To be honest, Xie De really didn't think he had any talent for politics. All that sophisticated terminology always left him lost.
Fortunately, the devils in Hell didn't go in for sophisticated terminology either. They laid their intentions bare before 730 instead of resorting to empty moral coercion.
Mammon was a master negotiator, going back and forth with 730 in a confrontational exchange.
The demands were outrageous: first a territory, then a sum of money, then a certain number of souls. In short, working with Mammon always meant bleeding a little.
Mammon was especially adept at exploiting human nature to achieve his aims and line his own pockets.
Unfortunately, the one talking to him this time wasn't human, merely an AI, and it refused to fall into any of his traps.
Mammon had initially been eager to drag Xie De into the fray, but this supposed person in charge of the Instances kept his mouth shut, sitting on the sidelines and letting 730 fight on the front lines.
Before long, Mammon gave up. He decided this fellow really was in charge of the Instances, seeing how he hadn't succumbed to any of his verbal temptations or manipulations.
If someone like that belonged to Hell, he would probably be a greater demon.
Mammon sneered and displayed the full extent of a demon's shamelessness, declaring loudly, "The Laboratory may be a collection of lunatics, but we in Hell never do business at a loss. Everyone knows that a deal with a demon comes at the cost of a soul."
"You don't even have a soul, so naturally you have to offer some tangible benefits. Otherwise, why should we help you?"
730 spun around, still considering what tone to take.
455 rushed out, ready for a fight. "Wow, you really are shameless! You