Man on the ark, forced to become king

“He is not from Ursus, but the current patriarch of the Shelagshiva Ash family and the president of Karan Trading. If we can get in touch with him, the benefits that the Golden Tree can obtain will be no less than the cooperation with the Swire Group.”

Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Only Sober Sherag Man

Karan Trade? Shelag?

When Lin Lu first heard these two words, she didn't react for a moment.

Although he read quite a few books during his time in Lungmen, essentially cramming on the world's national divisions and history, how well he actually learned it... was still a question.

It's only so-so. If he were to learn magic or the skills of killing, he could learn them in no time. But with dry words printed in books, his learning progress is very slow.

He's just a swordsman, not Sir Hundred Wisdom; he can't remember so many complicated things.

Who would understand what you're writing?

Fortunately, after reading so much, I did remember some of the basics.

After some thought, he finally remembered which country Shelag was.

It's not surprising that he couldn't remember; it's just that Shelag has such a low profile internationally that it's practically invisible.

The book records the reforms of the Yan Kingdom, the plunder and invasion of Ursus, the division of Victoria and the rise of Columbia, the decline of Kazdel, and the fall of the Gallo Empire.

There are legends and ghosts of the Sami people, religious beliefs of the Eastern Kingdom, angelic legends of Lateran, civil wars among the kings of Sargon, the Great Tranquility of Iberia, the forging art of Minos, the political turmoil of Bolívar, and even mining countries like Rembiton are given considerable attention, but there is no mention of Serrago.

The account of Sherag is brief and extremely simple, and easily overlooked.

—Compared to other countries on Terra, Sherag's isolation is astonishing. They almost never communicate with the outside world and never leave the snow-capped mountains, so much so that most people know very little about them.

Lin Lu racked his brains but could only recall some scattered information. It wasn't that he had forgotten, but rather that the book only contained that much information.

Shelag, nestled in the snow-capped mountains, is a religious country that regards Mount Khalkha as its holy site. It has a deep-rooted faith in the god 'Yelagand' and is most famous for the fact that the region is rarely affected by natural disasters.

In the snow-capped mountains, besides having to contend with the cold, the inhabitants of Shelag can live and work in peace and contentment even without relying on mobile city-states. This has led to a severe disconnect between their science and technology and the outside world, resulting in very slow development.

In other words, Sherag is a self-enclosed religious state that still lives a primitive life without relying on modern technology, which is quite bizarre.

Perhaps the snow-capped mountains were unsuitable for marching, or perhaps they felt that the effort required to conquer the area was disproportionate to the rewards, making it a losing proposition. None of the neighboring countries of Shelag ever had any interest in the area, and even the most expansionist countries, Victoria and Colombia, turned a blind eye to it.

This is truly unique in the entire continent of Terra.

It wasn't until recent years, with the emergence of Ensiodis Shivaish, the eldest son of the Shivaish family who came from Sherag and had studied in Victoria, that this closed-off country was able to establish a fragile connection with the outside world.

The Kallan Trading Company he established was the first commercial company in the history of Kallan to trade with the outside world. It is said that Ensioudis was therefore criticized by other families within Kallan and was even regarded as a heretic.

Whether it's true or false, Lin Lu felt it was hard to say.

After all, in his opinion, Ensiodes's approach was indeed correct. Putting aside everything else, how many people could be provided for just that small, habitable area inside the snow mountain?

The world is constantly moving forward; those who remain stagnant and complacent will not have a good ending.

How many resources can a snow-capped mountain provide? Once the resources of the snow-capped mountain are exhausted, how will Sherag, which remains in its pristine state, survive? It is true that natural disasters rarely strike, but if one does, it can destroy everything they have.

Even if Shelag is some kind of blessed land where natural disasters will never strike, what about other countries?

Leaving aside Minos, Victoria and Colombia are both leading industrial powers in the world. If they ever become interested in their little neighbor, and send their modern armies into the snow-capped mountains, wouldn't that be a sure thing?

No matter how ignorant or complacent one may be, surely one should have some sense of crisis? How foolish it is to entrust one's safety to the whims of others.

If change is not sought, Sherag will eventually be forgotten in history, without even the right to be remembered.

However, considering that a group of people could stay in the snow-capped mountains for thousands of years without ever stepping out, maybe the people there have some kind of mental illness. What normal person would do that?

If those rumors are true, then since the beginning of the Sherag Empire, they have only produced one person with exceptional insight and clear vision, Enciodes, who is still being persecuted by their own people.

Lin Lu couldn't think of any other explanation other than that the person in the brain was truly mentally ill.

"Is he Ensiodis? The current chieftain of the Shivaish tribe, and the president of the Karan Trading Company?"

Lin Lu asked in a low voice, and after receiving a clear answer from the Emperor, her mind became active.

This president of Kalan Trading is undoubtedly a talented individual, and as the person who controls the only external channels in Shelag, he must also possess a great deal of wealth.

No matter what, it is still a country. Even if its land area is not large, the resources it can develop far exceed those of ordinary commercial companies.

The Emperor is right. Establishing a partnership with him would indeed be a good thing for the Golden Tree.

"can I help you?"

Lin Lu lingered nearby for quite some time, and Enciodes also snapped out of his reverie, noticed the stranger standing beside him, and politely inquired about her.

—Regardless of a person's appearance or clothing, one should not express one's opinions superficially. This is a social skill he learned after years of studying in Victoria.

"Hello, Mr. Shivaash, would it be convenient for us to get acquainted?"

"you are?"

Ensiodis's gaze swept over the group without leaving a trace. There was a man with a unique temperament, two girls who looked very young, whose races were indiscernible. Only the racial features of the Felin woman and the blue-haired girl could be easily identified. And there was also... an ancestor whose bloodline had reverted to its ancestral form?

Judging from their attire and the things they were carrying, they were likely tourists at the Ice and Snow Music Festival. There are many people like this in St. Petersburg, but this group is more special than the others, especially the man and the girl who appears to be from the Yan Kingdom's dragon clan.

"We come from Lungmen, and I am Lin Lu."

Dragon Gate!

The name caused Ensiodis's pupils to contract slightly, and then he nodded.

“I am Ensiodis, you can call me SilverAsh.”

Longmen is a commercial capital. No company engaged in commerce or trade is unaware of the weight that this name represents. The fact that it is specifically mentioned suggests that these people are not simple. Moreover... the name Lin Lu has a distinct Yan-style feel, and coupled with that girl, she may have some connection with the upper echelons of Longmen.

Anyway, it's just a matter of getting to know each other. Even if I guess wrong, it's just a loss of time, which is no big deal.

With a rather cautious mindset, SilverAsh pondered to himself, but felt that the bustling street was not a good place to discuss matters. After a moment's thought, he looked at a coffee shop not far away.

"Gentlemen, how about we grab a cup of coffee together?"

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Inside the coffee shop, Silver Gray reserved a private room on the second floor. Normally, no one would book a private room to drink coffee in such a place. Therefore, the second floor of this coffee shop is reserved for business people to conduct business negotiations. It has a good degree of privacy and is a good place to talk business.

Despite not knowing who these people were, he still chose the most cautious approach.

If the guess is correct, the man named Lin Lu must have had a purpose in stopping him on the street; perhaps he could provide trade channels from Longmen.

As a world-renowned commercial capital, Longmen has long been occupied by various large enterprises, making it a place that Kalan Trade has not yet been able to reach. For Kalan Trade, which is eager to seek a breakthrough, this may be an opportunity.

Of course, it doesn't matter if you're wrong. Just consider it as making a new friend. Compared to the potential rewards, this insignificant risk is negligible.

"Mr. Yin, I'm a rough man and I'm used to being straightforward, so I'll just say it straight."

After everyone took their seats, the entire private room fell silent, except for the Emperor who was quietly complaining about why there was no wine. Lin Lu didn't hesitate and directly stated her purpose.

"We want to establish cooperation with Kalan Trade."

Boss Silver? That's a rather peculiar title...

This straightforward approach is not in line with the usual style in the business world, but SilverAsh doesn't dislike people who are willing to do so.

Sometimes, abandoning empty pleasantries and probing is also a form of sincerity.

"Cooperation? In what areas?"

He didn't inquire about the other party's specific background or who they represented in the negotiations. Such matters would naturally be presented as leverage to gain an advantage, so there was no point in asking.

"That depends on what the Kalan trade needs."

Lin Lu smiled slightly, not revealing her origins as Silver Gray had expected.

What does trade in Kara require?

In other words, whatever they need, whether it's military industry, trade, or technology, we can provide it and we can cooperate.

What a loud tone.

The more the other party acted this way, the more certain SilverAsh became that his guess was correct. Such words are not something an ordinary person could say; without sufficient strength and resources to support them, it would be a joke.

To make such a bold claim, one must be at least one of those large multinational corporations, or even... Longmen itself.

“Mr. Lin, I need a reason to trust you.”

"Reasons? Of course there are."

Under Silver Gray's gaze, Lin Lu pulled a pure black metal card from her pocket. It had a roaring tiger's head pattern outlined in gold thread, along with a line of small Victorian text.

"Victoria, Swire Group."

SilverAsh let out a soft breath, barely managing to maintain his composure.

No businessman in Victoria would be unfamiliar with this black card. It represents Swire Group, a large multinational corporation headquartered in Victoria. It is a true business behemoth, even owning its own mobile city-state and several important city blocks in Lungmen, far surpassing the reach of Karan Trading.

“We are the Golden Tree. You may not have heard of us, but that’s okay, I can explain it to you.”

"Golden Tree has a close cooperative relationship with the Swire Group, and also has close ties with Longmen and Yan Kingdom. I can't prove this to you directly for the time being, but I can prove it from the side."

The Golden Tree itself isn't very well-known in Terra, but its lovely allies are!

Without hesitation, Lin Lu raised the banner and pointed at the little dragon sitting blankly in the chair.

"You should be able to guess something from her race. I can tell you definitively that she is the niece of Wei Yanwu, the governor of Longmen, and is of royal blood from the Yan Kingdom."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Chen Wenyan, whose mind was filled with Talulah, raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

"Sigh~"