Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

“I just received orders that Victoria is evacuating its citizens. I have to evacuate with them. Your Excellency, Grand Knight, let me give you some advice: don't think about any foolproof plans now. The Business Federation has made such a huge mess. Either you betray them and you live, or you both die together.”

The Grand Knight fell silent. After a long while, she raised her head, looked at Blake, and asked, "What should I do?"

Blake turned his head away, looking as if he were talking to himself, and said in a pretentious manner:

"I am a materialist. I am not religious and I do not believe in resurrection."

"The corpse is talking, that's not scientific."

"It's scientific to shut up the dead."

The Grand Knight nodded knowingly, sincerely said "Thank you," and turned to leave the embassy quickly.

After Blake finished speaking, he watched Russell leave. A few minutes later, when he finished packing his things, he glanced at the door again. The blond ranger was already waiting outside, followed by two members of the Unarmored Alliance.

How come these Kuranta people are all knights and assassins without anyone noticing? He clicked his tongue, stepped forward, and asked:

Who is Bai Jin?

“It’s me,” the tall, thin middle-aged man replied, placing Hinterlea behind him. But Hinterlea was no longer a child and couldn’t be completely protected; Blake noticed her immediately.

Blake frowned in surprise. Wait a minute, didn't His Highness Wayne say that the white-haired, white-clad woman Kuranta was the Platinum? How come it's an old man? The one next to her looks more like it, doesn't he?

Well, we don't need to be too rigid about gender. Prince Wayne is extraordinary, so it's possible that he's different from ordinary people in these aspects.

"You can stay here for now; I have something to tell you."

"Why should we listen to you?" Hinterlea asked uneasily.

Blake glanced at the girl and shrugged.

"Five hundred thousand, plus a Victorian citizenship."

"Deal!" Hintelia replied happily, glancing up at her master beside her, and said proudly in a low voice, "I learned to haggle from you, Master. Did I do it right?"

"Ah, right, right, right," Platinum Grande echoed, rolling his eyes.

This young lady hasn't learned the good things, but she's quick to pick up the bad ones.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Ambitions of the Business Federation (4500)

Kazimir, Grand Knight Commander Kavaleriaki, Headquarters of the Commercial Federation.

The land of Kazimir was originally ruled by the divine people known as the "Pegasus".

The "Heavenly Path," initiated by the Khan of Nightmare and beginning on the grasslands east of present-day Ursus, conquered and spurred the entire land. The rule of the "Pegasus" over Kazimir fell into chaos during this "Heavenly Path," and the knights of Kazimir seized the opportunity to overthrow their rule, establishing the Knights Order and a knightly dictatorship in Kazimir.

The Commercial Confederation already existed when the Kingdom's government collapsed and the Knights Order was formally established as the dictatorship of Kazimir. At that time, the Commercial Confederation was merely a loose alliance of a few farmers and textile mill owners, dependent on the rule of the knightly nobles and known as knightly squires. This loose alliance was simply a means to secure meager benefits for themselves under noble rule. However, its history undoubtedly surpasses even that of the Supervisory Council and the Knights' Guild, and it can be compared to the National Assembly, Kazimir's earliest governmental organization.

Times were rapidly changing, and Kazimir was no exception. When news of the Industrial Revolution, beginning with Victoria and accompanied by the sound of hand cannons clad in the first steam-powered armor, resounded throughout Terra, Kazimir was inevitably drawn into this global game led by Victoria. The influx of new concepts such as finance, international trade, and capital caused Kazimir's order to gradually crumble. About 120 years ago, a knight's squire used his vast accumulated wealth to buy the assets of a deceased nobleman auctioned off by the National Assembly, becoming an overnight millionaire. This squire's wealth came from the legitimate income of managing a knight's family business amidst the growing commercial development of various countries at the time.

This event attracted many others, and the relationship between knights' squires and merchants grew increasingly close. The traditional knightly nobility, powerless against new external threats and the influx of capital, relied on the vast capital controlled by these squires and merchants to maintain their position. As time passed, directors and businesses gradually took over Kazimierz from the traditional knightly nobility.

This was the best of times, and the worst of times. Since then, the Merchant Federation has ceased to be the loose alliance of merchants it once was. Leveraging its immense economic power and astute business acumen, it decisively defeated the former nobility in this game of money and politics. The knightly families were ousted from the stage, and the retired knights returned from the borders to find everything turned upside down. Some knights refused to acknowledge the city, while others formed organizations like the Supervisory Council, seizing military power in Kazimir and seeking reforms to restore its former glory. The Merchant Federation, meanwhile, has become a true behemoth in Kazimir.

"We established the Knights' Association, stripping away the special status of traditional knights and nobles, giving every commoner the opportunity to become a titled knight through their own efforts, enjoying the noble privileges that were once only obtainable through bloodline, as well as countless flowers and applause. We infiltrated the National Assembly, and even the National Assembly's prosecutors had to respect the decisions made by our spokesperson. We sidelined the Supervisory Council; if they hadn't still controlled the troublesome force of the War Knights, they would have been nothing more than empty ornaments. But this is merely the last glimmer of knighthood."

At an emergency meeting of the Business Federation, the chairman of Rose Newspaper Group arrogantly declared:

"The future is no longer the era of knights! Our friends from Victoria have agreed to our demands, exchanging the blueprints for steam-powered armor for command of the Armorless Alliance's Xuan Tie, helping them carry out an impossible assassination. If the assassination succeeds, we can also obtain the design data for Victoria's advanced land-based warships, as well as the design concepts for war fortresses. When countless high-speed warships surge forth like a steel torrent, the charge of knights will be utterly insignificant!"

"This is a worthwhile deal. It's our best chance to break the stalemate with the Supervisory Council and completely take control of Kazimierz. Now, let's begin the vote. Those who agree with my proposal, please raise your hands!"

..........

"Click".

As the recording finished playing, the chairman of Rose Newspaper Group looked up, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone seated around the round table. He abruptly leaned back, his overweight body slamming against the back of the high-backed chair with two creaking sounds. Accompanying these creaks was the chairman of Rose Newspaper Group's innocent voice:

"As you all heard, when I proposed this motion, everyone here agreed. Right?"

“But you didn’t tell us that Xuan Tie might be exposed! Victoria might retaliate against Kazimir!” the serious-faced director retorted.

The walls of Casimir's wealth were not entirely impenetrable, and the Business Federation was not a monolithic entity either. The managing directors were divided into four groups: radicals, moderates, profit-seekers, and ambitious individuals. The chairman of Rose Newspaper, a portly man whose real name was Kane, always referred to as "the reporter," looked at the director who had spoken and knew immediately that he belonged to the simple moderates.

"Director Sachiev, your company sells kitchenware. When you sell knives to customers, do you also remind them that the knife might cut their fingers?"

"Reporter" Kane scoffed and argued illogically.

"I am a qualified businessman. I have convinced you that the products I sell are beneficial and without any drawbacks. Whatever problems arise in the end are not my fault, nor the fault of the product itself, but the fault of the user. Or do you think that just because using a knife might cut your finger, you should give up a kitchen knife and just stare at a piece of fatty meat and drool?"

The director opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refute this fallacy. As Director Kane said, if he refuted this statement, he would be overturning the operating principle of a qualified Casimir capitalist—that is, using acceptable deception to get consumers to buy his products.

"I know that everyone here is dissatisfied with the current situation, but the decision was made by everyone together. Don't expect me to shoulder this alone!" Director Kane said loudly, drowning out the whispers in the room.

One of the directors raised his hand and questioned, "Then tell me, what are we supposed to do now? Victoria wants to blockade our economy, and the Oversight Council, behind the back of the National Assembly, has transferred the Expeditionary Knights back to the Grand Knight Territory under the pretext that the country has entered a state of war. We are now helpless, struggling to survive, so how can we possibly eat the fat meat that you have in your mouth?"

Director Kane chuckled, raised a finger, and said confidently, "It's simple, move in!"

"Gentlemen, have you forgotten what we relied on to achieve our current status? It was money and capital! Letania... Ursus! These powerful nations are pitifully ignorant, indulging in the stagnant glory of their noble families. Give them as much of that stuff as they want."

"We have only one enemy now, Victoria! This country should have died amidst revelry and merriment, but someone awakened the sleeping lion. In just one year, the once-mighty British Empire has regained its glory. Their rapid development is strikingly similar to when they dominated the world. Our newspapers cannot reach their land, our voices cannot reach their ears, and they have even taken the insane step of nationalizing enterprises, which is... terrifying! They are our true enemy!"

Kane said loudly:

"We must contain them! Now is the best time. Prince Aslan, who has awakened the lion, has become the target of their nobles and many of our far-sighted colleagues. Let alone one Unarmored Alliance, if Kazimir doesn't want to be subservient again, we must send ten Unarmored Alliances! We must make sure the lion falls asleep again! The current setback is only temporary. Our actions have been very effective. All the news from Lontinim conveys the same message: Prince Aslan is on the verge of death! We have won!"

"Next, it's time to make our move. Colombia is a good choice. The chaotic political situation provides us with fertile ground for development. We can once again use money and capital to control a country. This time, there will be no Oversight Council to hinder us. As long as we defeat that coalition of workers, a country controlled by the Business Federation will stand tall in the west! And this is not the end. As long as Victoria falls into slumber again, and the prosperity of Kazimir today is lost without us, those who oppose us now will come begging us to return. At that time, we will return like lightning and take control of Kazimir again!"

The board members exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with shock. No one had expected that Kane, who usually referred to himself as a humble journalist, would harbor such a grand plan. And more importantly, did this plan actually seem feasible?

The Chamber of Commerce has plenty of money. The Colombian government, desperate to counter the Trade Unions, has been forced to ally with its former enemy, the military. If they enter the fray now, they can buy up "shares" in Colombia, just as the knight's squire bought his lord's property and fiefdom! Then, with a similar approach, how could the Colombians, whose economy has already collapsed in war, possibly withstand Casimir's capitalist encroachment? That country doesn't even have a nobility; before its collapse, it was a rapidly developing capitalist federation. In other words, there will be no second oversight body to stop their actions!

And by expelling them, the Kazimierz Authority would gain great prestige, but so what? As Director Kane said, let them have as much glory and praise as they want. The people of Kazimierz would soon discover that under the rule of the Kazimierz Authority's group of pedantic war knights, there would be no knightly tournaments, no channels for upward mobility like competitive knights, no triennial festivals, and no rapidly developing economy. Cities would regress to the countryside, and the standard of living would plummet.

Then, the ignorant masses will realize that Casimir cannot function without the economic foundation provided by the Commercial Federation, and that the Overseer's Council is a fraud. The enraged people will bury the Overseer's Council to the ground and then eagerly beg the Federation to return. This won't be long; they might even see it within their generation. By then, the Federation that rules Colombia will be a far cry from its former self. Only remnants of the defeated Overseer's Council and the corrupt knights and nobles, despised by the people, will remain, unable to cause any trouble. They will control two countries, becoming the strongest power on the land, even surpassing Victoria! Because Wayne is dead, the lion slumbers, and the sun that never sets will once again sink!

Someone raised the question: "But isn't this treason?"

Kane, a true Terran strategist, answered this question with a very classic line:

"What are you talking about? You're a capitalist. Capitalists don't have a country."

"So when do we start implementing this plan? I mean, how do we make the transition?" the director asked.

Kane looked at the eager directors with satisfaction, a smile appearing on his face, and methodically gave instructions:

"Let's get out of here through the secret passage first. I've already contacted the Unarmored Alliance. Apart from Xuan Tie, who's temporarily hiding after completing his mission, the other two will be waiting for us at the A4 docking station in the Grand Knight Territory with Qing Jin, and they'll take us to Colombia. I've already taken care of the people in the Colombian federal government; someone there will meet us. As for how to transfer assets, I don't need to teach you that, do I?"

The directors nodded in agreement. They were all too familiar with transferring assets to evade taxes. Everyone had their own channels; there was no need to worry. Once they were in Colombia, the money would naturally follow.

People praised him, saying, "Well done, Mr. Kane." "You are truly an excellent managing director."

But Kane shook his head and finally made his request: "No, no, no, are you still going to call me Managing Director? I think as the leader, I should have a better title, right?"

"Starting today, I will be the chairman of the Standing Council of the Business Federation. What do you say?"

The board members exchanged glances, but no one voiced any objection. Even if they were dissatisfied, it wasn't the right time to voice it. Everyone was still basking in the joy of surviving a near-death experience and the belief that good fortune was on the horizon; no one would turn against their savior, Kane, at this moment.

Kane nodded happily and walked towards the door of the round table conference hall, preparing to evacuate through the secret passage.

He excitedly opened the door, only to have a bright silver gauntlet smash into his face.

"Excuse me, sir."

Rem, the captain of the Silver Spear Pegasus Knights, who was about to knock on the door, withdrew his hand, looked awkwardly at the managing director in front of him whose nose was bleeding profusely from his punch, apologized, and then took out a document signed by the National Assembly from his pocket:

"By order of the National Assembly, you, along with the executive directors of the Kasimir Business Association, are requested to come with us to be questioned by the National Assembly and the Oversight Council!"

What if I don't go?

Kane wiped the blood from his nose, his face darkening upon hearing this, and retorted with a question.

“If you don’t go…” Before Lem could finish speaking, a dignified female voice suddenly rang out behind him:

"If you're not going, then there's no need to go. Dead people can't talk anyway."

Grand Knight Commander, Grandmaster, retired knight Russell, rushed over at Victoria's behest!

P.S.: I wrote it all in one go, so the update is a bit late, but it's really hard to break off chapters in the middle, as that would affect the reading experience.

Wayne: You can send someone to assassinate me, but I can't just give you a heads-up and have someone wipe you all out?

I plan to promote the Business Federation three times! Just watch as I do it!

This is a combined two-part chapter, just this one. Goodnight!

PS2: The words of Kane, the director of the Rose Newspapers, are based on the original storyline. In the original story, Kane mentioned that Casimir's biggest enemy is Colombia, which is developing rapidly and is also a capitalist country. Therefore, his purpose in Colombia is to seize the market and then control the Colombian economy and politics, just like he did in Casimir.

Now that Columbia has been taken over by Wayne, Wayne has launched a second revival of Victoria and a plan to nationalize enterprises—essentially targeting ambitious capitalists like him. Therefore, as he said, Victoria is the biggest enemy, and Wayne is the brain of Victoria. To contain Victoria, he would send ten Undead to kill Wayne, leaving Victoria leaderless and in a state of slumber. In the original storyline, the Commercial Federation's actions against the Undead weren't a collective decision; private directors could also make decisions independently, even though it was against the rules—this setting was specifically mentioned in the original storyline, apparently by the Doctor.

Let me boast once again about my identity as a fan of the plot setting!

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Task Given to Platinum

"Ring ring—ring ring—"

The crisp ringing of the phone startled Ambassador Blake, Platinum, Marna, and the others who were sitting around the desk, half asleep. Ambassador Blake quickly answered the phone, glancing out the embassy window. The sky had completely darkened, and there was no sound from the direction of the Business Federation headquarters, as if the deafening gunfire from not long ago was just a dream.

He put the phone receiver to his ear, swallowed hard, and said respectfully:

"This is the Victorian Embassy in Kasimir, and I am Blake."

"This is Lontinim. I am Wayne Bruce."

"Your Highness!" Ambassador Blake exclaimed with delight, his drowsiness vanishing instantly. He jumped up from his chair as if injected with a stimulant, pacing back and forth in his office. "It's so good to hear your voice again! I thought you..."

"It's a secret, and it's not time to reveal it yet." Wayne interrupted Ambassador Blake's seemingly overflowing sigh. "How's the matter I asked you to do?"

“It’s done!” Ambassador Black glanced at the people around the desk and replied, “After receiving Lentinium’s order, I immediately arranged for people to complete the task. Lentinium said he would send someone to contact me to arrange the follow-up work, but I didn’t expect that the contact person would be you.”

Wayne smiled. Surprised? Surprised is good. At least it's better than the shock some people are about to experience. But before he could speak, Ambassador Blake paused, then stammered with a question:

"However, some unexpected things still happened."

Wayne was startled: "What accident?"

"The Platinum-ranked Unarmored Alliance member you are looking for... is a male."

“…Huh?” Wayne was stunned for a long time. Platinum was a man, but how could that be? Where did my lovely knight killer, working-class flat-chested Pegasus Platinum go?

This shouldn't be happening. After he transmigrated to this world, although he encountered some operators whose personalities differed slightly from the original storyline, those could be explained by the fact that the crucial turning point in their lives hadn't yet occurred, or that it had been intercepted by Wayne, hence the differences. But such a difference, to the point that their personalities had changed, was unprecedented.

Could it be that Platinum was actually a man before, but later underwent surgery to become a woman? Was this the turning point that affected Platinum's life?