Volume Five: Return from the Other Side, Chapter 392: Nid's Spring (1)
That happened nearly two hundred years ago.
On the far side of the moon, in Void Space created by the Void Realm, a dark and silent palace stands silently, as if it has been there since time immemorial.
And in one of the wide corridors, the two met by chance... or at least it seemed like a chance encounter.
On one side was a woman of unparalleled beauty with an indifferent expression.
On one side was a young man dressed in business casual attire.
"Who are you...?"
"Nice to meet you. My name is Yu He, and I became a senior executive before you."
"Senior?"
"I wouldn't dare call myself a senior," Yu He said with a smile that was a mix of affability, friendliness, and humility—an expression he often wore when first meeting people in business. "I've only been with you for a few years; calling me a contemporary wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you." Blood Fiend nodded.
"To be honest, when I first heard the title 'Blood Fiend,' I thought it was a terrifying person, but I didn't expect her to be such a beautiful lady."
Yu He said somewhat embarrassedly. His words just now seemed unremarkable, and anyone could hear the slightly deliberate flattery in them. But its brilliance lay precisely in this: these obvious "deliberate" and "naive" gestures would make the listener subconsciously look down on him, while giving him a sense of self-satisfaction. All of this would lead the listener to misjudge Yu He's abilities.
"Oh, thank you."
Blood Fiend merely tilted his head.
Yu He observed Blood Fiend's eyes seemingly casually, but found he couldn't discern anything. Blood Fiend's black pupils were like frosted black glass beads; even if one could see through the hazy layer of mist, all that remained was pitch black.
Although Yu He hoped to cultivate good relationships with every high-ranking official... it seemed impossible with this Miss Blood Fiend; she was probably even more difficult to deal with than the Madam. Since that was the case, there was no need to rush. His original intention was simply to meet this new colleague; if he found her difficult to get along with, he'd just end things quickly.
"I am, for the time being, the founder and behind-the-scenes operator of the Gray Starling Group. I still wield considerable power in Human Society. If you have any needs in the future, you are welcome to cooperate with us. I can help with any problem that can be solved with money."
After saying this, Yu He bowed slightly, preparing to take his leave, however—
"Wait a minute." "Oh?"
"Since you put it that way, I do have something that isn't very important that I can ask you to help me with."
Yu He certainly didn't care about things like "there's something not very important"—what the heck was that?
"Please speak, I'm happy to help."
"There's a group of people making a revolution in the West Saint Continent. Although I've been forcibly recruited into the organization by the Leader, I was, for the time being, an idol, leader, and object of public fantasy and masturbation for that Revolutionary Army?"
What the heck is the last one...?
"So, you mean...?"
"It wouldn't be good for me to suddenly disappear. They seem to be short of money, so why don't you companies become their sponsors?"
Before Yu He could even voice his questions, his businessman instincts were already kicking in—how much investment would it take to sponsor the Revolutionary Army? How much profit would they gain if they succeeded? Could they use this opportunity to eliminate the Papacy, this cancerous tumor controlling the market, and allow the Grey Starlings to completely dominate the Western Saint market? How could they maximize profits? What about risk assessment? Should they establish several more subsidiaries? Who was suitable to handle these matters? Stocks, bonds, financing, and legal representatives...
In a mere second, this whole host of thoughts raced through his mind.
Of course, it wasn't outwardly revealed at all.
"That's certainly no problem. In fact, it's not impossible for me to directly 'buy' the Revolutionary Army. That way—"
"No, there's no need to send them more soldiers to fight alongside them. If they encounter a crisis, don't interfere; let them handle it themselves. You just need to provide the funds."
"... Could you let me hear... why do this? Wouldn't it be better to resolve it all at once? It's like a debt—the longer it drags on, the harder it is to collect."
"Why?"
Blood Fiend tilted his head again.
"If I had to put it in perspective... if they win, it would be a good ending; if they lose and are wiped out by the Papacy, that wouldn't be so bad either, a bloody mess would be quite beautiful."
"..."
What kind of reason is that...?
Money isn't everything, but you can't do without it—this is a universal truth.
Throughout history, those who achieve great things have relied not only on strength, intelligence, connections, favorable timing, location, and human resources, but also on extremely important funding.
The Revolutionary Army on the West Saint Continent was no exception. The mobilization of military equipment before the great battle, the stockpiling of military rations, the construction of fortifications, the resettlement of disaster victims... there were countless expenses involved. Although the Revolutionary Army would absorb most of the local papal treasury after each city was captured (with the remainder distributed to disaster victims to appease the people), funds were still extremely scarce.
Therefore, sponsorship from other forces is essential.
Needless to say, the Bredwich Family invested all the revenue from its businesses. Then there were the forces aligned with the Revolutionary Army: large groups like the Rakshasa Cult, which were hostile to the Rakshasa Divine Sect, and merchant guilds like the Gray Starling Group, which wanted a share of the spoils after the victory.
Now that the Rakshasa Divine Sect has been destroyed, Yun Can led the remaining Rakshasa Army to merge directly with the Revolutionary Army, so the main participants in this meeting are still the merchants.
Most of the delegates have arrived, and the banquet will be held in a day; time is tight.
The mansion's main kitchen was bustling with activity as preparations for tomorrow were underway. Servants were working at full speed, polishing every corner until it shone. Nid and Loxue were also very busy.
Although their current job is simply to sit quietly and let others do as they please.
"Very good! Lord Nid, please turn around!"
"A little more! Turn your head a little more!"
"How handsome! Nid Ned's hair!"
"Please lay your arms flat, we're going to measure your arm length~"
"Nid Ned's muscles are so strong!"
"Definitely! Let me touch it too... Ouch~~~~~~"
Nid was completely speechless.
As a revolutionary leader revered by all, he was now being suppressed by a group of chattering girls, powerless to resist.
"I'll measure Lord Nid's waistline!"
"Wow, those eight-pack abs are amazing!"
"Mermaid lines prprprprprpr~"
"I'll measure your thighs!"
"Oh no! They beat us to it!"
"How cunning! QAQ!"
"You..."
Frustration and embarrassment (embarrassment?) finally pushed Nid to his breaking point.
"That's enough! Taking measurements and customizing clothes should be quick, right? So stop chattering and just get it done!"
His shout stunned all the young girls—some of whom were even middle-aged women.
It seemed he had finally regained some of his authority—just as he thought this, the girls erupted in deafening cheers.
"They're insulting me! They're insulting me! Lord Nid has insulted me! Great~~~~ awesome~~~~~"
"Stop daydreaming, I was the one yelling! Get out of here, you little bitch!"
"Lord Nid is incredibly manly when he gets fierce!"
"Well..."
Nid sighed and lowered his head, deciding to stop thinking about it.
With only one day left until the grand banquet with the Chamber of Commerce representatives, both Nid and Loxue must wear formal attire. Of course, whether it's Loxue, who has been frantically busy in the camp, or Nid, who has been hacking through piles of corpses, all they have are a few spare military uniforms; evening gowns are out of the question.
That's why this step was included.
In preparation for the upcoming banquet, the elite maids rushed to measure the two men's body dimensions, which were then completed by the superhumans in just one day. This was a piece of cake for the maid team, which was mostly composed of superhumans.
So, rather than doing serious business, it was more like... a meet-and-greet with an idol.