Chris froze for a moment.
Then he said, ["Mr. Qin, the deal between the two of us was never meant to be known by others."]
Qin Siyang didn't think much of it, "I'm not doing anything shady, so why the need to cover it up?"
"Protector Chris, if you agree, then you'll have my word."
["But Mr. Qin, if you make our private transaction public, that would be against the rules."]
"No, no, no," Qin Siyang shook his head, "Protector Chris, don't always look at the problem from your perspective. Try thinking from mine for once."
"For me, letting others know about this would actually be better."
"I don't know what you need the Corrosive Black Centipede's carapace for, but most likely it's related to making a large number of armors. If I leak this news to Hu Chan, Zhang Yingrui, and Jin Shengyu, they'll definitely take the initiative to seek cooperation with me."
"Doing business with one, or with four, that choice is obvious."
Chris's tone turned heavy, ["Mr. Qin, I thought our past cooperation was smooth and pleasant. I thought you were on my side."]
"No, I'm not on anyone's side."
"If I had to use an analogy, the four of you are like athletes preparing to run a hundred-meter sprint, and I'm just a vendor selling sneakers."
"My idea is simply to sell more shoes, earn more money."
"As for the four of you, I don't have any life-and-death bond with any of you. Which of you wins the championship, what does that have to do with me?"
Chris's voice carried some helplessness, ["Mr. Qin, your words are truly cold."]
Qin Siyang ran a hand through his hair, "Speaking coldly helps cool down overheated heads."
"But, I'm not entirely profit-driven either. Because our cooperation before was smooth and pleasant, I'm willing to give you this condition."
"Our deal will absolutely not be told to anyone."
"Take a little less Corrosive Black Centipede remains, and you'll get a trump card no one knows about. How's that?"
Chris hesitated, but still agreed to Qin Siyang's request, ["Alright. Then Mr. Qin, if our deal is leaked…"]
"The time, place, and method of the deal are all decided by you. If it leaks, that means you have a mole by your side."
["I understand. Then it's settled. Before tomorrow, I'll send Mr. Qin the information about the deal."]
"Mm. By the way, best if it's near South Glory University in Zone 7. Too many people are watching me, so it's hard for me to travel far without drawing attention."
["Alright, thank you for explaining, Mr. Qin. I'll make proper arrangements."]
"Appreciate it. Goodbye."
["Goodbye."]
Qin Siyang's conversation with Chris ended in a relatively friendly atmosphere.
Within that friendliness, Qin Siyang laid out most of the stakes.
As for matters not affecting the deal, he left them unsaid.
Like, why was it that the moment he arrived at the guesthouse, Chris immediately called?
Was it really coincidence, or did Chris also have eyes set up around South Glory?
Qin Siyang didn't know, and didn't care.
There were plenty of people watching him anyway.
Qin Siyang finished his meal, went back to his room planning to bathe and sleep, when the phone rang again.
It was Zhang Yingrui, the Yellow Robe Protector of the Zephyr Church.
"The Zephyr Church really does come one after another, endlessly."
Qin Siyang answered, "Protector Zhang, what is it?"
["Hello, Mr. Qin, I just wanted to tell you, the matter about you asking me to go to Xiao Zhigang to accept the mission to kill you, there's been some progress."]
"What, Xiao Zhigang told you to make a move?"
["No. Xiao Zhigang found someone else to kill you, so I'm giving you a heads-up."]
"Mm? Didn't he contact you first?"
Zhang Yingrui sighed lightly, ["I also thought he came to me first. But now it seems, when he contacted me, he also contacted others."]
["The job to kill you was snatched by someone else. I haven't been able to reach you these past few days, today I finally got through."]
Qin Siyang frowned, "A few days? You mean this was decided a few days ago?"
"Yes. If the killer moves fast, he might already be at South Glory University by now."
["Mr. Qin, I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill the agreement this time. But I hope you understand, telling you this news is my way of showing apology and sincerity."]
Qin Siyang's gaze grew colder.
Toward Zhang Yingrui's goodwill, he was indifferent.
Apology?
Did he really take him for a three-year-old child?
Qin Siyang said blandly, "Protector Zhang, you took my ten grams of crimson crystal, yet the job wasn't done. Do you think that's appropriate?"
["This matter is indeed my fault. I didn't handle it well. I'll compensate you in the future."]
"No need for later. Get rid of the killer Xiao Zhigang sent, and we'll call it even."
["I don't know who Xiao Zhigang sent. Mr. Qin, I really can't help you."]
Qin Siyang's eyes turned icy, "So my ten grams of crimson crystal just go down the drain? You won't return it, and you won't do the job?"
["Mr. Qin, I said I'll definitely compensate you."]
"Protector Zhang, I must tell you, sometimes hedging your bets, thinking you're clever, is not wise."
Zhang Yingrui's tone was calm, ["Mr. Qin, I don't understand your words."]
"Don't understand? Then let me make it clear."
"You took my payment, but didn't want to offend Xiao Zhigang. So you shirked the job to kill me from his side, which forced him to find someone else to kill me."
"How long has it been since we met at Director Zhao's ward in Zone 27? And this was only decided a few days ago? Obviously you didn't make any effort at Xiao Zhigang's side."
["Mr. Qin, you really misunderstand—"]
"Protector Zhang," Qin Siyang cut off Zhang Yingrui's explanation, saying directly, "You're playing me for a fool, maybe because you have some mistaken impression of me, or maybe because you still hold a grudge for previously sending people to kill me."
"But I'm generous. As long as you're not like Xiao Zhigang, who does things to the extreme, we can still talk. Clear the misunderstanding, find common interest, and we can still stand together."
"But if you remain obstinate, then I can only express regret."
["Mr. Qin, the way you think of me makes me feel regretful too, and a bit disheartened."]
"So, Protector Zhang doesn't want to settle this matter. Fine then, I'll settle it myself."
With that, Qin Siyang hung up.
———
Zhang Yingrui's gaze was steady, without a ripple.
"I took your 10 grams of crimson crystal, so what. That amount might buy the head of a spoiled brat like Hua Weicai, but it could never buy the head of me, a Protector of the Zephyr Church."
"Qin Siyang, surely you won't throw away your last half piece of crimson crystal to hire someone to kill me for just 10 grams, will you?"
Zhang Yingrui chuckled again, "A young man suffering some losses, that's a good thing for growth."
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.