Reboot: Mechanic

370  Time Limit

When Shi Tian realized he had no other choice but to agree to her demand, he still wished to retain some advantage, such as getting paid for the task. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

After all, taking the initiative and refusing to see the footage, helped him a bit. Had he really seen the footage before listing his demands, then it most likely wouldn't have been approved.

Why?

Because at that time, it was no longer a cooperation, but somewhat of a blackmail.

Phoebe could easily send that footage to Olivia Harrett and let her know he was the true culprit for her embarrassment. And at that time, things certainly wouldn't look bright.

But thankfully, he didn't, and Phoebe was clever as well. She wasn't going to push her limit since he knew his place and agreed to cooperate.

And sure enough, Phoebe clasped her hands together and smiled brightly. "Heh, your demands… I accept. Just tell me the materials needed and I shall bring them to you. As for the payment, what do you think it's a suitable amount?" She then asked, letting him choose the price tag.

'Fucking bitch!!!' Shi Tian screamed internally, wanting to strangle Phoebe on the spot.

If anyone thought that she was being generous and letting him choose the payment amount, then you couldn't be more wrong.

This was essentially her giving him another difficult test.

If he chose an amount to be lower than the amount in her mind, then he was indirectly downgrading himself.

However, if he chose an amount to be higher than the ones in her mind, then it might seem like he was trying to extort her. Some might call Shi Tian overly paranoid and tend to overthink, but that was just how harsh the reality was.

This world was not filled with rainbows and colorful people that would be kind to you. There are no such things as free lunches. As Shi Tian was pondering for quite a while, Phoebe mused and asked, "Are you struggling to think up the amount you want, Nathan? It's not a difficult question at all. You can just honestly tell me how much you want to be paid." Taking a deep breath, Shi Tian figured out a way to save himself. "Let's not rush too far ahead, Commander Phoebe. For now, I'll just tell you the materials I'll need, and once the task is done, we can then discuss the payment." He responded with an amazing diplomatic answer. Not giving her the direct answer, but also somewhat hinting that the answer was given. It was an answer that most people hate because it was essentially not saying anything from the get-go. However, it was precisely the existence of such answers that ensured the atmosphere and situation were relatively calm. And Phoebe wasn't angered by the answer either, given she would have done the same, albeit much quicker and more thoroughly. This alone goes to show his experience wasn't as great as hers. "Not a problem, but I'll need to know when you'll be done." She enquired.

"How many EMPs do you want?"

The estimated time could only be given if he knew how many he needed to craft. Like if she only wanted two or three, then time would be quite fast. But if she wanted like 20-30, then the time would naturally take longer.

He was not a robot or a machine that could consistently produce the EMPs without taking a break. Phoebe rubbed her chin at the question. She was calculating in her mind at Theobold's equipment. It was a shame that she couldn't infiltrate his base enough to know the precise amount in his arsenal.

However, if she based Theobold's equipment on hers, and considering the fact that Theobold was always out in the wilderness, combatting monsters. Then it meant that his equipment should at least be double that of hers, but she also needed to include the factor that Theobold had quite the sponsorship from other merchants that were grateful for Theobold's protection. 'The merchants are still selfish people though, so the sponsorship shouldn't be that much. Let's just think he should have around two and a half times more equipment than me.' Phoebe thought to herself.

Composing her thoughts, she then asked, "How long will it take for you to make around 15 EMPs, and do you know the precise radius of the affected area?"

"15 EMPs would require me to take at least 3 weeks or so, given that I'm still not skilled at it. As for the precise radius, it has an effect of at least 5 meters." Shi Tian informed her. The Spymon, as great as it was, doesn't cover much of the area. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to get close and aim his throw to disrupt Olivia Harrett's communication. "3 weeks… that's too long." Phoebe shook her head. "Is it possible for you to increase the speed?" "No offense to you, Commander Phoebe, but it's not easy to craft an EMP from scratch. It takes a lot of time and meticulous effort to create one. You wouldn't want a faulty one either, right?" "Nathan, if you can get it done within 3 days, then I'll make sure to pay you generously." Phoebe flashed a solemn expression and said. She needed these EMPs fast, so she can't afford to delay. 3 weeks? By that time, what was the point of needing the EMPs? 3 days was her limit because she was sure the monster wave wouldn't last much longer. The monster wave, other than the monster numbers and some unexpected variables, if they were truly serious and went all-out, the crisis would easily be resolved. It was merely because each of them had their own goal and was trying to delay as much as possible. But 3 days was nearly the maximum time they could afford to delay.

After all, none of them wished to rouse suspicion from their respective families that they might be scheming something. "I can only say I'll try, but no guarantee, Commander Phoebe." Shi Tian clenched his fist and said.  

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