September 1, 2035 | 8:23 AM | Inside the GREM Virtual World

  Within a rented private server...

  inside a luxurious office located deep beneath the ocean.

  The surrounding walls were made of a special glass, crystal clear and incredibly strong, revealing a breathtaking view of multi-colored alien fish swimming gracefully through the deep blue.

  Inside the private office of the Chairman, ‘Suphat,’ a man in a pristine white suit, stood gazing at a giant whale and its calf swimming past the window.

  “Chairman, sir.” ‘Tum,’ a chubby young man, opened the door and waited politely.

  “Ah, Tum... have a seat.” Suphat glanced back briefly before returning to the view. “Do you know how much I pay to rent this place per month?”

  “Uh... I heard it’s about one thousand baht per month, sir.”

  “Exactly. And do you know how much I currently pay for our real-world office?” Suphat walked back to sit at his desk. “Three hundred thousand baht a month! And that’s not even counting the common fees, water, electricity, and other miscellaneous expenses.”

  Tum sat in silence, processing the numbers.

  “Here... the air is cold, the internet is lightning fast, and the atmosphere is five-star. Plus, the system records everything—from who completes the accounts to how many minutes someone spends picking their fingernails. I know it all.” Suphat rested his chin on his hands, staring intently at his trusted subordinate.

  “Any woman whose role isn't directly related to the production line—lay them all off! We are moving all office staff into GREM. As for those who are truly necessary, let them Work from Home.”

  “But sir...” Tum protested weakly, “many of our female employees have been with us for a long time. They’re highly skilled. If we let them all go, who will replace them?”

  “Look at this...” Snap! Suphat flicked his fingers.

  Accounting reports that were once the responsibility of female staff appeared as holograms beside him. “These days, the AI in GREM can handle almost everything. For the rest, we just hire one man with an accounting degree to double-check the accuracy. That’s more than enough.”

  “And what about product promotions that require women?”

  “Hire freelancers or outsource them on a case-by-case basis. It’s not that hard,” Suphat concluded cold-bloodedly.

  In the real world, a large office was a massive financial burden—rent, utilities, and the legal costs of maintaining a workforce. But in the world of GREM, everything was condensed into a server rental fee of just a few thousand. This was an equation that the capitalists simply could not ignore.

  ***

  September 5, 2035 | 9:30 AM | Bangkok, Thailand

  Inside a corporate meeting room.

  The atmosphere was thick with an uncomfortable silence. Tum stood at the front of the room, looking troubled as he gazed at the 36 female employees waiting for the major announcement.

  “As previously notified... everyone will receive severance pay in accordance with labor protection laws. And this month will be your last month working here...” Tum paused for a moment before continuing. “Please use the remaining time to clear your tasks and hand over your work to the new staff.”

  Every woman in the room looked shocked, their faces filled with intense dissatisfaction. Whispers began to ripple through the crowd, eyes flashing with questions. Suddenly, they were being laid off just because the company wanted to stop renting an expensive office and move everyone into a virtual world called ‘GREM’... a world that currently only permitted men.

  No matter how furious they were, since the company provided legal compensation, they could only bow their heads and accept their fate, stripped of any right to protest.

  ***

  September 6, 2035 | 7:30 PM

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Inside a living room at a private residence.

  “Sigh... I’d better save this money.” An office worker let out a heavy breath of regret.

  She was staring at her computer screen, which was open to a ticket booking site for her favorite Korean girl group’s major concert. Usually, no matter how high the price, she never missed it. But knowing she would be unemployed next month, her only joy had to be sacrificed. She decided to close the tab, choosing to keep her final lump sum for her next job or an emergency instead of buying temporary happiness.

  ***

  October 1, 2035 | 6:30 PM

  At a major concert venue.

  “Sawatdee-ka... Thailand!” The Thai greeting, spoken with a Korean accent by four famous idols, rang out across the stage.

  “Kyaaa!” The fans' cheers erupted instantly, but they weren't as deafening as in previous years. Looking around the hall, nearly half the seats remained empty. The phenomenon of ‘unsold tickets’ had never happened to a top-tier group before.

  The idols performed with incredible spirit, their sexy choreography and powerful vocals unleashed in full force. However, when the show ended...

  “What’s wrong, Manager?” ‘So-hyun,’ the lead singer, walked over to ask their female manager, who sat looking stressed backstage.

  “Sigh...” The manager let out a long breath. “We barely broke even! Did you girls do anything scandalous? Why did so many fans disappear?!”

  “No, we’ve been on our best behavior...” So-hyun replied, confused. Her bandmates nodded in agreement.

  “Whatever... the Thai economy this year must be truly rotting,” the manager muttered before walking away, leaving the four idols staring at each other in total bewilderment.

  ***

  October 10, 2035 | 10:40 AM

  At the Office of the National Foundation for Women and Gender Equality.

  Inside an office piled high with documents, ‘Nisa,’ the foundation's president, was scowling at her computer screen in deep stress.

  “Khun Nisa!” ‘Pim,’ a young secretary, rushed into the room carrying a thick file of complaints.

  Although Pim tried to dress professionally, the aging lines on her face and her weary eyes couldn't hide her exhaustion. As a middle-aged woman with a daughter in the workforce, she felt the weight of this situation personally.

  “There are more complaints about ‘GREM’ coming in! It’s too many to handle now!” Pim slammed the documents onto the table. “Office-based companies all over the world are simultaneously laying off female employees left and right, just so they can move their operations into that virtual world called GREM.”

  Pim bit her lip, her voice trembling as she continued. “This GREM thing... they say women can’t use it. Now women are being laid off in droves and can't find new jobs. And it's not just office girls; even famous net idols are going live just to sell their designer bags to pay off debts... What on earth is happening to our world?”

  Nisa remained silent for a moment, her eyes reflecting deep thought. “It’s like a deliberate attack...” she murmured softly before asking Pim, “Have you managed to schedule a meeting with a GREM representative yet?”

  “I can’t reach them at all! The company is legally registered, but no one knows where the headquarters is or how to contact the executives. The only person we can talk to is the ‘Sales Representative’ in Thailand, that guy named Nack.” Pim looked dejected. Nack was known for his blatantly sexist views.

  Nisa closed her eyes, thinking hard. Silence blanketed the room for a long time before she made a decision. “Schedule a meeting with Nack... In this situation, we have to talk to him!”

  ***

  October 12, 2035 | 12:10 PM

  In front of a warehouse.

  “Why can’t women use GREM? Do you know the real reason?” Nisa asked Nack, her voice polite yet firm with pressure.

  Today, Nisa and her team had to swallow their pride and travel all the way to meet Nack at a GREM warehouse just to discuss the device's functionality, as the number of unemployed women worldwide was skyrocketing at an alarming rate.

  “The higher-ups informed us that the system isn’t stable for women yet. Female brainwaves are much more complex than men’s, making them harder to support,” Nack lied through his teeth with a smug, irritating grin. The way he looked at Nisa was filled with mockery.

  “Are you certain it’s truly for technical reasons?” Nisa stared him down.

  “Hey! That’s just what they told me. I’m just a sales rep, not the manufacturer!” Nack argued evasively until Nisa demanded a direct contact number for the manufacturer. Nack gave her one dismissively.

  However, when Nisa called the international number, the response she received was a slap in the face.

  “Ma'am, we really cannot open it for women. Your brainwaves are too complex. If we force it open and someone dies, will you take responsibility for their lives in our place?!” The English voice on the other end was practically barking at her.

  Nisa was stunned. She couldn't argue because she lacked knowledge in neural science, and if someone really did die, she couldn't shoulder that responsibility.

  “Thank you... for letting me know.” Nisa hung up, her hand trembling slightly. She could feel an invisible wall closing women out of the modern world.

  “Gah! Hahaha!” Nack’s loud laughter erupted from a nearby restaurant. He had retreated there to eat snacks while pointing out Nisa to his friends as she stood dejectedly in the distance. “Hey, look at her face! She looks like a kicked puppy! Hahaha!”

  Now... the world that used to revolve around beauty and women’s rights was being slowly devoured by ‘GREM,’ its infrastructure crumbling, and they were powerless to fight back.