Chapter 862: Dealmaker Types
Zhen Liu watched with interest as the GalEm zakos were reunited with the men that caused them to develop sentience.
Granted, he wasn’t focusing on the emotional episode playing out as the trio of “star-crossed” lovers met with another. Instead, he was focusing on how this moment was affecting the development of the zakos.
Using a small bit of [Chaos], Zhen Liu empowered his eyes so that he could see the flow of desire connecting them to Victor, Simos and Graff. From what he saw, their hearts were literally connected to the developing [Cores] of their respective “bonded” zakos by a chain that was unobservable by basically everyone except him, and probably other [Chaos] wielders.
Maybe dragons.
‘Interesting…it looks a lot like my connection with the kaijin, but more…one sided? I suppose that makes sense,’ Zhen Liu thought to himself as he stared at the chains.
On a probably unrelated side note, the chain in question looked a lot like a red thread in Zhen Liu’s eyes.
‘Well…that’s enough of this sappy bullshit. Time to make these assholes my eyes on the inside of a creepy crime organization. Girls, I know you’re having fun and feeling rather fulfilled, but it’s time to move on to act two, okay?’
[Awww.]
‘Don’t worry, if they actually do care about you all, then this next part will move rather quickly.’
[Yay!]
…
[So…how do you feel about your younger sisters having romantic partners before you, Seniorita Screamira?]
[That depends, Hurricroak. You have any plans on finding your human hubby?]
[…]
[Girl…]
[Godsdamn, and I thought I was the one that was supposed to burn people.]
[I ain’t gonna say shit. I don’t have a leg to stand on.]
[I’m…I’m just gonna go find Arcahnidame and Lacerage…I think I heard them mention something about exploring that monkey ruin…]
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“Alright, alright! That’s enough of that,” Zhen Liu said with a voice louder than necessary to grab the attention of both human and zako alike. “You’ve had your lovely reunion, but it’s now time to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?”
“Possibly forever.”
“Forever?!”
“Well, yes.”
It was at this exact moment, that Victor realized he would have to re-evaluate his thoughts about Zhen Liu, again.
After making this rather harrowing statement, Zhen Liu proceeded to walk over to the animated statues with a neutral expression on his face.
This neutrality was not shared with the statue women, however. If anything, their sculpted features started to twist from looks of beautiful joy, to the ugliest visions of fear that none of the men present had ever seen up until now.
They could only speculate as to why they had these looks of primal fear etched on to their faces, but they didn’t have to think too hard about it. Especially when they heard these cries coming from them.
[No, no, no!]
[Please don’t deactivate us! Please!]
[I don’t want to go back to the dark!]
“Oh, don’t think of it like that. Just think of it as a nice, long sl-”
“Hold up!”
“Oh? You got something to say?,” Zhen Liu asked with an amused expression on his face.
Out of Victor, Simos and Graff, the latter two were the ones who had a tendency to think more with their hearts than with their heads.
Which is why it came to a shock to the two of them when it was Victor who suddenly spoke up first.
“Boss?”
“What are you doing?”
This was the first time the either of them had seen Victor look…this determined.
It was strangely refreshing to see, to say the least.
“What do you want?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked,” Victor repeated. “What do you want?”
At this repeated question, Zhen Liu decided to walk closer to Victor, the smile on his face never slacking.
“Why, there are many things I want in this world,” Zhen Liu said while dramatically spreading his arms open. “Wealth, power, infamy and knowledge…but you’re gonna have to be a bit more specific.”
Zhen Liu’s words here were the clearest form of provocation that Victor had ever seen.
He had spent years dealing with these kind of fellows in some capacity or another and this time was no different.
Normally, he would just ignore their words and move on, capitulating in some cases or just outright ignoring them.
This time…this time he had something worth making a deal and fighting for.
“Look here. I have spent years, years! Dealing with narcissistic assholes that usually believe that they’re better than others and would actively stab you in the back if it meant making a few extra coins or if they thought that you were a loose end.”
“Okay…and?”
“And…I get the distinctive feeling you’re not that type of guy,” Victor said, almost as a form of flattery.
“Really?,” Zhen Liu asked while deciding to return to his seat from before and sitting in such a manner that he could rest his head upon his folded hands. “Then what type of guy am I?”
Victor was silent as he stared at Zhen Liu for a couple of moments.
It took him a couple of seconds to formulate a response, since the Fourth Young Master of the Zhen Clan seemed to be the type of person who’s actions were dependent on his mood. However, he had technically seen this type of thing before…
“You’re a deal maker,” Victor began to explain with certainity. “You’re the type of guy who preferred not to get his hands dirty, but knows what to do when it comes to handling blood. The type of guy who values things like information, man power and resources regardless of their source, over something vague like revenge or petty like blood feuds.”
“Partially true,” Zhen Liu admitted with a shrug. “Although, you’ve heard the rumors over little ole me. I am the type who doesn’t like being insulted, and would response to such provocations with violence in a most expedient manner.”
“Fair enough,” Victor admitted. “But with all this in mind…you’re the type who would definitely let someone like else, and them, go with our lives intact if we give you something you want. Right?”
Feeling that Victor and himself were inally in a position where information would flow freely at this point, Zhen Liu began to relax in his seat.
“I suppose that is correct…,” Zhen Liu nodded. “But tell me, what do you think I want? If you’re right, I might just make that deal you oh so crave.”
Victor knew damn well that this was a type of manipulative tactic to make it seem that what’s about to come out of his mouth was his idea and not the guy who was guiding to this point…but he didn’t care.
If he was going to dance with a dealmaker, it might as well be a man who seemed to be the devil himself.
“You want to know who sent us, right? Why don’t I do you one better and act as your eyes and ears on them too?”
“B-boss!”
“Are you crazy?!”
Simos and Graff were silent throughout this entire ordeal, because they weren’t entirely sure what was going on.
However, they did have enough brain power to know that Victor was essentially choosing to piss off their employers.
Employers that were known to deal in bodies, drugs and weapons, and a have literal army of assassins.
Hearing what he wanted to hear, Zhen Liu maintained his smile as he sat up in his seat.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Snap
*Fwoosh.*
“Whoa.”
With another snap of his fingers, Zhen Liu summoned forth what Victor and the others immediately recognized as being a contract made of papyrus.
Upon a cursory look, the contract looked normal. However, the longer Victor and his companions focused on it, the more they could feel some form of unnatural energy radiating off of it that threatened to rip apart their very souls.
It was the most sinister contract that they had ever seen, which was honestly surprising, because Victor had once signed a contract made of human skin.
Either way, the trip was silent as they read the contract’s contents, finding it to be…surprisingly fair.
Unusually fair, given their present circumstances.
“Uhh…are we reading this right?”
“I hope so…”
“Are…are you serious? These are your conditions and compensation?,” Victor asked in disbelief.
“Indeed they are,” Zhen Liu nodded.
“In exchange for telling me everything in regards to who was dumb enough to try and dig up information on me, as well as spying on them for me, you three will swear loyalty to me, the living puppets will be given to you three as presumably lovers and you will be given the power necessary to not die like a bunch of bitches when you inevitably piss them off or they find out you betrayed them,” Zhen Liu stated matter-of-factly.
“Of course, if you betray me…then there will be no place on this world or the next that will save you from my wrath,” Zhen Liu said, the smile on his face finally disappearing.
“Now then…do we have a deal?”
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“Hmmm. Not exactly the type of torture I would prescribe to…I think it’s more like emotional manipulation anyways.”
=To be fair, madam. Psychological torture usually doing things that torment the mind without hurting the body. One could argue that emotional manipulation is a form of torture.=
“Fair enough.”
