"The monster near Yukexin City is not to be underestimated, it’s better to disclose the information, so we can make a direct judgment on whether to stay or go."
A thin and frail old man spoke.
"Yes, disclose it."
"Since we are to cooperate, we should show some sincerity."
The contractors all echoed the old man’s statement, and the smile on Mr. A’s face disappeared.
"Everyone, the fact that I can disclose the rough information is already a sign of sincerity, what have you all contributed? Do you really think of me, Mr. A, as a pushover? Trying to reap without sowing?"
Hearing Mr. A’s words, the corners of the old man’s mouth lifted. He was deliberately sowing discord between Mr. A and the contractors, and he portrayed himself as the representative of the public, deliberately isolating Mr. A as a selfish person with ulterior motives.
By isolating and replacing Mr. A, he aimed to become the representative of this small team, which in his view was sure to form, and the benefits were there for the taking.
"Reap without sowing? Mr. A, being able to come here shows our trust in you. Isn’t that sincerity?"
The old man’s words made the other contractors nod, as it concerned their interests, and the old man was conveniently speaking on their behalf.
"Hmph, a ragtag bunch like this thinking they can challenge a lord-level creature? Dream on!"
The burly man holding a war hammer stood up and walked to the door, opening it with brute force.
The burly man walked out of the restaurant, and the iron door clanged shut.
The departure of the burly man made Mr. A shake his head; what he said made sense.
"Everyone, can I have a word?"
Mr. A raised his voice, and the contractors present all looked at him, the old man’s eyes narrowed slightly, now it was a contest between him and Mr. A.
"I, indeed, have a selfish intent. If we successfully kill the Cyclops, I want 30% of the value of the items in the treasure chest."
As soon as this was said, sneers and snickers filled the air. The old man’s eyes showed some disappointment, and a little self-ridicule. The disappointment was because the small group could not be formed, the self-ridicule was because he considered Mr. A a rival.
"Seems like a wasted trip."
"Isn’t it though? 30%? Too greedy."
"Greed knows no bounds, I’m leaving."
The contractors began to walk out, and this small team that hadn’t even formed was about to disband.
"I’m not finished, why are you all in a hurry?"
Mr. A was very calm, and some contractors who had already taken a few steps stopped, since they were already here, they thought it wouldn’t hurt to wait a moment.
"I have drawn up a temporary team contract. As long as you sign this contract, I will disclose all the information about the Cyclops to everyone, not only the information but also the details of the Cyclops’ weaknesses."
The contractors all shook their heads. Those two points alone were not enough to attract them.
"There’s one more point, the temporary team already has a main tank. Of that 30% benefit, 20% will be given to the main tank, and I only profit by 10%. Whether it’s obtaining information or the costs incurred in finding the Cyclops’ weaknesses, ask yourselves honestly, is my taking 10% really greedy?"
Mr. A’s words made the contractors present ponder deeply.
"What’s the level of the main tank?"
Hearing someone ask this question, Mr. A smiled.
"Ranked 1591 in the Second Tier arena with a stamina attribute of over 60 points. I can only disclose this much, as this is personal privacy."
Upon hearing this ranking and stamina attribute, the contractors were astonished.
"Such a level of main tank can only be cultivated by a large adventure group, right? How could such a person appear in this small team?"
"If there really is such a capable main tank, then we might have a chance."
"What do you mean might? It’s very likely. In the Second Tier, everyone knows that the main tank’s status is not lower than that of a Mage Lord. Without a main tank blocking the front, a Mage Lord is just a glass cannon, and it’s hard for a main tank to survive the First Tier. A Second Tier main tank is exceptional."
The situation turned dramatically, and the contractors who were about to leave sat back down, setting their chairs upright.
Seeing the situation, the old man’s expression was not very pleasant; the ’opponent’ was stronger than he imagined.
"Mr. A, what are the rules for the temporary team, or what are the conditions to join?"
"It would be best if the main tank could come forward, so we can be at ease."
Mr. A nodded.
"Brother Stone, come out."
Steady footsteps were heard, and a sturdy man about two meters tall walked out from the back kitchen, his expression downcast, as if he was burdened with worries.
"Stone? Could it be?"
"The number two main tank of the Barbarian Sky Adventure Group? Why is he appearing in this way?"
This main tank, called Stone, was obviously a well-known figure, recognized by several contractors as soon as he appeared.
"Mr. A, if this involves the Barbarian Sky Adventure Group, then we small fry should best stay out of it."
Mr. A waved his hand.
"There’s no need to be agitated..."
Before Mr. A finished speaking, Stone suddenly spoke.
"There is... no more Barbarian Sky. I’m just a loner."
Stone casually found a chair to sit on, grabbed the fiery spirits on the table and gulped it down, looking very desolate.
"Could it be that the Barbarian Sky Adventure Group was wiped out?"
"Perhaps, even large adventure groups cannot guarantee no risks in Reincarnation Paradise."
"There had been rumors before, dismissed as false reports, allegedly wiped out in the Naruto World."
The main tank Stone’s appearance boosted the confidence of the contractors present.
"I’ll send the details of the temporary contract to everyone, consider whether to join. But not just anyone can join. This time, killing the Cyclops comes with great risks, and if you lack strength..."
Mr. A didn’t continue, merely disclosed the contents of the temporary contract.
The restaurant fell silent, only the faint sound of chewing could be heard.
Mr. A and the old man looked towards the direction of the chewing sound, and upon seeing the man and dog feasting, Mr. A’s eyes narrowed slightly, while the old man turned his head, no longer paying attention.
From the old man’s perspective, someone so lacking in vigilance won’t survive long in Reincarnation Paradise.
Bubu Wang burped contentedly, nudging Su Xiao with a furry paw, eyes seeming to say, "Master, we need to get involved in things like this more often, these scheming contractors are truly fascinating."
Su Xiao chuckled without speaking, seeing the current situation, it seemed this small team had a chance to eliminate the Cyclops.
But one point was that Mr. A recruited contractors on the Derived World Contact Platform, and other contractors not involved with the small team might ambush near the battlefield, waiting to reap the benefits after the small team and the Cyclops have battled.
Even if no one seizes the opportunity, the small team itself is unstable, like the old man and Mr. A.
These two are just the apparent unstable factors. There are 15 contractors including Su Xiao present, and there must be ill-intentioned people among them.
Cooperation, of course, would be best, but what if there’s infighting after successfully killing the Cyclops? Su Xiao didn’t really care, if someone provoked him, he’d just cut them down, straightforward and effective, he was well-practiced in dealing with contractors.
While pondering, a temporary contract appeared. It was the temporary contract drafted by Mr. A, stating: after signing the contract, all present form a small group that lasts until the Cyclops is killed and the loot is successfully divided.
During this time, they cannot attack each other, cannot do anything to harm team members, and cannot disclose information. Violations would result in a penalty of 500,000 Paradise coins + subtraction of 10 from all attributes.
The penalty was harsh enough, but it was a necessary condition for forming a small team.