63. At this point, there’s no need to pretend to be a righteous person

In order to more efficiently find the “main storyline,” perhaps… also to temporarily escape the chaotic scene I was facing with Ke Fei Er, Ni Lu, and Rose, I didn’t hesitate at all and immediately asked Lin Ke to take me along to participate in this “negotiation.”

The content of this negotiation with the other two major families in the kingdom naturally revolved around the Pig family, which had been betrayed by the elven sorceress Iluxir and turned into a specimen. The head of a family had just died suddenly, and this negotiation was said to be about the “subsequent handling” of the Pig family; in plain terms, it was actually a plundering conference for the remaining three families to take advantage of the situation.

Seizing the opportunity to strike while he was down, regardless of whether he had a good relationship with me before or any past cooperation, if they could kill him, they would do it at the first opportunity! This is the creed upheld by the various families in the trade capital of the Meri United Kingdom, a mix of “merchants” and “gangs.” So, at this point, I had no intention of pretending to be a righteous person! I wanted to join Lin Ke’s side and not just participate; I also needed to find a way for Lin Ke to gain an advantage, to acquire more territory and benefits, making it easier for me to search for the bloodline left by the white-haired elves later on.

Soon, this “negotiation” arrived as scheduled.

At this moment, dressed in a black suit, wearing a hat and sunglasses, I looked just like a small thug on the street, still using Lin Ke’s “subordinate” identity as a disguise. As far as the eye could see, Lin Ke and I were in the heart of the capital, at the intersection of the territories of various families, in a place called the “Hexagon Building,” specifically used by the major families of the Meri United Kingdom for “interaction.”

The security was naturally tight, and since this “negotiation” was initiated by Lin Ke in the name of the kingdom, not only the remaining two families’ members but even Lin Ke’s own subordinates had to obediently surrender their weapons and undergo inspections before entering the building.

“Hmm… looks like there’s no problem.”

Lin Ke didn’t take the last moments to rest or prepare for anything; it seemed her “battle” had already begun early this morning.

At this moment, she was beside me, her gaze fixed on the black-clad individuals coming and going, murmuring softly.

“The remaining two families represented here are all faces I’ve seen at the party, somewhat familiar. It seems that with the Pig incident unfolding, they’re temporarily too busy to make any moves in the negotiations.”

Lin Ke’s “negotiations” are also tied to the main storyline on my side, so I naturally don’t intend to slack off. However, it’s still too early to look at the script; the details regarding the upcoming negotiations remain vague.

In the next moment, amidst a commotion outside the Pentagon, Lin Ke pulled me into a corner.

“Sorry, Mr. O’Keefe, I had to wait until now to tell you.”

Today, Lin Ke not only reverted to her usual power-suit look but also adopted a much more serious demeanor. She then pointed to a group of people in the distance who were undergoing “inspection.”

“After all, it’s more intuitive to explain things when you see them with your own eyes. After Pig’s sudden death, aside from our Degula family, the only other families of note left in the kingdom are the two you see here. The one currently being inspected is Jack, the head of the Jack family, a man generally referred to as ‘Handsome Jack’ by others.”

“And the woman outside the glass door touching up her makeup is the head of the remaining family, Mary, from the Mary family, full name Mary Su… Uh, what’s wrong, Mr. O’Keefe? Your expression looks strange.”

“Nothing…”

I just feel that the names of these two families and their heads are a bit too casual.

“This negotiation is initiated in the name of the kingdom, which theoretically gives me at least a slight advantage. But because of that, I’m also unsure of what Jack and Mary might do behind the scenes. In any case, I can’t afford to be careless, which is why I specifically chose the relatively independent Pentagon as the location; it’s the least likely place for any ‘force’ to be applied.”

“…”

Lin Ke’s approach isn’t problematic; as a “businesswoman,” she hasn’t let the prospect of this big cake cloud her judgment, and she still maintains a level of caution towards the other two families. But…

What leaves me uncertain whether to feel relieved or troubled is… Lin Ke’s words have a bit of a prophetic quality; the content of the script has indeed come true.

[The Jack family and the Mary family have secretly joined forces.]

With this information, I know: the upcoming “negotiations” will certainly not go smoothly. Coming along this time to help Lin Ke “gain an advantage” seems to have been the right choice. After all, some matters cannot simply be resolved by ensuring “safety.”

“Lin Ke, do you think it’s possible for these two families to collude?”

“To put it bluntly, the content of this negotiation is essentially about ‘dividing the spoils’! If they’re uniting at a time like this, how could there be any trust… No, if it’s to deal with me…”

The content of the script has long ceased to be a matter of “if” and has become an established fact. As for the scene before us, the heads of those two families appearing to have no interaction is merely a performance for someone like Lin Ke, a family head and seasoned businesswoman.

I don’t intend to mock Lin Ke like Rose did; after all, I requested to join this negotiation, so it’s only natural for me to lend a hand.

“Lin Ke, can outsiders join the negotiation?”

“The minimum number of bodyguards is definitely not a problem.”

After instinctively answering my question, Lin Ke quickly understood the meaning behind my doubts and gave me a somewhat cowardly smile, “But, Mr. Oujili, just your presence here has already earned me several scoldings from the family head for being ‘incompetent.’ If you continue to follow me into the negotiations, the family head might just kill me afterward… Last night, she literally stepped on my face and told me to handle it myself, haha~”

“It’s not you bringing me in; I’m going in on my own. As for your family head…”

Hmph, that bear-like spirit, she doesn’t dare to act too arrogantly in front of me now.

“Thank you very much! I’ll try not to trouble you! After all, if I can’t even handle the heads of two families… then there’s no point in talking about being in the position of the Grand Commander.”

Though she seemed a bit “unconfident,” Lin Ke still mustered her courage and left me.

As a family “head” herself, she would undoubtedly have to engage in some superficial pleasantries with the other party before the negotiations began, a kind of mutual veiled exchange that could be considered one of the “etiquettes” of these meetings.

I would definitely help, but I was starting to notice something…

Speaking of which, Rose’s attitude towards Lin Ke was indeed a bit strange. Rather than reprimanding her, it seemed more like… uh, spurring her on?