Chapter 1201:

Cillian was convinced that an offer like this would be impossible for any power-hungry arms dealer to ignore, especially one chasing greater influence and higher stakes. Some businessmen liked to boast about their personal principles and claimed to stay above politics, yet when staggering profits appeared on the table, those beliefs grew fragile, ready to shatter at the smallest push.

Rather than clashing head-on, the two arms dealers could join forces, treating the world like a massive chessboard and using humanity’s desperate hope for peace as the engine behind their shared fortune. Wasn’t that, at its core, exactly how unimaginable wealth was built in the first place?

Carter gave a restrained nod before speaking calmly. “Mr. Fowler shares that view. There is no true hostility between us. Any earlier tension was nothing more than a misunderstanding, and the incident involving Miss Fowler was entirely unintentional. Once we reach an agreement, you can let her go, and we will consider the past settled. Moving forward, Ares Global and your organization could form a much closer partnership, shaping the global defense market side by side.”

The two men performed flawlessly — one painting an ambitious future, the other presenting an easy, almost painless solution. Acting humble and offering tempting conditions, they worked in concert to transform kidnapping and coercion into the opening move of a calculated alliance.

Silence settled over the chamber, broken only by the steady, echoing drip of water against stone.

Just when Carter and Cillian believed VS was carefully weighing their so-called constructive offer, a cold, mechanical voice cut through the quiet with a question that had nothing to do with negotiations.

“If my memory serves me correctly, you are the Minister of Defense, aren’t you?” VS asked, as though casually confirming a minor detail.

Carter’s face had appeared countless times in military briefings and official broadcasts, and since VS intended to strengthen ties with Eshea, recognizing him was only to be expected.

Carter dipped his head calmly. “My position allows me to help you secure what you want in Eshea. Our objectives aren’t so different, and our cooperation would be a win-win situation. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Then VS asked, abruptly, “So, how long have you been working as a spy?”

A brief flash of confusion crossed Carter’s expression before he could conceal it.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮

“Just curiosity,” VS remarked, clearly having noticed the reaction. “We’ve been dealing with heavy subjects for a while. Perhaps we should keep things a little lighter.”

Carter did not respond, momentarily stunned by both the boldness of the question and its sheer absurdity.

Cillian spoke up instead. “To my knowledge, Mr. Norris served in the military for more than a decade, and his tenure as Minister of Defense extends even longer than that.”

“Is that so?” VS replied, a faintly teasing note in his voice. “You seem well-informed. Didn’t you come from a military background yourself before becoming a strategist for Ares Global?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” Cillian answered briefly.

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