"It really is the kind of advice you'd give!"
Fu Qian's words had made the bookstore even quieter in the evening.
Even though she had steeled herself for the worst, Chief Yuan fell into a long silence. After a while, she finally let out a sigh.
"It's a shame. Although Embo's behavior is indeed somewhat abnormal, we can't be one hundred percent certain he's the problem."
"Why do we need to be certain he's the problem?"
Fu Qian looked surprised.
"We just need to kill him."
"Gulad is currently acting as a whole, posing a security threat and refusing to communicate. Naturally, we have to deal with them as a whole, too."
"As a leader, you need to think about the bigger picture."
"If you really don't want to kill Embo, then someone else will do."
"It doesn't matter who. Anyone important will do."
"Our goal is simply to make them understand that you really will kill someone because of their little tricks, so they'll reconsider the costs and benefits."
"...Still no. The risk is too high!"
After an even longer silence, Yuan Shan's neck seemed to have rusted stiff, but in the end, she still shook her head.
"Oh? So you think this is a world where the risks are low?"
Fu Qian nodded toward the window.
"Of course, that's the worst strategy."
Seeing that Chief Yuan remained firm despite her speechlessness, Fu Qian sighed and continued.
"Oh? You have other suggestions?"
Yuan Shan's eyes lit up at once.
"Who do you take me for? For a competent strategist, three suggestions—best, middling, and worst—are standard practice."
Fu Qian snorted.
"I've already given you the worst strategy: kill Embo without a word. Unfortunately, you don't seem willing to accept it."
"Sorry, I really can't accept that one. Let's