Upon hearing God King Tang San's question, the staff member nodded subconsciously. "Yes, Mr. Tang San, Ms. Ruan Mei is not an employee of Interastral Peace Corporation."
Upon hearing this, God King Tang San immediately revealed a smug smile.
He knew it; this woman didn't even have a work badge on her, so how could she possibly work for the company?
However, what he didn't know was that Ruan Mei, as a member of the Genius Society, was a genuine Emanator of Erudition in the universe. The company had already invested a lot of resources to invite her to participate in the research, and the two parties were in a cooperative relationship.
"Since she's not from your company, she has no right to order this God King!" God King Tang San sneered, pointing at God King Mei. "Why should I listen to an outsider's arrangements based on the contract I signed with you? Now that I have the body, I'll handle the God King myself. Farewell!"
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the laboratory door.
Seeing this, the staff quickly stepped forward to stop him. "Mr. Tang San, please don't act impulsively. The body you are currently using has not yet completed all testing, and the contract clearly stipulates that you need to cooperate with subsequent research. You cannot leave the research base without permission."
God King Tang San was immediately enraged.
"How dare you! Where this God King goes is none of your business!"
He pushed the staff aside and said coldly, "Do you really think I, the God King, am someone to be trifled with? If I want to leave, the path is right beneath my feet! Do you intend to lock God King up here?"
The staff member was pushed back two steps, but still did not move aside.
Seeing this, God King Tang San was already preparing to summon the Clear Sky Hammer. He had just acquired a new body and was looking for an opportunity to test its power, so naturally he was unwilling to continue being manipulated by others.
Just as the two sides were at an impasse, the laboratory door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
A middle-aged man wearing the uniform of Interastral Peace Corporation walked in, with a name tag for project manager hanging around his neck, followed by two staff members.
He had come to check on the progress of the experiment, but as soon as he entered, he saw a young man arguing with a research assistant, surrounded by a large group of people.
The supervisor frowned, but didn't go over immediately. Instead, he approached Ruan Mei and greeted her politely, "Ms. Ruan Mei, hello. I heard the soul transfer experiment has been successful. Congratulations on completing another important research project."
Nguyen Mai was looking down at the data on her tablet when she heard this, and simply nodded slightly.
The supervisor didn't disturb her, turning to his assistant beside him. "What's going on here? Is Ms. Ruan Mei's project underfunded, or is there a shortage of experimental equipment? If there's anything needed, just apply directly to the company."
The assistant shook his head and explained in a low voice, "Manager, it's not a funding issue. The soul transfer experiment was successful, but Mr. Tang San is refusing to cooperate with the follow-up examinations and has stated that he is unwilling to repay the research and development costs, and is preparing to leave directly."
As he spoke, the assistant pulled up the contract that God King Tang San had previously signed.
The supervisor glanced at it briefly, and his face immediately darkened.
"What? You used company resources to create a body, and after the experiment was successful, you don't want to continue fulfilling the contract?"
He walked up to God King Tang San, his tone turning stern. "Mr. Tang San, have you made a mistake? The company has invested so many resources in you, and even specially hired Ms. Ruan Mei to oversee the soul transfer experiment. Not only do you refuse to cooperate, but you also dare to cause trouble here? Who gave you the audacity?"
God King Tang San was not intimidated at all; instead, he raised his chin and snorted coldly.
"Why should I, the God King God King, listen to her? She's not part of your company, so what right does she have to order God King? Besides, the contract you made me sign was completely unreasonable! It's just a body, yet you expect me to repay so many fees, and even after I become a god, I won't be able to get rid of the debt!"
At this point, he became even more enraged, pointing directly at the supervisor and saying, "What kind of nonsense is this about descendants having to pay back money after death? It's utterly absurd! I, the God King, am now officially telling you that I do not recognize that contract, and I will not pay back a single penny! How dare you make me, the God King, sign such an overbearing clause? Do you really think I, the God King, am easy to bully?"
After hearing these words, the supervisor's face turned completely gloomy.
Having worked at the company for so many years, he had seen many clients who owed money and had also encountered people who deliberately violated contracts. But it was rare to see someone like Tang San, who took the resources provided by the company, used the body developed by the company, and still dared to refuse to pay so confidently.
"Mr. Tang San, it seems you haven't grasped your own situation at all."
The supervisor stared at him and slowly said, "First, although Ms. Ruan Mei is not a company employee, she is a member of the Genius Society and, moreover, an Emanator of Erudition. The company has invested countless resources to invite her to participate in the research. Do you think Ms. Ruan Mei is just an ordinary researcher we hired casually?"
God King Tang San frowned.
Genius Society? Emanator of Erudition?
He had never heard of these names before, and naturally did not understand their significance.
The supervisor ignored his reaction and continued, "It's an honor for the company that Ms. Ruan Mei is willing to participate in our research. In this project, she has the authority to make decisions regarding the research work. You, an experimental subject who has just undergone soul transfer, actually dare to question her qualifications?"
"Secondly, the body you're currently using was created by the company with a significant investment of resources. The Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, Twin Martial Souls, soul transfer—which of these didn't come at a cost? All the requirements were proposed by you personally, and you signed the contract yourself!"
The supervisor pointed to the electronic file in the assistant's hand and said coldly, "Now that you have the documents, you want to deny everything? Do you think our Interastral Peace Corporation is a charity, spending money to create bodies for you?"
God King Tang San looked unpleasant after being spoken to, but he still refused to back down.
"Don't try to scare this God King God King these things! I admit you do have some special methods, but they're nothing more than various strange machines. Once I've resumed God King cultivation and regained my former power, what will these things amount to?"
He simply didn't believe that a so-called company could do anything to him.
Although his current strength is weak, he has hundreds of years of cultivation experience and has inherited the Dual Godhood of the Sea God and the Asura God. Given enough time, he will eventually be able to become God King again.
By then, what contracts, what debts—wouldn't they all be resolved with just a few words?
The Golden Dragon King, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but sneer upon hearing his words.
"Boy, I advise you to behave yourself. This woman and the Interastral Peace Corporation are not as easy to mess with as you think."
God King Tang San turned to look at him, his eyes full of disdain.
" Golden Dragon King, it's your business if you're willing to work for someone else for two hundred years. I, the God King, am not as easy to bully as you! A mere part of the Dragon God, yet you're managed so subserviently by a company, and you still have the God King to lecture me?"
The Golden Dragon King's forehead veins throbbed with excitement.
He meant well by offering a friendly reminder, but this bastard brought up his employment contract again.
"Hmph, think what you want! I'd like to see just how capable you really are!"
The Golden Dragon King simply crossed his arms, stopped trying to persuade him, and prepared to stand aside and watch the show.
Lin Yuan didn't interfere, but just smiled at God King Tang San. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stood beside him, listening to Tang San repeatedly referring to himself as "this God King," and looking at the calm company staff around them, they found it somewhat amusing.
God King Tang San took everyone's silence as a sign of concession.
He snorted coldly and walked towards the door again, "This God King has no time to waste on you. As for that contract, go ask whoever wants your money back!"
The supervisor watched his retreating figure, having lost all patience to continue arguing.
"It seems you're going to refuse a polite offer and then have to suffer the consequences."
He turned and waved to his assistant beside him.
The assistant immediately understood what he meant, took out a palm-sized control device from his pocket, and gently pressed one of the buttons with his thumb.
The next moment, God King Tang San, who had just taken a few steps, suddenly froze on the spot.
"Ughhhhh!"
A powerful electric current surged through his body instantly. God King Tang San felt as if he had been struck by a 100,000-volt voltage, and his muscles twitched uncontrollably.
His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably, letting out a piercing scream.
"Aaaaah! What is that?! Stop it!"
God King Tang San desperately tried to circulate his Soul Power to resist, but the nervous system of this artificial body was manufactured by the company and still retained the safety control devices from the experimental stage. He was unable to escape this stimulation and could only struggle painfully on the ground.
"Damn it! You... you dare to... Aaaaaah!"
He was about to curse when the excruciating pain from the electric current made him scream again.
Flender and the others were startled. No one expected that the assistant had simply pressed a button, and the arrogant and domineering God King had collapsed to the ground.
The original Tang San stood to the side, watching his other self convulse from the electric shock, and subconsciously touched his own neck.
He suddenly felt a sense of relief that he hadn't chosen that artificial body.
Xiao Wu looked at God King Tang San with some worry, and was about to step forward when Lin Yuan stopped her.
"Don't worry, he won't die. Just make sure he behaves himself, lest he dismantle the lab right after his body is repaired."
The Golden Dragon King looked at the God King Tang San on the ground and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Kid, weren't you so arrogant just now? How come you can't even stand up now?"
Hearing his mockery, God King Tang San was so angry he gritted his teeth, but he had no strength to refute him.
A moment later, the assistant released the button.
The electric stimulation stopped, God King Tang San lay on the ground, panting heavily, his forehead and back already soaked with sweat.
He tried to prop himself up, but his arms were still a little weak, and he could only barely lift his head, glaring angrily at the supervisor in front of him.
The supervisor walked up to him, looked down at the young man who had just called himself the God King, and snorted coldly.
"Mr. Tang San, I hope you understand now that since the company has the capability to create this body, it naturally has the means to manage it. You may be dissatisfied with the contract, but since you have signed it, you must fulfill your obligations as agreed."
After saying that, the supervisor ignored the God King Tang San on the ground and turned to his assistant, instructing:
"Coercive measures may be used if necessary, but Ms. Ruan Mei's research requirements must be given top priority."