Chapter 500 - Hypocrite
Date- 29 Mar 2321
Time- 14:41
Location- Sky Blossom City, Guild Association Mall, Warehouse no. 234.
"Master Wyatt, I am happy to know that you find me worth your investment. I am honored." Diana really felt honored to be acknowledged by the high school student in front of her. After all, he was no ordinary high school student. He was the guy who solved the problem that plagued card apprentice society for millennia. Having spent time with him, Diana's impression of him changed for the better, and she had a slight admiration for the boy. Therefore she could not help but feel a sense of achievement being acknowledged by him.
"I am flattered that you feel that way, Ms. Diana. If you will, shall we continue with the investment negotiations?" This encounter with Diana was not enough to make me think that she was worth my investment. But it was the memories of Clown Mask that made me want to make Diana my subordinate.
During the rise of the leader of the circle sky blossom city branch, there was a time when someone came very close to killing him. It was none other than Diana.
Diana from the alternate timeline was a very miserable being. Thinking of this, Now that I have decided to recruit Diana, I slowly began to access the Clown Masks memories regarding her.
In the alternate timeline, Jaya never got to turn her fated ingredient Blue Stone into her origin card Viltronian. As time went on, the burden from the Bluestone increased to the point where Jaya's life and death were no longer guaranteed. To save her sister, Diana decided to find the answers in the wreckage of the dungeon where she found Jaya. But it was all collected by the Circle. Therefore, finding no choice, Diana had to forgo all her past grievances with Circle and genuinely become their hunting dog. Unfortunately, Jaya could not hold on till then and died an excruciating death.
Losing her only family, Diana lost the purpose of her life. But remembering the dreadful final movements of her sister Diana found a new purpose that is to hunt down the man responsible for all the tragedies in her life, the Leader of Circle Sky Blossom Branch. In her hunt for that man, Diana didn't hesitate to sacrifice everything she had built-in her whole life, Fine Gold. Unfortunately, Diana's thirst for revenge and all her sacrifice was only enough for her to reach that man's shadow. Considering what I knew about all the leaders of various Circle branches from Clown masks memories, what Diana had achieved was an incredible feat.
"Negotiation? Master Wyatt, what's there to negotiate? Haven't I been clear enough? Was my offer not sincere enough?" Diana asked in disbelief. She thought she had offered everything she had to offer. What more could she offer unless he wanted her to hand over the majority shares of the Fine Gold to him.
"Diana, I can call you that right," I asked Diana permission if I could address her informally.
"Yes, Master Wyatt. Please do so. I would feel more comfortable that way." Diana knew things were starting to heat up, which meant she was close to achieving the objective of her visit. But some of the words of the second party involved kept her on her edge.
"Diana, I would feel comfortable if you did the same." Why was I acting so close to Diana? Call me a hypocrite but accessing Clown Mask's memories about Diana's life history I came to know her authentic personality.
Going through these memories, I started to pity her. But this pity did not last for long, and it was replaced by genuine admiration for her. My respect and admiration for Diana grew to the point where I wanted to make her my friend. Yes, a friend. The adversities that Diana had overcome in her lifetime were sterling, but her maintaining sanity in her traumatic tragedy of life was more commendable.
Everybody goes through difficulties. Some overcome it, and some fail to do so. What's unique about Diana? This is why I called myself a hypocrite. Many of my Calamity daughter gems have traumatic pasts, but what sets Diana apart from them? I knew Diana's life history before I acted to recruit her. This is what sets Diana apart from others. The memories from the Clown mask had humanized my opinion of Diana.
I was going to go on war with the Circle Sun Blossom branch. I bet it would also be filled with many people with tragic and traumatic pasts like Diana, But I was not hesitant to massacre all of them because I did not know their life history.
Has the Clown mask's memories about Diana made me soft? No, but it did change my perspective of Diana. And I found her worthy of being my friend and hanging out with me in my chill life, Elliott was there too. Yes, it's given that Diana is a snake, and trusting her blindly would be foolish. But recently, Calamity Daughter gem had ruined the fun out of subjugating a person and dominating their will. Subjugating Diana is going to be a fun little experiment. Let's start Bird by Bird.
"Don't mind if I do so, Wyatt." It did not take long for Diana to adjust to informal speech with me.
"Good, now let's talk business. I want to invest in you. By investing, I don't just mean making Fine Gold one of the subsidiary distribution agents in solver milk powders distribution chain. So please carefully consider the two choices I will give you next.
The first one is obvious. I believe you have already guessed it. Give me 51% shares of Fine Gold. I will make sure that the name of Fine Gold will reach the top in every corner of this Card World. Not just the Fine Gold but you too.
The second is what you suggested, but with this choice, my investment in Fine gold will be limited to what you have proposed. I will make Fine Gold a subsidiary in the distribution chain of silver milk powder.. But my duty towards Fine Gold will be over with that."
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