Skott received the notice and did not put on airs by arriving late. On the contrary, he came over at the first opportunity.
However—
Whether this so-called "first opportunity" meant he was punctual or simply impatient to hear someone bark like a dog was unknown.
Seeing Stelle, Sushang, and the others walk through the crowd toward him, a cold sneer flashed across Skott's face.
He was looking forward to it. So very looking forward to it.
Both sides arrived on time. Xikui did not waste words and went straight to the point.
"I hereby represent the Sky Ship Commission to mediate the rent dispute between the Interastral Peace Corporation and the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce."
Skott sneered disdainfully.
"What mediation is needed? Let me say it straight! The Chamber of Commerce should have gotten out of Aurum Alley long ago."
Upon hearing this, Sushang's face darkened, showing an angry expression.
"Can't the Company send a normal person to negotiate?"
"Haa—?"
Skott hooked his pinky finger around his ear, then tilted his head toward Sushang with an extremely annoying tone.
"Say it louder. I can't hear clearly."
Sushang's eyelids twitched wildly. Unable to suppress the anger in her heart, she directly raised her voice to fulfill his request.
"I said—— Does the Company—— have—— no—— other—— people——?!"
Not to mention Skott, practically everyone within several miles of the dock could probably hear her shocking high note.
Most of the onlookers subconsciously covered their ears tightly, looking at Sushang as if she were a monster.
Was this what it meant to be a Cloud Knight who could go to the battlefield to slay the Abominations of Abundance? Even her voice possessed such terrifying destructive power…
If she roared with killing intent like that on the front lines, wouldn't the Abundance Abominations be scared out of their wits?
Skott, being close by, covered his ears and staggered, nearly falling over.
Fortunately, the person behind him steadied him.
"Ugh… ow… This girl's voice is really terrifying. My eardrums are about to burst."
Skott glanced at Sushang with some wariness, then switched to a contemptuous expression again, becoming arrogant once more.
"I hope when you apologize to me in public later, you do it just like that."
"Oh right, and bark like a dog too!"
"Remember, make it as loud as just now!"
March 7th couldn't stand listening anymore and was about to speak up for justice, but Leon beat her to it.
She thought that once Leon took action, Skott would definitely suffer.
But upon hearing what he said, her small face instantly filled with astonishment.
"Mr. Skott, how about I learn to bark like a dog for you first right now? What do you think?"
Not only March 7th — everyone around was stunned.
No one had expected that this man, who appeared quite elegant in temperament and outstanding in appearance, would say such words.
What was his relationship with Sushang?
Skott was also stunned. Several seconds later, he came back to his senses.
"Sure. Since your attitude is quite good, you don't need to bark as loudly as her."
Leon's smile grew much richer as he responded politely.
"Alright, then I'll start learning to bark like a dog now."
The next second, a familiar voice that made everyone's eyes widen came out of Leon's mouth.
"I hope when you apologize to me in public later, you do it just like that."
"Oh right, and bark like a dog too. Remember, make it as loud as just now."
Huh?
He had actually produced the exact same voice as Skott, even the annoying tone was completely identical.
At first, the crowd hadn't reacted yet. It wasn't until they heard Stelle's unrestrained laughter that they understood.
"Hahahahahahaha——"
Perhaps because he was shocked that Leon could imitate his voice without any technological device, Skott was the last one to react.
"How did you make the same voice as me, and even imitate what I said… Hmm?!"
He finally realized.
He said he would learn to bark like a dog, but instead imitated his speech, and even used the exact same lines.
Wasn't this satirizing that he had been barking like a dog all along?
No wonder the people around were laughing so loudly.
Skott instantly flushed with anger, nearly blurting out the Company's corporate culture profanity.
Damn it, this damned guy…
As for the players?
They had long been infected by Stelle's hearty laughter and were laughing so hard they were rocking back and forth, clutching their stomachs for fear of cramping.
Such a black-bellied, sharp-tongued way of cursing Skott in a roundabout manner — truly worthy of a fun-loving person.
"I… You… So rude! I won't bother arguing with you!"
On the surface, he looked like a gentleman not deigning to argue with a petty person. However, anyone could hear that Skott's momentum when speaking had weakened considerably.
"Little girl, who else do you want the Company to send?"
"As the Company's commercial representative, my presence at this negotiation is legal, reasonable, and proper!"
"Who is your Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce sending to the field? A passing Cloud Knight? Or the cowardly President who's hiding and refuses to show up?"
"Or this temporarily pulled-in grey-haired little girl with an expression like someone owes her fifty credits, or perhaps——"
"This white-haired guy who can't spit out anything good from his dog mouth and keeps making sarcastic, passive-aggressive remarks?"
Sushang laughed from anger and loudly retorted.
"You even know the term 'passive-aggressive'? Why don't you reflect on yourself first?"
"Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. Stop with the double standards!"
After Sushang finished speaking, seeing that Skott wanted to say something else, Xikui also stopped him with a legal, reasonable, and proper reason.
"That's enough. Representative Skott, please state the Company's demands."
His words were deliberately interrupted. Skott glanced at Xikui with some displeasure but couldn't be bothered to argue with an official.
There was no benefit in it.
Leon immediately took out a plate of pre-cut honeydew melon and ate it with great relish in his hands.
His leisurely, spectator-like attitude that clearly showed he had no intention of acting properly infuriated Skott and the Company people behind him to no end.
You like eating melons, huh?
Then I'll let you eat your fill!
"The Company specially leased the operating rights to the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce in order to seek common development."
Stelle: "Do you take me for a three-year-old child? Common development? Then let me ask you — why didn't the Company operate the dock themselves back then?"
Oh wait, she wasn't even three years old yet.
But never mind that. Just say whether it was or wasn't three years old.
Skott: "So what you're saying is that the Company is scheming against the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce?"
"You think the Company rented the dock to the Chamber and deliberately set a trap to completely destroy the Chamber's accumulated reputation?"
Stelle immediately threw the topic back without hesitation.
"I haven't even said more than a couple of sentences, and I never thought that way at all. Yet you're already confessing without being pressed. Isn't your mental resilience a bit too weak, Mr. Skott?"
He wanted to guide her into taking the bait, catch language loopholes when she refuted, and use it to pin a label of poor management on the Chamber?
Before her journey on the Luofu, she might have fallen for it.
Now?
She was no delicate little sister.
If she had to be, it could only be in front of the seniors on the Express.
There was no way she would step into a language trap.
"Heaven and earth as my witness, I was simply curious why the Company didn't operate it themselves. Is it a crime for a person to be curious? Is it wrong?"
Seeing Stelle spread her hands with an innocent bear-like expression, Skott was instantly choked. He could only shift the topic.
"Your Chamber of Commerce refuses to cooperate with the various shops in Aurum Alley. The once prosperous freight dock is now deserted."
Stelle secretly curved her lips.
You're the one walking right into this…