Having cleaned up the mess left by the Life Foundation, Rimuru instantly switched to debt-collection mode, his tone direct and perfunctory, giving Fury no chance to make empty promises or stall.
"Alright, we've finished the important business. Let's talk about some personal matters."
"When are you going to return the two thousand mass-produced T-1000 Ultimate Nullifier units I traded with you for?"
Nick Fury on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, remained silent for half a second, and then skillfully switched to complaining mode.
" Rimuru, you are aware of the difficult S.H.I.E.L.D.. is currently facing."
"With global instability, frequent extraterrestrial threats, and a multitude of supernatural events occurring around the world, the department is facing a severe shortage of manpower and is under immense pressure."
"The hiring process is extremely rigorous now, with background checks, loyalty tests, and competency assessments at every stage. It takes months for just one person to complete the review, and we simply can't fill the gaps in manpower."
"This incident involving the Life Foundation requires a large number of people to be mobilized for containment, investigation, and cleanup; we're simply overwhelmed..."
Listening to the endless stream of official excuses and the frantic wrangling on the other end of the phone, Rimuru was utterly speechless.
He'd heard that same story eight hundred times.
To put it bluntly, they're just using it so conveniently that they have no intention of returning it.
This is blatant cheating!
Just as Rimuru was about to open up and expose his little scheme, Fury, fearing he would press for repayment, quickly offered a sweet treat to appease him and hurriedly changed the subject.
"Don't worry, don't worry! Good news!"
"Your previously submitted plan for the construction of a fully automated super trolley factory has been officially approved throughout the entire approval process!"
"All official authority, land approvals, and energy quotas have been granted; you can begin construction at any time!"
Upon hearing this, Rimuru froze, his emotions instantly turning into a mix of feelings.
Good heavens!
After so much back and forth, it's finally been approved.
When I launched the Extremis Medical Potion, it was launched across the entire internet and became popular worldwide, with all approvals completed in just a few months.
As a result, a tram factory that honestly focused on infrastructure development, new energy, and benefiting the people and the city was stuck in limbo for more than half a year.
He strongly suspected that Nick Fury was deliberately hindering his progress and secretly trying to mess with his mentality!
Rimuru felt no joy at all after hearing Fury's news about the factory approval. He knew perfectly well that Fury was just using this small benefit to appease him, and that he definitely wouldn't be getting his two thousand T-1000s back anytime soon.
With the Riot still a pressing issue at hand, there was no time to argue with Nick Fury, and no desire to listen to any more bureaucratic nonsense. So, he simply cut off the communication and casually tossed the communication screen aside.
Just as he turned to discuss the next steps with Eddie, his gaze swept over them and he stopped abruptly.
Eddie was squatting by the broken sofa, clutching a crumpled little notebook. His pen flew across the paper as he meticulously recorded every word of his conversation with Nick Fury, noting down even the details of Fury's complaints, the trolley factory approvals, and the Ultimate Nullifier debt settlement.
Noticing Rimuru's unfriendly gaze on him, Eddie looked up abruptly, almost dropping his pen. He forced an awkward smile, licked his dry lips nervously, and hurriedly hid his notebook behind his back, offering a flustered explanation.
"Sorry, sorry, it was just a professional habit. I subconsciously wrote down so many inside stories I heard. I didn't mean anything by it."
Rimuru sighed, rubbing his forehead, utterly speechless. No wonder he's a frontline investigative journalist; he records everything he sees. This occupational hazard is truly ingrained in his bones.
He floated up to Eddie, suppressing the anger he had just felt from Fury, and spoke seriously.
"Speaking of which, you've completely lost your job now. After the Life Foundation's scandals were exposed, the entire industry will blacklist you, and it will be very difficult for you to work as a journalist again."
"Besides, I just sent the video of you and Venom to S.H.I.E.L.D.. Your special circumstances have been noted by the higher-ups. From now on, you won't be able to live a peaceful life like an ordinary person anymore; you'll be watched everywhere."
"Why don't you just come and work for me?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Eddie's mind was instantly filled with Venom's excited and frenzied roar.
[Great! Follow the boss! Endless chocolate to eat! Never go hungry again! Never get beaten up again!]
The Venom churned and surged wildly within him, dark lines flashing along Eddie's neck, brimming with anticipation.
Eddie, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm, frowning as he pondered the matter, rationally raising his doubts.
"Follow you? But what can I do? Stark Industries doesn't seem to need investigative journalists, does it? You could easily crush a bunch of enemies with your strength, there's no need for me to protect you at all. If I went, I'd only be a hindrance."
Rimuru nonchalant, but he was actually quite calculating in his mind.
He certainly didn't lack Eddie's fighting strength, but letting this one-person Symbiote roam freely was too risky.
In the original comics, once Eddie is stabbed in the heart and dies Riot, Venom abandons the idea of finding a new host and uses its own life energy to revive him, breaking the Symbiote's instinct to "abandon its dead host."
This resulted in Codex, which attracted the attention of Knull, the God of Symbiotes.
That guy is a ruthless character. In the comics, he slaughtered the Celestials with his bare hands, tore apart a huge number of Sentry, and personally forged the All-Black the Necrosword, which made all the gods fear him. If Knull were to follow the Symbiote's aura and come looking for him, the entire Earth would be doomed. We absolutely cannot let this threat roam freely.
Rimuru patted Eddie's thin shoulder, looking as if he were entrusting him with an important task, and offered him an enticing deal.
"I'm not asking you to do any fighting. I just got approval for a fully automated super trolley factory, and it's about to start production. You've been a journalist for so many years, you're quick-witted and good at communication and publicity, so the job of promoting the trolley, connecting with channels, and offline promotion is perfect for you. Work hard, and you'll have a starting salary of a million a year, plenty of benefits, and unlimited chocolate."
A million-dollar annual salary?!
Eddie's pupils suddenly lit up. Before, as a reporter, he had been braving wind and rain, constantly living in fear while investigating illegal dens. His meager salary barely covered his living expenses. Such generous treatment directly hit his weak spot.
Only a fool wouldn't cling to a thick, strong thigh offered to him.
He immediately straightened his back and spoke with utmost sincerity.
"Thank you for not taking me for granted. From now on, I, Eddie, will definitely work diligently under your guidance! If you will not reject me, I would like to become your godfather!"
Rimuru so startled by his sudden gift that he floated back half a meter and quickly waved his hand to stop him.
"Stop, stop, stop. Forget all this formalities. Let's deal with the Riot first."
He dropped his joking expression and began to clearly outline his plan.
" The Symbiote share a telepathic link, and Riot has been trying to launch Rocket to lure the entire swarm to Earth. We'll use this to our advantage, spreading false information to lure it out. Venom, you're in charge of leading this operation."
The Venom lurking within Eddie's body immediately responded, excitedly gushing out several streams of dark fluid beneath his skin.
[No problem! Leave it to me! As long as we stir up Riot, won't we get a huge pile of top-grade chocolates afterward?]
"Enough is enough." Rimuru calmly, a glint of cunning in his eyes. "As long as we successfully lure out that source of all evil, there will be an unlimited supply of special magic chocolates from now on."
With sweets as motivation, Venom instantly became highly motivated and couldn't wait to sacrifice Riot in exchange for an endless supply of chocolate.