The Man Who Took the Imperial Flower

In the restaurant, Lin Qi and Jenia sat facing each other.

The table they chose wasn't very big, and it still retained a relatively traditional dining process. Only when one dish was finished would the next dish be passed on, and the plates on the table would be cleared away at the same time. This also meant that there didn't need to be too many plates on the table at the same time.

The two drank and chatted quietly, talking about rather ordinary things, such as changes in trends.

"Since the second half of last year, adventure movies have become popular here. Many people say that you caused this change. I have also taken on a movie, and we will start filming when the weather gets a little warmer. The location is also Nagaril."

A glint flashed in Jenia's eyes. The more she talked to Lin Qi and the more she learned about this young, handsome, wealthy, and seemingly flawless man, the stronger her hatred became.

It wasn't that she hated Lin Qi, but that she hated herself for being too old, for her background preventing her from having true freedom, and for meeting Lin Qi too late.

She didn't want to admit it, but she had to: she was deeply attracted to this man who was almost ten years younger than her.

His eloquence, his temperament, his humor, his demeanor, his knowledge, his vision...

Every single detail, even a single hair on Lin Qi's leg, seemed perfect to Jenia. He was just so attractive, and she couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

She looked at him and said, "You'll have to take care of me then, that's your territory over there!"

Actually, she didn't want to take the role in this movie. Right now, the entire Movie Industry around the world is indeed rushing to make adventure movies, and the market has proven that this type of movie is very popular in any country.

Some analysts also believe that adventure themes will remain mainstream for the next three to five years.

As the effects of the World War continue to spread, adventure films, which emphasize teamwork, rebellion, and resistance, will continue to find a market. They effectively fill the emotional void left by the war for many viewers.

Just as mainstream war movies consistently achieve high box office returns during times of war, both participating and non-participating countries hope to receive good news, news of victory. People are the same way, so some exaggerated war films not only don't get criticized, but are actually extremely popular.

Everyone wants to win, and they can only satisfy their need for that through movies.

But now these war movies are no longer effective. After the war ended, the pain caused by the war began to manifest, and people began to hate and loathe the suffering brought by the war, and along with that, they also loathe war movies.

Every era and every period has a mainstream cultural type that caters to the market.

Currently, adventure films are popular, but in a few years they will become the new genre. Some people have already seen this trend, such as the rise of Inspirational Movie. However, the market is not big enough yet, and capital is profit-driven, so they still focus their main efforts on adventure films.

The market is flooded with poorly made adventure movies, and Jenia has no intention of joining this trend.

As Imperial Family Member, she has a natural advantage and more power to choose scripts. Besides, she's too lazy to film such common themes.

The film was a success, and others thought it was normal, since it was a mainstream subject matter and success was to be expected.

If the film is a failure, people will start talking about her background, acting skills, and so on.

However, she has now changed her mind. If she accepts one of the films, she might be able to stay in Nagaril for a while, giving her ample time to enjoy Lin Qi's company.

"No problem!" Lin Qi answered readily, but he also made a small request. "Someone is throwing a party for me tomorrow, and the attendees are supposed to be important figures in the local financial and political circles. You know I didn't think about any of this when I came here, so I need a female companion."

Meeting Jenia's expectant gaze, Lin Qi continued, "If you don't mind, I'd like you to accompany me to this party as my date."

"Like you said..." Jenia raised her glass and clinked it with Lin Qi's. "No problem!"

The two were chatting happily when suddenly a white light flashed outside. Lin Qi turned around, stood up, and stood in front of Jenia, looking outside.

A reporter was on the street not far away. When his eyes met Lin Qi's, he took off running and quickly disappeared into the night.

"It must be a reporter," Jenia guessed correctly. "People love news that's related to the royal family."

Lin Qi didn't come back to sit down, but instead pointed outside.

The bodyguards at the restaurant entrance were now more spread out on the street, ensuring that Lin Qi would not be harassed again.

He turned to look at Jenia. "Should I have someone bring the reporter back?"

"Come back?" She paused for a moment, then quickly shook her head. "No, it's not necessary. People may like news about the royal family, but they know how to report it. So you don't need to worry about the reporters making you and me sound too disgusting. They don't have the guts."

In the Federal, a parent sued the president because their child learned to swear from his speeches. But in Gefra, defamation of the royal family is almost equivalent to second-degree murder, a crime that can land someone in jail for life.

Even if the newspaper had some Black Materials about the royal family, they wouldn't dare release it without Imperial Family Member present.

The two returned to the dining table and chatted happily.

After dinner, they went to see a movie, then returned to the hotel to continue their in-depth discussions about everything they were curious about and concerned about.

The next morning, while having breakfast in the hotel restaurant, Lin Qi saw the day's newspaper.

His photo was featured on the front page of a local entertainment newspaper, with the headline "The Man Who Plucking the Imperial Flower."

The entire front page, first page, and second page were filled with numerous photographs, including Lin Qi and Jenia dining at a restaurant, entering and leaving a movie theater together, and finally, a scene of them entering a hotel together, accompanied by extensive explanatory text.

These texts provide a detailed account of Lin Qi's identity, and then describe how Lin Qi and Jenia met and how they quickly fell in love.

This report was quite remarkable, and Lin Qi found it fascinating, especially the part where they described the beginning of this "relationship," which stated that "Lin Qi was immediately captivated by Jenia's charm upon meeting her and fell head over heels for her..."

In other words, in less than seventy-two hours of their relationship, Lin Qi raised his wrist to look at his watch. He was the one who took the initiative, which also indirectly raised the status of "Imperial Flower" Jenia in this relationship.

"You're famous now..."

Lin Qi looked up and saw the Regimental Commander carrying a tray and sitting down next to him. However, judging from the expression on his face, he did not seem to blame Lin Qi. Instead, he seemed to be watching the show.

For him, and for most members of the Federal delegation and the people of the Federal, what better way to demonstrate the excellence of Federal man than Lin Qi sleeping with the emperor's sister as soon as he arrived in the core city of the Gefra Empire?

No!

That's something to be proud of, not something to be upset about.

Now everyone is gradually getting used to the demeanor a powerful nation should have, which is quite interesting! Lin Qi put the newspaper back on the table, crossed his legs, and smiled at the Regimental Commander, "I'm sorry I couldn't discuss those matters with you last night. How did your discussion go?"

While eating breakfast, the Regimental Commander said with a smile, "It's alright. The demands made by the Gefra people this time are much more conservative and less extreme than last time, making them easier to communicate with."

During the last round of negotiations, the Gefra people imposed all sorts of harsh conditions, some of which could be described as unreasonable. They demanded this and that from Federal Federal, refusing to budge on even the smallest issues, which dragged the negotiations on for a very long time.

But after that naval battle, the negotiations achieved unprecedented results, and many things became negotiable.

This time, the conditions proposed by the Gefra were not so extreme, and they indicated that they could make some concessions, which was somewhat unbelievable to the Regimental Commander of the delegation who participated in the last negotiation.

The principled, unyielding, and even clamoring-for-war solutions of the Gefra people simply vanished, replaced by those who began to reason, all because they lost a naval battle.

This also made him understand the essence of diplomacy: everything is based on strength! We must make the other side understand that diplomacy is just a result of everyone talking about civilization now. If we can get what we can't get through diplomacy, then it will be difficult for the other side to stick to their position.

"I have an idea..."

Hearing that Lin Qi had an idea, the Regimental Commander put down the food in his hand, picked up a napkin to wipe his hands and mouth, and said, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I noticed that there seemed to be a lack of cultural exchange in those two lists, especially the one that Gefra gave us."

"While achieving cooperation in various aspects, shouldn't we also deepen cultural exchanges?"

The Regimental Commander frowned and thought for a while, but couldn't figure out the key points. "Is there anything special about these?"

Lin Qi nodded. "As the world's most powerful country, simple business cooperation cannot make our relationship closer, but culture can."

"We can seek a deeper understanding of each other beyond these business areas and across society as a whole, thereby strengthening the foundation for cooperation between the two countries in all aspects."

After listening, the Regimental Commander nodded thoughtfully. "What you said seems to make some sense. I will add this to the negotiation process, but when it comes to the specifics, you will have to talk to the Gefra people."

Lin Qi nodded slightly, "It would be my honor!"