I Don't Agree to the Terms

"This time, Prince Rose made quite a bit," Prince Tulip approached with two glasses of wine and handed one to Gu Shanhai.

Gu Shanhai accepted it and said calmly, "That's nothing compared to you, Prince Tulip, with your whole family united and happy."

His meaning was very clear. He wanted Prince Tulip to bring out the return gift that interested him and not to involve him in any messy business.

At this moment, Prince Tulip's Ghost Energy was blooming fiercely and was on the verge of bearing fruit, yet he seemed to be oblivious to the severity of the situation.

Given his circumstances, becoming aware wasn't so easy.

"Prince Rose, about the matter three days ago, it was a misunderstanding caused by my subordinates who acted without thinking. Both of us are princes. Could you do me the honor and let it pass?" Prince Tulip's tone carried an air of 'I'm doing this for your sake.'

"Alright, let's consider it water under the bridge," Gu Shanhai clinked glasses with him, signaling that they would downplay the incident.

Gu Shanhai, of course, knew what Prince Tulip was referring to—the person who had attempted to sabotage Jile Technology three days ago was none other than Prince Tulip himself.

It must be said, the man had some courage, indirectly securing the Royal Family's backing before manipulating the stock prices. The end result was self-evident: not to mention the Royal Family's losses, Prince Tulip had lost almost his entire fortune.

The invitation three days ago to Gu Shanhai was partly to flaunt his power and embarrass Gu Shanhai, and partly to force Gu Shanhai to relinquish more Jile Technology shares at the banquet after a successful ambush. Prince Tulip did own some shares, and the dividends made him even wealthier, which fueled his greed for more.

But what he did not expect was that his plan to steal chickens would result in losing his rice; not only did it fail, but he also dug himself into a hole.

"That's truly a relief, Prince Rose is truly magnanimous," Prince Tulip sounded invigorated upon hearing this and then added with a hint of bravado, "Since that's the case, I ask Prince Rose to convert the money I invested into shares of Jile Technology. Consider that money as my investment in the company."

"Prince Tulip, it seems your tolerance for alcohol is quite low; you've had only a sip, and you're already drunk," Gu Shanhai narrowed his eyes and continued, "I haven't noticed any money coming into my accounts, so why would I just give you shares of Jile Technology for no reason?"

Gu Shanhai had thought Prince Tulip came to clear the air of their animosity, but to his surprise, the prince was trying to extort him.

It was a sign of desperation, and Gu Shanhai had no intention of indulging him.

"You..." Prince Tulip's expression darkened. He wanted to insist on the 'drink the penalty if you decline the toast' principle, but unfortunately, he was now so poor that he only had a manor left to his name, a prince in nothing but title.

All his other assets had been liquidated to pay off debts.

Although these assets were part of the Royal Estate, it meant that as long as he was in debt, the Royal Family could directly sell off assets to pay off the debts on his behalf, rather than actually let him act dishonestly.

The Royal Family had recouped the losses that supported Prince Tulip with this method because whether it was the buyer or the seller, it was all internal to the Royal Family. Assets were converted directly to cash and used to fill the financial holes, with the process so swift that they facilitated Prince Tulip's bankruptcy settlement within twenty-four hours.

A resurgence was not out of the question. Accumulating more Ghost Energy crystals was all it would take. With sufficient Ghost Energy crystals, the Royal Family could offer substantial support and even restore his assets without issue.

But Prince Tulip was not willing to give up, so he set his sights on Gu Shanhai.

"Since you're drunk, Prince Tulip, I won't bother you further," Gu Shanhai said with a smile, getting ready to leave.

To Gu Shanhai, the prince's behavior was no longer just trying to get something for nothing. At least others who got something for nothing had some skills involved. This was simply an act of denial.

Unfortunately, in the Navia Empire, even princes wielding Ghost Energy were merely puppets under the control of the Great Emperor. They had power but dared not use it.

"Wait, I... have something that might interest you, Prince Rose," Prince Tulip said, mustering some courage.

Having to accumulate Ghost Energy crystals for the Royal Family would be a significant setback for him.

This time he had leveraged too much—he had gone bankrupt and was still in debt, with the rights to that debt now held by the Royal Family.

He was obligated to provide the Royal Family with enough Ghost Energy crystals to repay. To rise again, he would need to accumulate even more.

To return to his peak after all the work would likely cause his blooming Ghost Energy to be overdrawn and fall back to the leaf stage, or even worse, a two-tier drop to the rooting stage was not implausible.

Among the princes of the Navia Empire, he was the only one to go bankrupt and accrue debts over the years, unlike other princes who, regardless of their recklessness, had not reached such straits.

"Don't get drunk again, Prince Tulip. If I am interested, a high-price purchase is not out of the question," Gu Shanhai didn't detect any malice or deceit from Prince Tulip, sensing his sincerity.

It meant there truly was something.

"Right this way," Prince Tulip led Gu Shanhai towards the inner hall.