It's the cyber age now, and you're still playing traditional villains?

All she can do seems to be just playing the role of a mascot as usual, acting innocently to win everyone's praise... But think about it carefully, are all the praises really from the heart? Who knows how many people are mocking her behind her back.

"Miss Dongfang, have you ever heard of canaries?"

Xu Shi seemed to ignore all this and continued to talk to himself, "A beautiful bird with shiny feathers, a sweet voice, and everyone loves it, but it can only live in a golden cage for its entire life. If it wants to see the outside world, it will end up with a bloody head."

"I think my situation is very similar to yours... Here, I have a small gift for you."

As he spoke, he took out an exquisitely carved bird like a magician, walked up to her and placed it in front of her desk.

"...Get out of here! I don't need you!"

When Dongfang Xiao saw the small ornament, he instantly lost his mind. He waved his sleeves madly, knocking it to the ground and smashing it into pieces. Other objects on the table also fell to the ground with a clang.

Xu Shi might have taken this thing out just to fit in with the occasion. To be honest, it was just a coincidence, but Cheng Gujian happened to have given her a similar "gift" before, and even the material was the same Poseidon Stone.

At this moment, she really couldn't control her emotions. The elegant and dignified little queen instantly turned into a blushing shrew.

"…I'm sorry, Mr. Xu. I lost my composure just now. Please forgive me."

After taking a long breath, she came back to her senses as if she had just woken up from a dream, "Go on."

"Ah."

Xu Shi didn't care at all. It didn't matter what the gift was, as long as the meaning was conveyed - now it seems that it was not that simple, the effect was better than he thought.

Therefore, my recent improvement is also very significant. There is some influence of "evil thoughts and entropy increase" in my words. Even if the other party is immune, it is still effective if I hit the pain point.

"It may not be enough to just help you deal with Cheng Gujian? In addition to the royal family, there is also the Holy See... As for the empire itself, you can take a look at this."

He showed a few more pictures, which were of the booming Silver Pine Island.

"I think Miss Dongfang knows better than me that the Hualan Empire needs a change, and I'm afraid only I can bring it to you."

That's right, launching an economic war just for revenge is too low-level. What's more important is to convey the more advanced concepts and technologies of Night Sin City to Dongfang Xiao. These things are more precious than mountains of gold and silver.

Moreover, there is a hint of demonstration and even threat here. If the Hualan Empire is just a remote corner, then it doesn't matter how you develop. But now that you know there are other city-states and other worlds out there, would it be a good choice to stick to your own ways?

Obviously not.

"… State your terms."

The little queen let out a long sigh of relief, sat on the chair, and nodded without much consideration.

It has to be said that she really couldn't refuse any of this combination of punches, whether it was intimidation or inducement.

The attraction is too great... To be honest, she chose to bet on Xu Shi because she valued his extraordinary ideas and his ability to change the situation at any time - perhaps these are really basic operations in their city-state, but for the Hualan Empire, these are supreme treasures.

Of course, there is also the subtle empathy between her and Xu Shi - the other party was once constrained in every way just like herself, so isn't his current demeanor exactly what she expected?

To be honest, this is what attracted her the most.

"I don't have many conditions, Miss Dongfang, don't worry."

Xu Shi smiled and nodded slightly, "First, I need to borrow your ability. My wife was mentally eroded in the battle with Poseidon. She needs the royal family's holy light ability to help heal."

Which wife of yours are you talking about... This was the first question that Dongfang Xiao thought of.

But this is not something worth worrying about, and it doesn't seem to have any impact no matter which one it is.

So she agreed without thinking for long, "Okay, if my ability can help her, I will definitely do my best to help you treat her."

"Second, since the Holy See is also our common enemy, we must face some things together."

Xu Shi extended his second finger again, "So later I need you to issue a decree to allow me to open a new sect."

"!"

The gap between one and two seemed a bit too big, and Dongfang Xiao widened his eyes again.

To be honest, of course she has always regarded the Holy See as hostile. As for why Xu Shi was so against the Holy See, she thought it was because of the various conflicts he had with Luo Yu before?

But now it seems that it is not that simple, this person's ambition is outrageous!

This is clearly an attempt to play against the Vatican! And they are so aggressive right from the start!

As for what he said about "facing it together", there is nothing to explain. If the order to open up Protestantism was issued by the royal family, it would be no different from declaring war face to face, which would tie the two parties firmly into the same boat.

"……when?"

However, this condition is also acceptable. Rather than calling it a condition, it is more like a trick Xu Shizhi gave her to deal with the Holy See... From this point of view, the little queen will certainly not reject it.

"When I need it, it won't be long."

"Okay, I promise you, is there anything else?"

"There's one more."

The smile on Xu Shi's face became more and more charming, but he didn't say it directly as if to keep someone in suspense. He just stood up slowly, walked to the desk, and looked Dongfang Xiao up and down.

"……you!"

This look is not difficult to understand, at least not difficult to understand for the 21-year-old Dongfang Xiao.

So her cheeks turned red and she moved back unconsciously, "Are you going to..."

She hadn't thought about it in this direction before, mainly because her attention was focused on Xu Shi's ingenious plan.

Thinking about it now, she suddenly realized that this guy is also a man!

And he is a very lustful man... Nonsense, if he is not lustful, how can he have so many wives and concubines?

That's why he prefers me... Isn't it true? How can Cheng Gujian, a burly middle-aged uncle, be more attractive than the beautiful young queen?

She was still very confident about her appearance, and it was hard for her to imagine any other meaning behind the other person's body language.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat ambiguous, and she herself became more and more ashamed and angry the more she thought about it - it was undeniable that Xu Shi was indeed very handsome, but his conditions also included her, this...

"Hey? What is Miss Dongfang thinking about?"

Seeing her like this, Xu Shi showed an innocent expression instead, "You don't think I'm going to use this opportunity to blackmail you into marrying me or something, do you?"

"Don't worry, how could that be possible? You think too much."

……Um?

Dongfang Xiao had been holding back the words “Isn’t it?” in his heart, and was stunned for a moment when he heard him say that.

But then she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that it wasn't the case. That was good...

But before she could be happy, she noticed that there was something new on the desk in front of her.

It was a small black collar that contrasted sharply with the white dress she was wearing.

"I want you to be my slave. This is my third condition."

Xu Shi snapped his fingers lightly, and finally showed his fangs at this moment.

"……impossible!"

Other conditions are easy to negotiate, but how could Dongfang Xiao agree to such conditions?

This is a hundred times worse than marrying you, okay? What kind of person is this? What kind of nasty things are in his mind?

To be honest, at this moment, the little queen felt that Xu Shi’s ambition was too big. In comparison, what was the point of confronting the Holy See?

Moreover.

"If that's the case, what's the difference between you and Cheng Gujian?"

She clenched her teeth, frowned, and stared at Xu Shi as she questioned.

"The difference is huge."

Xu Shi shook his finger, "I can do what Cheng Gujian can't do, and I can give you what Cheng Gujian can't give you."

"And this relationship only exists between us. I am a foreigner and have no interest in the internal affairs of your Hualan Empire. In the eyes of the world, you are still the high and mighty empress. You still have the final say on what happens here."

"Don't be ridiculous! Why should I believe you?"

Such words obviously failed to convince Dongfang Xiao, and she still looked at the other party with a wary attitude.

"So this is a big gamble, and the choice is still yours."

Xu Shi no longer gave her a substantive answer, but just whispered like a devil.

"If you agree, you will be my slave only. If you don't agree, you will be the slave of everyone in the world forever."

"..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Dongfang Xiao felt as if something had touched his heart.

Because even though it sounds harsh, it is still the truth.

Isn’t the canary, admired by everyone, a slave to everyone in the world?

What's more, all the benefits had already been laid out in front of her, and she had no doubt that if she refused this request, the negotiation would be completely in vain.

His so-called giving and empathy seemed to be just a prelude to this last condition.

She could even imagine what would happen next. The other party might turn around and go find Cheng Gujian - the fact was that Cheng Gujian might agree to his previous conditions, and once these two people joined forces, her situation would probably become even more dangerous.

Even if Xu Shi gave up and went back home, where would his next chance be?

Will the next Xu Shi appear? This is something that cannot be confirmed. Even if there is, how long will she have to wait? How can she guarantee that the next Xu Shi will not be as bad as the one in front of her? Will the next Xu Shi have the ability of the one in front of her?

She couldn't explain these, but what Xu Shi could give her and what the consequences of agreeing to him would be were all clearly laid out in front of her.

At this moment, Dongfang Xiao finally realized that Xu Shi was not "like a devil", this person himself was a devil, covered with treasures, tempting but dangerous.

And this deal with the devil did not just happen. It had already begun when she chose to sit on the other side of the river and watch the fire, seeking this fleeting opportunity like Mars.

Now, it seems that all that is missing is a nod from her.

The little queen sat on the throne with a dull look in her eyes, lost in deep thought.

Xu Shi was not in a hurry and admired her struggling expression with interest.

As he said, he has always admired the little queen.

silence.

There was a long silence.

"You...can't regret what you said."

Dongfang Xiao seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his eyes again, looked at Xu Shi, and spoke hesitantly.

"of course."

Xu Shi still had a smile on his face. "Please rest assured, Miss Dongfang. I am a person who keeps my promises."

Of course he knew what the other party was referring to. This was an unspoken fact between the two of them and was also the final bottom line of the negotiation.

These words seemed to give Dongfang Xiao a lot of encouragement, prompting her to reach out for the collar.

After a moment's hesitation, she pursed her lips sharply and grabbed it with force.

It's like grabbing the future.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 260 Look, she made me thank you

2023-09-10

It became.

Seeing Dongfang Xiao’s choice, Xu Shi smiled with satisfaction.

Of course, if you really want to talk about the sense of accomplishment, it's probably not much - this is not the first time he has done this kind of thing, and it's no exaggeration to say that he is very good at it.

Even if he does not have the serious mind-reading ability like his silly apprentice, he is very good at observing and judging people, and can easily find the biggest pain point in the little queen's heart.

It is an extreme, even twisted and crazy desire to break free from the shackles.

To put it in a small way, it is Cheng Gujian in front of him; to put it in a big way, it is the Holy See that has always been in opposition to the royal family.

No matter which one they are, they are the existence she wants to overthrow, the only difference is the distance.

What she wants to do is to be the unique king of the Hualan Empire, whose words are law and whose power should not be taken away by others.

But if it was just her, how easy would it be to realize this wish? Xu Shi didn't believe that the other party hadn't prepared something in private over the years, but the final result would be to watch Cheng Gujian's influence grow, while she herself would be in danger...

Under such circumstances, he was very confident that he could destroy Dongfang Xiao's psychological defenses by just focusing on this one point. The so-called empathy was naturally one of the steps - of course, he had indeed experienced similar things at that time, but even if he hadn't, this bad man would probably make one up on the spot.

Anyway, Dongfang Xiao didn't know his past, so why not let him do it?