complained. Only he knew how difficult his job was.
[[Sir, you are shameless.]] Claudia remarked.
She had a free thought process and wasn't restricted in many ways. So she would often make brutal but honest observations.
Kiba was startled. How could anyone call him shameless? That too by someone who knew him the best!
"Claudia, your words have hurt me!"
[[Sir, you plan to cuckold someone, but your behavior is like you are doing the poor cuckold a favor. You are now even complaining about your 'job'.]]
"Ah well... you wouldn't understand since you are not a human!"
[[Understand what?]] Claudia was surprised.
Since she managed an advanced research lab, she had studied every book about human psychology. Not only that, but she had also studied research materials based on live experiments on humans. So she was confident in her ability to understand human psychological behavior.
"Responsibility!" Kiba answered in a solemn tone.
[[Responsibility?]] Claudia couldn't understand how the shameless behavior of her master and the word 'responsibility' were connected.
As far as she was concerned, there was an infinite distance between her master and responsibility.
"Yes, I feel a sense of responsibility in what I do. A human must take pride in what he does, no matter the job, because it involves responsibility! And feeling burdened by responsibility is a natural response of humans!" Kiba explained with a straight face.
Claudia was silent as she analyzed his words.
"Do you now understand?" Kiba asked her.
[[Yes, sir. I have understood that you are more shameless than I ever thought.]]
"........."
[[I wonder if you will ever feel burdened by your shameless behavior.]]
"..........."
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