Chapter 601

Hudson assumed he might have a deal. Hopeful, he leaned forward. "Put a figure on the table. If it's fair, I won't haggle," he said, trying to sound casual.

Vincent shook his head, eyes narrowing with a predator's precision. "Don't bother naming a sum. Let's swap assets instead. I will bargain over the port's trade privileges-but what I ask for in exchange will cost you something that actually matters to you."

Hudson's voice turned guarded. "What are you asking for?"

Vincent answered with slow deliberation, "I want the exploitation rights to that large, newly discovered oil field in the north of Agosphia. In return, I'll hand over a share of the port's trade rights."

The color left Hudson's face in an instant. He had known Vincent wouldn't yield easily. Still, Vincent's audacity in demanding that oil field astonished him. That oil field wasn't just land and crude; it was a linchpin for his political future and a cornerstone of his long-term influence. He could not possibly let it go.

"Absolutely not," Hudson snapped, his voice hardening. "Vincent, you need to understand the situation.You're gravely wounded, and this place is my domain. It's my advantage here. You're allowed to remain here only because I'm willing to parley-otherwise, not only will you lose the port's trade rights, but you might not even make it out of Agosphia alive."

His words were a naked threat.

Vincent's stare chilled the air. "Threats have never been something I've tolerated," he said, voice like ice.

Hudson ignored the remark, snatching a prepared contract from a subordinate and slamming it onto the table. "Cut to the chase. Sign this transfer for the port's trade rights. I'll even sweeten it-fve hundred million dollars compensation. Walk away and keep your life; refuse, and don't dream of leaving."

Hudson flicked a glance, and his subordinates closed in, hands at their weapons.

Vincent didn't look at the contract. Earlier,while Hudson spoke, Vincent had retrieved a private phone and worked it with unnerving focus. A stark command interface flashed across the screen as he typed a compact sequence of instructions.

The whole transaction took a handful of seconds. Vincent set the device face down and put it away as if nothing had happened. He lifted his gaze and spoke with unruffled calm. "Mr. Chadwick, before you offered to negotiate like this, did you check the simplest of hazards?"

Hudson frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Vincent's tone dropped, steady and severe. "Did you really expect I'd sit idle and leave my fate to you?"

At that moment, a subordinate behind Hudson glanced at his own phone and went pale as paper. He nearly lunged toward Hudson, whispering hoarsely into his ear, "Mr. Chadwick, several of our overseas secret accounts are under attack-funds have been siphoned. The method matches techniques associated with the Jones Group."

Eyes wide with disbelief, Hudson stared at Vincent as if the floor had shifted beneath him.

Vincent adjusted his cufflinks with a faint,contemptuous smile. "Technology is really remarkable, you know?One precise instruction can short-circuit endless bureaucracy. The Jones Group holds some sway inside major banks worldwide. Our liquidity dwarfs the treasuries of many small nations."

He let his eyes rake over Hudson's blanched face, tightening the noose. "And don't forget the shell companies registered under your name for laundering, and the properties you've tucked away with your overseas mistress... Imagine all that information landing on Agosphia's Anti-Corruption Committee desk tomorrow-how long do you think your political life would survive?"

Each phrase made Hudson whiter; sweat gathered at his temples. He'd once been sure he had left no trace behind, his illegal dealings buried deep.

"But... How did you move so fast?" Hudson's voice broke, panic seeping in as he realized his miscalculation.Vincent was no lamb to be led.

Vincent regarded the now-frantic Hudson with absolute command. "Hudson, those who flirt with danger end up scorched." He plucked up the port transfer contract, tore it neatly in two, and tossed the pieces into the trash. "If you want the port," he said,bring real strength and meaningful leverage. These petty, underhanded maneuvers only underline how desperate you are."

Without another look at Hudson's ashen features, Vincent turned and walked away. His bodyguards stepped forward to clear his path.

Hudson watched Vincent's resolute back and then the steady stream of asset-freeze alerts scrolling across his phone. He forced himself into action. "Stop!" he barked, producing a concealed pistol with a practiced motion, the chamber clicking as he cocked it, and he leveled the weapon at Vincent.

"Since you refuse to yield, I won't let you leave Agosphia alive," Hudson declared. "A few foreign bodies won't raise eyebrows here. Once you're dead, the port will become ownerless, and I will take it."

With his back to Hudson, Vincent did notflinch. A lethal focus sat behind his eyes as he measured the distance, muscles tightening, prepared to disarm and respond.

But just as Vincent was about to act, a voice called out."Stop!"

It was Hannah, who'd just arrived at the doorway.