Chieftain Adam turned to Bill and calmly replied, “Don’t you need it too?”
Tiger, hearing the direct question, paused slightly before saying, “Chieftain, you are very shrewd.”
He was right-they needed it.
Nuclear weapons weren’t something that every country or individual would buy, but a mutated version of this element? If anyone else discovered or used it, they’d be the first ones in trouble. This ore was too unique, too rare, and the consequences of its existence were far too severe.
Chieftain Adam smiled at Tiger’s comment, raising an eyebrow as he said smoothly, “Aha, you are shrewd too.”
Once something like this was discovered, the secret wouldn’t stay hidden forever. Chieftain Adam knew he couldn’t protect it forever with his influence. Oil had already caused enough conflict in the region. Adding this to the mix would likely bring even more destruction, so he had to be cautious.
But not selling it would be a waste. This was a monumental discovery-he couldn’t just leave it buried or let someone else extract it. That wouldn’t benefit him at all. Selling this information to someone powerful was his best move. Not only would it bring him a lot of money, but it would also forge a strong relationship. And Ryan was the perfect choice-powerful, ruthless, but trustworthy and fair. Someone he could work with.
Ryan was part of the underworld, someone no organization or country could directly confront. Even if they wanted to, there’d be no real excuse. His position and status gave him far more freedom than most.
Hearing this, Ryan waved his hand slightly, cutting off the conversation, and said coldly, “Alright, I agree.”
Chieftain Adam’s face lit up with a broad smile. “Great! I’ll give you the location and…”
“Come here, quick!” Bill suddenly shouted, cutting off Chieftain Adam mid-sentence. The urgency and sharpness in his voice made everyone turn to where he was looking.
Echo was standing near the glass case, closely studying the gray mineral. Bill’s shout startled her, and before she could react, a strong force yanked her to the side, sending her tumbling in the opposite direction.
“What the hell?” Echo, now lying on the ground after being pulled so forcefully, winced in pain and glared up at Tiger, who had dragged her.
Ryan’s face turned ice-cold in an instant, as if it had frozen over. He stormed toward Echo, who was still trying to get up from the floor. But Tiger quickly stepped in his way and said, “You can’t touch her.”
Echo pushed herself off the ground and stood up, noticing Ryan, Tiger, Bill, and the others all staring at her with serious, worried expressions. A chill ran down her spine as she asked, “What’s going on?”
“Close the shield, now!” Chieftain Adam’s face had also turned grim, and he urgently ordered the nearby researchers.
“Check her.” Ryan, his face dark and angry, tried to shove past Tiger as he barked the command.
“No, you can’t! The radiation from technetium is much stronger than before!” Tiger gritted his teeth and blocked Ryan, refusing to let him get near Echo.
Cobra also rushed forward, standing in front of Ryan to stop him from getting closer.
Ryan’s temper flared, and he shouted angrily, “Move!”
Before Tiger and Cobra could react, Echo, still standing in the middle, frowned and asked, “What’s going on? I didn’t do anything, I was just looking. What happened?”
“You were standing in the radiation zone,” Bill said grimly as he adjusted his equipment, getting ready to check Echo.
Echo froze, her eyes wide with shock. She glanced back at where she’d been standing and saw the glass shield quickly sealing shut.
The researchers nearby were sweating profusely, looking frantic. “It was our mistake, our mistake,” one of them stammered.
When Tiger had come out of the glass enclosure earlier, the protective shield should have closed, but it hadn’t shut all the way. There was a small gap, and with everyone standing around, no one noticed it-except Echo, who had unknowingly blocked everyone’s view of the opening. Bill had only realized it when he walked over.
Echo’s face went pale as the realization hit her. She clenched her fists, staring at Ryan. She hadn’t caught much of the earlier conversation, but Tiger’s words about the radiation from technetium being stronger than the uranium last time had definitely reached her ears.
Seeing the situation, Chieftain Adam quickly shouted, “Hurry, check her now!”
Chieftain Adam rushed over to help with the equipment himself. This was their mistake, and if Echo had really been exposed to radiation-especially with Ryan, who never let a woman get close, now making an exception-there was no telling how furious he’d get. They couldn’t risk having the deal fall apart, or worse, losing their lives over it.
Ryan’s face darkened even more. In a flash, he grabbed Cobra and Tiger, who were standing in his way, and hurled them aside with lightning speed. Even with their quick reflexes, neither Cobra nor Tiger could match Ryan’s. He flung them through the air so fast they only had time to twist their bodies mid-flight and land with a roll before Ryan was already past them.
Ryan grabbed Echo’s hand, pulling her over to the equipment. His voice was low and firm as he said, “Get in. Remember what I told you before.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Echo looked up at Ryan. Despite the cold and severe look in his eyes that made everyone else feel a chill, she somehow felt an odd sense of calm. Ryan had once told her he’d make sure she lived another fifty years, and if he said it, he’d make it happen. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the testing chamber without hesitation.
Cobra and Tiger, after landing on their feet, exchanged a glance. There was something unspoken in their eyes. Even though Echo didn’t say a word, and they couldn’t see her expression, her calm and steady posture said it all. She showed no sign of fear, despite being exposed to radiation twice in such a short time. It was both a mental and physical trial that required immense courage. Watching her walk away so composedly, Cobra and Tiger clenched their jaws tightly.
“Chieftain Adam, you’d better hope there’s no problem. Or else…” Cobra shot a cold glare at Chieftain Adam, leaving the threat unfinished but heavy with menace.
Chieftain Adam glanced at Tiger, who had already moved behind him, and Cobra, who stood menacingly by the door. The cold, murderous aura slowly spreading from them made his face darken slightly. He looked at Ryan, who was silently watching Echo undergo the examination.
Chieftain Adam said in a serious tone, “If anything goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.”
The nearby researchers began to tremble uncontrollably as they heard those words.
Technetium’s radiation was extremely strong, and proper protection was essential when dealing with it.
Echo had been standing right in the path of an improperly closed shield, completely unprotected. Even though she wasn’t directly exposed, it was certain she’d been affected to some degree. The researchers knew this all too well, and Chieftain Adam’s words felt like a death sentence to them. They could no longer stay calm.
“Focus, or I’ll kill you right here,” Ryan’s voice cut through the room like a blade.
His cold gaze locked onto the trembling researchers, whose shaky hands were causing slight movements in the equipment.
“Y-Yes, sir.” Swallowing their fear, the researchers, with Bill’s help, quickly started running the tests on Echo.