Chapter 398: Cooperation
Liliz had long expected the question raised by Chen Rui. She replied, “Our empire will deepen the cooperation with the Dark Moon from multiple aspects like the Custer Family. The Dark Moon can become the best ‘port’ for the business cooperation between our empire and your empire. I believe that with the vision of Princess Royal Highness and sir sheriff, you should be able to see that this is definitely beneficial to the long-term stable development of the Dark Moon.”
“I have to admit that what Ms. Liliz said is reasonable, but the prerequisite is that the Dark Moon can truly prosper and develop stably in the current environment. I believe that with your talent and wisdom, you should know that the war of lords previously was the scheme of the Fallen Angel Capital’s Regent Obsidian. This time he failed, but the backstage culprit will surely not give up. The Dark Moon will encounter the crisis of destruction at any time. What we need most at present is more substantial cooperation, more open and formal cooperation such as military a.s.sistance, public consensus support and so on.”
Military a.s.sistance? Publicly support Princess Royal Shea?
Liliz frowned for a while, and she glanced at Iciz behind her. They seemed to be exchanging opinions quickly. When she was about to answer, Shea spoke, “Ladies, please forget what Chen Rui said just now.”
Chen Rui was taken aback, and Shea continued, “Although I also hope to establish a more formal cooperative relations.h.i.+p with Her Majesty Catherine, I only represent an estate of the Fallen Angel Empire now, and not the entire Fallen Angel Empire. It is impossible for me to establish a formal relations.h.i.+p between both empires.”
Chen Rui thought of the situation in which Shea directly attacked “Aguile.Beelzebub” regardless of his “saving grace” when she was facing powerful enemies like Josh and Rus in the wilderness battlefield. Princess Royal Highness had her bottom line of never splitting the entire empire because of personal interests, gains or losses.
In fact, Chen Rui’s idea of “borrowing power” also had a limit in it. Otherwise, they would be controlled like the Bloodfall scheme and become a tool to subvert the entire empire. Then, it would be self-defeating.
Liliz’s eyes showed admiration, “Princess Royal Highness is worthy of being a descendant of the Lord of Midnight Sun. It is admirable. Since this is the case, then…”
“Wait a minute” Chen Rui’s mind s.h.i.+fted, then he said, “Princess Royal Highness, I think my intention may have been misunderstood. Although it is a bit rude, I hope Your Highness can give me a chance to explain.”
Shea naturally knew that Chen Rui would not harm her, so she nodded, “Go ahead.”
“The formal cooperation I mentioned is not in the form of empire-to-empire. The Fallen Angel Empire and the Dark Shadow Empire are already good neighbours and allies. This cooperation is actually between the estate and the estate. Your empire can use the name of an estate to form a public twin town with the Dark Moon. We can visit each other and carry out some friendly cooperation and exchanges including some form of friendly compet.i.tion between the military as well as technical complementarity. For example, the Dark Moon currently needs to introduce a large number of high-quality meat and seedlings, while the estate of your empire needs the Dark Moon to a.s.sist in land improvement and so on. Ms. Liliz, what do you think of this proposal?”
Chen Rui’s last minute idea originated from the creativity of the international twin towns and friendly exchange areas in his previous life. At the side, Shea’s eyes were s.h.i.+ning when she heard him. This is quite a clever idea. It does not impact the sovereignty of the Fallen Angel Empire, and it is able to reach a cooperative relations.h.i.+p with the Dark Shadow Empire. Once this relations.h.i.+p is stable, then even Obsidian needs to think twice if he wants to attack the Dark Moon publicly.
“This is a good idea.” Shea said, “What do you think, Ms. Liliz?”
This was the first case of such friendly cooperation between the towns in the Demon Realm. Liliz was obviously lost in thought. A hint of splendor was revealed behind Iciz’s veil, and she began to reexamine this human financial officer.
Liliz glanced at Iciz, and she said, “I have to say that Sir Chen Rui’s idea is quite clever, but I can’t call the shots. I have to ask Catherine the Great. Sir Chen Rui still has something to report to Princess Royal? We shall leave first.”
“Okay.” Shea nodded, “If the 2 ladies don’t mind it, please stay at the royal inn. I’ll wait for your good news at any time.”
Liliz got up to leave the palace with Iciz.
“They have already left.” Shea’s cold voice sounded because Chen Rui had been staring at the back of the black-clothed woman, Iciz.
Although it was only half a sentence, he could sense her jealousy.
When Shea was alone with him, that cold mask seemed to be getting thinner. Moreover, they were not even in the secret room now.
“What are you thinking?” Chen Rui wanted to take advantage of the situation to tease his female boss, but there were important matters right now. He shook his head, “This Iciz is not simple. Her true power is at the peak stage of Demon Overlord.”
Peak stage of Demon Overlord! Shea couldn’t help being surprised. Apart from the legendary Demi-G.o.d powerhouse, this level of powerhouse had already stood at the top of Demon Realm. Their existence was almost unrivaled. She did not expect such a powerhouse to appear in front of her as a guard commander.
“This is not the first peak stage Demon Overlord I saw today. Before coming to the palace, I have met another one…”
Shea was surprised. Chen Rui told her the story about Bloodfall and Azgalor.
It was already evening when Chen Rui left the palace to return to his residence. He told everyone about the appearance of the powerful enemy. He gave some instructions to Kia, asking her to delay Azgalor as much as possible and try to stabilize the opponent.
Azgalor suddenly appeared in front of Kia today. Kia naturally could not resist him with her power. Moreover, Azgalor could not be stopped even without her, so she took her “father” to Chen Rui. Fortunately, Chen Rui sensed her hints. He had recognized the true ident.i.ty of the other party long ago, and he dealt with Azgalor skillfully.
Paglio was a little resentful. If his power was not sealed, even if he might not be able to defeat the mysterious Iciz, it was not difficult to beat Azgalor down. Now his power was still at the peak stage of the Demon Emperor. He felt very aggrieved.
Chen Rui never had the right opportunity to confess to Athena and Kia about Zola. Naturally, he couldn’t tell Paglio further at the moment. The agreement between him and Zola was around 1 to 3 months at most. After this auction and trade fair was over, he planned to go to the Rainbow Valley to confess many things to Ms. Fairy Dragon. First, he had to resolve the grievances back then, and then ask her to help Paglio to lift his seal personally.
Last time, Chen Rui used the faking death tactic to make his enemies fight amongst themselves at the capital’s Leisure Moon Inn, enticing Obsidian and Broc to fight fiercely. He initially expected Broc to die, but he didn’t expect that Broc escaped alive. This could be inferred from the existing [Soul Shackles] of Delia. However, Broc must have suffered a lot, so he wouldn’t cause any trouble for the time being. Since Broc was also a member of Bloodfall, it was better to be cautious just in case. Especially Delia and Roman, they should stay out of the crowd and disguise themselves properly during this time so as not to reveal their whereabouts.
The next day, Chen Rui was summoned by Shea to the Dark Moon palace early in the morning. Liliz and Iciz were already waiting in the council hall.
“Princess Shea, I contacted Her Majesty Empress by communication skill yesterday. Her Majesty Empress has agreed to Princess Shea’s terms. As long as the Fallen Angel Empire and the Dark Shadow Empire maintain their alliance and friends.h.i.+p, our b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate will become the permanent twin town with the Dark Moon Estate. What does Your Highness think?”
The b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate was one of the 3 major estates of the Dark Shadow Empire. It was where the Crystal Valley was located. Lord Eddie was killed by Manu of Bloodfall, and now the third general of the Dark Shadow Empire, Crawford, took over as the lord.
Shea’s eyes lit up. She nodded and said, “It’s awesome! Whether it’s for the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Estate or the Dark Moon, it will be an important cooperation of mutual benefit.”
Liliz smiled behind the veil, “Since Princess Shea has no objection, in order to show our sincerity, the new lord of the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate, General Crawford, will officially visit the Dark Moon Estate during the auction next month.”
This was a visit of great significance. Not only could it create momentum for the 2 events, but it also demonstrated the friendly and cooperative att.i.tude of the 2 estates in a high-profile manner. For Obsidian of the Fallen Angel Capital, it was definitely a wonderful “gift”. Besides, dark forces like Bloodfall, who had a covetous heart for the Dark Moon, would also be greatly deterred.
Shea smiled with joy, “General Crawford will receive the warmest welcome from the people of the Dark Moon.”
Liliz smiled gently, “Then, can we discuss the preliminary plan of our cooperation now? Her Majesty Catherine is looking forward to both the magic land and the battle ball.”
Shea glanced at Chen Rui, and Chen Rui said, “The Dark Moon will send someone to the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate to improve the barren land. We will also give a batch of battle b.a.l.l.s to the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate, help the estate build more than 20 standard fields, and provide regular and systematic training to referees and athletes.”
Liliz frowned, “Just send someone there and give battle b.a.l.l.s? This makes it easy to misunderstand the sincerity of the Dark Moon. What we need is the land improvement technology and the craftsmans.h.i.+p of the battle ball, not the ready-made… ‘finished product’.”
Chen Rui shook his head and said, “True sincerity is the friendly cooperation that does not compromise the core interests of both parties. The secret technique of land improvement is the Dark Moon’s greatest treasure. If we want your country to present the Dark Shadow Cape as a gift of sincerity, I believe Her Majesty Empress would not agree. We can help the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate for free, but we will definitely not reveal the secret technique. As for the craftsmans.h.i.+p of the battle ball, it is an unspoken secret carefully researched by the Dark Moon’s Master Xingxing. Even Princess Royal doesn’t have the formula.”
The so-called land secret technique was basically something made by the Super System. Even Chen Rui didn’t know what the ingredients were. The battle ball was made with refined materials, so he couldn’t provide the so-called formula.
Moreover, technology is the most precious resource, and it must not be sold. This is the bottom line.
Imagine how many patents and technologies have j.a.pan shamelessly stolen from China in the 1980s and 1990s? Cloisonne, rice paper… and countless examples. They are the most painful lessons.
Liliz stood up and paced back and forth as if she was pondering, but Chen Rui, who had been observing secretly, discovered that Liliz was actually exchanging opinions with the Iciz with her eyes. It seemed that Ms. Iciz who pretended to be the guard commander was the real decision maker.
Iciz was keenly aware of Chen Rui’s observation, and she glanced at him lightly. The silent deterrent gaze made him feel dizzy in an instant. When he was awake, Liliz had already sat down.
“We can take one step back on the land improvement secret technique, but in addition to the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate, we hope that the Dark Moon can also help other barren estates in our empire.” Liliz paused, “As for the battle ball… I hope that both sides can truly be sincere and cooperate further.”
Chen Rui squinted his eyes slightly. Although it is a friendly and cooperative negotiation, the other party is fighting for every inch. Liliz and Iciz must have noticed that the magical land is the biggest bottom line of the Dark Moon, so they s.h.i.+ft their intention on the battle ball instead. I believe that many mechanics, including those in the Dark Shadow Empire, have researched the battle b.a.l.l.s. By right, this kind of ball should be made of several top-level magic materials with extremely high purity. The cost is high, but the price is far from reaching the height of this cost, it must be the result of a certain secret technique formula. In a way, the long-term value of this formula is not even inferior to the land improvement secret technique.
Chen Rui’s thoughts changed, “The battle ball is not only very entertaining and brings great commercial value, it also has a very positive effect on military training. It can greatly improve their physical fitness in the gravity field and cultivate the most valuable spirit of cooperation. I very much agree with the in-depth cooperation in this area.”
Shea completely trusted Chen Rui, and she added, “Chen Rui’s words represent my intention.”
“With this promise, I believe Her Majesty Empress will be very happy to hear it.” There was a hint of joy in Liliz’s voice. She didn’t know that a certain guy was actually secretly thinking, If it is to cooperate “in-depth” with your majesty empress again, I will be more than happy to agree with it.
“The Dark Moon is planning to create the ‘Battle Ball a.s.sociation’ to take charge of a series of affairs such as battle ball compet.i.tion, naming, equipment venues, and personnel. The a.s.sociation will invite b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate to join. Not only will we provide a series of resources such as battle ball and training, teams from the 2 places will also visit each other to compete. This kind of exchange will be long-term, and it will become the unprecedentedly most exciting grand occasion…”
Chen Rui excitedly described the popular scenes of the two homes and away games, “How about naming the first cup match as the ‘Nirvana’ Cup? This is to pay tribute to your empire’s empress, the first beauty and the first sage of the Demon Realm.”
“Of course…” Liliz was involuntarily attracted by the compet.i.tion scene described by Chen Rui, and then she recovered again. She showed a slightly surprised expression. I didn’t expect my original intention of seeking the secret formula is actually diverted away by the opponent to become a cooperation in this sense. This human financial officer cannot be underestimated.
Then came another bargain-like negotiation. Chen Rui was actually a novice in this respect. He just accidentally let the other party miss the opportunity just now, but he always adhered to the 2 bottom lines of the battle ball and land improvement. After the discussion, he felt even more exhausted than intensive fighting or training. Finally, the 2 sides finally reached a consensus.
Although the magic contract that represented the formal cooperation would not be publicly signed until the current lord of the b.l.o.o.d.y Vine Flower Estate, Crawford, visited the Dark Moon, the current mutually beneficial cooperation relations.h.i.+p between the 2 parties had been officially determined. Their relations.h.i.+p was much closer.
“I have the honor to live up to my mission this time, and I have completed the mission a.s.signed by Her Majesty Catherine. I can finally relax.” Liliz exhaled, “Princess Shea, the noon banquet is unnecessary. After all, our cooperation still needs to be kept secret for the time being. Iciz and I would like to visit the Dark Moon and also taste the special snacks. I wonder if Your Highness is willing to ‘borrow’ Sir Chen Rui as a guide for us?”
Chen Rui was stunned. Why is it me again? It is a marvellous thing to go shopping with beautiful women, but I promised Athena to go back and cook steamed vegetables for her today…
Men were a bit l.u.s.tful under normal circ.u.mstances. Even when shopping for vegetables, they would inevitably stop and look at the pa.s.sing beauties. However, after seeing the beauties, they still carried the vegetable basket back to help their wife to cook.
Shea saw his pleading expression, and a hint of playfulness flashed across her eyes.
“Of course, it is his honor.”
Although Princess Royal Highness could understand his thoughts, she didn’t give this nasty man an excuse to reject her. She directly sold the sir financial officer with the tone of “use him as you wish”.
(Don’t you want to see that black-clothed Iciz? I’ll fulfill your wis.h.!.+)
With the current closeness of the 2, they could communicate with their gazes. Chen Rui clearly understood the meaning within Princess Royal Highness’ gaze. He sighed secretly. Is there no real generous woman in the world?
Without any other choice, Chen Rui bowed politely to the 2 women, “As Princess Royal Highness said, this is my honor.”
A few hours later.
Dark Moon City, southwest block.
Chen Rui wandered all the way with Liliz and Iciz. Although the 2 women were covered with veils, their beautiful figures and elegant temperament still attracted the attention of many demons. When they saw the human sheriff trying his best to please the 2 mysterious beauties, many demons couldn’t help but to whisper.
The human financial officer was now one of the famous figures of the Dark Moon. He possessed the terrifying poison technique taught by Master Aldas, and he had an extraordinary mind. The reason Dark Moon was in its current development situation was very much due to the painstaking management of the human. This former mining officer and sheriff was a loyal officer of the Princess Royal Highness. Especially in the Town Leith’s wilderness, when facing the 100,000 army of the Red Spirit Estate, he took the lead in shouting the high-spirited slogan. He was the first to rush to the enemy. This kind of courage made people respect him involuntarily.
However, the most enviable thing was that this human actually got the d.a.m.n favor of Athena, the daughter of the first general of the empire. Princess Royal even granted him the charming succubus, Kia, as his concubine. Rumours had it that the human had always admired Princess Royal. However, with Princess Royal’s arrogant and cold personality, this kind of admiration was obviously just an illusion; there would be no results between them.
This financial officer is openly hooking up with two beauties now. This kind of ability is really enviable. It is strange that with the power of Athena, the sheriff and commander of the Flame Army, she actually can’t control this playboy human?
Dear Light G.o.d, hurry up and cast down the d.a.m.n glory, and take this enviable man back to the human world!
At this moment, many demon males had secretly changed their beliefs.
This d.a.m.n man could even make his enemy become his woman, what else he couldn’t do?