Chapter 302
Hegre's greatest strength lies in his ability to command in battle. In comparison, his Business Negotiation skills are mediocre. Patriot is quite adept at this, but as the Qianyan Army Commander, he is not well-suited for Lungmen.
Hegre had no choice but to negotiate, hoping to obtain a procurement certificate.
Wei Yenwu had heard of this former Ursus general before. After all, there were only a handful of high-ranking generals still alive in Ursus.
He spoke to Hegre in Mandarin, trying to give him hints. But Hrag couldn't understand him at all, only grasping the literal meaning.
Having exhausted all other options, Wei Yenwu decided to be frank and ask for information about Liyue City.
Hegre was simply bad at business, not mentally challenged. He knew perfectly well what he could and couldn't say. Faced with the Longmen Governor's probing, he simply responded with silence.
Seeing that Hegre was unyielding, Wei Yenwu gave up after several unsuccessful attempts. He subsequently issued a procurement permit and sent people to 'escort' the other party to the purchase, until they left Lungmen.
January 11, 1097.
Zuo Le, the candle-bearer of the Yan's Marquis Pingsui Si Sui Tai Zuo Xuanliao, arrived in Lungmen territory. He brought a letter from the Grand Tutor to Wei Yenwu, the Longmen Governor.
The letter clarified that the current national policy of the court is to allow the people to recuperate and rebuild. Wars with other countries should be avoided as much as possible unless absolutely necessary. It hoped that he would prioritize the well-being of the people and exercise restraint.
Wei Yenwu had long anticipated this outcome.
Ursus these days is utterly shameless.
In just a few days, the entire family of the commanders involved in the riot were eradicated. The Ursus Emperor and the military were completely severed from any connection to the incident.
Even if the bodies of the Inner Guards were found in the Core City of Chernobyl afterward, it probably wouldn't be enough to prove Ursus's shameless actions.
Wei Yenwu even suspected that the five Inner Guards were accused of treason by Ursus last year might also be used and discarded pawns, just like today.
In short, the two countries are unlikely to go to war.
After Lungmen implemented stricter entry checks in the Lower City, everything gradually returned to normal.
On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Wei Yenwu, unusually, prepared a gift and visited Shi Lei. He hoped to take advantage of the New Year's custom of visiting relatives and friends to improve their relationship.
As long as Zhongli is kept in check, it will be possible to ensure that Liyue City will not have a direct conflict with Lungmen.
When he arrived at Taiheng Road, he found the three warehouses locked and the people inside were nowhere to be found.
Wei Yenwu called his niece to inquire about the whereabouts of Shi Lei and the others. Chen said she didn't know, and that perhaps, like the previous two years, they had all gone to the New Year's Eve party.
Furthermore, they might not go home immediately after the New Year's Eve gala. They'll most likely wait until after having a late-night snack and watching the fireworks before heading home. If there's anything important, it's best to contact them by phone.
Wei Yenwu had no choice but to leave the gift behind and depart.
New Year's Eve, 10:00 pm
This New Year's Eve, Shi Lei and the others didn't go to the TV station to cheer for Kong. Instead, they all came to Liyue City to participate in the New Year's Eve bonfire party organized by the Qianyan Army.
Several dozen days have passed since the release of the Liyue City promotional video. However, very few people are willing to come here.
The root cause is that the user positioning was wrong.
Viewers who have the means to watch television are often people with stable housing conditions.
Most of the residents who are homeless and looking for a peaceful home make a living in the wilderness.
It is very difficult to notify these people.
It needs to linger among the audience for several days before the news can be disseminated and achieve a certain effect.
Let the promotional video continue to fly for a while.
Many of the residents who recently applied to move to Liyue City were recommended by Rhodes Island operator.
This includes Clearstream, Thorns who is suspected to be her bodyguard), and four Ursus students: Rosa, Winter, and others.
After interviewing Clearstream, Broca waited for Shi Lei to arrive before reporting to the authorities. She hoped the leader could offer her an internship as the director of the Water Resources Bureau.
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei agreed without hesitation.
Liyue City is relatively new and desperately needs talent. Use whatever you have initially; don't be too picky. Replace them later when you find alternatives.
As for the four students, Gummy was assigned to work at the library in Liyue City.
They would act as teachers, imparting basic knowledge to anyone in the Qianyan Army who was willing to learn. This method of teaching indirectly reinforced their understanding of the material.
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and many bookstores and publishers in Lungmen City are closed. Those wanting to buy educational materials for these children will have to wait until the new year.
10:10 PM.
The people of Liyue City gather along the main street for a bonfire party. This large annual gathering is very meaningful.
The night sky was dotted with stars, like lighting technicians setting up the venue. The campfire flickered with a yellow-orange light, illuminating a large area.
People with social arrogance tend to actively make new friends and share their daily lives with them.
Introverted or quiet people will stand alone in different corners, secretly observing their surroundings while holding a warm cup of coffee, steam still rising from the rim.
Their clothes may be worn out, but they are now enjoying the other side of the oil stains—freedom.
After several weeks of getting to know each other, the more than 300 people in the logistics department have become one with the Qianyan Army.
The light from the campfire illuminated each face, and everyone wore a relaxed and happy smile.
Croissant brought in a record player and played on a loop the autographed record that the boss had given her as an end-of-year bonus.
The rousing music stirred the majority of the Qianyan Army members. They swayed to the rhythm, immersed in the joyful ocean of electronic music.
But some people reminisced about the past, recalling some painful memories. For example, Gummy, who is usually cheerful, stared at the blazing firelight and found herself crying without realizing it.
Istina, standing beside her, had a grave expression. Rosa knew why Gummy was crying and didn't interrupt. Only Winter, the most disruptive of the atmosphere, said impatiently:
"Stop crying. It's embarrassing to hear."
At that moment, Lisa was dancing near the fire, imitating the others. Suddenly, she heard faint crying sounds coming from not far away and went over to investigate.
Surtr, who was in charge of protecting Lisa, stepped between the two of them first, ready to strike at any moment.
"Are you all alright?"
Rosa and the others knew that the Nine Tails girl, Wolper, was close to their benefactor. They had seen her before in a promotional video for Liyue City.
"Thank you for your concern, Gummy is fine. He's just in a bad mood, he'll be fine after he finishes crying."
Lisa, being a perceptive person, quickly realized the other person was lying. But instead of exposing it, she took Rosa's hand and offered it to her.
"Since there's nothing wrong, let's dance together. I don't know the customs of Ursus, but according to the Yan calendar, today is the last day of 1096. Tomorrow is a brand new beginning! Instead of dwelling on the past, let's look forward to the future."
After Lisa finished Rosa, she went to Gummy. She forcibly led them towards the piled-up campfire. Only Istina and Winter were left, looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Winter, do you want to go dancing?"
"Fine, I'll jump then. You think I'm afraid of you?"
The two of them went up and immediately put on a hot dance, swaying their bodies under the lights.
At first, Gummy was very passive, and her movements were stiff. But the flames of the campfire gradually dispelled the chill in her heart.
Clearly not satisfied with that, Lisa pulled the two of them into jumping and hopping. Through this active exercise, she prevented Gummy from concentrating on remembering.
Let's dance instead; reminiscing is no substitute for dancing.
As negative emotions are released through the movement of the body, the overwhelming sadness gradually subsides.
"Thank you, I feel much better."
Looking at the radiant smile of the Vulcan girl before him, Gummy asked sincerely:
"May I ask what your name is?"
"My name is Lisa, what's yours?"
"Gummy, this is Istina, and these two are Rosa and Winter. It's a pleasure to meet you."
While his peers chatted, Shi Lei sat at a table set up not far from the campfire.
Hegre and Patriot could only sit further away because Shi Lei had Texas and Exusiai on his left and Mudrock and Xi on his right, so there was no room for them.
"Cheers to the upcoming New Year!"
"Cheers!"
Among the supplies Shi Lei brought back this time were several bottles of Gaul Columbia wine. They took them all out and drank them during the New Year's Eve party.
While eating, everyone listened to upbeat music, completely forgetting the troubles of the day.
Liyue City still follows a standard city layout, including the core area, Inner City, and Outer City, similar to the Lower City.
This wasn't intended to isolate races, but rather to serve a classifying purpose. There was a fear that traitors might emerge from among the masses, harming the vital interests of the Inner City's inhabitants.
Shi Lei and his friends live in buildings in the Core City. Qianyan Army lives in the Inner City, while newcomers are all housed in the Outer City. Only those who pass a secret assessment will be eligible to move into the Inner City.
After chatting for a while, a burst of cheers suddenly erupted near the campfire. Mixed with various blessings, the cheers spread like waves, receding into the distance.
Shi Lei glanced at his phone and saw it was midnight. He immediately raised his glass and toasted everyone present:
"Haha, Happy New Year! I hope you guys cause less trouble in the new year. While I'm away from Liyue City, please manage the city well."
Broca raised his glass, seizing the opportunity to interject:
"We have a safe and stable homeland, all thanks to our leader. Come on, everyone raise your glasses and toast to our leader!"
"Cheers!!!"
Shi Lei finished his drink but didn't sit down. Seeing this, the others quickly poured him another glass.
"Building Liyue City wasn't difficult; the challenge lies in maintaining it. I'll be relying on everyone's help while I'm gone. As for my contributions, there's no need to repeat them. Because what I can do, others can't, so it's my responsibility. Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Happy New Year!"
Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, welcoming the New Year in a joyful atmosphere, which was very ceremonial.
During this recent holiday, Shi Lei and his group will likely stay here until the Lantern Festival (January 15th of the lunar calendar) before returning to Lungmen.
Lisa is also on winter break and will stay here with Surtr until the start of the new semester.
The six Sarkaz mercenaries who had mastered culinary skills had resigned from their jobs at the Mount Choryu Hotel and applied to Shi Lei to join the Qianyan Army's logistics unit.
After the New Year, it is estimated that only V and his three companions will be stationed at Taiheng Road.
"Hey, it's the boss's fleeting sunset!"
Upon hearing a familiar song from the Emperor, Exusiai took her guitar and went to the square to play. Accompanied by energetic drumbeats, the atmosphere reached a climax.
February 10, 1097, 11:41 AM
Shi Lei was reading in his bedroom when he suddenly received a call from an unknown number. Liyue City didn't have Signal Base Station Lungmen free. However, due to the city's altitude, the signal was always weak.
"Hello?"
On the other end of the phone, Miss. Nian's voice came through:
"It's me, Nian. Do you remember me?"
"Of course, you changed your phone number?"
"I didn't change it, this is someone else's phone. Rhodes Island was originally planning to leave after the Lantern Festival, but Kal'tsit kept urging us, so we left early today. I didn't have time to go back and get my phone, so I used someone else's to call you."
Shi Lei nodded upon hearing this. Rhodes Island is a Pharmaceutical Companies; their early departure might indicate that something had happened.
"Perhaps the plan was changed at the last minute because there was a need for rescue somewhere."
Miss Nian sighed, looking quite helpless:
"They said they were going to Sargon to mediate the conflict between the Royal Court Army and the refugees. By the way, I don't know when I'll be back. Could you please take care of my silly little sister for another year?"
Shi Lei guessed it was her and joked with her:
"Haha, if I say no, will you agree?"
"No! I'm too busy this year and really can't find the time. You'd better keep Xi with you often; you never know when she might be of help. If there's a chance next year, I'll introduce you to my sister."
Nian has done everything he could to help Xi. As for whether it will succeed, that depends on her own fate.
Shi Lei was both amused and exasperated by Nian's reply:
"Wait a minute, are you treating this place like a daycare? Planning to cram one sister here every year?"