The City's Schemes Run Deep-I Want to Go Back to the Countryside!

After the powerful figures from various factions who were queuing outside submitted their requests for changes...

Luo Wen, who was in a side hall of the palace, was all smiles.

The performance just now was all orchestrated by Luo Wen, just to squeeze some money out of these forces.

"Everyone here is thinking about using connections and taking advantage of the situation, instead of about the auction itself. And they bother me every day. There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

Luo Wen slapped the stack of petitions in his hand with a loud thud, his face full of satisfaction.

These people have been here for several days, bothering him in various places, trying to get inside information or discounts.

Although I never even saw him, it was still very uncomfortable to be secretly targeted by a swarm of flies.

If these people weren't potential customers or shills driving up prices, he would have wiped them all out long ago.

Scamming them out of money now is a form of compensation for emotional distress.

However, the presence of Monkey D. Dragon and the executive Koala among them was something Luo Wen hadn't expected.

Luo Wen put Long and Koala last, intending to deal with the others first and then properly handle the two of them at the end.

At that moment, seeing more than a dozen people wanting to buy autographs for 100 million Beli, Uta became excited.

"Luo Wen, Luo Wen! My acting was pretty good, wasn't it?"

Uta, with her red and white hair, straddled Luo Wen's lap. Uta wrapped her arms around Luo Wen's neck, proudly showing off her accomplishment.

She had just acted like a fan, but it was experience she had painstakingly gained by observing the mermaids' expressions towards Luo Wen.

If she were to rate her acting skills, she would give herself a perfect score of 100.

Uta's bright eyes looked at Luo Wen, practically screaming praise.

"Excellent! You're not only the best songstress, but also the best actress!"

Luo Wen gently stroked Uta's delicate nose, showering her with compliments.

"Hehe, it's not that great!"

Uta said this, but a smile involuntarily crept onto his face, clearly enjoying it.

"Sweetie, you hide first. I'll reward you properly after I've dealt with those people."

Luo Wen gently kissed Uta on the forehead and said affectionately.

"Hmm~"

Uta's pretty face flushed slightly, and she murmured almost imperceptibly. She had only recently been taken by Luo Wen, and was not as natural as Nami and Robin, who were like an old married couple.

After saying that, Uta took small, light steps and hid in a room to the side.

Seeing that Uta had hidden himself, Luo Wen called in his first male fan, Fast, the messenger of the Sea King.

"Greetings, Luo Wen!"

Fast respectfully handed over a stack of ten thousand Beli in banknotes, his attitude extremely proper.

"I admire you, Fast."

Luo Wen took the banknotes, and just by weighing them in his hand, he immediately knew that it was indeed one hundred million Beli, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

Then, he pulled out a postcard from a stack of exquisite postcards on the table and wrote his name in a flamboyant style.

"Luo Wen, I am a loyal admirer of yours. I am very interested in the Artificial Devil Fruit you are auctioning this time, and I hope you will conduct a private transaction with us. I promise you will not be at a disadvantage in terms of price."

Fast observed Luo Wen's reaction Fast utmost respect and care.

But then Luo Wen handed over a signed postcard, his smile as warm as a spring breeze, "I actually really wanted to do a private deal with you, but unfortunately, the auction has already been announced in the newspaper, and I'm a man of integrity."

Fast took the postcard, his smile becoming strained, "Luo Wen, we are very sincere!"

"I'm very trustworthy, and I keep my word. Now that you've received an autograph worth 100 million Beli, you can move on to the next fan."

Luo Wen's smile faded, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes, Luo Wen."

Fast lowered his head reluctantly and could only agree helplessly. But to really take 100 million Beli for just one autograph was truly a huge loss.

Undeterred, Fast asked, "Luo Wen, are there any special considerations regarding the auction?"

"Of course. The auction is scheduled for noon the day after tomorrow. Don't be late."

Luo Wen spoke lightly, waving his left hand to signal that the guest should see him out.

This is an important client; being late wouldn't be good.

"..."

Fast turned and left with a dark expression, each step fraught with difficulty.

100 million Beli for this?

This is outrageous!

Just as he was about to leave the palace gates, Fast almost tore up the postcard in his hand, but remembering that the piece of paper was worth 100 million Beli, he ultimately cherished it and put it back in his pocket.

"Fast, what's the situation inside?"

As soon as Fast appeared in front of the crowd in line, many people asked him questions out of curiosity.

Don't go there, it's a scam, there's no information there!

Fast almost blurted it out, but immediately held back.

How can someone who's been soaked in the rain hold an umbrella for another person?

"I got nothing."

Fast looked grief-stricken, then ignored everyone and left.

"He must have gotten something!"

No one believed it; they were even more eager to meet Luo Wen.

So the second one went in, and the second one came out.

"I think I've gotten something."

The second one had a mysterious expression and left in a hurry, just like Fast.

"There really is intelligence inside!"

Everyone was excited and eagerly awaited Luo Wen's audience.

"I need to go back and make preparations."

The third one left only one sentence before hurriedly returning home.

"I've seen wisdom!" (I'm such an idiot, I've been fooled.)

"I saw enlightenment!" (I'm mentally challenged; I believed his nonsense.)

"I learned so much, I'll never experience anything like this again in my life!" (I'll never fall for this kind of scam again!)

One after another, people went in and came out, all seemingly satisfied with what they had received.

Soon, everyone who had signed the petition left, leaving only Monkey D. Dragon and Koala.

"What did they actually get?"

Monkey D. Dragon and Koala, looking puzzled and curious, walked into the side hall where Luo Wen was.

"Greetings, Luo Wen!"

Koala handed 100 million Beli to Luo Wen.

Then, filled with anticipation, they looked at Luo Wen, wondering what earth-shattering words he could utter to satisfy so many people as they left.

"Hello, Koala. I didn't expect to have a fan of mine in the Revolutionary Army. You're very cute."

As usual Luo Wen handed Koala an autographed card and offered a casual compliment.

If you've just met a girl and don't know how to compliment her, saying she's cute is always a safe bet.

And giving someone a 100 million Beli red envelope right after meeting them was really quite adorable.

"Thank you for the compliment, Lord Luo Wen!"

Koala was very pleased to receive the praise.

But we still look forward to Luo Wen's surprising words.

"Now that the signing is done, we can talk about your business."

Luo Wen looked at Long, signaling him to begin the formal conversation.

"Besides the signature, is there nothing else to say?"

"Koala asked in astonishment."

"You can get my precious autograph for 100 million Beli, what's there to regret?"

Luo Wen gave him a look that said, "You've hit the jackpot."

"One hundred million Beli for just one autograph!?"

Koala was very surprised.

If that were all there was to it, why would those with ulterior motives be so satisfied?

Dragon's expression wasn't good either; spending 100 million Beli on an autograph was practically a complete rip-off.

He realized it was those guys who wanted to pass on the lessons they had learned.

They all put on such convincing facades that they were completely fooled.

"Yes, a little trick, and it worked well."

"I'm in a good mood, "Luo Wen said, and then called Uta out of the room and held her in his arms.

The joy of a bountiful harvest should be shared with someone, and the dragon and Koala in front of us are just the right choice.

"It turns out, this was all a scam from beginning to end."

Koala bent forward in disappointment, feeling completely down.

Is there still any trust between people?

One or two, it's all a routine!

Is this the cutthroat competition of big cities?

That's absolutely terrifying!

Koala, who had always worked diligently in the Revolutionary Army, felt an unprecedented malice from the world.

"..."

Dragon was also very upset, feeling that his idea of getting something for free was about to be shattered.

With a simple trick, he made billions of Beli. How did the shrewd Luo Wen manage to fool everyone?

Moreover, having already lost 100 million upon their first meeting, he was completely at a disadvantage in terms of momentum.