stjorthotic Chapter 137 You don't want others to know about your affairs, do you?!
Chapter 137 You don't want others to know about your affairs, do you?!
Chapter 138 You don't want others to know about your affairs, do you?!
"Don't be so nervous, we're old friends, we're practically family."
Looking at Nia's ashen face, Sean spoke in an almost comforting tone, as if the two were truly long-lost friends reunited.
"Stop spouting this bullshit!"
Nia let out a low growl, veins throbbing on his forehead.
"What exactly do you want?! I've finally managed to stabilize everything I have now, and I don't want to have anything to do with you shady black wizards anymore!"
What happened in the canyon is long gone! I did what I promised you, and you got what you wanted! We're even! What more do you want?
He was extremely agitated, and his voice trembled slightly as he suppressed anger and fear.
He has climbed high enough to enjoy the respect and resources he has always dreamed of, and he will not allow anyone or anything to ruin it all, especially these past events that are like leeches clinging to his bones!
"Hehe, Nia, Nia."
Faced with Nia's excited questioning, Sean calmly sat down in an expensive-looking armchair opposite him, even casually crossing his legs and waving at him casually.
"How could you become so naive? You think everything you have now is truly equal to your meager initial investment—is that really the case? Sit down, speak slowly, don't stand, it makes you seem distant."
"These are the conditions you promised me!"
Nia's voice rose even higher, almost cracking.
"Everything I have now is what I deserve! It's what I earned through risk! Your sudden appearance now is simply—"
"As long as I know what you've done, how you climbed to this position!"
The feigned gentleness on Sean's face vanished instantly, his voice turning cold as he impatiently interrupted him.
He suddenly stood up, took a step in front of Nia, leaned forward, almost bringing his face close to Nia's ear, and spoke in a low voice like the hiss of a viper, carrying a cold threat.
"You have to listen to me! Understand, Nia?"
He paused deliberately, letting the suffocating fear completely engulf the other person, before asking, word by word, like a demon's whisper, "You don't want Instructor Stein, your friends in the Eternal Tower, the entire Anse Academy—to know about you, do you?"
The last syllable rose slightly, filled with mockery and a cruel, all-encompassing control.
As if all her spine had been ripped out in an instant, Nia's body went limp and she collapsed into the hard wooden chair beside her, her weight pressing down on it with a creaking sound as if she couldn't bear the weight.
He seemed to have no strength left, not even to lift a finger. His gaze was blank as he stared at a point in front of him, no longer trying to meet Sean's eyes. His voice was dry and numb, carrying a despair born of utter defeat: "Tell me—what exactly—does you want?"
Sean looked at Nia with satisfaction, as if admiring a perfect work of art, with complete satisfaction at her surrender and submissiveness.
He sat back down in the chair opposite him, casually straightening his cuffs as if his earlier harsh threat had never happened, his tone even becoming relaxed again: "Relax, Nia, don't act like the sky is falling."
He even smiled.
"Relax, we're not here to destroy everything you have now. On the contrary, if you cooperate well this time, you will not only be able to keep your current position and reputation, but you may even gain more unexpected benefits and conveniences."
Nia abruptly raised her head, a look of incredulous mockery and absurdity flashing in her eyes: "Benefits? From you? Besides endless trouble and living in constant fear, what else can I get from you persistent bastards? More incriminating evidence?"
"Don't speak so absolutely; nothing in this world is absolute."
Sean smiled slightly, leaned forward again, and lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret.
"For example—your old rival, York, although he's dead, his family seems to be having a tough time lately, right? When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down; I bet many people want a piece of the pie."
Nia's pupils contracted slightly, but she did not answer immediately.
York's family did indeed suffer greatly as a result of York being labeled a "traitor," and their influence and economic resources shrank dramatically, leaving them in a difficult situation.
"What if we could just happen to provide some incredibly conclusive evidence that certain core members of the York family were already aware of his actions, and even secretly provided him with certain conveniences and support?"
Sean's voice was deep and seductive, like the devil whispering in your ear.
"Think about it, when the time comes, how much of the resources and territory they leave behind after they fall can your Moreno family, which is almost hollowed out and on the verge of collapse, seize?"
And you, as the great hero who exposed all these evils and eliminated hidden dangers for the academy, how much prestige and—real benefits—will you gain from it?
Nia's heart skipped a beat, and her breathing quickened. The temptation was too great!
It was so large that greed instantly tore a hole in his heart, which was filled with fear!
This is almost a golden opportunity for him to revive his family and elevate his personal power to a new level!
But his remaining rationality immediately suppressed the greed that was almost overwhelming him. He looked at Sean warily, even fearfully: "You—you would be so kind as to offer such conditions? What's the price? What is the price? What do you want me to do?!"
He didn't believe in free lunches, especially not from these devils.
"The price? It's simple."
Sean's smile became meaningful, as if the fish had finally taken the bait.
"We need you to make full use of your current status and advantages to provide me with just a little bit of assistance—which is absolutely insignificant to you."
"
"What kind of assistance?"
Nia's heart leaped into her throat; she sensed that this was no small matter.
"It's actually very simple."
Sean spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Sail City has academy patrol teams responsible for security, right? Show me their deployment map, the specific patrol routes..."
Get me a list of the schedule and the strength of each team member.
I imagine this should be an easy task for you, Professor Stern's most accomplished student and a prominent figure in the academy.
"That's all?
When Nia heard this, her first reaction was not difficulty, but immense shock and disbelief!
It wasn't because the task was difficult, but because it was simply too easy for him!
It's so simple it's almost uncanny!
While the patrol team's information was considered internal data, given his current status and connections, he could easily obtain it with a little effort; it wasn't exactly top-secret. Why would they go to such lengths, resorting to threats and inducements, just for this?
"Heh, otherwise how difficult do you think it would be? Attacking Anse Academy?"
Faced with Nia's shock and confusion, Sean remained unusually calm, as if it were truly just a trivial matter.
"These things—I—I can find a way to give them to you."
Nia hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed, as it was indeed within his capabilities.
But his unease grew stronger, and he couldn't help but tentatively ask, "But—may I ask—what is your purpose in wanting these things? What do you intend to do in Sel City?"
"Nia————"
Sean's smile faded slightly, and his tone carried an undeniable coldness.
"Knowing too much about some things won't do you any good; it might even bring you disaster. Just do your job well, get what you're entitled to, and that's enough. Understand?"
Faced with Sean's implicitly threatening refusal, Nia wisely kept quiet, but her ominous premonition grew stronger.
"Oh, right."
Sean seemed to suddenly remember something and added, his tone still casual, but it made Nia's heart sink.
"In case, I mean in case, something unexpected happens in Sel City recently," such as an apprentice running into trouble, and if Anse Academy wants to send someone to handle it immediately—
"I think, given your position, perhaps you could find a way—to slightly delay the reaction of the academy's higher-ups. It won't take long, just a little bit of time will suffice."
Nia's face turned deathly pale in an instant! Completely bloodless!
"They're going to make a move in Sel City?! And the target is the academy's apprentices?! But I—I'm just a level three apprentice! How could I possibly have the power to influence the academy's higher-ups' decisions and plans? It's too obvious! If they find out I'm deliberately delaying, I'm finished!"
His voice became shrill from extreme shock and fear.
To lay a hand on an apprentice from Anse Academy in Sel City? This is no small matter! If it happens, it will surely cause a huge uproar!
And he was actually asked to play an inside role in delaying the academy's reaction? This was practically pushing him into an abyss!
"Don't get excited! Relax!"
Sean's tone remained calm, as if he were simply soothing a noisy child.
"First, the target is not a second-level apprentice at Anse Academy!"
Secondly, this is just a backup plan, and there's a high probability that you won't be needed at all.
Third, even if an accident occurs and you need to step in, you don't need to make it too obvious.
He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice even further: "You just need to use your current position and influence in case something goes wrong."
for example----
Upon initially receiving the report, it was dismissed as "a common private conflict between apprentices" or "a routine dispute with someone outside the school," and the patrol team was advised to handle it according to standard procedures, observe the situation briefly, and then decide whether to report it to the college's higher management.
All you need to do is use your influence to buy that tiny bit of precious initial reaction time, and that's enough! It's not difficult for you, is it?
Sean's gaze seemed to penetrate Nia's eyes, seeing through all his hesitation and calculations: "You are a favorite of Professor Stern, a future elite that the academy is working hard to cultivate. Your initial judgments and suggestions will always be given more consideration by those who are implementing them, and may even be subconsciously adopted."
As long as your wording is appropriate and your demeanor is natural, no one will suspect that you are deliberately stalling for time! You are simply being cautious.
Nia's lips trembled as she tried to find a reason to refute, but found her mind a mess and unable to find any plausible excuse.
Sean was right. With his current reputation within the academy and the favor of Professor Stern, he was indeed capable of exerting such a subtle yet crucial influence in the initial stages of the event.
But there are risks involved —
If he makes a mistake in the calculation, or if anything goes wrong in any step, he will be doomed!
"certainly!"
Sean seemed to see through his last struggle and added the final straw, his tone suddenly becoming cold and sharp, filled with an undeniable sense of oppression.
If you think the risks of "this little thing" far outweigh the enormous benefits Moreno could gain from completely destroying the York family, and far outweigh the increased power and resources you could acquire in the future—
Then you can refuse me now. I'll turn around and walk away immediately, as if we'd never met today. You can continue being your rising star.
As he spoke, Sean made a move to stand up, his movements swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
"No! Wait! Don't go!"
Nia blurted it out almost instinctively, her voice sharp and shrill from extreme fear and urgency.
He can't let Sean go!
He knew all too well that if Sean left this room today in disappointment, what awaited him would not be a peaceful end, but rather a disgraceful and utterly destroyed fate!
The other party will definitely spread those things without hesitation!
The immense fear of being disgraced, coupled with the subtle, precisely ignited greed for more power and profit, ultimately overwhelmed his remaining rationality and risk awareness.
He seemed to have lost all his soul and strength, collapsing completely into the chair, his eyes staring blankly at the intricate patterns on the ceiling. His voice was hoarse and dry, filled with despair and resignation: "—I—I'll do it! The patrol information—I'll get it to you as soon as possible. If—if the 'accident' you mentioned really happens—I will—do as much as you say—delay it."
As Nia uttered those words, she felt as if a part of her soul had died completely, sinking into an abyss of darkness.
He understood that from this moment on, he had become a puppet manipulated by these people, with no way to turn back; there was only one path ahead of him—
A path leading to deeper darkness, or —
A genuinely satisfied smile spread across Sean's face, as if he had simply completed a trivial, predictable transaction.
"Very good. A wise choice, Nia! Believe me, you'll be glad you made that decision today."
He stood up, elegantly straightened his perfectly wrinkle-free robe, and then seemingly casually reached out and patted Nia's shoulder twice, as if encouraging a collaborator.
At the very moment of contact, a thin white thread, almost invisible to the naked eye, slipped from Sean's fingertip and stuck to Nia's robe, right before Nia's eyes.
"Keep in touch! Wait for my message."
After saying that, Sean didn't look at Nia, who was dispirited and like a puppet without a soul, again. He walked to the door silently, just as he had come, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Nia was left alone, sitting in the deathly silent room, overwhelmed by a wave of cold fear and immense pressure.
He sat there stiffly, facing an irreversible choice and the unknown storm that was about to break. He felt as if the blood in his body had been frozen, and all that remained in his eyes was endless madness and greed!