Dr2618-3-5, pm8:45
Ice Blue City, Zhongcheng District.
Bauhinia Ring Commercial Street.
Under the street lamps, which are ancient in shape and made entirely of copper and embedded with eight sides of glass, pedestrians are coming and going, making them very lively.
Light shines from the wooden windows, through the half-person-high fence, and onto the mottled terrazzo steps.
"jingle……"
Under the blurred neon sign, a man wearing sunglasses and a trench coat pushed open the door and entered, followed by the sound of noisy music.
In the darkness, the spotlights on the ceiling flickered on and off, and countless colorful lines danced in the mist, reflecting the wildly twisting bodies.
Inside and outside are two completely different worlds. Noise, chaos, and madness are the only themes here.
"Brother, you seem to have forgotten to buy a ticket." A burly man in a trench coat blocked the way of the man in a trench coat and crossed his arms, looking very unfriendly. "Don't blame me for not reminding you, this is Baron Hart's place."
The man in the windbreaker didn't even look at the other person. He pinched his fingers together and showed a card with a black thorn pattern.
The moment he saw the card, the attitude of the bodyguard in the audience turned 180 degrees, and his condescending force immediately turned into humility and flattery.
The Black Thorn Card represents one of the most respected identities in Ice Blue City, and the opponent is at least a powerful official with the title of baron.
"Sir, do you have a reservation? If not, I will arrange the best VIP for you..."
"No!" The man in the trench coat interrupted, "Take me to see Baron Hart."
Seeing that the bodyguard did not dare to be negligent in the slightest, he immediately bowed and said, "Yes, sir!"
Although there are many bars on Ruby Sapphire Street, aristocratic gentlemen prefer to have fun in the lively Midtown area.
After all, in the place where you live, you may accidentally meet your wife or children walking, causing unnecessary misunderstandings or setting a bad example.
Therefore, the bars on Red Sapphire Street are mostly Qingshui Bars, while those in Zhongcheng District are mostly entertainment venues.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
The bodyguards opened the way in front and escorted the man in the trench coat to the VIP area above.
Huge speakers vibrated, blasting deafening heavy metal rock music. When passing by, it seemed that all the internal organs were trembling.
The man in the trench coat walked up to a higher place. The dance floor below was filled with smoke, and screams of excitement could be heard from time to time.
In the colorful light, a sexy and hot body is looming.
"A group of hot girls are here tonight. I heard they are traveling from the Western Continent. They are really more playful than the others..."
While watching the bodyguard speak, he saw the other person's gloomy expression from the corner of his eye, and he immediately stopped talking knowingly.
Knowing how to observe words and emotions is the basic condition for survival in Ice Blue City.
The aristocratic gentleman seemed to be in a low mood and did not show enough interest in these demanding bodies, which meant that silence was the best option.
"right here."
The bodyguards at the scene took the man in trench coat to the highest box, bowed, then turned and left.
There was a group of men sitting in the box. It could be seen from their bright clothes that they were either rich or noble.
But at this moment, the atmosphere in the box was a bit gloomy. Everyone was immersed in drinking, no one spoke, and they looked lifeless.
One of the male nobles heard the noise, looked up and saw the man in the trench coat coming in, and immediately recognized the man's identity.
Some shouted overjoyed, "Viscount Theon!"
When the other nobles heard the cry, they raised their heads, and then showed expressions of surprise.
"Oh, I've finally waited for you." "I thought you had something to do and couldn't come." "Please sit down quickly!"
Viscount Xion nodded slightly and sat down in the box.
"How is the situation?" "Have you heard any news?"
Everyone was so impatient that they even forgot to pour each other a glass of wine to soothe their throats.
Viscount Xion took off his sunglasses and threw them on the table. He glanced at everyone, then grabbed the edge of the table with both hands and nodded solemnly.
"Great!" "Viscount Xion still has a way!" "I told you back then, your brother-in-law is a talent!"
Then, Viscount Xion told everyone what he had learned from Viscount Rob.
After listening, everyone showed painful expressions.
But this is not their fault. No matter who it is, it is very painful to take out one-fifth of the property at once.
"This greedy bitch, why doesn't she rob a bank?"
An aristocratic official couldn't control his emotions and cursed.
"Shh, keep your voice down!"
The aristocratic official who heard next to him immediately looked horrified, grabbed the other person's arm, and looked outside, as if he was worried that someone was eavesdropping outside.
Like an infectious disease, his emotions quickly infected others, and the box became quiet.
There was deafening music outside, mixed with the excited screams of women and the roars of drunkards. The noisy environment made everyone feel at ease. After all, you need to be very close to hear the sound, and it is difficult for the recording equipment to work properly.
"Sometimes, I really want to leave this hellish place!" A noble official sighed, "There is no place for us in this city."
"But where can we go after leaving here?" Another noble official sighed.
"Perhaps, we can go north?" the third noble official suggested.
"The reputation of the Witch with Golden Eyes is no better than that of the Blood Queen." someone reminded her.
"Is there any difference between giving up everything and escaping from one devil's hands to another?"
"Where is the Fourth Prince?"
When it comes to the orthodox successor of the Malan royal family, Malan 23rd and his Lan Kingdom, everyone invariably fell silent.
The reason is simple. No one wants to suffer with a declining prince, let alone the danger of being buried with him.
But in reality, they have few options.
Of course, they can choose to give up everything here and go abroad, such as Qing Country, Huang Country, or even the outer continent.
But in this case, their rights and status will all disappear, and everything will start from scratch.
They were not generals who gained power by force, but civilian officials who relied on management ability and family background.
Only the Red Country will recognize their titles. If they go to a foreign country, they must rely on their strength to speak for themselves. If they are lucky, a small number of them may be able to become mayors of edge towns with their garrison-level strength, but the vast majority will have to live on their laurels. As their assets shrink, they will gradually fall to the bottom of society.
Power is like the poison of a poppy. Once you are contaminated with it, you will be addicted to it for life and cannot quit.
Even in the face of death threats, they are unwilling to give up what little power they have.
"Maybe the situation is not as bad as we thought." said a noble official.
"Is there a worse time than now?" Another noble official retorted, "Look at the Ice Blue City now. Ghosts are rampant, the atmosphere is smoky, the top and bottom are in chaos, and the municipal institutions are almost half paralyzed. You guys Maybe you don’t know that the Finance Bureau is almost out of money to pay wages. Maybe in a few years, any marginal town will be more comfortable than us."
"But besides staying here, where else can we go? The children need to study, and the wife needs to walk the dog. If we leave the Ice Blue City, we are nothing!"
"No, I mean to think from another angle." The noble official said, "The queen's purpose is not to destroy Ice Blue City. On the contrary, she wants to develop it, but a suitable bridge has not yet appeared."
"bridge?"
"Yes, a bridge! Our queen needs a bridge to establish a cooperative relationship with the officials of the previous dynasty."
Everyone fell silent and listened carefully to the noble official's analysis.
"Perhaps Trilis is not as crazy as we thought. Look at Aqiaomu, isn't he doing well around her?"
"Triris gives a lot of power to the people she trusts."
"If, I mean if, we can gain the Queen's trust, then we will have more opportunities than when the old king was alive."
"The old king is old after all. He is content with the status quo and has stopped moving forward. When he was on the throne, although we held important positions, we couldn't do anything."
"But Trisili is different. She is truly the most powerful person, and her ambition cannot be compared to that of the old king."
"As long as we can gain her trust, we can flex our muscles and realize our ambitions."
The noble officials nodded thoughtfully. The reason why they stay here is not only because they are attached to their original power and status, but also because they have a fantasy.
And this fantasy is that if Cuilisi wants to develop the country, she needs a group of officials with real abilities, instead of the current group of mediocre people who can only flatter others.
"Then tell me, who can be a bridge? This person can not only gain Triris's trust, but also understand and sympathize with us, the former court officials."
"Don't tell me it's Aqiaomu. This bitch is only interested in money and torturing people."
"Speaking of which, I would like to add one more thing. It can not only gain the trust of Cuilis, but also understand and sympathize with us, the former court officials, and it can also check and balance the Black Prison Guards."
"This condition is too harsh..."
"Looking at it now, Bai Ye Fenghua of the Bai Ye Principality may be able to become our bridge." The nobleman analyzed, "Bai Ye Fenghua is from a royal family and knows how to maneuver and govern the country, and she has a good reputation in Bai Ye. Very good, not only talented and hard-working, but also modest and steady, polite and virtuous."
"I heard that the Queen values her very much, but she is still breaking through the barrier now and cannot be distracted."
"In that case, what we should do most now is to go to the White Night Principality and build closer relationships as early as possible."
"It's not necessary."
"I heard that Bai Yefenghua believes in 'the friendship between gentlemen is as light as water'. As long as we have real talents and practical knowledge and the ability to govern the country, we will be appreciated by her."
"But if she's not that kind of person, there's no point in even visiting her early."
"When it comes to flattering people, is there anyone among us who is more professional than Viscount Robb?"
"Hahaha!"
