Chapter 250
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Chapter 250: Be Normal, I’m Scared
“What’s wrong with you?” Chao Lu saw Bai Wei remain silent for a long time.
“It’s nothing, I just lost focus for a moment and felt the unpredictability of fate.” Bai Wei looked away.
Chao Lu carefully observed him. She felt that she hadn’t misjudged. In an instant, she saw confusion and sorrow in his eyes.
But she didn’t sympathize.
Bai Wei continued to ask, “You plan to go back, but how do you plan to do it?”
“Is it necessary to say so?” Chao Lu asked uncertainly.
“Not necessarily. If you want to say, say it. If you don’t want to, then don’t. I just think you won’t be able to leave Yingzhou. The Gray Tide has blocked the sea routes, even for the heroic spirits. It would be difficult to cross the ocean, and one wrong step could lead to another dimension.”
“On the sea surface, that is true,” Chao Lu said.
“On the sea surface…”
“Although the Gray Tide has cut off navigation, global maritime transportation is not completely stopped, even during the Gray Tide period.” Chao Lu pointed down, “Under the sea surface, there is still another safe and abundant route.”
Bai Wei frowned first, then realized, “The Four Seas Group.”
He was somewhat confined by past experiences. Europa is far from the East, and its influence can only reach Yingzhou. At that time, the underwater dragon race was still in a privileged position, not involved in international politics, and was divided within the Four Seas Group.
The dragon race was nominally in control of the sea, but its influence did not extend to the vicinity of Europa five hundred years ago. This was because the dragon race was still internally divided at that time. The establishment of the Four Seas Group was three hundred years ago, which might not be worth mentioning in terms of the long lifespan of the dragon race.
However, since the establishment of the Four Seas Group, the influence of the dragon race has multiplied day by day, occupying vast sea areas, and possessing the resources of the ocean. Coupled with the wealth accumulated by the dragon race, doing business is a breeze. Even simple logistics, trading, and more can make a lot of money.
It is said that the establishment of the Four Seas Group was because initially there was a dragon who served as a guardian for sea transportation. One day, because it was lazy and slept for an extra hour, it found that the merchant convoy had been attacked and sunk by sea beasts summoned by pirates. It was forced to pay a high compensation fee, sell a large amount of its belongings, and felt deep regret for the deceased crew for decades. It even paid a large amount of condolence money out of its own pocket.
Until one day, this dragon saw a sailor on another ship who should have died in that sea transportation, it immediately transformed into a human form and approached to inquire. After a round of drinking, it learned the truth. It suddenly realized that it had been deceived and manipulated. The wealthy dragon clan was the real target of sea transportation. As long as it was induced to be lazy, the merchant ships would be sunk by “pirates”. The compensation it paid was more profitable than running ten or twenty commercial transports!
The dragon was extremely angry. After returning to the East Sea, it got drunk and spoke the truth. Afterwards, it was shocked to find that many members of its clan had also been deceived.
This group of dragon clan members remained calm and reflected on their pain. They slapped their thighs and decided that instead of continuing to be treated as vegetables, they might as well start their own business and build their own merchant convoy. It was the wealthy East Sea dragon clan that first discovered this, and in a short period of time, they defeated the majority of the shipping companies.
Firstly, the dragon clan was already very skilled and familiar with various key aspects of sea transportation. As the guardians for many years, they understood this business very well.
Secondly, the reputation of the dragon clan was quite good. The majority of dragons were extremely proud creatures, and they would always uphold the contracts they made.
This spirit of contract even extended to marriage. Despite being promiscuous regardless of gender, dragons were extremely loyal to love and marriage. They would almost always choose to be faithful to their loved ones, often crossing races and creating strange creatures with dragon blood.
These offspring were not well regarded by the dragon clan, perfectly fitting the saying “parents are cherished, I am just an accident”. The phenomenon of birth without parental care was quite obvious, but fortunately, the dragon clan was wealthy and had to establish socialized upbringing.
After over a hundred years of integration, the Four Seas Group was born.
Then the powerful capital force transformed the dragon clan. The younger generation of dragons almost all became astute businessmen. At the very least, they learned the style of conducting business without deceit. Although they still focused on contracts, they also learned to lay various traps in writing and to dismantle word puzzles.
The dragon clan’s famous contract became their promotional slogan.
Various advertisements always hit the mark when it came to riding the wave of popularity.
Such as “Your girlfriend may betray you, but dragons won’t.”
Or “Lies may be exposed, but dragon contracts won’t. We will keep the lies for a lifetime.”
They made many commercials just to promote their reputation that had remained unchanged for decades or centuries, and to consistently deliver promises. They praised their own reputation in various ways.
But now all the merchants know that the contracts with the dragon race have been tightly graded. Commercial contracts are one matter, equal contracts are one matter, official contracts are one matter, and trade contracts are another matter… There are a total of twenty-nine different contracts, which are essentially contracts that can be breached by both parties, as long as your legal and military departments are powerful, victory is assured.
Only the Dragon Soul Contract is not dared to be signed by dragons.
Hmm, when dragons signed contracts hundreds of years ago, they didn’t just press their handprints, they directly pledged their dragon souls.
It is called sincerity in its name.
Human beings expressed their gratitude, and then deceived them in various ways.
The dragon race on the one hand regards the spirit of the contract as a benchmark and uses it as the main theme of propaganda; on the other hand, they deeply abhor the mistakes they have made in the past and take them as a lesson.
The Grey Tide is also an important reason for the growth of the dragon race, because they control underwater channels.
“Are you planning to sneak across?” Bai Wei asked, “And you are asking the dragon race to help you sneak across.”
“Yes.” Chao Lu nodded, “That is the only way.”
“Do you know the dragon from the Four Seas Group?”
“If I knew, I would have left.” Chao Lu sighed, “I haven’t even seen a dragon, let alone how to negotiate with them.”
Bai Wei was not surprised, and he did not know any dragons either.
There are no dragons in Europa, only flying dragons and Dragonborn, which control various elemental powers.
Chinese dragons belong to water, swimming in the sea and soaring in the sky, controlling water and rain, capable of causing floods.
Same dragons, yet two different mysteries.
Bai Wei asked, “You said you haven’t seen them? Not that you can’t see them… It seems that you do have a way to contact them.”
“I failed. I found a few merchants to help me introduce them, but my whereabouts were betrayed, so I ended up in such a miserable situation. If it weren’t for your help, I would have been dead.” Chao Lu said sincerely, “Thank you for helping me.”
“It was just a small effort.” Bai Wei drank some porridge, “I couldn’t just stand idly by while a national treasure was being beaten outside.”
Chao Lu blushed slightly. She was also a princess of a nation, and it was not an exaggeration to call her a national treasure.
“You can’t contact the Four Seas Group, and you can’t see the dragons. What are you planning to do next?”
“To be honest, I don’t know.” Chao Lu looked at the bowl of millet porridge in her hand. Perhaps this would be her last breakfast.
“Don’t you have any plans or strategies?”
“I had, but none of them worked.” Chao Lu said bitterly, “I truly am powerless and can’t do anything.”
“But you still insist on going back?”
“Yes.”
“I can help you.” Bai Wei said.
Chao Lu was taken aback, then solemnly refused, “No, I have caused you a lot of trouble already. If I continue, I won’t be able to repay your kindness. Going back to my country this time is to die and see my nation destroyed.”
“The country hasn’t been destroyed yet, so why are you in such a hurry to give up? This mindset won’t do.” Bai Wei shook his head.
“I just have no expectations.” Chao Lu knew this, but she also knew her own weakness. Being able to persist for this long was already not easy. Without any power to intervene, she would eventually be crushed.
“So you’re rejecting my help?”
“I have nothing to offer in return.” Chao Lu asked softly, “Do you, Master Bai, find interest in this body of mine?”
As she asked this question, she tried her best to maintain a calm tone, but her subtle expressions still revealed strong unease and tension.
Indeed, this question had left Bai Wei dumbfounded. He was stunned, with an astonished expression. “Um…”
Chao Lu suppressed her racing heart and asked, “What do you think?”
She couldn’t say if it was nerves, aversion, or something else.
After pondering for a moment, Bai Wei said, “Not to that extent.”
It turned out he wasn’t craving Bai Ze, but pandas. He really wanted to have one, to rub its belly and head all day.
Chao Lu was momentarily speechless. “What do you mean by ‘not to that extent’?”
Am I ugly? Am I lacking? Or am I just not good enough?
“Don’t misunderstand, Princess.” Bai Wei , seeing her unfavorable expression, explained, “I don’t mean to look down upon you.”
“Is it because I, as Lady Lu, cannot attract the attention of someone like you?” Chao Lu retorted. Bai Wei ‘s rejection brought her some relief, but the reason for his refusal was not out of gentlemanly modesty, but rather from the heart. This made her feelings somewhat complicated.
“It’s not like that. Your beauty, Princess, is not inferior to that of Jia Mei’s, and your disposition is excellent, like a lotus flower in water, clean and pure.” Bai Wei gave a positive evaluation.
“So it’s not that I’m not appealing to you, but rather I…”
He awkwardly revealed his true feelings.
“I’m a bit afraid.”
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