Boris Gustav was a seasoned politician, a wily old fox who, even without answering the phone, knew exactly what Bis wanted.
Boris gave Mark Gustav a look, and Mark immediately pulled out his phone and pressed the speaker button.
"Mr. Mark, I want to speak with your father!"
"Ms. Bis, this is Boris. Please state your business!"
On the other end of the line, Bis could already detect the displeasure in Boris's tone. After all, Boris had previously addressed her as Your Highness.
Now, however, Boris Gustav was calling Bis by her name, and the reason was obvious.
"Mr. Boris, I am very angry about today's events. Because you provided us with incorrect intelligence, our Dark Altar organization suffered significant losses! I believe your Gustav family should compensate us for these losses!"
"Ms. Bis, your statement is rather one-sided. We provided you with very detailed intelligence. On what grounds do you claim our intelligence was flawed?"
"Heh, Mr. Boris, don't play dumb with me. The two individuals today displayed a level of power far exceeding what was described in your intelligence!"
"Ms. Bis, you should be reasonable. Our intelligence only indicated that Aurora and the man named Ling Tian possessed such strength; it never stated that this was the *only* strength they possessed! Furthermore, as an organization of psychics, shouldn't you be more aware of the capabilities of Aurora Cuiyte, who is also a psychic? I recall you confidently assuring me that taking down Aurora and the man beside her would be a simple matter! We have already invested significant funds and resources for this. It is unreasonable for you to now demand compensation for your losses."
Bis was originally a simple person, not adept at intrigue. It was only after Arthur's death that her personality drastically changed. In a battle of words, she was no match for Boris Gustav, whose family had been in politics for generations.
Before Bis could speak again, Boris Gustav interjected.
"Ms. Bis, in fact, our Gustav family suffered even greater losses. We lost over sixty of our elite forces, our entire island was destroyed, and the direct and indirect economic losses amount to over a billion US dollars! More critically, we have now completely fallen out with Aurora Cuiyte, and you can imagine the frenzied retaliation our family will face. The plan to ambush Aurora Cuiyte on the island was your idea. If you hadn't assured me that you could eliminate Aurora Cuiyte, I wouldn't have agreed to and executed this plan!"
"You..." Bis was about to erupt upon hearing this, but before she could speak, Boris directly silenced her.
"Ms. Bis, how about this: although you failed to eliminate Aurora Cuiyte, I have decided to honor the agreed-upon payment in full, not a single cent will be withheld. I will also uphold all the promises made to you without any compromise. As for compensation, let's forget about it. I believe we now have a common enemy, and we should foster better trust and deeper cooperation. Don't you agree?"
"Cooperation? What kind of cooperation do you want?"
"Don't you want to eliminate Aurora and that Ling Tian? Queen of Vengeance!"
In truth, Boris Gustav was reluctant to pay the Dark Altar for their services. However, he was well aware that these people were not to be trifled with; provoking these lunatics would be extremely troublesome. Especially Bis, whose nickname was the Queen of Vengeance. Her vindictiveness was already her defining trait. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to pay them to avoid angering the Dark Altar. Of course, compensation was out of the question; the amount would be astronomical.
Boris had a clear understanding: they now shared a common enemy, and their relationship was one of mutual utilization. It was on this basis that they could continue to cooperate and avoid an immediate falling out.
"Alright, Mr. Boris, I see the sincerity of the Gustav family. However, you should also be aware that our opponent is not easy to deal with. This time, our Dark Altar suffered heavy losses, and to restore our strength, we need a lot of resources! In other words, I need to produce a lot of life essence, but the production of this life essence requires a lot of raw materials..."
Boris now understood what life essence was, and he also knew what the raw materials for life essence were – human lives! However, Boris felt no guilt. In the eyes of politicians, sacrificing thousands, tens of thousands, or even tens of millions of lives for their own benefit was of no consequence.
Having experienced the feeling of regaining youth after using life essence, it was an addiction more potent than any drug. This was also a significant reason why Boris did not intend to completely sever ties with the Dark Altar.
"Ms. Bis, forgive me, but I can arrange for a coup in an African country within three days. Tens of thousands of people will be purged... You can arrange your flights there now!"
For a top American politician like Boris Gustav, overthrowing a small African nation's government was incredibly easy. Moreover, many African countries were like child's play; a coup could be initiated with a few dozen men and guns. Especially since the Gustav family controlled several mercenary groups, it was effortless for them to stir up trouble in the ignorant and backward continent of Africa. Once war broke out, the death of thousands would be a normal occurrence, and no one would pay attention to what was happening there.
"Good, very good. Then it's settled. We will be able to recover our strength soon, and at that time, I will definitely not let Aurora and Ling Tian off!" Aurora said, hanging up the phone.
After Bis hung up, Mark Gustav looked at his father with confusion.
"Father, these people accomplished nothing and even messed things up. Why are you still paying them?"
"Mark, your vision is too narrow! In fact, today's events are not necessarily a bad thing for us. Our Gustav family now has a common enemy with the Dark Altar! I understand Bis very well; such people can only be cooperated with, not opposed!"