64. Jack and Mary

I didn’t think too much further, because after Lin Ke went to meet with the heads of the remaining two families, exchanging their veiled pleasantries as if they were merely greeting each other, everyone set off for the conference room where the negotiations would take place.

For these “businessmen,” the initial veiled exchanges were no different from daily greetings; even if they spoke flowery words, it was hard to inflict any real “psychological harm” on each other. Lin Ke’s real challenge would only truly “begin” at the moment the negotiations started.

At this moment, in the Pentagon conference room, at the negotiation table.

This was a round table specifically prepared for the four major families that controlled every detail of the United Kingdom of Meri, and at this time, three seats at the corners of the table were already occupied. The remaining empty seat was originally meant for Pig, but now it had been kindly adorned with a vase of flowers by someone whose identity was unknown.

Unfortunately, the appearance of the three major families this time was not to commemorate Pig’s “sacrifice for the country”; rather, it was quite the opposite. They were here to fight over everything in his territory right in front of his vacant seat after his sudden demise.

Once bodyguards like me arrived and stood behind their respective family heads, this war without gunpowder quietly began.

“Alas… poor Pig, because he loved to mess around in nightclubs and didn’t want any children, now he has no heirs. Isn’t this just adding trouble for us?”

With a tone that I could easily recognize as “sarcastic,” the first to speak was Mary Su, the head of the Mary family. According to Lin Ke, this female head controlled most of the entertainment industry in the Meri United Kingdom. To put it simply: is this adult game due to that reason? I won’t even mention how flamboyant this woman looked; just the several pounds of spices smeared all over her body, like a roasted whole lamb, made my nose itch.

“I heard she was betrayed and killed by the bounty hunter she hired. Hmph, that old fool’s luck isn’t so great either.”

Next, the male head of the Jack family, whom Lin Ke referred to as Handsome Jack, chimed in. After all, the person was already dead; the deceased certainly wouldn’t be angry.

This man, as the head of his family, had most of his business related to the gambling industry in the Meri United Kingdom—entertainment, high-stakes gambling. Unlike the previous encounter with Pig, this time Lin Ke was facing two major families that were applying considerable pressure on her from different angles.

Naturally, these three families wouldn’t have come all this way just to mock the already deceased Pig. After indulging in some verbal sparring, the negotiation quickly reached the most critical point—division.

Seizing the opportunity to take advantage of his misfortune, now that the Pig family was leaderless, the largest territory he left behind was a juicy piece of meat. Unfortunately, if these three heads were merely here to discuss who gets more or less, I wouldn’t even need to accompany Lin Ke. But…

As my gaze fell upon Jack and Mary, who seemed to be mocking Pig while exchanging a fleeting glance, it was clear they were reminding me: today’s negotiation wouldn’t be as simple as Lin Ke thought.

In the next moment, Lin Ke opened up this “trap” whose content I hadn’t yet grasped: “Excluding the territories firmly controlled by his family and a few tightly held federations, the remaining federations and territories are currently in administrative chaos, with no plans whatsoever. What we’re dividing is just these.”

Saying this, Lin Ke pushed two documents toward the two family heads.

The “territories” within the kingdom underwent a transformation of allegiance right there on the negotiation table. The scene before me was indeed different from Queen Louise’s absolute rule, giving me a distinct feeling.

After a moment, when it seemed the two family heads had lost interest in continuing to read, Lin Ke spoke up.

This was also her initial plan.

“I’ll take two-thirds of this territory; the rest you can divide among yourselves.”

The two family heads sitting across from Lin Ke immediately changed their expressions.

“Wow, Lin Ke, it’s been a while, and your appetite has grown!”

“In our line of work, one can’t eat too much; you should consider losing some weight.”

“Two-thirds, I’ve said it already.”

Lin Ke repeated herself, then added, “In the end, it was Pig I dealt with. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have ended up in trouble with the bounty hunter. Since this was aimed at me, taking two-thirds is quite reasonable, right?”

This was very much in line with the rules.

However, Lin Ke, it seemed that the two people before you had no intention of making a deal from the very beginning.

[Jack and Mary Decide to Threaten Lin Ke.]

With the emergence of the script, trouble arrived immediately. Seemingly subtle movements became signals between them, and after that, both Jack and Mary’s attitudes turned sour.

“It’s possible, but Lin Ke, can you handle it?”

After Jack’s remark, Mary quickly added.

“What we’re after isn’t just some items, but pieces of territory, a federation. For heirs of families like ours, it’s entirely manageable with our family’s strength. However, Lin Ke…”

As she spoke, Mary leaned forward. Though they were both women, her malice towards Lin Ke seemed even deeper. Who knows if it was merely a matter of differing positions or if it was mixed with some personal jealousy.

“I’ve heard some rumors. You may be the Grand Commander now, but… as the head of the family, it seems you’re just a latecomer, right?”

[Mary Questions Lin Ke’s Background!]

The script appeared once more! At first, I didn’t grasp the meaning behind the threat they were using as a reason, but…

Turning to Lin Ke, her reaction upon hearing Mary’s words left me puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

Lin Ke clearly panicked for a moment. I wouldn’t miss that fleeting reaction, given how close we were! Did Lin Ke have some untold secrets regarding her background!?

She had never shared anything related to that with me, and naturally, now wasn’t the time to ask.

“I happened to overhear that you’re a fallen princess, Lin Ke, once an orphan, then picked up by someone, and transformed into the head of the family, and now you’re the Grand Commander.”

With every word Mary spoke, flauntingly, Lin Ke’s tension visibly increased.

Whether it was true or not, the answer was clear to any discerning eye.

“So, let’s leave the rest aside. When it comes to territory, I advise you, Lin Ke, to keep your hands to yourself. If you take too much, you won’t be able to control it~”

In the next moment, Mary finally revealed her true intentions, making it clear what she and Jack were conspiring to threaten Lin Ke with!

“Otherwise, if this kind of news gets out, Lin Ke, don’t even think about keeping the territory you’ve taken. Your current… position might not be safe either!”

Grasping at weaknesses, targeting each other, taking advantage of his illness to claim his life—after the previous sudden death of Pig, it was now Lin Ke’s turn to be jointly targeted. But… how did these two family heads know about Lin Ke’s background, something I was hearing for the first time!?

No, this kind of thing can be thought about later. If we don’t find a way to push back against this “threat” in front of us, Lin might not just miss out on an advantage in this negotiation—she could end up suffering a significant loss!