Chapter 189 Legal Crime

"This… is disturbing." A beautiful black woman with a curly ponytail said, "We did a background check on everyone you accepted, and they were all law-abiding citizens."

"And still are." Kaze smiled charmingly, standing before a bulletin board.

"Yeah…." Carmen sighed, reading a poster in the basement of the Luxe, "Do you understand how… wrong this feels for me?"

"As opposed to what?" The emperor scoffed breathlessly, rolling his eyes, "Switching your tactics from arresting people to killing them as a containment strategy?

You've been enforcing laws impartially, no matter how corrupt, your whole career. All that's changed is who is creating the laws.

Don't claim yourself a servant of virtue when you're the executioner of arbitrary beliefs."

The Malta police chief turned to him sharply but quickly turned away. She didn't want to start trouble with the hand that fed her.

However, she sighed after awkwardly standing with him in silence. While she wanted to move on, he waited for her to respond with a devastatingly mocking smile, and she had to admit it was a pertinent topic. So she forced herself to move forward.

"Are you waiting for me to affirm my willingness to follow your laws?" She asked dryly.

"Of course not." Kaze smiled mysteriously, "You've already proven yourself someone willing to enforce disagreeable policies for the right price."

Carmen's face turned pink, and she turned away indignantly. "Must you remind me so frequently?"

"You'll [live] with your decision for the rest of your life." He said hypnotically, looking around the room, "It's truly dreadful that you'll bear that woe for a long time."

The police chief's face evolved from indignant to understanding and from understanding to feeling a pang in her heart for complaining.

"To think that being rational about a party would keep me alive." She chuckled in disbelief.

"You needn't drown in remorseful introspection." Kaze scoffed breathlessly, shaking his head quickly, "I recognized your value, and you mine.

Now we're here, and your beliefs have bore fruit—so prove mine weren't barren."

"You know I won't fail at something this simple." Carmen smiled bitterly, looking at the printed document before her, "It's just hard to believe that good people are already jumping into these ill… previously illegal enterprises."

"It's not that surprising." The emperor smiled, "Malta had laws prohibiting these services because people wanted them, but the government deemed them harmful to society.

What the government believes differs from the populace, who only seek to fulfill their desires.

So when a government deems them beneficial for society, they have no problem providing or engaging in them."

The ex-Maltian Police chief looked at the paper with a conflicted expression. "You're saying that [these] services are beneficial to society?"

—

Underground Bizarre Placement Auction

The Underground Bizarre (UB) holds a biweekly auction for business space. Of the rooms and marketplace spaces, 80% get auctioned, and the other 20% are reserved for government-subsidized services, governmental policies, or rewards.

-

Taxes

There is a 10% tax on RP over 10 RP profit and a 20% tax on Skye over 1,000 Skye profit. Revenue is taxed after profit allowances get met.

Note: The profit-oriented taxation system ensures that taxes don't stymie services, start-ups, and entrepreneurship. If an individual underperforms to avoid taxes, they will get taxed on revenue exclusively thereafter. Tax evasion comes with heavier penalties.

...

Services at Tonight's Auction

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Sex Work

Gambling

Liquor and Recreational Substances

Healing Services

Unofficial Therapy Services

Mercenary and Scavenging Requests

...

—

"Perhaps these services are a net loss in the developed world." The emperor said strangely, "However, people need a release from stress during the apocalypse lest they create real problems.

While we present people with the guise of absolute freedom, our citizens remain regulated and constricted within these walls.

We've moved what exists behind closed doors into our closed doors, benefit from taxation, and prevent larger problems.

Surely, you believe that these services are beneficial now, yes?"

Carmen gave him a wry smile. "I find it better."

She followed him into the main Underground Bizarre ballroom. It had 500 chairs set up in the main area with a full stage Daniel's builders had constructed.

A massive sign on the back wall read: "Underground Bizarre's Exotic Goods and Services Placement Auction."

It was written in elegant letters, lathed into the wood, and colored with a rich red paint before being varnished.

"Did… you get builders to make that sign?" Carmen asked with a crumbling expression.

"No, no." Kaze chuckled, "I commissioned this sign when I purchased the Immortal Skye campus."

"So you planned to break the law like this from the start?" She asked dryly.

"Is that a problem?" He asked with a magnetic tone laced with amused ridicule.

"Permission to speak bluntly." Carmen requested, puffing out her cheeks and turning away.

"Permission granted." Kaze replied charmingly.

"You're unbelievably powerful, capable, and attractive." She replied frankly, turning back to look into his eyes, "So why must you find amusement in ridiculing people? It just makes people unwilling to give you the satisfaction of being right."

He raised his eyebrows in a [oh, really?] type of expression. "That's strange to say when I find your unambiguous mannerisms, blatantly stating you agree with me, very satisfying."

Carmen's face turned red, turning away again and biting her lip. "How long will you hold my first night's treatment of you against me?"

"Once you stop treating me the same way." Kaze smiled mockingly, "Right now, the only thing that's changed is respect for my authority and a slight acceptance of your attraction to me. Beyond that, you're still the same."

The police chief's eyes widened in aggressive perplexion, and she turned to lay into him for workplace harassment or reflexively deny his words but fell short.

"Well, hello, Emperor." A sensual voice interjected, walking through the door, "Excellent evening, isn't it?"

Kaze turned around to face the woman walking up, swiveling her hips in a crimson dress with magnetic allure. "Hello, Sage.

You're looking stunning tonight, especially with those earrings. Did you feel this event was worth this level of charm?"

Sage gave him a beautiful smile, tucking a lock of her straight red hair behind her ear. Her sexual allure as a powerful businesswoman was overshadowed by her allure as a woman, hair down, in a cocktail dress.

She had emerald earrings that matched her eyes which were slightly hidden by her hair that he called out, proving his attention to detail. It made her feel good.

"I didn't get dressed up in a cocktail dress for a professional event." Sage replied, flashing a coquettish smile, "I got dressed up because I was sitting next to a certain aggravatingly charming, non-committal playboy."

Carmen's eyes widened in confusion when he saw the two flirting openly, considering that Sage was a management official and he had a known relationship with Evalyn Skye—the Skye in Immortal [Skye].

However, after she remembered that Kaze was always in a relationship with Evalyn and had a promiscuous reputation regardless, she turned red in annoyance.

Her disdain for improper workplace relationships and language got overshadowed by irritation that he ignored her business-oriented conversation to flirt genuinely!

"Is that so?" Kaze mused, looking at the redhead, "I'm not sure who this playboy is, but if you dressed this enchanting for someone you disdain, he must have heavily redeeming qualities."

"Does he, I wonder?" Sage asked herself playfully, "I'm not sure he's even minorly redeemable. However, that doesn't change how I feel about him or how I'll [treat] him."

He glanced at her body from top-to-bottom with a charmingly predatory gaze, looking up with a slight smile. "I'm sure he'll look forward to your [treatment] later."

The redhead gave him a mysterious, sensual look before turning to the stage. "Well, I must attend to a few matters.

I'll see you and Carmen in the ultra-exclusive VIP box with seating for three and two empty spaces later."

"Until then." Kaze replied amusedly, watching her bubble butt swivel in her red dress as she walked away. Then he turned to the ex-police chief. "Hoh? You're not going to grill me about sexual harassment? You were so adamant about that in the past."

Carmen blushed and turned away with an embarrassed expression. "This is your country, with your laws. We just discussed my abiding by them, so don't mock me for doing so."

"I suppose we did just do that, didn't we?" Kaze chuckled in amusement, "The question is, do you like the laws here? I'm rather curious about that."

"I support some and have grievances with others." She cringed, trying to avert her gaze, "But… I have yet to decide whether I like some of them."

"Is that so?" He mused, "Well, if you ever want to break Maltian law legally to determine whether you like something, let me know.

I think you'd be shocked how fast you can adapt to new legalities if you desire them."

Carmen felt a shiver of thrill and anxiety crawl down her spine when he said those words. She turned to him with a complex expression and froze when she saw his charming smile.

It had a magnetic allure that made her want to run away to prevent herself from saying and doing things she might regret. However, she knew she wouldn't run and didn't plan to.