After all, it was precisely because reality had worn down their edges that the teachings of Afterlife had always warned them not to reveal their abilities in the outside world. So now that there was a legitimate shortcut to making money, it was naturally a good thing.
"I actually think it sounds pretty good too. And didn't he say we could choose the location ourselves?"
"If nothing else, I think we should just set it up here. This is already our base, and keeping it close means we can react immediately if anything happens."
"And their people and medical equipment would be right here on site. What would we even have to be afraid of?"
"Not to mention Gordon is here. With his ability, he could get us all out in no time. That makes it even safer."
Once someone finally opened the door to agreeing, several others who had already been tempted immediately nodded along and started speaking up.
"Exactly, exactly. And if you're still worried, you could just give them a strand of hair. That's not exactly a big deal, is it?"
"They already said that as long as it's a biological sample, whether it's hair or blood, they'll pay at least a hundred thousand dollars."
"That's a hundred thousand. If an ordinary person wanted to make that kind of money, it would take five or six years at least."
"And that's before everyday expenses."
Someone else chimed in right after.
"That's right. If I remember correctly, Hossain Nava, your ability is enhanced vision, right? I bet a big company would consider that incredibly valuable. You might even get several million for it."
"Yeah, yeah, and Adrian Pierce too. His leg enhancement can produce shockwaves with a single stomp. That kind of ability would definitely be worth millions."
"And don't forget Alisa Lorrie. Her water manipulation power is amazing too."
For a while, the room was no longer discussing whether they should refuse.
Instead, everyone was enthusiastically talking about how much each person's power might be worth.
By the end, some of them were already thinking about how they would spend the money.
At the root of it all, Pioneer Tech's terms were simply too tempting.
And seeing how everyone had completely accepted it, Jennifer could not help feeling conflicted.
At that point, even she did not know whether this would ultimately be good or bad.
But if Pioneer Tech could locate them without any traitor exposing their position, then that meant their sanctuary would not remain safe forever.
Instead of continuing to run from it, it was better to cooperate with a more reliable organization.
That was why, even looking at the happy faces around her, Jennifer still chose not to mention the two robots that had appeared in front of her out of nowhere.
"All right. Let me ask one final time. Does anyone still object?"
"If you do, I won't force you. The rules remain the same. Anyone who wants to leave is free to do so. Gordon will take you away, and this cooperation will never drag you in. That is my promise."
Once she saw that the discussion had mostly settled and the overall direction was already clear, Jennifer clapped her hands and looked around at everyone before asking.
"No objections."
"I agree."
"Sounds good to me."
Just like that, under Jennifer's final question, even the people who had been the loudest against it in the beginning ended up agreeing.
The matter was settled.
...
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight rose, Killian woke to a series of knocks on the door.
"I hope I didn't disturb your rest. This is one of our local breakfast specialties. Preserved egg and pork congee, simmered slowly over low heat, along with pickled vegetables and meat buns."
When Killian opened the door, he was greeted by Jennifer's warm smile. Lowering his gaze, he saw the wooden tray in her hands carrying the breakfast.
"Thank you. No one could turn down a breakfast this good."
Looking at Jennifer personally bringing it over, Killian politely took the tray from her and set it down on the table nearby.
"Please enjoy it first. We can talk about the rest once you've finished."
Jennifer smiled gently.
"That won't be necessary, ma'am. I'm not very particular about etiquette. Most etiquette exists to serve interests anyway. Once the interests are settled, the rest is just harmless detail."
"How about we talk while I eat?"
After saying that, Killian casually picked up a bun and raised a brow.
Truthfully, he had always been easygoing by nature. He never cared much for rigid etiquette. Other people might see it as refined, aristocratic, and full of status, but Killian himself never paid it much mind.
He made the rules. If he still had to follow them himself, then what was the point?
"All right."
"Then I'll keep it simple. We discussed it last night."
"We've agreed to your proposal. Our people can choose freely between the two options. However, there is one condition. You must guarantee absolute confidentiality regarding their personal information and abilities. None of it can leak in any form."
"And we need concrete action, not just words. A formal contract, signed under Pioneer Tech's name. If you violate it, you must pay at least ten times the damages, based on the impact."
While Killian ate breakfast, Jennifer sat down nearby and calmly explained the result.
"Of course. That's only reasonable. In fact, to show Pioneer Tech's sincerity, I'll establish a joint fund between your side's representative and our company, with an initial investment of five billion dollars."
"The profits can then be shared by both sides. Though honestly, that's a minor issue."
"And if either side violates the agreement, the penalty will be at least ten times the value involved in the breach. How does that sound?"
"On my side, I guarantee that your people's information will never be leaked through me. But if it leaks from your side, then that won't be my responsibility."
After taking another bite, Killian turned toward Jennifer and spoke.
"No problem."
Hearing that, Jennifer finally understood what true financial power really looked like.
Originally, their thinking had been simple. Pioneer Tech was a massive company, and based on its public image and products, it probably would not stoop so low as to ignore a signed contract. So if their identities were ever exposed, they would at least have enough compensation to build a new life. That was why they had already pushed for the penalty to be ten times the damages.
And yet, in Killian's eyes, that still was not enough. He raised the stakes even further.
Five billion dollars.
That amount alone could buy over a thousand tanks, or more than a dozen of the world's most advanced fighter jets.
If it were used to arm personnel instead, then by Jennifer's understanding, it could support an elite modern military force for a very long time.
To put it more simply, five billion dollars could buy around sixty tons of gold.
A literal hill of it.
For a moment, Jennifer even had the absurd thought that maybe they should be the ones to leak the information later.
After all, no one could remain completely unmoved in front of that kind of money.
But then, when she calmed down and recalled Killian's earlier words, she could only smile bitterly.
Because at this point, the one they really needed to worry about was not Pioneer Tech leaking their information.
It was their own people doing it first.
That gave Jennifer a headache almost instantly.
Because in doing this, Killian had also quietly handed her a very real problem to solve.
"Oh, right. This is what I promised you."
"These are mine and Gordon's biological samples. They're all labeled. If they're not enough, we can provide more later. Daisy is still too young and hasn't gone through Terrigenesis yet, but once she does, I'll give you her samples too."
Jennifer took out two transparent plastic bags and handed them over.
"Thank you. And if you ever need help in the future, you can contact me. Here's my number."
"As I've said from the beginning, Pioneer Tech absolutely has the ability and the strength to protect its allies."
After accepting the bags, Killian placed them on the table and then took a gilded business card from his pocket and handed it over.
Jennifer took the card, looked at the title and number, then teased, "As expected of Pioneer Tech's chairman. Even your business cards are made of gold."
"Gold leaf, not solid gold. A real gold card would be too heavy to carry around all day."
"And I may have a lot of money, but I'm not stupid. Who hands out pure gold business cards for fun?"
Killian laughed.
He genuinely could not understand those stories where every rich protagonist casually pulled out solid gold business cards. Carry two or three of those in your inner pocket and your jacket would sag.
"Well then, thank you, Mr. Killian. I hope we continue to work well together."
"Likewise."
They shook hands again. Not long after Jennifer left, a small figure slipped in through the cracked doorway.
"Killian!"
Daisy clung to his pant leg and grinned up at him.
"How did last night go, little Daisy?"
Killian smiled and ruffled her hair.
"It was amazing. Better than anything I've ever had. Mom was really gentle, and she held me while I slept. She gave me so much good food too."
"Oh, and she told me stories. I've never had any of that before. Honestly, it still feels like I'm dreaming."
"I seriously can't believe some of my classmates complain that their parents' love feels suffocating. That's crazy. It's obviously something really happy."
As she spoke, Daisy's face lit up. The joy in her voice was impossible to hide.
"Yeah, they just don't know how to treasure it. Unlike our little Daisy, who learned how precious family is from such a young age."
"All right then, now that we're on your turf, shouldn't you show me around?"
After rubbing her head again, Killian smiled.
"Okay!"
Daisy instantly brightened and began bouncing in place.
To a child, wandering around and exploring was one of the best things in the world. So Daisy took Killian around Afterlife in her own chaotic little way, showing him this and that with no real plan at all.
Before long, the whole morning had passed.
At noon, Jennifer brought Killian into another room. After a simple review of the prepared documents, both sides officially completed the signing process under live recording.
At that point, Killian's purpose for this trip had been fully achieved.
The entirety of Afterlife soon began to see Pioneer Tech's construction robots enter the outer perimeter. In a very short amount of time, they built a futuristic medical station equipped for emergency response.
Even the sample collection itself was handled by Baymax, which reduced the chance of leaks by keeping more people out of the process and made the Inhumans far less defensive.
And with Baymax's current intelligence, handling simple human interactions was already more than manageable. So Killian did not assign too many robots here.
Just three Baymax units and two T-800 combat robots equipped with energy rifles.
It was enough to reassure Afterlife while also quietly reminding them that if anything happened, they needed to think carefully before acting.
"Waaah... Killian, can't you stay a few more days?"
"You just got here, and now you're already leaving."
When it came time to say goodbye, Daisy cried like a little waterfall. Even though they had known each other for less than a week, the thought of him leaving made her eyes red all over again.
"Little Daisy, life is like your eyelids. If you want to see clearly, the upper and lower lids have to part."
"That's how you get a better view. And it also makes the reunion feel even better."
"Besides, I'm in New York. If you miss me later, just go to Baymax. As soon as you tell him, he'll arrange a flight to pick you up."
"And if you don't want to come, he can just call me remotely. It'll feel almost like we're talking face to face. Pretty amazing, right?"
Killian patiently comforted her.
"Then you have to keep your word."
Daisy sniffled and looked up at him.
"Of course. You have my word."
He hooked his finger with hers, sealing the promise.
Once he had calmed her down, Killian stood up again. After taking one last look at everyone who had come to see him off, he smiled and walked toward the open area in the distance with the Tyrant following behind him.
The crowd was still wondering how he planned to leave the mountain.
Then, in front of everyone's astonished eyes, a hatch simply appeared out of nowhere in the empty space before him, as if it had always been there and had only now chosen to reveal itself.
Once Killian and the Tyrant stepped inside, the hatch closed. A gust of displaced air stirred the surrounding leaves, and then the hidden intelligent warplane shot away.
All that remained behind were the leaves still swaying on the branches.
"What the hell?!"
One of the Inhumans stared with his jaw hanging open and blurted it out before he could stop himself.
Before this, he had thought that at most Killian would drive away or maybe have that huge brute carry him down the mountain. That alone would already have been impressive.
But only now did he realize just how badly he had underestimated Pioneer Tech.
Only now did everyone truly understand how terrifying the company's depth really was.
The giant that looked like a walking mountain. The medical robots called Baymax. The military base already being constructed down below. Any one of those things alone had been enough to shock them.
And then, right at the end, they got hit with an even bigger surprise.
"That was a cloaked aircraft, wasn't it?"
After a long stunned silence, someone finally managed to say it.
"Yeah. Now I get how they made it here without us noticing."
"I thought they climbed up here on foot."
"No, they flew."
Another person responded at once.
"This isn't some multinational corporation. If someone told me they were an alien civilization, I'd believe it."
One of the Inhumans muttered while staring at the place where the aircraft had vanished.
(End of Chapter)
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