Loki threw back his head and laughed: "I like smart people. Indeed, I do intend to use you all for the time being, because that fellow Fu can absolutely not catch me. Therefore, whether you cooperate with me or not, you will still be attacked by him. If you cooperate, your chances of survival will at least increase by 50%."

To be frank, everyone on Team Ace disliked the superiority Loki unconsciously exuded. Especially Zi, who was naturally proud and looked down on others; she felt like a blockage of air was stuck in her chest.

But this man before them possessed formidable strength! Moreover, the vital points of his team were currently held in this man's grasp. This feeling of being furious yet unable to vent it was truly suffocating.

Loki clearly understood the mood of the Team Ace members; he was fully aware of what he was doing and the effect each word would have.

What he desired was naturally the feeling of trampling these excellent talents under his heel! If it weren't for this, how could it be called subduing the enemy without fighting, crushing their spirit, and blunting their edge? How else could he make these untamable fellows willingly become his pawns?

Seeing the expressions on the faces of the Team Ace members, Loki then dropped another bombshell.

"Incidentally, I must inform you that for some unknown reason, vortices have suddenly appeared in space, effectively trapping Fu in this world for the time being... The Dark Saint’s most powerful ability is, effectively, sealed. This is the best opportunity to kill him! If this chance is missed, he will be like a fish in the vast ocean and a bird in the boundless sky, continuing to haunt you incessantly."

Fang Senyan suddenly interjected: "Then, can you tell us why the Dark Saint Fu you speak of is relentlessly pursuing us? What is the cost he is willing to bear for this?"

Yes, this question had been troubling them all. Earlier, Fang Senyan had assumed this pursuit stemmed from retaliation by the Stockholm Team. However, strictly speaking, the cost of such revenge far exceeded their initial losses.

No rational team would act this way; even if the leader went mad, the members would absolutely not follow suit.

Loki cast a deep look at Fang Senyan and the others: "In every space, there are not only Contractors present, just as an army is not composed only of soldiers—it also needs logistics, intelligence, and staff. The Dark Saint is not a single person, but a very mysterious organization. It is rumored that they, much like the Neutrals, possess some core secrets of the space. They do not belong to the combat sequence of the Contractors but possess formidable fighting capabilities, and they even know some flaws in the space's rules and exploit them skillfully. To draw a comparison with human professions, they seem to combine the functions of a doctor, the FBI, and a janitor."

"What does this have to do with them hunting us?" Zi pressed.

Loki paused, then said lightly: "The Dark Saints also have selfish motives, so it is not surprising they use their special abilities for personal matters. What’s so strange about that? All I know is one thing: the Dark Saints have been attacking certain Contractors without reason in the shadows. The commonality among the targets is that, regardless of gender, they are under thirty years old, hail from Earth in the late 20th or early 21st century, and all are of Chinese descent—don't ask me why, I don't know either."

"All from Earth?" Fang Senyan seized upon that piece of information: "Are there some who aren't from Earth?"

Loki burst into laughter: "Of course! The concepts held by you children are truly backward. Countless branches have appeared in the river of history. For example, I come from the year 2110, from the Martian Base."

"Understood," Fang Senyan completely ignored the subtle contempt in Loki's tone and continued earnestly: "Then what about Fu, the one we are facing? The more we understand him, the greater the damage and trouble we cause him, and the greater your opportunity will be, yes?"

Loki pondered: "You have witnessed his fate manipulation ability, haven't you? This ability was acquired from Final Destination movie world. It is actually quite common, but when advanced to a high level and combined with his Dark Saint abilities, he becomes terrifying, like a personification of Death itself!"

Zi offered a faint, sarcastic remark: "Can you tell us something we don't already know?"

Loki shot her a look, and Zi returned one: "You are very powerful, but so what? Do you dare to start a war with us? Do you dare to fight us? Since you still need to use us, then you must learn to respect people!" Loki said lightly: "The only thing that commands my respect is strength—Fu’s other ability is that he can exit a world without any loss while in a non-combat state. However, due to the spatial turbulence, this ability of his is also sealed."

Fang Senyan listened and said lightly: "From what you say, it sounds like if we can find him, we can succeed in killing him."

"It's certainly not that simple," Loki sneered: "Fu is protected by powerful servants. You need to get past that obstacle first. Lastly, I'll tell you this: Fu is not as strong as you imagine. Here!"

As he spoke, Loki tossed over a disc and laughed heartily: "If you can thoroughly study Fu's behavior on this disc, there might actually be a sliver of hope!"

With that, Loki finished speaking. Suddenly, a brilliant white column of light descended from the sky, forming a giant cross that enveloped him. Then, holy light surged towards the heavens, and he shot off like a massive spherical lightning bolt over five meters in diameter, with astonishing momentum!

Fang Senyan watched Loki's receding back, pondered for a moment, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

Reef frowned: "I don't like this guy. His attitude is truly irritating."

Zi snorted at Fang Senyan: "Your composure is good. I think this guy has been wary of us too. If it weren't for... Hmph, I really want to clash with him."

Fang Senyan smiled and said: "Everyone has their own way of living. For instance, I just thought of something very interesting."

Zi gave him a look, and Fang Senyan said leisurely: "If we really manage to take down that Fu, the expression on this guy Loki's face should be truly priceless."

Hearing Fang Senyan's words, Reef, Zi, and Sanzai all burst out laughing. Although what Fang Senyan intended to do was undoubtedly fraught with difficulty, for some inexplicable reason, he always managed to boost everyone's fighting spirit.

At this moment, Mr. Jackson Kleist groaned, clutching his head as he woke up on the ground: "Oh, my God, what happened? Am I still alive?"

Reef walked over, helped him sit on a nearby rock, and found some coffee from the car to give him.

Soon, the scorching heat, caffeine, sugar, and ample calories helped Mr. Jackson Kleist recover: "To think I would run into something as unlucky as a gas explosion. Oh, sh*t, my head feels like thirteen California horseflies are buzzing around in it—Sir, I still don't know your names."

"We spoke on the phone not long ago, so we should be colleagues now—even though we've never met face-to-face," Fang Senyan smiled warmly. He then pointed at Zi and whispered: "This is the head of Human Resources. Don't let her cold demeanor fool you; her relationship with the CEO is complicated. More importantly, she has always hoped that her friend would take the position you are about to assume, so it’s best to humor her a little and don't give her any excuses before you start the job."

Jackson Kleist immediately held his temples: "Oh, for heaven's sake, I didn't realize this job came with so much baggage."

"Any job with a $700,000 annual salary hides a lot of trouble, Mr. Jackson Kleist," Fang Senyan said meaningfully right away. "Especially when the $700,000 income is after tax, not to mention how much leisure time this job affords."

Clearly, Fang Senyan's words were decisive. Zi, hearing his words, was so angry her teeth itched, wishing she could tear a piece of flesh from him. She immediately walked over, putting on a stern face: "Mr. Jackson Kleist? Does your body seem fine?"

Jackson Kleist stood up and walked a few steps. Suddenly remembering Fang Senyan's warning, he decided not to give the woman who clearly intended to make things difficult for him any opportunity and replied seriously: "It is fine."

Zi said with a cold expression: "Then can we sign the contract? By the way, the $100,000 signing bonus has already been deposited. If you change your mind now, Mr. Jackson Kleist, you will have to return the funds to us."

Jackson Kleist instantly froze. His credit card was already overdrawn by fourteen thousand dollars. Once funds were deposited, the debt would certainly be cleared first. If he backed out now, how would he repay the debt? Therefore, he could only solidify his resolve: "Alright, I'll sign the contract."

The contracts were ready. The base had set up seven companies of various sizes to cover their tracks. Under Professor X's brainwave manipulation, there was almost no resistance. Thus, all documents presented at this time were legal. As for the position with the $700,000 annual salary... not to mention $700,000, Fang Senyan could produce $7 million, $70 million, or $700 million in annual salary! The reason for only offering $700,000 was the fear of scaring Mr. Jackson Kleist off with a higher figure. (To be continued)