Chapter 497
Ablana's palms and tail were ablaze with raging Purple Flame, and she believed she had seized the Morality high ground:
"This time you came to provoke me, so don't blame me. As things stand..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Shi Lei's icy gaze and felt an overwhelming surge of Psychic Power approaching her.
"Kneel down!"
Ablana was stunned, her pupils suddenly losing focus. Although it was only for a brief moment, her Psychic Power crumbled instantly before her opponent, and she couldn't resist at all.
A thought called fear crept up her spine and into her psyche, causing her to retreat in terror.
"What... what are you going to do?"
Shi Lei had one arm around Mudrock, and the way he looked at him was as if he were looking at a dead man.
"You bullied my wife here before, so what am I doing here today? I'm here to seek justice for the Victorians who died tragically in Little Hill County."
Shi Lei learned of the Deep Pool Forces' uprising in Little Hill County from the bugle call several months ago. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor, and this debt should rightfully be paid by Ablana.
A leader like her, who harms innocent people, is a menace if left unchecked. If left unchecked, she'll cause trouble later; it's better to nip her in the bud.
Ablana retreated continuously, fully realizing the disparity in strength between them. She unleashed Purple Flame powerful enough to incinerate everything, yet failed to harm it in the slightest.
A wave of despair washed over Ablana; she had never felt death so close.
"Don't come any closer!"
Half an hour later, the Duke Wellington hurriedly returned.
He has contacted all the Grand Duke in the Londinium City, and they have gathered at the military camp in the Norbert District.
This time, Mister Zhongli didn't kill him; he only demanded compensation and a published apology. The Duke Wellington could accept this, and even felt he had gotten a bargain.
He had been running around and felt very thirsty.
Seeing many untouched cups of coffee on the table in the Council Hall, I picked up a cup and chug it down in a loud, enthusiastic manner.
Before the Duke Wellington could catch his breath, the sergeant, looking like a jinx, rushed in in a panic:
"It's terrible, Your Lord Duke! Mister Zhongli went to the Sunset Hotel and killed His Highness on His Highness spot!"
"What?!"
The Duke Wellington's eyes widened, and the coffee cup in his hand shattered on the floor with a crash. He felt his blood pressure spike, as if his soul had been ripped out in an instant.
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Chapter 571 The Punishment of Eating Rock (4K)
When Shi Lei and his group returned from the Sunset Hotel, all the Duke of Londinium had arrived.
Besides the Duke Windermere, who returned to Sargon border post with his daughter and troops, others such as the Dukes of Duke Godot, Duke Faf, Duke Normandy, and the Iron Duke also attended. Even the usually cautious Duke Kester was present under the protection of his personal guards.
For no other reason than the name Zhongli.
Hearing that he had summoned everyone here, these Duke came to keep their appointment without even knowing why they had come.
The unprecedented act of destroying the Star Pod has made some belatedly aware Duke realize the seriousness of the situation.
Although they had many powerful subordinates, it paled in comparison to their feat of shattering the Sky Curtain.
Even if the strongest warriors under his command trained for hundreds of years, they might not reach that level.
The Dukes of Victoria reached a remarkable consensus on how to deal with Zhongli. They could only comply with his demands and absolutely could not disagree.
Fortunately, Zhongli was a relatively easy-going person, and they didn't suffer any unacceptable losses. Regardless of the reason, they gladly came to the military camp to keep their appointment.
Seeing him and his family coming in from outside, Duke Godot, with his potbelly protruding, stepped forward to greet him:
"I heard you summoned everyone, so I immediately dropped everything and rushed over from the Defense Zone. But that Duke Wellington is really something, how can he use a military camp to entertain distinguished guests? After things are settled, would you do me the honor of having a simple meal at my residence?"
When Duke Godot started fawning over everyone, the other Duke were disgusted. They didn't hate the fawning behavior itself, but rather that the boy had gotten there first.
Shi Lei wasn't familiar with the Duke, so he politely declined the invitation to have dinner at the duke's residence. Seeing that the Duke Wellington hadn't appeared, he quickly scanned the area with his Psychic Power.
They soon found Wellington lying in bed, surrounded by officers and Doctor. Although he was not in mortal danger, he must have suffered a severe psychological trauma.
Shi Lei didn't have that much of a grudge against the other party; the Old Duke's offensive behavior was settled after those three things were done.
But his seeking retribution from Ablana was to protect his girlfriend Mudrock and to demand justice for the innocent people of Little Hill County.
Shi Lei handled the matter clearly and separately; any behind-the-scenes connection between the two was irrelevant to him.
Even if the Talulah lose their leader, they can still go back and find a place to recuperate.
Londinium isn't Talulah territory, so letting a tyrant like Ablana ascend to the throne might not be a good thing.
"Please have a seat, everyone."
Seeing that the Duke Wellington would not be coming out anytime soon, Shi Lei took the seat of honor.
Unlike other countries, Victoria is still in a state of internal division. There is no Ruler who can win the hearts and minds of all the people and represent their opinions.
After the Duke Kester his seat, he took the initiative to ask:
"Mister Zhongli, is there something important you need us for?"
Seeing that the Dukes had taken their seats, Shi Lei responded:
"I'm here to give you all money and fame."
"Ah?"
Upon hearing this explanation, some Duke's minds went blank for a moment, and some didn't even realize what was happening. They all cast questioning glances at each other, waiting for what would follow.
"Currently, each country's communication and network can only be used within a limited range. Once a Catastrophe destroys a base station or cable, it will lead to a large-scale and long-term loss of signal. To solve these problems, I have recently prepared a Cross-border Communication Project. It will lay a cable of more than a thousand kilometers, spanning several countries, to unify the communication network of the entire Terra."
If any Catastrophe cause damage during the service period, I will try my best to repair it. Users of this service only need to pay a monthly fee of 10 yuan.
Considering that Londinium had just experienced the devastation of war, and many people couldn't even afford to eat, I decided to personally fund a year of free Cross-border Network Signal service for the residents of Londinium.
As for everyone here, you'll still have to pay the normal fee. However, this money doesn't need to be given to me; instead, it will be exchanged for various supplies to distribute to the city's residents. This way, you'll not only use the service for free, but you'll also gain a good reputation among the people. Does anyone have any objections?"
With the throne of Victoria currently undecided, there is naturally no one who can make the final decision. However, the Dukes present collectively represent the opinions of the majority of Duke.
On the surface, Shi Lei was convening a meeting, but in reality, it carried a clear threat and warning: to make the Dukes be careful not to take advantage of the people in the city.
He was unwilling to get involved in Victoria's political struggles, but instead used force to set a bottom line for the Dukes, trying to alleviate the survival pressure on the disadvantaged as much as possible.
After hearing about this Cross-border Communication Service Project, the Dukes exchanged bewildered glances. They all knew the importance of this transnational project for intelligence gathering.
Although Zhongli implied that everyone was forcing them to participate, he didn't take much of their money. Moreover, using the money for disaster relief and reconstruction would certainly earn them a good reputation.
Only the Iron Duke, like a stingy miser, asked the question everyone was most concerned about with a cold face:
"What about a year from now? Will it still be the same price?"
"Yes, it's still 10 yuan per person per month. As for how much to raise the price, that's your own business. I only have one requirement: that everyone in Victoria can enjoy the services of Cross-border Communication Network."
Ha, I thought he was really that kind.
It sounds nice, but in the end it's all about money.
Tsk, this guy has quite an appetite.
The Dukes knew in their hearts what it meant to involve every Victorians. With ten million people in their country, that would mean paying a hundred million every month.
However, the service is indeed excellent. Many investors have invested heavily in cross-border communication networks in the past, but they all lost everything due to severe regional losses.
For the Duke on site, the biggest drawback of building Cross-border Communication Network was that he could no longer resort to underhanded tactics.
In the past, they could rely on the lack of information in various regions and use military intelligence blockade to distort the truth.
If such propaganda tactics are employed after Cross-border Communication Network is established, it will only make things look more clownish. Because information is interconnected between countries, the lies will be quickly exposed.
But what's the use of being dissatisfied?
The Dukes exchanged glances, but none of them dared to openly voice their opposition.
It's not that they bully the weak and fear the strong; it's just that their individual strength is simply inferior, so there's not much to say.
Shi Lei knew what these people were thinking, but he didn't say anything. After looking around, he continued to ask:
"If you have any questions, please ask them as soon as possible, and I can answer them on the spot."
"There is none left."
Me too.
"Since no one has any objections, then it's settled. Xi, draft the contract for everyone."
Shi Lei had already explained the relevant terms and conditions for business cooperation. Xi used her hand as a pen, drafting contracts faster than a printer. Under the Dukes' astonished gazes, she quickly drafted several business contracts.
While his ability to conjure objects out of thin air wasn't as stunning as his creation of Rock Constructs, it was still quite impressive. It seems the woman beside him is equally formidable.
Shi Lei was now acting like a client, watching the Dukes sign and affix their fingerprints. Once everything was complete, he collected the documents and solemnly sent them the following information:
"This is the first business contract we've signed in Liyue City, and it has legal effect. If any of you break your promises or breach the contract in the future, you will be Punishment of Eating Rock."
He didn't need to explain further; the phrase "Punishment of Eating Rock" already conveyed the severity of the penalty.
The Dukes nodded vigorously, not daring to disagree at such a critical juncture, and all echoed their sentiments.
"Alright, that's what I called you all here for today. We'll be leaving now, goodbye."
Shi Lei was uninterested in their social interactions and instead went inside the military camp to find the Duke Wellington to finalize the contract. Only after the Duke signed and fingerprinted the document did he leave with the others.
He wasn't in a hurry to leave the city, but instead went to the Mid-level District to find the Self-Rescue Army camp and see how they were doing.
After the war ended, the Londinium Self-Rescue Army was renamed the Londinium Reconstruction Army.
Every day, I scavenge through the ruins of the Central City District, painstakingly gathering materials to repair the Mid-level District.
Upon learning that Mister Zhongli had come looking for them, Alda and Clovicia were overjoyed. They both returned from the Frontline, hoping he could help rebuild their damaged houses.
Shi Lei was at odds with the various Duke, but he was very kind to the disaster-stricken people and agreed to their request.
In just a few hours, they used Rock Constructs to build many residential buildings in the Central City District. They also demolished and rebuilt some dilapidated buildings in the Mid-level District.
As for the luxurious buildings such as the Victoria Royal Palace and the Duke's Mansion, he didn't know how to restore them. So he simply converted them into residential buildings according to the standards of Liyue City.
Regardless of who moves in later, at least the Self-Rescue Army can save themselves a lot of trouble for now. They can spend more time with their families or busy themselves with making a living.
As night fell, Alda and Clovicia invited Shi Lei and others to a bonfire party. Everyone sang and danced in the square in the Mid-level District, creating a lively atmosphere.
During the gathering, Fester participated in the bonfire party. He was a local of Londinium, so his presence there wasn't surprising. It was rumored that he had joined Rhodes Island, codenamed White Iron, possibly related to the machine he carried.
Shi Lei casually inquired about the Doctor's whereabouts, but to his surprise, Fester actually knew.
He said the Doctor went to Scherzag, but he didn't know exactly where. Apparently, it was to celebrate or cut the ribbon for the completion of a new railway there.
Based on Fester's description and the information Shi Lei had gathered, they roughly understood why the Doctor had been invited to such a remote place.
At the end of last year, the three major families of Scherzag held a tribal meeting. During the meeting, Enciodis's subordinate, [Lingzhi], injured a staff member of Aktos.
The other two families, already dissatisfied with Enciodis' growing power, demanded that he relinquish control of the valley and mining areas and withdraw from the tri-family council.
Enciodis stated that he had severely punished the Lingzhi, but the others were not convinced. After heated discussions, he proposed handing over command to his sister, the Saintess of Scherzag, 'Frostnova'. The other two families, due to the Saintess's status in Scherzag, had no choice but to agree.
With the position vacant after the Lingzhi's punishment, Enciodis suggested that the Doctor temporarily fill the vacancy. The Aktos family suspected something was amiss and invited the Doctor to their home.
As a result, the Doctor turned the tables and staged a good show with Enciodis and others. First, he had Lingzhi blow up the train, creating the image of him as someone who refused to accept punishment.
Then, the 'defected' Lingzhi approached Tatos's sister, offering a plan to assassinate Enciodis at the blessing ceremony, thus dragging Tatos into the scheme.
The Doctor thus took control of the situation and had Sharp protect Enciodis in advance, leading to the assassination's failure.
They also used this to make both families targets of public criticism, causing them to lose prestige in their respective territories. From then on, they were no longer a match for the Enciodis family.
After hearing these stories of 'battle of wits,' Shi Lei felt that Scherzag was truly a simple and honest place. He felt that they were all just reckless fools who were completely manipulated by a divisive tactic.
Of course, Scherzag is an isolated place by nature. One cannot expect the people here to be particularly resourceful.
In their original travel plan, they would head north to Kazimierz after leaving Victoria. Since the Doctor was in Scherzag, they decided to add an extra stop. They could go and say hello and enjoy the local scenery.
This isolated country, which has only recently opened to the outside world, boasts simple and pristine scenery.
Shi Lei used to frequently fly over Scherzag when he was transporting goods; there's a mountain there that's taller than the surrounding mountains. But this is his first time going there as a tourist.
Shi Lei discussed it with the others, and they didn't mind visiting unknown tourist attractions. Anyway, it was only late July, and after finding Reine des Neiges's owner in Sami, they could fly back to Lungmen in just one or two days.
That night, Exusiai got completely drunk. Fortunately, she didn't have to drive, so she could just enjoy her drink.
The next morning, Shi Lei and the others bid farewell to Alda and other members of the Self-Rescue Army and embarked on their westward journey.