Chapter 1150: Negotiation

Glenn didn’t like Zoren for many reasons: he found Zoren arrogant. He didn’t like how Zoren spoke or carried himself. He didn’t like his face or demeanor. But it wasn’t all dislike. Glenn liked money, and Zoren, the owner of not just the castle but the island where that castle stood, had loads of it.

"I’m sure you already know why I’m here, Mr. Glenn. The people you brought in here... I want you to give them back. Unharmed."

What Zoren said brought a smile to Glenn’s face. Zoren might not have said it directly, but Glenn just heard money being counted by a machine.

"People that were brought in here?" Glenn tilted his head, feigning ignorance. "Mr. Doreen, I don’t seem to understand what you’re talking about. You see, people come in here all the time. New recruits, you know? So, I’m not sure who you’re referring to."

Zoren nodded, casting Penny a look. Penny beamed and happily placed her phone down, showing a picture of Slater and Benjamin.

"Those two," Zoren remarked calmly. "How much would it be for their freedom?"

Glenn arched a brow and glanced at the phone. But since Penny didn’t move it closer to him, he cleared his throat and picked up the phone to check it. He didn’t mind that they were bringing a phone. After all, there was no reception in this area, and there was no way they could make a phone call.

"Hmm..." Glenn hummed a long tune as he looked at the first photo of Slater. He narrowed his eyes before swiping to the right, revealing Benjamin’s photo. He recognized the two; he’d just had a conversation with Benjamin, and even though Slater was unconscious, his pretty face was something one would easily remember.

Yet Glenn acted a bit confused. "I don’t think I’ve seen them..." he hummed reluctantly, shaking his head from side to side. "They look good, though." After saying that, he leaned back and flashed them an innocent smile. "Sorry. They don’t look familiar."

"How much?" was all Zoren’s reply to that lame denial. "Give me the number."

Glenn bit his lip and ran his tongue across his inner cheek, knowing that denying Slater and Benjamin would only make this man more desperate. And when someone’s more desperate, it’s easier to raise the price.

"Well, although they don’t look familiar to me, my men could probably tell me," he said knowingly. "However, it won’t be cheap."

Zoren didn’t repeat himself, raising his brows slightly.

"How about two hundred fifty million each?" Glenn dropped the price, the corner of his mouth curving up. This might be something Zoren could afford, but Glenn was certain it would hurt his pockets. After all, even though Zoren owned an island, Glenn was aware that it had been bought many decades ago and had only been passed down to him.

Upon hearing the price, the corners of Zoren’s mouth curved down. Penny, on the other hand, secretly clenched her teeth.

’Is he trying to rip us off?’ she mentally hissed, casting Zoren a look and seeing the frown on his face. ’Go, Renren! Negotiate! Show him what kind of businessman you are. Show him the corrupt side of yours!’

"Are you trying to offend me?" Zoren returned, making both Penny and even Glenn furrow their brows. Zoren leaned back and rested his leg over the other, glaring at Glenn as if the latter had just committed a much more horrible sin.

"Uh." Glenn cleared his throat, forcing a smile. "Mr. Doreen, I said my price, and I’m not the type to give discounts. If you don’t have five hundred million, then I guess we don’t have a deal."

"We’re talking about lives here, Mr. Glenn," Zoren stressed, his demeanor still relaxed, but his eyes revealed his utter displeasure and disgust. "Though all lives matter, those two are the only ones I care about. However, you’re telling me their lives are only worth five hundred million combined? How dare you price their lives at a discounted price?"

"..." Penny and Glenn were rendered speechless, eyes wide at him. Their faces twitched, contorting as they processed the situation.

That was what he was upset about?!

Penny covered her mouth while Glenn’s mind briefly blanked. If this was part of Zoren’s plan to distract him, well, damn, it was working. Most people would be begging or stressing about where to get such a huge sum of money. But Zoren was different.

Instead of haggling or negotiating, he was offended and called the ransom money a discounted price.

’I think... I’m still poor...?’ Penny wondered to herself, calculating her net worth in her mind. She then hung her head low, counting her fingers. ’This is getting a little depressing for me.’

Meanwhile, Glenn looked at Zoren in both disbelief and shock. For many years since he started running this place, nothing ever fazed him. But this time, he was rendered speechless.

’Is he a fool?’ he wondered to himself. ’Or is he just that filthy rich? That’s five hundred million! Million! That’s like a year’s work in this place, but he just said it’s too little?’

Glenn opened and closed his mouth, but his voice wouldn’t come out. He kept his gaze on Zoren, who didn’t budge. Their highest peak in income in this place was around eighty million in a single month. They even celebrated that, and this would be the biggest transaction the syndicate would ever have, and now he was being told just how disgustingly low it was.

’Wow...’ was what he wanted to say, clearing his throat as he tried to regain composure.

"I’m giving you another chance," Zoren remarked, putting a lot of pressure on Glenn. "How much does my friend and my brother-in-law’s freedom cost?"

’Renren! Why are you pressuring him to give you a higher amount?! This is not how things like this should go! He gives the amount and you fulfill it! You don’t get upset by it just because you could afford it so easily! Also, you don’t get to choose how much the ransom money should be!’ Penny mentally gasped, thinking Zoren and Atlas had been hanging out a lot. First, it was Hugo, and now Atlas! Why won’t Zoren let Slater influence him so he wouldn’t stop fawning on her?!

Glenn cleared his throat and slowly leaned over, resting his arms on his legs. "A billion," he said solemnly. But just when he thought he got it right, Zoren’s eyes lit up. "Two bill—"

"Stop mocking me."

’I’m not mocking you!’ Glenn gasped in disbelief. ’Just how much is right for this guy?! Would he kill me if I let them go for free?!’

At this point, it didn’t sound like a bad idea to let go of Benjamin and Slater just to kick this guy out! But at the same time, he knew Zoren would go ballistic if he said that.