The consortium's terms were indeed tempting, but Xu Zhi caught a familiar scent in them. It was as if... she had done something similar back in Cloud City.
Leeks, after all. They made it sound nice, but once you signed the contract, however much the consortium invested in you, they would inevitably squeeze out an equivalent—if not double—the value from you.
Xu Zhi did not hide her hesitation. Seeing this, the man seemed somewhat puzzled. "Is Miss Xu dissatisfied with the terms proposed by the consortium?"
Xu Zhi spoke with some difficulty. "Twenty years... isn't that a little too long?"
"How could it be?"
The man across from her was even more confused.
"Twenty years is already special treatment for Miss Xu as a Lamp-aspect Transcendent. During those twenty years, whether or not you successfully advance, the consortium will continue providing you with resources. You should know that Transcendents of other aspects start at a minimum of twenty-five years. And after ten years, if their aptitude proves lacking, their resources will also be reduced."
His tone was filled with utter certainty. Xu Zhi could tell that he genuinely believed a twenty-year contract was perfectly reasonable, and that she was getting a bargain.
"Miss Xu, you must understand that twenty years truly isn't long for a Transcendent. The average lifespan of Transcendents in our city alone is one hundred and fifty years, and that includes the enormous base of low-rank Transcendents."
"Besides, the consortium is signing this contract with you despite not knowing whether you can successfully advance, or whether you'll merely waste time and consume the consortium's resources."
"We have already shown sufficient sincerity."
What a wonderful speech. It nearly moved Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi knew very well that this was not the time to make a decision. Whether she