Love, Gun, Cupid

Faced with Hehuan's "kind" expression, Lin Jiade didn't dare to say those words. Hehuan took him and Mumian to the martial arts classroom, locked the door from the inside, and set up a barrier or something similar.

She said to Lin Jiade, "Just like with magical knowledge, the imperial elites don't want certain secrets to leak to the public, as that would affect the public image they've cultivated. Can you understand that?"

Lin Jiade nodded, and Hehuan continued, "Therefore, they reached a tacit understanding: no matter what interests they fought for, no matter what means they used, these things could not appear in the public eye and tarnish their sacred image."

Rather than allocating resources to solve problems, some people prefer to allocate resources to deal with the person who speaks. What we're about to reveal to you is itself creating risks for me and Mumian.

Lin Jiade nodded solemnly: "I swear on football, only the three of us know these words, and I will absolutely not let you be implicated."

This was the most outrageous oath Hehuan had ever heard, but considering the importance of football in Lin Jiade's life, she believed it.

She looked at Mu Mian, who seemed indifferent, which made He Huan feel a little surreal. The Mu Mian she knew was essentially a cold person, but now Mu Mian was being overly enthusiastic.

Did Kapok and Lin Jiade know each other before? She wondered.

"In terms of attitudes toward foreign races, the Imperial factions can be roughly divided into three groups: those who advocate eliminating differences and granting foreign citizens equal status; those who advocate using them cautiously, treating them differently but appeasing them; and those who advocate exclusion and alienation, and implementing racial segregation."

These three factions represent the demands of different interest groups, and each faction is further subdivided into radical, centrist, and conservative groups.

Each region has a lord who manages the magic researchers, and the lord has a great deal of authority.

The previous lord of Region 18 was a radical member of the cautious and resourceful faction. He used his authority to shelter the Red Dragon's offspring who had fled from the Western Provinces, giving her some care while also being wary of her.

Both sides, driven by mutual interests, formed an alliance of distrust, which lasted until March of this year. Two events led to the alliance's breakdown:

First, Jasmine lost her powers and her last two guardians after a risky ritual. She held a large fortune, but her body was severely injured and she was unable to protect her property, so some people set their sights on that money.

Secondly, the newly appointed lord of Region 18 is a conservative who rejects and exploits other factions. Father… cough, the new lord's political enemies are closely watching how he treats the non-human races within his territory. In any case, the Red Dragon's offspring will be the first to be affected.

Chapter Fifty-Five: Spending Money

Kapok mercilessly exposed the truth: "Hehuan's father was a member of the former lord's team. After the new lord took office, he cut or suspended some projects promoted by the former lord."

As a result, the Hehuan family lost opportunities to legally exchange power for wealth. In the world of fame and fortune, cutting off someone's finances is more serious than killing their parents, and the two sides had thus formed a grudge. Therefore, the Hehuan family paid close attention to the current lord's movements.

“If we keep talking, our friendship is over,” Hehuan muttered. “I don’t really like how my family does things… but I’m not even financially independent, so I don’t really have the confidence to speak up.”

She lost her previous momentum and said awkwardly, "I don't have much desire to climb the ladder. I just want to further my studies in the music field and do what I love."

"So, this incident happened with the tacit approval of the 18 district lords." Lin Jiade scratched his head. "Jasmine did nothing, but because she was powerless to protect her property and had the advantage of being a member of another race, she was about to be targeted by people with ulterior motives."

Kapok replied coldly: "First, possessing a treasure is a crime; second, from a holistic perspective, the greater the power, the lower the morality of the group that possesses extraordinary power, and the law just happens to protect the right of those who possess extraordinary power to plunder, deceive, exploit, and oppress."

The most radical among them don't even consider ordinary people as their fellow citizens, but rather as some kind of uncivilized upright ape, yearning to revive the slave society system in modern society.

Unfortunately, magic, witchcraft, and even oracles have all contributed to the legitimization of criminal activity. Fortunately, the mainstream society is unwilling to return to feudalism or slavery, and instead prefers to maintain the status quo.

"What you're saying is making me a little panicked. What should we do about Jasmine?" Lin Jiade asked.

Hehuan explained, "Why panic? The new lord has only been in power for a short time and hasn't completely eliminated the influence of the previous lord in District 18."

Moreover, on the surface, the killing of the red dragon's offspring cannot be associated with him in any way, otherwise it will become a point of attack for his political enemies, so the new lord cannot fully invest his resources.

The magic researchers in Fuxing City who could kill Jasmine were all acquaintances of the former lord and would not dare to harm her. Therefore, the lord could only facilitate this by having his confidant's acquaintances, acquaintances of acquaintances of acquaintances, and their friends in the gray area, who acted as intermediaries.

Subcontracting at multiple levels means that a considerable amount of money is wasted in the intermediate links. Furthermore, since Fuxing City is not entirely under the control of the current lord, the quality and quantity of mercenaries that can be recruited in the end will not be very good.

but……"

"But?" Lin Jiade asked.

"If it's just a new lord trying to eliminate the influence of the old lord and take away Jasmine's wealth, as long as Jasmine is careful, what can those mercenaries from other places do to her?"

And since you yourself are living directly in the school, they would be even less likely to attack Sanam Dongdo University, which has a magic research club. Attacking an alien race is completely different from attacking magic researchers in a university; the latter is a serious violation of the rules.

"Isn't this great?"

“What I fear most is that more agents of other factions will get involved,” Mu Mian said. “When the Empire was at war with alien races from other planets before, the chosen fathers were able to remain united.”

Now, with the throne vacant and the truce not yet over, the elders are all thinking of their own small interests. A wave of selfishness is spreading from top to bottom. Even the clever ones, short-sighted and focused on their own gains, have done many things that may seem absurd and unreasonable to you.

Lin Jiade, a carefree boy, had no idea about this. He asked, "What should I do?"

“Fight magic with magic,” Hehuan said.

"??? Uh, I'm still a kid, can someone help me translate this sentence?"

He Huan smiled. She had forgotten that Lin Jiade was a college graduate and was not yet aware of the society behind the magic researchers. She said, "If people who want to harm Jasmine hire mercenaries, why don't you let Jasmine recruit mercenaries too?"

“Although Jasmine is rich, her status as a member of another race limits her ability to spend money freely,” Kapok said. “Lin Jiade, do you know why those who want to harm Jasmine also target you? Besides the fact that you are Jasmine’s weakness, it’s also because they are afraid of a certain possibility.”

You could even say you're the key to this struggle. Because you can choose to become Jasmine's front man, exchanging resources that Jasmine can't obtain, and then using them to spread money around human society on her behalf.

Why are you swearing at people for no reason?

Lin Jiade looked as aggrieved as a 170-pound child. Speaking of mercenaries, there were two people he knew and only knew who he could throw money at.

He asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Um... how much would it cost if I wanted to book both of you?"

Hehuan blinked and exchanged a glance with Mumian. Lin Jiade realized that his words were ambiguous, so he raised his hand and said, "I'll say it again: I hope you two can help me. This mission is risky, but you don't have to go yourself, and I can (on behalf of Jasmine) promise you a generous reward."

"Okay," said Kapok.

Hehuan looked at Mumian in surprise. She even thought that Mumian and Lin Jiade were really having an affair, otherwise how could Mumian have gone to such lengths?

Lin Jiade was also somewhat taken aback. Even his best friends wouldn't agree to something so quickly, but Mu Mian agreed without hesitation, which made him seem rather suspicious.

He cautiously stated his terms: "The only thing I can pay you right now (on behalf of Jasmine) is money. After consulting with professionals, I will pay you according to the industry rates."

“Accepting your employment… is not impossible.” Hehuan shook her head. “I need you to promise that you will help me when needed in the future. Moreover, due to my position, I will only do behind-the-scenes work for this mission.”

Considering his relationship with Hehuan, Hehuan's attitude was normal. Even though she was enthusiastic about his pairing with Jasmine, business is business. She first asked for benefits and then stated that she was doing security work in a position that ensured her own safety.

Lin Jiade felt that this might be a strategic investment by Senior Sister Hehuan, keeping a "favor" that could be big or small in her hands.

As we all know, favors are the hardest to repay, and there are countless ways to repay them.

In comparison, Kapok's attitude was very strange. The freak in the tight-fitting suit said, "I don't want your money, I want you."

"Ok?"

“We need someone to practice on,” Mu Mian said. “The club is full of useless people. Lin Jiade, although you are a latecomer, your willpower and hard work determine that you will achieve something on this path. Hehuan and I both have high hopes for you.”

These words warmed Lin Jiade's heart; who wouldn't want a bright future?

He felt that Kapok's reasoning was somewhat perfunctory, but he couldn't care less about that right now. He lowered his voice and said, "I'll contact you again after I go back and persuade Jasmine. Thank you for this... I really don't know how to thank you enough."

"Just repay me with your body," Kapok said. "I'm not joking, I really like your body."

I will read the posts. Posts that try to stir up trouble, like saying I'm using a Chinese persona or something, or posts that get twenty or so likes from idiots, will not survive. If they keep jumping around like that, I will ban them directly.

This is a very serious accusation. I have never made any comments about my country, and this book is not a political book. I hope that the reader who is unwilling to even give me a free recommendation vote will not overthink it.

Those who pretend to be bystanders and express their distress are also included. It wasn't you who started this trend. When others are stirring things up, you stand by indifferently, so why are you all feeling sorry for me now that I'm speaking out? Classic rationality and objectivity?

Chapter 56 Dona Dona

Lin Jiade gave an awkward smile. He dared not have any romantic fantasies about kapok trees, after all, kapok trees were "very big," but just how big were they?

Thinking of this, he gave Senior Sister Hehuan a resentful look. If Hehuan could have explained things clearly, he wouldn't have been so conflicted when interacting with Senior Mumian, fearing that things might "go wrong".

“I’ll create a group chat and add everyone to it,” Lin Jiade said.

He had originally planned to use Jasmine's money to hire Kapok and Albizia. Just as Kapok said, Jasmine's awkward situation was that she was of a different race, and although she had resources, she couldn't exchange them for what she wanted in human society. Therefore, she needed him, who was fearless and willing to do so, to act as a front and use his resources to exchange them for her.

But since the two club members were so "understanding," he saved himself the trouble of going back to Jasmine to ask for the money. He used two favors to replace Jasmine's resources, which meant that Jasmine owed him a huge favor in return.

Jasmine is an honest girl. If he has a lot of debts to repay, she won't be able to leave him until they are paid off. It's an invisible chain, one end in his hand and the other around Jasmine's neck.

Lin Jiade, you are truly despicable now.

The young man criticized his behavior in his heart, but he was not prepared to repent. Under the dual influence of Du Juan and Jasmine, his personality and the life determined by his personality began to go astray, developing in a direction that no one could have predicted.

Perhaps the cuckoo is an exception, for she expects it so; every move she makes shatters his routine, reshaping his extraordinary self with passion. His soul, under Cupid's tutelage, is alienated even faster than his body—

It only took 17 days.

After settling things over, he chatted with his seniors about club matters, trying to build goodwill and express his gratitude. Especially after learning that Mumu was a hidden anime/manga fan, he had been trying to figure out the extent of her anime/manga fandom.

If the purity isn't too high, he'd like to talk about related topics when he's alone with Kapok.

Thinking of this, he took out his phone, changed the wallpaper to his favorite Kinomoto Sakura, and deliberately exposed himself to Mumu's gaze.

Mu Mian paused for a moment, then opened her phone, and soon Daidoji Tomoyo's image appeared in Lin Jiade's eyes.

The code was successfully matched, and Lin Jiade was overjoyed. He unilaterally declared in his mind that Mu Mian had become an acquaintance of his. From now on, when they practiced in the martial arts classroom, they could play the background music from "Cardcaptor Sakura".

Lin Jiade went back to the cafeteria for another meal; he had told Du Juan beforehand that she didn't need to prepare dinner. Just as he excitedly arrived at the 7th floor, another elevator door opened at the same time.

Jasmine came into his view. She was calmer than yesterday and seemed to be able to communicate rationally.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

“Go find Hehuan,” Jasmine replied. “We used to be allies, and although the alliance no longer exists, I want to try my luck with her, get some information, and seek her help.”

I'm sorry for bothering you. Goodbye.

Lin Jiade had a lot to say to Jasmine, but actions spoke louder than words. So he reached out, grabbed Jasmine, and pulled her close to him.

"We don't need such a wall between us."

Lin Jiade looked at the other person and said, "No matter which cage you're in, I will pull you out. You are mine, Jasmine, and I don't want you to escape from my life."

Jasmine met Lin Jiade's aggressive gaze and replied, "When I was little, someone told me that I was a little princess in a fairy tale, and the world warmly watched over me, bringing tears of emotion to my eyes."

I believed it to be true, but later life proved me wrong; the world never sheds tears.

She shook her head, a hint of desolation in her eyes as she looked at Lin Jiade, then broke free from him and waited for the elevator.

Lin Jiade turned around and said, "I love you. I realized that the moment I was rejected. Luckily, you didn't reject me because you dislike me, so I still have a chance."

One day, I'll be so strong you won't be able to break free from me. Then, I'll be able to change your mind with brute force. After all, I'm a simple-minded barbarian who only knows how to use brutal methods.

"But I am a dragon's offspring... Fine, if that day ever comes, I'll listen to you."

Jasmine clearly didn't believe Lin Jiade's words, which aroused Lin Jiade's hunger—a hunger for power, and a hunger for Jasmine.

Hunger fueled his fighting spirit, which in turn made him overly energetic. So, after opening the door, he rushed over and, taking advantage of Jasmine's unpreparedness, hoisted her onto his shoulder and "abducted" her back to his home.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Jasmine asked.

"I know, that's my answer. Even if you pull me out of trouble, I'll crawl back in myself. You're not leaving me!"

"Put me down," Jasmine said.

"I won't let go!"

Jasmine was getting impatient: "Put me down!"