Shen Hai seemed not to have expected that these people, who had already secured Qin Manjiang's "eligibility for backup," would voluntarily give it up.
He smiled coldly, all but writing "a bunch of idiots" across his face.
"Mr. Qin, there is no friendship between us, only an exchange."
Ignoring everyone else entirely, he spoke only to Qin Manjiang. "I told you I wanted a promise from you."
"And you explicitly answered that you could give it."
"This is a fair trade, not some intangible sentiment. I've already put my chips on the table. Now it's your turn."
Although alcohol had reddened Shen Hai's face, his intoxication had not taken control of his thoughts or actions. He stood before Qin Manjiang and spoke bluntly.
Qin Manjiang looked at him and nodded. "All right."
"Qin Manjiang!" Zhong Xueran stepped forward to stop him, but Yu Ruoli caught her and held her back.
"Let go of me... He's falling for it!" Zhong Xueran struggled for a moment.
Yu Ruoli said nothing, merely watching her quietly.
Of course Zhong Xueran knew she could not stop Qin Manjiang. After all, [Eye Realm] was in his hands. It was his Permanent Item, and as long as he did not change his mind, he could create a backup of Shen Hai at any time. She could not prevent it.
She simply could not stomach it-the way Shen Hai had gone about getting what he wanted.
But once Qin Manjiang gave his definite "all right," everyone except Zhong Xueran fell silent.
Ultimately, this was Qin Manjiang's own business.
And from the moment Shen Hai entered, there really had been nothing particularly wrong with anything he said. There had been no threats, misdirection, exploitation, or traps.
He had simply laid out his terms and negotiated with Qin Manjiang, openly