Chapter 533 Replacing Delbert?
Clio bit her lip slightly, feeling a bit of inexplicable tension. She had no idea that Rolf had ambushed so many martial artists here.
She discerned that these twenty-three martial artists constituted ninety percent of the National Security Agency's strength, all summoned here by Rolf. She began to suspect that Rolf might be deceiving her, having intended from the start to capture James to avenge Delbert.
Rolf was her superior and mentor, a figure she had always revered and respected. However, now her impression of Rolf had begun to tarnish, casting a shadow over her previously unblemished admiration.
However, she understood that in this situation, she had no right to speak up.
She possessed the discernment to understand her boundaries. Though she didn't know James personally, she inexplicably felt a certain fondness for him and didn't wish for the National Security Agency to come into conflict with him.
James was completely unfazed. He remained seated in his chair, leisurely sipping his coffee, showing no concern for the situation at hand.
He wasn't pretending; he was genuinely that calm.
Although Rolf was a fourth-stage martial artist and among the twenty-three subordinates, three were third-stage martial artists, it was absolutely a pipe dream to think they could easily take down James.
Indeed, if they all attacked together, James would almost certainly be defeated. However, with his current strength, James could at least take down more than half of them with him, if not more.
Moreover, the most point was that he had already seen through it. Rolf had come with such a grand setup not to seek revenge but for another purpose.
It was simple logic. If the National Security Agency really wanted revenge, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths. They could just have the Percy family and the Lewis family join forces to cause him trouble. Even in the worst-case scenario, they could handle it legally since James had killed someone. Although this method wouldn't have much effect on someone of James's caliber, it would at least be less troublesome for the National Security Agency.
"Mr. Tackett, there's no need to test me like this. Let's get straight to the point. You want me to atone for my sins by working for the National Security Agency, right?" James said with a smile. "Let me guess, you and your subordinates have emphasized that Delbert was your National Security Agency's combat coach, and you want me to take his place?"
Rolf had maintained absolute composure from start to finish, giving off an impression of unshakable steadiness. But now, for the first time, he showed a look of surprise, losing his composure.
James's words had completely caught him off guard by directly revealing his intentions!
Indeed, Rolf's ultimate goal in going to such great lengths and mobilizing so many experts was to have James atone for his sins by becoming the National Security Agency's coach.
After all, geniuses like James were extremely rare. If they could really recruit James, Delbert's death would be a snap.
It wasn't that the National Security Agency was heartless, but Delbert wasn't entirely one of their own. Delbert had agreed to be the National Security Agency's coach mainly as a transaction. Strictly speaking, there wasn't much emotional connection between the National Security Agency and Delbert.
So if Rolf could seize this opportunity to recruit James, it would be a huge gain.
This idea had just come to Rolf today, which was why he had immediately set off after receiving Clio's call, aiming to tame this wild beast, James.
But he never expected that this beast was not only highly skilled but also incredibly intelligent, seeing through him with just a glance. It was truly terrifying!
However, this only made Rolf admire James even more and desire him even more.
"As expected of the Smith family's most talented genius. No matter where you go, you are a top-tier existence. I've lived for sixty-five years, and this is the first time I've seen such an outstanding young man like you. It's truly rare," Rolf praised, openly expressing his admiration for James.
However, James merely smiled slightly, unfazed. He had heard such words countless times since he was young. He knew better than anyone how exceptional he was among his peers. To be blunt, he had never met anyone more talented than himself.
In the past, this confidence had turned into arrogance, making him conceited and overbearing. Back then, if he had heard Rolf praise him like this, he would have been smug and overjoyed. But now, he was much more composed, merely smiling inwardly without any emotional waves. It wasn't that he was pretending; he had truly been tempered. Now, he was like a heavy sword without a sharp edge, as solid as a rock. He exuded a maturity and depth far beyond his years.
"Mr. Tackett, killing Delbert was an act of desperation. You understand the situation at that time. I had no intention of being his enemy; he insisted on killing me," James said seriously. "Here, I apologize to all the members of the National Security Agency." After speaking, James stood up in apology to Rolf and the others in four directions.
Then James added, "However, I must decline the position of the National Security Agency's coach."
Clio's mouth opened slightly. She hadn't expected James to be so smart, guessing Rolf's intentions before he even spoke, and even more so, she hadn't expected James to refuse so directly and decisively apologize.
In James, she saw a steadiness and charm that other men lacked.
Now it was Rolf's turn to frown. He had initially held the upper hand, but James's move had turned the tables, putting the ball back in his court.
In Rolf's eyes, James was truly formidable. Not only was he highly skilled, but his tactics were also unparalleled among peers.
"Mr. Smith, you are very smart, much smarter than I imagined, and the smartest young man I've ever met," Rolf said, looking directly at James. "I didn't come here to force you to take Delbert's place. But to be honest, Delbert wasn't one of our National Security Agency members; he was someone we borrowed from another organization. To be frank, our National Security Agency has suffered a severe loss of talent in recent years. The experts you see here represent ninety percent of our strength."
After speaking, Rolf let out a long sigh.
Clio, standing nearby, also lowered her head, biting her lip slightly, her face showing some sadness. What Rolf said was true.
Rolf paused and then continued, "Mr. Smith, you are a genius, undoubtedly a genius. We don't expect you to join our National Security Agency directly. We just hope that when you have time, you can come and guide our National Security Agency members. Would that be okay?"
With that, Rolf extended the invitation to James once more.
Now it was James's turn to be in a difficult position.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
