365. I, Li Hao, Don't Pretend, I Only Speak the Truth

Not long ago, in Great Xia.

Li Hao answered the call from the Ethereal Master and exclaimed in surprise, "The France is that useless?"

Three hours!

Even if we enter Paris from outside the France waters, it will be around this time.

Not to mention that Atlantis also intends to disarm all resistance forces!

Of course, Li Hao only made a sarcastic comment about this and did not delve into how useless the France really were. After all, Atlantis was a very ancient civilization, and it was not something the France could withstand, which was to be expected.

Li Hao pondered for a moment and said, "You want my help?"

The Ethereal Master glanced at the man in black before him and said, "It's not that I want to ask for your help, but rather that the imperial court wants to talk to you."

The Ethereal Master deliberately emphasized his words in the imperial court.

Li Hao raised an eyebrow and smiled.

It seems the imperial court hasn't given up yet.

But this is for the best. If the court had just given up, wouldn't it have been much less interesting?

But what exactly is the current situation in Atlantis?

Li Hao closed his eyes slightly, and his divine sense swept across the Earth in an instant, with various Western images flashing into his mind.

The man in black smiled helplessly, took the phone from the Ethereal Master, and said, "Hello Mr. Li, this is Liu Ming from the Martial Arts Department. It's an honor to speak with you."

Li Hao roughly understood the situation in the West and said, "I already know about what's going on in the West. What do you want to do?"

Liu Ming was somewhat taken aback, not expecting Li Hao to speak so directly.

However, being a professional, he quickly regained his composure, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked, "The collapse of the France was too swift, completely unexpected. Therefore, the court has not yet made a decision regarding future plans."

Li Hao narrowed his eyes slightly.

There is no definitive conclusion.

That's understandable; Atlantis has already demonstrated its power with the blood of the France. If the imperial court makes a decision blindly on such a matter, it would be tantamount to courting disaster.

After a brief pause, Liu Ming said, "My position is lowly, and my grasp of information is not always timely. If Mr. Li wishes to know the latest situation, I can connect you with someone who has access to accurate information channels, who may be able to provide you with more useful information."

Li Hao chuckled softly.

It seems the imperial court wants to test my attitude.

However, it would be a shame not to get involved in something so interesting.

If we could recover the hundreds of thousands of cultural relics that the Great Xia once lost—no, given the current situation, perhaps we could ask for even more.

Li Hao pondered for a moment and said, "I'm also very interested to hear your thoughts."

Liu Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly contacted his superiors.

"Hello Mr. Li, my name is Wu Hui, and I'm in charge of communicating with you."

Emergency meeting room in the capital city of Great Xia.

A middle-aged man answered the communication and spoke with Li Hao in a calm and unhurried manner. Beside him sat many ministers of the Great Xia Cabinet.

The prime minister and many other ministers remained silent, observing the changing situation.

Li Hao stated frankly, "The price for my help is quite high."

Li Hao wasn't after anything from the imperial court; he simply couldn't allow them any chance of getting away with it.

If faced with a threat to the safety of the nation and its people, Li Hao would act without anyone forcing him. But the current situation is different. Li Hao doesn't want the court to think he's their free henchman; sometimes it's better to be open about things.

Wu Hui paused slightly, somewhat taken aback.

They had guessed many things, but they never expected Li Hao to be so blunt.

What does it mean that you are asked to make a purchase at a high price?

Mercenaries!?

The crowd was speechless with disbelief, but a sense of excitement lingered within them.

This start suggests there's potential.

The Prime Minister narrowed his eyes slightly and made a gesture.

Wu Hui nodded knowingly and chuckled, "Mr. Li's frankness is truly surprising."

Since Mr. Li has been so direct, it would be unwise for me to continue to hide things.

I want to know what price we need to pay to get Mr. Li to help, and what we can get in return.

Li Hao: "What you want to get is not up to me, but up to what you want to get from this deal. As for the reward, that depends on my mood. Maybe I just want you to treat me to a meal, or maybe you can order me some takeout."

The prime minister and others were speechless.

Sir, aren't you going a bit too far?

We're talking about the France problem, and discussing how to deal with Atlantis.

Eating out, takeout!?

this

Although everyone felt that Li Hao's words lacked sincerity, they took Li Hao earlier remarks very seriously.

What do we want to gain from the transaction?

The group exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions conveying a deeper meaning.

They naturally wanted more, the more the better.

The Prime Minister hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly to Wu Hui in approval.

Having served the Prime Minister for many years, Wu Hui immediately understood what the Prime Minister meant.

When it comes to haggling, of course you start by asking for an exorbitant price and then try to negotiate a lower one.

Wu Hui said after careful consideration, "Previously, our country had already reached a relevant agreement with France."

We will provide France with certain support over the next three months, including weapons and ammunition, with no restrictions on troop deployment. In return, France will return hundreds of thousands of cultural relics looted from our country in the past in exchange for this aid.

But the plan had barely begun when the France were already finished.

The situation in France is now completely different. It would be inappropriate for us to continue providing the original support to France, and we would need much more generous compensation.

Our thinking is that since the France is already finished, it's better to let it benefit our own people than to let it benefit foreign races. The imperial court wants to take this opportunity to control the France, but Atlantis is very powerful, and the imperial court has many concerns about this.

Li Hao interrupted, "Sure, I can help you deal with Atlantis, and I can also take care of the France for you. As for whether you can control the France, that's your own problem."

Wu Hui stared in disbelief, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

Wait a minute, buddy.

We agreed on negotiations, and I agreed that I would ask for an exorbitant amount, and you would settle for less.

You just agree.

Agree immediately!

Holy crap, we didn't want France.

Wait, wait, let me catch my breath.

Wu Hui swallowed hard, looking pitifully at the Prime Minister and the others, unsure how to answer Li Hao.

He originally intended to ask for an exorbitant price and wait for Li Hao to haggle, but he never expected Li Hao to be so generous, agreeing to the price without any intention of bargaining.

Not only that, Li Hao also thoughtfully mentioned that he would take care of killing the France.

Just kill him casually.

Damn it, do you have to be so ruthless?

Wu Hui was on the verge of tears, completely terrified by the situation before him.

The prime minister and others were also completely bewildered.

So, the negotiations have succeeded?

That gentleman agreed to help resolve the Atlantis and, incidentally, kill the France.

Yeah, killing him off so easily, not bad. The boss's showing off is something else.

only?

We never intended to have France.

The Prime Minister was equally troubled, but he knew he couldn't directly answer that he had just been teasing Li Hao. He pondered for a moment, his fingers tracing patterns on the table.

Remuneration!

Upon seeing this, Wu Hui immediately realized what was happening.

Yes, I've just outlined my terms, but I haven't asked about their compensation yet. If we can't agree on these terms, all the previous negotiations will have been pointless.

Wu Hui breathed a sigh of relief, hoping for the first time that the other party would also ask for an exorbitant amount.

He cautiously said, "Mr. Li is so generous, it's a bit overwhelming. But since Mr. Li is so generous, what kind of reward would we need to offer to get you to help?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hao felt a slight toothache.

I just wanted to help you retrieve the cultural relics that the Great Xia had lost; I never thought about these things.

remuneration!?

Li Hao pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhao Ling'er and Xiao Daji sitting together watching a food program. His gaze sharpened, and he immediately had an idea.

Li Hao: "I've long heard that the Great Xia's state banquets are exceptionally lavish, bringing together the finest delicacies from all the country's renowned cuisines, totaling one hundred and eight dishes. I don't have many hobbies, so I'll solve this little problem for you with a meal."

Wu Hui's mouth was slightly open, filled with bitterness.

Dude, are you serious?

A meal?

Even if it's a state banquet, isn't this compensation a bit too low?

That's the legendary Atlantis, a special existence that previously only existed in the Myth and legends. And there's also France, although France is now defunct, it was still a world-renowned superpower.

You, with just one meal as payment, will solve their problems!?

If word gets out about this, won't people lose face?

Or, you could raise the price a little bit more, even just a small increase would be fine.

This was the first time in Wu Hui's life that he wanted his opponent to raise the price, and it was also the first time in his life that he realized that negotiations going too smoothly was actually not a good thing.

Li Hao, however, had little interest in chatting with him. After briefly explaining his fee, Li Hao said, "Alright, that's settled then. Just give me a call when you need my help."

Li Hao hung up the phone immediately after speaking.

Wu Hui was utterly distraught when he heard the dial tone.

I... I've succeeded in this negotiation!?

France, Atlantis, has someone solved it!?

Coco, we never even wanted the France!

Wu Hui was on the verge of tears, looking pitifully at the Prime Minister and the others.

Is this a done deal?

Coco, I just can't feel happy.

The prime minister and others also felt as if they were in a dream, as if it were all a little unreal.

A meal!

The other party's reward for resolving the conflict between Atlantis and the France was merely a meal!?

After a brief silence, the Prime Minister and others all looked at Wu Hui.

Wu Hui chuckled awkwardly, "Prime Minister, do you think I've completed my mission?"

The Prime Minister pondered for a moment and said, "Very good, Mr. Li has agreed to help, which is a pleasant surprise for our Great Xia. However, someone still needs to negotiate the new contract with the France."

The Prime Minister paused slightly, then said with satisfaction, "Xiao Wu, I think you're quite efficient. I'll leave this matter to you."

Wu Hui's face was streaked with tears; he wanted to refuse.

But seeing the Prime Minister's unyielding gaze, he could only swallow his pride and bear it.

Mr. Li, I hate you.

Filled with deep resentment towards Li Hao, Wu Hui angrily dialed the France communication line.