Chapter 100. Various perspectives, gambling...
Six days passed in the blink of an eye, ever since the conversation in the operations department was interrupted that day.
I spoke with Jiang Dehai online several times afterward, but we couldn't reach a conclusion.
Late at night, Lin Xiaoxiao stood on her balcony, hung up the phone with a cold expression, and leaned on the railing with both hands against the oncoming breeze, looking down at the modern scenery below.
The darkness, the skyscrapers, the colorful neon lights, the huge 5D promotional videos on the billboards... all combine to create a beautiful scene of a bustling and extravagant urban night.
Xiao Weizhi pushed open the balcony door from the living room and walked out. He bent down and hugged Lin Xiaoxiao from behind, and together they looked at the beautiful night view below.
After a while, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the back of the room, saying, "Let's go back to the living room; it's too windy on the balcony."
A moment later, the two returned to the living room. Lin Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa, her mood somewhat downcast: "Weizhi, what if I break up with Elder Jiang and the others, and ultimately fail to protect the Dragon Kingdom?"
She only said half of what she wanted to say, leaving the rest unsaid.
But Xiao Weizhi immediately understood what she meant: if they failed to successfully protect the Dragon Kingdom, would they be disappointed?
He reached out and picked Lin Xiaoxiao up, letting her sit on his lap with her legs spread apart facing him. Then he cupped her face in his hands and gently placed a soothing kiss on her red lips.
With a helpless sigh, I realized that I had indeed been influenced by them.
Previously, Li Youran and Elder Jiang had taken turns talking to Lin Xiaoxiao, and Xiao Weizhi had already sensed something was wrong, but since they only occasionally complained about the difficulties of the Dragon Kingdom, he did not intervene.
Xiao Weizhi cupped Lin Xiaoxiao's face in his hands, pressed his forehead against hers, and said in a deep voice, "Xiaoxiao, you have done your best. Over the years, Elder Jiang and the others have experienced many storms and have their own considerations. Even if the cooperation fails, it is a choice made by both parties."
Moreover, Lin Xiaoxiao has no powerful backing, so the conditions she receives will definitely be worse than those offered by Cheng Guangmin.
But it's not without its advantages; at least it ensures that cooperating with her won't attract any monsters or demons who covet the Dragon Kingdom.
Lin Xiaoxiao wrapped her arms around Xiao Weizhi's neck, buried her head in his shoulder, and answered in a muffled voice, "I know."
She had thought about all the issues Xiao Weizhi mentioned.
But once Cheng Guangmin successfully protects the Dragon Kingdom, she will definitely expel all those associated with her from the Dragon Kingdom immediately. What will they do then?
As Lin Xiaoxiao's husband, Xiao Weizhi knew exactly what she was worried about.
He hugged her waist back, relaxed his body and leaned back on the sofa, chuckling softly: "Some things, if you rush them, won't be as beautiful."
"Don't worry, I spoke with Mr. Lloyd before I came back. He can vouch for us and approve our relatives' relocation to the City of Gods to obtain citizenship. If they are deported, we can take them with us to live in the City of Gods."
Lin Xiaoxiao looked up in surprise: "Weizhi, what did you discuss with Lao Ewen? How come I didn't know?"
This person is with her every day and hardly ever leaves her side. Where would he find the time to arrange these things?
Xiao Weizhi chuckled: "While you were frantically dealing with the documents, I took the time to chat with Mr. Lau Evan for a bit. If the cooperation doesn't work out, then take Grandpa, Uncle Lin and the others to live in the City of Gods."
Lin Xiaoxiao's concern was simply: what would happen to their relatives and friends if the negotiations broke down? They still had to live in China.
But once they cut off all their support and take them all away, the higher-ups in the Dragon Kingdom will no longer be able to control her in this way.
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned slightly: "Would your grandfather agree? It's easier to talk to your second uncle and aunt."
Anyway, my second uncle and aunt just moved here, and they don't have much stuff in the capital. They can just roll it up and take it all with them.
On the other hand, the Xiao family has their business here, and their relatives and friends are here too. Can they really abandon everything and leave?
Xiao Weizhi reached out and lifted a strand of her long hair, gently twirling it around his fingers a few times: "He will agree."
Recently, because he was not in the capital, all the assassinations and targeting have been shifted to his younger siblings. If it weren't for the fact that the old man still had his skills and was still sharp, the Xiao family would probably have been wiped out by now.
Lin Xiaoxiao hugged Xiao Weizhi's shoulders and found a comfortable angle to lie back down: "Weizhi, you're amazing."
Xiao Weizhi's fingers traced suggestively down her back, his voice strangely hoarse and alluring: "Oh? What's so great about it? Tell me all about it tonight..."
Meanwhile, in the old Mu family mansion in the capital city.
In the more than 200-square-meter suite, Ran Bai sat on the sofa, legs crossed, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, her movements elegant and quiet.
Two meters away, Cheng Guangmin was furiously smashing things. The surrounding area was a mess, with large patches of water stains on the wallpaper, tiles and glass piled up at the base of the wall, and even the curtains were torn to shreds, leaving only half of them.
He smashed the ornament in his hand against the corner of the wall, cursing, "Damn woman, damn her! It should have been mine, all of this should have been mine, what right does she have..."
Upon hearing this, Ran Bai raised his head slightly, looking at the enraged and irrational young man in front of him with a mocking gaze, as if he were looking at a clown.
When Cheng Guangmin had vented his anger and regained his senses and straightened up, he was like a doll that had lost its battery, unable to control his limbs, and fell straight backward.
Ran Bai got up from the sofa, picked up Cheng Guangmin with one hand and threw him onto the bed, reminding him in a low voice: "Cheng Guangmin, this is the last time I'm reminding you. Don't forget your mission, and don't waste your energy on anything meaningless."
Then he took out a handkerchief, wiped his hands clean, and threw the handkerchief aside: "If you can't complete the task of protecting the Dragon Kingdom, that person will choose to replace you with someone with a brain to be the agent of the God of Wisdom."
The voice was soft, yet it struck Cheng Guangmin's heart like a thunderclap.
He seemed to recall his past experiences, his eyes filled with panic, his face instantly turning pale. He struggled to raise his hand, trying to tear at Ran Bai's clothes, stammering, "I...I...will...definitely try my best to make that person...not give up on me, I'm very useful, sob sob sob."
Ran Bai disgustedly dodged Cheng Guangmin's hand, suppressing his frustration and repeatedly telling himself to be patient. Once this fool offered protection to the Dragon Kingdom, he could leave and have someone else take over the remaining tasks.
After Ran Bai slipped away, Cheng Guangmin, who had been lying on the bed for a long time, was finally able to move slowly.
He hugged his knees, curling himself into a ball in a gesture that looked extremely insecure, tears welling in his eyes and soaking a large patch of the bed sheet: "No, I don't want to go back to that kind of life, I must succeed..."
Meanwhile, under the same night sky, the operations headquarters building was brightly lit.
A group of people gathered in the conference room, puffing on cigarettes, their faces full of worry.
A burly man in a suit stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray already overflowing with cigarette butts and said in a rough voice, "Old Jiang, those people in the municipal government are blinded by resources and think that choosing Mr. Cheng is a good idea. I think choosing Miss Lin is a better option."
A beautiful middle-aged woman in a tight blue robe exhaled smoke from her mouth: "The person behind Mr. Cheng is obviously up to no good. Choosing him will bring endless trouble. Although Miss Lin's requirements are high, they are all reasonable."
Another man with a beard and a half-length hair tied in a small bun on top of his head down down his tea in one gulp and wiped his mouth with a hearty laugh: "If you ask me, we should get our hands on the resources first. These things are real. As for shelter, to put it nicely, it's just a title."
An older man, who looked to be in his eighties and had completely white hair, slapped the boy with a small bun on the back of the head: "What do you know? You young people don't understand the difference between having asylum and not having it."
Those present discussed the matter animatedly, while Jiang Dehai, hunched over, sat in the main seat, smoking his pipe and remaining silent.
What he was considering was that Lin Xiaoxiao had said before she came back that she couldn't stay for too long. If things dragged on any longer, he was really afraid that there would only be Mr. Cheng left, and he would have no choice but to make a passive decision.
After lecturing the young man, the eighty-year-old man said in a hoarse voice, "Dehai, think it through."
Jiang Dehai took the pipe from his hand and replied in a muffled voice, "Understood, Uncle Jiang."
After hearing Jiang Dehai's response, the old man named Uncle Jiang put his hands behind his back, slowly left the meeting room, and went home to sleep.
Although Uncle Jiang looks a bit younger than Jiang Dehai, he is actually 133 years old this year. He has witnessed what the Dragon Kingdom was like after the previous agent of the Goddess of Fortune took protection. Knowing some of the inside story, he prefers the agent of the Goddess of Fortune to the agent of the God of Wisdom.
After all, luck can have a surprising effect when pioneering or encountering danger.
The next day around noon, Xiao Weizhi sent a message to the supply store saying, "The supplies he ordered have arrived. Should he pick them up himself or have them delivered?"
After discussing it, the two decided to go directly to the store to pick up the goods and also to see if there was anything else they needed to buy.
The news that Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi had gone out to pick up the ordered resources quickly spread to all sides.
They all knew very well that if they didn't make a choice soon, Lin Xiaoxiao might leave the capital, leaving only Mr. Cheng.
The meeting immediately resumed, and another heated debate ensued, with people banging on the table.
After collecting the supplies, Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi drove to the gambling market, which they hadn't visited in a long time.
Lin Xiaoxiao pressed down on the treasure-hunting mouse in her pocket with one hand, and linked her other arm with Xiao Weizhi's, chuckling, "Weizhi, do you remember how disgusted you were when we first came here?"
Xiao Weizhi led her around a small puddle full of sewage, his voice steady: "Yeah, I still find it disgusting now."
After several years, he still couldn't understand why she liked coming to such dirty places.
The clothes the two were wearing were particularly eye-catching; there was a stall owner in the alley with a good memory.
He recognized Lin Xiaoxiao and Xiao Weizhi at a glance and called out with a smile, "Long time no see, generous Miss and Gentleman! I've recently received a lot of good stuff, would you like to take a look?"
Hearing the shout, Lin Xiaoxiao turned her head and looked at it for a while before recognizing it as the stall owner who had sold her the Ice Soul Fragment wrapped in a stone.
How did I get so fat? Time really is a cruel mistress.
The stall owner in front of me was different from the thin man I had seen a few years ago. He looked like he had drunk a lot of oil, and his whole body had swelled up several sizes. The oil on his face was so thick that you could use it to stir-fry vegetables.
If it weren't for the fact that the guy's stall location hadn't changed and that signature arrogant sitting posture with his feet on the stones, Lin Xiaoxiao might not have remembered him.
She smiled and agreed, "Okay, let's take a look."
Xiao Weizhi could only squat down with Lin Xiaoxiao helplessly, watching her pick through the pile of dirty things, holding several wet wipes in her hand, intending to wipe her hands as soon as she finished picking.
[Rabbit sculpture with one ear missing (no grade)]
[An old garnet bead necklace (ungraded)]
...
[An ancient scroll made of demonic beast hide, inlaid with fragmented data using special methods (Special)]
Lin Xiaoxiao paused on the scroll for two seconds, then picked it up and slowly unrolled it. The scroll was 40cm x 30cm long and had several flower patterns painted on it. The colors were dull and lackluster, like a child's doodle.
After looking at it for a while, she held the scroll in her hand and asked the stall owner, "Young man, this scroll is quite interesting, do you have any more?"
Upon hearing this, the stall owner immediately pulled out several large buckets filled with paintings from his spatial storage: "Yes, yes, yes, I can have as many as you want. Let me tell you, I got these paintings from a B-level team after going through a lot of trouble, so the price can't be too low, 1 gold coin per painting."
The stall owner next door sneered, "You're talking nonsense! These scrolls weren't bought from that old man who collects junk in the back alley. They cost 10 silver coins each."
The stall owner, enraged, yelled, "You son of a bitch, you're always sabotaging me, no wonder you have no business!"
The stall owner next door retorted, "At least I operate with integrity, unlike you who cheats people every day."
[An ancient scroll made of demonic beast hide, inlaid with fragmented data using special methods (Special)]
[Internal Notice...]
...
Lin Xiaoxiao had been intently selecting the paintings, one by one... until Chapter Twenty-One, when she finally finished choosing all the paintings in the bucket and asked softly, "Are there any more?"
The stall owner immediately stopped arguing with the stall next door, dusted himself off, and said with a smile, "It's all gone, it's all here."
Lin Xiaoxiao pointed to the pile of paintings stacked up like a small mountain to the side: "How much?"
The stall owner scratched his head and said helplessly, "That bastard next door has already picked up my bottom again. 2 gold coins, take it."
Lin Xiaoxiao slammed the scroll into the spatial dimension, took out two gold coins and handed them over: "Okay, thank you, boss."
Before leaving, she covered her eyes with a very faint, invisible golden light, glanced at the boss, and raised her eyebrows in surprise.
This person has pretty good luck; no wonder they always receive strange things.
Neither Lin Xiaoxiao nor Xiao Weizhi noticed that a dirty, disheveled voice stood in the shadows around the corner, staring intently at the shadows where they had left with resentful eyes.
Not long after getting into the flying car, Lin Xiaoxiao received a communication request from Jiang Dehai.
Jiang Dehai's somewhat weary voice came through: "Ms. Lin, I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time. We all agree that no one is more suitable than you to protect the Dragon Kingdom. When would be a convenient time for you to come to the City Hall to discuss the follow-up terms?"
Lin Xiaoxiao turned off the communicator and asked Xiao Weizhi, who was driving the flying car, in a low voice, "Weizhi, what are we going to do later?"
Xiao Weizhi's gaze remained fixed on the driveway ahead: "Wait a minute? Everything has been taken care of, and we were planning to go home."
Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, and the communicator chimed: "We're free now, we can come over. Which floor of the municipal building?"
Jiang Dehai said in a deep voice, "38th floor."
Lin Xiaoxiao patted Xiao Weizhi beside her, gesturing for him to head towards the municipal building: "Okay, see you later."
The silver-white flying car quickly turned around and headed towards the city hall.
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