Chapter 342
Before long, the waiter brought out a sumptuous meal.
Mackey, knife and fork in hand, cut the meat. After taking a sip of red wine, he asked casually:
"You've achieved such an impressive result in your first time participating in the Knight Competition, that's truly amazing. Honestly, do you have the ambition and confidence to win the championship?"
"This shouldn't depend on me."
Upon hearing this, Mackey stopped what he was doing. He knew perfectly well what it meant, but he pretended not to:
"Oh? That depends on what?"
Shi Lei, playing along, began to explain:
"Now that Blood Knight and Bright Knight have both withdrawn from the competition, I've really gotten a great deal. Dealing with Maria in the finals shouldn't be a problem, unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless the rumors about Commercial Union supporting her to win are true. In that case, no matter what I do, I'll lose due to interference outside the rules. You didn't come all this way just to talk about this, did you?"
Mackey put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, and used a hearty laugh to mask his true feelings.
"Hahaha, sir, you're joking."
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
Seeing that the spokesperson was feigning ignorance, Shi Lei proactively steered the conversation in the direction he had set:
"So the rumor is true, and you're planning to heavily promote Maria and make a big profit?"
"Haha, no, how could that be? I wonder where you heard about it, Mr. Lucky Knight?"
Shi Lei did not answer directly, but continued to confirm:
"Are you sure you didn't rig the match?"
At this point, Mackey seemed quite angry:
"Slander, all slander! We make a fortune from the betting on our regular matches. There's absolutely no need for us to go to such lengths and flatter us. We're focused on long-term development and won't do anything short-sighted."
Shi Lei feigned a sigh of relief and remarked:
"That's good, then I can rest assured."
Some things don't need to be said too explicitly. Mackey felt reassured by this reply.
"Hehe, then I'll wish you all the best in advance on winning this year's Knight Competition championship, cheers!"
July 16, 11:40 AM
Shi Lei and Mackey had a pleasant conversation and left the upscale restaurant half an hour later.
After confirming that no one was following him, he called Rebecca and asked to meet at a hotel in the suburbs.
Shi Lei didn't wait long in the room before he heard the clatter of high heels in the hallway and a knock on the door.
"The door's unlocked, come in."
Rebecca was dressed in casual everyday clothes, no longer the attire of a female office worker.
As soon as she entered, she bowed and apologized.
"Mr. Lucky Knight, I'm so sorry, so very sorry! I knew you didn't want to attend that kind of party, but I still called you. I promise, this is the first and last time."
After leaving the restaurant, I thought a lot. Perhaps this job as an agent really isn't right for me. I'll submit my resignation after you finish the finals. I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
"Oh."
Shi Lei was amused by Rebecca's frankness, but the mere fact that it was a meeting required by her superiors made her feel like she was walking on thin ice. Clearly, such a personality was not suited to be a manager.
"So what are you planning to do after you resign?"
Seeing that the Lucky Knight didn't intend to pursue the matter, Rebecca's expression relaxed slightly.
"I haven't decided yet. Anyway, I'll just take it one step at a time. If there's a suitable job, I'll do it. If not, I'll keep looking. I'm still young, as long as I'm diligent, I won't starve."
"After you make money, do you want to settle down in a big city, or do you want to go back to your hometown to develop your career?"
Before the special tournament began, Shi Lei had heard Rebecca talk about her. She came from a remote village and was the only college graduate from the village to move to the city.
She thought for a while before responding:
"Both. I want to buy a house in Cavaleria and bring my grandparents to live with me. But I also can't bear to leave my friends who grew up in the village, and I want to do something for them, even though I don't have the means."
"Don't you feel like this is a cannibalistic city? It devours the dreams of ordinary people and hatches them into a corrupt and monstrous behemoth."
Rebecca's expression stiffened upon hearing this. Her blue eyes darted around as she cautiously inquired:
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're trying to say."
"I should apologize for dragging you into this. You already know about my meeting with the spokesperson. This is a very complicated situation, and you can't handle it."
At this point, Shi Lei took out a suitcase. Inside was high-purity Pure Gold, which could be exchanged for a lot of money.
"If you stay here, the Commercial Union will be watching you. Take your things and go buy some equipment and materials, then go back and rebuild your hometown."
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411 I don't understand 3K
Ah, what does that mean?
Upon hearing Shi Lei's words, Rebecca's gaze involuntarily fell upon the suitcase.
She didn't even need to open it to guess that it contained money. And lots and lots of money. Once she realized this, she immediately waved her hand and refused.
"That won't do, Mr. Lucky Knight. I've been working for you during this time because I've been paid a monthly salary by the Commercial Union. That's part of my job responsibilities; I can't just take your money for nothing."
This answer did not surprise Shi Lei. He looked at the other person calmly, as if he had known all along.
Sometimes, giving money is like giving gifts; it can't be too simple or crude. You have to be mindful of the methods and approaches.
Young graduates like her, from impoverished backgrounds, had no connections or influence in the city. From a young age, they developed an independent and self-reliant personality, unwilling to trouble others.
Shi Lei knew that Rebecca would most likely refuse if he offered her money directly, so he gave her a title:
"Who said it was given to you for free? This is a loan."
Hearing this answer, she was taken aback:
"Huh? A loan?"
"Yes, these are all lent to you. They're not a gift. Stop thinking about all sorts of good things all the time. You can use the money inside to buy supplies and equipment to help build your hometown."
For example, they vigorously develop local specialties and send them to designated warehouses in the city every few months. The sales revenue from these products is used to offset the loan.
Considering how busy you've been these past few days, I'll only charge an annual interest rate of 0.1%. You'll need to repay the principal gradually; the specific term can be discussed further.
An annual interest rate of 0.1% means that if you borrow 100,000 yuan, you only have to pay 100 yuan in interest per year. With such a low return, it's practically the same as borrowing for free.
Upon learning that the loan would be repaid with the goods produced, Rebecca secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better.
Her eyes lit up when local specialties were mentioned. She bit her lip slightly and excitedly introduced them:
"My hometown is most famous for its beer. We grow a lot of hops. And the villagers are all long-time growers with top-notch brewing experience. The taste is no worse than beer in the city, but we just don't have a market."
If—and I mean if—you truly have so much money you don't know what to do with it, and are willing to take out a loan to invest, I would be extremely grateful for your generosity. I will draft a loan agreement and supplementary terms; is that acceptable to you?
Shi Lei had read many human geography magazines and knew the general varieties of Kazimierz hops.
This crop prefers cool environments and is resistant to cold and drought. It has few requirements for soil, growing only in neutral or slightly alkaline soil. In other words, it can be grown even in the high-altitude environment of Liyue City.
Whether it can be exported is another matter. Just producing and selling it domestically should be enough.
When I go to Liyue City for vacation in the future, I can't always buy large quantities of beer from Lungmen. If I learn how to grow hops and brew beer, it will save me a lot of trouble.
This part doesn't need Shi Lei to handle; he can simply leave it to the Qianyan Army's logistics department and let them figure it out themselves.
He only intended to do a good deed, to help Rebecca escape the shackles of the city. Unexpectedly, this act of kindness yielded a surprising reward.
"Yes, that's what I mean."
"Please wait a moment while I get my laptop and draft a loan agreement."
During the drafting of the terms, Shi Lei requested information on hop cultivation techniques and brewing processes. These could be considered intellectual property and used to offset part of the loan amount.
Seeing that the Lucky Knight was genuinely discussing a contract and not just making empty promises, Rebecca dispelled her concerns and felt happy to be able to help her hometown.
"Let's set the repayment period at 100 years."
Rebecca already had a great deal with the low interest rate, but she immediately objected when she heard that the term was so long.
"No, that's too long. Let me calculate. If production can grow steadily every year, it will only take about 28 years, or 30 years, to repay the loan."
"We don't need to be so rigid. What if there's Catastrophe or drought and we can't produce beer? I think we can compromise and set it for 50 years, how about that?"
"Okay, 50 years it is, thank you!"
Both parties discussed all the details and compiled a loan agreement.
Rebecca went out to find a shop to print the contract, and when she came back, she had two copies, one for Party A and one for Party B.
Once both parties affixed their fingerprints, the agreement officially came into effect.
Signing the contract signifies Shi Lei's acceptance of its contents. Violation will result in a deduction of Roleplay Value.
Anyway, she can pay it back if she wants. Once she pays it back, she can be self-sufficient and earn money. Isn't that great?
He handed the suitcase to Rebecca, letting her exchange the Pure Gold for money herself, and then left the hotel.
Considering the potential danger of a young woman traveling with so much money, Shi Lei secretly cast a transparent Jade Shield around her to ensure nothing went wrong.
July 16, 6:30 pm
Just as the sun was about to set, Sona, the leader of the Pinecone Knights, called.
"Mr. Lucky Knight, the day after tomorrow is the day you participate in the Knight Competition Finals. Is there anything we can do for you? Please feel free to ask."
Due to the information asymmetry between the two sides, Flame Tail Knight was unaware that Shi Lei had already met with the spokesperson.
She was worried that the Commercial Union might resort to some underhanded tactics, which is why she deliberately called to inquire.
Instead of answering directly, Shi Lei posed a completely new question:
"Have you handed over the data you obtained from the Commercial Union building to the Supervision Committee?"
"Yes, we've given them the copy; the original is with us."
"That settles it then. The Supervision Committee hasn't exposed any scandals yet; they're just waiting for the right moment. Don't worry about me; I don't need any help right now."
Moreover, the Commercial Union is currently overwhelmed by public opinion. They won't take the huge risks of coming specifically to cause me trouble. You should all take good care of yourselves and contact each other again after the finals."
The Pinecone Knights owed Shi Lei many favors, so they treated him with great respect.
"Okay, then I won't bother you any longer. Please call me if you need anything."
July 16, 10:00 PM
Nearl Family, the old house.
"Hey, ha!"
Maria, sword in hand, trains in the wooden-floored training room, preparing for the finals.
Old Fu walked in and saw Koval instructing her on the movements, and said a reminder:
"Your sister is back."
Upon hearing Margaret's message, Maria immediately stopped training, laid down her weapon, and rushed to the hall.
Since the Bright Knight held a press conference to announce her withdrawal from the 24th Knight Competition, she didn't return to her old residence, but instead spent a few days on the This Ship.
Maria tried calling several times during this period, but her phone was always switched off, so she was unable to contact her.
Now that she has learned that her sister has returned, she is determined to ask her face-to-face for a clear answer!
"Sister! Sister!"