Taking a deep breath, Wen Yu asked Tang Haofei directly, "What do you want?"
"I need to remind you to understand what an alliance is. It's where both sides benefit. If you think you can reap all the benefits of the Heavenly Palace with just one Esoteric Level skill, that's completely unrealistic!"
"Well, well, well, those words sound familiar. It seems I said sothing quite similar yesterday..." Tang Haofei remarked with a sneer, an exceedingly smug smile plastered on his face.
Tang Haofei's words left Wen Yu speechless. There was a fundantal difference between an Esoteric Level skill and an SSS-Class skill. An SSS-Class skill could only be considered an introductory gift from the military to Wen Yu. However, an Esoteric Level skill, especially one that suited Wen Yu, was enough to give the military the confidence to make exorbitant demands!
The implication was clear: You wanted us to satisfy you, didn't you? Is one Esoteric Level skill not enough? Wen Yu's answer was that it was. In fact, he might even be overstuffed.
Faced with Tang Haofei's confidence and the imnse temptation of the Photosynthetic Spirit Motifs, Wen Yu had already steeled his resolve. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. As long as it's not excessive, I absolutely must obtain the Photosynthetic Spirit Motifs!
So, Wen Yu adopted a softer deanor and gently repeated his earlier question, "What do you want?"
However, Tang Haofei rely sighed, and his subsequent words took Wen Yu completely by surprise.
"Wen Yu, we're giving you an Esoteric Level skill not to coerce you or to curry favor with you.
"I understand you have strong grievances against Lin Haifeng, but you must also admit that Lin Haifeng has consistently stood and acted for the sake of the Human Race.
"In truth, neither the military nor Lin Haifeng are as despicable as you might think. This Photosynthetic Spirit Motif skill scroll, Lin Haifeng specifically entrusted to bring it to you.
"This ti, I swear on everything I hold dear, there are no calculations or conspiracies involved. It's simply that Lin Haifeng and the military's Strategic Command Center believe this skill is better suited for you."
After Tang Haofei finished speaking, Wen Yu imdiately fell silent.
The conflict between Wen Yu and Lin Haifeng was entirely instigated by Lin Haifeng—in other words, Lin Haifeng provoked Wen Yu first; Wen Yu had not actively sought conflict with him. From any perspective, the discord between Wen Yu and Lin Haifeng was solely Lin Haifeng's doing, entirely his fault.
However, to be fair, what Tang Haofei said wasn't wrong either—Lin Haifeng wasn't a bad person. The deepest reason for their conflict was rely a clash of ideologies.
But what was the use of dwelling on these things? Wen Yu couldn't possibly reconcile with Lin Haifeng, nor could he transform overnight into a great hero who worried about the country and its people. Likewise, Lin Haifeng would never abandon his status and position. In many matters, there was no clear right or wrong, only one's own principles and ideologies.
At this thought, Wen Yu let out a deep sigh. "I won't take this for nothing. I dislike being indebted to others. So, I will accept this skill, and you can state your terms."
Hearing Wen Yu's words, Tang Haofei fell silent for a mont. Wen Yu's aning was quite clear—he was proactively drawing a distinct line with the military. Let transactions be transactions. Don't bring emotions into it; once feelings are involved, the deal can no longer be made.
Having discerned Wen Yu's mindset and recalling his conversation with Lin Haifeng via communicator the previous day, Tang Haofei briefly organized his thoughts before dropping another bombshell.
"Wen Yu, I originally didn't intend to say these things, but now I must. On the European front, several large settlents have already fallen, and the situation in Battle Zone India is also grim. As an independent hero, you might not perceive the true terror of the Demon Tribe. But for the entire Human Race, the Demon Tribe's current power is far greater than ours. This is an undeniable fact. We need help—a great deal of help."
Now everything made sense. The so-called "this skill is better suited for you" was ultimately just a platitude. Hidden behind this Esoteric Level skill scroll were still greater interests.
An Esoteric Level skill in exchange for Wen Yu's full assistance—aning Wen Yu could easily provide the military with all the advanced technological materials from the Universe of Immortals and Heroes. Was this a worthwhile trade?
When personal feelings are set aside, many things beco crystal clear! Wen Yu saw through this completely. However, so things are best left unsaid even when understood. Exposing them would an a complete breakdown of relations, and that breakdown would lead to war, slaughter, internal strife, and even more dangers and enemies.
Independent heroes had their own code of survival, the most crucial point being not to create too many enemies for oneself, let alone a formidable adversary like the military.
Wen Yu's expression remained unchanged; he rely nodded at Tang Haofei, indicating he had heard his words. Tang Haofei, however, could glean nothing from Wen Yu's face and could only continue speaking as if to himself.
"The current situation isn't about us rely asking you to lend a hand; rather, Earth genuinely needs your strength. You understand the power of the Universe of Immortals and Heroes better than I. To be blunt, its overall strength surpasses Earth's by several epochs, and its technological prowess is generations ahead of ours. These things might be useless to you, but they are imnsely valuable to the entire Human Race. You understand this, and so do I, so I won't mince words.
"How much we manage to gain from this expedition to the Heavenly Palace will be the decisive factor in how long we can hold out against the demon plague!"
"Moreover," Tang Haofei sighed audibly, "Wen Yu, don't let your current standing cloud your judgnt. Your roots are here, on Earth. If the military is gone, if I am gone, if Earth itself is gone, what will you do then?"
His last words unquestionably struck a chord with Wen Yu.
When he witnessed the fate of the Universe of Immortals and Heroes, Wen Yu had already pondered this question: if the military and Tang Haofei were gone, would he, as Earth's strongest individual, step forward to carry the banner for humanity?
Wen Yu still hadn't found an answer to this question, but one thing was clear: if the military and Tang Haofei were gone, it would definitely not be good for him.
In fact, in his dealings with the military, although Wen Yu had made the statent "feed until I'm full," he wouldn't actually demand too much—three Esoteric Level skills suitable for him, and he would probably hand over all the technology from the Universe of Immortals and Heroes to the military without reservation.
What did an independent hero like Wen Yu need at this point? Ultimately, just more power.
Could the largest organization on Earth truly not satisfy a single independent hero? That was simply a joke.
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