CHAPTER 524: CHAPTER 459: THE PRICE OF RECKLESS MANIPULATION

It sounds a bit ridiculous, but somehow it makes sense...

After listening to the female journalist’s account of the current situation in the Crolock Kingdom, Leon couldn’t help but blink in speechlessness.

He had imagined that after the intelligence crisis in the Crolock Kingdom, the people there must be living in dire straits, but it turns out that their average living standard had risen significantly—it seemed he had overthought it.

Hmm... on further reflection, this does feel more logical.

After all, from his interactions with Atifei-128, it seemed they didn’t hold animosity towards humans, unlike those artificial idiots that claim "humans are the cancer of the earth!" or "humans are disposable waste based on data."

Moreover, even Atifei-128, a subsidiary entity, knew to negotiate for survival with him when the Sky Clipper was about to be bombed, so surely the more "intelligent" Atifei-01 would also know how to weigh the pros and cons.

Coincidentally, the technology in the Crolock Kingdom is outstanding; they don’t lack money, food, or productivity. With Crolock Kingdom’s small population, they could all just be raised together, not costing much.

For Atifei-01, rather than killing or enslaving ordinary people and causing a big mess for itself, or even going to war, it would be cheaper to just maintain them like this.

After all, if taking care of people results in nurturing a few more great scientists, it might even benefit itself. When you compare the two, the fairly intelligent Atifei-01 naturally wouldn’t recklessly attack humans.

"Alright then..."

After understanding the logic behind the Crolock Kingdom’s current situation, Leon couldn’t help a wry smile, noted it down, and asked about another matter that concerned him.

"Then the next question... in the time before the King of Nightmares descended, did you visit the Pink Mystery Bar on Joyful Street?"

"Hmm..."

Upon hearing Leon’s words, the female journalist bit her lower lip, then slightly nodded and said:

"I did go, and I even stole the Scarlet Hair Lady’s wallet."

So it was you.

Leon blinked at her words, then asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Why did you steal her wallet?"

"I don’t know either."

The female journalist shook her head and said:

"I was just in charge of stealing the wallet. The director didn’t tell me anything else, but his aim must have been to deal with the Scarlet Hair Lady, which you could easily guess even if I didn’t say."

Hmm... this part of her story seems to be true as well.

Observing the journalist’s candid demeanor, her soul free of any darkness or concealment, Leon couldn’t help but frown again.

If it were before, he might have worried that the Aquarius Board might use the director’s wallet to cast a remote curse or something.

But after handling the director’s small white teeth earlier, Leon was now firmly convinced that with the comprehensive protection of the Thirty-Two Guardians, no curse could ever be effective.

Then it’s rather strange, what does the Aquarius Director want with the director’s wallet? It couldn’t just be for a moment of amusement, could it?

...

"Leon... sir."

While Leon was puzzled by the Aquarius Director’s actions, the female journalist reflected on their conversation. Realizing that despite Leon’s "deep vendetta" against the Aquarius Board, he didn’t actually ask much about them, she began to sense something was off.

But seeing Leon’s face with a painful expression and his inexplicable sorrowful eyes, which seemed anything but fake, after hesitating a moment, she couldn’t help but inquire with slight suspicion:

"If you don’t mind, could you tell me what the director did to you?"

Hmm... Seems like she’s realized something’s amiss.

Seeing the journalist’s wary soul, Leon quickly realized his questioning had deviated from his persona as a "deeply wronged victim of the Aquarius," raising her suspicion.

"You want to know what I went through?"

After a brief reconsideration, Leon closed his eyes in agony, bit his lower lip until it whitened, appearing pained and unwilling to reminisce. But before long, he reopened his eyes, gazed tearfully at the journalist, and restrained his hatred as he said:

"As long as you tell me his whereabouts, I promise to tell you everything. What do you say?"

"I..."

Seeing the bite marks on Leon’s bleeding lower lip, the journalist shuddered all over, not daring to meet those intensely passionate eyes. She quickly lowered her head again, murmuring:

"I was thinking... if you’re willing to accept, I could try to make it up to you..."

"Make it up to me?"

Hearing this, Leon took a step forward, squatted before the journalist, looked into her panicked eyes, and coldly refused:

"Then give up your stupid loyalty and tell me his whereabouts! That’s the only way to make it up to me!"

"I’m sorry... truly sorry..."

The doubt that had just arisen in her mind was shattered by the [Master Performer] trick, leaving the journalist teary-eyed and overwhelmed with guilt as she faced this "victim" before her.

"I’m sorry too, but he saved my life and raised me... I... I really can’t..."

"Haha, are you sure he saved your life and didn’t just spot your talent, kill your parents, and ruin your original life?"

"I..."

"I’m very disappointed in you."

After placing the journalist’s file before her, Leon said, filled with disappointment:

"According to the Pisces sub-bureau’s investigation, although you couldn’t stop the Aquarius Director’s evil acts, you’ve privately contacted many victims, tried to change their circumstances, and reported abnormal incidents to other bureaus ahead of time, saving quite a few from his grasp.

Even after the Aquarius Director found out about your actions and stopped keeping you by his side, you still didn’t stop, secretly undermining many of his experiments. So after reading your file, I thought you weren’t on his side, at least you still had some conscience.

It was precisely because I knew this that I didn’t resort to coercion, but tried to persuade you to recognize your mistake and hoped to give you a chance to amend. But now... heh, I was thinking too much."

"I..."

As Leon climbed to the moral high ground while using advanced psychological manipulation, the journalist, encountering psychological tactics for the first time, teared up, feeling truly guilty and doubting if her choices were correct in betraying the "victim’s" trust.

Hmm... it seems she’s about to break.

Observing her soul, which was swaying like a disco dance, Leon stayed silent for a moment, then sighed deeply without saying anything before getting up to leave with a heavy heart.

Just as Leon was counting down the beats and walking "disappointedly" toward the door, opening it with a creak, the journalist couldn’t bear the guilt any longer, and with tear-filled eyes, called out:

"Wait... wait! I’ll tell you!"

Success!

Leon’s lips curved slightly at her words as he pretended to reach for the door, then he stepped back to face the journalist, but didn’t say a word, just gazed at her with eyes full of comfort.

"..."

I really shouldn’t have done that!

Seeing Leon’s melting icy gaze, the journalist once again repented deeply in her heart, then choked with emotion and tremulously said:

"The Aquarius... hasn’t given up on his original plan and is preparing a surprise attack... Waa!"

Before she could finish her words, the journalist’s face turned deathly pale, followed by a gush of crimson hot blood spilling from her mouth, drenching Leon, while her soul, as though swept by a gale, unexpectedly burst from her body and crashed into Leon.

"Woof? Woof? Woof?"

Three puzzled woofs were heard as Leon’s soul was knocked out of his body, and the grand portal leading to the Realm of the Dead quietly appeared, with the Three-Headed Canine Deity lying beneath it, awakening from its nap as it gazed over in delight.