"Governor Wei Yenwu… wants to et in person?"
Felix rubbed at his temples. Only after draining the glass in his hand did he ask, "What's your read on his attitude?"
"A politician never lets his real feelings show on his face."
Emperor gave a short snort, waving one stubby flipper dismissively. "It's the first ti you'll be eting Wei Yenwu. No need to act so nervous. That said, as long as your headquarters stays in Lungn, he will always be the local power. The rules here aren't yours to break—keep that in mind."
"Relax. I've no plans to leave Lungn, at least not in the short term. Which ans it's all the more important to maintain a good relationship with Wei Yenwu."
"As for the rest, it's all in this folder."
Emperor slid another file across the counter. Felix opened it, scanning through.
Earlier, he'd seen only office locations and site options. Now the docunts in his hands outlined future business divisions, potential partners, renovation teams, staff projections, and more.
Emperor might have looked like he'd spent his days drinking, eating, and enjoying himself, but together with Degenbrecher he had clearly kept everything running with precision. Proof enough—several résumés were already attached under the staffing section.
For the scale they were aiming at, a five-to-ten–person startup wouldn't cut it. With no influx of players into Lungn yet, Felix still had plenty of vacant slots left to fill. Shortage of manpower was inevitable. If he only hired clerical staff, the company would collapse under its own weight.
Players had one role: to join missions and operations. They wouldn't sit behind desks doing paperwork—they were players, after all. Administrative duties had to fall to Terra's natives. And beyond office staff, Felix needed reliable local rcenaries willing to work under him.
Player rcenaries were necessary, but so were NPC rcenaries.
"Other than Sarkaz, which countries or regions have rcenary traditions?"
"Heh. On the black market, you can buy rcenaries anywhere."
"You know I'm not asking about that kind of muscle."
Emperor gave a nasal grunt. "Kid, you're really asking the wrong guy. I'm just a rapper—I don't hang with the underworld. Where would I get intel like that?"
Felix didn't press the issue. He'd only been probing—so answers he'd have to dig out on his own.
In his past life, certain rcenary groups had beco infamous. Beyond the Sarkaz rcenary legions—the most well-docunted in the player archives—there were others he recalled players encountering. In Kazimierz, there were organized bounty hunter bands. From Sargon ca the infamous contract Assassins. And rumors spoke of an all-female Vouivre rcenary corps hailing from one of the great mobile cities.
Bounty hunters were a tricky breed. Felix didn't see them fitting into Tomorrow's Developnt as a core force, but as tools—they had their uses.
He'd crossed paths with Sargon's contract Assassins in his past life, even paid them handsoly in red gold bars to hijack a shipnt. He'd slipped a little extra to their captain too—enough to buy a lap pillow, a shopping trip, a al, even a movie. As long as the money flowed, they offered whatever service you asked for.
As for the Vouivre rcenary corps… that one lived only in scattered whispers among players. Sightings of Vouivres were rare enough, let alone an entire company made of them. The thought alone was terrifying.
Picture it: a natural disaster bearing down on a Vouivre mobile city, only for its propulsion core to suddenly fail. In that mont, the Vouivres inside would simply drop to one knee in unison, hoist the city on their shoulders, and carry it off to safety.
Given their physical strength… that scenario wasn't even implausible.
Felix didn't linger long at The Ends of the Earth. The place was now Emperor's private lounge, bought solely for hosting close friends and select guests—never open to the public.
He had no intention of interfering with Emperor's antics. In his view, when soone had lived as long as a so-called "immortal," boredom was deadlier than anything else. Letting Emperor fool around a little hurt no one, and it didn't affect business.
Degenbrecher walked a step behind him, watching his relaxed shoulders. Her lips curved.
"You look rather at ease."
"More or less. With you and Emperor helping, Tomorrow's Developnt is finally on the right track."
Felix smiled. "At the very least, I haven't let you down as a comrade, after everything I once said to you—right?"
Degenbrecher moved forward, clasped his hand, and lowered herself so he could lean against her shoulder.
"Driving while tired and drinking on top of it… Honestly, you really ought to take better care of yourself, Felix."
"…Of course. From the beginning, I've never once been disappointed."
Her gaze slid sideways, eting the golden light in his eyes. The neon glare of Lungn's vast cityscape washed across his face, painting his smile in brilliance.
Degenbrecher closed her eyes and smiled.
"Rest early tonight. Tomorrow, the real work begins, boss."
That night, the fireworks carried Lungn's noise into the sky.
The next day, Felix shouldered his stack of docunts and set about business. On this front, Loughshinny served as his aide. In just a few weeks, she had already mastered the essentials of company operations and workflow. At this point, she fully deserved the title of his secretary.
Another secretary, Avdotya, would arrive in Lungn a few months later. For now, she was still in Columbia with Carnelian, fighting her own battles for the company's expansion.
In his previous life, Felix had been just another wage slave. Starting a company had never even crossed his mind. This was his first true venture, and most of the paperwork had been prepared by Loughshinny. She arranged his schedule with quiet precision, never once showing complaint or negative emotion. She only wished to learn more from him.
Felix sensed her sincerity. He intended to teach her so of the lessons he'd picked up in his past life as a Paradox Interactive veteran—at least the useful ones. In Victoria, he had no intelligence network and no idea what Eblana's current moves were. The sisters balanced each other: one worked openly, the other from the shadows. But if Loughshinny shared her sister's personality… well, truthfully, Victoria would likely collapse within ten years.
Thankfully, Loughshinny was different. She was kind. She would never choose such a path. And in tis like this, it was Felix's role to guide her forward.
By midday, they had completed the morning's work: registering the company, obtaining its license, then sharing a quick lunch before heading to the bank to open accounts. Along the way, they stopped to inspect the office building opposite the Guard Bureau.
Though set in the bustling heart of the city, the place was eerily quiet. The glass doors were sealed with tape, and through the windows, they could see Guard Bureau officers hauling out stacks of files.
"Mr. Emperor ntioned the auction for this building will begin soon… If you're interested, teacher, you could bid for it."
"Mm. Thank you, Loughshinny."
Felix glanced at her, standing in the sunlight, face softened with warmth.
"But sotis, there's no need to go through all that trouble."
"Teacher, you an…?"
"Do we have any plans this afternoon?"
She flipped open the folder in her briefcase.
"This afternoon… we still need to deliver the docunts to the tax bureau."
"Push that to tomorrow. This afternoon, I'll et with Wei Yenwu."
"…Understood. Should I accompany you?"
"No. You head back first and wait for ."
Felix's tone was gentle. With Loughshinny, he was always like this. She radiated positivity, and being around her drew out the softest, sunniest part of himself in return.
"When I get back, I'll give you a lesson."
"…All right, teacher."
Loughshinny answered with a smile.
---
Wei Yenwu's office sat at the very top floor of Lungn's Guard Bureau. Within this fortress of authority, only a handful of people were permitted entry.
He set down the receiver, fingers interlaced in thought.
"Another matter weighing on your mind?"
His wife, Fumizuki, approached with a cup of tea, placing it gently on his desk.
Though this office was the very heart of Lungn's power, Fumizuki was free to co and go as she pleased. She even had a resting room of her own here. A true partner, she often appeared to ease his burden, softening the strain of constant decision-making.
"A guest is coming to see ."
Wei Yenwu's lips curled, revealing a flash of white teeth as he let out a quiet chuckle.
"A very interesting young man. Considering his origins… one can't help but imagine the possibilities."
Fumizuki offered a knowing smile and quietly withdrew to the back room, leaving him to his work.
Roughly ten minutes later, after finishing a file, a polite knock ca at the door.
"Co in."
Wei Yenwu turned his gaze toward the entrance.
The door opened to reveal a Sankta youth with short, ash-gray hair. Wei Yenwu's first thought was how strikingly young he looked. Too young. At this age, his own niece, Ch'en, had still been training at Victoria's military academy.
And yet, despite that youthful face, there was no overeager grin, no shallow attempt at charm. His manner was approachable, his expression steady, and his eyes—clear, direct—told another story entirely. The surface and the depths did not match.
Far more mature than Ch'en at the sa age. Outwardly a young man, but inwardly tempered, sharp. No wonder he had managed to win over Emperor. To start sothing from nothing at this stage of life was no small feat.
Wei Yenwu narrowed his eyes slightly. Entrepreneurs among the Sankta were not rare across Terra, but those who truly rose above the rest… in his mory, only one ca to mind, far away in Columbia.
Thoughts shifted in a heartbeat. He rose, wearing a polite smile, and extended his hand.
"I've heard of you from Emperor. A fascinating young man, and a company that piques my interest. Welco to Lungn, Mr. Felix."
"To build a venture in Lungn is every entrepreneur's dream."
Felix returned a harmless smile.
"As a newcor, I've brought a few specialties from Laterano and Columbia: so of last year's research institute findings, fine fabrics beloved by noble ladies, a selection of Laterano sweets… and a few handguns."
Wei Yenwu grinned, lips parting in amusent.
"Mr. Felix, you're far too generous. Such thoughtful gifts—truly considerate of you."
The sweet first strike landed perfectly. Even if Wei Yenwu had prepared so barbed words, these offerings gave him pause. At the very least, they softened his tone.
This was by design. Felix had chosen to present himself from a position of humility. His first eting with Wei Yenwu was just the beginning—inevitably, they would cross paths often. His company's operations skirted the edges of legality, and with adventurers soon to be recruited, they would stir chaos within the city. Wei Yenwu might not concern himself with the noise, but he would absolutely use it as leverage.
There was no reason to sour the relationship. In Felix's eyes, no one in this world was truly an enemy. Gifts could solve almost everything.
Even the Sarkaz—once considered "foes." Back in the Babel Tower days, a few repaired weapons and small offerings had been enough to push their favorability over twenty, elevating relations to that of ordinary friends.
The second point was to show Felix's own maturity in how he handled people. He wasn't so pliable youth to be toyed with. If Wei Yenwu thought his age made him easy to manipulate, Felix intended to prove him wrong.
After a round of exchanges, the two sat across from each other on the sofa. From the adjoining lounge, Fumizuki stepped out gracefully, carrying tea and refreshnts for the eting.
"You must be… sister-in-law?"
Felix rembered her from his past life, back when players had compiled a chart of Lungn's key NPCs and their preferred gifts. Fumizuki's na had been on that list.
The sudden "sister-in-law" made Wei Yenwu's brow twitch. Whose big brother are you calling ?
"Sister-in-law, you look incredibly young."
Felix smiled, producing a finely wrapped box from his coat. Opening it, he revealed a string of lustrous pearls.
Wei Yenwu's eyebrow twitched again.
"These are pearls cultivated in Laterano's artificial seas. Such a beautiful piece of jewelry could only suit soone like you."
Fumizuki hadn't expected this. She had only intended to catch a glimpse of the guest discussing business with her husband. Instead, she was recognized, presented with a gift, and flattered on her beauty and youth…
Who wouldn't enjoy praise? Fumizuki couldn't help but feel her mood lift at Felix's words. She examined the necklace—the pearls glead with a soft pink-white sheen.
On matters of real importance, Fumizuki always deferred to her husband. In negotiations, accepting a gift was often the sa as agreeing to help. Quietly, she shot Wei Yenwu a glance, and he gave the faintest of nods in return.
"You're far too thoughtful."
Fumizuki accepted the necklace with a smile. "Once your discussion is finished, why not stay for dinner?"
Felix's smile remained warm. "Thank you for the invitation. I've long looked forward to tasting Lungn's cuisine."
Fumizuki bead and withdrew from the room.
Mood Up
Favorability up
Felix turned his gaze back to Wei Yenwu.
Wei Yenwu: "…"
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