Dorian gave Thora a brief, surprised look, then signaled his men with his eyes. Several large guards stepped up to Harvey and Tristan. Without a word, they swung their fists. They knew the Alpha only wanted to discipline them, not kill them, so none of them used wolf power. But every punch was full force, heavy, and solid. Harvey and Tristan stayed still and cooperated. They would never disobey Thora's order. Their bodies were tough as steel, so at most they let out a few pained grunts. Nothing dramatic. Thora hadn't exaggerated at all. These two really could take a beating. Thora's lips carried the faintest trace of amusement.If the two of them couldn't handle this much, then her half year of brutal training would have been wasted. "You agreed faster than I expected." Dorian said. He nodded at a beta beside him. The beta stepped up and poured two glasses of red wine. "To become strong, you have to learn how to take hits first." Thora replied. Seeing the beating was about done, Dorian raised his hand. His guards stepped back, shaking their sore wrists and rubbing their arms. They looked worse off than the ones they had hit. Dorian lifted his wine glass and swirled it gently, elegant and cold. Tristan and Harvey stood behind Thora again. Their faces were bruised, but they weren't seriously injured. It was nothing more than standard brawl-level damage. "I've met your condition. Now we can talk about business." Thora said directly. She didn't intend to waste a second.Dorian gestured politely. "Please." He had said earlier that only those who reached him in the end earned the right to negotiate with him. Business was about credibility. Thora got straight to the point. "First, Astralis Imperial wants long-term cooperation. Second, we want the Ciphers to cut ties with these groups." She pulled a neatly folded list from inside her suit and placed it before him. Dorian didn't look at it right away. He stared at her instead. "You're military." Harvey and Tristan exchanged a glance, instantly alert. Thora was also surprised. "In the arms trade, besides the armed factions, the ones I deal with the most are national military forces." For once, a hint of interest flickered in Dorian's eyes. "People like you carry a certain aura. You especially."Tristan's eyes sharpened, his stare at Dorian turning even colder. A man knew exactly what another man was thinking, and he could clearly see the strong interest in Dorian's eyes when he looked at Thora. Whether it was admiration or something else, it irritated him to the core. "Mr. Cipher has sharp eyes." Thora admitted. No wonder he could lead the Ciphers and stand as one of the top three arms lords of the continent at such a young age. "Astralis Imperial. Thora Green." She introduced herself simply, with no mention of her rank. Dorian nodded with the same polished courtesy. His gaze slid briefly and coldly across Tristan before he lifted the list again. "And you are the worst negotiator I've ever met. The worst business talker too."Thora's brow lifted slightly. "This brute-force approach is very military." Dorian said. The corner of his mouth curved. "Astralis has one man who is much better at this than you." He meant Jason. "Is that so?" Thora asked but clearly had no intention of continuing that topic. Dorian didn't either. He finally looked down at the list. Thora sat straight, waiting. She hated passive waiting, but she had no choice in this setting. Dorian scanned the list, then lifted his eyes. "These groups all clash with Astralis in one way or another. But why do you think I would agree?" He dropped the list onto the candle flame. It burned to ash in seconds. "Commander Green, I am a businessman. I do nothing that doesn't profit me. And you should know well that in this world there are no eternal enemies. People like us only trust mutually beneficial interests."Thora's voice stayed cool. "Astralis can give you that. You already know Astralis isn't a superpower yet, but we rank strong across all fields. And—" She looked at the entire Sky Casino through the window. "In this game, the one who wins will be Astralis." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of someone who spoke from the top of the mountain, someone used to victory. It stirred the air around her. "You only gained the privilege to speak with me." Dorian replied calmly. "Whether the deal succeeds is not part of your game." Thora's gaze sharpened. "I don't have the word failure in my missions. "No matter how this ends, the final outcome will follow my rules." She paused, then gave a cold smile. "Sorry, but in my world, there is only one set of rules. Mine."