"As a self-centered and selfish person, if I didn’t have abilities, no one would genuinely like me, and I wouldn’t be able to achieve anything significant.
Back then, I finally saw myself clearly. I truly wasn’t a good person; even without abilities, I was still that way.
I was just that shameless. If I had abilities, why wouldn’t I use them? It was such pointless affectation to pretend otherwise.
Later, I met the leader. He saw through my thoughts and told me many, many things.
It was then I realized that this world is far more fascinating than I had imagined, and there were indeed still many, many things I could pursue.
I returned to Divine Land and witnessed too many things that were beyond my capabilities.
I felt an excitement I hadn’t felt in a long, long time, like the first time I touched a woman.
I felt that I was alive, not just a walking corpse."
Glasses’ expression held nostalgia, sincerity, and uncontainable excitement.
Zhuge Wanjun, across from him, was also somewhat shocked; she had underestimated Glasses before.
What Glasses pursued was no longer fame, money, status, women, or even power; he didn’t care about them.
What he cared about was only the kind of thrill that couldn’t be obtained through ordinary means.
Even when it came to brainwashing her, what Glasses truly cared about wasn’t fundamentally about becoming the one in charge.
"So, you spent a long time retrieving that item from the Old Ice Warehouse at the Virtue City Funeral House just for the sake of the act itself. You don’t actually care what you retrieved, do you?"
"You truly understand me." Glasses sighed deeply, gestured for a waiter, and ordered a coffee for Zhuge Wanjun.
"Originally, I intended to get something else, but after the Soul Devouring Beast incident, I chose the Wooden Armor Mask.
The Wooden Armor Mask is indeed more suitable for what’s to come.
There are three things I want to do now, and I need your help with all three."
"First, I need to go back to the Virtue City Funeral House and retrieve another item.
Unfortunately, the method I used last time only succeeded that one time; suitable materials are too hard to find.
I have to use another method, and this is where I need your help.
I found someone before; he’s simply perfect for this task.
Second, I’ve already found the whereabouts of the Soul Devouring Beast.
But from what I understand, that powerful Soul Devouring Beast isn’t as strong or Invincible as the leader claimed.
It can still be weakened, which means there’s a definite possibility of controlling it.
For this matter, I also need you to fully cooperate with me and do things exactly according to my plan.
As for the third thing, it involves going to Guanzhong County, but let’s discuss that after we’ve finished our business in Nanwu County.
If I can’t accomplish the first task and get what I want, I can’t proceed to Guanzhong County either."
Zhuge Wanjun didn’t say a word. She just sat there quietly, drinking her coffee and listening. She could feel that Glasses had let down his guard today; he was extraordinarily authentic. He also needed to vent. As someone he valued and wanted to recruit as a subordinate, she wouldn’t be discarded like a disposable item after a single use. She was perfectly suited to be a sounding board, listening to him pour out his thoughts.
Glasses babbled on like a chatterbox for fifty-nine minutes. Only in the final minute did he glance at his watch and sigh.
"This is truly a rare experience. Unfortunately, after one minute, it will be gone for good. Then, I won’t be able to be certain if what you say and do truly comes from your most genuine thoughts."
He watched the countdown with considerable reluctance. Only in the last ten seconds did he look up for one final glance at Zhuge Wanjun.
"Every word I’ve said in this past hour is true. From now on, you will be my most trusted and capable assistant."
As Glasses’ words fell, Zhuge Wanjun suddenly froze, her pupils dilating dramatically. The slight scorn on her face, the expression that seemed to pity Glasses, vanished without a trace.
Watching Zhuge Wanjun’s transformation, Glasses suddenly lost all interest. The Zhuge Wanjun who was once completely independent, who had her own thoughts, was dead. Now, only his subordinate, Zhuge Wanjun, remained.
He pushed up his glasses, said nothing, and left directly.
Zhuge Wanjun remained seated, her consciousness seemingly stepping into an empty courtroom.
She and another version of herself, one who had been brainwashed, sat opposite each other.
Looking at her surroundings and at the other version of herself, she was somewhat surprised.
"I never expected that the first opponent I’d face after my advancement would be myself."
"I also didn’t expect that you still harbored different thoughts," the brainwashed version of her said, also somewhat surprised.
"Humans are complex, especially lawyers like us. When it comes to a matter, our stance, attitude, and decisions rarely remain rigidly fixed on one outcome from beginning to end. Sometimes we engage in zero-sum games, but more often, we compromise amidst the push and pull."
"So, after the people from Flame Group were beaten up by Qin Kun, you received several calls. They indicated it was inconvenient for them to visit Nanwu County in the near future. That’s when you determined the risk had sharply increased."
"Yes, I need to avoid risks. Especially after meeting Glasses this time, I’m even more convinced that the risks are rapidly growing. He’s far too extreme. His thinking deviates from the norm, and he overlooks too many things he should be concerned about. I need to prepare an escape route first."
"So, after your last advancement, you deliberately gave him an opening by agreeing to one request. You know his type; if you give someone like him a chance to make a wish, he’ll inevitably wish to possess the wishing machine itself, granting himself countless wishes, right?"