After the spar, I expected to be left alone. Instead, I found myself "Cornered" in the Imperial Gardens by a very strange trio.
Tian Xuanye, Qin Chenfeng, and Zhou Wenhao were all standing in a circle, looking at me.
"We've been discussing," Qin Chenfeng said, his wind-aura still buzzing from his own earlier victory against a Nova Empire prince. "Lu Xian, you're too strong to be a leader. You're a 'Variable.' So, Xuanye and I have decided on a pact."
"A pact?" I asked, looking for a way to escape into a nearby bush.
"The Tri-Continental Balance," Xuanye explained, his eyes glowing with an analytical fire. "I will handle the Heavenridge politics. Chenfeng will handle the military coordination. And you... you will be the 'Enforcer.' When the world gets too chaotic, you will 'Liquidate' the problem. In exchange, we will ensure that your 'Lazy Life' is never interrupted by small things like taxes or minor wars."
I blinked. "Wait. You're saying... if I help you with the big problems once every ten years, you'll let me sleep for the other 3,640 days?"
"Exactly," Xuanye nodded. "A logical trade. We get stability; you get your nap."
I looked at Zhou Wenhao, who was standing behind me like a silent ghost. "And what about him?"
"I am the Secretary," Wenhao said, pulling out a brush and a scroll. "I have already begun drafting the 'Non-Interference Treaty' for your nap schedule. I will manage your 'Liquidation' appointments so you are never double-booked."
I sat down on a stone bench, stunned. I had come here expecting a fight for my life. Instead, I had somehow accidentally formed a "Genius Labor Union."
"This is... actually a great business model," I muttered. "I'm the Chairman, Xuanye is the CEO, Chenfeng is the COO, and Wenhao is the PA. We're basically a startup that's already a monopoly."
"Then it's settled," Xuanye said, offering his hand. "Friend?"
"Partner," I corrected, shaking his hand.
I had gained a "Friendship" based on mutual laziness and clinical efficiency. It was the most "Shark" thing I had ever done.