Chapter Summaries

The Emperor of Gefra considered how to accept Federal help in stabilizing the Amelia Region without appearing desperate. In Nagaril, He Bosi pitched international bankers on Lin Qi’s plan to borrow Galil to influence its exchange rate, leaving them wondering why Lin Qi wanted a loan rather than simply buying the currency.

• The Emperor of Gefra decided he would reluctantly accept the ministers’ proposal for Federal help only after they publicly persuaded him.
• He Bosi gathered international bankers in Nagaril and introduced a major deal involving Lin Qi and the development rights to the province.
• He Bosi explained that Lin Qi wanted to borrow a large amount of Galil, which Federal businesses would need to pay local workers.
• He Bosi argued that Federal development would strengthen Nagaril’s economy and raise Galil’s value, while restricting its circulation could push the currency higher.
• The bankers questioned why Lin Qi wanted to borrow Galil instead of exchanging for it, since they expected the currency to appreciate.

He Bosi persuaded a group of bankers to pool money for Lin Qi’s loan by offering his bonds as collateral and wagering them as interest if Gefra did not redeem them. Lin Qi learned that the bankers could raise nearly nine billion Galil, while Preton’s capture and cooperation strengthened his plans.

• He Bosi told the bankers Lin Qi wanted to borrow ten billion Galil and proposed using Lin Qi’s bonds as collateral.
• He Bosi explained that the loan would accrue no interest if Gefra agreed to redeem the bonds, but the bankers would receive all the pledged bonds if Gefra introduced no new policy after repayment.
• The bankers agreed to join the deal, seeing the wager as a chance for high returns with little risk.
• Lin Qi received word that the Cement Factory was under construction and that Preton had been captured and was cooperating with the National Security Committee.
• He Bosi told Lin Qi he could raise between eight and nine billion Galil, and Lin Qi confirmed that the transaction would take place in the Federation.

Lin Qi received Federation investors in Nagaril and unexpectedly reunited with Penny, who had come with a film crew to scout locations for the second Lin Qi's Adventures movie. The chapter ended with Penny explaining that she had won the female lead role and that the film was connected to Lin Qi.

• Mr. He Bosi left after discussing business with Lin Qi, who then prepared to receive investors in Nagaril.
• Lin Qi welcomed the Nagaril Mengwu Province Railway Construction Company's investors, who had come to inspect the region after Lyme secured more than two million in investments.
• Penny arrived with a film crew and ran over to embrace Lin Qi, interrupting his conversation with the investors.
• Lin Qi told Penny not to interrupt him while he was receiving guests, and she agreed before linking her arm through his.
• Penny told Lin Qi that Fox Film had cast her as the female lead in the second Lin Qi's Adventures movie and that the crew was scouting locations.

Lin Qi discussed Fox Film’s decision to film in Nagaril and learned that Penny’s agency hoped her rumored connection to him would help her enter the Upper Class. On the bus, he coached Lyme on attracting investors and warned the visitors to stay near the hotel as Nagaril remained unsafe and run-down.

• Little Fox told Lin Qi that Fox Film would receive subsidies and a substantial tax exemption for filming in Nagaril, and praised Lin Qi for inspiring the adventure-film trend.
• Little Fox left Lin Qi and Penny together, believing he had chosen well by casting her as the female lead and that her closeness to Lin Qi could benefit Fox Film.
• Penny told Lin Qi that her agency supported rumors linking them because he offered her a chance to enter the Upper Class.
• Lin Qi reassured Lyme about the small number of investors he had brought and explained how regret could make investors recruit others to share the risk.
• Lin Qi instructed Lyme to keep the investors near the hotel and discuss how their investments could help develop Nagaril while he handled other matters.

The High Priest ordered his children to flee to the Bayer Federation before the coming Great Destruction, while he chose to remain behind because his faith bound him to his home. He appointed Rui Ka to guide his siblings and considered giving him control of their money, leaving Rui Ka responsible for their survival abroad.

• The High Priest told his children that the gods had warned of the Great Destruction and instructed them to escape to the Bayer Federation, with Rui Ka leading them.
• After the others left, Rui Ka asked his father to come with them, but the High Priest refused because his faith was inseparable from his life at home.
• The High Priest asked Rui Ka about the federation, and Rui Ka described its money-driven politics, his growing religious following, and its strict laws.
• Rui Ka warned that his older brothers might break the federation's laws and asked for control of their shared money so he could restrain them.
• The High Priest said he would consider setting up a fund, while Rui Ka concealed his surprise and accepted the decision.

Lin Qi agreed to help the High Priest establish a foundation and guide his children as they settled in the Federation. The High Priest showed Lin Qi his lifetime savings, a large but low-purity pile of gold, and asked what it was worth.

• The High Priest asked Lin Qi what had changed Rui Ka, and Lin Qi explained that he had broken Rui Ka's bones to teach him that he had no special privileges in the Federation.
• The High Priest said he planned to send several of his children to the Federation and asked Lin Qi to help manage their behavior and teach them how to live there.
• The High Priest asked Lin Qi to establish a foundation to protect his children's inheritance and provide them comfortable lives.
• Lin Qi agreed to send the children to school, hire professionals to teach them, and help resolve problems they caused.
• The High Priest led Lin Qi out of the woods to a pile of gold bars and ingots, then asked him to estimate their value.

Lin Qi and the High Priest agreed to place Nagaril’s temple gold in a foundation managed by Blackstone Capital, with the High Priest’s children receiving shares after a ten-year trusteeship. The High Priest explained that the arrangement would protect them in the Federation, while he stayed behind to secure their future through his remaining influence.

• Lin Qi estimated the temple’s impure gold was worth ten to fifteen million Federation Sol, surprising the High Priest with its value.
• The High Priest entrusted Lin Qi with the gold, and they agreed to establish a foundation whose funds Blackstone Capital would manage for ten years.
• The High Priest’s children, including Rui Ka, objected to the agreement, but the High Priest asserted his authority and explained that they needed Lin Qi’s protection in the Federation.
• The High Priest told his children that Preton’s power had made Nagaril dependent on him, while the Federation had dealt with him effortlessly.
• The High Priest said he would remain in Nagaril to secure benefits and preserve his influence, explaining that he was doing everything for his children.

At the Youth Party’s jungle headquarters, its leader urged members to seize foreign merchants’ assets to resist the Federation and planned to appeal to the merchants’ Nagaril-born children. Nearby, one such young man sat alone, hurt by his father’s treatment of him and his mother.

• The Youth Party leader told members that foreign merchants were fleeing and that the party should prevent them from taking their wealth out of Nagaril.
• He argued that the gods were a tool of oppression and called on the Youth Party to reclaim what belonged to the Nagaril People.
• The leader proposed taking control of the departing merchants’ factories, goods, and shops to build strength against Federation merchants.
• The leader told members to refine gold pieces for cash and said he would try to persuade the foreign merchants’ children to join them as Nagaril People.
• A young man in a city courtyard reflected on his father’s treatment of him and his mother, recognizing that their place in his father’s life had been a disguise.

Lin Qi entertained investors at a lavish hotel, danced with Penny, and introduced her to the social circle. He left her among the ladies while he joined the gentlemen, where Lyme felt the strain of belonging to high society.

• Lin Qi danced closely with Penny while a Nagaril singer performed for the guests.
• Lin Qi recognized the singer’s potential and sent a server a phone number and instructions.
• Lin Qi asked Penny whether she had played a socialite, then guided her to greet the gentlemen before she joined the ladies.
• Lyme explained that the gentlemen had been discussing the chaotic traffic, then felt relieved that he no longer had to envy their gatherings.

Lin Qi persuaded investors to back a railway network in Mengwu Province by highlighting the profits from passenger travel as well as freight. The investors saw a path to fast returns, while Lyme continued to admire Lin Qi’s skill.

• Lin Qi took over the discussion from Lyme and argued that Nagaril’s poor transportation made railways a major business opportunity.
• Lin Qi explained that his company held exclusive rights to build and operate railways in the region, but the investors worried that returns might take too long.
• Lin Qi pointed to Nagaril’s large population and showed how passenger fares could add substantial revenue to freight profits.
• When an investor asked how to ensure people rode the trains, Lin Qi proposed giving them jobs far from home so they would travel back and forth by rail.
• The investors praised Lin Qi’s plan and concluded that the railway could repay its investment within a few years.

Lin Qi won over potential railway investors by presenting the opportunity in terms they wanted to hear, while Penny listened to a woman’s advice about relationships and resolving to make a choice. After Lin Qi escorted Penny to her room, she pulled him inside as another guest watched.

• Lin Qi persuaded investors by emphasizing the railway’s appealing prospects and returns, then left Lyme to carry on the conversation.
• A lady advised Penny to take the initiative with Lin Qi and gave her a business card for a physical-form coach in Bu Peien.
• Lin Qi finished mingling with the banquet guests and took Penny back to her hotel room.
• Penny hesitated at her doorway as Lin Qi waited, then reached out and pulled him into her room.
• A lady exiting the elevator saw Penny pull Lin Qi inside and remarked that he was adorable.

Lin Qi reflected on changing attitudes toward sexual experience and society’s shifting values after his encounter with Penny, while Penny considered whether to make their relationship public. Three days later, Mr. Wo Delike heard something break upstairs and asked his wife what had happened to their daughter.

• Penny apologized to Lin Qi for her inexperience, and he reassured her that he was not angry.
• Lin Qi told Penny he believed a lack of experience was nothing to be ashamed of and criticized social trends that encouraged sexual promiscuity.
• The next morning, Penny’s agent asked whether she and Lin Qi would announce their relationship, explaining that publicity could bring her more acting opportunities.
• Penny asked her agent for advice about making the relationship public.
• Three days later, Mr. Wo Delike heard something break upstairs and asked his wife what had happened to their little darling.

Sai Weiruila explained to her parents that Lin Qi’s scandal had upset her, and Mr. Wo Delike warned her that Lin Qi was too ambitious and dangerous to make a suitable partner. Sai Weiruila challenged her father’s attempts to decide what was best for her, leaving their disagreement unresolved.

• Sai Weiruila vented her anger by smashing valuables, then joined Mr. Wo Delike and her mother for breakfast.
• Sai Weiruila showed her parents a newspaper report linking Lin Qi to a female actress.
• Mr. Wo Delike warned Sai Weiruila that Lin Qi would pursue his ambitions over love and might hurt her.
• Sai Weiruila told her father he could not protect her forever and had to consider what she herself wanted.

Sai Weiruila confronted Wo Delike about how his overprotectiveness had kept her from living her own life, and he agreed to let her pursue Lin Qi under one condition. As Sai Weiruila prepared to leave for Kuli Lan City, Catherine dismissed a friend’s concern that Lin Qi was cheating on her.

• Sai Weiruila told Wo Delike that his decisions had left her watching others live while she remained unhappy, and Wo Delike reconsidered how he had treated her.
• Sai Weiruila apologized for speaking harshly, but Wo Delike apologized for controlling her life and agreed not to oppose her relationship with Lin Qi.
• Wo Delike asked Sai Weiruila not to have sex with Lin Qi unless they were considering marriage, and she readily agreed.
• Wo Delike told Sai Weiruila to take the Head Maid and other servants with her, and she hurried off to pack for her departure.
• Catherine’s friend accused Lin Qi of cheating after seeing the news, but Catherine said they had broken up and told her friend to read or sleep instead.

Mr. Truman urged the Nagaril Diplomat to support the appreciation of Galil and then offered him a chance to settle in the Federation. The Diplomat recognized that the offer was also meant to influence Nagaril, but he was left weighing the Federation’s attention against his loyalty and ambitions.

• Mr. Truman discussed promoting the appreciation of Galil with the Nagaril Diplomat, who said he was communicating with his country but could not decide the matter alone.
• The Nagaril Diplomat praised Nagaril’s spiritual wealth while Mr. Truman contrasted the Federation’s prosperity, technology, and political freedoms.
• Mr. Truman asked whether the Nagaril Diplomat had considered settling in the Federation, and the Diplomat objected that the question insulted his dignity.
• Mr. Truman described the Diplomat’s poor standing in Nagaril and argued that the Federation could provide a stage for his ideas and ambitions.
• After Mr. Truman left, the Nagaril Diplomat realized the offer was also intended to secure his help with Galil’s appreciation and sat contemplating his uncertain future.

Truman told the President that Federal United Mining had discovered gold and bauxite in Nagaril, raising concern that Gefra might seek access to the country’s resources. The Federation resolved to keep Gefra out of Nagaril’s development, while news of the deposits spread worldwide and enraged the Gefra Emperor.

• The President welcomed Truman and assumed the diplomat had agreed, but Truman said he had not.
• Truman reported that Federal United Mining had found open-pit gold and bauxite deposits in southeastern Nagaril, and the President asked whether they had found copper or iron.
• Truman warned that Gefra might seek to jointly develop Nagaril’s mineral resources or buy copper at a low price.
• The President and Truman agreed that the Federation could sell Gefra ore but would not let it interfere in Nagaril’s development.
• News of Nagaril’s gold and bauxite deposits spread, attracting research and exploration requests from around the world.
• The Gefra Emperor roared in anger over the Federal gains and the continued instability of the Amelia Region.

Lin Qi turned twenty-two and celebrated with Sai Weiruila and Provincial Governor Drag after setting rules for the coming merchant competition. Nearby, Mr. Simon considered selling his holdings and leaving, while his son noticed the butler’s worry.

• Lin Qi finished a salon where he set rules for competition between local, foreign, and Federation merchants in the United Development Company’s market.
• Sai Weiruila surprised Lin Qi with a birthday party, confessed that she considered him her happiness, and joined him in cutting the cake with Provincial Governor Drag present.
• Mr. Simon concluded that the coming competition could ruin local foreign merchants and asked his butler to find out the value of his properties, land, factories, and shops.
• Mr. Simon told the butler he planned to teach Federation merchants a lesson, though he privately intended to leave alone without taking his son and the boy’s mother.
• Mr. Simon’s son noticed the butler’s troubled expression and asked what was wrong.

The youth learned that Mr. Simon might sell his property and leave Nagaril, and he realized his father intended to abandon him and his mother. Overcome with grief, he thought of the interesting young man whose determination to fight for a better future had stirred something in him.

• The old butler warned the youth that Mr. Simon might leave Nagaril and urged him to ask his father about it.
• The youth confronted Mr. Simon, who refused to answer and threatened him with punishment for asking around.
• The youth returned to his room and cried as he sensed that Mr. Simon planned to abandon him and his mother.
• The youth remembered the interesting young man who had shown him a spirit of resistance and the will to build a brighter future.

Lin Qi walked with Sai Weiruila, who confessed that she had fallen for him, and he declined to accept her feelings while cleverly reassuring her. He warned her that a dangerous awakening and chaos were coming, and hoped she would leave before she was caught up in it.

• Lin Qi was surprised when Sai Weiruila came to see him, while Penny watched them walk together from behind the curtains.
• Sai Weiruila confessed that she thought she had fallen for Lin Qi and asked whether he would accept her feelings.
• Lin Qi said they were too young and unprepared for a relationship, suggesting they become close friends instead.
• Sai Weiruila asked whether the rumors about Lin Qi and Penny were true, and Lin Qi admitted they were while describing Penny as a passing distraction.
• Lin Qi kissed Sai Weiruila's forehead and warned her that dangerous events would soon bring chaos to the Provincial Governor's Garden.
• Sai Weiruila asked whether Lin Qi was worried about her, and he said he hoped danger would not touch her.

Lin Qi and Provincial Governor Drag prepared to ignite a conflict with the Nagaril Youth Party before it could grow beyond their control. As foreign merchants prepared to leave, an unexpected incident interrupted the apparent calm.

• Sai Weiruila left Nagaril for the Federation after confessing her feelings to Lin Qi and agreeing to return after the unrest.
• Provincial Governor Drag told Lin Qi that his agents investigating the Nagaril Youth Party had gone missing, and they discussed the party's Royal Capital headquarters and growing influence.
• Lin Qi warned Drag that the Youth Party could eventually target those in power, and Drag agreed to proceed with their plan to provoke the conflict early.
• Foreign merchants struggled to obtain goods and began preparing to leave Nagaril as the United Development Company controlled access to trade.
• An unexpected little accident occurred as the merchants prepared to depart.