Chapter 1352
Chapter 1352 - 1338: The Big Market
1,407 words
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8 min read
The sudden opening of the gate brought with it the cold wind from outside and the hurried sound of footsteps.
"Hard work pays off."
"...If you put down the soda and sunflower seeds, restrain your smile, and turn off the TV, I might believe you."
Having just returned from another variety show recording, Lu Ping’an was instead caught watching cold jokes about herself on TV.
Even Lulu, who was always in good spirits, was finding it hard to cope.
She rubbed her cheeks, reddened from the cold, only to realize that she had unconsciously frozen her smile into place.
Rushing from one appointment to the next, responding to demands, whether childish or foolish... Despite being instructed by her master to appear as "harmless" as possible, she, a top strongman, faced pressures that were not meant for her age.
"When they asked me to taste fried intestines, I almost tore down the tower..."
"Mmh, keep up the good effort, think of your homeland, miss. You wouldn’t want it to be without reinforcements, would you?"
As Lu spoke absurdities, he was once again overturned with laughter by Lulu’s serious expression on TV saying "a bench tied to a carrying pole".
"Hahaha, you still need to practice comedic dialogues and tongue twisters... Ah, Lulu, what are you doing! Are you trying to kill your master?"
Dodging the Sword Qi that had just split the TV in two, Lu Ping’an saw Lulu’s one eye glowing with a bloody light and pondered for a moment; at such a distance, it seemed he really couldn’t win... He decided not to provoke her further.
For safety sake, he thought for a moment and then said,
"Hard work indeed, hard work. Actually, once this wave passes, things will settle down."
Lu Ping’an tried to soothe the flustered girl, choosing his words carefully.
"Your performance was quite good, interacting with various incoming calls and presenting yourself as an ’Easterner’ in all aspects, which is a bonus point others couldn’t achieve..."
After that meeting, the line of diplomatic activities had gone much smoother.
The vast and resource-rich Eastern Country certainly didn’t lack a resourceful planet, now that the Proper God Church and the official army were reaping benefits daily.
The "Planetary Reconstruction Plan" and "Planetary Relocation (Colonization)" proposals submitted to the construction department were numerous each month, and these completely integrated planets within the Pan-Eastern Country system were lined up waiting for resources, let alone a neutral planet still in contention.
However, what Lu Ping’an saw as a ten-year advantage of Mercury 42 was indeed not present in other planets.
"The Eastern Country’s overall opening was still too recent. As a star-zone civilization, its reputation isn’t loud enough and lacks successful examples and model projects..."
Stellar colonization and pioneering were not just matters that could be resolved by force.
Once you go out, it’s one problem if others don’t recognize you; indirectly ruling a planet, what is the locals’ attitude towards you? How does your civilization and culture fare among your ethnic group, and how about on other planets?
If you were to govern a huge civilization across star-zones, could the existing "slogans" and "cultural symbols" hold up? These problems had no easy answers and could only be tackled step by step.
After all, it had only been two years since the Eastern Country fully entered the Foreign Domain, and many planets and civilizations were only in the early stages of contact, with no past experience of large-scale colonization or control, lacking both experience and successful examples.
"Mercury 42 has been completely Easternized; a world with a high-wisdom ethnic group and a vast population but no culture or heritage of its own is not easy to find..."
Different labels and slogans on the same batch of apples affect not only the selling price but also the degree of popularity.
As a resource star, the Eastern Country isn’t rare, but as a test field for cultural exchange, as the example of the level of recognition its own culture received from foreign ethnic groups, there seemed to be only one such sample... In a few years, there might be many, but being a step ahead in its category was the precondition for selling at a premium.
The Easterners... in some respects have very high moral standards and naturally detest aggression.
From another perspective, the officials also expected more successful examples, many of their own and peaceful coexistence examples with the residents of the Foreign Domain... at this time, the New generation of the Long Hand Clan, who had completely assimilated into the Eastern Country, arrived.
"This is manufactured popularity, don’t be fooled by the intense official push, the civilian feedback is pretty average, Lulu, if you really care about the ethnic group and the world, work hard and put in extra hours during this time."
Promotions always come in waves; if they can’t achieve immediate impact or spontaneous spread, they will soon be replaced by the next round of public attention.
For the locals, the thought of a foreigner speaking their own language... Isn’t the foreign immigrant from next door also able to do it? Is that so strange?
Most ordinary people can’t differentiate between "outsiders actively integrating into the local culture" and "foreign world integrating into the Eastern Country’s cultural system"; they just see another beautiful girl fluently speaking the Eastern Country’s language, which has been quite common in recent years.
"Alright, I’ll see if there are still opportunities for promotion."
Lulu thought about it, and within the work of the variety show over this week, those staff members also noticeably became less enthusiastic.
But the situation had already exceeded everyone’s initial expectations... although it only made a small splash, it facilitated many things.
Since the officials had an attitude and idea to promote, these official matters naturally proceeded smoothly.
The approval documents were just a matter of time, and various aspects of work smoothly entered the next phase. It was said that the day the covenant was signed, there would be a television program... although it seems to be a recording from a small television station, it should have the presence of high-ranking officials.
The heightened public attention had raised expectations and treatment, but whether tangible benefits could be obtained still depended on our own handling.
"Did you go to the great market again?"
Seeing Lulu’s face reddened from the cold, Lu Ping’an who was reading inside the house felt somewhat embarrassed.
"Yes, although we still have to wait for the official documents to sign the mercenary contract and the invitation agreement, some churches and local powers have already shown interest in us..."
Talking about this, the girl became excited.
She braved her least proficient activity, the TV events, also to introduce her hometown. At least after saying those ridiculous "tongue twisters" and "cold jokes," she could talk a little about the specialties, encounters, and resources of her hometown.
If it were up to her to promote and seek allies, not to mention whether she had enough advertisement funds (Eastern Country’s coins), the effects would be quite poor.
Now, with the opportunity for government-endorsed promotion, even if it was awkward every time, she had no choice but to brace herself and go on.
"Master, when will you go to the great market? Someone asked me to send their regards today, you seem to be quite famous?"
"Ahem... uh, maybe the regards aren’t just for me."
Lu Ping’an nearly laughed out loud.
The "great market" isn’t actually a market, but rather a metaphorical reference to "a gathering place of large-scale military forces and powers groups".
In reality, it’s located in the outer ring of the Haijing District, famously known as the "Diplomatic Mission" street, also home base to many local churches of the Proper God Church.
With various "diplomatic envoys" gathering there, it became the country’s largest arms market, mercenary trading hub, and a concentration area for political espionage activities.
After receiving the official documents, it would become a deep cultivation area for Lu Ping’an’s party, but for now, some were already eyeing Lu Ping’an... and the cat behind him.
"Chris, your old friends are all waiting for you, once your child... ahem, your new body is ready, we’ll go see your old friends together."
— End of Chapter 1352 —