"Then why doesn't Little Machine absorb it?"
'Didn't Asher say that after Little Machine got pregnant, her body lacked energy?'
'Why not absorb it?'
'Thousand Machine can't possibly be seeking death herself.'
"It's not that she doesn't want to absorb through this method, but that her body has shut down the function of absorbing electromagnetic particles."
Tiny eyes, huge question mark. Refers exactly to Charlotte right now.
Charlotte only feels like everything is a problem.
"Actually, even if I explain a lot, you still wouldn't quite understand, so just hear the conclusion?", Asher immediately saw Charlotte's confusion.
He put away the tools in his hands and placed Thousand Machine back on top of Angel's head.
Little Raven flapped its wings and came over.
Even though two days had passed.
Little Raven was still quite interested in this beast pet that wasn't its own Beast Tamer's.
Thousand Machine: "..."
If it weren't for its beady eyes being too weak, Thousand Machine would have closed them long ago.
Charlotte nodded upon hearing that.
"Alright."
She felt completely lost in the middle part. Might as well just hear the conclusion.
Just then.
A sudden commotion came from outside Asher's research institute.
Asher: "?"
Charlotte: "?"
Asher's beast pets: "?"
'Huh?'
'What's this noise?'
'It sounds quite noisy?'
Asher walked towards the door.
As soon as Asher moved, the beast pets scattered around the institute instantly followed.
Little Raven: "!"
Little Raven, Cat-Worm, Little White Snake, Little Jellyfish, and Angel, each more alert than the last.
None of them had forgotten.
That time when their Beast Tamer disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Even though Asher had returned safely, the pets developed a not-so-small problem.
At the slightest stir or disturbance, Little Raven and the others would become very nervous.
Little Jellyfish, taking advantage of its ability to fly and small size, went straight to nest atop Asher's head.
Having grown much larger after evolving, Little Raven, who could barely fit in Asher's arms, couldn't help but cast a jealous and envious glance at Little Jellyfish.
Little Raven: 'Dammit!'
'The bird also wants to be tiny, nestling on the Beast Tamer!'
In a place Asher didn't notice.
A faint illusion of flames flickered on Little Raven's body.
He opened the door.
Asher originally thought it was the Beast Tamer work team in charge of rebuilding and renovating the dormitories.
Unexpectedly, he saw two unfamiliar strangers.
"You are…"
Asher looked at the man and woman before him, eyes filled with confusion.
The woman was wearing a small suit with a pencil skirt, styled in a very professional way, while the man looked like a shrewd businessman.
Asher: "?"
'How did such a strange combination pair up?'
The former looked like a secretary type, the latter a shrewd businessman or negotiator, the kind who runs errands for the boss.
"You are?"
Standing in the doorway, Asher rubbed his forehead, feeling like trouble was knocking.
What Asher hated most was trouble.
"You must be Professor Asher," The man took a step forward, sizing up Asher from top to bottom.
He addressed Asher with respect in name, but his eyes didn't carry even a hint of actual respect.
Asher couldn't help but smile.
Still the same sentence, how interesting.
It had been a while since he encountered such idiots delivering themselves to his door.
"And then?", Asher crossed his arms, not the least bit offended by the man's words or gaze.
He looked at the man speaking with complete calmness.
The man, whose reaction from Asher totally missed his expectations: "..."
Not angry at all?
This doesn't follow the usual playbook, it actually makes his next move a little troublesome.
Thinking of the task assigned by the chairman, the boss, the man gritted his teeth.
Stepped forward, lifted his chin, and assumed an arrogant, high-and-mighty attitude.
"I'm Clement Stone, Project Manager of East Soren Corporation."
"I'm here to talk to you about acquiring the Heart of Machinery."
Asher: "?"
Clement narrowed his eyes and said loftily, "Our chairman knows that Professor Asher is not ordinary, but East Soren Corporation…"
He didn't finish his sentence, but the threatening tone was unmistakable.
Asher smiled.
Beside him, Charlotte's face was full of huge question marks.
Her eyes showed unspeakable shock.
'Oh my god!'
'Oh my freaking god!'
Charlotte really wanted to shout out loud.
'No way?'
'Seriously?'
'Someone actually dares to come threaten Asher?'
'Are they not afraid of dying?'
Although Charlotte didn't know why the Beast Tamer Alliance Headquarters, Elder Cavendish, valued Asher, she knew, Asher was no pushover.
A Level-2 researcher.
The youngest professor of Beast Pet Research.
Even if not everyone knew why Elder Cavendish valued him, Asher's personal achievements and honors were well known to all.
Such a young Beast Pet professor, such a young genius.
And someone actually dared to provoke him?
Charlotte couldn't wait to pull out her phone to search what this East Soren Corporation was all about.
And who that chairman of theirs was, maybe his brain was full of holes.
"Hmm? Are you threatening me?", Clement fell silent, but Asher said it directly.
Having his intentions exposed, Clement looked a bit awkward.
Also a bit gritted-teeth furious.
'What the heck?'
'Some things just shouldn't be said out loud!'
'Can't you just get the hint?'
'Why say it outright?'
'Saying it ruins the mood!'
Asher understood Clement's expression, but didn't care.
"Since you dared to threaten me, why would you think I'd obediently cooperate?", Asher smiled, locking eyes with Clement.
Clement's expression became stiff.
Also mixed with a touch of rage and humiliation.
"But even if you threaten me, I still have to say this."
"Not interested," Asher's icy two words were resolute.
"You!", Clement's eyes grew cold, his voice as sharp as ice shards.
"Don't toast and end up drinking punishment!"
"East Soren Corporation dealing with you is pretty easy!"
Asher chuckled at that.
'Interesting.'
Asher wasn't provoked at all.
Angry?
Humiliated?
Felt insulted?
Asher just thought it was funny.
Just as he was about to speak again, the woman beside Clement, the secretary-like one, stepped forward.
"Professor Asher, hello, I'm the chairman's secretary, Ariana Fox," Ariana smiled.
Though the smile was clearly formal.
Compared to Clement, her attitude was much better.
Her gaze toward Asher showed proper respect.
"It's Brother Clement who can't speak well, I apologize on his behalf."
"I promise, we came with full sincerity. Regarding the Heart of Machinery, we will offer you a sky-high—"
Asher raised a hand in a pause gesture, cutting off Ariana's very orderly and seemingly sincere speech: "Stop."
Ariana immediately fell silent.
Asher looked at her with a half-smile, "Seriously, in this day and age, do you still think playing good cop/bad cop works?"
Without looking at their unpleasant expressions, he continued.
"Or are you guys trying to train a dog?"
"One stick, one sweet date?"
"No way, no way, you don't actually think I'm young so I'm dumb and easy to bully, right?", Asher said in mock surprise, though his tone carried none of it.
This whole act from Clement and Ariana, Asher saw through completely.
Clement and Ariana: "..."
Both of them shifted uncomfortably.
They really wanted to exchange glances, but under Asher's half-smile stare, they felt like their thoughts were laid bare before him.
That feeling of having their schemes exposed felt like being naked in broad daylight, deeply uncomfortable.
"Professor Asher, please believe in our sincerity. We didn't mean what you said," Ariana squeezed out the words with difficulty.
Asher chuckled again upon hearing that, "One of you tries to anger me, to make me lose reason in rage."
"The other pretends to be the nice one, but only after your partner already said everything bad. Then you step in to 'calm things down'."
"Are you performing crosstalk?"
When Asher became sharp, he really became sharp.
"Then your duo really isn't qualified. Neither the straight man nor the funny man trained enough."
Clement: "You!"
Clement suddenly pointed at Asher, eyes full of fury, like he was truly enraged.
"Go on, keep performing," Asher clapped his hands, relaxed as if enjoying a fresh monkey show.
Clement's anger suddenly felt disjointed.
He couldn't help but grumble inside.
'Chairman.'
'This really is too much!'
'Asher… Professor Asher clearly isn't a pushover!'
Missing out on a treasure made Giovanni furious.
The Heart of Machinery.
A treasure that could endlessly produce mechanical-type beasts.
Just thinking about it made Giovanni realize how priceless it was.
If he could own the Heart of Machinery, Giovanni was certain, soon he could push East Soren Corporation into the top tier.
Unwilling to give up, Giovanni decided to make a move on Asher, sending Clement and Ariana.
Just like Asher said.
One played the bad guy, the other played the good.
Trying to break down Asher's guard in the shortest time, to make him sell the Heart of Machinery.
("Hmph!")
("So what if he's a Level-2 researcher?")
In Clement's mind floated the words Giovanni said when making the plan.
Giovanni sat atop the group headquarters building.
Fingers interlocked.
When he mentioned Asher, his face showed jealousy, distortion, and a lofty disdain.
("I indeed can't touch him openly, but the more skilled he is in pet research, in other areas… heh.")
Giovanni's thoughts were simple.
Asher being so young and already a Beast Pet Professor was impressive.
But that also meant, Asher had never truly faced the real world.
He lacked experience in social dealings and the dark side of human nature.
Add to that his youth, coming straight out of school—he's just a greenhorn.
Slight intimidation.
A few more benefits… though Giovanni wasn't happy about that, considering Asher's identity, he couldn't go too far either.
So Giovanni specifically prepared some seemingly expensive but actually useless resources, intending to trade them for the Heart.
As for the plan, Clement had no comment.
Boss pays his salary.
He's the boss's underling.
Boss says it, he does it.
Even if it means acting the villain, it's fine.
Though… Clement secretly glanced at Ariana beside him, her expression was worse than his.
He understood why, but didn't want to say anything.
Now the two of them had hit a nail, one that was neither soft nor hard.
What's next…
Asher noticed their little movements, "Get lost."
He stepped forward, eyes cold as he looked at them.
"Whatever you're planning, get lost."
Just as his words fell.
All of Asher's beast pets moved.
Little Raven spread its wings.
Golden-red flames instantly raised the temperature of the outdoor space.
Cat-Worm waved its shadowy black tentacles behind Asher, baring its teeth menacingly.
As if it could devour Asher's enemies at any moment.
Little White Snake's golden pupils locked onto Clement and Ariana, making them shiver.
The occasional flick of its tongue added even more danger to the atmosphere.
Little Jellyfish waved eight brilliantly colored tentacles.
It looked very harmless.
But for some reason.
Clement and Ariana's sixth sense seemed to be screaming.
As if they had encountered some kind of natural enemy that could not be faced, could not be fought.
Finally, there was the Angel following Asher, with an unknown object on its head.
Mechanical eyes stared at them.
As if judging their sins.
Clement, who originally wanted to use his pet beast to lightly threaten Asher: "…"
Didn't dare move, didn't dare move.
Felt that as long as he made a move, the next second he would be torn to pieces by the pet beasts in front of him!
Clement quickly raised both hands, large beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, "I… I'll leave right now!"
'Don't lay a hand on me!'
'I really am just a working man!'
Asher smiled.
'Come as you wish, leave as you please?'
'Really think I am easy to bully?'
"Stand there, I've already sent a message to the Beast Tamer Alliance," Asher said calmly.
But hearing what Asher said, Clement and Ariana's expressions were far from calm.
'What?'
'Sent a message to the Beast Tamer Alliance?'
'What is Asher trying to do?'
"Good thing I installed surveillance at the entrance of my research institute, not afraid you'll deny it," Asher said with a smile, voice gentle.
But the words made their whole bodies go cold.
Asher lifted his eyes and looked directly at Clement and Ariana in front of him.
"You really didn't think that after you came all the way here to threaten me, you'd be able to leave as if nothing happened, right?"
[T/N: Even I thought MC is a spineless pushover]
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