Chapter 144: Mayor
“To hell with your great-grandmother’s smelly fart! Hurry up and clench your butt. I’m not someone to be trifled with!”
Such a fierce roar sounded in the meeting room and echoed in the corridor.
She roared so loudly.
Moreover, the voice was very pleasant.
It was clearly a young woman.
The air emitted a fragrance.
Kang De was shocked. He turned around and said, “Is this the f*cking mayor?”
Hong San said in a daze, “No.”
Kang De nodded and said, “Then she’s amazing.”
At this moment, the girl’s roar sounded from inside again, “If you dare to lock me up here, believe it or not, the Vidal family won’t sell a single hair to your Goethe from now on! I’ll let you hit the elves with your heads! What? Do you want to be rough?! Do you want to fight?!”
Hong San and the servant who led them revealed complicated expressions.
However, Kang De’s expression changed.
He heard familiar words.
Vidal family?
Kang De reached out and patted the servant’s shoulder. “Excuse me, what’s the background of the woman inside?”
An imperceptible disdain flashed through the servant’s eyes as he curled his lips, “It’s a cunning person from the Empire who came to do business. Seeing that the elves are attacking, she wants to escape. How cowardly.”
People from the Empire… so it was true.
A few days ago, he was intercepted and chased by the Eldest Prince’s men. At first, he encountered an old man and asked him to sell the car. He even said that his little master welcomed the talented alchemist.
The other party called himself a servant of the Vidal family.
After killing all the pursuers of the Empire, he had once wondered if that old man had leaked his news. However, after interrogating him, he discovered that it did not seem to be the case. At that time, he was in a hurry to escape and did not pay attention to this useless Vidal family. He did not expect to be reunited in Goethe.
Was it a coincidence?
It should be… When he returned from Earth, he had fallen to Valentine City for an unknown reason. This was an accident among accidents. Only a ghost could have predicted this.
With this in mind, Kang De lowered his guard slightly.
However, the other party was from the Empire and had experienced a very mysterious communication experience a few days ago. Kang De still maintained considerable vigilance and set the tone of dealing with him.
He would treat the other party as air. If the other party recognized him and had ill intentions, he would kill them.
Gas tank, gasoline, or dust explosion. He could choose any.
The servant brought them to the door of the conference room and gently knocked. He said, “Mr. Hong from the Heaven and Earth Association has already arrived, Honorable Mayor.”
The argument inside stopped. Then, a calm and reserved voice sounded, “Please come in.”
The servant pulled open the door and bowed.
Hong San and Kang De walked out. There were already many people sitting around the wide table. Moreover, their appearances and clothes were different. Some were polite, some were well-dressed, some were in armor, and some were murderous.
Merchants, nobles, mercenaries, soldiers… At this critical moment, representatives of all levels in the city rushed to the city hall. The mayor clearly wanted to integrate all the forces he could.
Kang De’s gaze swept across the faces of the people sitting in the two rows and naturally noticed the person he wanted to see the most. Although the woman’s voice was vulgar, her voice was especially pleasant. Young girls could always attract the attention of innocent men.
Then, he saw a petite girl with silver hair. Her face was small and even had a little baby fat. She was very beautiful and cute. She was wearing a black dress with red thorn patterns decorating it. Her white arms and delicate hands were wrapped in black gauze gloves.
Such a girl should have appeared at the socialite’s tea party, in the elf foreign trade shop that booked the entire venue, but she had appeared in the city hall’s meeting hall near the war.
Moreover, she placed her hands on the conference table and leaned forward. Her gaze was sharp and extremely aggressive.
The corners of Kang De’s eyes twitched.
All kinds of signs indicated that this petite and cute girl was the person who had cursed just now.
The previous argument was interrupted by the arrival of the two of them. Everyone looked at the door, including this girl. The silver-haired girl’s gaze swept past Hong San and landed on Kang De’s face—to be precise, his hair.
There was a hint of surprise in her eyes.
The two of them looked at each other.
However, immediately after, Kang De’s pupils constricted and a trace of killing intent appeared in his eyes.
This was because he saw someone more worth caring about.
Behind this girl stood an old man. He was a member of the Vidal family who had intercepted him that night. Kang De remembered very clearly that the other party had actually appeared in Valentine City at such a time.
Then… perhaps it was not a coincidence.
The old butler also looked at Kang De in surprise with a trace of fear in his eyes.
This person handed Kang De an olive branch that night, but the extremely vigilant Kang De ignored him at that time. After all, the two of them had different thoughts. The butler was thinking about how to talk to Kang De in a reasonable manner, but Kang De was thinking that he was being followed, so he drove over. In the end, he even issued a death threat—if you follow me again, I’ll f*cking kill you.
At that time, the butler was very angry and felt that Kang De was too arrogant and did not give him face.
Later on, the Eldest Prince’s people directly launched a pursuit operation. Kang De’s situation was not good. The old butler was guided by the situation and used the group of green-skinned people to help. Unexpectedly, those green-skinned people were not stupid at all. However, this was not the main point. When they rushed to the scene, several elite mages, more than ten powerful knights, and a considerable number of soldiers were all dead. The battlefield was extremely terrifying as if it had been plowed by a dragon three times.
When the old butler saw this, he felt a lingering fear. If there had been a conflict at that time or Kang De had wanted to kill him… he asked himself, the outcome would definitely not have been too beautiful.
Now, they were actually reunited on such an occasion…
The old butler’s heart skipped a beat.
He could roughly guess what Kang De was thinking.
Think about it. That night, he first appeared and wanted to buy a car, but he was rejected. Then, a large number of pursuers swarmed over. Logically speaking, the two were clearly naturally related.
—We’ve been misunderstood.
The white-haired girl was one of the heirs of the Vidal family, her name was Leona. When she saw Kang De, she felt that this person’s temperament and eyes were so familiar. Then, she saw the killing intent on his face and was immediately shocked. Then, she realized that the other party’s killing intent was directed at the old butler behind her.
The girl turned around and saw that her old butler’s face was a little pale. There was a trace of fear in his grievance. In a flash, Leona suddenly woke up.
F*ck, what a coincidence?
She also realized why she felt that the other party’s gaze and temperament were so familiar. D*mn, Tina was also like this now.
A few days ago, when she heard that something had happened to Glory Sand and Tina had raised the flag, she set off to the north to see if she could help. Then, she was stopped by the usually honest and introverted Tina. She choked until she did not eat well for a few days and felt that she had been greatly insulted.
—D*mn, how can I be the same as that b*tch, Hannah?! You actually don’t f*cking believe me.
However, this was not the point now.
Leona cheered in her mind.
She did not miss it! He was actually in the city!
In a good mood, Leona even smiled at Kang De for the first time. Then, she began to size up this Cathayan—the girl Tina had never forgotten. So he looked like this.
He did not look like a peerless ferocious man who had killed through the entire Glory Sand in a day.
Just as this doubt appeared in her heart, Leona thought of a reasonable explanation. That’s right, he was such a quiet and obedient man. Once he went crazy, he would easily kill everyone in the family. This contrast was exciting. Tina’s taste was really not bad.
Why did she encounter such a good thing?
Inadvertently, Leona’s eyes carried a few traces of judgment that was similar to a fool.
Kang De did not notice the white-haired girl’s gaze.
He narrowed his eyes and focused all his attention on the old butler.
After questioning, although the pursuit that night had nothing to do with the Vidal family, the appearance of this old man at the right time was already a very strange thing. Because Kang De was in a hurry and did not want to be nosy, he did not continue to investigate. However, today, he had inexplicably teleported to Valentine City. The other party was actually a citizen of the Empire and happened to appear here, so it was too intriguing.
The first time was a coincidence, but what about the second time?
There must be a deeper reason and logic.
In a flash, Kang De could not help but think.
If he encountered this fellow on the street, he would most likely consider attacking. He would first restrain this fellow and interrogate him. The reason would be revealed, but this was the city hall…
At this moment, a calm and elegant voice sounded, “Mr. Hong San.”
Kang De turned around.
He saw the mayor sitting at the head of the table.
He had asked Hong San about this mayor before.
Hong San said that the mayor was a very standard Goethe person, so the image of a burly white man with a large beard immediately appeared in Kang De’s mind. However, from the methods of this City Lord, Kang De felt that he was a cunning and scheming person.
However, that was not the case.
The mayor was a gentle young man in his thirties. He had slicked-back hair and wore a monocle. He looked very gentle and handsome, looking like an elite.
—Pretentious dog.
When ordinary people saw the mayor’s gentle and elegant temperament, they would unknowingly lower their attitude and express their respect. This was because this natural noble aura was indeed terrifying, but Kang De was different.
It was just like how some girls would curse in their hearts when they saw the flirtatious, dazzling, and fawning girls in the class. When a straight man like Kang De saw such a neat, serious, noble, and cold elite handsome guy, he would also curse him for being pretentious.
F*ck, such a young mayor must have done something to get to this position. Hmph, was it so great to have connections in the family? Look at Cleveland. His father was still the Prime Minister, but he still became a Guardian Knight.
Kang De criticized in his mind and chose to ignore the fact that if his father was not the Prime Minister, how could Cleveland become Princess Tina’s Guardian Knight?
The mayor stood up and walked towards Hong San. He shook his hand with an indifferent and calm expression and said, “Welcome, Mr. Hong San. Please take a seat. We’re about to discuss this problem—at this critical juncture, what can you and your companions do for this city?”
With that, he glanced at Kang De with a puzzled expression, “This is…”
Hong San hurriedly introduced, “Mr. Mayor, this is my mentor’s classmate, Mr. Dong Zhuo. In our culture, he’s my elder. He’s traveling the continent and knows about me, so he rushed here to help me. I invited him to be the Chief Military Advisor of our organization…”
“Since it’s someone you approve of, he must be very talented.” The mayor smiled at Kang De and stretched out his hand, “Nick Valentine, the mayor of this city, welcome. Mr. Dong, I hope you can play an important role next and become our support. I look forward to your performance.”
Kang De stretched out his hand. The two of them shook lightly and separated.
Then, Mayor Nick revealed a strange expression and looked at Hong San, “…Chief Military Advisor?”
Hong San revealed an awkward but polite smile and nodded.
Mayor Nick did not probe further. Instead, he stretched out his hand and said, “Please sit.”
He turned to the secretary beside him and said, “Arrange a seat for this Mr. Dong.”
The old butler stood behind Leona. The guards and assistants of the others were also standing separately. According to tradition, Kang De’s current status was that of a follower, so he had to stand behind Hong San. The mayor’s instructions were clearly a favorable treatment. Hong San did not dare to let Kang De thank the mayor, so he could only thank him himself.
There were also seats. The long conference table was naturally nobler the closer it was to the mayor’s seat.
Kang De and Hong San’s seats were at the back. From this, it could be seen that Hong San’s team was not too valued by the mayor—this was also reasonable. If Mayor Nick regarded the motley crew led by Hong San as important reinforcements, Kang De might as well consider escaping.
He sat down calmly and did not feel anything about the low number of seats. After all, he was only here to watch the show and did not have any sense of participation, so he would not be conflicted about ranking and face.
Most importantly, he also had the title of “Goethe’s Prince Consort”. With this identity, participating in the meeting in Valentine City would feel like he was a secret auditor. He would only find it interesting.
As for Hong San… he would not care.
As soon as the two of them sat down, the mayor said, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Leona. I’ll explain and respond to your protest and request…”
The girl raised her eyebrows and sneered, “Explain? Could it be that they detained us in Valentine City because they’re afraid that we’ll be captured by the elves after we leave the city to protect us?”
Mayor Nick said indifferently, “That’s not the case. After all, according to Princess Tina, some important figures in the Empire have a considerable friendship with the elves. Perhaps Miss Leona will encounter the elf troops after leaving the city and be treated as an honored guest. How can I be worried about your safety?”
Leona slapped the table and shouted, “Stop talking nonsense here. Alex went to sell his butt to the elves. I don’t have any relationship with those sharp ears!”
“Is that so?”
Nick said, “But regardless of whether you have a personal friendship with the elves, I have to keep you. This is not protection, but a request. I want you to stay here and defend the city with us.”
Leona laughed in anger. “On what basis?”
Nick picked up a few documents from the table. “Just based on the fact that your family has done business in Goethe all these years and earned a large number of gold coins, the trade record in Vidal City alone is very impressive.”
“Miss Leona, I can tell you responsibly that the Empire’s merchants are doing business in Goethe’s territory. They accumulate wealth and earn huge profits. They resell goods and earn high differences. You’ve earned countless money. The money you’ve accumulated and the extravagance you’ve spent money on have all originated from the wealth created by the hard work of the Goethe people. You’ve used the methods of the merchants and your profit-seeking nature to snatch it away. You’ve casually marked the price, hyped the popularity, and created demand. Ask yourself, how much wealth have you obtained from Goethe?”
The mayor looked at the girl sharply, “When the war comes, you want to transfer your wealth, you want to take back your investment, and you want to make up for your losses. Be it war or peace, the benefits have been taken by you. I can tell you clearly that there’s no such cheap thing in Goethe or this Valentine City!”
“It’s the people of Goethe who have given you countless wealth. Now, you have to repay this country.”
“All businessmen have to contribute correspondingly to the next Valentine City according to their personal assets and total transactions. You’ve earned too much usually. Now, it’s time to spit it out. It’s not only Miss Leona’s Vidal Chamber of Commerce, but every gentleman and lord here. This city has given everyone here wealth, prestige, status, and glory. Now, it’s your turn to repay.”
Nick slowly stood up and looked at Leona.
The aura of the sharp-tongued silver-haired girl was slowly suppressed.
“This is an ultimatum from the people of Valentine, not a request.”
“In the next war, everyone has to contribute to the survival of this city. Not only the civilians and soldiers but also us high and mighty lords.”
The mayor’s gaze swept across everyone with different expressions.
“No one is an exception.”
Mr. Mayor did not make an impassioned speech or make a bloody threat. He only calmly told the story, but a chill appeared in almost everyone’s hearts because they saw madness in this young mayor’s eyes… he would do it at all costs.
That’s right. This move would offend the vested interests of Valentine City and damage the enthusiasm of the merchants and Valentine’s reputation, but so what? If the city was broken, all of this was unimportant. If Goethe was destroyed, would the international public opinion, reputation, and attitude of the large Chambers of Commerce matter?
In the silence, Kang De slowly exhaled.
He recalled Captain Oswald, Sister Bedolla, and Cleveland… On that night in Glory Sand, these Goethe people had displayed almost cruel determination.
Hong San was right.
This mayor… was a standard Goethe citizen.
Probably.
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