Chen Yu raised his hand.
Seeing the prison gate open, the warriors of the Hyena Tribe immediately rose from the ground, their eyes filled with ferocity as they stared at the beastmen guarding the cells.
Or, more accurately, at Chen Yu behind the beastmen.
"Tsk, these eyes, are you planning to eat me?" Chen Yu's eyes glinted with amusement as he spread his hands slightly. "Don't worry, I'm just here to have a brief word with your leader, not to do anything to him. Why the hostility? Besides, even if I did want to do something to him, you're already prisoners. Do you really think you can cause any trouble?"
His words were soft, but they pricked the hyenas like needles.
Hyenas were inherently warlike.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them born warriors.
Being captured and imprisoned was a humiliation for them, for whom the blood of battle flowed in their veins. Chen Yu's deliberate mention of their current predicament was like rubbing salt into their wounds.
The hyenas' gazes turned even more ferocious, and the beastmen of the city-state also gripped their weapons, positioning themselves protectively around Chen Yu.
Just a second before the tension escalated—
"Stand down."
A gentle yet irrefutable whisper cut through the air. Immediately, the hyena who had been meeting Chen Yu's gaze pushed himself up from the ground, patting the dirt from his hands.
"Young Master~"
The young hyena master lightly raised his hand, signaling to the other beastmen that no further words were needed.
He walked directly to Chen Yu.
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Where are we going?"
"Just come with me."
Chen Yu, too lazy to elaborate, walked out of the cell with his hands behind his back.
The other hyenas seemed to want to protest, but the young hyena master acted as if he heard nothing, his face serene as he followed Chen Yu out of the cell.
Inside the cell, the crocodile subordinate and Da Sen Mu were still shouting incessantly.
However, Chen Yu had no interest in them.
No matter how loudly they shouted, Chen Yu would not pause for them.
They walked in silence.
Chen Yu covered his nose and mouth, only lowering his hand to greedily inhale the outside air once they emerged from the dungeon. The young hyena master who had left the dungeon also had no intention of escaping, standing a few meters away in silence.
"You're not running?"
Chen Yu, still breathing in the air, glanced sideways, his eyebrows slightly raised as if in surprise.
"Why should I run?" the young hyena master replied with equal composure. "Since you dared to bring me out, you must not fear me escaping. So, what reason would I have to make a futile effort?"
"Insightful."
Chen Yu chuckled and stretched lazily.
"From your words just now, I know you're a smart person, which will save me a lot of explaining. You probably know who I am, right?"
"The master of the city-state."
"And do you know why I called you out alone?"
"I wouldn't dare to speculate." The young hyena master shook his head. "But, I can probably guess that you want to recruit me and my warriors, right?"
Hiss!
Intelligence quotient on point.
Frankly speaking, having grown accustomed to the low intelligence of the cave dwellers, encountering someone with normal faculties instead caught Chen Yu by surprise.
Amidst this surprise, he also felt a touch of joy.
If he could indeed recruit these hyenas, the young hyena master before him could be of great use.
"You're not wrong." Since the young hyena master had already figured it out, Chen Yu saw no need for further pretense or probing his thoughts indirectly.
Why should he?
Even if the young hyena master was exceptional, his current status was merely that of a prisoner in Chen Yu's dungeon. Even if Chen Yu were to show courtesy and seek talent eagerly, he didn't need to lower his own posture excessively.
The young hyena master was no Zhuge Liang, and Chen Yu was no Liu Bei.
There was no need for the "three visits to the thatched cottage" routine.
Get straight to the point.
Simple and clear.
"Since you've already grasped the situation, I won't waste any more time. You are the young master of the Hyena Tribe, and my current city-state requires manpower for development. I wish to invite you and your warriors to join my city-state and serve me." Chen Yu gently extended his hand, palm open. "Here, you will have better development and a brighter future."
"That's it?"
To Chen Yu's surprise, the young hyena master raised his eyebrows and questioned him. Even more displeasing to Chen Yu was the young hyena master's demeanor.
On his indifferent face, the slight upward curve of his lips seemed to mock.
His attitude towards Chen Yu was dismissive.
Noticing this, Chen Yu's expression gradually turned cold. He was that kind of person; as long as mutual respect was present, he was very polite.
If the young hyena master could recognize his position and speak to Chen Yu properly,
Chen Yu would grant him basic respect.
However, at this moment—
"Then what do you think I still need to say?" Chen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, but the young hyena master shrugged with the same detached attitude. "You shouldn't be asking me; you should be asking yourself. You are the one trying to recruit me, shouldn't you be presenting me with conditions that would make me submit?"
"Are you sure you're qualified?"
In an instant, Chen Yu's eyes also revealed a sneer.
"A prisoner, and you think you have the right to negotiate terms with me? My recruiting you is your good fortune. Even if I wanted you dead, would you and your subordinates have any chance to resist?"
The young hyena master shrugged.
He appeared indifferent, or perhaps completely unconcerned. This attitude was slowly eroding Chen Yu's patience, but thankfully, it hadn't yet crossed Chen Yu's bottom line.
"I've already shown you courtesy; in fact, you've already been sold to me."
"Who, Fujimura?" the young hyena master scoffed. "Did he get the money from you? If so, then I must tell you that your money has likely gone down the drain. I will never obey his commands. If you intend to use this to demand my allegiance, you'd best abandon that thought."
Immediately after, the young hyena master suddenly clasped his hands behind his head and turned.
"Think of the conditions and then contact me. Until you present me with recruitment terms that impress me, I will not pledge loyalty to you. I'm returning to the dungeon."
During this time, Chen Yu licked his lips.
"Do you know, my patience is very limited?"
"What does that have to do with me?" the young hyena master replied with a carefree laugh, not even bothering to turn his head. "If you want to recruit me, then offer me something that excites me. Otherwise, everything..."
Bang!
Before he could finish speaking, the back of the young hyena master's head suddenly throbbed with pain. He spun around abruptly, only to see Chen Yu holding a wooden stick and striking his head repeatedly with a *bang, bang, bang*.
Completely unprepared, the young hyena master was dazed by the blows, stars exploding before his eyes.
Immediately, a whisper reached his ears.
Like a devil's murmur.
"I am your father~"
Dazed from the beating, the young hyena master hadn't even had time to react before he felt his consciousness seem to be imbued with a slave aura.
At the same time, Chen Yu received a notification.
Ding.
Domination successful.
Receiving this notification, Chen Yu, still gripping the stick, stared intently at the young hyena master. The dazed young hyena master involuntarily whispered when he saw Chen Yu again.
"Mas-master~"
Upon hearing this soft utterance, Chen Yu scoffed, throwing the stick to the ground.
"It would have been better if you were like this from the start. Why did you have to take a couple of hits to behave? What a stubborn mule~"