155: Refuse to help

Leon's face instantly darkened.

An outsider daring to act arrogant in his own military camp—was he tired of living?

The moment Haishizi stood up, he knew he had overstepped.

He dared to overstep his bounds in Leon's camp and question Leon's decision; it was as if he thought he wasn't dying fast enough.

His heart immediately began to pound in fear, his scalp felt numb, and he hurriedly waved his hands to show he was wrong.

"I'm sorry, I was just too worried about you, which led to a temporary lapse in composure. I sincerely apologize."

Haishizi bowed several times and saw that Leon's expression had softened slightly.

Only then did he dare to sit back down in his seat.

"Worried about what? If you're making things up, then get the hell out!"

Leon ignored Haishizi's apology and barked coldly.

"Yes, it's like this."

"Don't be fooled by Qin Yun's honest appearance; he's actually incredibly sinister, cunning, and greedy. I gave him a volume of the yongle encyclopedia worth millions as initial payment, with more gifts promised upon our return, but he still wasn't satisfied. He even dared to intentionally pick bad items for me yesterday, causing me to waste a fortune."

"Easterners are all like this. For example, the people from Xia Country who come here for business—it's all the same tricks and deception. I was worried you'd be deceived by Qin Yun's honest exterior, so I couldn't help but speak up to warn you."

Haishizi understood the mindset of warlords very well, so he added some embellishments about Qin Yun's insubordination.

"Is this true?"

Leon's expression flickered as he looked at Qin Yun suspiciously and asked.

"That half-volume of the yongle encyclopedia originally belonged to Qin Yun. Haishizi only bought it after it was stolen, and then he used the half-volume that rightfully belonged to Qin Yun to coerce him into coming to Belgium."

"Qin Yun has already found enough benefits for Haishizi, yet this man is still not satisfied and even tries to control Qin Yun to do..."

Seeing Leon's anger, Julia hurriedly explained on Qin Yun's behalf.

"You're spouting nonsense! I could have kept the yongle encyclopedia worth millions of dollars for myself. I saw that Qin Yun had some talent and cared deeply about the yongle encyclopedia, so I gave him a chance."

"Ask them, isn't the yongle encyclopedia in Qin Yun's hands?"

"People from Xia Country are all such petty individuals; they have no awe in their hearts and don't know gratitude. You need to be extremely careful when dealing with such people."

"Primo and I are good friends. I can guarantee with my life that everything I've said is the truth, otherwise..."

Haishizi spoke with conviction, looking sincere while only mentioning things that favored him.

He even brought up a warlord friendly with Belgium to increase the credibility of his words.

"Enough, both of you shut up!"

"I will only listen to Qin Yun on this matter!"

Leon waved his hand to stop Julia and Haishizi from continuing, his eyes flashing with a sharp light as he looked at Qin Yun.

He didn't care about the grudge between Qin Yun and Haishizi; what he worried about was that Qin Yun might commit insubordination and secretly do something against his interests.

In the army, absolute obedience was required, and Leon would never befriend someone he couldn't control.

"Who is right or wrong between Haishizi and me doesn't matter at all. This is your territory, and I am alone—an unarmed man from Xia Country. Could I possibly pose even the slightest threat to you?"

"Haishizi simply doesn't believe in your strength. I found so many good things for Haishizi; do you think I would be less dedicated when working for you than I was for him?"

"I don't even have the qualification to bid right now. Haishizi even dares to oppose me staying here for just one night; he simply doesn't want you to gain more at the auction."

Qin Yun calmly explained the pros and cons.

To someone like Leon, emotions and right or wrong were unimportant; only demonstrating one's value mattered.

Whether one could bring enough profit was Leon's primary concern.

"Hmm, Qin Yun makes more sense."

"I happen to be quite interested in the Warehouse Auction, so Qin Yun will stay here for the night."

Leon thought for a moment and, completely disregarding Haishizi's thoughts, announced his decision.

Then he turned to Haishizi and asked with a smile, "You don't have a problem with this, do you?"

How could Haishizi dare to offend Leon? He forced a smile and quickly agreed, "Of course not, of course not."

"You just need to be careful of Qin Yun. I still have some influence in the US. If Qin Yun does something against you and tries to sneak away, feel free to contact me; I'll handle it for you."

"I have other things to attend to, so I won't disturb you any further. I'll take my leave now."

Haishizi stole a meaningful glance at them, then stood up and requested to leave.

Of course, he wasn't one to take things lying down; even as he left, he didn't forget to badmouth Qin Yun.

After Haishizi left, Leon wiped his mouth with a white towel and ordered an officer to bring coffee.

"Tell me, what's really going on?"

Leon leaned back in his chair, looking very relaxed, and asked Qin Yun with a searching gaze.

"I obtained the yongle encyclopedia during a Warehouse Auction, and through various coincidences, it ended up in Haishizi's hands."

"...I've always wanted to return this volume of the yongle encyclopedia, which is very important to Xia Country, to its original owner—to let it return to its roots. Haishizi seized upon this weakness of mine and tricked US into coming to Belgium without explanation. Now, he's using our safety to threaten me into helping him find political documents so he can profit from Belgium."

Qin Yun explained the whole story from beginning to end.

Leon's right fingers tapped incessantly on the table. After Qin Yun finished, he asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Julia looked at Qin Yun with a face full of hope.

It would be great if Leon could help them get rid of the trouble that was Haishizi.

"Just help US get away from Haishizi for now and give US two plane tickets back to the US."

Qin Yun thought for a moment and didn't make any excessive requests like killing Haishizi.

He didn't expose Agent Robert and stated that he only wanted to return safely.

From previous events, it could be inferred that Leon was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

He had personally trained a modern army, possessed military power yet followed the rules at the auction, and dealt a devastating blow to the road-checkpoint soldiers who slightly provoked his authority.

He knew who he could afford to offend and who he couldn't.

He was likely an extremely shrewd fellow who wouldn't act against his own interests just for personal preference.

Leon was very satisfied with Qin Yun's answer.

The look he gave Qin Yun now held a hint of appreciation.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't help with that."

"Haishizi has considerable influence in the US and is also quite influential with some powerful warlords in Belgium."

"I can't offend an uncertain power just for a small grudge like yours."

"I may seem successful here, but in reality, I'm walking on thin ice. My family's army is fine for dealing with local forces, but we are very weak against external ones. A single missile could put my life in danger, so I'm afraid I can't help you."

Leon thought for a long time before spreading his hands and ultimately refusing Qin Yun's request.

He then explained the reasons why he couldn't do it to Qin Yun.

Qin Yun hadn't expected Leon to refuse and was momentarily stunned.

Could it be that he could only rely on Agent Robert's help to leave Libya?