Is Bolivar Trask content?
Of course not.
But seeing his experiment proposal rejected once more, he really was feeling disheartened.
Patrick only wanted to milk his brain; he didn't care what Bolivar wanted to do himself.
Though Patrick offered generous pay, Bolivar wasn't after money—he wanted to realize his ambitions.
So… aware of how sensitive this was, Bolivar still accepted Fang Yuan's invitation.
"Tell me, do you hate Mutants so much you can't rest until you've sliced them up?" asked Senator Lance—Fang Yuan's guise.
Startled, Bolivar was still only planning to use Awakened Ones as test subjects; slicing them up was clearly something this senator had proposed.
But he wouldn't nitpick with a senator.
No, I don't hate Awakened Ones," Bolivar shook his head. "In fact, I admire them."
"Humans have always fought among themselves. If we can pit Awakened Ones against humans, having a common enemy will unite mankind and usher in a real, enduring age of peace."
Fang Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of conscientious villain was this?
The protagonist squad loafed about all day, idle and aimless, while the big bad was peace-loving and bent on saving the World.
Yet Bolivar's peace rested on genocide, and the targets were Fang Yuan's employees—so he couldn't agree.
"Fantastic! Your idea is genius!"
"You're a beacon of humanity—utterly unprecedented!"
The disguised Senator Lance was beaming.
Since he wasn't playing Father of Vort right now, he could babble whatever he liked.
Overwhelmed by the senator's praise, Bolivar was flattered.
He wasn't yet the late-stage magnate who would control Trask Industries; a mere assistant being lauded by a lofty senator thrilled him.
See? No matter how brilliant, if you feed their emotions right, they'll melt.
"Then join my side! I'll keep the Awakened Ones coming for you to slice!" Fang Yuan waved to recruit him.
Bolivar smiled wryngly. "Actually, from an experimental standpoint, starting with slicing is extremely wasteful."
"Only by keeping subjects alive can you harvest endless material. Only when a project is finished would you slice for exhaustive analysis."
Senator Lance nodded in sudden realization.
Fang Yuan knew all this—he ducked into Kryptonian Learning Pods whenever he could; he could hold his own even if Bolivar wanted a technical debate.
But he pretended ignorance so Bolivar could speak freely and act without reservations.
Under the senator's expectant gaze, Bolivar Trask finally decided.
"It's an honor to join your team, Your Excellency."
Without this intervention, Bolivar might have gritted his teeth and waited for seniority before making his move.
Senator Lance's backing would save him years—he wasn't letting that slip.
"But about Senator Patrick..." Bolivar frowned slightly.
Patrick was also a senator, and thanks to his awakened one act and Pioneer Company, his clout already surpassed Lance.
If he learned of the change of allegiance, trouble would follow.
Bolivar wasn't overly worried; since Lance had invited him, Lance would back him.
Fang Yuan smiled faintly, offering a solution Bolivar hadn't imagined.
"Patrick is in our way!"
The senator's cold snort sent Bolivar's heart racing.
"Even with you on our side, with Patrick leading, we can't pull Awakened Ones from Pioneer Company for experiments."
"But what if Patrick were dead—killed by an Awakened One?"
Though no politics expert, Bolivar knew Patrick's assassination by an Awakened One would inflame public hatred.
The passage of the awakened one act would become almost inevitable.
Lance kept sweetening the deal.
With Patrick gone, you'll be the one who knows Pioneer Company best. I'll propose you as its CEO—then you can pick whoever you want as test subjects."
Bolivar was sorely tempted—this was a chance to vault to the top in one leap.
Then the senator stated his sole demand: "Crack the secret of the Awakened Ones—ideally let ordinary humans wield their powers."
Trask understood—Lance supported him because he coveted those abilities.
Hearing it outright reassured him—many who oppose Awakened Ones secretly wish to become them; Lance's desire was only human.
If Lance's demands were too small, Bolivar would suspect a hidden trap.
"So… can you do it?" Fang Yuan stared intently after finishing.
Bolivar knew assassinating Patrick and pinning it on Awakened Ones was his initiation test.
If he refused to dirty his hands, Senator Lance couldn't trust him.
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