Chapter 367: Drama to watch
After Dax ended the call, his assistant looked at him in confusion.
"My Lord, you’re giving Marshal Vangar such a huge share of the profits. Why didn’t you take the opportunity to ask him to help you return to Rory’s side?"
Sixty percent.
After salaries and operating expenses were deducted, there would be very little left.
From the assistant’s perspective, their Lord was practically working for free.
Dax smiled. "I’m entering a business partnership with them. It has nothing to do with the Female Master."
His gaze drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sleeping city.
"If I had really made that request, how would I be any different from what I’ve done in the past?"
Not to mention that neither Vangar nor Vincent would ever agree to such a condition.
More importantly, if he crossed that line, he would likely lose any chance of getting close to her again.
Dax pulled a document from his desk and tossed it toward his assistant.
"Go make the preparations."
The assistant caught it instinctively.
Dax continued, "All of those projects we were forced to shelve before can finally move forward without restrictions."
The moment the assistant saw the contents of the proposal, excitement lit up his face.
"I’ll arrange everything immediately."
These projects had been delayed for years.
The restrictions imposed by the Empire and the Fox Clan’s Council of Elders had severely hindered Starlight Prime Tech’s growth.
Now, if those plans were fully implemented, that female Bree Dekhart would stand no chance against them.
Meanwhile, aboard the starrail, Vangar had barely finished his conversation with Dax when a message from Vincent arrived.
"Marshal, Dax has already contacted you, hasn’t he? I’ll handle the matter personally. I want forty percent."
Vangar stared at the message and let out a cold laugh.
The brat certainly had nerve.
Rising from bed, he left his room and headed toward the lounge.
He had assumed Vincent would still be in his quarters.
Instead, the moment he stepped into the common area, he found Vincent sitting comfortably with Yuel, Nix, and Lian, all gathered around a table enjoying a late-night meal.
When Nix spotted him, he immediately grabbed an extra bowl and pair of chopsticks.
"Vangar, why are you up?"
He grinned.
"Did you get hungry too?"
"Come eat with us."
Vangar sat down and accepted the chopsticks.
"Thank you."
Then he turned directly toward Vincent.
"You only asked Dax for forty percent of the profits."
His eyes narrowed.
"And now you’re trying to take all of it for yourself?"
His voice carried a dangerous edge.
"You expect me to work for you for free?"
Had Vincent become overconfident after his recent increase in strength?
Did he really think his wings had grown hard enough to start exploiting him?
Vincent calmly took a spoonful of soup.
After swallowing, he dabbed the corner of his lips with elegant precision before lifting his gaze.
"I asked Dax for forty percent."
His expression remained perfectly composed.
"But there was no way he’d stop at forty."
A knowing smile appeared on his lips.
"I was willing to bet he voluntarily offered an additional twenty percent."
Vangar remained silent.
The accuracy of the guess was somewhat irritating.
Vincent continued leisurely.
"The Marshal only needs to show up and exchange a few words with him. For that alone, you’ll receive twenty percent of the profits."
He set down his spoon.
"The difficult work, the unpleasant work, and everything that follows falls to me."
His brows lifted slightly.
"Isn’t that more than fair?"
Nix, who had been listening from the side, looked increasingly bewildered.
"Dax?"
His gaze shifted between them.
"Isn’t he one of Rory’s matched mates?"
A look of suspicion appeared on his face.
"You’re not planning to take advantage of Starlight Prime Tech while he’s vulnerable, are you?"
He had heard about the company’s recent troubles and knew Dax’s position was becoming increasingly unstable.
The more he listened, the more it sounded as though these two were taking advantage of the situation.
"Won’t Rory be angry if she finds out?"
Just as Nix was about to continue, Yuel casually placed a piece of beast meat into his bowl.
"Your favorite."
The implication was obvious.
Nix glanced at Yuel.
Then he immediately fell silent.
He might not be as scheming as the people around him, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.
He knew perfectly well that Yuel was telling him to stop talking.
Across the table, Lian quietly continued eating, wisely choosing not to involve himself in the discussion.
"He’s one of the little Female Master’s matched mates?"
Slowly, Vangar turned toward Vincent. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You set me up?"
Vincent let out a soft sigh.
"He already dissolved his match bond with Rory. She won’t interfere in this matter."
"Oh, the match has been dissolved?"
Vangar nodded immediately.
"In that case, no problem."
Then he turned back to Vincent.
"Let’s stop dancing around the issue."
His tone was direct and decisive.
"We split it fifty-fifty."
"I’ll handle the Empire’s upper leadership. You deal with the Fox Clan elders."
There was no way Vangar was letting go of half of a prize that had already landed within reach.
No matter how close they were, he certainly wasn’t going to let Vincent walk away with the lion’s share.
They might be family, but their businesses were separate.
Even if every credit they earned would eventually end up in Rory’s hands, she would still be able to see who contributed more and who contributed less.
"Fine."
Vincent agreed without hesitation.
He knew perfectly well that this was already the largest concession Vangar was willing to make.
Once the late-night meal ended, everyone returned to their rooms.
As the group dispersed, Lian watched Yuel, who was walking at the very end.
Lowering his voice, he said, "Nix, Vincent, and Vangar have already accepted my place among them."
The fact that neither Vincent nor Vangar had avoided discussing Dax’s situation in front of him was a signal in itself.
Yuel didn’t respond.
He simply turned and headed toward Vincent’s room to continue watching over him.
The moment he arrived, a message from Nix appeared on his communicator.
"Nix: Yuel, I want to help Dax. Can you help me think of a way?"
Back in his own room, Nix lay sprawled across the bed, tossing and turning restlessly.
Sleep refused to come.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Dax.
Years ago, Dax had lent him an enormous sum of money.
The favor had never been repaid.
At the time, neither of them had become Rory’s matched mates yet.
Now that Dax was facing trouble, Nix genuinely wanted to help.
Unfortunately, while he excelled at designing mechs and warships, business matters were entirely outside his expertise.
His older brother had always managed the commercial side of their laboratory.
Nix’s world revolved around engineering, research, and development.
He had already asked his brother whether there was any way they could assist Dax.
The answer had been simple.
Money could be loaned.
Everything else was beyond their ability.
After hearing the conversation between Vincent and Vangar tonight, Nix couldn’t help worrying.
Once sixty percent of the profits were handed over and employee salaries were paid, would Dax have anything left?
Yuel stared at the message for a long moment.
His first instinct was not to reply.
Then he remembered how easily Nix could overthink things.
If left alone, he would probably spend the entire night worrying himself awake.
After a brief pause, Yuel finally sent a response.
"Yuel: In business, Dax is far more capable than you."
"If he’s willing to surrender that much profit, then he undoubtedly has his own reasons."
"This situation may not be a bad thing for him at all."
"His affairs aren’t something you need to worry about."
"If you have spare energy, spend it figuring out how to complete your orders faster."
"That way, you’ll have more time to spend with Rory."
Many forces had their eyes fixed on Dax.
But very few possessed the courage to act.
At present, only Vincent and Vangar dared openly disregard the Empire’s highest authorities.
The following morning, Rory had only just awakened when a furious roar echoed through the starrail’s lounge.
The angry voices reverberated through the corridor.
"What happened out there?"
she asked as Jasper entered from outside.
Jasper smiled.
"Did they wake you up, Rory?"
Rory shook her head.
"No."
"I was already awake before I heard the shouting."
The noise had probably been blocked earlier by Vangar’s mental energy.
Only after realizing she was awake had he withdrawn the barrier.
Jasper chuckled.
"I’m not entirely sure what Vangar did. But the Empire’s senior officials have been taking turns calling him since early this morning."
His smile widened.
"Every single one of them sounds like they’ve swallowed explosives."
Rory’s eyes immediately lit up.
There’s drama to watch.
The words slipped through her mind before she could stop them.
"What?"
Jasper hadn’t heard her clearly.
Rory swiftly grabbed the clothes from his hands and began dressing.
Then she seized his hand and headed toward the door.
"Let’s go see what’s happening."
The moment Rory stepped out of the room with Jasper beside her, a powerful pressure swept over her.
The spacious lounge of the starrail was awash with shifting holographic light.
Several lifelike projections surrounded the sofa where Vangar sat.
Each hologram depicted a middle-aged male dressed in luxurious formal attire.
The insignias pinned to their clothing glimmered beneath the artificial light, radiating unmistakable authority.
Every one of them was a powerful figure within the Empire.
And judging by the fury on their faces, none of them had called to exchange pleasant morning greetings.
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