"Not bad," Klein thought to himself, " the Spectator's self-regulation is quite strong..." He glanced at the golden retriever on the back of the bicycle, then looked at the bicycle that seemed a bit different from others on the street, and casually asked:
"Is this a new type of bicycle designed specifically for women?"
"What do you mean by 'designed specifically for women'? You can ride it if you want," Audrey replied with a smile. "I just told the bicycle company to consider different groups with different needs. This is their latest design, not yet in production, so I wanted to try it out and give them my feedback."
"A brilliant idea," Klein said with a smile, then asked thoughtfully, "Do you know the owner of Backlund Bicycle Company?"
Audrey replied with a slight smile:
"Of course, I am one of the major shareholders of Backlund Bicycle Company."
Major shareholder... I'd completely forgotten about that... She still succeeded in the end... Klein seemed to understand something, a slight smile playing on his lips as he shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh:
"So that's how it is. My imagination wasn't rich enough."
"How was it? How did it feel after the test ride?"
Audrey gripped the handlebars of her bicycle, her eyes darting around as she reminisced, and said:
"Great, very suitable for women."
"Your Excellency, that's not what you said earlier..." Klein raised an eyebrow, but did not interrupt the girl.
Audrey smiled again and continued:
"For me, it helps me adjust my mood and release stress, just like riding a horse. However, riding a horse requires changing into special clothes and going to a horse farm or the suburbs. Simply riding at home or on the street doesn't allow the horse to run freely and lacks the necessary feeling. Bicycles don't have this problem. They can also go to alleys that horse-drawn carriages can't go in, allowing me to see different scenery. Just now, when I rode my bike past a house, I saw that there were still some flowers blooming in their garden, which made me especially happy."
"Well, I'm also happy when I meet other cyclists. They're working hard to live, with a bit of hope. They're busy and hurried, but not numb at all. Okay, don't laugh at me. I know you're going to say that people who can afford bicycles are definitely not at the bottom of society. I'm just simply happy for them."
"I hope, I hope that one day I can ride my bike through every street in Backlund."
Klein listened quietly, his mood gradually improving.
As Miss " Justice " described it, he seemed to be able to see that scene before his eyes, and this was the insignificant change he had brought to the world.
He chuckled and said:
"No, I have no intention of arguing. This sounds very interesting, and it's exactly what I'd like to see in Backlund, the more the better."
"I used to have doubts about certain things, but now they seem to have less."
At this point, he pointed to the door of the " Loen Charity Bursary Foundation " at 22 Phelps Street:
"Let's go inside, it looks like it's about to rain."
"Okay, I'll go park the car." Audrey got off her bicycle and pushed it and the golden retriever around towards the back door.
There are designated bicycle parking areas indoors, protected from the rain. In organizations like the " Loen Charity Bursary Foundation," more and more staff members who frequently need to go out ride bicycles. Of course, no one dares to rely on this mode of transportation to venture into the East Borough, where anything can be stolen.
As they approached the back door, Susie, the golden retriever, jumped off her bicycle, glanced back at the spot they had just been, and said with a hint of confusion:
" Audrey, Mr. Dantès' tone was somewhat complicated when he heard that you were one of the major shareholders of the bicycle company, but I couldn't quite decipher his true meaning."
Audrey pursed her lips and chuckled softly.
"I heard something before: Mr. Dantès was one of the people who competed with Hibbert for shares in the bicycle company."
"I understand!" Susie smiled broadly, pleased with the accuracy of her observation.
Inside the " Loen Charity Bursary Foundation," Klein waited gentlemanly for Miss Audrey to return with her extraordinary canine companion, and then they went upstairs together.
At that moment, a staff member came up to Audrey and said:
"Miss Board Member, President Portland Moment of Backlund University of Technology is waiting for you in the meeting room."
"Why has Principal Momont come?" Audrey asked, slightly surprised.
The staff member first greeted Director Dawn Dantès, then replied:
He didn't say...
Before the staff member could finish speaking, Portland Moment, a tall man with a ruddy complexion, walked out of the meeting room while tidying his white hair.
He placed his hand on his chest and bowed.
"My esteemed Miss Audrey, please forgive my unannounced visit."
In Loen, after getting to know each other, noblewomen are addressed by their surnames, and young ladies by their given names.
"It's my pleasure," Audrey replied politely.
Portland Moment, a principal more focused on academics, refrained from further flattery and pleasantries, and simply smiled:
"Here's the thing, I'm thinking of adding a mechanical engineering lab at the technical university. The goal is to invent and promote various mechanical creations that will benefit industry and daily life. I wonder if you'd be interested in donating, or rather, investing?"
"Hehe, Dawn, how about it? Any ideas for collaboration? Don't worry, I'll definitely get a grant from the Higher Education Committee."
A great idea, but Backlund, the entire kingdom, could be plunged into chaos... Klein was momentarily dazed after hearing Principal Momont's words.
Audrey nodded slightly and said with a smile:
"That sounds interesting, but I need to see more information. This is for my own sake, and also for yours."
"That's what I was thinking too," Klein added.
Portland Moment laughed heartily:
"No problem, I'll pack some things for you when I get back."
On the Golden Dream " in the Sonia Sea.
Gehrman Sparrow was actually concerned about Anderson's situation... Also, what did he mean by collecting items related to " Vice Admiral Ailment "? Many pirates had been frantically chasing after similar items, but none had ever succeeded... Danitz, who received Gehrman Sparrow's message, was filled with confusion.
Despite his confusion, he still thanked Mr. The Fool earnestly and carefully.
Then, he put down his fishing rod, turned and went into the cabin, making his way to the room where Anderson was staying.
The knocking Door Opening were swift and decisive. Danitz stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, and said to Anderson, who was creating an oil painting:
"How's it going? How's that thing in your stomach digesting?"
Anderson put down his paintbrush, glanced at Danitz, and replied in a heavy tone:
"It can already say 'Dad'."
"..." Danitz subconsciously took two steps back.
Anderson quickly regained his composure and said with a smile:
"Just kidding. Not bad, your captain has both ideas and drive. The only problem is that he fails too many times."
"Well, the thing inside me has been isolated, and it won't affect me for a long time."
He rubbed his stomach as he spoke.
Danitz raised an eyebrow and asked curiously:
"Would it have had an impact?"
Anderson looked Danitz up and down a few times:
"You've probably heard that certain Beyonder Characteristic or Potion, if in contact with objects for a long time, will seep into them, modifying them and turning them into unusable Sealed Artifact. The human body is just a relatively special kind of object."
"Sometimes, I seriously doubt whether you acquired your extraordinary abilities through contact with Potion rather than ingesting them, to the point that it has Corrosion your brain."
In the past, Danitz would have been furious, but now, he merely scoffed.
"In other words, if you don't isolate yourself, you'll gradually be infiltrated and modified by that thing inside your stomach, including your brain?"
Anderson listened with awe and wonder:
"Very good, keep going, don't stop. I think you're ready to try advancing to Sequence 6. Hmm, you're quite skilled at setting fires."
Danitz responded dismissively:
"I'm just short of materials."
Remembering Gehrman Sparrow's instructions, he reluctantly pressed for more information:
What should be done after quarantine?
Anderson rubbed the first button of his shirt and chuckled:
"There are two approaches. One is to find Demigod like the ' Unshadowed ' to help extract that thing little by little. Your captain knows someone in this regard. The only problem is that when that thing is extracted, my Beyonder Characteristic may also be extracted, causing my Sequence to regress, or even turning me into an ordinary person."
"The second idea is to try and get the Potion recipe for the ' Iron-Blooded Knight,' prepare the corresponding rituals and auxiliary materials, and see if we can have the opportunity to actively embrace that thing and use it to become Demigod."
"That sounds very dangerous," Danitz commented aptly on the latter line of thought.
Anderson's smile became a little more pronounced:
"Indeed, it's dangerous, and I don't even know if it will work."
"But don't you think something so difficult and challenging is interesting? It's at least more in line with my aesthetic sense than the first method."
Danitz shook his head seriously and said:
I don't think so.
He then asked, half-provokingly and half-tactfully:
"Don't you have a lot of inheritance somewhere—no, property? I can help you send your ashes back."
Anderson wasn't angry at all, and nodded solemnly:
"You can consider eating my ashes then."
... Why is this guy completely unprovoked...? Danitz's lips twitched, and he decided to give up and go find the captain to ask how to get items related to " Vice Admiral Ailment ".
Late at night, at 160 Böklund Street, Klein was about to go to sleep when he saw the messenger emerge from the void carrying four blonde, red-eyed heads. One of them was biting a thin letter, which was placed inside an envelope.
"Who sent it?" Klein asked habitually, reaching out to take it.
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads opened their mouths one after another and said:
" Sharron doesn't like... her... nickname..."
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