"Oh, you don't agree? That's a shame. In that case, I'll have to ask you to die. Maybe after a few of you die, the rest will start to agree out of fear."
As he spoke, Chang Yuan glanced at Vill-V and signaled her with his eyes.
Understanding the signal, Vill-V immediately took out a remote control.
She pressed a button, but none of the council members exploded from the inside.
For a moment, the council members thought it was a false alarm and were about to erupt in anger.
But then, one of the council members clutched his stomach and collapsed in pain.
"I forgot to mention, these nanobots don't just explode. They can also thrash around violently and even tear through your stomach. So, you'll die slowly in agony.
After all, compared to instant death, prolonged suffering is what truly inspires fear, don't you think?"
"Ah—! I'll give up my power! I'll hand over all my authority and wealth! Just spare me! Ah—!"
Only by experiencing it firsthand could one understand the sheer agony.
It was like swallowing a hedgehog that was still alive and thrashing around in your stomach.
The nausea from the turmoil was one thing, but the pain from the stomach lining being torn apart was another.
Seeing their colleague cave so quickly, the other council members swallowed hard.
But they still refused to agree, convinced that Chang Yuan wouldn't dare kill them and was only trying to scare them.
Seeing how stubborn they were, Chang Yuan glanced at Vill-V again.
This time, Vill-V didn't hold back. She made everyone experience the same pain.
In an instant, the conference room was filled with agonized screams.
Of course, Mobius, Chang Yuan, and Vill-V sat calmly, watching the spectacle unfold.
After letting them suffer for about ten minutes, Chang Yuan finally signaled Vill-V to stop.
Looking at the council members, now drenched in sweat from the pain, Chang Yuan spoke like a demon.
"So, what's your decision now? Or do you really want to experience what it's like to die in agony?"
"No, we agree!"
"That's right, it's just power. We'll hand it over."
For the first time, the council members unanimously agreed.
There was no other choice. The pain was unbearable.
If possible, they never wanted to experience it again.
Of course, agreeing now didn't mean they wouldn't try to find a way to remove the nanobots later.
Once they did, they would make sure Chang Yuan, Vill-V, and Mobius paid dearly.
Seeing their obsequious expressions, Chang Yuan immediately understood their plan.
Unfortunately for them, they had no idea that the nanobots also had listening capabilities.
If anyone tried to secretly remove them, Chang Yuan wouldn't hesitate to detonate one or let them suffer to death.
After all, as the saying goes, compared to instant death, prolonged pain is what truly leaves a lasting impression.
"Good. You can leave now. I expect to see results within a day."
With Chang Yuan's permission, the council members wiped the sweat from their brows and hurriedly left the conference room that had become their torture chamber.
Once outside, their obsequious expressions turned venomous.
One of the council members immediately pulled out his phone and contacted the Assassins' Guild.
"Forget-Me-Not, I need you to kill someone—no, three people. I'll send you their information shortly."
"...Understood."
Hearing that she had to take action again, Sakura glanced at Rin, who was waiting for her not far away, and felt a pang of frustration.
Those guys always seemed to call at the worst times—like today, when she finally had time to spend with Rin.
But there was no helping it. When you're under someone's thumb, you have to comply.
While she herself had no fear of the council members, her sister was a different story.
She knew that there were eyes watching her and Rin from every corner of their neighborhood.
This was how the council members kept her in check.
"Big sister, why did it take you so long? You said we wouldn't talk about work today."
Seeing her sister finally return after the phone call, Rin pouted in dissatisfaction.
They had agreed that today would be a work-free day, just for the two of them.
"Sorry, Rin. There was an urgent work matter. I'm sorry."
Patting Rin's head, Sakura's voice was filled with guilt.
She had lost count of how many times she had broken her promises to Rin.
Hearing that her sister had work again, Rin's pout turned into a resigned sigh.
"Then, big sister, can you give me a hug before you leave?"
"...Of course."
Sakura couldn't refuse such a simple request.
After hugging her sister, Sakura turned and left, leaving Rin alone at the amusement park.
But what Sakura didn't notice was the look in Rin's eyes as she turned away—it wasn't sadness at their parting but worry.
Perhaps Sakura didn't realize it yet, but Rin had already guessed what her sister's job entailed.
But Rin never brought it up.
Meanwhile, the council member quickly sent Sakura the information on Chang Yuan and the others.
Looking at the list of targets, Sakura's eyes remained calm. After all, she had assassinated many high-ranking individuals in the past.
A deputy captain, a doctor, and an unknown genius—they were just another set of targets to her.
"Haha, these guys really can't keep their cool. They just left the conference room and are already trying to have us assassinated."
Having perfectly intercepted the council members' conversation, Chang Yuan propped his chin on his hand and chuckled.
"So, do we need to make an example of one of them?"
Vill-V, seeing Chang Yuan's lack of concern, asked.
"No need. I'm actually looking forward to the assassin coming after us."
After all, this was the same Sakura who, after becoming a MANTIS, managed to capture Kevin, who could tear Herrschers apart with his bare hands.
This was essentially a feat comparable to defeating a Herrscher.
In the original story, the only condition Dr. Mei needed to recruit Sakura was to guarantee Rin's safety.
Since Chang Yuan could also fulfill that condition, why couldn't he recruit Sakura as well?
"Hey, you might not be afraid of assassins, but what about me and Mobius? We're just ordinary people!"
"Huh? Didn't you inject yourself with the anti-Honkai serum?"
"Well, yes, I did."
"Then what kind of 'ordinary person' are you? One who can grip with the strength of a ton? Or one who can jump from the fifth floor without a scratch?"
In an instant, Vill-V was left speechless by Chang Yuan's retort.