He burst out triumphantly, instantly elevating the atmosphere, "Charlie, I accept your challenge. But these five experts cost me a fortune. It wouldn't be fair to challenge all five without offering an appearance fee, right?"

Charlie and Nancy's faces flashed with shock, especially Nancy, whose eyes betrayed her panic after Quentin's statement.

"Dar... darling..."

"It's okay, don't worry, I'm here."

After whispering to each other, Charlie turned back to Quentin, his confidence seemingly shaken.

"Mr. Lesser, since those five are your expensive hires, it's only fair to offer an appearance fee. But offering too little would be an insult to Nan's value. She wouldn't make a move for less than ten billion."

"Ten billion?!"

The crowd erupted again!

Ten billion was no small amount, even for the powerful Lesser family, it wasn't easy to produce such cash instantly.

Charlie's bold demand was either a sign of immense confidence in Nancy or a desperate bluff.

Quentin, like everyone else, thought Charlie's ten-billion demand was a tactic to intimidate him into backing down.

But Quentin wouldn't play into Charlie's hands. He wanted to embarrass Charlie and his wife publicly.

"Fine, ten billion it is!"

Quentin sneered, his eyes dripping with contempt as he flicked his trousers, "Just ten billion, right? The Lesser family may lack everything else, but we're not short of money."

"Wow, he actually agreed!"

"Hehe... this is going to be interesting."

"If Nancy fails, Charlie will lose ten billion for nothing. What a face-slap!"

The audience whispered among themselves, doubting Nancy's capabilities.

They thought Charlie had bitten off more than he could chew.

Nancy, panicking, looked pleadingly at Quentin, "Mr. Lesser, isn't it inappropriate for these five grown men to bully me, a lone woman?"

Quentin shrugged off her concern with a cold laugh, "What's inappropriate? Your husband initiated this bet. Miss Swinton, don't worry, Mr. Firth has money to burn. Ten billion is nothing; don't feel pressured."

"I... I..."

Nancy pouted, visibly upset, "Mr. Lesser, can we change the participant? Otherwise, if I go up there..."

"Change what?"

Quentin's dominating interruption cut Nancy off, "Mr. Firth bet on you facing five, changing participants would be slapping your husband's face."

The more Nancy panicked, the more Quentin reveled in her discomfort.

He loved the feeling of crushing his opponents, even if it was just Nancy.

He knew one expert could easily defeat her, but he preferred all five to go up, finding delight in tormenting his adversary.

Taylor covered her lips, laughing, "Haha, look at Nancy, doesn't she look like an agitated hen right now?"

Vivian, too, reveled in the moment, unashamed of her schadenfreude, "She deserves it! Did she think clinging to Charlie would let her sail through life? Today, she'll learn how her face gets smashed on the ground and trampled by us!"