Chapter 453: Sneak Off The s.h.i.+p
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
Li s.h.i.+ming cracked a smile and then said, "You need to calm down Porten. It"s just a show anyway."
"You mean..." Porten gazed at Li s.h.i.+ming with confusion on his face.
"I mean, there is no need to be riled up for such a trivial thing. Plus, it"s a good opportunity for us to observe Patroclus. " Li s.h.i.+ming said thoughtfully. Action spoke louder than words. Only Patroclus"s actions would tell what he was really after.
Li s.h.i.+ming had always thought that Patroclus only cared about his cultivation. However, he wagered that after the tournament, the Ivantian Prince would be more or less distracted by the events unfolding around him. Li s.h.i.+ming smelled an opportunity for him to catch up while his opponent was sidetracked.
Patroclus was relatively a newbie in wading through the complicated web of political affairs, but that was not the case for Li s.h.i.+ming. He had been groomed to not only be a powerful fighter, but also a shrewd politician. As a result, he knew how to balance his cultivation and business much better than Patroclus.
Slow and steady won the race after all.
Having an unmatched natural talent could be a double-edged sword, since the lack of challenge would evidently lead to over-confidence, and render Patroclus more vulnerable to conceit.
Along with this line of thinking, Li s.h.i.+ming concluded that Patroclus was more inexperienced than Lie Jian. No doubt that he was the most powerful fighter among his compet.i.tors, but history never lacked extremely powerful warriors that failed to reach to the top. Politics was a deadlier weapon than any other tactics.
Meanwhile, w.a.n.g Tong was absorbed in his repairing work when he heard Tee asking him, "w.a.n.g Tong, do you want to get off the s.h.i.+p to have some fresh air? I have heard the scenery on Luolan is gorgeous."
"Uh? I thought we are not allowed to leave the s.h.i.+p without permission." w.a.n.g Tong asked.
"Ha! It seems like you do have some respect for rules. We are not going off the s.h.i.+p just to have some fresh air, kid. We are also going to restock our parts."
"Awesome! Let me prepare!"
"What is there to prepare for? You want to dress yourself up like a girl?"
"Ah… Ok...Let"s go then."
Everyone knew that Tee was the captain"s closest a.s.sistant, so no one questioned them as they sauntered out of the s.h.i.+p to the dock.
"Aren"t you jealous that Kaost had sent Patroclus as the students" representative? "
w.a.n.g Tong cracked a smile and then said, "No. Why should I?"
"You are the champion of the tournament, aren"t you? You are the heir of the Blade Warrior. If I were you, I would be kicking at that old jerk"s door right now." Tee cast a sidelong glance at w.a.n.g Tong as she was caught by surprise by w.a.n.g Tong"s lack of ambition.
"Tee, is it just the two of us?"
"Of course, you idiot! Are you expecting them to roll out the red carpet for two mechanics?"
In between Tee"s scathing words, w.a.n.g Tong read the message clear and loud: Tee had left the s.h.i.+p without permission.
The two of them rented a Maglev from the dock and then drove straight into the heart of the city. As they approached Luolan, they found themselves in a modern and bustling city.
"I thought all s.p.a.ce-cities were ghettos." w.a.n.g Tong stretched his body, enjoying the fresh air that wheezed by his arm.
Tee adjusted her aviator sungla.s.ses and said, "This is one of the best s.p.a.ce cities. But, life here is definitely not easy. It"s harder to see on the surface."
"Tee, is there something you are not telling me about why we are out about in the city?" w.a.n.g Tong asked suspiciously.
"Nah, you are overthinking." Tee said with a sarcastic smile on her face. She ducked down and inched closer toward w.a.n.g Tong, "Shut your trap, or else I will make you regret it!"
"Ok...I will not talk about it..." w.a.n.g Tong could not wrench his gaze away from the half exposed bosom and an alluring deep cleavage right in front of him.
Seeing w.a.n.g Tong"s gawking, Tee laughed out loud—men were all stupid. Her secret mission turned out to be much more benign than w.a.n.g Tong has suspected- it was shopping.
Meanwhile, in front of the main gate of Luolan, Samantha was greeted by a Carmen and his entourage which consisted of the powerful landlords of the city and their family.
"Councilor Samantha, I have heard so much about you! " Carmen greeted Samantha with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Mayor Carmen. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet you in person."
"Ah-of course! It is my pleasure. Come now, we will talk business later. "
"I will be following you."
"Ah…No needs to be polite. You are home now, councilor. "
As the group filed into the mayor"s residence, Samantha was caught off guard by the lavish dinner Carmen had prepared for her. "They are afraid of me." Samantha thought to herself.
A throng of girls quickly surrounded Patroclus, most of whom were still in high school. The way they ogled at the Ivantian made Samantha worried that they were going to eat him alive.
"Mr. Carmen, can we show Patroclus around?" One of the young girls asked.
"We have been waiting for him for days! Please approve Mr. Carmen!"
"Don"t be stingy, Carmen! "
Carmen grinned and then answered, "Sorry about that, Patroclus. Girls in Luolan are very hospitable. Would you like to accompany these girls?"
Patroclus cracked a smile and then said, "Yes, of course."
All the other male representatives watch in envy as Patroclus walked out with a crowd of young girls.
After Patroclus was gone, Carmen smiled faintly and waved a signal at his guards. The guards quickly surrounded him and Samantha.
"Everything is ready."
"Ready to board the s.h.i.+p?"
"Yes."
"Don"t worry; I have already arranged the rest for you."
Carmen waved again and the guards dispersed.
"Haha, it was so nice to see you, Councilor Samantha. And, it was my honor to meet the heir of House Dower. However, I know that the heir of the Blade Warrior was on the s.h.i.+p as well. Why don"t I see him around? Did he not think Luolan was up to the scratch?"
"Of course, he wanted to visit Luolan. But, he is on duty today, so he couldn"t come with me. If you want to meet with him, I can easily arrange that."
"Ah, that will be greatly appreciated! I"m not sure you are aware that my ancestors had been supporters of the Blade Warrior as well."
Samantha smiled and nodded. She had been looking for an excuse to rea.s.sign w.a.n.g Tong a new duty, and Carmen"s request made it much easier for her.
w.a.n.g Tong and Tee didn"t drive far, stopping at a duty-free shop and buying some clothing and exotic perfumes. On their way back, they noticed that the s.p.a.ce city security had set up a blockade.
"You, you there… Come here for an inspection!"