Chapter 649
Chapter 649 - 629: Swap?
1,877 words
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10 min read
"Thank you for your invitation, Your Highness..."
"Oh, don’t call me Your Highness anymore, everyone is equal in this era, there’s no such thing as a highness. Please just call me by my name, Nan Liuzhi is fine."
When they met more than half a month ago, this person still had some sense of royal self-consciousness, and when he communicated with his followers, he still had the attitude of "master and servant".
But when they met again this time, he took a much humbler pose.
The glitz and glamour of his jewelry and special taboo item rings were gone, and the only decoration left was a common local mechanical watch. The exotic desert-style outfit he wore before had also changed to the most popular jeans and casual plaid shirt in this era.
Now he looked more like an office worker on vacation, happily welcoming friends who just came to have a meal... provided you can ignore the table full of wild animals, with prices starting at least in the five digits.
"It’s unexpected to meet fellow countrymen here. May I know the names of the two ladies?"
Lu Ping’an was not dining alone; following behind him were two ladies from the Saphire Clan.
"Catherine, I have dealt with your subordinates before and I must say they are very skilled in business."
Before, Lu Ping’an had given the prince his contact information, and then the purchase of Lamplight Grass was handled by Catherine.
This kind of thing, naturally, would not involve the prince personally. This was their first time meeting.
"Heh, if I had known such a beautiful lady was involved, I would have definitely asked them to raise the price even more..."
The prince nodded with a smile but did not pay much attention to Catherine. His target from the beginning was Lu Ping’an. However, now his attention was attracted by another person.
"What a coincidence, to meet a princess from the Theocratic Nation here?" The Six-fingered Prince was somewhat surprised, as the other party’s necklace and chest badge both marked her noble status.
"Just like there is no prince here, there is no princess either. Just call me Yaxi."
Silent throughout the journey, Yaxi also did not neglect her manners at this moment.
On the prince’s side, the Saphire woman, who looked somewhat similar to him, introduced herself with a smile.
"What a surprise, I am Wang Xier, the younger sister of Brother Liuzhi."
Well, there were now three former members of the royal family in this small restaurant private room.
The arrival of Yaxi also eased Lu Ping’an’s pressure, as he, an ordinary member of the Special Service Team, had not wanted to be privately invited by two members of the royal family.
The inequality of status made it difficult to conduct many transactions that required equal negotiation, especially now that the Desert Kingdom was the local official’s big financial backer... If they pressed Lu Ping’an to talk and made some not-so-"excessive" requests, he would find it hard to refuse.
Yaxi’s arrival naturally balanced the status of both parties, and by acting as a middleman, she also made the atmosphere much more relaxed.
Although the Desert Kingdom and the Theocratic Nation were far apart, there was still some interaction between them. At least, as powerful countries on the continent, they respected each other as equals.
Having similar pasts and now both being displaced, they shared stories of the past and the atmosphere naturally improved.
As members of the royal family, talking about past events, interesting anecdotes of mutual benefit, and new things seen in this world was endless... If they were to just chat, they could probably go on for a whole day, with a lively and cheerful atmosphere, but without discussing any content.
If it had been left to Lu Ping’an alone, the conversation would probably have ended in a few words.
Looking at Yaxi, who was chatting and smiling about the dragons and war horses of their hometown, her spiritedness and "cheerful personality" were completely different from the housebound princess he remembered... Perhaps this was the self-cultivation of the royal family.
Her presence this time also marked her re-entry into the Saphire People’s social life, which naturally carries risks and troubles... Yet this was what she had actively requested.
"This time, can I join the invitation from Prince Nan Liuzhi?"
Lu Ping’an originally wanted to talk to her and ask about the situation in the Desert Kingdom and what these people might want from him.
Unexpectedly, however, she volunteered to try to join him.
Lu Ping’an asked for her reasons - after all, wasn’t she hiding here before? The girl, however, gave a bitter smile.
"I can hide for a lifetime, but can my brothers and sisters? Wealth will eventually run out, and I can accept being sheltered, but my family may not be able to. Some things must be faced, and I need a new identity and social circle. This is an opportunity for me."
Since she had volunteered, Lu Ping’an certainly would not refuse... especially since she had just helped him recently.
For Yaxi, running away would not solve the problem, but delaying it could turn a big issue into a small one. Eventually, however, she would still need to prove her strength.
Sooner or later, I will have to deal with Saphire people and people from my own country. But before that, if I can stand on my own in another group of Saphire people, maybe I can gain some "power."
If trouble really does come my way, in the end, I’ll have to rely on myself...These Saphire people have no grudges against me, so I do have a chance.
As a royal family member, she can see more clearly than many others.
As a foreigner, she can never be at the top among humans... Being a lifelong office worker is the only outcome of blending into human society, whether it’s middle management or front-line labor.
Lu Ping’an is generous and friendly, but he can’t provide her with the "power" she desires. As a royal family member, she has always lacked a sense of security after losing certain things.
Now, as Lu Ping’an’s friend and a negotiation mediator, she has re-established relations with the two members of the royal family and re-entered the high-end social circle of Saphire people.
She speaks very clearly, and Lu Ping’an naturally wouldn’t refuse. He has always known they would eventually leave, but he didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Now, her most valuable asset is the fact that she is a Saphire person, naturally close to the Desert Kingdom’s Saphire people, yet not one of them, and can gain a certain level of trust among humans.
This unpleasing identity from both sides, coupled with her past noble status, is destined not to gain complete trust from either party but is well-suited as a lubricant and middleman.
Originally an estimated one-hour "lunch meeting," it took more than two hours due to this little accident. Right in front of Lu Ping’an, the two "honored guests" directly called to postpone some meetings and work.
They were clearly interested in Yaxi and even offered to recruit her... but were directly rejected by Yaxi.
She knew that although she needed the Desert Kingdom’s power, she was not suitable to join them directly... The weaker can gain more by wavering between two strong parties.
Would she really accept the protection of the two members of the royal family? Maybe it was an option, but not now. She didn’t want to be someone’s subordinate just yet.
She did propose a plan to run a "human resources company" specializing in job outsourcing and referrals.
Not all Saphire people are interested in working at Auto City; many newcomers naturally try to integrate into the local area and find local jobs. At this time, having a company run by "fellow countrymen" can provide great help... And this company must first deal with humans, where Yaxi, not from the Desert Kingdom, has a certain advantage.
𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
If she wants to do this, she will mostly have to deal with local officials and may even need Lu Ping’an’s help.
"So it’s like those agencies that specialize in providing immigration and job referrals for their own people? Indeed, it’s quite profitable, but I hope it’s not a black agency." Lu Ping’an thought to himself. Indeed, these royal family members know their stuff and must have been planning this for a long time.
At the same time, if local people...Ancient City people want to work in Auto City, they also need an agent and a mediator, which she also wants to get involved in.
Obviously, this requires the support of both royal family members and local officials, but due to her unique identity, it is not too difficult to obtain their support.
"...I have some people here, not many, but very reliable. They can provide ’job language training’ and ’pre-employment training’ without any issue."
This is actually a small matter. The two distinguished guests agreed to it on the spot, considering their past relationship and in the interest of Lu Ping’an’s reputation.
The conversation went on for quite a while, and after their playful "battles," they finally arrived at the main subject of seeking Lu Ping’an’s help this time.
"You also want to get involved with the Explorers?"
"Of course, we don’t want to fall behind in this era...And we certainly don’t want our hard-earned factories to suddenly face competitors with superior technology the next day."
The times are moving forward, and no one can afford to stand still. After figuring out the situation, the two leaders of the respective groups want to participate in the lucrative "Exotic Realm exploration."
Even if they can’t reap many benefits, they can at least get various pieces of intelligence and news in a timely manner, avoiding significant losses in their operations.
"That being said, you should propose this as an additional clause and negotiate with the local bigwigs. Why are you asking me?"
Instantly, the two of them showed a bitter smile.
"Well, we’ve tried that already, but it’s a matter of principle now. Unless you guys agree to it up there, they won’t concede... But if it’s a small-scale civilian exploration, joining an explorer team as mercenaries should be fine."
For foreigners to band together and send out large-scale corps in the name of exploration would cross the local people’s bottom line, but scattered mercenaries are acceptable.
"That’s still no reason to come to me; I’m just a newcomer..."
"Ahem, brother, let me explain. Our plan is that once everything is settled, I’ll join the ranks of the Explorers as well, so I’ll need a suitable team."
This was already a very straightforward statement. If Lu Ping’an still didn’t understand, it would be tantamount to feigning ignorance and politely declining.
Alright, just as the princess left, another one came.
— End of Chapter 649 —