Otherworld Girl Development Guide

After pouring fruit and milk for the two little girls, Zhou Mingrui put away his thermos. Just then, he glanced at Shi Qiang beside him and saw that his thermos contained goji berries. It seemed that he saw his own future in Shi Qiang's thermos—a middle-aged man who was not successful and whose thermos contained goji berries.

"Impressive, but there's still room for improvement. I think maglev trains would be even faster."

"Tio thinks so too."

Zhou Mingrui then realized that the two kittens' knowledge had far surpassed his own... The younger generation is truly surpassing the older.

I watched my two cats drinking chilled fruit milk with a bored expression. There were relatively few people in this carriage; the main characters of this official visit, the diplomatic delegation, were sitting in the carriages ahead.

During this visit to Les, Shangqiu will hold formal diplomatic talks with the Kingdom of Bel.

The entire diplomatic team was an unprecedented 100-person team in Bell's foreign diplomatic history. They were all experts in their respective fields, and they conducted in-depth on-site investigations and comprehensive market research on Rice.

The signing of multiple cooperation projects represents a further step forward in the relationship with the Kingdom of Bel.

After all, as the largest factory on Earth, the rabbit can cooperate with every industry in the Bell Kingdom, which is its advantage.

The rabbits were not only interested in industrial products, but also in the agricultural products and timber of the Kingdom of Bel.

The vigorous promotion and inheritance of Chinese culinary culture has been put on the agenda. As a rabbit, Bear Grylls has long been envious of so many new species that can eat well and know how to eat.

Some wild animal meat dishes are so delicious that even the most discerning old man would rave about them.

Importing large quantities of agricultural and meat products can further reduce the transport capacity pressure on the gateway, freeing up capacity to transport truly high-value minerals and industrial products.

By the way, I also plan to sell deep-sea fish from the Abyss Sea to the Kingdom of Bell to create a positive exchange. Some types of fish are very suitable for making sashimi, and they taste many times better than salmon.

Some fish are being prepared to be canned and sold throughout the continent; when it comes to cooking rabbits, they've never been afraid of anyone!

Soon, after passing through the mountains, the train entered the territory of the Kingdom of Les.

Zhou Mingrui looked out the window and saw white steam rising from the chimney, eventually drifting into the sky and gathering into various shapes.

The location of Rice Workshop is exceptionally advantageous, with abundant ore reserves, slightly less than those of Krobel, and a river that provides Rice with sufficient industrial water.

Various transportation routes cover every corner of the city like a spider web, with crowds flowing in and out. Guided vehicles loaded with various goods are transported to the required locations under the control of personnel.

What attracted Zhou Mingrui's attention the most was Rice's Central Workshop, which was the most technologically advanced place in the entire Bel Kingdom, or rather, the most advanced place in orbal technology on the entire continent.

The Kingdom of Bell has already "exported" Rais's orbal technology to the Rebonian Empire and the Republic of Calva. However, orbal technology is not something that comes for free; there are too many exchanges of benefits involved.

However, it's easy to guess what it is; the Bel Kingdom's biggest demand is:

Surviving between two major powers, maintaining sovereignty and independence, and on the other hand, adopting a "balance of power diplomacy" to balance the interests of all parties and protect oneself.

"Dear passengers, the train is about to arrive at Rice Station. I am Wang Duoyu, the train's purser. It is my honor to serve you..."

"We've arrived. This is a rare opportunity, so I'll show you around and give you a good time."

Anyway, he was just here to broaden his horizons and, incidentally, to act as a "human porter" after signing the agreement. After all, transporting things from Shangqiu was a bit troublesome, so it would be more convenient and faster to open a portal here in Rice and send the necessary items directly to Rice.

With proper manipulation, it's easy to fool them, and the Kingdom of Bell won't waste time calculating Shangqiu's throughput.

After the train came to a complete stop, Zhou Mingrui stood up, and the two little girls instinctively reached out and took his hands, their amber eyes narrowing.

(=￣ω￣=)?(=￣ω￣=)

"Tio, the bell is holding the right hand, so it's the older sister."

"Tio refused, his left hand was closer to his heart."

The two kittens looked at each other, hmph~ It's a pity they couldn't reach an agreement... What a shame!

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The reception room of Shangqiu State Guesthouse.

The guests from the Rebonian Empire were finally going to have a private exchange with Shangqiu, and the two sides held a friendly meeting (to exchange opinions).

Olivier was dressed in a formal suit, a rare sight for him, and Mura sat solemnly behind him; at this moment, they represented the Empire.

"Hello, Mr. Olivier, welcome to our homeland. I apologize for not being able to extend my hospitality." The diplomat in charge of receiving Olivier wore an impeccable expression.

"Please excuse my rudeness." Olivier put away his unreliable expression and said seriously, "Shangqiu is so magical that I'm reluctant to leave."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Olivier..."

Soon, Mura, sitting behind Olivier, frowned.

The diplomat from Shangqiu didn't ask about their purpose; instead, he was playing coy. There was a sense that his words hinted at something, but upon closer reflection, it seemed like he hadn't said anything at all... Olivier wasn't in a hurry to reveal their purpose either; it was a contest of who would lose their composure first.

Mura immediately got a headache. The riddle teller's riddles... gave this military officer a terrible headache.

In fact, Olivier was also anxious. The mission the Empire had given them had a deadline, and delays would cause him a lot of trouble. After all, his true identity was that of a prince born out of wedlock... In the Empire's environment of aristocratic bloodline theory, he was easily attacked.

Shangqiu wasn't as calm as it seemed. The shortage of organic crystals was too great. Both the military and civilians needed organic crystals. Organic crystals were also a specialty of the Rebonia Empire. It was necessary to establish trade relations with the empire, and the prerequisite for trade was the establishment of diplomatic relations.

After half an hour of back-and-forth tai chi-like exchanges, the two sides, having completed their probing, were ready to get down to business.

Chapter 23 The Filthy Place

Time: 23:47

Location: Outskirts of Altair, Republic of Kalva.

Night was falling.

The evil spirits are gradually awakening.

Wolf howls suddenly rose in the mountains and fields, and the wind sounded like ghostly wails.

An important branch of the Order is located here, where the most vile and darkest experiments are conducted. Countless hunters belonging to the Order patrol the area, capturing some "unlucky ones" and taking them into the laboratory.

As an important stronghold of the cult, it is mainly responsible for researching the purification method of the "Truth" drug. The purified Truth is then distributed to other branches of the cult through various channels.

In the underground laboratory of the stronghold, the cult's researchers fed purified truth to experimental subjects and then observed the effects of truth on the human body. Successful experimental subjects continued to live, while those that failed were directly sacrificed to "special subjects" or made into "consumables" that could bring them closer to the truth.

As for where the experimental subjects come from, there are plenty of materials in the Republic of Calva. All it takes is to bribe officials, and the cult's hunters can set fire to villages and kidnap children and women at will. Afterwards, someone will naturally shift the blame onto the hunters.

Sometimes, even for the sake of experimental effects on the truth, the cult would artificially "create" pregnant women, nurturing "holy children" from the womb who could merge with the truth.

Instead of using the power lamps widely used in other cities on the mainland, the entire branch of the cult used more primitive candles and oil lamps.

The cult's followers firmly believed that the lamp oil made from the failed experimental subjects would bring them closer to the truth, and some members even had a morbid fascination with the smell of the lamp oil after it burned.

The dark passageway was occasionally filled with the sound of wind like ghosts wailing. Vertical pupils representing the Eye of God were everywhere. Burning candles swayed in the wind, and the shadows cast by the light danced like demons.

In the corners where the candlelight couldn't reach, something terrifying was brewing in the darkness, and even members of the cult dared not enter the darkness casually.

In the underground prison, the executioners are subjecting the experimental subjects to both mental and physical torture, in order to force them to quickly merge with the truth.

The piercing screams came from the dungeon on the lowest level of the branch, and traveled down the corridor to every corner of the cult's branch. The cult members, who were already used to this, were instead immersed in it.

Because they know that under the watchful eye of God, the materials are moving toward the truth, and the failed products are not truly failed, but merely sacrifices for the truth.

In the core room of the branch, a huge candle was burning quietly. On both sides of the room were huge shelves piled high with books, each one a product of countless materials and lives.

An elderly man in a gray robe was flipping through a thick book in his hands, which contained a lot of forbidden knowledge and was a sacred text passed down from generation to generation by the cult.

On the wall behind him was a vertical pupil, the eyeball of which was carved from precious gemstones. The specially crafted eyeball looked as if it were truly the "eye of God" gazing upon mortals.

Knock, knock, knock~ A knock sounded on the door, and the old man in gray robes said without looking up, "Come in."

The door creaked open, and a man dressed smartly entered the room.

"How's the investigation going?"

"High Priest... the matter at the Bel Kingdom branch has been investigated thoroughly, and it can be confirmed that it was those Shangqiu people who did it..."

The man bowed slightly, showing respect to the gray-robed old man: "...However, Queen Estée has already purged the officials, and our intelligence network and influence within the Kingdom of Bel have suffered a heavy blow. We have no way of knowing exactly what happened, only that it was a powerful weapon."

"Tsk...that cunning old woman knows how to pick her timing, but it's alright..."

The priest closed the thick book in his hand and looked up at the intelligence officer in the cult: "...It's just the loss of a branch. It's not a serious blow to the cult. On the contrary, it has allowed us to understand the capabilities of the Shangqiu people. Since they chose to oppose our D∴G cult, they should be prepared to pay the price."

The fact that the cult has been able to exist on the mainland for so many years and cause trouble right under the noses of several powerful countries is not just due to its ability to hide!

"High Priest, should we launch a retaliatory counterattack against Shangqiu? Stans has already infiltrated Shangqiu!"

The priest shook his head, rejecting the man's suggestion: "Don't always put confrontation in the open. That's what barbarians do. Our revenge isn't just about brute force."

The man lowered his head even further: "Please give your instructions, High Priest."

"Heh... Killing the most powerful beasts isn't about brute force, but about striking their vital points. These Shangqiu people come from the Abyss Sea, which means their foundation isn't solid..."

The gray-robed old man squinted as he stroked the cult's mark of the Eye of God on the book cover.

"...Since the people of Shangqiu want to gain a foothold in the Kingdom of Bel, then all we need to do is sever the relationship between the two sides..."

"...Our failed 'experiments' are no longer useful. We'll strap them with orbment bombs and have them launch suicide attacks against the people of Shangqiu. The same goes for the 'mothers' who have given birth. We'll use their children to threaten them. I imagine they'd be quite willing to sacrifice themselves for the cult."

"Your Excellency, Shangqiu's defenses are very strong. We might succeed the first few times, but after that, it will probably arouse their suspicion," the intelligence officer said with some concern.

"It's alright, we'll have them bring fake bombs and notify the news reporters from the Kingdom of Bel to take pictures..."

"...In addition, the cult paid people to spread rumors that these Shangqiu people were demons sealed by the goddess in the Abyss Sea, and now they have broken free of the goddess's seal and transformed into human form to take revenge on the goddess's people!"

The priest's lips curled into a cold smile; sometimes, rumors are a very useful weapon.

As a faith on the main road, countless people worship the "goddess," but the old man in the gray robe scoffs at it, believing that the truth they pursue is the only one!

"In that case, as long as we ruin Shangqiu's reputation, they will be unable to move an inch, their plans will be disrupted, and then their weaknesses will be exposed!"

After speaking, the gray-robed old man waved his hand, indicating that the man could leave.

"Okay, do as I say."

"Understood, Your Excellency!"

After watching the man leave, the old man in the gray robe slowly leaned back in his chair, a sense of anticipation rising in his heart... So, how would those people from Shangqiu retaliate against the attack on the religious order?

A sinister smile crept across the gray-robed old man's lips as he continued to open the book in his hands, immersing himself in the pursuit of truth.

Section 0 recommends two books in a single chapter~

I'd like to recommend two books written by some of the better guys in the group (not mine, x3, the writing style is completely different). Since they lack exposure, I'll link them to give them some exposure.

Dear readers, feel free to check it out. If you like it, please bookmark it. If you don't like it, please give us your feedback. After all, it's not easy for a newcomer to embark on this path. Everyone wants to write well, but what's lacking is reader feedback.

Here is the link.

Chapter 24 Cosmetics Diplomacy