Wednesday's lips curved into a barely perceptible arc, while Enid couldn't help but giggle aloud.
Valmont's face alternated between red and white. Behind him, Finn couldn't help but mutter in a low voice:
"Boss, what he said seems... kinda reasonable..."
Valmont sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. In his heart, he had already cursed that stingy old dragon Shendu eight hundred times.
It looked like the cooperation was going to fail, which was within his expectations.
Even for him, Valmont, Shendu had at least produced the physical Treasure of the Golden Rooster King—those glittering piles of gold and jewels he had seen with his own eyes and touched with his own hands—to dangle before him.
Although that old deadbeat had kept stalling on the payment, at least there was visible, tangible bait swaying in front of him.
But facing Vic, Shendu actually dared to paint a "pie in the sky" out of thin air? He wouldn't even part with a decent "deposit"?
Why would anyone bite that hook? Did he think people were crazy?
Valmont shook his head helplessly, preparing to take his group of defeated soldiers back home and figure out how to explain this to the short-tempered old guy on the wall.
Just then—Smack!
A palm, carrying undeniable force, clapped heavily onto his shoulder, startling him.
"So," Vic's voice carried a lightness, casual as if he had just decided what to have for dinner. "Happy cooperation."
"Wha... What?"
Valmont spun around, his face written with incredulous shock, almost suspecting he was hallucinating.
"But... why?"
He couldn't understand at all. Just a moment ago, the guy had devalued his proposal to nothing, mocking it thoroughly. How did he suddenly...
Vic grinned. The light dancing in his eyes was pure and mad, devoid of any logic:
"No reason. I just think it's interesting."
"..."
Looking at the undisguised madness in Vic's eyes, a thought instantly flashed through Valmont's mind:
Fine, this guy really might be a psychopath.
But in the next second, immense ecstasy washed away his doubts. So what if he's a psycho! As long as he could get the talismans, he didn't care if Vic had escaped from Arkham!
He immediately squeezed out an incredibly enthusiastic, even fawning smile. He grasped Vic's hand, which hadn't been retracted yet, and shook it vigorously:
"Okay! Happy cooperation! Absolutely happy! You have truly made the wisest choice!"
"Vic," Enid tugged gently at the hem of Vic's shirt, her azure eyes full of worry.
"What if they don't keep their word? that Shendu guy sounds very cunning..."
Vic turned around, gently rubbing Enid's blonde hair. He still wore that harmless smile, but the words that came out of his mouth instantly sent a chill down Valmont's spine:
"Don't worry, baby."
His voice was soft, as if whispering sweet nothings, but the content was the exact opposite.
"Because I don't plan on keeping my promise either."
His gaze swept over Valmont's instantly frozen face. His tongue slowly licked his lips, revealing sharp canine teeth. His eyes flashed with a greedy and excited light, like a predator eyeing its prey:
"The Talismans, I want. Shendu's treasury, I also want. Even this bunch of... seemingly useful minions under him, I want them too."
He leaned forward slightly, flashing a "brilliant" smile at the pale-faced Valmont:
"Everything... is mine."
To the side, Wednesday commented expressionlessly:
"That truly befits your style of being greedy, shameless, and utterly devoid of the spirit of contract."