Chapter 346
The most direct feeling was that fewer and fewer new recruits were becoming Campaign Knight. Their frontiers had a desolate feeling of being in a period of transition, until they eventually withered away.
"Lym, you've really grown up. The future of Kazimierz belongs to you young people."
Watching the Lucky Knight's departing figure, Iolete did not send Campaign Knight to stop him, and continued:
"The Commercial Union mostly thinks that your sudden appearance is to put them in a bad light. While that is certainly part of the intention, the impact is clearly insufficient."
I recently partnered with a Pharmaceutical Companies and gained control of 'Plot Zero.' The Commercial Union needs to pay the price for their crimes. Go, carry out your mission. Don't let our distinguished guests from out of town make a fool of themselves."
"Yes, Grandmaster Iolete!"
July 18, 11:20 AM
Shi Lei led a large group of angry spectators on foot to the headquarters building of the Commercial Union.
Members of the Pinecone Knights and members of the Blood Knight 'Knight order were waiting here.
They blocked the main entrance and divided their forces to guard several Underground Passage, preventing anyone from leaving.
Seeing the Blood Knight's support greatly boosted the audience's confidence.
In their minds, the previous champion was still slightly better than Lucky Knight.
Shi Lei only told the Doctor the detailed plan. He told Maena the brief plan.
He didn't see Rhodes Island operator at all today, probably to avoid suspicion or for other reasons.
However, none of that matters anymore.
Shi Lei has ignited the flames in the hearts of the people into a raging wildfire. Coupled with the heavy blows from the Supervision Committee, the Commercial Union, or rather the entire Knight industry, will find it difficult to recover. Even if smaller competitive matches are introduced in the future, the popularity will never return to what it once was.
"Mr. Lucky Knight, you have done enough for Kazimierz, let us do these things."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei did not refuse. He spread his right hand, indicating that the Infected Knight should do as they pleased.
Sona and the others thanked him, then led the crowd to storm the headquarters of the Commercial Union.
Although security has been strengthened here due to the last intrusion, it is still no match for the Blood Knight.
Shi Lei stood downstairs, the midday sun shining on him, the shadows becoming very small due to the angle.
"Mr. Lucky Knight".
Hearing the familiar voice, he turned around. He saw Rebecca, who was panting heavily, and ran to her side.
What brings you here?
"I saw on TV that the Commercial Union was deliberately trying to harm you, and I rushed over because I was afraid something would happen to you."
This amused Shi Lei, who comforted him, saying:
"You're overthinking it. What could possibly happen to me? You should go back now and get on with your own business. I'm leaving in the next few days, and I probably won't be back until the end of the year."
He had already given Rebecca the electronic lock code for the Jade Chamber logistics warehouse. If she didn't come to Kazimierz for a long time, she could simply store the brewed beer there.
Today is the final of the 24th Knight Competition, and also the last day of the Commercial Union's prosperity.
After Shi Lei caused a ruckus in the arena, the well-prepared Supervision Committee quickly followed up.
The assassinations in which the Armored Unarmored Alliance was involved, as well as the massacre of infected people in Plot Zero, will be exposed.
The news caused an uproar across the country!
The Commercial Union's stock price plummeted to its daily limit, wiping out nearly 10 billion yuan in market value in a single day. After the market reopened, retail investors continued to sell, further driving down the stock price.
The six directors behind the scenes were exposed and brought to trial in the National Assembly. Spokesperson Mackey went missing and was later found dead in a VIP box at the arena, having committed suicide out of guilt.
A multi-billion dollar conglomerate experienced a transformation from prosperity to collapse and disintegration.
Shi Lei was very satisfied with the result; he was determined to never tolerate gambling and drugs.
After spending more than a month in Cavaleria, it's time to go home and visit.
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July 18, 10:40 AM
The arena rampage incident, 10 minutes later.
After Shi Lei publicly incited people to go to the headquarters of the Commercial Union to demand an explanation, he took away a large number of spectators in the arena who wanted to get their money back and those who came to watch the spectacle.
Especially those who bet on Lucky Knight to win should hurry up and ask for a refund before the game is decided.
If the official decision awards Maria the title, then they will never get back a single penny of the money they invested.
Although most viewers had a vague suspicion that the Commercial Union was up to something behind the scenes, this was the first time they had dared to bring it out into the open.
Maria, one of the champion candidates, became a background character after Shi Lei caused a ruckus in the arena.
Seeing this situation, Sophia quickly entered the scene and led her away to avoid causing further trouble.
Fortunately, Doctor Zhong was on stage and helped Maria clear her name and said a few kind words. Otherwise, if this incident had sparked public outrage, people might have turned their anger towards her.
Maria was unsure how to comment on this.
She always knew that the Commercial Union was pulling the strings behind the scenes, pushing her to advance. But she didn't know that Shi Lei had helped secure the spots for the other contestants who didn't get to compete.
I thought the finals would be an internal battle within the Nearl Family, but the older sister withdrew from the competition early. Today, scandals involving match-fixing and the Armored Unarmored Alliance have surfaced, forcing the entire competition to be suspended.
However, Old Fu and Koval were quite satisfied with the result. They smiled and comforted him:
"Maria, the most important thing is that you weren't injured today. And with your current points, you have enough to maintain your title as a Noble Knight of the Saria."
"That's right, whether we win the championship or not isn't that important. Given the current state of the Commercial Union, winning the championship would likely cause even more trouble."
"I know that, but I didn't expect the Lucky Knight to dare to openly challenge the Commercial Union all by himself. I have a feeling he might be in danger. Shall we go and check on him?"
Upon hearing this, Sophia thought to herself that Maria should stop worrying about this. Even if the entire Armored Unarmored Alliance were mobilized, they wouldn't be a match for Doctor Zhong.
She recently heard from Dobermann that Doctor Zhong had single-handedly captured three Xuan Tie, one Lazurite, and one Platinum.
Except for one Lazurite who is missing, all other high-ranking members of the Armored Unarmored Alliance have been arrested and handed over to the Supervision Committee.
"Maria, don't worry. I heard he has the Supervision Committee's Association backing him up. The Supervision Committee and the Commercial Union have always been at odds. Given this opportunity, they'll definitely settle old scores with new ones. We shouldn't stay here any longer; let's go home as soon as possible."
"Okay, let's go now."
The four left the arena through the players' passage and got into a car to return to the Nearl Family.
I turned on the car radio while driving, and it happened to be a report on the Knight Competition' Finals.
The attention garnered by this event and the scandals involving the Commercial Union surpassed even the return of the Bright Knight to the arena. Several channels were subsequently filled with discussions about this.
At 11:30 a. m., the group arrived at the old house.
Margaret had already learned the general situation through the live television Live Broadcast and was standing in the lobby waiting for her sister to return.
After Maria hugged her, she asked:
"Sis, so this is the surprise you were talking about. It was certainly surprising, but where's the joy?"
Margaret stroked her sister's head and smiled:
"Whether you win the championship or not, the Commercial Union will not let go of the opportunity to exploit your commercial value. Now, several scandals, such as match-fixing, the Armored Unarmored Alliance, and Plot Zero, have been exposed. They are struggling to protect themselves and have no energy to bother with you. Isn't that good news?"
Maria for a moment, then nodded in agreement:
"That makes sense, hehe. However, I'm still a little worried about Lucky Knight. His open challenge to the Commercial Union makes him a target of public criticism. Those bosses behind the scenes won't let him off the hook."
Just then, Maena's voice suddenly came from the west side of the hall:
"Maria, mind your own business. The fact that the Lucky Knight dared to do this means he has a plan or countermeasures."
Although Lucky Knight did not intentionally lose in today's Knight Competition finals, he single-handedly destroyed the Commercial Union's credibility among the public, thus minimizing the impact and harm on Maria.
Upon learning of this, Maena immediately submitted her resignation, which she had prepared the previous night, to her superiors. She wanted to completely leave the corporate cage and escape the hectic life of a corporate slave.
Maria knew he usually worked overtime and rarely came home in the morning, so she asked him in confusion:
"Hey, Uncle, why are you back?"
"The Commercial Union is about to collapse, so there is no need for me to stay and work for them. I have just submitted my resignation and am now a free agent."
As Maena said this, his gaze fell on Sophia.
Because the Lucky Knight was hired by her. The promise she made also made the Nearl Family owe her a favor.
As the acting head of the family, Maena felt it was her responsibility to repay this debt of gratitude. Sophia, by blood, was from a collateral branch of the family and was not qualified to represent the Nearl Family.
Moreover, the Lucky Knight destroyed the Knight Competition competitions he had always hated. Such entertainment events that tarnish the spirit of Knight should have been banned long ago. But no one dared to stand up, nor did they have the courage to do so.
This kindness must be repaid.
When Sophia saw Maena glare at her, she immediately understood and lowered her head to avoid his gaze guiltily.
She never imagined that Doctor Zhong would turn the Knight Competition' Grand Finals upside down. She never imagined it would even have such a far-reaching impact on Kazimierz!
In order to address the growing Commercial Union, the Supervision Committee made ample preparations in advance.
Such competitors vying for control of the National Assembly should not be given any respite.
If you're going to fight, fight them to the death. Use all sorts of negative news and dirt to make them unable to lift their heads.
If the efforts aren't strong enough to provoke a counterattack from the Commercial Union, then such a good opportunity will have been wasted.
The period from noon to afternoon truly exemplified the saying "the business world is like a battlefield."
They not only stabilized online public opinion, but also arrested bribed public officials offline.
Approaching the issue from multiple angles simultaneously, like autumn winds sweeping away fallen leaves, they attempted to eradicate this malignant tumor that was jeopardizing the future of the Knight Kazimierz.
At 4 p. m., Amiya received a call from Grand Knight Commander Iolete Russell.
I've been informed that a victory celebration banquet will be held tonight at 7 PM at the most luxurious hotel in Cavaleria. I hope she and the Doctor will definitely attend.
After hanging up the phone, Amiya asked the Doctor about his interest in participating. Although he didn't particularly like these social gatherings, he knew that going would be beneficial to Rhodes Island. After careful consideration, he agreed:
"Okay, there are still... three hours until the banquet starts. Give Doctor Zhong a call. Since it's a celebration banquet, how can the biggest contributor be absent?"
"Yes, the Doctor."
Amiya called Iolete back to let her know she would be there on time. Afterwards, she dialed Shi Lei's backup number and explained the purpose of her call:
"Doctor Zhong, the Supervision Committee is holding a celebration banquet at 7 p. m. tonight, the Doctor hopes you can attend."
"Forget it, I don't want to go."
Shi Lei refused decisively, explaining:
"Besides, I'm leaving tomorrow, so I'm going to bed early tonight. You guys eat, drink, and have fun, don't worry about me."
The Doctor noticed Amiya's troubled expression and immediately guessed that Doctor Zhong had declined the invitation. He waved to the Little Rabbit and made a phone call gesture.
Amiya immediately understood and quickly held up the microphone to say something to prevent the other party from hanging up:
"Doctor Zhong, the Doctor has something to say to you."
Having said that, he handed the phone to the Doctor. The latter took it, holding the receiver close to the edge of his hood:
"Doctor Zhong, it's fine if you don't want to attend the celebration banquet tonight. But there's one thing I need to ask your opinion on."
Shi Lei's reply was concise and to the point:
"Explain."
"May I disclose information about Liyue City to the Supervision Committee? I've always been quite interested in Liyue City and plan to visit it at the end of the year. If anyone is willing to settle in Liyue City at that time, they can travel with us on our This Ship."
Shi Lei built Liyue City on the mountain for people to live in, so there was no need to hide it.
Moreover, countries like Yan and Ursus already know about Liyue City's existence, so they can't hide it from us anymore.
"Suit yourself, but we only accept peace-loving people. Those who cause trouble, don't send yourselves here. If we find any, we'll politely ask them to leave."
"Understood, then I won't bother you any longer."
Doctor Zhong was unwilling to attend the celebration banquet, the Doctor knew that saying more would be useless, so he took the initiative to end the communication.