Chapter 284 Wooing and Threatening
Even though Steven couldn't stand Peter, he had to admit the guy had a point.
Steven thought back to his days running the warehouse.
When he was just starting out, he had to suck up to the bosses and senior staff.
Even if it was just a supervisor one rank above him, he had to figure out what they wanted and then do it.
After busting his butt for a few years, he finally became a supervisor, managing a small team.
That was the first time Steven got a taste of power, and man, it felt good.
With just a word, he could make others jump through hoops to get stuff done.
When they went out to eat, everyone had to consider what he liked.
At karaoke, the girls always sat next to him.
And that was just the power of a warehouse supervisor.
The higher you climb, the sweeter the power.
He could just hint at something, and people would scramble to make it happen.
Listening to Peter's pitch about a bright future, Steven couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.
But he didn't hesitate and shot Peter down.
"That stuff doesn't do it for me anymore. Before the apocalypse, sure, I would've loved to be a small-time boss. In a stable society, being a leader has way more perks than risks. But now, it's a mixed bag. I'm not interested in your West Mountain Base drama or being anyone's second-in-command!"
Steven wasn't the ambitious type. His biggest dream was probably just to date a few hot girlfriends and live a carefree life.
That kind of mindset meant he wasn't cut out to lead a bunch of people.
He wasn't like Peter, who could be a total jerk, living it up while making the lower-level folks eat protein goo made from roaches and corpses.
Plus, he didn't trust Peter.
'Go to West Mountain Base, someone else's turf?'
Yeah, right. It wouldn't be as great as Peter was making it sound.
"I refuse," Steven said coolly. "I like my life the way it is. I'm not joining any faction or letting anyone control me. If you pull your troops back now, we can call it even and stay out of each other's way. Deal?"
Even though West Mountain Base had attacked him multiple times, Steven hadn't lost anything; in fact, they'd lost a bunch of their own people.
So, Steven wasn't looking for revenge. If it could end here, he'd be thrilled.
But Peter wasn't having it!
Seeing that Steven wasn't budging, Peter's face finally changed.
If sweet-talking didn't work, he'd get tough!
"You think you can just walk away after killing so many of our people? Steven, I'm giving you a chance because I see your potential! If you don't take it, I won't hold back! With the power of West Mountain Base, taking over your little shelter is just a matter of time!"
Steven laughed, "Just a matter of time? You sent a ton of people with guns and explosives. Did they even scratch me? No, they got wrecked! Now it's not you giving me a chance, it's me giving you one! Peter, give it up! You don't stand a chance against me!" The way Steven said "Peter" dripped with contempt, making Peter's blood boil with rage.
Peter glared at Steven and hissed, "You really think hiding in that house means I can't touch you? One missile, and I can turn you and that shelter into dust!"
Steven's heart skipped a beat.
'A missile?'
That was serious business.
If a missile hit, his extradimensional space wouldn't stand a chance against that kind of power.
The shelter would be toast, and even the underground parts would take a massive hit.
But Steven kept his cool. "Really? This is the first time I've heard that Starlight City has missile-launching authority! Wow, that's impressive!"
Steven clapped his hands, a mocking grin on his face.
Starlight City didn't have a major military presence. Even if there were missile bases, no way would they let Peter control them.
Especially now, with the apocalypse, those weapons would be tightly guarded by the big shots.
Peter was just a local thug. 'You think you can launch missiles?' Steven was sure Peter was bluffing.
Peter's face darkened. "What does a little warehouse manager like you know? I'm giving you a chance because I don't want to see you and those supplies go up in flames! Don't ruin yourself, Steven! When the missile comes, you won't even have a place to cry!"
Steven didn't buy it. "Really? If you're so powerful, why not fire one and show me? Prove it."
Peter sneered. "Missiles are precious. You think I can just fire one because you say so?"
Steven shrugged. "So, you actually have no proof you can launch a missile, right?"
"Believe it or not, but when the time comes, you'll regret it!" Peter threatened.
But Steven wasn't one to be easily threatened. He smirked. "I like a bit of excitement! How about a bet? I bet your base doesn't have missiles! If I lose, my life is yours, but you get nothing. If I win, I keep my life, and you lose nothing. Deal?"
Peter's face turned even darker.
Steven was smart. In this bet, Peter couldn't win.
Peter wanted Steven's supplies and his space-related powers.
But even if he could launch a missile, what then?
He'd get nothing, and a missile would be wasted.
Not to mention, his missile threat was just a scare tactic.
Even if he could launch one, it would cost him big time. Not worth it.
"Steven, don't get too cocky!" Peter warned.
"Why not? I'm on top of my game right now." Steven shot back. He knew there was no room for compromise.
If he backed down, he'd lose everything. But if Peter backed down, both sides could still walk away. Peter glared at Steven and spat out, "Alright, if it's war you want, it's war you'll get!"
Steven shot back, "You started this, so the blame's all on you!"
And just like that, their heated exchange ended.
Peter was fuming; he couldn't stand being disrespected by a mere warehouse manager!
Steven, on the other hand, stayed cool. He knew Peter was running out of options. If he had more cards to play, he wouldn't have come to negotiate.
"But that missile he mentioned... is it real or just a bluff?" Steven wondered, feeling a bit uneasy.
Even though it didn't make sense for Starlight City to have missile-launching authority, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Steven quickly told everyone to move to the third basement level of the shelter's stadium.
At that depth and with the shelter's sturdiness, even a missile couldn't take it out.
Of course, this didn't include special warheads, but the chances of that were almost zero.
Peter didn't have the pull to get missiles with special warheads.
Even if he did, no one would agree to blow up all of Starlight City just to get Steven.
To find out if West Mountain Base really had missiles, Steven messaged Lily, asking her to check.
But Lily said she didn't have the clearance to access that kind of info.
She hadn't been at West Mountain Base long enough. Even though she got special treatment for her combat skills, she wasn't in the inner circle.
Cindy had an idea. "If you can hack into West Mountain Base's network, you can find out if Peter's bluffing."
She handed Steven a black and gold chip. "Just find a way to plug this into their network. I'll handle the rest!"
Steven took the chip and grinned. "To get into West Mountain Base, I'll probably need Lily's help."
After thinking it over, he had a plan.
Back at West Mountain Base, Peter's mood was as dark as a storm cloud after Steven's rejection.
He sat silently, his eyes filled with a murky, stagnant anger.
His secretary, Lisa, carefully brought him a cup of coffee. "Mr. Martin, have a drink. No need to get worked up over someone so insignificant."
Peter took a sip, and the warm coffee slightly calmed him down.
"Steven has to be dealt with," Peter said. "I thought he was talented and wanted to recruit him, but he's too arrogant! If he won't join us, we'll destroy him!"
Peter sighed with regret. "Tell Charles. I don't care what it takes or how much it costs; he must bring down that shelter! Steven's fate doesn't matter!"
Lisa nodded. "Yes, Mr. Martin!"
Peter didn't care how Charles was gonna do it.
As the leader, his job was to see the big picture. The fighting was up to Charles, the special forces captain. A leader just needed to give orders.
Lisa passed on Peter's orders to Charles. "Negotiations failed. Steven ignored Mr. Martin's offer and is set on opposing West Mountain Base! Mr. Martin commands you to take Steven's shelter at any cost! We don't care if Steven lives or dies." When Charles got Peter's orders, he couldn't help but smile with relief.
Honestly, he was worried Steven might agree to negotiate.
If that happened, Steven would join West Mountain Base and probably outrank Charles! He'd have to play second fiddle and lose his chance to avenge his fallen comrades.
"Yes, I guarantee I'll take down that shelter!" Charles replied.
This time, Charles was smart enough not to set a deadline.
He'd learned the hard way from his past encounters with Steven and didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep.
Lisa noticed his caution but didn't say anything.
Charles was the top fighter at West Mountain Base. Even Peter treated him with respect, so she didn't need to push him too hard.
That night, Charles gathered his most trusted men in his room to brainstorm strategies against Steven.
After their previous tough battles, they knew Steven was a formidable opponent.
They had to pull out all the stops, using any means necessary!
After a night of intense discussion, they came up with a new plan.
The next day, Charles called Gavin over and told him to gather everyone in Cox Town.
Everyone had to show up; he had something important for them to do.
Gavin was curious but didn't dare ask questions. He just arranged for the village heads to notify each household.
An hour later, the remaining thousand or so people in Cox Town gathered in the central snow-covered square.
When they arrived, they sensed a serious vibe.
Dozens of soldiers in white combat uniforms, armed with rifles, stood guard around the area.
Their faces were stern, no smiles, looking at the villagers like they were prisoners.
Turns out, they weren't guarding against an enemy attack but against the villagers disobeying orders.
"What are they planning? This feels scary!" the timid villagers whispered.
"I'm terrified! We've been good, we've followed their rules. They wouldn't do anything bad to us, would they?"
"Don't overthink it; nothing bad will happen!"
Someone quickly hushed the speaker, fearing they'd scare everyone even more.
Everyone felt uneasy and tense.
Charles stood at the front, hands clasped behind his back, on a high platform, surveying the crowd below.
He had the village heads confirm one by one that everyone was present.
Once confirmed, he picked up a megaphone and addressed the crowd.
"Villagers of Cox Town!"
"You know we're here to help you!"
"Across the river, there's a demon named Steven who has killed countless people! This man is extremely cruel and has murdered hundreds in Cox Village. His crimes are too numerous to list!"
"To take him down, we need your cooperation."
"From now on, everyone must hand over their phones, computers, and all communication devices. This is to ensure our battle plans aren't leaked."
"Once Steven is eliminated, we'll return these items to you intact."
After his speech, Charles turned to Gavin and the village leaders. "This task is yours. Collect all communication devices immediately. Anyone caught hiding a device will be deemed a traitor. I urge everyone to stay put to avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings."
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