Ark Chess Player

"Oh!"

"Bang bang bang!"

"Welcome! Welcome! A warm welcome!"

"Welcome to the Ursus Empire delegation to Rhodes Island!"

A blinding white light entered her eyes. Natasha shielded her eyes with her right hand and gripped the hilt of her rapier tightly with her left.

Amidst the booming of hand-held cannons, Natasha held the ribbon wrapped around her head in her palm and stared blankly ahead.

She had barely stepped off the platform when she was greeted by a deafening din of gongs and drums, the crackling of firecrackers, the fluttering of red flags, and a sea of ​​people—it was incredibly lively!

Along the passageways on both sides, a large group of operators under 1.5 meters tall waved flowers and cheered, their voices echoing through the night sky. Apart from the pink-haired Vulpo girl, Witch, who was not good at expressing her emotions, and Ifrit, who looked unwilling, the girls, led by Myrtle, all had smiles on their faces, like flowers quietly blooming on Rhodes Island.

Cheers erupted like a tidal wave, one after another, without end.

As an Imperial soldier, when had Natasha ever encountered such a situation?

She involuntarily took a step back, her imposing aura dissipating almost imperceptibly, somewhat hastily.

Natasha had imagined how harsh the scene would be, perhaps facing treacherous businessmen or imminent private violence, but she never expected it to be like this.

What's going on? Isn't this a pharmaceutical company? Why are there so many girls here? I get it, these girls must be guinea pigs for that unscrupulous Rhodes Island company! It's absolutely despicable! I'd heard rumors of some psychologically twisted and unethical businessmen preying on young girls, but I never imagined Rhodes Island was one of them!

Natasha grew angrier the more she thought about it, but in front of these little girls, she couldn't bring herself to fly into a rage; instead, she gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

Lin Lu, watching from afar, smiled knowingly.

Chapter 147 Rhodes Island Technician Number One at Your Service (4K)

"Little friend, where is your leader?"

Natasha tried her best to make her expression friendly, which was quite difficult for a cold beauty like her who would draw her sword at the slightest provocation.

The girl from Volper, who was being questioned, looked surprised. She had long, lemon-yellow hair tied in braids, nine rare tails, and a black Originium crystal on her left shoulder.

"Um, that..."

Lily of the Valley instinctively raised the flowers to cover her face because Natasha was standing too close, and being a little shy, she instinctively turned her head to look.

At that moment, among the group of little girls waving flowers, a brown-haired girl from Cats stepped out and walked up to Natasha with small, quick steps.

"welcome!"

The girl nervously tightened her rabbit ears and stood on tiptoe, wanting to put a little red flower on Natasha's head.

However, she is only 1.42 meters tall, which makes her appear too short next to Natasha, who is 1.7 meters tall.

Based on the grueling training Natasha had received, her first reaction was to suspect that the little girl in front of her was an assassin, and that there might be a poisonous thorn in the little red flower in her hand.

But for some reason, she inexplicably bent down her graceful body and let the girl pin the little red flower on her chest.

The girl smiled, took a few steps back, and her bright, sunny smile almost made Natasha feel a surge of maternal love.

This also deepened Natasha's prejudice against Rhodes Island! How could these scumbags do such a thing to such lovely girls! Look at the Originium crystals on these girls; they must have been infected and mutated during cruel drug experiments. Unforgivable! I must have a serious talk with the unscrupulous boss of Rhodes Island!

Natasha felt a surge of anger and was completely unaware that her attention had been diverted.

Ogul felt a sense of foreboding. As Natasha's bodyguard and strategist, he saw the problem from a third-party perspective.

First came the tedious and boring disinfection and cleaning of the vanguard armored vehicle. After a long time, came an even longer placement play. Finally, the speed of the lifting platform was deliberately slowed down. Just when the delegation's mood was at its most irritable, the other side actually used a human wave tactic!

Auguro was shocked; there was a master in Rhodes Island!

With just three simple steps, they successfully gained control over their inner thoughts.

Ogullo wanted to step forward and warn Natasha to be careful, because something shocking was about to happen!

Sure enough, the girl from Carter's smiled sweetly as she pinned the little red flower badge on Natasha.

"Welcome, sister from the Ursus delegation. I am Amiya, the CEO of Rhodes Island."

"what?"

Natasha's smile froze as she combined the photo of the young girl in front of her with the one of the legal owners of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, which was specially marked in the documents provided by Ursus.

—Wow, it really is!

“I am Natasha Andreyevich Rostov, the head of the Ursus Empire delegation.”

Natasha quickly adjusted her state. As a soldier who had fought bloody battles on the battlefield, her mental fortitude would not be destroyed by such ups and downs... but she would still be affected to some extent.

"Ok?"

Just as Natasha was feeling unsettled, she vaguely sensed a gaze and instinctively looked into the distance.

At the end of the passage, she saw a black hem of clothing fluttering in panic.

"This is……?"

Just as Natasha was unintentionally distracted again, Rhodes Island's CEO Amiya suddenly and affectionately hugged her arm, causing her to stiffen up somewhat unexpectedly.

"May I call you Sister Natasha?" Amiya looked up at her, her sea-blue eyes sparkling like a sky full of stars.

"Yes, yes."

Natasha was a little flustered; who could withstand this?

She wasn't used to such close contact; it was like a double whammy, sending chills down her spine in an instant.

After all, Natasha hadn't been in much contact with her family since she joined the army at sixteen. She used to have a lovely niece, but she didn't know how she was doing now... Her brother lived in Chernobog, and she hadn't heard from her niece since.

"Sister Natasha, come with me, come with me."

Amiya, innocent and lively, clung to Natasha's arm, recalling the Doctor's plan, and led her forward.

Ogulo missed the best opportunity to warn him and had no choice but to continue forward with the other guards. He silently grew wary of this young but cunning CEO of Rhodes Island.

Rhodes Island operators waved bouquets aloft to bid farewell to the delegation. A festive red banner hung on the wall, bearing incomprehensible Yan script. The banner featured strong, vigorous ink strokes, like marks carved on a stone slab, the calligraphy flowing like dragons; one might mistake it for the work of the Minister of Justice of the Yan Kingdom.

Natasha followed behind Amiya. Although she sensed something was wrong, she couldn't form any particular thoughts.

A faint blue glow emanated from the rings on Amiya's hands, and an invisible spiritual force spread, calming Natasha's emotions.

Everything was going according to the doctor's plan, down to the precise timing of each person's role, as if the director had determined the direction of the script.

“Sister Natasha, you must be very tired after traveling so far. It’s alright, we’ve prepared a welcome feast for you. Our Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Company’s culinary culture is renowned worldwide, and we are proficient in all styles of cuisine on Terra. Whether you want to eat your hometown Ursus dishes, try Chinese cuisine from Yan, or international cuisine from Victoria or Letania, we can prepare it for you. We can even prepare ethnic dishes from Sargon, Kerrigan, and Syracuse.”

Amiya clung tightly to Natasha's arm; the adorable bunny's affectionate behavior was simply irresistible.

The blush that rose on her face due to shyness added to her beauty.

"Everything is fine, everything is fine..."

Natasha nodded in agreement in a daze, never imagining that this dinner would be the beginning of something that would change her life.

Rhodes Island's dining hall was meticulously decorated, resembling a wedding banquet hall. Natasha was embraced by Amiya and taken to the head seat at the round table, which was full of Yan-style decorations.

Natasha glanced instinctively toward the kitchen, where Rhodes Island's chefs were busily cooking in the semi-transparent, semi-open space. The head chef, who looked rather thin, was surprisingly ruthless, wielding a heavy wok to toss and stir-fry the brightly colored ingredients together, mixing in seasonings, and sprinkling salt with an elegant, almost superb, grace.

"After all, this place is relatively close to the trading city of Lungmen. In order to make the most of the fresh ingredients we get that day, our head chef, Bo, is showing off his summer cooking skills again after three years. Sister Natasha, you must try it. I haven't had it in a long time."

Amiya smiled faintly, her smile filled with longing and dependence.

This was different from her previous slightly fake smile; it was genuine joy, and the girl's legs, dangling from under the high chair, swung excitedly.

Natasha quietly kept this scene in her heart.

The dinner was much more lavish than she had imagined, with dishes Natasha had never seen before laid out before her.

This was somewhat similar to the Yan cuisine she had heard about, but also different; it seemed that the food on this table was more authentic.

"These are the chef's hometown dishes: sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed lobster with garlic, steamed grouper using traditional methods, crispy duck, tender meat ribs with mushrooms, fresh lily bulbs and asparagus, stewed yam with three treasures, scallop and radish cake, and durian pastry." The tall Fengti male officer explained the names of the dishes one by one, his face still showing a lingering longing for the culinary world, just as he was filled with pride when he served the dishes. These were delicacies he was confident he could present to his guests.

Today, Horn Peak learned a lot about cooking from the doctor, as if a new world had opened up for him.

Even when the professor scolded him for being slow and not quick-witted during the cooking process, Cliffy didn't complain at all, and even seemed a little reluctant to leave.

After all, in the kitchen, the head chef is the most authoritative person, and all the strictness and nitpicking are for the purpose of making the dishes more delicious.

Natasha's gaze darted around, and she asked instinctively, "Where's your head chef?"

When she asked this question, she deliberately focused her attention on Amiya, paying attention to the girl's expression.

A fleeting look of panic crossed the girl's face, but she quickly composed herself and pretended to be nonchalant.

"He, he... the old man hasn't cooked in a long time. He said he had back pain and tongue cramps, so he went to rest." Horn Peak recalled the doctor's instructions and quickly took his leave. "Please enjoy your meal."

Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly. She didn't say anything more, but silently made a note of it.

To appease Amiya's hospitality, she began to sample the dishes, each one so delicious that she almost burst out of her clothes. Even the guards of the delegation couldn't resist indulging in the food.

Just then, bottle after bottle of vodka was brought out—the lifeblood of the Ursus people, a drink that Ursus girls had been drinking since they were ten. Natasha wiped the drool involuntarily from the corner of her mouth, refusing, but she couldn't resist Amiya's enthusiasm. She feigned a sip, then a second, one bottle, two bottles…

Whether it was the alcohol or just her imagination, Natasha suddenly felt the air around her getting hotter and hotter, so hot that her vision became blurry.

Amiya, who had fainted from the heat at some point, was lying on the table and was taken away by members of Rhodes Island's medical department.

Before leaving, members of the medical department said that Rhodes Island had prepared a private bathhouse and dormitory for the Ursus delegation, and asked them to move to the designated location under the guidance of the staff.

Natasha, drenched in sweat from the heat, did not refuse the offer. Her years of military service had given her a resistance to any environment, but that did not mean she would resist a hot bath.

"Phase one, completed."

Lin Lu watched Natasha and the others being led away. He then pulled out his sweat-soaked mobile terminal and dialed the Rhodes Island Engineering Department.

"Kroos! If you don't turn on the central air conditioning soon, I'm telling you, the medical department will be packed tonight, and you'll have to pay for all the medical bills!"

"Hey hey hey!? Doctor, that's really unfair of you! Isn't this part of your plan?"

"My plan only needs Tianhuo; she's enough on her own! Why are you getting involved?"

"I just couldn't stand the way the Ursus envoy was looking at me! She glared at me!"

Cleopatra turned the central air conditioning back on, looking aggrieved, and muttered something under her breath.

At this moment, the indoor temperature on Rhodes Island was a full 36 degrees Celsius, and those around Skyfire almost fainted from the heat.

The girl, Tianhuo, was inexplicably summoned and then inexplicably criticized. Feeling confused and angry, she stormed off, truly a mere tool.

Lin decided to compensate Tianhuo afterwards, but the problem now is not there, but how to brainwash these people.

Lin Lu's original plan was to have Fu Rong prepare a meal, so that the brilliance of the stars would benefit everyone and turn the entire Ursus Empire delegation into idiots who could only babble. But this idea was too malicious, and even Lin Lu couldn't bring himself to do it.

Fortunately, the moment he saw Natasha, inspiration struck him, and he came up with a better idea.