books44 Chapter 265 [Empire] Price
Chapter 265 [Empire] Price
"It's quite quiet here, suitable for talking about things."
I looked around and noticed there weren't many customers in the restaurant, only a few scattered around different corners. They seemed to be eating, but without exception, they would glance at Nightingale from time to time, with a hint of fear and curiosity in their eyes.
He casually picked up two drinks and looked up at me again: "Don't worry, everything here is very clean. I come here often."
I sat across from him, not saying anything, but quietly observing his every move. Even in this leisurely environment, his movements still carried a certain alertness that could not be ignored. Obviously, he never completely let his guard down.
Nightingale picked up the cup, took a sip, and then put it down. He leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes still smiling. "Okay, now it's time for questions. I'll do my best to answer whatever you want to know."
His demeanor remained calm, but this composure made me even more cautious. I looked down at the drink in front of me, not opening my mouth immediately, but rapidly formulating questions in my mind. I had to be careful; every question could be a way to understand him, or it could be an opportunity to expose my own weaknesses.
"Your team," I finally asked, my tone calm, "what is its real purpose? Why are you willing to bring a new person into it?"
Nightingale smiled, seemingly unsurprised. He leaned in closer, folded his hands on the table, and fixed his gaze on me. "The goal is simple—survival and profit." His words were direct and frank, without a trace of veiled expression. "As for you, I think you're interesting and have potential. Not everyone can behave the way you did in that kind of situation."
"Didn't I just behave more like a desperate criminal?" I laughed at myself, my tone was a little playful, but more of it was a deliberate indifference.
I don’t know if I’m mocking him or myself.
Nightingale didn't respond immediately, but simply stared at me with her deep eyes, a faint smile still hanging on the corner of her mouth. That smile made me feel a little uncomfortable, as if I had seen through something, but I still tried to keep myself calm and not let my emotions surface.
"Desperado?" he repeated softly, a touch of nonchalance in his voice. "Perhaps. But do you think you are?"
His words were like questions and answers, with a meaning that was difficult to discern. His calm tone made it seem as if he wouldn't care too much about the answer.
I lowered my head and took a sip of the juice in front of me. The cool liquid slid down my throat, but it didn't ease the complicated emotions in my heart. I didn't know whether he was trying to test my bottom line or was simply amused, but this kind of conversation made me feel strangely oppressive.
"What do you think?" I asked back, my tone still calm, but with a hint of provocation.
Nightingale smiled slightly, her eyes lingering on my face for a moment, then she turned casually to the window: "You don't seem like it. At least, you haven't really despaired yet."
The words were so light, yet they stirred a wave in my heart. I fell silent, not responding. I simply stared at the glass in front of me, my thoughts gradually becoming scattered. Yes, had I ever truly been in despair? Or rather, had my despair truly reached the point where I could lose everything?
But I knew that no matter what, whether it was the performance or the self-deprecation, it couldn't change one fact - I really needed him. Or to be more precise, I needed an opportunity, and Nightingale happened to be able to give me that opportunity.
But I'm still not sure what the price of this opportunity is.
I didn't beat around the bush and just asked directly: "What will it cost me, and what will I get?"
Nightingale looked at me, his smile still undimmed. He seemed to have anticipated my question. He gently sipped the juice from his glass, slowly set it down, and spoke in his deep voice, "The price you pay depends on how much you're willing to bear. What you gain depends entirely on what you can earn."
His answer was ambiguous and sounded like nonsense, but it also contained a hidden meaning. I frowned and waited for him to continue without asking any more questions.
"Here," Nightingale tapped the table lightly, her gaze sweeping back from the street outside the window to my face. "No one will give you anything for no reason, and no one will take anything away from you for free. Every bit of effort and every risk you take is in exchange for more—more resources, more status, and even more chances to survive."
"Sounds reasonable," I nodded, but I felt even more wary. "But my question is, what are the risks I need to take?"
Nightingale chuckled, his fingers casually moving across the tabletop as if he were pondering a response. His gaze held a certain leisurely air, as if assessing my worth. "The risk is whether you can integrate into the team and whether you're willing to follow them to complete those missions—some of which are far more complex and dangerous than you can currently see."
"As for what you can gain," he said, his tone slightly more emphasized, "that depends on whether you have the ability to stand at a higher position. If you are willing to accept our rules and prove yourself strong enough, everything you want is within your reach."
His voice was low and firm, as if painting a picture full of temptation, but I still felt a little uneasy. These words sounded full of hope, but the shadow behind them made me dare not trust them easily.
"What if I fail?" I stared into his eyes, trying to catch any trace of emotion. "What if I can't keep up with the team, or... the mission fails?"
Nightingale's smile faded for a moment, and her eyes darkened slightly, but she immediately regained her composure. "Failure? In this business, there's no room for failure. It's either success or exit."
This sentence chilled my heart, as if it had suddenly revealed his true face. I remained silent, my fingers tightly gripping the cup, pondering the meaning behind his answer.
"You have time to think about it," Nightingale stood up, straightened his coat, looked down at me, his tone still calm, "but remember, this opportunity won't wait for you forever."
He then turned and walked towards the restaurant entrance, his steps steady and powerful, as if he wasn't obsessed with my response. But as his figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the street, more questions and uneasiness arose in my heart.