In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

The woman, however, was not surprised at all and gave him a disdainful look.

Actually, she was somewhat relieved, because if Xu Shi hadn't done that, she would have become the one who had the seed planted... Just listening to his "brief lesson" today, even the proud and arrogant Chairman Xie was a little taken aback, it was just too much.

But she was also unhappy. Although Xu Shi did this for her sake, it was obvious what would happen next.

Besides treating my illness, I'm afraid these two will also need treatment... Thinking about it still makes me unhappy, humph.

"There's no other way; I have to give my family an explanation."

Xu Shi shamelessly replied, "Well, I made a promise before, so I have to do it no matter how hard or tiring it is."

I guess I'll just have to suffer myself.

"Is this the first time Aunt Xie has met Dad?"

Xia Ke'an, always eager for a good show, guessed what was going on even though she hadn't heard it. "I'm more curious about what you plan to do with this so-called Protestant church, Dad."

"Well..."

Just as Xu was about to share his plans, he saw a group of people approaching from not far away.

The one leading them was also an old acquaintance, Lu Baiyan, a Templar Knight of the Holy See.

"Mr. Xu."

The other party gave a standard knightly salute. "Does Your Excellency have some free time now? Would you be willing to come to the Holy See for a short chat?"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 262 Your names are all so strange!

2023-09-12

Xu Shi had always had a pretty good impression of Lu Baiyan.

The main reason was that this kid reminded him a bit of his good brother Qi Maoyang, who was far away in the City of Night Sin. He was a little mischievous, but not much, and his personality was quite likable.

Furthermore, the fact that he and Luo Yu seem to be at odds is an even bigger plus.

"Knight Lu".

So even though the invitation seemed a bit abrupt, he didn't really offend the other party and nodded politely, "Did you invite me yourself, or are you representing the Holy See?"

“I came here with the Knights, of course, to represent the Holy See.”

Lu Baiyan returned the smile, but there was a hint of regret in his voice, "However, it would be even better if Mr. Xu would like to visit my residence later."

Ok?

Xu Shi found this attitude interesting, as he seemed somewhat reluctant.

However, upon closer reflection, it becomes clear—everyone knows that Xu Shi's relationship with the Vatican is far from good, at least the Vatican itself is well aware of this.

But the value of itself is immense. Whether it's the recent Poseidon Stone incident or the various equipment and technologies from earlier times, it's certainly spreading now... The royal family has already taken the first step, and even if the Papacy is unwilling, it's impossible for them to give up without even making contact. Doing so would be the least beneficial thing for them.

So the question is, who should be sent to be the guide?

There aren't many people in the Holy See who have had dealings with Xu Shi before, so simply sending someone they don't know before would definitely not work, as it would seem too abrupt... But besides that, there are only Luo Yu, Qin Yiyan, and Lu Baiyan left. If you really want to talk about it, he has met the Holy Maiden once, but given her status, it would be too humble for her to come and invite him.

Luo Yu and Qin Yiyan had some kind of grudge against him, so it seemed that only Lu Baiyan was capable of handling this task.

Wow, so many twists and turns!

Xu Shi couldn't help but mentally complain, thinking that this kind of etiquette is never lacking, no matter where you are.

Lu Baiyan's reluctance is therefore understandable—he had dealt with Xu Shi before, but they weren't particularly close, not to the point of calling each other brothers. However, this matter was easy to mess up, and it was hard to say whether Xu Shi would give him face. If he refused outright, Lu Baiyan would have to take the blame.

In fact, from the relationship between him and Luo Yu, Xu Shi could tell that the Templar Knights were by no means a monolithic entity, and there was bound to be infighting... Thinking about it this way, Lu Baiyan's displeasure was less directed at himself and more at being pushed out to do this thankless job.

As for his subsequent invitation... it's hard to say whether it was sincere or just polite.

Luckily, I'm an easy-going person, otherwise this guy would have had a real headache.

The carriage that came to pick him up was naturally an exquisite one, and he once again took the lead in the main carriage without hesitation—though it wasn't as comfortable as Cheng Gujian's carriage. The Vatican's carriages looked magnificent, but the interiors were rather simple.

Xu Shi recalled that he had flipped through a few pages of their scriptures before, which seemed to follow some kind of strict discipline... If that's the case, then why build such a magnificent exterior?

happy.

The others naturally came along as well, and the younger sister dutifully took on the responsibility of protecting her brother, not taking a carriage but accompanying him directly beside Xu Shi's carriage.

If she was only annoyed with Cheng Gujian, she was definitely wary of the Holy See. Who knew if it was a trap?

She vaguely remembered that she had fought with the Vatican before. She didn't care about the cause and effect, but she was definitely labeled as a "bad guy".

Actually, there's no need to be so wary... Xu Shi chuckled to himself. The other party's blatant invitation, especially coming to the palace gate, definitely had a provocative and challenging connotation, but they would never do anything foolish that would be detrimental to him.

Because this would easily give the royal family a handle to use against them, which would not benefit them at all.

However, this gesture was indeed very heartwarming, and he was very satisfied with Miss Shen Qin's loyal performance.

So, the "brother complex" trait is pretty great... provided you're the brother being controlled.

"I still admire Mr. Xu for turning misfortune into good fortune and returning victorious from the battle of Poseidon."

Lu Baiyan rode in the same car with him. After a moment of silence, he started to make small talk to get closer to him. "To be honest, I really didn't expect you to survive... You're really amazing."

"It was just good luck."

Xu Shi jokingly replied, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be sitting next to you now, would I?"

Lu Baiyan could tell that he was hiding something. How could he survive being swallowed by the Sea God? It couldn't be explained by mere good luck.

However, he wouldn't ask too many questions, as it would be impolite... so he simply nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

"But in any case, the new technologies and creations you brought are very interesting. I have collected quite a few myself, such as that light bulb, and some other items."

He then started a new topic, “Your city-states must be very different from the empire… To be honest, I look forward to visiting one day and seeing it all for myself.”

These words actually contained a hidden subtext: he hoped that Xu Shi could be on good terms with the Papacy as he had with the royal family, so that there would be a chance to realize what he said... But the true meaning in his tone did not sound like mere flattery to Xu Shi.

There was no sarcasm or irony in the polite conversation just now.

Are you really interested?

Xu Shi blinked, then flicked his wrist to release the communication bracelet and showed him some saved pictures. "In that case, why don't we try to understand it this way first? Although they are just pictures, the information they record is not fake."

Since the signal base station was built on Silver Pine Island, some signal can be received in the main city area. Although it is still relatively weak, it is not difficult to achieve this level.

"This is?"

The squinty-eyed girl probably didn't expect Xu Shi to be so generous, and suddenly raised her head.

The Hualan Empire does have this imaging method, but it's definitely not as convenient as the communication bracelet. At least there's a guidance process involved, and it's not something he can just do with a flick of his finger.

In particular, he could not sense any fluctuations in "divine energy" at all, which was enough to surprise him.

The scene depicted in the picture made his eyes widen – just as he had expected, the City of Night Sin and the Hualan Empire were two completely different worlds, but what the other world was like was something he could not even imagine.

"May I ask, for example, what is this...?"

He swallowed hard, pointed to one of the spots, and asked with great curiosity.

"Oh, this..."

Xu Shi was quite generous and patiently answered his questions.

This back-and-forth questioning continued several times, until finally he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, "Now I see that your invitation to my residence was not just a polite gesture."

When I first saw him, I thought he was a cunning, squinty-eyed guy, but now he seems to have more of a curious, childlike side... I have to say, he's quite cute.

But thinking about it, it's normal. Given my special status, I can remain calm even when I see the Hualan Empire. If it were anyone else around me, they would have been wide-eyed with surprise when they first arrived.

This can be considered an inevitable result of the clash between different cultures.

"...Mr. Xu, do you think I have ulterior motives?"

These words were actually a bit harsh. Lu Baiyan, who had just been feeling happy about seeing something new, pursed his lips, and the joy on his face faded a bit.

"To be honest, it's hard for me not to feel that way, isn't it?"

Xu Shi spread his hands, "After all, you are a Templar Knight of the Holy See... To be honest, I'm already quite surprised that you're not as hostile towards me as others."

"Actually, that's not quite right, Mr. Xu."

Lu Baiyan shook his head and said, "The Vatican may have left a bad impression on you before, but there are also some people who are optimistic about your arrival. I am not the only one."

"But they are a minority, right?"

Xu Shi laughed, "Including your Commander Qin, before I had even met her, she had already publicly mocked me as a barbarian, hadn't she?"

"Knight Commander Qin is a very good person."

Lu Baiyan sighed, "But it's true that she takes good care of Xiao Luoyu... If you put yourself in her shoes, I'm sure you can understand."

"Maybe."

Xu Shi remained noncommittal, saying, "But rather than racking my brains over those things, I'd much rather deal with someone like you; at least it saves me a lot of trouble."

"Yes, since you're so interested in our city-state, why don't you come and help me out?"

He continued, "I have already intended to encourage more exchanges between the people of the two city-states... You can be one of them if you wish."

"Mr. Xu is joking."

Lu Baiyan's expression completely calmed down. "I am first and foremost a Templar Knight, and only secondly an ordinary person who is interested in your city-state."

Xu Shi wasn't surprised by his answer. Even if he had secretly used some abilities, it seemed unlikely that he could turn the other party against him with just a few words.

Or rather, if Lu Baiyan really agreed, that would be the problem. Either he's a really bad person, or he's just being completely hypocritical.

However, some probing or trying to win him over is still necessary, because he can see that if one were to divide the Vatican into factions, this squinty-eyed man is neutral or even pro-ambivore.

As everyone knows, Mr. Xu's favorite thing is to poach people's girlfriends—not necessarily girls, of course. Not only is his personality not bad, but his ability to reverse time is also quite interesting.

We need to find a way to turn him into a "snake ring"... cough, anyway, that's the gist of it. He came to the Hualan Empire with this idea in mind; it's always good to have another ally.

If it doesn't work this time, maybe it will work next time?

As they spoke, the convoy arrived at its destination—the cathedral located in the heart of the city.

It has always been said that the Papacy and the Royal Family check and balance each other, with the Papacy even having a slight advantage. This is the best proof of that – they control the best locations in the city, while the Royal Palace is located in a more remote area.

"Mr. Xu, please come with me."

Lu Baiyan regained his usual composure, and with a half-smile, led Xu Shi and his group inside.