Mystery: My Encounters with the Celestial God

Chapter 553 I'll Make You Fly If You Show Off (6K)

The Queen.

Inside the luxuriously decorated mansion.

A slender, middle-aged man with short, stiff hair and a tough-guy look sat on the sofa.

He took a puff of his cigar without any hesitation, enjoying the smoke as he exhaled a cloud of mist, and said:

"Count, this is the King's order, and neither you nor I can interfere. As staunch supporters of the Augustus, you should know that neither you nor I have the right to refuse."

The man opposite him, referred to as the Earl, looked to be in his fifties or sixties, with black hair mixed with a few white hairs, a long face, and downturned corners of his mouth.

The count's face had turned bright red, his eyebrows furrowed, and he pressed on urgently, asking:

"The World Peace Company, which has emerged in recent months, can't even pay its taxes properly. Is the royal family going to protect them?"

"Furthermore, the royal family doesn't seem to have the right to interfere in the businesses of the nobility. Do you still think a reconciliation is possible now?!"

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

The count, who was in his fifties or sixties, seemed to be so angry that the ups and downs in his business over the years could not force him to calm down.

They've already come to our doorstep, even hurling insults at us. And you're telling me we can only put up with it and even try to win them over?

What kind of logic is this?!

Ace's love?

To be honest, this generation's Earl Bernard is somewhat puzzled.

Has the royal family of the Kingdom of Rune fallen to such a state of weakness?

Chunas Korger, with his tough-guy style, thought for a moment, then said with a slight headache:

"My lord, the royal family has no such plans. We just need time to allow each other enough room to maneuver."

"You may not know this, but the belief in the God of Time and Space has been tacitly resisted by the three major churches, and the royal family does not want them to go any further in this regard."

"Three churches, both logically and structurally, possess considerable stability, while four churches will inevitably lead to the formation of cliques."

"The World Peace Corporation is backed by a real deity, so we can only try to ease tensions elsewhere."

At this point, the fourth-order fallen count tapped his fingers on the table, exuding an indescribable aura of authority.

"This is essentially a war of faith without the smoke of gunpowder. Although you can't see it, it certainly exists."

"Then what should we do? We can't keep backing down indefinitely. Are the three major churches really incapable of dealing with a newly emerging sect?"

"If I were royalty, I would definitely shut down the World Peace Corporation for smuggling, tax evasion, and monopolistic practices, instead of letting them trample on my face!"

The count roared in fury, so much so that visible spittle flew through the air.

"..."

Damn it, the followers of the storm are always like this, always trying to solve problems with force. Sooner or later you'll fall for it!

Chunus Colger gritted his teeth so hard he felt like he was having a heart attack; all his previous attempts to persuade him had been in vain.

"No, sir, easing tensions doesn't necessarily mean backing down or giving in without any limits. The royal family has offered so many conveniences; they must have some intention of winning us over."

"And if attempts to win them over fail, we will inevitably take corresponding strong measures. This is Rune, and no one dares to disobey the laws of the Augustus here!"

"That's all I have to say, Earl. The King is still waiting for my report."

"I apologize for not seeing you off any further!"

Count Bernard's gloomy expression only eased considerably after Chunas Korg's figure disappeared from the living room.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the glass coffee table, his slightly cloudy eyes narrowing like those of a cunning, gray-furred fox, and murmured:

Anyone can say nice things.

"It seems the royal family isn't as lenient as I imagined. Chunas's acting is terrible; on the surface he's advising me, but actually he's stirring things up—no, he's eager to distance me from the royal family."

Bernard Valentino was all too familiar with this tactic; similar methods were not uncommon in the fierce business world.

Sending out an obedient "mad dog" to bite the enemy allows the owner to clean up the mess afterward and, if necessary, abandon the "mad dog" to express goodwill.

In this situation, a "mad dog" generally only has three possible outcomes.

The first scenario is that the opponent falls into a disadvantageous position during the confrontation and is abandoned by the master behind them.

The second scenario is a lose-lose situation, where the master behind the scenes benefits.

The third option is to win against the opponent, receive the reward, and continue to be a "mad dog" that can bite at any time.

"That brainless idiot even threatened me, pretending to analyze the situation but actually telling me that all three major churches were doomed. This is a warning that I have no way out."

Damn it!

This is undoubtedly an exploitation of the rules; in this game rife with unspoken rules, only the winners can reap the greatest benefits.

As he pondered, Count Bernard's face darkened. He angrily picked up a priceless wine glass from the table—enough to make a poor man's heart tremble—and smashed it to the floor. Ignoring the pale faces of his butler and servants, he roared furiously:

"Rules, rules! They don't care about your tricks at all!"

"Ridiculous! So what if it's one of the three great churches? So what if it's the Augustus family? They're still being ignored by the other side. Do they really think they're something special? Do they think everyone will play this pointless game according to your rules?!"

"He doesn't care at all!"

Silence fell over the living room. Bernard roared briefly but quickly regained his composure. He took a deep breath and, in a flat tone, gave the order:

"Tonight's banquet will invite the archbishops of the three major churches. If they are sick or unavailable, we will invite other clergy."

"Also, I'll randomly invite a prince. For example, my daughter, Bernard Yves, is of marriageable age. If the young people get along well, this old man will be happy to support her."

At this point, Bernard Valentino did not continue. The full support of a long-established count was an irresistible temptation for any prince eligible to inherit the throne.

"By the way, has Earl Hall agreed? It would be best if the marriage could be arranged at this banquet; his youngest daughter is about the same age as my youngest son."

"Although they will definitely regret it later, at this critical moment, he will certainly not dare to break ties with me and can only support me with a guilty conscience."

"Also, don't forget those councilors and other nobles, especially those powerful nobles who hold the power of discourse."

Drag everyone down with you; that's the smartest way to do things these days.

At this moment, the butler, who had heard the master's instructions, stepped forward and asked in confusion:

"My lord, those nobles never put all their eggs in one basket. Do you think they'll easily ally with us?"

Hearing this, Bernard glanced at the butler, who was a distant relative of the family, and chuckled:

"Qunas is right. This is a war of faith without the sound of gunfire. However, you have overlooked one point: in Rune, no other noble family has a long history like the Bernard family."

"They only follow their own interests, know nothing about the mysterious world and cannot see the essence behind it. They die without knowing why they were born, and they do not know why they were born. In this game between the gods, as long as there is profit, they can be driven to take sides."

At this point, the Earl even made a playful joke:

"I can't exactly have that 'God of Time and Space' personally slap me, can I?"

Sunday night.

A gentle breeze was blowing, and the red moon hung high in the sky.

Ron was still dressed the same way, not in a fancy suit, but in a white shirt, black vest, black trousers, leather shoes, and a trench coat.

For a high-end banquet, such simple attire is undeniably shabby.

However, Klein didn't think so; in his words from a few hours earlier,

"Ron, according to the tropes of online novels, you're here at this banquet to show off and get humiliated. If you weren't dressed so poorly, why would anyone jump out and let you embarrass them?"

The boy immediately thought it made a lot of sense, so he forced Klein, who had offered the slanderous advice, to comply.

Make him wear similar clothes to yourself.

People's joys and sorrows are not the same.

Ron is like a clothes hanger; he looks good in anything, even to the point of being so handsome that he has no friends.

After Klein put on this outfit, he seemed to have returned to his old profession, looking every bit like a private detective.

After getting off the carriage, not wanting to be so shameless as to have a servant follow him, Klein walked alone toward the luxurious mansion located in Queens, close to Sodrak Palace.

"What are you looking at? These are all brand-name items!"

Feeling the burning gazes around him, Mr. Fool couldn't help but regret his loose tongue and coming up with such a terrible idea.

He admitted that he wanted to see Ron make a fool of himself, but now he felt like he was back in Sequence 8.

As he walked, a smile appeared on his lips, and suddenly his eyes lit up when he saw the golden dumpling that was only 1.69 meters tall.

Klein strode forward and patted the golden dumpling on the shoulder.

"I thought you'd be the last to arrive. To paraphrase Leonard, the highlight of an era's protagonist is always at the very end!"

Feeling the rough, strong hand on his shoulder, Ron Sothos didn't turn his head and muttered:

"Yes, so back in Tingen, you, an insignificant supporting character, were the first to die."

With just one sentence, Klein was instantly silenced and lost all interest in speaking.

The older man, with graying temples and a mature air, twitched the corner of his mouth. He didn't say anything more and walked with Ron to the front of the villa.

Without delay, the young man handed over the invitation to "Greg Textile Factory" and then calmly stepped across the door to greet the guest butler.

However, Ron did not go any further. Instead, he stopped and looked at Klein behind him with amusement.

"That's easy. It seems the owner here doesn't judge a book by its cover."

Klein's eyes lit up, and he followed closely behind.

"I'm sorry, sir, this is a private dinner, and private investigators are not allowed inside."

The butler's assistant, who was standing guard at the door to greet the guests, spoke gently, giving the private detective who had mistakenly wandered in plenty of face.

However, the disdain in his eyes could not be erased, as if to say, "How dare you come in dressed like this, you poor wretch?"

Klein froze on the spot as he watched the butler assistant perfectly portray the villain.

"."

There are three kinds of death: physical death, spiritual death, and social death.

In an instant, Klein felt as if everyone's gaze was focused on him, those burning stares making him feel as if he had been thrown into a frying pan.

Fortunately, the great "Fool" may not be thick-skinned in other ways, but his skin is thicker than a city wall.

He gave a mocking snort, brazenly produced the invitation, and then said in a calm but subtly sarcastic tone:

"I didn't expect people to judge others by their appearance here. It seems that small merchants like us are not worthy of being guests at the Earl's mansion."

Damn it, we were dressed the same, why did you let him in?!

Klein thought to himself, then pointed at Ron, who was watching the commotion, to prove that he wasn't there to cause trouble because he was dressed poorly, but rather because he had unique taste and had arranged to meet with his friends.

There's no way he's going to put on airs, because Dawn Dantes doesn't know any important people at all. Now he can only drag Ron down with him to prove that the butler is blind and contemptuous!

But then, Ron turned his head away rather uncooperatively, looking like a bystander, which made Klein feel even more exhausted.

"You little brat, what are you pretending to be so arrogant for?! Maybe I shouldn't wear the same clothes as him; perhaps that would make things easier in the rest of the plan?"

Klein silently complained to himself, but at the same time, he didn't forget what Ron had told him.

Fortunately, this little incident didn't take up too much time. After Klein took out the invitation, the misunderstanding was cleared up, and he quickly entered the luxury villa amidst apologies from the butler and his assistant.

The walls were painted white, the floor-to-ceiling windows were bright and clean, the gas lamps were bright and warm, and the hall was decorated in a luxurious style, with guests and waiters coming and going.

"While it can't compare to Ron's house in terms of art and design, it has the advantage of being spacious enough and having a large collection of artworks. It truly lives up to its reputation as an ancient aristocratic home. How much did this meal cost?"

Looking at the bottles of expensive wines and the rare dishes, Klein quickly estimated a figure in his mind.

"Over 5000 pounds but under 8000 pounds, that's really extravagant!"

He sighed inwardly, while scanning his surroundings, searching for Ron.

The two had a simple plan: Ron would cause trouble, and Ron would act as the straight man, thus dividing the upper and lower classes of society.

A millionaire with an annual income of several million pounds is not on the same level as a millionaire with an annual income of several hundred thousand pounds or a millionaire with an annual income of tens of thousands pounds.

After all, anyone with a brain knows the real reason why a top nobleman would convene this gathering: to boycott the "World Peace Corporation" and impose strict restrictions on its sales and raw material channels.

This is a lose-lose situation. Top billionaires with an annual income of several million pounds may not care, but those with an annual income of several hundred thousand or tens of thousands of pounds may not.

In other words, the behemoth that is "World Peace Corporation" holds the lifeblood of many people in its hands.

Klein originally didn't really want to get involved, for no other reason than that it would be embarrassing.

Moreover, based on his experience, he felt that being with Ron would most likely lead to him getting into trouble.

However, the conscientious, mysterious millionaire from Dixi Bay still chose this very mild option when the boy had to choose between the two.

After all, the plan to summon a meteor during the gathering and wipe out most of the upper class of the Kingdom of Rune and the royal Sodrak Palace was too outrageous. Klein sternly and resolutely rejected Ron's madness and gave him a severe reprimand.

Unbeknownst to many, Mr. Fool has saved the world once again!

"Oh, she's so beautiful. She's like the most beautiful flower in summer, blooming in the bright sunshine, giving people peace, fragrance, and tranquility. I feel like I'm falling for her."

"How come I never noticed how beautiful she was before?"

As his eyes followed the blonde, blue-eyed noblewoman in the distance, Bernard Stefan felt his breathing become slightly heavier.

"Young master, that is the youngest daughter of the Hall family. The master said you can make appropriate contact with her and try to arrange a marriage between the two families."

"Furthermore, the master said this is very important, and you must do it even if you are unwilling, as it is for the common good of the Bernard family."

Before Count Bernard's personal servant could finish speaking, Bernard Stefan abruptly interrupted him.

He struck an exaggerated pose, but his eyes remained fixed on Audrey in the distance.

"No, how could I not want to? She is so beautiful that it makes me feel a little inferior."

"You mean, Father intends for me to marry her?"

The count's personal servant frowned slightly, then finally corrected him:

"It's a marriage alliance with the Hall family."

Stephen choked for a moment, but he didn't seem to care, simply nodding and saying:

"Yes, I understand. Tell my dear Count Bernard that I will succeed."

As soon as he finished speaking, he straightened his appearance, put on a gentle and polite smile, and walked downstairs.

The count's youngest son followed the noblewoman's figure, calculating her direction in his mind, and finally stopped at a dessert area full of small cakes.

As a member of an ancient family, he was born an extraordinary arbitrator, and summarizing, sorting, and generalizing had become almost instinctive for him.

"I must have a perfect encounter with her!"

The image of the noblewoman flashed through his mind, and she appeared before his eyes.

Audrey's blonde hair was styled in an updo, and she wore a long, fitted dress with ruffled cuffs and embellished with rhinestones. She wore gemstone jewelry around her neck and on her earlobes, which, though not eye-catching, revealed her noble status.

Her emerald green eyes were as deep as the ocean and as bright as the starry sky, and when her gaze fell upon her, her beautiful face radiated an indescribable joy.

She looked at me; she cares about me!

"This...this is love at first sight?"

Bernard Stefan muttered something under his breath, immediately straightening his posture and becoming even more humble with a smile. As the noblewoman arrived, he greeted her gently:

"Beautiful Lady"

"Mr. Ron, why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

However, Audrey's gaze completely bypassed him, as if he were a dispensable ornament, utterly ignored.

?

Count Bernard's youngest son stiffly turned his head and saw the girl he had been longing for standing in front of a boy who was about the same height as her, staring at him with unblinking eyes, just like the girl he had been chasing after her.

click

In that instant, it was as if something fragile had shattered.

"No, Stephen, you need to calm down. Maybe they're just friends. Yes, maybe it's just platonic friendship?"

Bernard Stefan was still unwilling to give up. He stiffly turned his head and looked at the boy and girl in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze.

He was about to say something when the handsome young man glanced at him with his golden eyes, and then said in a coquettish voice:

"Audrey, I've always been here. Would you like to try this? I remember you loved carrot cake."

As soon as Ron finished speaking, he picked up the cake, took a big bite, and shoved the last half into the noblewoman's mouth.

When did I start liking carrot cake?

The stunningly beautiful noblewoman paused, staring at the cake that was about to be brought to her mouth, and at Mr. Ron, who was even more handsome than herself, whose face flushed slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then, noticing that no one was looking at her, she stuffed the cake that the boy had already bitten into into her mouth.

No!!!!!

Faintly, a heart-wrenching scream seemed to echo from the vast ocean of the collective unconscious.

Ron smirked, ignoring the girl's struggles, grabbed Audrey's hand and intertwined their fingers, then swaggered off into the distance.

When he reached Bernard Stefan's side, the boy pretended to sneeze and spat, muttering under his breath:

"Pah, you lowlife!"

I want you dead!!!

Bernard Stefan had never experienced anything like this before. The fact that even his "pillar" couldn't withstand his sharp tongue instantly enraged him, causing his legs to go weak and his vision to blur. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

His mouth was agape, like a soulless puppet, staring blankly as the boy and girl walked away.

"Mr. Ron, you're so wicked! That's Count Bernard's youngest son! There will be trouble if anything goes wrong!"

After walking a dozen meters, Audrey suddenly lowered her head, her face slightly flushed, and whispered a reproach.

"You scheming bastard, how dare you talk to me like that?"

Ron curled his lip in disdain upon hearing this:

"Yes, yes, I'm bad, it's all my fault. Don't forget you ate that piece of cake, and you were the one who offered it to me first."

"That guy's eyes were practically glued to you. I don't believe you didn't feel anything. And you should be grateful I didn't gouge his eyes out."

"Disrespect for the angels of God will result in being offered as a living sacrifice!"

Who is your angel?

Hearing Ron's explanation, Audrey gave the scumbag who was always running around a punch. She took a deep breath and was about to say something when she heard a sound that sent a chill down her spine.

"Audrey, is this your friend? Won't you introduce her to your dear father?"

The noblewoman froze on the spot, quickly shaking off Ron's hand and blushing as she looked at Earl Hall and Countess beside her.

"Dad, Mom, what are you doing here?!"

Oh no, my parents caught me dating!

(End of this chapter)