Chapter 347
July 18th, 7:00 PM
At 7 p. m., Amiya and the Doctor arrived at the most luxurious hotel in Cavaleria as agreed.
Thanks to the thorough preparations of the Supervision Committee and the personal intervention of the Campaign Knight, all the behind-the-scenes directors of the Commercial Union were arrested and are awaiting the final verdict from the court.
The company's stock immediately hit the daily limit down, and as expected, it will fall to the bottom in the future.
The match-fixing scandal has significantly dampened public enthusiasm for betting on the Knight Competition. Only a small number of customers remain unrepentant, but revenue is far less than before.
The events involving the Armored Unarmored Alliance have served as a wake-up call for business owners who partner with the Commercial Union. They are scrambling to hire more security personnel to avoid a potential backlash.
In contrast, the events surrounding Plot Zero had the least impact. Although the Commercial Union secretly carried out inhumane massacres, the public who learned the truth did not show much outrage. Some even felt it was justified, perhaps reflecting the insurmountable gap between the infected and the non-infected.
As the victory celebration began, Iolete removed her exquisite Knight's armor and arrived at the banquet in a formal dress.
She looked around but didn't see the Lucky Knight, then turned her gaze to the two from Rhodes Island and asked:
"Didn't he come?"
The Doctor knew who he was referring to and shook his head.
"No, he's going back to the city he's in charge of tomorrow, and he wants to get some rest early tonight."
Iolete felt a deep sense of regret and quickly grasped the core message of the statement:
"Oh? I didn't expect the Lucky Knight to be the City Lord of a Mobile Cities?"
"Yes, to be precise. It's not Mobile Cities, but a large snow-capped mountain fortress built at an altitude of over 1,000 meters that can accommodate tens of thousands of people."
Lyme of the Silver Pegasus Knight Order only remembered that there was a town in Scherzag built on a snowy mountain, and couldn't help but ask:
"Which city is it?"
Liyue City.
Lem frowned, recalling carefully for a moment. The name of the city felt completely unfamiliar to him.
"Never heard of it. Which country is it from?"
"This is a city located within Ursus, but not under Ursus's jurisdiction. It is geographically situated at the border between Ursus and Yan's Lungmen. It is said that Patriot and General Hella served under him."
"Oh?!"
Iolete deliberately dragged out the syllable, clearly impressed by the two people.
Patriot is the last pure-blooded Wendigo. One of the Sarkaz Ten Royal Courts, he is extremely famous.
Hegre was an enemy commander who distinguished himself in the Tenth UCA War. Later, due to political infighting, he was discharged from the military. I heard he established a clinic, and I never imagined it would be in Liyue City.
If these two Kazimierz, they would undoubtedly have been groomed as key advisors. Yet they chose to serve Liyue City, demonstrating the extraordinary nature of its City Lord.
During the banquet, Iolete was distracted. Half an hour later, she excused herself, saying she was slightly tipsy, and left the banquet.
The Doctor knew what she wanted to do, but he saw through it without saying anything and let her go to Doctor Zhong.
With the Commercial Union on the verge of collapse, the influence of the Supervision Committee has risen accordingly. Finding someone's contact information is not difficult at all.
If the Lucky Knight weren't Doctor Zhong, but just an ordinary Knight, the members of the Supervision Committee would respect and thank him, but they wouldn't value him.
However, if this person were the City Lord of a city, their status and position would be entirely different. Regardless of her considerations, Iolete would still try to contact Doctor Zhong.
This brings us to some historical issues. For many years, Ursus has plundered large swathes of territory north of Kazimierz through war.
Liyue City within Ursus territory, yet they managed to carve out a piece of land from them to establish a base. This gives you an idea of just how formidable their fighting power is.
Sometimes, the enemy of my enemy can become my friend. Regardless of the outcome, it's never a bad thing to make contact.
But these things had nothing to do with the Doctor. He was just acting as a go-between, hoping that Doctor Zhong would profit from it.
Rhodes Island is currently facing enormous expenses, and it also has to treat infected individuals for free. The Doctor doesn't have enough money to offer as a reward, so he can only do a favor.
According to Dobermann's report, Doctor Zhong came to Cavaleria to purchase supplies in bulk.
With the involvement of the Supervision Committee, he can be provided with more convenience and preferential treatment.
As the Doctor predicted, after leaving the hotel, Iolete immediately contacted her subordinates at the Supervision Committee to investigate the Lucky Knight's contact information.
In just fifteen minutes, they obtained the information they wanted.
Iolete contacted the communications bureau first before dialing the number.
The call connected, but no one spoke. Iolete took a deep breath and broke the silence:
"Mr. Lucky Knight, I'm sorry to bother you so late. I am Grand Knight Commander Iolete of the Supervision Committee. Would it be convenient for us to meet now?"
Shi Lei felt baffled, and guessing it was out of gratitude for what he had done today, he refused.
"It's inconvenient, I'm already lying down."
Iolete, of course, didn't believe it, but still politely hung up the phone. Not long after, she received the call signal location address from the communications bureau.
It's okay if the Lucky Knight doesn't want to meet.
If there are no opportunities, then create them.
[Urge Update Sign-in]
416 I laid my cards on the table: 3,500
After hanging up the phone, Shi Lei sat back on the soft sofa, resting his left hand on the backrest as he flipped through a book.
He had previously booked a room at the inn to protect Maria and the members of the Pinecone Knights.
Now that I don't have to stay in both places alternately, I naturally returned the room and went back to the top floor of the Star Hotel.
The view is unobstructed, making it convenient for him to go out at any time. Moreover, the environment is quiet and free from noise interference.
With the elimination of potential threats such as the Armored Unarmored Alliance and the Commercial Union, remote protection is no longer necessary.
Shi Lei is now free of any commissions and could actually leave Cavaleria tonight.
But since he was taking the Pinecone Knights to Liyue City, he gave them one night to pack their belongings and say a final goodbye to their friends. They would leave Kazimierz together the next morning.
Judging by the time, Lisa should be on summer vacation.
If there's not much work at Penguin Logistics, we can invite everyone to go out and have some fun.
Shi Lei composed himself and continued reading. But after only a few pages, his backup phone rang again.
He picked it up to look at the caller ID; it was an unfamiliar number, different from Iolete's.
After hesitating for a moment, Shi Lei finally pressed the answer button, but did not speak first.
A man's voice came from the other end of the microphone:
"Mr. Lucky Knight, I am Maena. I heard you are leaving tomorrow, so I chose this time to bother you. I am very sorry."
Seeing that the other party's attitude was proper, Shi Lei replied:
"What do you need me for?"
"It's like this, Mr. Lucky Knight. I already know about your commission with Sophia."
Maria is currently safe and sound, and has retained her noble Knight. As the acting head of the Nearl Family, it is my duty to repay this favor. Therefore, I am calling to inquire what kind of reward you require. I swear on the reputation of the Nearl Family that as long as it is not illegal or disorderly, I will do my utmost to fulfill this obligation."
To be honest, Shi Lei never considered asking for anything in return.
"How about... we just let it go?"
"How can that be? Maria has been so kind to you these past few days, I have to do something for you."
Seeing that the other party's tone and attitude were very firm, Shi Lei went along with it and continued the conversation:
"What is your current profession? What are your strengths? Only by knowing these things can I determine how you can help me."
Upon hearing this, Maena paused for a moment and responded truthfully:
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Lucky Knight. I just resigned today and am currently a free agent."
"So what are you planning to do after that?"
Maena apologized again and offered an explanation:
"Mr. Lucky Knight, I'm so sorry. I don't plan to look for a new job for a long time. I will travel around this land, searching for Maria and Margaret's parents."
My elder brother, Snitz Saria, and sister-in-law, Yoranta Saria, disappeared many years ago. They have been missing for a long time, neither alive nor dead.
Although I've worked for a company all these years, I've never forgotten this matter. I've tried various channels but haven't been able to gather any useful information. This time, I'm going to try my luck in a country outside of Kazimierz.
Shi Lei already knew about the Nearl Family situation when he was investigating the contestants' identities. It was precisely because of the disappearance of Saria and his wife that their family fell into poverty.
"Travel around, let me think... I've got it!"
Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind:
"How about this, Mr. Maena? Come to the bench where we met last time at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I can give you a ride to Liyue City."
When the time comes, if you head north or west, you'll reach Ursus. To the southeast is Yan's Lungmen, and to the south is Syracuse. Three directions, three countries—choose your starting point.
What I'm asking you to do is very simple. If you encounter someone on the street who needs help, whether or not they are infected, try your best to lend a hand.
Talented individuals and craftsmen skilled in non-combat activities such as animal husbandry and forging can be recommended to settle in Liyue City, provided they are willing.
Of course, they must join willingly. If you force them, it's pointless. So, you can continue recruiting your own people; it doesn't conflict with the tasks I assigned. What do you think?
To put it simply, they are HR professionals who travel all over the place.
While traveling across this land, help discover some talent in logistics.
Before making the call, Maena had already mentally prepared himself for taking over a tricky situation.
The return offered by the other party was not only not illegal or disorderly, but also perfectly suited his wishes:
"Okay, I'll go pack my things right away. You get some rest, and we'll meet at the bench tomorrow."
"Um."
After ending the call, Shi Lei picked up his book again. Following the pages marked with bookmarks, he continued reading.
But not long after, the backup phone rang again, causing his expression to change slightly.
So much to do tonight.
Shi Lei picked up his phone and saw that it was an unfamiliar number, unlike the previous two calls.
Unable to guess who was calling, he simply pressed the answer button, waiting for the other party to reveal their identity.
The man's voice on the microphone was even deeper and more powerful than Maena's:
"Mr. Lucky Knight, this is Blood Knight Dikaiopolis. I heard from Sona that you are leaving tomorrow, so I asked her for your phone number to call you. I hope this is not disturbing your rest."
Shi Lei was speechless at such polite words. Wasn't calling already an intrusion? Why waste time on useless talk? Let's get straight to the point:
"Speak, what do you want from me?"
"I will never forget your kindness in helping me alleviate Originium-related illness. I really wanted to go to Liyue City with the Pinecone Knights, but unfortunately, the circumstances don't allow it."
Even after they left, there were still many infected people in Cavaleria. If I leave, no one will be willing to stand up for them.
My call tonight wasn't just to thank you, but also to apologize. I'm afraid I won't be able to go to Liyue City for a while, and I hope you can understand. I'll stay here and see how the new Infected Act goes.
If I become utterly disappointed with the outcome, or if these infected individuals gain a stable outlet for their voices, may I then come to Liyue City to seek refuge with you?
These words were quite sincere, and Shi Lei had no reason to refuse such a responsible Infected Knight:
"Sure, I'm not forcing you. Since you've made up your mind, just go for it. It'll only make sense to come when you feel it's time."
He learned about Blood Knight's contributions to the Infected while conducting background checks on the players a few weeks ago.
During the three years since winning the championship, Dikaiopolis has been committed to protecting the legal rights of those infected.
Such a kind-hearted and untroubled person perfectly fits Liyue City's acceptance criteria.
"Mr. Lucky Knight, thank you for your understanding. It's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer."
"Well, you don't need to feel so guilty. We'll meet again someday. The mountains and rivers remain green, and we'll meet again someday."
After ending the call, Shi Lei tossed his spare phone onto the table and picked up his book again.
"Knock knock knock".
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.