"Why did I dream about my mom?" I pondered to myself while cooling down my head under the refreshing flow of the shower. The dream had left me feeling both curious and a bit uneasy, and I couldn''t shake the question from my mind.


    "Why did Mom say all those things back then? Could it be that she knew about the system?" I muttered to myself, as questions about the origin of the system resurfaced in my mind.


    In that memory, she had called me the most special person on Earth, and the only thing I could connect to that level of uniqueness was the system itself.


    ''Damn it, even with all my passive skills, I still can''t draw any good conclusions. Maybe I should seek out my mom for answers?'' An idea suddenly popped into my mind.


    To be honest, I had been content without the prospect of meeting her again, but that dream had piqued my curiosity about her.


    There had always been a shroud of mystery surrounding my mother. While there was nothing particrly remarkable about my father''s side of the family, my mother''s side remained enigmatic.


    I knew my grandparents on my father''s side were no longer alive, but what about my mother side? There might be rtives somewhere I wasn''t aware of.


    For all I know, I could belong to an ancient family with a thousand-year history. Maybe my grandfather was one of those powerful figures from typical manhwa, who could demolish mountains with just a flick of his finger.


    ''No, that''s impossible. If he could do that, he would have found me already and not let me suffer for years,'' I chuckled to myself. Sometimes, my imagination takes me on wild journeys from time to time.


    ''I should ask ine to help me find a reputable private detective,'' I mentally noted to add this task to my to-do list.


    I was currently upied with finding ways to be stronger, so I didn''t want to handle the search for my mother personally. It would be too time-consuming, and hiring a professional would likely be a more efficient approach.


    After taking a shower, I looked around my room, considering my next ns.


    I took my time to get ready, putting on a semi-formal grey jacket and ck pants. I had two important meetings scheduled for the day, so I needed to look presentable. Toplete my look, I added a silver Rolex watch and a gold chain.


    Looking at myself in the mirror, I noticed that my hair had grown a bit longer, but it didn''t significantly change my appearance. If anything, it made me look more mature.


    ***


    ***


    "Good morning, Mr. Zyden," a man who appeared to be a typical office worker greeted me as we sat inside a restaurant. This man was one of my loyal employees .


    And when I mentioned "loyal employees," I actually meant ves. Of course, they were not aware that I was already exerting influence over them. In their minds, they believed they were loyal to me because I appeared to be a benevolent person.


    "Did you set it up?" I asked.


    "Yes, Mr. Zyden, I managed to rent an entire ind resort for two days," he replied.


    "Good. Here''s the list of tasks for you. I''ll be heading to the location a day before the scheduled meeting to tied up some loose ends, while your responsibility is to ensure that no one is present at the resort except for the staff," I instructed.


    "Yes, Mr. Zyden," he responded obediently.


    "Good," I acknowledged with a nod, content with hispliance.


    After our meeting, I headed to the barbershop for a quick haircut. My long hair was starting to get in the way, so I decided to try a new look and opted for a shorter hairstyle.


    With my new haircut, I made my way to the second meeting, which was in the location ine had mentioned. She had informed me that the owner''s assistant was already waiting for us.


    A 15-minute driveter , I arrived at a five-story building. Below it, there was a standardmercial area, with a bank on the first floor and a couple of insurance office. It seemed like the perfect location for my fake investmentpany.


    "Right this way, Mr. Zyden," ine greeted me with a professional smile. In public, she yed the role of my assistant, so she refrained from using any intimate terms.


    Apanying her was another woman in her 50s, whom I assumed to be the assistant of the owner of this location.


    She led us to the second floor, and after a few minutes of walking, I finallyid eyes on the office space.


    It was rather in and needed some improvements, but just by looking at it, I could already envision how I wanted to transform this office.


    "Do you like it?" the assistant inquired.


    "Yeah, I like it. But I really want to meet the owner," I decided to exert my influence on her. Assistant or not, having direct control over the owner would give me more freedom.


    "Alright, I will call her for you," she replied,plying with my request.


    ''Her? So the owner is a woman. I hope she''s beautiful,'' I muttered to myself as I started to explore the office. I began brainstorming ways to design the entire space ording to my preferences.


    "ine, I''d like you to hire an interior designer for me," I mentioned while taking in the view outside through therge windows.


    "Yes, Mr. Zyden," she replied respectfully.


    "And also, find me a reliable Private Investigator, I want the best" I added.


    "Alright," she nodded, but as I turned to face her, I noticed she appeared somewhat flustered and a bit embarrassed.


    It seemed like she was struggling to maintain a professional demeanor in my presence. I could sense in her eyes that she wanted to embrace me, but she held back.


    "I''ll reward you once we''re done here," I said, gently patting her head and giving her a kiss. The assistant was already under my influence, so there was no need to hold back.