Negotiations

Valentina sighed.

"Those are... Some interesting terms, to say the least."

Leo shrugged.

"If you don't agree I will still become your right-hand man since you will probably force me, but I can ensure you that my output will be way less than your ideal."

"Yeah yeah I get it, let me ask my first question, who are your contacts?"

Leo decided to play open hands, it was his best bet since sooner or later Valentina would find out herself since they would be working together hand in hand for a while, she would probably have someone observe Leo for at least a while to ensure that he doesn't do anything stupid.

"I do not have a lot of contacts, when the foundation attempted to capture me I destroyed my cellphone with all the data on my contacts to ensure confidentiality, one of them is a minor sarkic outpost and the other one is a man known by the name of Noah Kozlov."

Valentina's eyes went wide as she heard the name Noah.

Leo noticed it and commented on it.

"Do you know Noah?"

Valentina let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, small world we live in, huh?"

Leo pushed on.

"What do you even know Noah from?"

"No need to know now since we are negotiating, I will tell you later, alright?"

Leo didn't press it since he would be getting answers eventually.

"Alright, when it comes to your second and first terms I can practically guarantee them, Noah should be easy to get a hold off and we will just travel to the sarkic colony in order to reconnect you, should only take two days at most after all. The third term I actually prefer. As I said I don't want some braindead soldier who can only reply with yes ma'am. The only thing I ask from you is that when we get in some formal situations like meeting a high rank from another group or another delta command member that you behave and act politely, alright?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm used to acting formal, just know that I am not really the kind of person to take a lot of shit since I've taken a lot in my past."

"What is actually your past?" asked Valentina while squinting her eyes.

Leo winked as he replied.

"Isn't important now, we will talk about it later."

"Ah fuck, I could've expected that." said Valentina.

"Now we are at your fourth term, this is where things get tricky."

"What do you mean with that?" asked Leo.

"First of all is the entire partner thing, so if I get this correctly you will be working as my right-hand man for a while until you get back on your own feet, and then dip?"

"Ideally, yeah." said Leo nonchalantly.

"Well, I decline that term." said Valentina.

Leo didn't get frustrated at all.

"To be honest, I expected you to decline it so here is my counter offer. I will be working as your right-hand man for a while until I can establish my own GOI, once my group is established I will wholeheartedly support you with the power I can supply, as long as it is reasonable. In return I expect the same from you. Once I establish myself I will technically no longer be your right-hand man, but you will be able to call in "favors" from me, I will practically still serve you as your right hand, but on a lesser degree."

Valentina squinted here eyes.

"So if I get this correctly, you will be lessening your connection as my right-hand man but in return supplying me with other resources and as a ally?"

"Practically, yeah. You can still call me in every now and then but as an ally, not right-hand man, unless you literally make me your right-hand man by marrying me." said Leo in a playful tone.

Valentina started blushing heavily and stuttering as Leo made such a blunt remark.

However, Leo's next comment quickly changed that.

"Either way, it wouldn't happen since I don't like women who smoke."

Valentina's stopped blushing and instead got angry.

"The hell are you talking about! You wouldn't know how many men there are that simply dream about marrying me!" said Valentina.

However, Leo quickly followed with another blunt remark.

"Yeah, that is true but mostly just for your power though."