"Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for. Let me introduce to you the new head of the Human Resources Department. Let's give her a warm welcome, Miss Sofie Demonfire." As Sofie headed to the center stage, everyone's reaction was beyond her expectation. They were speechless seeing her on the stage. She felt like they'd seen a ghost or something.
"Oh my, I didn't expect you guys to be this silent. Anyways, thank you for introducing me. As the head of the HR department, I will review the performance of all working personnel and talents that have been in the company since 5 years ago. If you think you've done well so far, you don't have to be nervous about being fired the moment I step inside my office." Seeing their reactions, she giggled, diverting their attention to her beautiful face. "What's with that reaction? For sure all of you worked hard. This company won't be where it is now without your hard work. Don't worry too much, I'm not gonna bite. Unless you want me to." She winked teasingly, making the boys go wild over her.
"The new head is a beauty! I'll work even harder knowing there's someone like her now."
"Will she agree to date me?"
"Forget about it! You're not even fit to stand beside her."
"I'll marry her if I can!" The crowd started to feel alive and couldn't wait to see the other heads of each department.
"If our new HR head is that gorgeous, I'm gonna keep making mistakes just to be called into her office."
"You're a famous host, you don't have to do such things to get my attention. Your performance for the past few months was quite astounding." Sofie kissed the MC's cheek and walked back to her seat giggling. Then she looked at Slacovich, who was frowning. She gave him a sweet smile before she sat back on her chair.
"Sorry guys, I guess I'm already ahead by a point. Let's keep going. The Accounting Department has been in a miserable state right now after the past head faked a document stating expenses made for an invested film. Will the new head of the Accounting Department settle the accounts well this time? Please come to the stage, Mr. Diego Demonfire." Diego calmly walked to the stage and snatched the microphone from the MC.
"I've heard of the current situation of the Accounting Department. I've already verified some legal accounts and investigated fraudulent accounts which don't add up to the total expenses done for the past 2 years. This time, all finances must be signed by the president and will be seconded by me. Unnecessary expenses are prohibited. We must invest wisely and make use of all our resources before purchasing new ones. Money isn't really a problem, but the people entitled with such authority, if not punished, will always cause trouble in the future. I'll just be doing my job as head. Outside the company, that's a different story." Diego waved to the crowd and the girls started screaming. He smiled charmingly, making them blush as he headed back to his seat.
"Hearing that from him, I guess this company's getting more exciting. We've got a gorgeous HR head and now a very handsome Accounting head. That's just two out of seven. I won't keep you waiting, let's welcome the head of the Public Relations Department, Mr. Harry Demonfire." Dr. Harry wasn't used to being in public. Being isolated on the island for 5 years and just working his butt off, the attention given to him by the crowd was something new.
"As the new head of the PR department, my only focus is the company's well-being." He then walked back to his seat, embarrassed. The crowd clapped to show respect to the new head.
"Well, short and direct. He's perfectly fit to be the new head of the PR department, heh. And now, everyone's wondering who bought 68% of the total shares of the company, making him the new owner and CEO. Together with his personal Secretary. Let me introduce to you President Slacovich Demonfire and Secretary Li Demonfire." The MC moved to the side, giving the stage to them. Slacovich fixed his suit and tie then headed for the stage, having Li behind him. Slacovich's cold personality was scary, but his handsome face and masculine body were enough to make the women stare at him like he was naked. Li's Asian features made her shine too.
"Everyone, it's a great honor to stand before you. The company's achievements were very amusing. But I won't just stand here and stop growing. I'll lead this company to a brand new light. The entertainment industry sure is a good investment, but I plan to expand the range of the company. Before that, Heaven's Tears Entertainment will become Demon's Fangs Entertainment. Like demons lurking in the night seeking prey, I will make sure to surpass other companies and swallow them whole if they try to bring us down. We aren't afraid of the light, for we act not to harm the weak but to help them succeed. The company will be hiring even more capable personnel for our other affiliates. Demon's Fangs Entertainment belongs to Demonfire Group of Companies." Slacovich stopped his speech as he saw a familiar figure in the crowd. Clapping his hands loudly as he chuckled, Volton Hellgazer, together with Dr. Spencer, crashed the party uninvited.
"I've got to witness this fine man's words. I'll be glad to work with you, President Demonfire." He glared at Slacovich while grinning like a devil.
"President Hellgazer, what brings you here? For all I know, I didn't invite you. Care to tell me what you want?" Slacovich and the rest of the Demonfire members stood up, on guard.
"I didn't come here to quarrel with you. I'm here to welcome you as well. Here's a gift from me as a token of my appreciation. It's not easy to meddle into someone else's business, but who made it and snatched up the biggest entertainment company here in L.A.? I must commend you for that." Volton Hellgazer signaled Dr. Spencer to give the present to President Demonfire. Li stepped up and accepted it herself.
"You don't have to send me a gift, but I'll accept it out of respect. Now that you're here, why not stay and enjoy the rest of the night with us? We will surely treat you well. You're an important guest for tonight." Slacovich walked down the stage and faced Volton directly. Volton's men stood behind him while Sofie and the others backed Slacovich. Ara and Tyler were about to join them but Sofie stopped them and winked. Both of them knew what to do and just started gossiping to divert the crowd's attention.
"I've heard President Hellgazer is a man of conviction. Maybe President Demonfire caught his attention and wants to merge with the company. What do you think?" Ara whispered to the girl beside her, who happened to be a great gossiper.
"You think so? Oh my gosh, no wonder the atmosphere's so intense. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the reigning king of the business world and the rookie." The girl then started blabbering, making a fuss among the crowd. The others also recognized the men behind President Hellgazer, who were known for their stone fists when it comes to dealing with important clients.
"Aren't they called The Four Reapers of Satan?"
"Is that them? Oh my gosh, how creepy and scary. The name itself gives me chills already." Ara started showing off her acting skills.
"Hey hey, if President Hellgazer has reapers, how about our President?" Tyler sneaked up behind Ara, joining the gossiping.
"You're right, the girl beside President Hellgazer must be his personal Secretary. Our President has one too. Also, what a coincidence, there are four of the new department heads too. This is quite exciting." The girl couldn't hold back her mouth and made a great pawn to start off a public discussion.
"Who named President Hellgazer's group?" Tyler asked, keeping close to Ara. As she tried to ignore him not to blow up their cover yet, Tyler kept teasing her.
"Well, the clients they've been working with described how cold-blooded they handle transactions. One of the clients quoted it with, 'My company's soul has been taken by the reapers,' that marked the start of the Four Reapers of Satan. They do business pretty seriously."
"In that case, what would match the Reapers?" Ara secretly shrugged off Tyler's hand on her waist.
"A demon itself can be a hunter, right?" Tyler winked at the girl, which made her fluster.
"The Four Reapers of Satan can be hunted by demons themselves? Wait a minute. OMG!! I must post this on my social media." She took a photo of President Hellgazer's group and President Demonfire's group. She captioned it: "When Satan and his Reapers meet the Demons!" Her post went trending within a few minutes. It was the hottest topic for that night and everyone was talking about it on social media. Then they started calling President Demonfire's group The Four Hunters of Hell. Some took it as a rivalry between businessmen, others thought of it as a public strategy, and others were just fangirling over every hottie in the photo.
That night marked the declaration of the hidden war between the Demonfire and the Hellgazer. No one knows exactly that the conflict doesn't lie in the business world but far beyond that. No one in modern society will believe that vampires truly exist. They're just a bunch of old men's tales, fictional characters to scare away naughty children.
"President Demonfire, I guess I'll let you enjoy your own party. My stay here already ruined the mood. I don't wanna be an eyesore. An old man like me should instead help the young ones succeed." Volton offered a hand.
"President Hellgazer, you're a man of conviction. I might think of you as a role model and follow the path you paved in this business world." He accepted his hand and smiled. No one knew that behind that act lies a test of strength between the two. President Hellgazer let go first, obviously feeling hurt by President Demonfire's tight grip on his hand. He then bid his goodbye at the party and told his men to retreat. When the Hellgazers were out of sight, they resumed the party and broke the uneasiness of the people attending it. President Demonfire told the MC to proceed with the program and let everyone enjoy the food and drinks. Slacovich sat down, sighing in relief as he looked down on his hand with burn marks from Volton's handshake. Seems like Volton is far stronger than he is. He managed to hide the pain and continue with Volton's game. Dr. Harry checked on his hand and whether he was feeling something else. Sofie asked Slacovich to head back first to the mansion but he insisted on finishing the party. He must show strength in front of everyone. Who knows, a spy was already planted in the company. They must be cautious all the time to avoid any suspicion. Now that Hellgazer showed up the moment they made an appearance, what happened a while ago was just the beginning. Something more will come for sure and they must be well prepared for it. The only key to finding a spy in a crowd is to set a spy of their own. Tyler and Ara will play a great role in this hunt.