He was being very cooperative.
After Old Man Laurie had gone this far, refusing seemed downright impolite.
As expected of an old hand. Once he realized his side was the one being manipulated, an inexperienced player might have responded by flying into a rage.
At the very least, fear for his own situation might have driven him to strike first in an attempt to survive.
But the old man had skipped both stages entirely. He hadn't even bothered with pointless begging. Instead, he'd focused on what value he could offer and how it might be used.
Very sensible.
Never mind who the person in front of him actually was. Their rank didn't seem particularly high, but what kind of organization was the Rebirth Club?
Given the Greedy Worms' extensive intelligence network, they had probably heard something about its recent accomplishments.
Even if this wasn't a setup, and they'd arranged this discreet meeting without resorting to violence, did they have any choice besides doing as they were told?
Not to mention, their visitor had already grasped their situation to such an extent that it was as if they were being toyed with in the palm of his hand.
As for "working together to investigate the Siren"—
The reason this suggestion had been made was obvious: at first glance, the Rebirth Club was interested in the Siren's activities.
Old Man Laurie had already placed his side in a fairly passive position. His decisive declaration that he wouldn't ask their names or purpose was a clear expression of that stance.
"Do you have anyone watching Solondir's ship?"
Fu Qian didn't bother with pleasantries either. He went straight to the point, confirming how the Greedy Worms had deployed their forces.
"We do... Ji Yin is over there."
It was a little too direct. Even