Chapter 545

Fu Ningna: "Even Lady Jadeskirt treats him with such courtesy."

Miss Qingque: "Tsk tsk tsk, there's a saying on Luofu Xianzhou: first courtesy, then force!"

Miss Qingque: "I bet Lady Jadeskirt is employing this very strategy right now?"

Miss Sushang: "I understand!"

Miss Sushang: "Lady Jadeskirt must be thinking this now: if this old man is sensible, fine; if not, don't blame me for being cruel—heeheehee!"

Gui Naifen: "Sushang, have you been staying up late reading novel romances again?"

Gui Naifen: "That's exactly the kind of thing a villain would say!"

Lady Jadeskirt: "Hehehe... though phrased a bit ungracefully."

Lady Jadeskirt: "But it does reflect my mindset."

Topaz: "Don't be fooled by Old Aode's smiling face—he's no pushover."

Topaz: "According to Lady Jadeskirt's three-step negotiation method, let's first feign compliance and see what he says."

Bottio: "Damn it, negotiations are such a hassle!"

Bottio: "Honestly, I'd rather just point a gun at someone's head—that's my kind of negotiation!"

Stelle: "Looks like you're one of my kind too!"

The video continues.

【After all, in many people's eyes, you're the legendary figure who single-handedly upheld Penacony's economic system 323.】

After Lady Jadeskirt spoke,

Topaz added a compliment as well.

【Hohohoho! No wonder you're the Ten Heartstones of the Strategic Investment Department—both of you truly understand the art of conversation.】

【Old Aode loves talking to smart people—it cuts out all the tricks and pretense, and gets straight to the point!】

【Since you've been invited aboard as company representatives, you've probably guessed the topic I wish to discuss, haven't you?】

Old Aode smiled amiably.

【The future of Penacony—unless I'm wrong, that's what you want to talk about.】

Lady Jadeskirt replied with a smile as well.

【Hohohoho, correct! You hit the nail on the head!】

【Just a few simple words, yet the interests entangled within are deeply complex!】

【Take that golden-haired boy who didn't come—after all the effort he put in, even nearly losing his life, what was he after?】

Hu Tao: "G-golden-haired boy??"

Hu Tao: "Pfft, Mr. Aventurine just got another random nickname!"

Aventurine: "I am a member of the Ten Heartstones, you know."

Aventurine: "Why does this Old Aode disrespect me?"

Truth Doctor: "Laughable—don't you have any self-awareness?"

Truth Doctor: "You're the one holding Penacony's leverage."

Truth Doctor: "Do you really think he finds you likable?"

Stelle: "Bold! How dare you disrespect Strange Aventurine!"

Stelle: "This Old Aode has already sealed his own death warrant!"

March 7th: "Hey, Stelle, have you been reading too many Luofu Xianzhou novels?"

Fu Ningna: "By the way, isn't the true pillar of Penacony's economic system Master Mikhail the Clockmaker?"

Hu Tao: "Master Mikhail was probably the founder, right?"

Hu Tao: "Without his fabricated story of the Clockmaker, Penacony's economy would never have taken off."

Xiangling: "This Old Aode probably rose to power during that very time, riding the wind."

Xiangling: "Come to think of it, he stood on the shoulders of giants."

Stelle: "With his tiny frame, wasn't he only able to succeed by standing on the shoulders of giants? (Funny. jpg)"

The video continues.

【In the end, isn't this all just to give the company a pretext to reclaim Astarna, that juicy piece of land?】

【Hohohoho...】

After Old Aode spoke,

he let out a few cold laughs.

【The wisdom accumulated over ten Amber Eras dominating the business world truly lives up to its reputation.】

【If your earlier guess is correct, Mr. Old Aode—facing the company's move, how do you intend to respond?】

Paimon: "Dominating the business world... ten Amber Eras?!"

Paimon: "So we underestimated him after all?"

Yuan: "If that's true... this Old Aode is at least a thousand years old."

Yuan: "Hmm... definitely not easy to deal with."

Stelle: "The company holds the leverage now. I think even if this Old Aode is brilliant, he can't turn things around."

March 7th: "I think so too, but someone who's dominated the business world for ten Amber Eras—could he really have no way to break the deadlock?"

The video continues.

【I admire your composure, Lady Jadeskirt!】

【You've certainly seen much.】

【But your understanding of Penacony is still shallow... hohohoho... faced with a ravenous Greedy Wolf, I, Old Aode, have no intention of sitting idle.】

Old Aode finished saying this,

The room fell silent for a moment.

【Hmm, I didn't mean to interrupt… please continue.】

Jade said calmly.

【Hohohoho… then I'll get straight to the point.】

【I asked to meet the two of you before the formal talks, just to urge the Strategic Investment Department to completely abandon any plans regarding Pinocone.】

【If you step back now while the path is still clear, you can exit with more dignity…】

【And avoid losing the company's face at the grand negotiation table.】

Stelle: "Damn, what gives him the nerve to be so confident?"

Stelle: "He's outright threatening the company?"

March 7th: "Feels like empty bluster."

March 7th: "He's got his leverage in their hands, yet he's still this bold—does he want to die faster?"

Furina: "It looks like he's deliberately putting up a tough front, trying to scare Miss Topaz and Lady Jade into leaving?"

Topaz: "That's an insult to us."

Jade: "Hmm, he understands negotiation."

Jade: "Even though he's in the weaker position, he's created the impression that we're the ones at a disadvantage."

Jade: "Unfortunately, this trick might work on ordinary company employees, but against us…"

Jade: "It just shows he's out of options."

Sandgold: "You think a few words will scare us off?"

Sandgold: "Who's going to compensate me for the knife wounds I took?"

Sandgold: "What an absurd fantasy."

Truth Doctor: "He should be grateful that it's the Strategic Investment Department negotiating with him."

Truth Doctor: "If it were the Market Expansion Department's crew…"

Truth Doctor: "He'd probably already be locked up on one of the company's starships as a prisoner."

Paimon: "Uh… are the Market Expansion Department people really that ruthless?"

Paimon: "They act like villains."

Botio: "Hey, Young Lady, I think you can drop 'like'."

Botio: "They're a group that'll stop at nothing for profit—calling them villains isn't an exaggeration."

Botio: "I have no doubt that if the Market Expansion Department had come, Pinocone would already be a smoldering ruin from starship bombardment."

Botio: "At that point, that bastard Oswald would probably claim he was forced to use force to eliminate the remnants of order."