"Little Island Boom Boom Raven, hello~ I've heard so much about you." Wu Tong approached, offering his greeting.
"Mr. Wu Tong, the incident you're referring to hasn't happened yet, and it never will. I've already canceled my reservation for that island."
With a bitter expression, Raven responded irritably to Wu Tong's teasing.
After learning that her island might be blown up, Raven had hurriedly canceled her down payment.
Originally, the company had refused to refund her, but after a "friendly discussion" with Raven, the bruised and battered manager had reluctantly agreed to return her money.
"Alright, alright, my mistake, Miss Raven." Sensing her displeasure, Wu Tong quickly surrendered. Having already missed out on Theresa, he didn't want to lose this potential ally too.
"Miss Raven, is something troubling you? You don't seem to be in the best mood," Wu Tong asked curiously, observing her expression.
"Of course I'm not in a good mood! You've caused such a huge mess by reviving so many people—how am I supposed to write my report now?!" Raven looked utterly exasperated.
Who knew a mercenary even had to file reports? Wu Tong could only marvel at World Serpent's bureaucratic rigor.
But then it struck him—this was a perfect opportunity.
"Since you don't want to write reports, have you considered switching sides? Weren't you planning to leave World Serpent anyway? How about working for me instead?"
"???"
Was he trying to poach her? And of all people, her?
She was just struggling with a report, and now he wanted her to jump ship?
Raven was stunned. After a moment, she gathered herself to refuse—
But Wu Tong's next words completely shattered her hesitation.
"You'll be the boss. I won't interfere—total freedom. Stable environment, excellent benefits, full security, your own private island, and you can bring your family too~"
Hiss—
She'd be the boss?
Excellent benefits??
A private island???
And most importantly… the world was far safer than the Honkai-ridden one. No constant disasters, and she could bring the kids along????
What should she do? She was seriously tempted.
Raven had never felt like she belonged in World Serpent. Her plan had always been to buy an island, quit, and live peacefully with the children.
To her, World Serpent was never home. She'd joined mainly to save up enough for a free, quiet life.
This really did seem like an opportunity, but…
Her conflicted emotions played across her face. She was clearly tempted, yet something held her back.
"Is there something worrying you, Miss Raven?" Wu Tong asked, noticing her hesitation.
"Yes," Raven admitted bluntly. "If I leave… what about the Honkai?"
"It'll be handled. Whether by your Sovereign or the warriors who've returned," Wu Tong replied without hesitation.
Raven paused, then glanced around at the assembled figures:
Otto Apocalypse, the Overseer of Schicksal; Kallen Kaslana, the Saint of Schicksal; Bianka "Durandal" Ataegina, the strongest Valkyrie; Theresa Apocalypse, S-Rank Valkyrie; Rita Rossweisse and Cecilia Schariac; the two Herrschers of Reason; the founders of Anti-Entropy; the immortal Fu Hua and her friends…
Then she thought of World Serpent: Kevin Kaslana, the Sovereign and Hero of the Previous Era; Gray Serpent; Dr. MEI; Chen Tianwu; "Seele Vollerei"; and the soon-to-be-revived denizens of the Elysian Realm…
Huh.
It really wouldn't make a difference whether she stayed or left.
Blinking, Raven felt as if a weight had lifted. She turned back to Wu Tong.
"Made your decision?" he asked with a smile.
"Of course, little boss. Looking forward to working with you."
Raven's face lit up with a bright smile—a stark contrast to her usual cold demeanor.
"Fantastic. Welcome aboard, my Vice Director." Wu Tong grinned widely, extending his hand.
Raven shook it. Though not from Shenzhou, she was familiar with the custom from her time as a consultant for Shenzhou Pharmaceuticals.
What followed was a fierce negotiation over her terms.
In the end, they settled on an agreement: all of Wu Tong's initial promises stood, now supplemented with island construction, furniture procurement, comprehensive insurance, and other lavish perks.
"Whew… I didn't expect you to be such a skilled negotiator, Miss Raven," Wu Tong said, eyeing the triumphant Raven with mixed feelings.
Smart people were hard to fool. Raven had instantly seen through his real motive—avoiding work—and used it to squeeze out extra benefits.
"You flatter me, little boss. But I do have to thank you for being so generous."
Raven smiled, too pleased with her haul to mind Wu Tong's grumbling.
Not that he cared much either. As long as he didn't have to lift a finger, the material perks could be handled by others eager to curry favor with him, the "Divine Examiner."
"Congratulations, Mr. Wu Tong, on getting your wish."
"Congrats, my friend."
"So you're Mr. Wu Tong? I haven't had the chance to thank you for bringing us back."
"Thanks, Wu Tong! Later, I'll give you a Fu Hua figurine."
The others, seeing the deal concluded, came forward to offer their congratulations, which Wu Tong graciously acknowledged.
…
Time flew by, and evening soon arrived.
At Theresa's invitation, the group gathered for dinner at St. Freya's cafeteria.
It was clear Otto doted on Theresa—the academy's funding had never been lacking. Even the cafeteria chefs were world-class.
"Wow, this is amazing! I never thought school food could be this good. I expected it to be as bad as at Chiba Academy," exclaimed Kiana in disbelief.
"What's the surprise? You've always been fed by Mei anyway, whether at Chiba or here," Bronya deadpanned.
"Well, yeah. Mei's cooking is still the best," Kiana admitted, grinning at her beloved "wife."
...
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