Tears welled up in Stussy's eyes, but she dared not let them fall.
"What... what do you want?" Stussy's voice was hoarse, tinged with a sob, completely lacking her previous composure and charm.
"I want things." Tatsuki's reply was simple and crude, filled with undisguised lust and greed.
He released Stussy's wrist but continued to hold her chin, his thumb gently stroking her trembling red lips.
Tatsuki held up two fingers.
"First, starting today, twenty percent of Pleasure District's annual revenue, which is seventy billion Berries, must be transferred to the secret account of the G-5 Branch. As for how you balance the books, that's your problem, but I believe it won't be difficult given your capabilities."
Stussy bit her lip and nodded, her face pale.
Seventy billion...
Although it would make things tight, it was still within her tolerable limits.
"Second."
Tatsuki leaned closer, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp.
"You and your worldwide intelligence network also belong to me."
"I will be the Pleasure District's... Shadow Master."
Overbearing, savage, and unreasonable.
This was no longer a negotiation, it was blatant plunder. This was turning her, Stussy, and the entire Pleasure District, into his private property.
But did Stussy dare to refuse?
Looking into those cold eyes, she knew that if she dared to say "no," tomorrow's headline would be: "Shock! The Queen of the Pleasure District is Actually a Clone!"
"...I agree."
Stussy closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears streamed down her face.
She looked like her spine had been removed, slumping completely on the ground, utterly submissive.
[Ding! Detected that the Host leveraged core secrets to coerce and entice a high-ranking CP0 Agent, successfully and illegally seizing core assets of the World Government!]
[The means are extremely despicable! The conduct is utterly shameless!]
[Assessment: Ultimate Maneuver! This is scumbag-level extortion, even among pirates!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have gained a massive amount of Violation Points: 100,000!]
Listening to the beautiful system notification sound in his mind, especially the evaluation of "scumbag," Tatsuki felt it was like the music of the heavens.
This trip to the Pleasure District was absolutely worth it.
In high spirits, he plopped down onto the luxurious leather sofa stained with red wine and crossed his legs.
Looking at the queen who was once high and mighty but now pitifully vulnerable on the floor, Tatsuki issued his first command in the tone of a master.
"Stop kneeling. The floor is cold. Now, go change your clothes and pour me the best wine."
"Then, tell me every last detail you know about the latest movements of all forces in the New World."
Stussy wiped away her tears and slowly stood up.
She took a deep look at this terrifying man and lowered her proud head.
"Yes... Master."
Stussy silently rose and walked into the lounge behind the office like a puppet.
Tatsuki, meanwhile, leaned comfortably on the priceless leather sofa and casually picked up an unfinished document from the table. It was a list detailing arms smuggling in the Underworld, and the figures on it were staggering.
"Tsk, these black market operators really rake in the profits." Tatsuki muttered, curling his lip.
A few minutes later, the lounge door opened.
When Stussy reappeared, Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, his appreciation undisguised.
The sexy silk nightgown she had been wearing was gone. In its place was a well-tailored black women's suit skirt.
The snug fabric perfectly hugged her breathtaking, mature curves. The top two buttons of her white V-neck shirt were undone, revealing just the right amount of snowy neck and delicate collarbone.
To hide the traces of crying, she had even put on a pair of rimless glasses, adding a touch of ascetic intellectual beauty.
This woman was sensible.
She knew that the current Tatsuki didn't need a mere temptress to please him in bed, but a shrewd secretary capable of managing his hundreds of billions in assets.
Stussy walked up to the ruined wine cabinet and elegantly selected the only bottle of top-tier red wine that had survived the wreckage. She picked up a crystal glass, meticulously wiped it clean with a handkerchief she carried, and then approached Tatsuki. She did not bend down, habitually intending to pour the wine while standing upright.
"Wait."
Tatsuki's lazy voice rang out, carrying undeniable authority.
Stussy's movements froze. A flash of humiliation crossed the eyes behind the glasses, but it was quickly suppressed by reason.
"Since you're a secretary, act like one."
Tatsuki pointed to the wool carpet on the floor, a playful smile on his lips. "Kneel."
"Look up, and pour for me."
Stussy's knuckles gripping the wine bottle instantly turned white.
As the Queen of the Underworld, as an elite member of CP0, when had she ever been subjected to such treatment?
But when her eyes met Tatsuki's, which were so deep they held no desire, only pure possessiveness, she understood one thing.
This was not humiliation, it was a compliance test.
If she couldn't even perform this step, all the cooperation they had discussed, and even her life, would be rendered void.
Three seconds of deadly silence passed.
Biting her back molars, Stussy slowly, inch by inch, bent her knees. The carpet was soft, yet kneeling felt like she had landed on knife points, piercing all her self-respect.
"Yes... Tatsuki-sama."
She raised her head, exposing her vulnerable throat. Her hands steadily held the bottle, and the crimson wine poured into the glass like blood, exactly one-third full.
[Ding! Detected Host has completely privatized a high-level CP0 agent!]
[Acquired Violation Points: 20,000!]
"Very good."
Tatsuki listened to the system prompt with satisfaction and picked up the wine glass, but didn't drink.
He extended his other hand, and his rough thumb gently stroked Stussy's delicate face, feeling the smoothness and trembling of her skin beneath his palm.
"I like obedient tools, understand?"
Stussy closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and replied softly, "I understand."
"Alright, drop that deeply aggrieved expression."
Tatsuki took a sip of wine and instantly switched back to work mode. "Let's get down to business. The situation in the New World, especially regarding Roger."