"Thank you all for coming. There is indeed something for which we need everyone's assistance," the girl's voice, light and gentle, unknowingly relaxed the people present, even mesmerizing them a bit as if there was a special charm in her simple words that made them want to keep listening to what she had to say.
Realizing the effect her voice and words had, the girl reined herself in slightly, then her tone became more formal and somewhat cooler, which snapped everyone back to attention to listen to her ideas.
"So, you mean to say, Chairman Tilan wants our assistance in sabotaging 'Eiser' Company's defense system so they can win fairly, like that?" a company representative stepped forward, cautiously inquiring.
"Yes, but I don't want you to make too big a show of it. It is best to keep it to a smaller scale," she didn't want these company representatives to get too hot-headed and take to the stage in a high-profile manner.
"In that case..." they looked at each other, as if communicating with their eyes.
Actually, to help 'Eiser' win this patent war, sending any one of their companies would suffice, as the strength on 'Cosaidhs' side wasn't that formidable. But now, everyone had an opportunity to gain favor in front of Tilan.
With their backs to the girl, several people's hands gestured and changed, silently communicating for a few seconds. Just as Tilan was getting curious and about to ask what they were discussing, Zakrez turned around, first bending elegantly in salute, one hand over his heart, and then rising back up.
"Let 'Azure Mantis' under my command clear the obstacles for Miss Hexia this time."
"Uh, thank you... What remuneration do you require then?" the girl thought if she didn't have enough money, she'd let Annelli temporarily foot the bill, to be repaid later; she was somewhat confident in her future earning potential. After all, even selling albums as a Songstress could fetch a tidy sum, and that was without any corporate sponsorship.
"No need for remuneration, no, it's not that we need nothing at all, I simply ask that Miss Hexia allow me to follow as her attendant, just to be by your side will suffice," Zakrez's words conveyed a hint of fervor.
"Huh, is it that simple?" Tilan expressed some surprise and bewilderment, blinking her eyes.
But the people present sighed at Zakrez's greed, hoping through this to become a core member beside the young lady.
"It's not impossible, but I hope that people by my side don't do bad things. Can you manage that?" the girl's seemingly innocent words actually came with many implicit conditions which, if scrutinized, virtually amounted to requiring Zakrez's words and actions to be one, without doing anything against the spirit and values of Hexia.
If it were a normal friend, Hexia wouldn't speak or demand this way, but since it was her first interaction with an outsider like Zakrez, she unconsciously raised her standards quite a bit.
"I can do it, and I swear I will," receiving Hexia's approval, Zakrez pledged with an intense gaze, so sincerely that it made others wonder if he was acting—didn't he know that lying in front of a Songstress was very dangerous.
Fortunately, in the end, Hexia accepted his oath, then nodded slightly.
Not long after the decision was made by those present, a row of turquoise hover-trucks sped through the curtain of rain, passing through intersections in a flash, turning the falling rain into fine, cone-shaped mists of water, while inside the cabins sat battle-ready personnel, uniformly seated, all clad in turquoise exoskeleton armor, cradling advanced firearms, with the subtle gleam of Arc Blades on their arms, not yet activated but faintly glowing, ready to spring into action.
At ten o'clock at night, the rain outside only grew heavier.