Cleveland: *Shaking with anger and cold!*
He was trembling all over from Asher's words.
He wanted to criticize Asher, but upon thinking carefully about Asher's words, 'Damn it!'
He actually didn't know where to start criticizing from.
While Cleveland and the others were shaking with rage and cold, Asher waved his sleeve and left this place without taking away a single cloud.
Cleveland and the others, who finally came back to their senses: "..."
There was already no one in front of them.
What else could they do?
"Damn it!", Cleveland gritted his teeth with an expression full of hatred, "Soren… Soren…"
'Just too arrogant!'
It wasn't Dustin, but rather the beast tamer Ronan, who had contracted the Drilling Bug, that opened his mouth hesitantly, "That is to say… is there a possibility that we were the ones who first wanted to act arrogantly in someone else's home?"
'So getting mocked in return doesn't seem like something completely incomprehensible, right?'
Cleveland: "..."
Cleveland glared fiercely at Ronan.
'Why did you have to speak such a blunt truth!'
'Did I need to hear this kind of brutal honesty?'
'No!'
'Absolutely not!'
'What I need now is for others to go along with my words!'
'Don't you get it!'
Ronan: "..."
Ronan awkwardly rubbed his nose.
He understood.
But understanding was one thing, whether to act on it was another matter.
Thinking back to how the Drilling Bug's condition had significantly improved after interacting with Asher, Ronan's current feelings were extremely complicated.
Back then, led by Cleveland, a group of pet professors encountered him.
After a brief interaction and understanding, Cleveland said he saw infinite potential in his Drilling Bug.
He hoped Ronan would let the Drilling Bug cooperate with their research.
Ronan was very hesitant.
At that time, he hadn't contracted the Drilling Bug for long, and essentially, he wasn't a cold-blooded beast tamer.
Ronan had a dream, to become a powerful beast tamer.
To be closely bonded with his pet beast.
To reach the peak of this path together.
But Ronan also had greed.
After hearing that by agreeing, he could get lots of resources, a slot for contracting rare beasts, high-level resource application rights… and every aspect would be greenlit, Ronan couldn't hold back and agreed.
Then…
Ronan actually wasn't too clear on what happened afterward.
Though he was the Drilling Bug's tamer, the total time he spent with the Drilling Bug wasn't even as long as those people like Cleveland.
Only occasionally, when he recalled the Drilling Bug back to the beast space in his spiritual sea, he'd notice the Drilling Bug's state didn't seem very good.
Ronan had always been torn.
On one hand, he was reluctant to give up the benefits.
On the other, the Drilling Bug's condition kept getting worse.
Also, the so-called potential power in the Drilling Bug's body hadn't been discovered at all, and Cleveland's temper kept getting worse.
The final straw was this trip to Soren.
Seeing with his own eyes how Soren's pet professors easily cured the Drilling Bug's state… what Cleveland thought, Ronan didn't know.
But Ronan himself had a mental breakdown.
Over there, Cleveland still didn't know what Ronan was thinking.
Even if he did, he wouldn't care.
He was currently discussing with Dustin, "If we join forces with those people from Cold Nation now…"
"Professor, they won't listen to us."
"Damn it! Damn Soren people! Damn Cold Nation! What the hell are they doing!"
Cleveland raged in powerless fury.
———
Cold Nation research team: "?"
What?
Stirring trouble?
No. There wasn't a single thought of stirring trouble in their minds anymore.
What they most wanted now was to exchange for Radiant Peacock's evolution path from Soren.
"No! Too much! This really is too much!", Professor Nance sat at the negotiation table with Professor Hubert, trying to lower the price.
Soren was just too ruthless.
They asked for five times the previous highest transaction price right from the start.
Nance: "!"
'We aren't some big suckers!'
"One point five times," Nance gritted his teeth and said, "This is the maximum we can accept!"
Professor Hubert held his insulated cup, chuckled, took a sip of hot goji berry water, and smiled serenely, "Five times. No bargaining."
"If we can't come to terms, then we don't have to negotiate at all."
His voice was extremely calm.
So calm that Asher and Professor Desmond, who were also dragged into this negotiation, almost looked sleepy sitting beside him.
Then the next second, they were jolted awake by Nance's loud voice.
"You're clearly price gouging!", Nance slammed the table hard, his voice full of anger.
Asher and Professor Desmond: "!"
They straightened up like a carp flipping over.
"Yep," Professor Hubert nodded righteously, not feeling at all that admitting it was any problem.
Nance was stunned.
Nance's pupils quaked.
'What?'
'Since when did Soren people have this kind of attitude?'
This was totally different from the Soren people in his impression.
"Don't fall into stereotypes," Professor Hubert instantly saw through what that kid across was thinking, and continued cheerfully.
"You're not totally clueless, right."
"Who wanted to screw who first, do you really not know?"
Saying this, Professor Hubert blinked innocently and looked at Nance.
Nance: "..."
His face changed colors wildly—green, purple, red—like a bizarre paint palette.
Would Nance not know what Professor Hubert was referring to?
And now that Professor Hubert had just laid it out in the open, if he still tried to lie while cooperating with them…
Nance was speechless.
Nance couldn't say a word.
Listening to the whole conversation, Asher couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing that, Professor Desmond nudged Asher's shoulder and whispered, "What're you laughing at—"
"Whoever sent Professor Hubert to negotiate, what a talent," Asher whispered back, then gave a big thumbs-up toward Professor Hubert's direction.
Right?
When it came to being calm yet infuriatingly assertive, Professor Hubert had it down to a perfect balance.
Not like Professor Desmond, who was like a powder keg, ready to explode at a poke.
Nor was he a pushover who would give in every time.
Deep down, Professor Hubert was cunning too.
What face?
Only what's in your hand counts.
Now, the initiative was in their hands.
"If it works, we'll talk. If not, we don't really care whether the deal succeeds," Professor Hubert heard the whispers between Asher and Professor Desmond.
He glanced at the two chattering guys whose voices were getting louder.
Not only did he not stop them, he directly ignored them.
What?
That scowling Nance again?
Is this person even important?
Totally not.
Nance: "..."
*Shaking with anger and cold.*
At this moment, his feelings perfectly aligned with Cleveland's.
But unlike Cleveland who wanted revenge, Nance only felt full of grievance and sadness.
Wasn't this what Soren people always said, ["It's not that revenge doesn't come, just that the time hasn't arrived"]
But this karma came way too fast.
He took a deep breath.
Nance tried to calm himself down.
"…Fine," Nance said painfully.
"We agree."
After speaking, Nance's shoulders slumped heavily, as if an invisible burden crushed him down.
However, whether it was Professor Hubert sitting opposite him, or Asher and Professor Desmond who were chatting excitedly, none of them took his dramatic display seriously.
What?
Feeling sorry for someone who tried to stir trouble with them?
Sorry.
They weren't that saintly.
"Impressive, Professor Hubert's negotiation skills are really something. I have to learn from him," Asher said sincerely.
Professor Desmond glanced at the ever-calm Professor Hubert and grunted unhappily.
"Learn what? What's there to learn."
"This whole thing went smoothly not solely because of Professor Hubert. The main reason is Cold Nation is just that dumb."
"Any other country wouldn't have agreed so quickly," Professor Desmond said firmly.
After he finished, he noticed Asher didn't respond.
Professor Desmond: "?"
"What, you don't believe what I said?"
Professor Desmond squinted at Asher with a hint of annoyance.
Asher still smiled calmly, not saying a word.
"What?", Professor Desmond was confused, "What's with your expres—"
Before he could finish, a fist came from the side and interrupted him.
Professor Desmond: "..."
Almost coughed up blood.
He wanted to curse.
But turning his head, he instantly saw Professor Hubert's old face.
Finally realizing what happened, Professor Desmond fell silent again.
He sharply turned to look at Asher.
Asher looked left and right, clearly avoiding meeting Professor Desmond's gaze.
What?
They were in cahoots?
Nope.
He had just chatted a bit. Everything else was said by Professor Desmond!
Professor Desmond: 'Traitor!'
Asher smiled calmly.
The one truly angered, Nance: "..."
'They're looking down on people!
'These Soren people just don't take others seriously!'
But thinking of how they held the new evolution path of Oriental Peacock, Nance instantly lost all energy.
'Fine, we got played, this is our deserved fate.'
Nance completely lost any scheming thoughts toward Soren.
When Cleveland came looking for him, Nance's eyes carried the peaceful calm of a Buddhist.
"You're really just giving up like this?", Cleveland looked at Nance's expression, sounding quite exasperated.
"Have you forgotten your original goal?"
"What happened to everyone working together to cause trouble for Soren?"
"Why aren't you doing anything now!"
Cleveland got angrier and angrier.
Still trying to spark Nance's rage and hatred toward Soren.
Unfortunately, already scammed by Soren, Nance didn't want to speak.
Cleveland: "..."
Felt like he punched a pile of cotton.
But accepting defeat like this, he wasn't willing.
"So then," Not sure what he thought of, Nance suddenly looked at Cleveland, and followed along with his words, asking in return, "What do you plan to do next?"
"Cause trouble for them!", Cleveland said with a tone full of determination.
"Since we can't crush them academically through pet beast research, then let's find a way to spread rumors."
"Say Soren is suppressing us."
"Say Soren's academic circles are conducting illegal experiments."
"We, as the righteous side, discovered the problem."
As he spoke, Cleveland got more and more fired up.
Whether it was true or not didn't matter, Cleveland had already convinced himself.
Nance: *pupil quake*
'There actually exists someone this despicable and shameless in this world?'
Judging from Nance's expression, that's probably what he was thinking inside.
'This move…'
'Is truly vile!'
"Framing… no no no, this isn't framing, we're just reasonably deducing what Soren intends to do," Cleveland was already on a roll.
He stroked his chin, thinking hard as he said, "Let me think about what we can do… maybe plant something in their lab?"
"Like evidence of illegal experiments."
"Right! It'd be best to prepare a fairly decent-looking experiment report too, that's easy, we're good at that!"
The more Nance listened, the more black lines appeared on his forehead.
'Excuse me?'
'Why are you guys good at that kind of thing?'
'Don't you think there's something wrong with what you just said?'
He's completely gone.
Cleveland, who even took Nance as his own teammate, didn't feel like anything he said was off-limits.
"I need your cooperation," As he continued speaking, Cleveland suddenly turned to look at Nance, his eyes bloodshot.
'This time for sure, I'll definitely succeed!'
"…Fine, tell us your plan first, let's see what we can do to cooperate."
.
.
.
"That's the situation," After finishing his conversation with Cleveland, Nance immediately went to find Professor Desmond, Professor Hubert, and Asher.
He told them everything about the conversation he just had with Cleveland.
Professor Desmond looked at Nance in surprise, sizing him up from top to bottom.
"Hmm?"
"You actually just told us everything like that?"
"You're not working with Eastern Nation anymore?"
The look in Professor Desmond's eyes was full of distrust.
Nance didn't get angry. Instead, he felt it was quite a normal reaction.
Soren knew from the start that they didn't come with good intentions, and were on guard. Isn't that totally reasonable?
Who would just sit and wait to be tricked.
"I just thought…", Thinking of this, Nance said with a pained expression.
"Rather than working with someone who seems dumb and has no chance of winning like Eastern Nation, why not be a little smarter and choose a more powerful partner?"
Anyway, after this round, the facts had proven it.
They were no match for Soren.
So be it.
Hug Soren's thigh, and they can rise up together.
Asher: "..."
Asher gave Nance a complicated look.
'Good grief.'
'Now you decide to get smart, huh?'
'Too bad.'
'You realized it a little too late.'
Thinking that, Asher shook his head.
Seeing Asher shake his head, Nance's heart suddenly dropped.
'Wait?'
'What does that mean?'
"I already surrendered, isn't that enough?"
"We tried to plot against Soren but failed, and you guys turned the tables and tricked us instead. Can't we just call it even!"
"If it's really no good, we'll help deal with Eastern Nation!"
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