The two of them sat down across from Andrew. Caroline even took out two bags of nuts from her storage space, handing one to Tyler and opening one for herself. She munched leisurely on her snacks while watching Andrew. "So, according to you, that makes you the most powerful commander of Hornvale now, right? Then let's talk properly. You should decide what kind of compensation you'll give us in exchange for sparing your men and your own life." "Commander Zimmer, no need to rush. Think it through. After all, your lives are all quite valuable," Caroline added casually. Andrew suddenly felt a kind of pressure coming from Caroline that was even heavier than when she first burst in. What? It's just a negotiation—so why does she feel even scarier now? When Francis and Nathaniel returned, this was the scene they walked into. On the office floor, crumbs were scattered everywhere. Caroline and Tyler were snacking with one hand and petting dogs with the other, occasionally taking a moment to feed the two small birds next to them. They were laughing and talking as if they were in their own living room. All around them were frozen soldiers standing against the wall, unable to move. Their heads drooped, none of them dared to speak and tried to make themselves as invisible as possible, like they were already dead. Some of them had blood seeping from their hands or feet, frozen into the ice that bound them. Outside, it was scorching hot, but inside this office, the room was so cold that it was almost freezing. A few brave civilians even dragged over stools to sit by the doorway and enjoy the cool air. The whole scene alone was jaw-dropping. But what shocked everyone the most was Andrew himself. He sat in the chair that Francis usually liked, right across from Caroline and Tyler. He wasn't physically restrained anymore. Tyler had removed the metallic threads after the negotiation, but Raven was staring intently at him, looking ready to pounce if he dared to make any sudden move. It was all because Raven was so capable now. Caroline just had Raven watch Andrew while she slacked off, only needing to control the ice on the soldiers in the corner to keep it from melting. Andrew was only around 60, yet he looked like he had aged another 20 years in an hour. His body was hunched, his brows were tightly furrowed, and all the drive he had to take over Hornvale was completely gone. When Francis pushed open the door, he couldn't help but feel impressed by Caroline. He had only scared Philip enough to make him blank out, but after just a short while, Andrew looked completely broken, like his spirit had been crushed. This wasn't Andrew's fault. Caroline had hit him hard with her demands, mainly asking for mutated creature corpses. After negotiating that deal, she added calmly, "Oh, and by the way, Commander Ball isn't dead. Colonel Sutton already guessed your plan. By now, he's probably wiped out all your men and is on his way back." Those words had cut deeper than any weapon. Just when Andrew thought he could smooth things over with a few useless carcasses and still keep his power, that single sentence shattered every last illusion he had. That was the real killing blow. When Nathaniel walked into the room, Andrew just looked up and let out a long breath. "I lost." Nathaniel looked at him and frowned slightly. "Andrew, you are truly foolish! I never wanted to compete with you for anything. You're an old man now. Was it not enough for you to be a commander and manage Hornvale with me? You were your own downfall! You lost to your own greed! "I have already reported your actions to the higher-ups. There will be disciplinary action taken against you soon. You must take responsibility for your actions." After saying that, he smiled at Caroline. "Sorry for the trouble. And thank you, truly. Francis has told me about your requests. I'll have the mutated creature corpses delivered soon." At this point, Caroline said a little awkwardly, "Also, we need some cat supplies. Like cat food, cat treats, canned cat food, and cat toys. By the end of the sentence, Caroline was a little embarrassed.But since Nelson had asked for it, she couldn't leave it out. She did have some cat supplies in her storage, but she had never stocked up on much. And judging by that giant creature's appetite, what she had wouldn't last long at all.