Those who reincarnate must die.

"A ball?" Zhang Lang was taken aback. "What's that?"

"It's just socializing among nobles!" Yue Xinyi said with a smile. "The butler said so; we just received the invitation!"

Zhang Lang turned to look at the butler, who bowed slightly: "This is a ball hosted by Duke Neptune... Invitations were originally sent out last week, but since you, sir, have come to the capital today, the Duke has just sent out a second invitation..."

"Um... is it okay if I don't go?"

The butler nodded and said, "If this is what you insist on... however, I suggest you reconsider. This last-minute invitation is actually a gesture of goodwill from the Duke of Neptune. A hasty refusal might displease this powerful nobleman and damage your reputation in the capital's aristocratic circles!"

"Reputation?" Zhang Lang muttered to himself, while Xu explained in his mind, "The earldom identity the altar gave you is that of a fiefdom noble far from the capital. You don't have many connections in the capital circle. If you offend Neptune, this local bigwig, it will be very troublesome!"

"I don't care anyway!"

Zhang Lang was only there to earn points; he had no interest in this boring activity: "I'd better refuse..."

"Wait!" Yue Xinyi stopped Zhang Lang. "You have to go! You absolutely must go!"

Zhang Lang frowned, his expression somewhat puzzled. (Google search reading)

"Go for it if you want more points!" Le Xinyi whispered.

Zhang Lang narrowed his eyes and turned to the butler: "Alright, I'll go. You go and prepare!"

The steward acknowledged the order and withdrew, while Zhang Lang turned back to look at the two of them.

"You finally have the status of a powerful nobleman this time, and this mission allows you to exchange gold coins for money. Don't you want to make good use of it?" Le Xinyi rolled her eyes at him. "Attend a ball, cultivate relationships with these powerful figures in the capital, and you might find a business opportunity!"

Zhang Lang narrowed his eyes: "The idea is correct, but I don't understand aristocratic etiquette at all, nor do I know anything about doing business..."

"The altar should help with this!" Ye Peng said. "Your actions, which are inconsistent with your status, should be justified... The key is that you have to go. Without you, the three of us are nameless and have no say at all!"

"You just need to show your face and be the face of the business!" Yue Xinyi laughed. "Leave the business negotiations to us!"

"You're just students!" Zhang Lang frowned. "Science students, no less!"

"Don't underestimate Xinyi, she's a double major, one of which is economics and management!" Ye Peng laughed. "And don't forget, we also have a seasoned businessman here!"

As they were talking, the door opened, and Su Mingda walked in carrying a stack of papers: "I've finished the statistics, this time..."

He was halfway through his sentence when he saw Zhang Lang sitting inside. He was so startled that he dropped what he was holding with a thud, and his lips trembled slightly...

"Hunter, hunter, hunter... Hunter?! You, you, you... You're back?"

Seeing his nervous expression, Zhang Lang chuckled: "Relax. Since you're here, you're an ally!"

"Oh... ally..." Su Mingda swallowed hard and picked up the things on the ground.

"What's this?" Zhang Lang pointed to the scrap paper in his hand!

"Oh, this is just a simple assessment of the market in the capital!"

Su Mingda approached the dining table somewhat awkwardly, sat down two seats away from Zhang Lang, and sat down next to Ye Peng:

"This afternoon, the three of us went to the market in the eastern district and did a simple survey of the consumption level and types of shops in Beijing. I just summarized the data!"

"So fast?" Zhang Lang was somewhat surprised.

"The main advantage is that these medieval cities aren't very large!" Ye Peng laughed. "And the shops are all concentrated in the commercial districts, so we don't have to run around everywhere. It's much more convenient than market research in the main world!"

"What was the result?" Zhang Lang asked Su Mingda.

"The economy of this world is still mainly based on raw materials and handicrafts. The goods traded in the market are mainly food, materials, cloth, swords and weapons, gold and silver jewelry, etc. The quality varies greatly, the business concepts are primitive, and the market lacks unified management and coordination... If I have enough time, I am sure I can find the patterns, figure out the tricks of one or two industries, and make a lot of money!"

"The problem is, we only have twenty-one days," Zhang Lang said, stroking his chin.

"That's definitely not enough," Su Mingda shook his head and said, "Therefore, your noble status and the strength to roam freely in the dungeon are very important."

As he spoke, President Su swallowed hard and tentatively asked, "Excuse me, but what about Emperor Carest, the Rat?"

"Kill him."

"Second basement level?"

"I've walked through it once. I haven't even gone down three floors yet."

"Alright!" Su Mingda took out a blank sheet of paper: "There's still some time before the ball, so we don't need to go through the sewers. Tell me all about what you saw and heard on the second basement level."

While enjoying his dinner, Zhang Lang recounted his experiences on the second underground level, including the environment, traps, and various monsters hidden in the sand dunes...

"Very good!" Su Mingda glanced at the tidied manuscript. "But this is not enough, Hunter... sir..."

"Just call me the Hunter!"

"Oh, hunter... if possible, you'd better increase your speed. The dungeon is an unknown territory for the people on the surface, and the various things they see and hear there are important topics of conversation to help them get closer to other nobles."

As he spoke, Su Mingda looked at Le Xinyi and Ye Peng: "You heard what the hunter said, right? When you attend the ball later, if you have the chance to chat with those nobles, try to steer the conversation toward this topic, and it would be best to add some outlandish details."

"What exactly do you want?" Zhang Lang was increasingly confused.

Su Mingda smiled and said, "You'll find out when the time comes."

As the ball drew closer, the four of them changed into appropriate attire under the butler's arrangement.

They had also agreed on their public identities. Zhang Lang would naturally remain "Count Hunter." Presumably to make the character more believable, Count Hunter's original identity was that of a native who was also a skilled adventurer with agile gait and exceptionally rich experience. Whenever he came to the capital, his topics were very popular among the nobles.

As for the others, in order to make it convenient for them to represent "Count Hunter" when Zhang Lang is not around, Le Xinyi was set as the Count's fiancée, and Ye Peng was naturally still his brother.

The two are set up as impoverished nobles from a remote area in the south, essentially unknown figures in the capital, their status not quite equivalent to that of legitimate fiefdom nobles. However, for an earl with a romantic and adventurous spirit, falling in love with the daughter of an impoverished nobleman during an adventure is not impossible.

Su Mingda, on the other hand, is a pharmacist who is loyal to Earl Hunter. Zhang Lang doesn't know why he chose this identity, but since he insists, he'll let him be.

With everything prepared, the four boarded a carriage and headed to the Duke of Neptune's residence.

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