I gradually understand everything.
Indeed, everything made sense now—why Wei Yenwu had been so shocked, why Talulah had felt strangely familiar to him, and why he suspected her birth was not that of an ordinary girl from the countryside.
Everything was finally explained.
Felix gently tended to the now deeply asleep Ch'en Hui-chieh. Her willingness to fall asleep so openly before him was its own form of trust, and Felix had no intention of betraying that trust. After carrying her to her bed and laying her down, he stepped out and quietly closed the door.
For now, he had no intention of interfering with Talulah's affairs. If he got involved, he would only run headfirst into a brick wall. This was Wei Yenwu's family matter. Until Talulah entered Chernobog, he did not plan to involve himself in her personal storyline. After all, between his First Legion, Second Legion, and the players forming the Third Legion—the Emperor's Children—it would be an absolute one-sided crush.
Other nations' armies might struggle, but dealing with the Reunion Movement's thugs was barely a warm-up.
Felix had no intention of wasting his good blade here. Let the Brotherhood handle the grinding work at their own pace.
Leaving Ch'en Hui-chieh's home, Felix thought for a moment before heading toward the End of the Earth.
Emperor was not present today. Instead, the resident bartender greeted him. A few scattered customers sat in the booths, dressed in suits like business elites. A few others chatted quietly on the sofas, as if discussing deals.
The End of the Earth was not the Emperor's safehouse but more like a private club-style bar. Felix's arrival was like a fish gliding through the sea—without causing the slightest ripple.
His gaze swept casually across the room before stopping on a Forte man. Felix approached and took the seat beside the tall, muscular figure.
"A sweet drink."
"Alright."
The bartender nodded and began preparing it.
The man beside him chuckled. "I recommend Victoria's Bolton Estate red wine. Sweet, but not cloying, with a mellow finish."
The bartender glanced at Felix, who nodded slightly. The bartender returned the nod and began mixing the order.
"First time meeting, though I suppose you arranged for this meeting yourself."
The large man shifted slightly and offered a faint smile. He extended a hand. "Eurill Pides, current CEO and Chairman of MountainDash Logistics. A pleasure to meet the legendary Pioneer."
"Legendary?"
Felix raised a brow.
Eurill Pides laughed heartily, full of bold Forte energy. "Of course. You appear and vanish like a dragon. Rumor has it the Pioneer and his company has probably gone off exploring some unknown region again."
Felix's brow eased. "You give me too much credit. I've simply been developing outside Lungmen for a while."
"Tomorrow's Development is a massive enterprise. We small logistics companies can only struggle for a living."
Eurill did not give off hostility despite sitting beside the boss of a competing titan. If anything, he seemed earnest. "We MountainDash Logistics rooted ourselves in Lungmen years ago. We intended only to do some business within Yan. But before we could enjoy a few comfortable years, the younger generation surpassed us. Hard not to feel emotional about it."
"It's thanks to my capable subordinates. Emperor leads our transport division. I personally haven't done very much."
Felix offered a modest reply.
Eurill waved a large hand. "Now that's excessive modesty. If only my son were this competent at your age."
Felix merely smiled, knowing this opening wasn't just for small talk.
"Business in Victoria is hard."
Eurill lowered his voice with a chuckle. "Everyone knows noble money is easy to earn, but whether one lives long enough to spend it is another matter."
Felix nodded. "Nobles have their own circles of buyers, and friction between territories always sparks conflict. May I ask where your shipment was headed when it was robbed?"
"Londinium."
Eurill grimaced and downed a mouthful of wine. "The convoy was wiped clean. Casualties were low, but the blow was heavy. The noble lord demands compensation. A complete mess."
"The Sarkaz problem inside Londinium has always been a lingering poison. You may want to leave Victoria's muddy waters. It won't be peaceful for years."
The Forte man raised his glass toward Felix. Felix's expression stayed unchanged as he replied calmly, "Are you hoping to hire Tomorrow's Development's fighters?"
"Straightforward as expected."
"I just don't like circling around like nobles do when talking business."
Felix chuckled, leaning forward slightly. "Mr. Eurill, this is only my suggestion. As for Victoria's muddy waters, even Tomorrow's Development has no intention of getting involved."
"All right, but since we've received the order, we should honor our word."
Eurill let out a helpless sigh. He glanced at Felix. "I asked Emperor about it. It seems your adventurers here can also accept commissions from other factions?"
"Of course. Tomorrow's Development welcomes commissions from all sides. It has nothing to do with the client's political stance or whether they're a rival."
"Straightforward."
Eurill clinked glasses with Felix, then made another request. "Seeing you always reminds me of my son who still hasn't grown up. Would it be possible to let him work under you?"
Felix looked at him without responding.
The corners of Eurill's lips lifted. "As an exchange of resources, I can share with Tomorrow's Development all the trade routes and partners under my company's control."
Felix didn't think much of the resources Eurill possessed. For Tomorrow's Development, they were better than nothing, but most of Tomorrow's Development's routes involved Yan or travel between Kazdel and Yan. They rarely ventured into other nations' territories.
However, Eurill's resources clearly involved foreign routes. That would undoubtedly save Tomorrow's Development a great deal of time.
As for his son coming to work at Tomorrow's Development, Felix had no intention of making things difficult. Whether the boy could learn anything depended on his own ability. A business model like this was rarely reproducible on Terra.
Seeing Felix agree, Eurill finally relaxed. From beneath the table, he passed Felix a USB drive. After finishing his drink, he quickly took his leave.
Following his departure, several Forte men in suits who had been sitting nearby also rose and left with their employer, leaving Felix to sip his drink alone.
Fame brought more trouble, but at least being approached in such a manner was still somewhat amusing to him.
He handed the USB drive to Clever to store and analyze. After that, Felix stopped paying attention to it. Logistics wasn't something he handled often.
That evening, he went to the slums and met with the Rat King and Lin Yühsia. The Rat King's gaze carried a clear sense of challenge when it fell on Felix. Felix nodded politely, then started talking with him about the various laws, regulations, and trivial matters within Kazdel's mobile city lately. The old man's interest perked up. He patted the recliner beside him, signaling for Felix to sit.
Back in the day, the Rat King was one of the veterans who helped rebuild Lungmen alongside Wei Yenwu. In his eyes, Felix was fine in every way except being too much of a flirt. Why would his daughter ever look twice at someone like that?
But speaking of talent, Lungmen had plenty of promising youth, and Yan even more so. Yet Felix operated on an entirely different track, incomparable by normal standards. It wasn't surprising that Lin Yühsia had high standards. She had already seen better. It was only natural that she felt nothing toward those rich young heirs.
"Kazdel is about to be unified. My advice is to take control of the Eastern Army as soon as possible before complications arise."
Old Lin shot a sideways glance at his daughter. She smiled and brought over two cups of hot tea. The old man couldn't help but purse his lips. His daughter was usually rebellious and favored her mother, hardly ever doing things like pouring tea. Yet whenever Felix came, he received such treatment.
"What Elder Lin says is true, but war isn't something solved with a single sentence. The legions are still rebuilding, and the Sarkaz have just been through a major battle. They probably don't want another war so soon."
Felix sighed. "I don't want war to dominate their thoughts. War isn't the only way to solve problems, but we can't deny it's the fastest."
"You want to win over the Eastern Army through kindness. It's not impossible. But General Theresis is still in Londinium, and in their eyes, they haven't lost."
Old Lin stroked his beard. "Just like the Western Army—charging forward until they hit a wall. Among the Sarkaz, strength is everything. Whoever has the bigger fist is the one who's right."
He snorted with a hint of disdain. "That's why so many people dislike the Sarkaz. It's predictable. In modern bureaucracy, people fight and kill without shedding blood, using strategy and cunning to destroy opponents. Meanwhile, the Sarkaz still swing blades around like barbarians."
"The only way to deal with barbarians is conquest."
Harsh as it sounded, it wasn't wrong. Felix considered it for a moment, then nodded. "As they say, an elder at home is a treasure. Your words have been very helpful."
"Hmph, spare me the flattery."
Old Lin snorted, took a sip of hot tea, and leaned back comfortably.
The two of them looked up at the stars above the slums. Although Old Lin wasn't actually that old, with Lin Yühsia gradually taking over his work, he had already begun stepping into a semi-retired life.
Felix glanced at the twin moons and moved his lips slightly. "If there are infected individuals here that Elder Lin finds difficult to handle, you can hand them over to Tomorrow's Development."
"All right, I'll keep that in mind."
After a while, Lin Yühsia came out of the room wearing a black and purple dress. Earrings hung from her ears, a branded handbag rested in her hand, and a pleasant fragrance followed her as she walked.
"Let's go," Felix said as he stood up.
"Hold on. Where are you two going?"
Old Lin narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.
"To eat," Lin Yühsia replied as she stepped forward and took Felix's hand. With the commanding tone of a big sister, she added, "No need to wait up for me tonight. I'll be staying in the city center."
"!"
Old Lin felt as if he had taken a direct critical hit. Clutching his chest, he collapsed onto his seat.
"My daughter!"
A nearby uncle selling fish balls glanced sympathetically toward the candy shop across the way.
Lin Yühsia brought Felix to a well-reviewed restaurant. After entering a private room, she began talking about everything she had learned over the past year, mostly the pressure and motivation she felt after taking over her father's business.
Felix was always a good listener.
"The Yan central government might intervene with Lungmen's infected population… Yühsia, is this confirmed information?"
"It's only a rumor from the black market. You know how some black market news tends to exaggerate."
Lin Yühsia frowned. "The ordinary citizens and the infected of Lungmen haven't had violent conflict, but they've been living in the same city for a long time. Most of them have ties to the black market."
"So, in other words, they can't be trusted. Is that what you mean?"
Lin Yühsia nodded calmly. "Yes. The infected bombing incident from a few years ago is still in the archives. Lungmen's security has improved since then, but infected-related crime still exists. A bit of money and some resentment is enough to push them into betraying the city."
Felix thought for a long moment. "If we can't win them over, then drive them out. In my eyes, the infected within Lungmen are like a ticking time bomb. When it explodes depends on when someone lights the fuse."
The infected in Lungmen didn't live in abject poverty, but neither were their lives comfortable. This in-between state drove many toward the shadows, making them easy to exploit.
Environment could shape and change a person. Lungmen's opportunities weren't meant for everyone, and clearly, they weren't meant for the infected.
"I understand. I'll make proper arrangements. I won't let this become a tragedy that hurts those close and benefits those far away."
Felix nodded slightly.
After dinner, Lin Yühsia brought Felix to a large apartment building in the city center. As she explained, although her workplace was in the slums and most people she dealt with were from all walks of society—including the black market—she still needed to attend meetings with Lungmen's business leaders.
This was where she stayed when attending those meetings.
Lin Yühsia pulled Felix into the room and poured a bit of champagne for both of them. "I originally planned to push you down tonight, but after thinking it over, that would be too much for my father. It would also complicate the relationship between you and him. So how about this—when will you hold a wedding and marry me properly?"
Leaning back on the sofa, she crossed one leg over the other and took a sip. "I'm still a traditional Yan woman. I don't mind if my husband has multiple wives, but at least marry me openly, right?"
Felix rubbed his forehead. He truly hadn't considered this matter. It wasn't that his great undertaking was unfinished and he had no time for family, but rather that the idea of marriage itself had barely crossed his mind. There was simply too much he needed to do.
And besides, there were far too many candidates for marriage.
'Mostima would definitely have something to say if she knew this... and i might not be able to escape unscathed this time.'