Chapter 398: The Final Time to Consider

"Please don't use this as an excuse to cop a feel."

Yan Jing reached out and pushed Tianxuan's hand away.

Tianxuan's expression turned cold.

Even now, this man still hadn't grasped the situation. He had absolutely no sense of awareness.

"Do you know what will happen if you're exposed now?"

Tianxuan's voice was like solid ice. "Do you want to spend the rest of this mission living as a fugitive on the run?"

Yan Jing smiled. "So, Miss Tianxuan, what exactly are you planning to achieve with this stunt?"

"Pushing me out as a scapegoat?"

"Don't tell me all the humans you summoned before me died by your hands?"

Tianxuan sneered. "You think a little too poorly of me."

"Right now? Now, of course, the plan is to sell off the stocks that just rebounded and wait for the next surge."

This was Tianxuan's true plan.

Just before sending the video to Crocodile, she had already had Tianquan—who was with Yaoguang—use an anonymous account to sell off all the stocks they had bought at the bottom. Under the current circumstances, with Yan Jing exposed, the public would quickly recall his claim during his last live stream: that he was an employee of Nuochen Biotech.

As a result, Nuochen Biotech's stock plummeted madly once again, taking a suicidal dive.

Once it hit rock bottom, she would strike again.

"I'll give you a chance to clarify things right now, Mr. Yan."

Watching the tumbling stock prices, Tianxuan spoke softly. "Start a live stream in a moment and declare that you did all of this on your own, and that it has nothing to do with Nuochen Biotech. Do that, and the grudge between the two of us ends here."

Hearing this, Yan Jing narrowed his eyes and laughed.

"What if I start a stream and say you were the one who made me do it, Miss Tianxuan?"

"Who would believe you?" Tianxuan smiled. "Like I said, right now, you are nothing but a despised rat."

"Even if you refuse, it doesn't matter. I've already secured a portion of the money I wanted. I can just treat this as a blow against Nuochen Biotech. Either way, I won't lose."

"And if you do say it, then this incident ends here. After that, we'll be even."

"What a nice way to say we're even," Yan Jing chuckled. "You should at least give me a few minutes to think it over."

"You don't have much time."

Tianxuan completely bared her sharp fangs and claws.

Meanwhile, the expressions of the people in the gallery had already shifted once again.

Zeng Ru stared at the looping video. The Information Component on her wrist began vibrating wildly as a chill ran through her entire body.

She had thought the evidence Crocodile provided would be an unexpectedly generous gift to celebrate her assumption of office. She never imagined that just a few minutes later, she would be plunged back into the abyss.

Rumors were already flying outside that Yan Jing was a human affiliated with Nuochen Biotech, and the appearance of this video would undoubtedly lead people's thoughts in one specific direction—

That this entire incident, from start to finish, was a conspiracy orchestrated by Nuochen Biotech to reclaim its equity.

The specific process would be: internal shareholders taking advantage of the scandal to quietly dump their stocks in bulk alongside retail investors. Then, after the stock price plummeted, they would buy back in massively, sweeping up all the equity, including that of the retail investors. Finally, they would expose the external interference to drive the stock price back up.

Running through this entire sequence wouldn't just harvest the retail investors; it would also successfully reclaim the company's equity.

Had that final video not appeared, Zeng Ru felt that even she might have suspected this was the case.

But it had appeared, and ironically—the company hadn't executed any such operation at all.

Aside from Zeng Ru, traces of terror also crept into the eyes of the lawyers and the judge. They had tied themselves to Nuochen Biotech's ship. The name Yan Jing was currently an absolute taboo in the Peace Heavenly Kingdom. If Nuochen Biotech was forced to shoulder this blame, the company's first move would undoubtedly be to throw them under the bus to appease the public.

Finally, doing his utmost to steady his breathing, the judge spoke in a trembling voice. "Ten-minute recess."

Those words were like a warning bell striking the hearts of everyone present.

The various factions in attendance were all acutely aware that these ten minutes were the final window of time left for them to maneuver.

"You have good luck."

Tianxuan smiled faintly. "You still have ten minutes to think about it."

Ten minutes was more than enough for Nuochen Biotech's stock to hit an unprecedented rock bottom.

Crocodile gathered his things and walked out of the courtroom. Just as he rounded a corner, his vision blurred, and a figure slammed directly into his chest.

"Bang!"

—

Crocodile's massive, three-to-four-meter-tall frame was knocked uncontrollably backward against the wall by the impact, smashing a dent straight into it. He rubbed his chest, grimacing in pain as he looked at the furious Papa Rat across from him. He sighed helplessly. "Hey now, wasn't that a bit too ruthless?"

"Crocodile!" Papa Rat's expression was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. "Why did you expose that video?!"

It was entirely foreseeable that colluding with a human would ultimately be pinned on Zeng Qing, which would inevitably drag Mao Si down with her.

He believed Crocodile knew his intentions, which was why he was even more furious.

Crocodile was one of his few friends!

A comrade-in-arms who had fought by his side!

In his eyes, this was undeniably a betrayal!

If facing a son's betrayal left a father with more sorrow than rage, then facing the betrayal of one of his few friends left him with nothing but pure, unadulterated fury.

"Can't you change that temper of yours, you old geezer—"

Crocodile genuinely felt the sting, though he also knew that Papa Rat had pulled his punches. Otherwise, his bones would definitely be broken.

He had only used a headbutt—Crocodile knew his friend's temper, and this was already considered showing restraint.

"Look at this first—"

Saying so, he pulled up his Information Component and placed it in front of Papa Rat.

‘Uncle Crocodile, if a video is sent to you, just play it — Mao Si.’ "Do you think I didn't hesitate?"

"Do you think I didn't know the consequences of doing this?"

Crocodile rubbed his chest. "That kid calls me uncle, how could I not consider the consequences?"

"But—but sometimes, I also think back to how the two of us were back in the day—"

His words grew more peaceful, and even his tone seemed to soften. Looking down at the stunned Papa Rat on the floor, he said, "I don't have a son or a daughter, but I did have a father."

"Children will always leave the shelter of the tree known as their father one day. Spirited and full of drive, they won't come home until they've been beaten bloody out there."

"Take a gamble, Big Rat. I know making this decision outright is selfish toward you, but I believe it's the right move."

"..."

...

A few seconds later, Papa Rat turned around and walked in the direction of the courtroom.

"It doesn't matter if a disobedient brat like him dies."

"The plan continues."

"For the Anthill."

Crocodile watched Papa Rat's small figure as he dragged his little tail along, gradually vanishing into the shadows. His gaze was complicated.

Even after taking a headbutt from his friend, he didn't have the slightest intention of blaming the eccentric fellow.

Back when he was completely destitute and drowning in debt, Boss Rat had paid it off for him. Back when he was cornered and beaten in an alley by corporate thugs for taking on lawsuits for the Anthill, Boss Rat had fought back for him, trading blow for blow. The two had been through far more than met the eye.

They had argued, even come to blows, but in the end, the two of them still walked down this path together.

This was the story of the monster and the fool in the eyes of others.

Even though the monster and the fool had nothing in common, they had indeed walked together to reach this point.

Ten minutes passed.

—

The crowd filed back into the courtroom one after another.

It was less a courtroom and more like a prison.

Right now, a special race was being held inside this prison. The one who ran the fastest would earn the reward of a pardon.

Aside from the citizens of the Anthill, everyone else was already geared up and ready to go. The moment the judge—acting as both prisoner and chief referee—spoke, they would bolt.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the gavel in the judge's hand fell.

"Court is now in session."

The judge gave the order.

"Your Honor, we have already clarified the relationship between this human and Zeng Qing," Zeng Ru stood up and declared.

"Your Honor, I request the enforcement of a political recusal against Nuochen Biotech. From this moment on, none of Nuochen Biotech's statements should be admitted," Crocodile stated.

"Your Honor, we have already contacted the Law Enforcement Agency to search for clues regarding this human," Nuochen Biotech's lawyer announced.

All three of them voiced their opinions at almost the exact same time, each trying to seize the initiative.

Tianxuan watched this unfold with great interest. She relished this feeling—it was like standing outside a game, watching the characters inside slaughter one another.

Right now, she existed on a higher dimension.

Suddenly, she felt the Information Component in her hand vibrate.

She blinked in confusion and then opened the Information Component.

In an instant, her entire body froze as if encased in ice.

It was a video sent to her by an anonymous account.

The video recorded the complete conversation she and Yan Jing had in the dark room.

"This is a Deep-Level Pollution Potion. It can accelerate the spread of the contamination and amplify its severity—"

In the video, she was using mechanical wires to stir the contents of a sewage pool.

This scene made it feel as if her entire mechanical core had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. She snapped her head around, staring in sheer disbelief at the smiling Yan Jing beside her.

"You still have five minutes to think about it."

Yan Jing chuckled. "Compared to you, my dear Miss Tianxuan, I am still quite merciful."