Chapter 81
I want your loyalty.
"But unfortunately, I don't have that kind of thing. You'll probably have to ask someone else."
Sherry reacted calmly, having been mentally prepared for her rejection, but she had no intention of giving up. After all, if she could win over Feng Ran, it would be tantamount to winning over the military, a powerful force.
"Miss Fengran, what are your ambitions and pursuits?"
Feng Ran looked at her, her golden eyes revealing a sense of righteousness and determination. She often saw something similar in Shen Shiqian, an idealism rooted in them, a vibrant and upward hope that, in the midst of their restless nights, rubbed against this dull world and inadvertently ignited their faith, turning it into a blazing fire.
She didn't answer. In fact, she couldn't come up with any ambitions or ideals at all. It seemed that she once had such naive hopes, but after they were destroyed, she never thought of picking them up again. The lessons learned from real-life experiences made it extremely difficult for her to rebuild trust, so she chose to do whatever she wanted and take things as they came in an escapist way.
Feng Ran: "May I ask what your aspirations and pursuits are?"
Shirley explained in detail: "I want to reshape Carlos's political system."
"When the Federal Republic collapsed, Carlos used titles and territories as collateral to win people's hearts in order to expand his power. There were star sector chiefs, territories lords, and planets chiefs. The governance systems under different titles were extremely inconsistent, which was not conducive to the overall development of the empire. Before that, it was not that no one wanted to change it, but once these foreign titles united, it was extremely difficult for the council to govern them. Because the different systems led to poor mobility between planets, the gap between the rich and the poor widened, and the problems would only slowly increase."
"Of course, the problems facing the empire at this stage are not limited to this. The royal family's real power is waning, and the factional infighting also needs to be addressed. I didn't understand these things before; it was Aphrodite who told me. She was immersed in various cultural entertainments from a young age and could carefully perceive the cultural differences expressed in writing. However, these seemingly insignificant differences eventually pieced together a life under a completely different political system. Aphrodite could accept it, but I could not agree with it because, as a member of the Carlos royal family, I have an obligation to face up to and change those neglected hardships and people's livelihoods."
"Chilia is the central stage of a vast and prosperous galaxy, but it is also a huge cage. The central rule is like a kite string that is stretched out of the cage. No one knows at which point it will be cut. The people in the cage can only see the surrounding scenery and have no idea whether the kite that has flown far away is caught in a tree, landed in the mud, or is torn apart in a storm. But the people in the center are completely unaware of the approaching storm."
"Therefore, in order to change all of this, I need power."
Feng Ran wasn't buying into her impassioned speech; she was all talk and no action without concrete plans, so she wasn't trustworthy.
“You can go and talk to Shen Shiqian about these things. He would be happy to help you. But I am not that noble. I don’t care about the future of the empire.”
Feng Ran: "How much do you know about me that you can be so confident and bold as to personally recruit me?"
Shirley: "I don't really know much about it, but I trust Afu's judgment and I'm willing to bet on your future."
"As for Shen Shiqian, given the current situation, the most stable scenario is that we are at peace and do not pose a threat to each other. He is certainly an upright person, but as for you, whom he chose, do you really think you will remain indifferent to everything? I don't think so."
Feng Ran couldn't tell whether this flattery was hypocrisy. This forced trust made her a little irritated because she couldn't offer the same in return. So this trust felt more like a moral shackle trying to restrain her.
She immediately revealed her true nature: "Let's make this clear first, the reason I'm willing to sit here and talk to you is because of Afu and Shen Shiqian's credit guarantee. It doesn't mean you're any different from other people who want to get close to me. I don't really have any ideals or pursuits, but I hate troublesome things and don't want to get too involved with you. If you insist on bringing up Shen Shiqian, I can just kidnap him and leave, never to come to Qilia again. He's a living advertisement. If I want to stand against you then, how many people in the royal family and the council can withstand me?"
She gripped the silver teaspoon, and as her pheromones enveloped it, a wisp of frost seemed to form on the metal surface. The unrestrained aura rose and fell in the small private room, forming a storm that made one's head spin.
Feng Ran casually picked up the herbal tea and took a sip. The raging wind and snow subsided, leaving behind a trace of refreshing fragrance. But Shirley, perhaps not being a perfect match for her, seemed a bit choked and embarrassed.
Feng Ran: "Sorry, I may have been a bit too rude, but no one really has the strength to make me loyal. You pursue great power, but you also have to consider its controllability, right?"
Sherry: "But uncontrollable power will attract fear and expulsion, right? Can you maintain the stability you seek because of that?"
Feng Ran could only blame these anxieties on those cowardly and petty big shots who couldn't tolerate the existence of an outlier like her, which was why she was so fiercely wanted in her previous life.
Feng Ran: "If you want to start a chaotic battle, I'm willing to oblige. But since you brought it up, does that mean you can offer me a very generous reward?"
Sherry: "Of course you can be very strong, but only when you are accompanied by power can your strength be legitimate and recognized. Only power can tame these fears into non-threatening fears. What do you think of using this as a condition for your promise?"
Feng Ran remained silent. The wielding of power comes with responsibility. In fact, whether it was Geno Carlos, Klarov, or Shen Shiqian, they could be said to be the three giants who controlled the entire empire. But which one of them didn't work from five to nine and busy scheming against each other? In Feng Ran's view, the ratio of the benefits they enjoyed to the costs they paid was very poor, and it was even a high-risk profession. Apart from idealists, there were plenty of corrupt officials.
The service robot delivered the crème brûlée and chiffon cake they had been waiting for. Feng Ran thought that Afu was probably also getting bored waiting outside. Even though she still had some complaints about Shirley's empty promises, she had at least listened to a little bit of what she was getting.
"I can consider cooperation, but I charge per project, so I'm not your partner. Please be aware of this. Also, my quote isn't cheap, so please think it over before using me."
Feng Ran poured the syrup onto the pancake. As he cut the soft pancake crust with a knife, the syrup flowed into the filling through the indentation, making it look incredibly tempting. "Ah, although I said Shen Shiqian would be willing to help you, there are actually limitations. After all, his loyalty is now in my hands."
The future empress was still somewhat naive at this point. Upon hearing Feng Ran's words, her expression softened slightly, and despite not having eaten anything, she seemed to choke. She stood up deftly:
"I still have some work to take care of, so I won't keep you company today. You and Afu have fun by yourselves."
Feng Ran waved goodbye to her kindly, not at all surprised. Judging from how dedicated she was, she probably didn't even have as much time off as Shen Shiqian.
Afu had been wandering around outside for a long time, and came in carrying a lot of small shopping bags. She wasn't embarrassed at all about the arrangement she had made, but looked at Feng Ran and said, "Why did you start eating by yourself first!"
Feng Ran: "Because it won't taste good when it's cold."
Afu piled the things she bought onto the sofa and specially brought a drink for Feng Ran: "I bought you a salted lemonade!"
Feng Ran inserted a straw and took a sip: "Vulgar!"
Afu: "Is this the only kind of milk tea shop that sells?"
Fengran: "You should add a note for him saying 'no lemon, no sea salt'."
Afu chuckled: "Yes, definitely next time!"
Since Feng Ran had already started eating, A Fu couldn't take any more pictures, so she became even less anxious and started unpacking a bunch of little things she had bought while shopping outside. Most of them were blind boxes from trendy toy stores. She was so excited and flustered, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing, that Feng Ran really wanted to send her to a gambling rehabilitation center.
Afu's expression twisted: "How can someone be so ruthless?! I was just one more 'ahhh'! What's the meaning of this after giving me three boxes? They could have just hacked into my ID account and robbed me, but they still sent me merchandise, box box box..."
Feng Ran, who was just about to persuade her to quit gambling, said, "If all else fails, I'll just buy another box later."
Afu took a big bite of cake with resentment: "No, my private treasury is running low."
Although Aphrodite may seem unreliable, she is actually a very opinionated person. She doesn't follow the rules and regulations like other noble ladies just because she is from Olivia, nor does she weakly follow Feng Ran's lead just because she is an Omega. She is someone who can live authentically in complex environments.
Afu first encountered and learned about the lives of ordinary people online, and thus wanted to emulate them and become an ordinary person herself. While power and wealth can easily bring material happiness, their ease also makes it easy to forget one's original aspirations, and they are not lasting. When someone first invited her to create a collaborative work to sell at an exhibition, she felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. From then on, she created a private account specifically for her hobbies and interests, strictly controlling the sources of income, because she firmly believed that only things earned through hard work are truly appreciated.
Although Feng Ran also earns money, her methods are different and seem somewhat effortless. She doesn't have any particularly expensive hobbies, so she can't fully understand, but she respects.
Why didn't you ask your cousin for some of the agency fee?
Afu pouted: "Is she really that rich? She hasn't even officially ascended the throne yet, but she still has to go to work every day. I don't know who pays her salary. My aunt always stingily asks His Majesty for a little something for her, and then His Majesty stingily asks the council for a little something. It's so funny."
This was the first time Afu had talked about her cousin Shirley. In her opinion, after this meeting, it was almost certain that Fengran would join the royalist army, so she spoke freely.
Feng Ran: "It's funny as it may be, but it makes me look cheap."
Afu was so shocked that she sat bolt upright. How could such a conclusion be reached? After pondering for a long time, she could only blurt out, "I've made up my mind! I'm quitting gambling starting today!"
But in the end, she still failed to quit gambling. After leaving the dessert shop, they went to the trendy toy store where Afu had just fought a bloody battle. In order to let Miss Fengran know that she was not cheap, Afu spent money again and asked Fengran to draw for her. Then, Fengran won on the first try with her super strong analytical ability. She was so excited that she almost staged a love story between a human and a ghost at the entrance of the trendy toy store.
Holding up the last piece of metal that Feng Ran had drawn for her with reverence, she exclaimed, "Oh, oh, oh, I've completed the set! I can go into the game and exchange it for equipment now, hee hee..."
Feng Ran suddenly felt a vague sense of relief at the friendship she had chosen.
A madman paired with a lunatic—Princess Sherry is very lucky.
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