Chapter 373: We Need a Guarantee
Linton knew Xiao Ye wouldn't agree so quickly. He was already prepared.
He chuckled. "Mr. Xiao, why don't you take a look at the big screen?"
Xiao Ye turned his head and saw that Jin Mingzhu had been jolted awake by a basin of cold water.
The moment she opened her eyes, a slap landed squarely across her face.
Jin Mingzhu was stunned by the blow. Her hands and feet were bound, and she couldn't move at all.
Xiao Ye's eyes looked ready to split with fury. "What are you doing? Stop it, right now!"
"Mr. Xiao, do you see? This is the consequence of not agreeing to my terms."
Xiao Ye clenched his fists. Suddenly, he turned his head and gave a cold smile. "You think this is enough to threaten me? You're far too naive!"
"Compared to Dragon Country and my family, she's just a woman... No matter how much I might like her, I would never do something against my conscience for her sake!"
After speaking, Xiao Ye headed straight for the door. "Do whatever you want with her!"
The smile on Linton's face froze for a moment, but he quickly relaxed.
It would have been truly unbelievable if Xiao Ye had actually joined them for a woman.
'At their level, women were nothing more than playthings, a bit of fun.'
'Sometimes, they could even be considered just a part of the job.'
'It was impossible that one would give up their real interests for a woman!'
Only then did Linton believe that Xiao Ye wasn't just putting on an act.
He carried his wine glass over to Xiao Ye. "Mr. Xiao, I know you don't really care about one woman."
"After all, there's no shortage of women in this world. You're rich, powerful, and so young—you can have any woman you want."
"Didn't you dump that stunning Lin Chuyue before?"
"So from the very beginning, I never intended to use a woman to make you accept my terms."
Xiao Ye stopped and looked at him sideways. "So what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Lay them all out!"
"Otherwise, just for that slap you gave Mingzhu, I wouldn't let you walk out of here alive!"
Linton smiled confidently. His backup plan was clearly not so simple.
He clapped his hands again, and this time, another screen lit up.
Even Xiao Ye was shocked when he saw the image on it.
It was the inside of the Xiao Family's old mansion!
Although it was only the main hall, it was terrifying enough!
'When did the Angel Association's reach extend all the way into the Xiao Family home!'
But Xiao Ye wasn't truly surprised. After all, Lin Chuxing's godfather was a member of the Ouyang Clan.
And the Ouyang Clan was a major stronghold for the Angel Association in Dragon Country. It was possible Lin Chuxing was behind this.
On the surface, however, Xiao Ye still feigned utter shock. "You... How did you do this?!"
"Mr. Xiao, don't be angry, and don't even think about going back to find this camera."
"Let me tell you bluntly, if we can plant one, we can plant a second. Besides, we know many of the people in the Xiao Family like the back of our hands."
"If you don't want something to happen to the Xiao Family, you'd best do as I say!"
Xiao Ye fell silent.
Linton thought he had him scared and immediately pressed his advantage. "You hate our Angel Association, isn't it just because of Dragon Country's stance?"
"But you can rest assured, the Angel Association has absolutely no ill will towards Dragon Country. On the contrary, if we make any breakthroughs, we would even help Dragon Country."
"Surely you can't let your entire family fall into danger for the sake of some so-called misguided principles you hold, can you?"
"The Xiao Family is rich and powerful. If it's all lost under your watch, the rest of the Xiao Family will see you as a villain."
"And would you have the face to meet your ancestors? I hear people from Dragon Country care a lot about that, and I'm sure you do too."
Hearing this, Xiao Ye finally seemed to give in, his shoulders slumping slightly.
He was silent for a long time. Only when the sound of Linton tapping on the tabletop reached him did he finally speak. "I understand."
"But if you want me to join your Angel Association, fine. I have a few conditions."
"Mr. Xiao, please, name them."
'The Angel Association needs a new stronghold in Dragon Country. The Ouyang Family is no good, but the Xiao Family is perfect!'
'Besides, turning an enemy into one of our own gives us a chance to deceive Dragon Country and hide ourselves even better.'
Xiao Ye said, enunciating every word, "First, I will do absolutely nothing that threatens the security of my country!"
Linton agreed without hesitation. "Of course."
'In any case, once Xiao Ye starts working for them, the Angel Association will have leverage over him.'
'By then, Xiao Ye won't be in a position to care about this condition. Unless he's willing to give up everything he has and voluntarily go to prison, he'll have no choice but to keep going down this path!'
"Second, I will do absolutely nothing that threatens the safety of the people of Dragon Country. I know about your human experiments—don't even think about using the people of Dragon Country!"
Linton explained, "We've never thought about targeting the people of Dragon Country. Those human test subjects are actually specimens transported from abroad."
'Only an idiot would believe that. It's not that easy to bring things like that into the country.'
"We usually operate in countries like Country N. You know, their population is exploding, and their life expectancy is very short."
"The crime rate in that country is very high. The people we find are all criminals!"
Xiao Ye didn't call their bluff. "Third, I will not do anything that threatens the people around me or the safety of the Xiao Family."
"Of course. It's your family, your relatives. How could we possibly make you do something like that?"
Linton smiled and patted Xiao Ye's shoulder. "Don't worry, our Angel Association is very benevolent. We always put people first."
"Now that I've agreed to these three conditions, that means you have joined our Angel Association."
Xiao Ye nodded. "That's right."
The smile on Linton's face deepened. "But, Mr. Xiao, you know what you've done to our Angel Association in the past."
"So, we can't fully trust you."
Xiao Ye watched him coldly. "What are you getting at? Do you want some kind of guarantee?"
Linton clapped his hands.
This time, a section of the table rose from below, revealing a metal briefcase with a combination lock.
"Of course, we need a guarantee. But rest assured, we have no intention of harming you. This is just a preliminary measure."
"You'll be joining as a high-level member of the Angel Association, so this is necessary. But I can promise you, after one year, we will completely reverse this measure."
Xiao Ye looked at the box.
After the box was opened.
Inside was a vial, its pale blue liquid the color of the ocean.
Linton picked up a pair of gloves from the side and put them on. "This is a biological agent."