Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 841 - 846 Retreat to Advance

Chapter 841: Chapter 846 Retreat to Advance

This matter, of course, had to start with Eric.

After saying goodbye to Li Fan, Yang Yi returned to his residence in Paris, where no one else was present, only Anton waiting for him.

"Did you meet the task issuer?"

"I did."

"So how did it go, did we take on the task?"

"Yes, we took on the task."

Handling this matter temporarily didn’t require many people, but Yang Yi needed assistance, so he brought only Anton to help him.

Yang Yi thought about how to explain the task; Anton already knew this time’s employer was from Huaxia. Some things could be hidden, but the importance of the camera couldn’t be mentioned. Some matters had to be concealed.

"The employer’s request is to acquire the camera production technology, and we can only accomplish this through Eric. What do you think is the simplest way?"

"As long as we can get it, no matter the method?"

"Yes."

"Then, of course, it’s paying for it."

"Exactly, paying for it. So, I contacted Eric to have him come over. If he’s willing to cooperate, then things will be much simpler. But if we reveal our true intentions and Eric refuses to cooperate, then it will become troublesome."

Yang Yi said, worried, "Now, Eric is our only stable source of the devices. Honestly, I really don’t want to fall out with him."

Anton shrugged. "There’s nothing in the world that can’t be bought; it just depends on whether the price is right. So, the only issue is how much the employer is willing to pay."

"Uh, there’s no set limit."

Anton was astonished and spoke loudly, "No limit?"

"Yes, of course, it’s best if we can spend as little as possible to get the job done."

"Then what are we waiting for? Call him over! I don’t believe there’s anything we can’t buy with an unlimited acquisition budget!"

Yang Yi didn’t immediately make the call. After contemplating for a while, he spoke softly, "I’ll go meet Eric. If everything goes smoothly, you don’t have to do anything. But if the acquisition fails..."

Anton shrugged, "Understood, I’ll be the bad guy."

Yang Yi sighed lightly and said, "It’s not about you being the bad guy and me playing the good guy. If things turn sour, we can’t keep Eric around. We either make him yield, no, even if Eric is forced to yield, after extracting the information we need, we’ll still have to eliminate him."

Anton spoke softly, "You seem reluctant to do this?"

"Yes, I’ve said I don’t want to fall out with him. I’m not someone who turns on people faster than flipping a page. My cooperation with Eric has always gone smoothly. Even if it’s just a business relationship, I don’t want to kill someone I know."

"No friendship, only interests."

Patting Yang Yi’s shoulder, Anton said indifferently, "Make the call. You’ll get used to it eventually."

Will I get used to it? Yang Yi doubted it, but Anton was right. Besides getting used to it, what else could he do? Yang Yi couldn’t give up the task just because of his relationship with Eric.

The call went through, and of course, Eric would come. It was just a matter of an excuse.

Before heading out, Yang Yi drew his knife and looked at it. There was no special meaning; he just wanted to check it.

He didn’t carry a gun because Yang Yi didn’t need one. Bringing Anton was enough.

The two left the house, and Yang Yi went to meet Eric, while Anton naturally followed discreetly.

In a cafe on the street corner, Yang Yi sat down, and soon after, Eric joined him across the table.

"Hello."

"Hello."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Eric waved to a waitress to order a cup of coffee, then he relaxed and said, "I brought the item directly. No need to pick it up elsewhere. Our deal doesn’t have to be so complicated, I trust you, right?"

Yang Yi chuckled, "You seem quite flexible on principles."

"Not observing principles gets one killed, adhering to them without adaptability starves one to death. So, my principles vary by the person. With strangers, I insist on payment first then delivery, and separate transactions. But I trust you, so it’s not that troublesome."

When trading, Eric usually kept the goods separate from the transaction and only brought samples. But after a few deals, he no longer had to strictly adhere to his rules when trading with Yang Yi.

Eric slid the briefcase he had been holding from under the table to Yang Yi’s feet, smiling, "Everything you want is in here. Take it, but of course, the payment still needs to be made now."

The total was just about three hundred thousand dollars’ worth of goods—not too much. Yang Yi glanced at the bag by his feet without picking it up and looked at Eric, "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask, but I may not answer."

Yang Yi stirred his coffee gently with a spoon, pondering for a while before speaking gravely, "How much do you make per year?"

Eric paused, then unchangingly sipped his coffee, smiled, and said, "That’s a question I can’t answer."

Yang Yi sighed, "Actually, my curiosity isn’t that great; I’m not trying to pry into your privacy. I’m asking because there’s a reason."

"Oh, what’s the reason?"

Yang Yi paused for a moment, then spoke softly, "There’s a deal. I’m unsure if I should go ahead with it because it involves you. Although it’s a big deal, I don’t want to ruin the relationship and trust between us."

Eric stared at Yang Yi for a while before waving his hand, "Let’s hear it then."

Yang Yi paused again, then whispered, "The cameras from last time were great, very useful. The problem is, I resold two to someone else, and this person is extremely interested in these cameras. He wants more, so he approached me again."

Eric frowned, "More? But there isn’t any more."

"He can make them himself."

Eric’s eyes suddenly brightened, then he spoke gravely, "Make them himself?"

"Yes, make them himself. So, what he wants isn’t the cameras but the person who makes the cameras."

After saying this, Yang Yi drank some coffee and then whispered to Eric, "You know what I mean, right?"

Eric nodded and spoke softly, "Of course, I understand your meaning."

Yang Yi managed a bitter smile and then said softly, "I know it’s almost impossible. Although the offer is ten million US dollars, I feel it’s almost unachievable."

Eric exhaled softly, "Ten million US dollars?"

"Yes, ten million US dollars to acquire the technology for making the cameras, or rather... the person who makes the cameras. It seems like a deal you wouldn’t be interested in."

Eric smiled, "Not necessarily disinterested, it just depends on how much you’re willing to offer."