Chapter 366: I don’t want to be the person I used to be
Yuel smiled as he explained, "It’s a type of drink that’s somewhat similar to fruit juice, except it can make you drunk."
His eyes curved with amusement.
"You can ask Rory about it yourself."
Truthfully, ever since he’d caught a whiff of its aroma during their last visit home, he’d been curious to try it.
Unlike Vincent, Jasper, or Paros, however, he wasn’t particularly worried about what might happen if he got drunk.
After all, he was a vine.
At worst, he would probably root himself into the ground somewhere and refuse to move.
Vincent shot Yuel a warning glare.
This guy really had a talent for bringing up exactly the subjects Vincent would rather forget.
"Alcohol?"
Lian vaguely remembered seeing something by that name among the Beast God’s collection.
The Beast God had treasured it so highly that he had never been allowed to touch it.
To his surprise, Rory apparently had some as well.
Nix’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
"I’ll ask Rory tomorrow."
There was also the matter of the pajamas.
He still hadn’t asked her about those.
Since he would be spending tomorrow evening with Rory anyway, he could ask about both things at once.
Meanwhile, in the Central District, the headquarters of Starlight Prime Tech remained brightly illuminated despite the late hour.
It was one o’clock in the morning.
The conference room on the top floor blazed with light, yet the atmosphere inside was colder than a frozen wasteland.
Several high-ranking Imperial officials dressed in immaculate business suits sat alongside three elders clad in traditional Fox Clan robes.
Together, they looked less like business partners and more like judges presiding over a trial.
At the center of their scrutiny sat Dax.
The air itself seemed tense enough to snap.
"Dax, have you made your decision yet?"
One of the Imperial officials finally broke the deadlock.
Bracing both hands against the conference table, he leaned forward aggressively, radiating a pressure that brooked no disagreement.
"Starlight Prime Tech may have been founded by you. We acknowledge that."
"But don’t forget something important."
"Without the support of the Empire and your clan, it never would have reached its current position."
His voice echoed through the silent room.
"We were the ones who helped elevate you to where you are today."
His eyes narrowed.
"And we can just as easily bring you crashing back down."
"We can strip everything away and leave you with nothing."
The threat was naked and undisguised.
"Sounds good to me."
Dax lounged comfortably against the sofa, completely unfazed by the pressure being exerted on him.
A mocking smile curved his lips.
"You’re welcome to try."
His tone carried a carefree provocation.
"You want me to lose everything?"
"Go ahead."
"The worst that happens is I start over."
His smile widened slightly.
"As long as I’m alive, money will never be difficult to earn."
Then his expression suddenly cooled.
The playful amusement vanished from his eyes.
"But what about all of you?"
His gaze swept across the room.
"Are you really so certain that this female named Bree will be the obedient puppet you’re imagining?"
A sharp edge entered his voice.
"Be careful you don’t invite a wolf into your home and end up smashing your own foot with the stone you picked up."
The remark struck a nerve.
"Dax, do you really think your threats still matter?"
Another executive who had long disliked him slammed a hand onto the table.
His face twisted with anger.
"You think far too highly of yourself."
A cruel, smug smile spread across his face.
"Since we’re being honest tonight, I’ll let you in on a secret."
"Even without you, Bree isn’t out of options."
"We still have another young male from the Fox Clan who can become her mate."
"He’s more than willing to replace you."
"He’s also willing to take over Starlight Prime Tech."
His smile grew even more triumphant.
"When that happens, the company will remain firmly under our control."
"And you’ll be completely out of the picture."
Dax merely shrugged.
The reaction only seemed to irritate them further.
"Then kick me out right now."
He rose to his feet.
"Honestly, I’m tired of serving all of you anyway."
Without sparing the officials another glance, he turned and walked straight toward the exit.
What a joke.
Trying to threaten him?
Outside the conference room, his assistant had been waiting anxiously.
The moment Dax emerged, the assistant hurried forward and lowered his voice.
"Star Lord, I just received a message."
Dax paused.
"The sender claims that Marshal Vangar is willing to help us."
The assistant continued quickly.
"The condition is that forty percent of our annual profits must be transferred to the Marshal."
"In return, Marshal Vangar can guarantee us absolute freedom."
Dax’s footsteps halted instantly.
He turned sharply toward his assistant.
"Vangar?"
The assistant nodded.
"Yes."
"I verified the sender’s identity."
"There was no attempt to hide it."
"The messenger is from the Firebird Clan."
A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"More specifically, he’s one of Prince Vincent’s subordinates."
"This should be Prince Vincent’s idea."
As the assistant spoke, excitement became increasingly evident in his expression.
"Star Lord, Prince Vincent and Marshal Vangar are both Rory’s mates. Could this be Rory’s doing?"
His eyes brightened.
"Maybe she knows your situation isn’t good right now, so she specifically asked Prince Vincent and Marshal Vangar to help you."
Dax shook his head.
"No. It wouldn’t be her."
His tone was calm and certain.
"If it were Rory, Vincent would never have attached a condition requiring forty percent of Starlight Prime Tech’s profits."
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"That said, I’d rather let Vangar and Vincent profit from it than those people."
For him, this wasn’t even a difficult choice.
Accepting Vincent’s offer would at least bring him one small step closer to her.
That thought alone was enough to improve his mood.
Smiling to himself, Dax returned to his office.
After a brief search, he located Vangar’s communicator number and immediately initiated a video call.
At that hour, Vangar was already asleep.
The sharp chime of the incoming call pulled him from his rest.
Seeing an unfamiliar number displayed on the screen, he frowned slightly.
After a brief hesitation, he accepted the call.
The moment the connection was established, Dax’s holographic image appeared before him.
Confusion flashed through Vangar’s mind.
He had virtually no interaction with Dax.
Why was the man calling him in the middle of the night?
Although his thoughts stirred with questions, nothing showed on his face.
Dax spoke first.
"Marshal Vangar. It’s an honor to meet you."
Looking at the imposing man projected on the screen, his sharp features cold and commanding, Dax skipped all formalities and got straight to the point.
"I assume Prince Vincent has already spoken to you."
"My people received the proposal."
Vangar’s dark eyes narrowed slightly.
He neither confirmed nor denied anything.
Instead, he waited silently for Dax to continue.
What had Vincent done this time while using his name?
And how had it escalated to the point that Dax was calling him directly?
Dax leaned forward slightly.
Every word was deliberate.
"Under the terms you offered, I’m willing to add another twenty percent."
His gaze remained steady.
"From this point forward, sixty percent of Starlight Prime Tech’s annual profits will belong to the Marshal."
Even Vangar was momentarily surprised.
Starlight Prime Tech was one of the Empire’s greatest sources of wealth.
In the past, Dax had subtly extended olive branches to him, but he had never been willing to go this far.
Just what had Vincent promised this notoriously tightfisted fox to make him suddenly so generous?
Had the man completely given up on protecting his profits?
Vangar looked at him and slowly curved his lips into a faint smile.
"You’re being remarkably generous."
"I can’t think of any reason to refuse."
His gaze sharpened.
"So tell me."
"What exactly do you want in exchange for increasing the price?"
Dax smiled.
"What I want is very simple."
"For someone like you, it shouldn’t be difficult at all."
His voice grew colder.
"I want you to honor your promise and use the fastest, most decisive method possible to remove every hand the Empire’s leadership and the Fox Clan’s Council of Elders have extended toward me."
"I want them to lose both the courage and the ability to interfere with my affairs ever again."
His eyes darkened with years of accumulated frustration.
"And beyond taking your share of the profits, you are not permitted to make demands of me either."
"I want complete freedom."
"For myself."
"And for Starlight Prime Tech."
For years, he had endured manipulation from both the Empire’s leadership and the Council of Elders.
There were countless projects he had wanted to pursue but couldn’t.
Countless decisions that had been blocked or delayed.
The restrictions had stifled Starlight Prime Tech’s growth for far too long.
When it came to warfare, Vangar was an undisputed powerhouse.
Business, however, was another matter entirely.
He had little interest in running a corporation.
What interested him was Dax’s money.
After all, maintaining an army and supporting countless subordinates required resources.
Everyone under his command needed to eat.
On the other side of the screen, Vangar listened quietly to every condition.
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his fingers tapped rhythmically against the edge of the bed.
"Sixty percent of the profits in exchange for absolute freedom."
He repeated the terms slowly.
Then his eyes lifted toward Dax.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Acceptable."
His tone shifted abruptly.
"However..."
Vangar raised his chin slightly.
His gaze became sharp enough to feel like a blade.
"You must guarantee that the profits Starlight Prime Tech provides me every year will never fall below its current earnings."
His expression remained calm, but the logic behind the condition was obvious.
If Dax somehow drove the company into bankruptcy after obtaining his freedom, Vangar would have done all the work for nothing.
Dax chuckled softly.
"Marshal, you have my word."
"If I’m confident enough to partner with you, I certainly have no intention of letting you suffer a loss."
He understood better than anyone that bargaining with a predator came at a price.
Once an agreement was made, failing to satisfy the other party was never an option.
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