âWell? Answer him!âIrritation flooded Leandro.Argh! I loathe spies! Theyâre best at deceiving othersâ
trust and feelings, utterly reprehensible!Despite his fury, Winnie remained unperturbed.Instead, she chuckled softly. âOkay, Iâll lay my cards on the table, then. I donât know.ââWhat did you just say?â
Picking up the gun, Leandro pointed it at her forehead. âIt seems that your identity is indeed fake! Who exactly are you? And who sent you here?âWinnie straightened in her seat.âIâm Vivian. But since Big Black Bear is here in person, I canât quite continue using his identity to impersonate him. Indeed, Iâm not Big Black Bear, but I only pretended to be him out of desperation. No one had ever heard of the name Vivian, but I had to survive. I really have a formulation, so I needed a buyer, money, and someone to protect me. Thus, I borrowed the moniker. But Boss, is it truly that important whether Iâm Big Black Bear? Even if Iâm Vivian, I can still help you complete your orders! Why must you place such importance on this moniker?âLeandroâs eyes narrowed into slits. âIâm not concerned about that moniker!
I just donât want to be duped! I donât want to be in the dark even after Iâve been stabbed in the back!ââIâll never betray you as long as you pay me!â Winnie lifted her left hand in a gesture of swearing an oath.âHmph! Previously, I didnât know you were lying to me, so I promised you an equal share of the profits. But nowââWithout Leandro having to spell it out, Winnie voluntarily offered, âIâll give half of that to Mr. Big Black Bear here. With him here now, my workload will be halved. As such, I naturally wonât hang on to the substantial profits without sharing them. Iâm here anyway, so my fate hinges on you at the end of the day. Iâve been here for a long time, but I donât even have a phone and have no way of contacting the outside world. What else is there for you to be suspicious of, Boss?âRegretfully, Leandro shook his head. âHarold has always been an exceedingly cunning man, yet you managed to win him over. Iâve got to admit that youâre indeed a capable person. I donât dare trust you.âNonetheless, Winnie merely chortled. âI understand, but as distance tests a horseâs strength, so time reveals a personâs integrity. As long as you spare me, Boss, youâll know in the future that everything Iâm saying right now is only for the sake of better survival. I donât need you to make a decision right away. You can consider it carefully or even forge a collaboration with Mr. Big Black Bear here first as long as you spare me.âAs she mentioned sparing her several times, Leandro burst into laughter. âIt looks like youâre really terrified of dying.ââOf course! To tell you the truth, I first chose to seek Harold out to collaborate because he had firearms. I felt that a collaboration with him would be a much safer option. But then, heâs far too ruthless for the average person to deal with and I was no exception.âHearing that, Leandro was tickled pink.
âHah! Are you sure about that? Youâre definitely the biggest surprise heâd ever encountered in his life.
After all, you blew his factory up!âIn response, Winnie heaved a sigh in exasperation. âBoss, youâve mentioned that too many times to count! If I hadnât done that, I wouldâve ended up dead. Put the gun away first, okay? Or would you rather have a dead body than a helper?âIn the face of benefits, there were no permanent enemies. Needless to say, Leandro was reluctant to kill her, for he could see the benefit she might bring him.At that precise moment, his phone rang without warning.He took his phone out and glanced at it, only to start snickering.âI almost forgot that your man is still in my hands. Youâd best obey me to the letter. I can tell that you care about him quite a bit.âWinnie stole a peek at his phone screen and glimpsed a video call request.Flashing him a smile, she replied, âYouâre right.
Actually, Iâm also afraid at times, so I wish to have someone who treats me sincerely by my side. I find Chris to be a pretty good fit, so I hope youâll spare him, Boss.âLeandro guffawed triumphantly. âThat depends on your performance.ââIâll do my best! Can I please talk to him? I think I need to see him.âAt her words, Leandro couldnât help letting out a bark of laughter. âWhatâs wrong? Youâre now afraid and want some comfort, huh?âLooking at him, Winnie fibbed, âWell, no matter how strong a woman is, she still needs some emotional assurance sometimes.âLeandro didnât bother speaking further, handing his phone to her directly.Winnie accepted the video call request. In no time, Christopherâs face appeared on the phone screen.âAre you okay? What happened earlier? Why did you hang up abruptly?â
Christopher questioned, bombarding her with question after question.Winnie first glanced at Leandro, who had been staring at her. Then, she shifted her gaze to Christopher on the screen.In an even voice, she explained, âIâm fine. Boss came over just now, so I chatted with him for a bit. Iâm truly happy to see you. As per our agreement previously, youâve got to rest well and follow the plan devised by the doctor.
Iâll go over and visit you soon.â In truth, Christopher couldnât shake off the feeling that the matter wasnât that simple. He suspected that she was in danger.Hence, he used Morse code to convey a message to her.He asked her whether she had run into trouble.To that, Winnie answered in the negative and told him to execute the plan without worrying.Still, Christopher was worried. Concern was written all over his face.Exasperated beyond words, Winnie inquired, âWhereâs the doctor? Is he there? Iâve got something to ask him.âChristopher knew that she was asking about Xavier, so he nodded.âWait a moment. Iâll call the doctor over right away.âHe depressed the call button. Shortly after, Xavier arrived.Pointing the camera at the latter, Christopher said to Winnie, âThe doctor is here, so you can ask him whatever it is.ââOkay.â Winnie pinned her eyes on Xavier. âDoctor, I think the patient is a touch unstable emotionally. Can you care for him specifically, not only in terms of his physical injuries but also emotionally?âChristopherâs brows furrowed. âIâm fine emotionally.âHowever, Winnie chuckled. âYou naturally donât think thereâs anything wrong with yourself.âSubsequently, she shifted her gaze back to Xavier, the look in her eyes resolute. âListen to me! Do you get it? Do as I said!âXavier understood her meaning. In truth, she wasnât referring to Christopherâs condition but their plan.Christopher was worried that she would be in danger, so he didnât want to leave. But Winnie was insisting that they continued adhering to the plan.Truth be told, Xavier was likewise concerned about her.He was worried sick about her, but at that critical juncture, he chose to trust in the decision she made.Bobbing his head, he assured, âDonât worry, for weâll do our best to take good care of the patient.ââGreat!â Winnie beamed at him. Heâs gotten increasingly better at working with me. In the past, I could accomplish plenty by myself and didnât need anyone to be with me at all times. But at some point in time, he has silently become my greatest backing!Later, Winnie hung up the video call and returned the phone to Leandro.With the phone in hand, Leandro got to his feet. He then waved a hand and summoned two men over.âKeep a close eye on Ms. Vivian. From now on, she isnât allowed to go anywhere without my orders, nor is she allowed to interact with anyone else other than me. If anything happens, Iâll hold the two of you responsible!ââUnderstood, Boss!â the two subordinates answered at once.Leandro nodded. He pondered for a moment before warning Winnie, âIâm going to meet up with Cabell soon. If I were to find out that youâre his spyâââCut me into a thousand pieces then!â Winnie interrupted without waiting for the man to finish speaking.âFine! Remember you said this yourself.â Leandro pointed a finger at her.Having said that, he made to leave.When Winnie saw that Big Black Bear was going to leave with Leandro, she immediately opened her mouth.Unexpectedly, Big Black Bear himself made a request of Leandro before she had even spoken.âWait a moment, Boss. Iâd like to speak with this woman privately.
Do you mind?âAt that, Leandro frowned. âWhatâs there to talk about between you both? Hasnât the matter about your identities been resolved now?ââI donât care about that. If she likes the moniker of Big Black Bear, I donât mind giving it to her. Iâm only interested in the formulation in her hands,â Big Black Bear admitted.âIt wonât do you any good even if youâre interested in it. Such a thing is considered a means of survival to the likes of you. Yet, you hope sheâd give you the formulation?â Leandro scoffed.âOf course not. I tested the sample you gave me. Iâm merely curious about how she happened to have such a formulation. It goes without saying that these questions Iâd like to ask her wouldnât harm your interests. I just want to talk to her.âLeandro didnât agree to it right away. Instead, he cast a glance at Winnie. âWhat do you think? Are you willing to talk to him?âCoincidentally, Winnie had the exact same plan. âSure! Let me talk to him privately for a while. How about we go to my room? There are too many mosquitoes out here. Besides, I think there are some things he doesnât want a third person to know.âWhile saying that, she swung her gaze at Big Black Bear. âDonât you agree?âBig Black Bear didnât answer her. He merely sought Leandroâs permission. âMay I?âLeandro eyed Winnie. âAre you up to some trick or other?ââWhat trick could I be up to? Just have your subordinates keep guard outside the door. Chris is still in your hands, Boss. Moreover, he was the one who proposed talking to me privately. Even if you want to suspect something, Boss, shouldnât you suspect his motives and not mine?âFor a moment, Leandro was left without a retort. âFine, go ahead then. Iâll be keeping an eye on you both outside.âThus, Winnie and Big Black Bear entered the room behind them under the manâs watchful gaze.