Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 73: Praying to Heaven

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Praying to Heaven

"Batch number 67..."

Jiuyue’s proud nine tails had vanished, the malicious crimson of her pupils returned to amber, and it seemed as if the endless cold was sapping her Life Energy. Her gaze shifted to Mr. Mingyuan, who was also watching her with a serious expression, awaiting her response.

She gritted her teeth and rallied her spirit, "Where did you take the batch number 67 cargo?"

"Although I don’t usually remember the numbers of each cargo batch, since this matter is so important to you..."

Bai Kou propped his chin with his left hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "I do recall there was a batch that delivered a Ruihu and a Huohu. Such a rare combination did leave an impression on me. If you want to know their whereabouts—unlike ordinary goods, they were allocated to critical project teams. I’m quite fond of their Abilities and hope to conduct research on this basis to create new armors."

"Return them! Return them to me!"

"Didn’t they tell you? It’s a fair trade."

Bai Kou said, "The company has always kept its promises, maintaining your tribes’ villages and forests in their original state. Over all these years, the company has never encroached upon the lands where you live, indirectly protecting your tribe’s safety from the Royal Hunting Court until its downfall. Not once did it issue any commissions involving your people. In exchange, they should keep their promises and cooperate with every aspect of the project’s research—"

He heard the sound of the bulletproof glass on the brink of collapse.

Disasters gathered, attempting to seep through the cracks, but were once again kept at bay by a thin layer of frost, due to a lack of Life Energy.

Bai Kou and Jiuyue locked gazes, confusion flickering in his eyes, "When catastrophes befall, does anyone curse the heavens? Whatever disaster descends is the will of fate; silent acceptance is all that is required. As a Ruihu, you should understand this better than anyone."

Drought, torrential rains, insect plagues, famine.

With each calamity, chaos would spread across the world. It was the yearning for happiness that led people to erect temples and place their hopes in illusory beliefs.

"No matter how much you scream and cry, your voices will not reach the heavens. However... as the heavens bestow disasters, they also grant blessings."

His sharp gaze fixated on Jiuyue, "Colluding with the Wangxu rebels, attempting to assassinate corporate executives is a grave sin. But I can give you a choice. You can see them, and in exchange, you must cooperate with all company research until the project is completed. You have both Ruihu and Huohu bloodlines, so don’t waste it frivolously."

Jiuyue gave no response.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Liu encased in ice, then turned to look at Duan Mingyuan.

Bai Kou noticed her gaze and said, "This is the inevitable outcome of defying fate. Mr. Duan is different from you; he understands the consequences of his actions. If he angers the heavens and they send down disasters, not just you, but everyone on this planet will be affected. He is destined to become—"

Bai Kou’s words came to an abrupt halt.

He watched Duan Mingyuan’s action and frowned, "What are you doing?"

"I’ve been studying it a bit; this should be the emergency button that opens all the compartments."

This was meant to save as much of the company’s property as possible in the event of an emergency.

The incessant alarm stopped. After pressing the button, every door in this "prison" was opened.

"Is this some kind of childish tantrum? I thought you were rational. Now we’ll have to reassess you."

Bai Kou disliked this silent rebellion. Having learned of Jiuyue’s background, he couldn’t let this valuable resource slip away. And at this critical moment of negotiation, he did not want to be distracted by trivial matters.

"It’s to show support."

Duan Mingyuan had always been waiting for an explanation.

He didn’t like being used, unwittingly becoming the vanguard against the company.

Having understood her reasons, a weight suddenly lifted from his heart.

If Jiuyue were also to wield hollow slogans such as "survival of the fittest," "sacrifice," and "salvation" which pose as moral high ground, he would have been truly disappointed.

Duan Mingyuan turned to the man beside him who claimed to be divine, "Mr. Bai Kou, even you can be mistaken, like now, if I were to strike you at this distance, you’d already be dead."

"You know the consequences of such an action."

Bai Kou said coldly.

The company’s assessments are never wrong; perhaps Duan Mingyuan harbors some madness within, but he is fundamentally different from the remnants of Wangxu.

Rationality would become Duan Mingyuan’s shackle.

With a simple command, the company’s flagship could easily erase a city from the map forever.

Moreover, the company needn’t resort to violence, as everything on this planet was established with their support; just small economic maneuvers could displace countless people overnight.

"Mr. Duan, all these sins will be recorded upon your head alone, and for the next ten years, decades, or even a hundred years, people will remember the fool who tried to rebel against the heavens and the consequences it brought."

"You needn’t trouble yourself with that,"

Duan Mingyuan felt that Bai Kou had completely missed the point, misinterpreting the reason for his inaction.

Or perhaps, these Extraterrestrials always possess an intense confidence that they control everything, which is why they liken themselves to the heavens.

"The reason I haven’t struck you is due to the company’s favor; a backstabbing attack goes against my sense of honor and righteousness,"

Duan Mingyuan’s gaze drifted out the window, landing on Western Wind.

This was Bai Kou’s trump card, a security officer of the highest level from the company, and the one they deemed capable of restraining everyone present.

Duan Mingyuan said, "You won’t die before him, that’s my promise to you."

He used the central control room’s equipment to ensure that his voice was clearly heard by Western Wind, still below, "I will give him ample time to prepare for battle."

Bai Kou had repeatedly emphasized the importance of fairness.

Therefore, Duan Mingyuan decided to ensure that this would be a fair and just fight, so this Cosmic Level powerhouse need not leave this world with the regret and bitterness of being ambushed.

Temperature inside the command center plummeted abruptly.

The next moment, armor ejecting pale blue flames pushed Western Wind before the control room.

What permeated the room was no longer snowflakes and frost, but a biting blizzard, instantly freezing the entire factory in ice.

Winter was coming.

The pale blue glow of the helmet firmly locked Duan Mingyuan within, the shattered glass turned into blades, blown by the cold wind towards Duan Mingyuan.

Then,

The armor, now missing its upper portion, fell forward.

The control room quieted down, save for the light sound of metal touching the ground.