“The vacation... is over?”
Li An slumped in his office chair, staring up at the ceiling and muttering to himself.
Today, his world collapsed.
“I prepared peppermint tea for you today. I hope it puts you in a better mood.”
Isha walked over carrying the tea.
This was the first familiar face Li An had seen in ten days.
Even though it had only been ten days, he inexplicably felt like they were reuniting after a long separation, and he was even a little happy.
Li An raised the teacup and took a sip.
The temperature was just right.
But in the next second, the corner of his eye twitched.
This taste...
Why does it taste so much like toothpaste?
“Did you dissolve toothpaste in this?”
“It seems you do not like it. I will get you another kind.”
Isha left with the teacup.
Meanwhile, Li An began reviewing the work that had accumulated over the past ten days.
The result was unexpected.
There was almost none.
There were two reasons.
First, Kane, the Chief of Section One, was indeed an extremely capable man.
He handled the vast majority of the work himself, so Li An, as the Director, could comfortably go out to enjoy himself, network and socialize with high-ranking officials and nobles along the way, and then simply return to stamp his seal.
Second, the officials of the Evaluation Department were still a bunch of workaholics.
Once in a while, he could even see a few people with heavy dark circles under their eyes drifting around the office, looking exactly like a pack of zombies that had just crawled out of their graves.
The relentless drive of this crowd was indeed nothing to scoff at.
Li An flipped through the documents.
“So... in the end, the only thing that actually requires my handling is this?”
The negotiation with Count Ludelong.
Simply put, the Empire was preparing to use a piece of land.
And that land happened to be near Count Ludelong's domain.
Count Ludelong's stance, however, was very clear.
—Want to touch my land?
Not a chance.
If translated into plain English, it was basically:
“You need to pay more.”
After all, in this era, there was no professional land surveying technology, so similar land disputes were very common.
Most of the time, money could solve it.
If money couldn't solve it, they relied on fists.
However, Count Ludelong was not particularly close to the Empire.
So the Imperial Ministry of Finance simply kept its purse strings extremely tight.
Want to get money from the state treasury?
Forget it.
Since you of the Evaluation Department are so capable, find a way to negotiate it yourselves.
Thus, this troublesome matter was dumped onto the Evaluation Department's head.
And to negotiate with someone of the rank of Count, it had to be at least at the Director level.
“But why does it have to be this kind of work...”
Li An leaned back weakly against his chair and looked out the window.
In the past, he was always thinking about how to fail.
But now, he didn't even want to do any work at all.
Humans are, after all, creatures of habit.
These ten days of vacation had successfully turned Li An into an absolute lazy dog.
“I brewed another cup.”
Isha walked over carrying the tea once more.
“Thank you.”
Li An closed his eyes and took a casual sip.
Sweet.
And sickeningly sweet.
Yet, it tasted surprisingly good.
“What is this now?”
“Baby cocoa.”
“...”
No wonder.
It was so sweet, as if sugar cost nothing.
The alleyway behind the government office building was a perfect spot for slacking off.
The alley was sandwiched between several buildings, making it hard to notice from the outside.
But once inside, one would find a completely different world.
Quiet.
Hidden.
One could even look up at the stars.
Most importantly—it was perfect for smoking.
And for badmouthing others.
Li An came here today as usual, puffing on his pipe.
Today, however, there were already guests here.
“Devon, do you still think Director Li An is nothing special?”
“Isn't that obvious?”
At the other end of the alley, two people were chatting in low voices.
And this kind of gossip behind people's backs was not uncommon in imperial officialdom.
The targets of gossip were usually only three types: superiors, colleagues, or competitors.
Of course, there was one basic rule to badmouthing people behind their backs.
—The person in question must never find out.
“He's just lucky, that's all.”
Devon snorted coldly.
“He got lucky with one thing after another to reach his current position. As time goes on, his true colors will be exposed sooner or later.”
“I respect your opinion,” the other person said calmly.
“However, I am not pretending to listen to you seriously just because you are the son of a Count.”
“Hmph.”
Devon crossed his arms.
“Time will prove me right.”
Hiding nearby and meticulously observing the "etiquette of eavesdropping on gossip," Li An was completely stunned upon hearing this.
Devon?
It turned out this guy was actually so sharp?
Li An's impression of Devon had always been vague.
Chief of Section Two in the Evaluation Department.
Noble background.
And that was it.
But now, his evaluation of Devon instantly soared.
“He's just lucky, that's all.”
A fact.
“He got lucky with one thing after another to reach his current position.”
A fact.
“As time goes on, his true colors will be exposed sooner or later.”
...Li An hoped so too.
He couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
“To think the Empire actually has such a sharp-eyed, insightful talent who cuts straight to the truth.”
Such talent.
Must be properly nurtured.
“So! You are saying you want me to go and negotiate with Count Ludelong?”
Devon was called into the Director's office, his expression somewhat stiff.
“Exactly.”
Li An nodded.
“You are the most suitable candidate. To negotiate with a difficult person like Count Ludelong, you need both a noble status and sufficient capability.”
“Well, that's true...”
Devon pondered for a moment.
Though there was a wide gap between their official ranks, Devon was, after all, the son of a Count.
Just like how in certain games, creatures won't listen to you if you don't have a trainer badge.
The higher a noble's status was, the higher the official rank required to keep them in check.
After all, the Empire was still a semi-bureaucratic, semi-feudal one.
Although Li An was nominally his superior, Devon had a natural advantage in terms of noble status.
Seeing that Devon was still hesitating, Li An decided to use his final trump card.
“No one else is up to the task but you.”
Li An used the skill: Reverse Psychology!
It was super effective!
Devon fell silent for a moment.
“Since you put it that way, Director, leave this matter to me.”
Success.
Li An nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he pulled out three leather pouches from his drawer.
“These contain a few things I prepared.”
“If you run into difficulties during the negotiation, open them one by one.”
Devon scoffed.
“I don't think I'll be needing these things.”
Even as he spoke, he still put the three leather pouches away.
“But since it is the Director's goodwill, I shall accept them.”
With that, Devon straightened his back and turned to leave.
Li An watched his departing back, thoroughly satisfied.
He had always wanted to try this.
The classic clever silk pouches master plan.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Zhao Yun went down to Jiangdong, Zhuge Liang gave him three silk pouches, which he was to open one by one in critical moments to turn danger into safety.
Only, Li An didn't put paper slips inside this time. Instead, he packed actual items.
“I have a feeling... if I write this down, it might turn out badly.”
After all, truly capable people ought to be properly nurtured.
Count Ludelong.
The first time Devon met him, he realized that things were not as simple as he had imagined.
Right at their first meeting, Count Ludelong propped a leg up on the drawing-room table.
“I will give you three minutes,” he said calmly, puffing on his pipe.
“Speak.”
There was not a single shred of noble elegance to him.
The Ludelong family had built their wealth through commerce.
Unlike Devon, who was born with noble blood, the Count had truly climbed to his current position step by step.
“I am here to negotiate.”
“Negotiate?”
Count Ludelong exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“Negotiation is a matter between equal parties.”
He raised his eyelids.
“What do you plan to offer in exchange for my land?”
“Your so-called negotiation is nothing but begging.”
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Devon's forehead.
From the very beginning, the Count had no intention of taking him seriously.
The invisible pressure left Devon feeling almost choked up.
Their life experiences were simply on entirely different levels.
“Right! I still have the pouches Li An gave me...”
Devon remembered the items Li An had handed him before he left.
To tell the truth, he had scoffed in his heart when he first received those three pouches.
He believed he could easily complete the negotiation on his own merit.
There was absolutely no need for such gimmicks.
But now...
Devon silently opened the first pouch.
Inside was a small packet of peppermint.
For brewing tea.
“...”
Devon was utterly baffled.
What use does this thing have?
Count Ludelong was just about to lose his temper when his attention was suddenly caught by what was in Devon's hands.
The drawing room suddenly fell dead silent.
“...Peppermint?”
The Count's tone changed.
“Bring it here.”
Stunned, Devon hurriedly handed it over.
Count Ludelong personally boiled water and brewed the tea.
As the hot water poured in, a rich aroma of peppermint quickly filled the entire drawing room.
The Count raised the teacup and took a light sip.
“You've prepared quite well~ High-grade peppermint.”
His expression softened significantly.
“Some people hate the taste of peppermint. I've always felt that those people don't know how to enjoy life.”
The Count slowly savored his tea.
“Very well.”
He set down the teacup.
“For the sake of this tea, I am willing to hear you out.”
Devon: "..."
How did things suddenly become so smooth?
He quickly struck while the iron was hot, laying out the negotiation proposal he had prepared.
“The Empire plans to build a watchtower near the Count's domain.”
“Your domain sits in a strategically vital military position and borders the territories of other races. Once the watchtower is constructed, it will not only monitor the other races but also further guarantee the security of the Count's domain...”
Bang!
Count Ludelong slammed his palm onto the table.
“My domain is just as secure without a watchtower!”
“What? Do you think we are so weak that we need to rely on some shoddy tower for protection?”
The atmosphere instantly plunged to sub-zero temperatures.
Devon's heart sank.
This was bad.
The negotiation proposal he had prepared seemed to have stepped precisely on the Count's sore spot.
Count Ludelong even stood straight up.
The second pouch!
Devon hurriedly opened it.
Inside was a stuffed doll.
“What... the hell is this?”
Devon almost swore in his hometown dialect.
But right at that moment, upon seeing the doll, Count Ludelong's eyes suddenly lit up.
“Isn't this the limited-edition doll from Devon Workshop?”
He snatched it away.
“I've been looking for this for ages without finding it!”
“How did you know I was collecting these?”
Devon: "..."
He didn't.
He didn't know anything.
All he knew was that Li An had told him to bring them along.
What terrified him even more was that Li An actually even knew of Count Ludelong's hobby of collecting them.
“How could I visit the Count empty-handed?” Devon said, bracing himself.
“This is just a small token of my appreciation.”
“Haha!”
Count Ludelong immediately beamed with joy.
“Young man, you certainly have good manners.”
“And you picked the perfect moment to present your gift. It seems you are very skilled at negotiation.”
Devon: "..."
No.
He wasn't skilled at all.
It was all arranged by the Director.
However, after he finished laughing, Count Ludelong sighed again.
“Even so, constructing a watchtower is indeed a very difficult matter.”
“Building a tower right next to my domain, isn't that just spying on my territory?”
“To be honest, this negotiation was unreasonable from the very start.”
He looked at Devon.
“The true purpose of building the tower is actually to monitor me, right?”
“Uh...”
Devon opened his mouth, unable to find his words.
Count Ludelong waved his hand, however.
“Forget it.”
“It is not your fault.”
“It's all the work of those damned traitors. You were just pushed out to act as a lobbyist.”
Devon was stunned.
For the first time, he realized that the Count seemed to have seen through everything.
“Let's not beat around the bush anymore.”
Count Ludelong waved his hand again.
“I was almost convinced by you.”
“But if I still end up refusing, you, as the Empire's negotiator, will lose face too, right?”
There was even a hint of consideration in his words.
Devon almost nodded subconsciously.
But then he suddenly remembered the third pouch.
No.
It couldn't end here.
Devon gritted his teeth and opened the last pouch.
Inside lay a worn, old coin.
Devon went silent.
That's it?
What could an old coin like this possibly do?
“Director!”
He roared frantically in his heart.
“What is the point of this useless coin?!”
“That coin...” Count Ludelong suddenly spoke.
Devon was taken aback.
The Count took the coin and examined it closely.
“This is an Imperial Founding Commemorative Coin, isn't it?”
“...Yes.”
In truth, Devon had absolutely no idea.
But at a time like this, he naturally couldn't say he didn't know.
Count Ludelong grasped the worn-out coin, falling silent for a very long time.
His eyes seemed to pierce through time itself.
“Back then, I was not some noble.”
“I was just a useless nobody who couldn't even afford bread.”
“Every time I walked past a bakery and smelled the aroma wafting out, I would tell myself...”
“One day, I will definitely open a bakery of my own.”
“Back then, that wish was all I had.”
Devon did not speak.
At a moment like this, the best response was simply to nod.
“Later, I worked myself to the bone to reach where I am today.”
Count Ludelong's eyes gradually reddened.
“But if not for the late Emperor's help back then, I would never have made it to this position today.”
“Those were indeed... some very difficult years.”
“Yet looking back now, it was also a very happy time.”
Devon: "..."
Wasn't this development a bit off?
The Count, however, began to laugh.
“What a clever lad.”
“To present such a thing to me—were you reminding me not to forget my original aspiration?”
Devon felt a jolt in his heart.
He had absolutely no idea how to reply.
He could only play along.
“You saw right through it.”
“Haha.”
Count Ludelong laughed.
“To be frank, I do indeed have some dissatisfaction with the Empire right now.”
“But I believe His Majesty has his own reasons for wanting to build a watchtower here.”
“He is always worrying for the sake of this nation.”
Devon nodded.
This time, it was purely a reflex action.
“Very well.”
Count Ludelong picked up his seal.
“Devon Herendel.”
“You have successfully persuaded this stubborn old man.”
“I agree.”
With a loud thud, the seal fell.
A land-use permit officially took effect.
Devon breathed a long sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Lord Count.”
“I am the one who should be saying thank you.”
Count Ludelong smiled.
Even as he stepped out of the Count's estate, Devon still could not wrap his head around it.
Just how exactly did this negotiation succeed?
Only a single name remained in his mind.
Li An Adolf.
“Just when did you start setting up this board?”
“And how far ahead did you actually calculate...”
Devon couldn't help but shiver.
“Li An Adolf...”
“I am truly growing more and more terrified of you.”
Before long, Li An received the news of Devon's successful negotiation.
“As expected.”
Li An nodded in satisfaction.
“He is indeed a highly talented man.”
“Someone like him is the one who should be the Director.”
Not himself.
But it wasn't too late either.
Li An had already made up his mind.
Since he had encountered such an outstanding talent, they might as well make progress together.
Boarding the train to success together.
An express train.
All the way straight to—hell.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Rate on N.U.
