Liam didn't care at all about Leo's mockery.
"You're right. That's why I want to cooperate with you. I can tell you who the other four are."
The corners of Leo's mouth curled up slightly.
"You want to use my hand to get rid of them."
Liam praised.
"It's so pleasant talking to smart people. Exactly, because they're in my way. People with no utility value should be destroyed."
Leo's voice turned cold.
"I don't need to cooperate with you; I can find you all myself."
Liam didn't get angry; his tone remained calm.
"You're right. Nen is truly a wonderful thing. The Kalluto by your side has the ability to track and find people; finding us one by one and taking us out would be effortless."
He paused.
"It's a pity. I don't doubt whether you can kill us. I only doubt whether you can withstand the wrath of the V5. Even if you do, your companions and friends likely won't."
Leo fell silent.
Liam was right.
It wouldn't be hard for the V5 to kill him; they'd just need to say the word.
Even the Ant King couldn't withstand the Rose Bomb, and his current self was still no match for the Ant King.
Furthermore, the Rose Bomb was just one of the lowest-end weapons in the V5's hands. He hadn't even seen the things hidden deeper.
He could disregard his own life, but he couldn't disregard the lives of Sophia, Shizuku, Kastro, Goreinu, Nico, and Kalluto.
From the other end of the phone came the soft sound of a coffee cup being placed on a table.
"But I can."
Liam's voice carried a sense of certainty.
"You kill them all, and in exchange, I can help you clean up the aftermath. The authorities won't trouble you openly."
Leo sneered.
"I'm afraid that once I kill them all, the next person to be dealt with will be me."
"No, no, no."
Liam's tone was so sincere it didn't sound like he was lying.
"To be honest, I truly admire you. You're a smart man, and the future era needs courageous young people to lead it."
"However, you should know that when you took care of the Doctor, those fools suggested dealing with you, including the Colton Family. I was the one who suppressed it and gave you a few months to develop."
Leo's gaze shifted slightly.
He should have been targeted by the V5 months ago.
But there had been no movement, so he thought the V5 didn't care. It turned out it had been suppressed.
"The Douglas Family matter was orchestrated by you, wasn't it?"
Liam admitted it generously.
"Exactly. All the trouble the Colton Family has encountered lately was arranged by me. I wanted to see if you were qualified to cooperate with me."
"Well, I'm very satisfied now. So, how about it? Want to cooperate with me?"
"You have absolute strength, while I possess the power, connections, and influence you lack!"
Liam's words were full of temptation, every word like a hook trying to snag Leo's nerves.
Leo didn't answer.
Liam wasn't in a hurry either, continuing on his own as if he had prepared this speech long ago.
"To explore the Dark Continent, you need to submit an application to the Foreign Transit Permit Bureau directly managed by the V5. Before applying to the Permit Bureau, you need to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of each V5 nation to complete the application registration procedures."
The sound of rustling paper came through the phone.
"'The documents will be sent to the Special Transit Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Applicants need to stay locally for a month for contracting and briefing; it takes about half a year for all five nations to complete the processing.'"
He paused, as if giving Leo time to digest this information.
"By the way, an applicant needs to hold three letters of recommendation from Members of Parliament of their home country to see the Chief of the Special Transit Division. Even with the letters, the application might not necessarily be accepted."
His tone became more relaxed, as if chatting about an insignificant trifle.
"Even if the application is approved, who knows how many years it'll be before you can participate in a Dark Continent 'investigation.' Even after successfully entering the Dark Continent, you'd be monitored the entire time, like a tour group that can't move freely."
He chuckled, a hint of mockery in his laughter.
"Hehe, I've been a bit long-winded. To put it simply—not letting anyone go to the Dark Continent is the V5's unspoken rule. I imagine you probably can't wait that long, Leo, right?"
Hearing this, Leo smiled; this guy really had done his homework.
Every link, every step, and every place where he could be stuck had been thoroughly researched by Liam.
This wasn't an impromptu speech; it was a carefully prepared bargaining chip.
"Cooperate with me, and I can help you obtain the transit qualifications for the Dark Continent and even provide you with exploration equipment developed by the V5. If you'll forgive my bluntness, your group of companions isn't ready to step into the Dark Continent yet."
"You're too strong; they can't keep up with your pace."
Liam's tone remained composed.
"I don't think your influence is great enough to control the people at the Transit Permit Bureau."
Leo said disdainfully.
No matter how beautiful or tempting Liam's words were, he had overlooked one thing.
Leo knew that in another year, the Kakin Empire would head to the Dark Continent on its own, breaking the rules set by the V5.
By then, the V5 wouldn't be able to control much. He could take that opportunity to set out himself. But he wouldn't explain that to Liam; there was no need.
Liam didn't panic at Leo's questioning; instead, he laughed, a laugh carrying an uncomfortable confidence.
"I don't right now, but I will soon."
His voice dropped lower, as if sharing a secret known only to the two of them.
"I'm a very polite person. I'll give you three days to consider. Once you've made up your mind, call me. Our cooperation will surely be very pleasant."
He paused.
"Goodbye, Leo."
The call ended.
"Beep— Beep— Beep—"
The busy tone echoed a few times in the meeting room before falling into a brief silence.
Leo leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, fingers lightly tapping on the armrest.
Liam.
This man was much harder to deal with than the Doctor.
The Doctor was a madman, and a madman could be beaten to death with fists.
But Liam wasn't a madman; he was the type who sat in an office, drank coffee, and could decide the lives and deaths of countless people with just a few words.
His weapon wasn't Nen, but power, connections, and the entire V5 as his backing.
You couldn't smash that machine because it was too big—so big that even Netero was unwilling to touch it.
But he had a fatal weakness—he had desires.
He want to climb higher, get rid of those in his way, and gain more power.
Such a person could be used but not trusted.
Cooperation was temporary.
Once he killed those four, Liam would be next.
Liam knew this too, but he didn't care because he only cared about his own path.
This kind of person was the most terrifying.
Leo opened his eyes, stood up, and walked toward the door.
Three days.
He needed to figure out one thing—whether to cooperate with Liam or turn against him.
There was still plenty of time; he could have Nico investigate Liam's information first.
Currently, he was in the light while Liam was in the dark, making him very passive.
Third-floor lounge, Nico's room.
The door wasn't locked; Leo pushed it open and entered.
Nico was sitting at his desk in front of three screens, the blue light reflecting on his focused face.
His fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, lines of code and dense data flashing across the screens.
Leo walked up behind him and stopped.
"Nico, help me investigate someone."
Nico's fingers paused, and he asked without turning his head.
"Who?"
"Liam, a V5 official."
Leo explained.
"Find all the information and data related to him. Be careful during the investigation; don't get caught."
Nico didn't ask why; he just nodded, his gaze more serious than usual.
"No problem. Give me a day."
He turned back, his fingers returning to the keyboard.
"Clack, clack, clack, clack!"
The sound of the keyboard kept ringing, crisp and urgent.
After Leo finished speaking, he turned and left.