Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 189

Chapter 189 They Took The Bait

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In an abandoned building across from a nondescript hotel in the eastern district of Core Planet, two figures lurked in the shadows.

Rainwater dripped from the broken window ledge, pooling at their feet.

Lioren’s cat ears twitched, filtering out every unusual sound hidden within the rain.

His amber eyes were locked onto the window on the twelfth floor across the street.

Soren stood behind him, his presence completely concealed, like an inanimate stone.

“They’re still there,” Soren whispered, his black clothes blending perfectly into the shadows.

Lioren didn’t say a word, just gave a slight nod.

In the room on the twelfth floor across the street, Elder Johnson and Elder Williams sat facing each other, sipping coffee.

There was also Elder Brown, who had left in the afternoon, claiming to “visit an old friend,” but in reality, he was out trying to persuade other noble families.

The three elders from the Frostveil Planet had clear roles, each with their own hidden agendas.

A cold smile tugged at Lioren’s lips.

Elder Johnson picked up his coffee cup and took a gentle sip, his eyes settling on the curtain of rain outside. the window.

Elder Williams sat across from him, appearing calm and collected, but a trace of restlessness lingered in his

gaze.

“Elder Johnson,” Elder Williams lowered his voice, “did you hear about the Shawn family?”

Elder Johnson barely glanced up, sounding uninterested.

“What are you talking about?”

“Their people reached out to me again today,” Elder Williams murmured, leaning in.

“They said they want another batch of ore.

“This time, they’re only asking for a small amount. Sounds like they want to split it up into smaller, more frequent shipments.”

Elder Johnson’s hand paused, his eyes gleaming with cunning.

“Oh?”

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“They’ve been scrambling for cash lately,” Elder Williams went on. “They didn’t spell it out, but I’m guessing they’ve already unloaded their last batch of ore.”

Elder Johnson fell silent for a few seconds, then slowly set his coffee cup down.

He stood and moved to the window, staring out at the endless curtain of rain.

Rainwater slid down the glass, blurring the world outside.

His reflection appeared on the windowpane, his aged face shadowed and impossible to read.

“The Shawn family is pretty capable,” he said slowly. “If they’ve already sold their ore, why are they still raising funds?”

“Or maybe they’re planning to ditch their old partners and take it all for themselves?” he continued, his tone utterly neutral.

Elder Williams stepped up beside him. “Or maybe they haven’t managed to unload their previous batch just yet…

“But what if they’re trying to get their hands on another shipment to make up for the losses from that banquet fiasco?”

Outside, rain fell in dense threads, veiling the city in a dreamy haze.

Far–off lights washed through the rain, blurring into a gentle glow.

Elder Johnson turned around, a cryptic smile curling at his lips.

“Could be,” he replied.

Elder Williams blinked in surprise. “So… should we still help them?”

“That’s exactly why this could be our chance,” Elder Johnson replied.

He turned around, his eyes gleaming with calculation. “Sure, there was some trouble at that banquet.

“But you saw the guests who showed up. The Shawn family, they’ve got real influence.

“And now they’re scrambling for cash, aren’t they?

“We can lend them a helping hand right when they need it most.”

He walked back to the table and sat down again, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface.

“If we step in now, the Shawn family will owe us big time. It’s the perfect chance to talk new terms.”

Elder Williams’s eyes lit up. “You mean…”

“Take a stake,” Elder Johnson replied, picking up his coffee cup, a sly smile curling at his lips.

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“The Shawn family has the skill to launder their crystal ore smuggling, proving they’ve got powerful resources backing them.”

He paused, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. “If we invest and form a deep alliance with the Shawn family, we’ll be closely tied to them.

“That way, we can quickly expand our influence and connections on the Core Planet.

“And we can take advantage of this opportunity to transfer some of our assets to the Core Planet.”

Elder Williams frowned slightly. “Transfer assets? That…”

“Elder Williams,” Elder Johnson cut him off, his tone turning serious.

“You know the situation on the Frostveil Planet better than I do.

“The queen might act like she doesn’t care, but with Lioren ‘dead‘ for so long, do you really think she hasn’t found out anything?”

Elder Williams’s face changed ever so slightly.

Elder Johnson went on, “Those old guys think they’ve done a flawless job, but do they really understand what kind of person the queen is?

“She made it through that coup years ago. You really think she’s that easy to figure out?”

He set down his coffee cup, his eyes growing darker, full of calculation. “Besides, those old guys still haven’t really taken control.

“We might not have gotten our hands dirty in the coup, but we definitely helped bankroll the rebellion.

“The power structure on the Frostveil Planet is still up in the air, so we’d better keep an escape route open for ourselves.”

Elder Williams stayed silent for a long time, then eventually gave a slow nod.

“You’re right, Elder Johnson.

“So, what about the Shawn family…?”

“We’ll help,” Elder Johnson said, making the call. “But this time, it’s not just the ore, we want a cut of their assets on the Core Planet, too.”

He paused, a sly, calculating smile curling at his lips.

“Regina’s a female, and her pride won’t let her turn us down.”

Across the street, Lioren’s cat ears twitched.

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Surrounded by Five Beast Lords

Despite the rain and the distance, his keen hearing picked up snippets of their conversation.

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By matching what he heard with their lip movements, he managed to put together most of what the two elders were saying.

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