Chapter 483
Exusiai washed up and changed her clothes, Shi Lei gave them a few brief instructions, said goodbye, and flew back to Liyue City.
Actually, the trip to Sami to find the Fire Giant was just a side trip. The main purpose was to travel to the No Man's Land with everyone and relax.
Broca to deal with affairs in Guili City and will be unable to leave in the short term. This time, Shi Lei didn't even call Ines, who is usually by his side.
He returned to Liyue City and picked up his three girlfriends. They showed great interest in going out together and went back to their respective bedrooms to choose pretty clothes.
Xi no longer wears the clothes she paints; when she's overly aroused, her paintings become unstable.
The Cyan Qipao I'm currently wearing was custom-made at Taigu Plaza according to the original design.
Including Exusiai, Lisa, and Surtr, this trip was a true 'family trip'.
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Chapter 557 Global Tour (4K)
Shi Lei picked up his girlfriends and they went back to the warehouse on Taiheng Road for lunch. Come to think of it, it had been several months since they last had such a reunion.
Outsiders might not understand why he, as the ruler of a country, would still live in such a place. But this place holds too many precious memories for him, and he won't easily give it up. Whenever he has time, he comes here to have meals and parties.
At the beginning of this year, Shi Lei bought all the warehouses in this area. Knowing that it was him who wanted to buy them, the homeowners didn't dare to ask for exorbitant prices like the landlord of Warehouse One.
Shi Lei was very generous and completed the acquisition at a price higher than the market price. However, the warehouse after the third day was not well maintained; he would deal with it when entertaining guests later.
The familiar environment, the familiar round table, the familiar bowls and chopsticks, the familiar people. Being surrounded by familiar things gives me a strange sense of peace.
Exusiai took a couple of bites of the Fruit Pizza and then pressed them for details about their trip to Londinium. Shi Lei and the others chimed in, and the atmosphere gradually heated up.
As the conversation got more interesting, he suddenly stopped and looked towards the alley entrance, as if he had noticed something.
The others looked in the direction of the voice and discovered that it was Wei Yenwu, the Longmen Governor, who had come to visit with gifts.
Ha, what a rare guest!
Even though everyone saw it, they didn't react and continued eating. It was obvious without asking who the Longmen Governor had come to visit for.
Seeing that Wei Yenwu remained standing there without coming to sit down for a meal, Shi Lei put down his chopsticks, stood up, and invited him to the main hall of Warehouse No. 2 for a meeting.
"Your Excellency, please come in."
"Oh dear, you flatter me. I don't deserve such a title. Please just call me Wei Yenwu."
Wei Yenwu smiled broadly, looking as if his wife were beside him, without a trace of authority on his face.
Relying on his connections in the imperial court, he already knew the entire process of Shi Lei's involvement in sealing the Sui Beast.
This includes how the opponent single-handedly protected the safety of all the people of Jade Gate during Sandstorm Catastrophe, and how, under the watchful eyes of nearly a million people in the Capital City, he transformed into a golden dragon and forcefully suppressed the Sui Beast, which had just escaped its seal.
These events were witnessed by numerous people and could not possibly be fabricated. The clearer Wei Yenwu understood, the more he realized that the gap in strength between the two sides was like an insurmountable chasm.
A Great Beast capable of severely weakening the Yan was considered the most pressing internal threat among internal and external troubles. Yet, after transforming into a golden dragon, it was utterly defeated and rendered defenseless.
It's not advisable to make enemies of such an unparalleled expert; the only way forward is to try to win them over.
Wei Yenwu's visit with gifts wasn't entirely due to the Great Yan True Dragon's policy of courting him. Having served as governor for so many years, his military acumen was exceptionally sharp.
Lungmen, as the gateway to the southwestern region of Yan, is a crucial checkpoint for foreign invasion. If we can maintain good relations with Liyue City, located on the border between the two countries, we can effectively limit Ursus's military operations.
Once they amass a large army, intending to harm Yan, it's better to seek help from Liyue City than from the mainland, as the saying goes, "Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire." Given their long-standing friendship, wouldn't it be reasonable for them to come and lend a hand?
If Wei Yenwu could think of this, there was no reason why Ursus wouldn't. Unless they were confident they could defeat Shi Lei head-on, they could never hope to invade Lungmen.
There's an old saying in the Yan: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it." If you interpret this saying in reverse, then Shi Lei can destroy the Yan, but he can also protect it.
Once Wei Yenwu understood this, his attitude towards Shi Lei became more respectful. It was just a matter of exchanging a few polite words to maintain the relationship; it wouldn't cost him anything.
"Hehe, alright then."
Shi Lei took his seat first and got straight to the point:
"If I remember correctly, today isn't a major holiday. You came all this way to see me with a gift; perhaps you have something to ask of me?"
In the past, when Wei Yenwu discussed matters with him, he always used official jargon with hidden meanings. Now, he has switched to plain and easy-to-understand language to avoid making the other party feel that he is putting on airs.
"Actually, it's nothing important. I just want to express my stance on behalf of the Yan's court."
"Oh?"
Shi Lei raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, not quite understanding. Why was he suddenly coming over to express his opinion?
"Make a statement? What does that mean?"
Wei Yenwu smiled awkwardly and recounted in detail how the Old Duke Wellington had sent Messenger:
"My visit today is at the behest of the Great Yan True Dragon, to convey our stance. Yan and Liyue City have always adhered to the principle of peaceful coexistence and are allies on the path to common prosperity. We will not be swayed by the words of foreign powers..."
"Stop, stop, wait a minute."
Shi Lei felt that his words were too formal and asked the other person to stop.
He vaguely remembered the Old Duke Wellington mentioned by Wei Yenwu. He was one of the Grand Duke who had previously been stationed outside Londinium and seemed to be supporting Ablana's ascension to the throne.
Shi Lei had only met him once or twice, and there had been no direct conflict. What could have caused the other party to assemble Multinational Allied Forces to attack him?
Thinking of this, he suddenly realized something. He quickly stood up and called out to the group of people eating:
"Mudrock."
"Hey, I'm here."
"Do you remember the leader of the Deep Pool Forces? She was a Draco woman."
If you mention the Deep Pool Forces, Mudrock might not recognize the name. But if you mention Dolak, she immediately thinks of him:
"I remember, so what?"
"Did you kill her?"
Shi Lei felt that only in this way would it seem reasonable for the Duke Wellington to assemble Allied Forces of nations.
"No, she's perfectly fine."
Mudrock put down her chopsticks and entered the main hall of Warehouse No. 2, where she explained in detail their two encounters.
The first incident occurred at the Sunset Hotel in the Norbert District, when the airship exploded and the enemy withdrew.
The second time was Londinium City, when she noticed black smoke rising and went to investigate with Ines. They found Ablana and Talulah fighting, but no one was injured.
"When you broke through the Star Pod and fell from the sky, Talulah and I rushed over to find you. Ablana seemed to have gone back to get reinforcements, and we haven't seen her since."
Although they were talking about Ablana, Wei Yenwu overheard some shocking news.
Last week, a huge hole appeared in the sky, shocking the entire nation. Who would have thought it was his doing?
Shi Lei was deep in thought and didn't notice the Longmen Governor's reaction.
"That's strange. Since I have no deep-seated hatred for him and didn't kill Ablana, why would he go to such lengths to attack me?"
With his current strength at the Seven Archons Realm, he could practically roam freely on Terra Planet. No matter how many Allied Forces nations came, he wouldn't feel any fear.
Shi Lei just wanted to figure out if there was any misunderstanding, so he wouldn't be used as a pawn. Based on the information he had so far, it looked too much like a case of using someone else to do the dirty work.
Seeing his puzzled look, Wei Yenwu offered his personal guess:
"Mister Zhongli, you may not know this, but the Duke Wellington was quite a figure in his youth."
He rose from an ordinary Tara soldier to the Grand Duke through military merit, becoming the first person from the lower classes of Victoria to achieve upward social mobility.
His past achievements were remarkable, including killing the last emperor of Gaul, the former emperor of Ursus, and the former Witch King of Sargon. He also had a notable performance during the Four Nations War.
But these achievements were not solely the Duke Wellington's doing. He was not the one who played a decisive role either. As he grew older, he seemed to become increasingly keen on rallying many people to jointly attack one side. As for why he wanted to attack you, I have no idea.
You can rest assured, Yan firmly opposes this unjust military action. Our friendship with Liyue City will last forever and will not change because of the provocations of petty villains."
Oh, so he's the Duke who likes to get into brawls.
Shi Lei nodded, seemingly lost in thought.
Wei Yenwu glanced at him twice, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to voice his concerns:
"Victoria is about two thousand kilometers away from the Yan. He has extended an invitation to us to form Allied Forces, and he must have also sent Messenger to other countries. Although Yan will not participate, the participation of other countries cannot be guaranteed. You must be careful about this."
"Hmm, indeed..."
Shi Lei agreed with his speculation, arguing that it was impossible to form Multinational Allied Forces by inviting only one country. Other countries must have also received invitations; it's just unknown how they responded.
This is where the importance of communication becomes apparent.
If there were Signal Network covering the entire Terra, disputes could be resolved with just a few phone calls.
Shi Lei frowned and pondered, considering whether or not to start such a multinational telecommunications company.
With the technology available in this region, the cost of Signal Base Station is actually not high; the high cost lies in maintenance.
Catastrophe often have a wide-ranging impact. If even one Signal Base Station is damaged, a large area under its coverage will lose signal.
Shi Lei's advantage lies in the fact that his Rock Constructs can be mass-produced indefinitely and are extremely sturdy. There are no additional costs involved; he can produce as many as he wants.
Simply wrapping the Signal Base Station and cables with a layer of Rock Constructs can significantly reduce maintenance costs.
Shi Lei thought about it more and more and felt that it was necessary to build Cross-border Communication Company. Otherwise, information from different regions would be outdated, which would greatly affect the efficiency of some things.
However, simply starting a company is not enough.
Besides procuring a large number of Signal Base Station and cables, Shi Lei also needs to reach out to various countries. If their leaders disagree, Shi Lei can consider bypassing those countries. He should first secure the countries that are willing to participate, and the remaining countries will join sooner or later.
Seeing that he suddenly fell silent, as if he was thinking about something, Wei Yenwu did not dare to speak rashly and disturb him.
After a long while, Shi Lei snapped out of his thoughts.
He had just drafted a preliminary plan in his mind for establishing a Cross-border Communication Company. Now that he had a basic framework, all he needed to do was continue to fill it in.
He came to his senses and apologized to Wei Yenwu:
"Sorry, I was just spacing out."
"It's alright. You must be thinking about something very important. I've already conveyed the Great Yan True Dragon's attitude. You guys continue eating, I won't disturb you any longer."
Shi Lei didn't try to stop him, but gestured for him to stay.
"Okay, I'll see you off then."
"Okay, thank you."
After he saw Wei Yenwu to the alley entrance and returned, Exusiai had already finished eating, asked:
"What were you thinking about just now, so engrossed?"
Shi Lei explained the Cross-border Communication Company's plan to everyone present, then turned to look at Surtr:
"Lisa's school doesn't start until September, so two months should be enough time to visit most cities. If you don't mind, we won't fly directly to Sami. We can visit various countries and ask their leaders about things. We can ask about countries that are too remote once the basic framework is in place."
According to his current plan, he intends to use an extremely long communication route to connect multiple countries.
Starting from Liyue City in the east, it covers Lungmen in Yan and the rebuilt Chernobyl.
Heading southwest, it crosses the border between Sargon and Syracuse, branching out into both countries.
Then, it advances westward along the border line where northern Victoria and southern Ursus meet.
Finally, it crosses the snow-capped mountain border between Kazimierz and Scherzag, ending in Columbia.
Kazdel is too desolate, so I won't go.
Remupton, Sargon, and Bolívar are all located in relatively remote areas, so they are best discussed last.
The entire route is over a thousand kilometers long, which is the shortest distance Shi Lei could think of. Moreover, it passes through the boundaries of high mountains, so it will not disturb the lives of local residents.
Using this route as the main artery, it can be extended outwards from there, like the branching trunks of a large tree, gradually covering the entire continent.
As for the coverage distance of each Signal Base Station, and whether the cable specifications and modes are compatible, these are technical questions that need to be confirmed with the seller.
You can ask the Supervision Committee when you pass through Kazimierz; if you don't know, go to Trimon and ask Kristen.
As a scientist, even if she didn't know the underlying principles, she should at least know where to buy it.
If it can be solved with money, it's not a problem.
"Sir, I don't mind at all. I'm already very happy and grateful that you're willing to come with me to Sami."
Shi Lei nodded in satisfaction and responded with a smile:
"Okay, then it's decided."
This trip started from Lungmen, first to Syracuse, then to Sargon. After passing through Victoria, Scherzag, and Kazimierz, we resupplyed in Trimon, Columbia, and then headed directly north into the Sami Icefield.