Chris froze for a moment.
Then he said, "Mister Qin, the deal between us wasn't supposed to be known to anyone else in the first place."
Qin Siyang was unconcerned. "It's not as if I'm doing anything shameful. Why should I keep it under wraps?"
"Guardian Chris, if you agree, you'll have my word."
"But Mister Qin, making our private deal public would go against the rules."
"No, no, no." Qin Siyang shook his head. "Guardian Chris, don't always look at things from your own perspective. Try thinking about it from mine."
"For me, letting others know about this would actually be better."
"I don't know what you want the Corrosive Black Centipede's outer shell for, but it's most likely to make protective gear in bulk. If I leak this information to Hu Chan, Zhang Yingrui, and Jin Shengyu, they'll definitely be more eager to work with me."
"Profit from one buyer or four? The choice is obvious."
Chris's tone grew grave. "Mister Qin, I thought our previous cooperation had been smooth and pleasant, and that you were on my side."
"No, I'm not on anyone's side."
"To put it another way, the four of you are athletes preparing for a hundred-meter sprint, while I'm just a vendor selling running shoes."
"All I want is to sell a few more pairs and make a little more money."
"None of you have a bond with me forged through life and death. What does it really matter to me which of you wins?"
There was a hint of helplessness in Chris's voice. "You really do speak coldly, Mister Qin."
Qin Siyang smoothed his hair. "Speaking a little coldly helps cool everyone's overheated heads."
"But profit isn't all I care about. Since our previous cooperation was smooth and pleasant, Guardian Chris, I'm willing