The Shelter Game: Me, Starting with a Tenfold Drop Rate

In the luxurious private room of a hotel in Starling City, five people sat in heavy silence, their expressions grave.

In light of Irving's words, neither Paz nor the head of the Schmidt family could deny the truth of what he said. After all, during the Night Blades' previous attacks on Starling City, they had indeed played no part in defending against them.

"I think it's best not to revisit the past. We are gathered here to discuss cooperation, not to argue," the chief of the Starling City Police Department said. He did not want the negotiations to fail quickly. As the head of the police department, he was responsible for the overall safety of Starling City.

If Irving and the various families of Starling City could not reach an agreement, then the security of the city would be at risk.

Hearing this, Irving smiled and replied, "I am here, of course, to cooperate with you. However, if you are unwilling to work together, don't blame me for being ungracious. While you may not have aided the Night Blades, you have also not hindered their actions. In a sense, you are accomplices of the Night Blades."

Irving's words left everyone in the room in shock. The chief of the Starling City Police Department was rendered speechless. Sophia looked at Irving with wide eyes, astonished. She thought Irving was being overly rash. Why would he make such a statement during a negotiation for cooperation?! After he said that, how could Paz and the head of the Schmidt family possibly continue to work with him?!

Sophia kept trying to catch Irving's eye, signaling him to reconsider. But it seemed Irving did not notice her gestures; after making his statement, he simply waited for the responses from the other two.

After the initial shock faded, Paz quickly regained her composure. "So, you're not here to discuss cooperation after all. You've come to give us an ultimatum, haven't you? It seems that if we are unwilling to cooperate, you'll treat us as accomplices of the Night Blades. If we don't provide you with a satisfactory answer, do you intend to kill us outright?"

Although Paz's tone was calm as she spoke, everyone could hear the barely suppressed anger beneath her words.

Upon hearing Paz's words, Irving smiled.

"You're correct; this is indeed an ultimatum. I have lost all patience with you people. You can no longer sit on the fence. You must either stand with us or with the Night Blades."

Irving's statement effectively severed any remaining ties. Hearing his response, Paz chuckled lightly and stood up from her seat.

"Since you've given such a straightforward answer, I will give you one in return! The Rivera family will absolutely not accept your threats! If you think you can completely annihilate us, then go ahead and try!"

After saying this, Paz quickly made her way to the door. Just then, the door slammed shut with a heavy thud.

Paz turned back to Irving, incredulous. "You don't need to look at me like that. Didn't you say the Rivera family isn't afraid of me? Then let's see how you handle me right here and now!"

As soon as Irving finished speaking, a multitude of fireballs, radiating intense heat, materialized around him. The fireballs shot toward Paz with alarming speed.

The head of the Schmidt family watched this scene unfold with terror etched on his face, quickly ducking under the table. The chief of the Starling City Police Department remained motionless, fully aware that he was no match for Irving. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Sophia, believing that only she could stop Irving's assault.

Although Paz possessed considerable strength, she had no time to react to Irving's attack. She could only watch helplessly as the fireballs hurtled toward her. Just when the fireballs were about to strike her, they all froze in mid-air.

Paz looked frantically toward Sophia. Holding her staff, Sophia had cast a frost spell, successfully freezing the fireballs.

Irving offered no comment on Sophia's actions; he merely smiled at the narrowly escaped Paz. Seizing the opportunity, the chief of the Starling City Police Department quickly interjected.

"We are here because we have intentions of cooperating. So I think we should avoid any major conflict. The Night Blades are a common enemy, and none of us will align ourselves with them."

After saying this, the chief hurriedly glanced at Paz, repeatedly signaling her with his eyes.

Paz nodded, trembling slightly, and slowly returned to her seat.

"Do you have any other thoughts now? If you have anything else to say, now is the time! Are you going to collaborate with the Night Blades? I need your answer right now," Irving said coldly, directing his gaze at Paz.

Paz could no longer maintain her previous aloof demeanor; she could only respond with a quivering voice. "I will absolutely not cooperate with the Night Blades, and the Rivera family will not collaborate with them either! We will definitely cooperate with you!"

Although Paz made this promise under duress, once it was made, the Rivera family had to honor it. Breaking a promise would lead to scorn and hostility from everyone.

Satisfied with her answer, Irving tapped on the table. "You should come out from under the table now. If you keep wasting time, don't blame me for being ungracious."

As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the Schmidt family crawled out from under the table. "The Schmidt family will fight to the end against the Night Blades! Therefore, we are willing to cooperate with you!"

After receiving another satisfactory response, Irving smiled and turned to Sophia. "It seems my negotiation skills are indeed quite effective. Since we have secured the cooperation of two major families in Starling City, shouldn't we immediately seek out the other families to discuss collaboration?"

Irving's words made the three others in the room uneasy. The chief of the Starling City Police Department hurriedly said, "You've just arrived in Starling City. I believe you should rest well tonight. I will gather the heads of the other families tomorrow afternoon."

Irving ignored the chief's suggestion and continued to fix his eyes on Sophia. She spoke slowly, "I think the chief is right. You should take the night to rest and negotiate with the other family heads tomorrow afternoon."

"Alright then, let's proceed with that plan. You may leave now, and thank you for coming!"

After hearing Irving's words, Paz and the head of the Schmidt family quickly exited the room. The chief of the Starling City Police Department exchanged a few pleasantries with Sophia and Irving before also leaving.

Once everyone had departed, Sophia turned to Irving with a hint of complaint in her tone. "You shouldn't have directly threatened them. They are the heads of the two most powerful families in Starling City. If you offend them, it won't benefit you at all. I believe tomorrow's negotiations are going to be even more difficult because the other families in Starling City might join forces against you."

Sophia was indeed very angry. In her view, today should have been her opportunity to take control of the situation. If she had been in charge, she could have ensured that Irving and the heads of the other two families reached a cooperative agreement in a much more conciliatory manner. Find adventures on m v l e m p y r

Irving smiled. "I don't see any problem with my approach. The more polite you are to them, the less they will take you seriously. Only by demonstrating strength can they understand the consequences of not cooperating with me."

Sophia could only shake her head in resignation at Irving's reply. "Fine, then you can handle it alone tomorrow afternoon. I have other matters to attend to and can't stay here with you."

Irving was slightly puzzled by Sophia's statement. "The invitation to Starling City came from you. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you not to be present during the negotiations? While I can rely on my strength to secure cooperation from the families, having you there would certainly make negotiations smoother. And I don't believe you have anything more important to deal with right now.

Dealing with the Night Blades is our top priority."

Irving's words ultimately persuaded Sophia. "I can stay here to work with you, but you must agree to one condition."

"What do you want me to agree to?" he asked.

"Don't act rashly during tomorrow's negotiations. There will be many family heads present. Although they may not be very powerful, they can still cause you trouble."

Irving nodded at Sophia's warning. "Alright, I understand! I'll do my best to control my emotions! But I must remind you that if they go too far during the negotiations, I will not hesitate to take action."

Sophia did not oppose Irving's statement. In her view, it was entirely normal to take action against families unwilling to cooperate.

"I have no other reminders for you. You should go back to your hotel and rest. I've heard you haven't had a good rest in a long time. Don't worry; this place is absolutely safe. No one in Starling City would dare to threaten you. Anyone who tries will become an enemy of the Green family."

After finishing her words, Sophia left. Irving didn't know where she went, but he felt that she was certainly providing him with support. Although Sophia always came across as cold, Irving knew she was a warm-hearted person. She was one of the most trustworthy people he had.