People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Along with his experience in playing chess, he missed out on more than half a year's salary and research funding.

Enciodes allocated the money to other research labs, and incidentally subsidized several other research projects that had been forced to stop due to his lab's excessive expenses. He also established a new, nonsensical fireworks lab, leaving Enciodes completely bewildered and envious.

Thanks to being out of peak condition, he still maintains a clear and unadulterated confidence:

"Let's go for it! If you're too scared to go, I'll go and show you! Perfect timing, isn't Duke Windermere here this time? I'll go and try to get their support! I'll expand the business of the Kalan Trade to the Duke Windermere's territory!"

Ensiodis watched him with a smile but said nothing.

The meaning is very clear—you're already a seasoned gambler, you've lost so many times and you still dare to gamble?

Nosis panicked at that look. Ensiodis could question his fighting prowess, but he absolutely could not question his ability. Were you already certain I would lose?

Seeing Nosis's "I don't believe it, I'm going to be stubborn and try it" expression, Enciodes could only sigh and offer a reasonable reminder:

"Just a heads up, I don't recommend you continue gambling with your research funds. After all, if you lose again, you'll lose all of this year's funding. Kalan Trade still needs your research. If you suspend operations for a year, it won't do me any good."

Nohis gritted his teeth.

You underestimate me, don't you? Enciodes, you've disappointed me greatly!

I'll show you how I win!

The red eyes were more than just special effects. Nosis slammed his hand on the table and shouted:

"Enciodes, don't worry, if I lose, I will voluntarily resign from the board of directors, step down as CTO, and give up all my shares. I will do the research at my own expense and work for you for free!"

Ensiodis paused, exchanged a glance with Jian, and somewhat embarrassedly offered his advice:

"Nosis, do you want to think about it again? There's really no need to make this bet. I haven't beaten Ernst many times anyway. You're already pretty good."

Nosis's lips twitched, but he said firmly, "No, that's it! I, Nosis Edwis, keep my word! I'm going to find Duke Windermere right now!"

As he spoke, before he could even turn around, there was a knock on the door of Enciodes's office. Horn's voice rang out from outside:

"Sir, young Master Ernst is here to see you!"

Enciodes and Nosis exchanged a glance, and Enciodes gave Nosis a final, advising look, but Nosis turned his head away, completely ignoring Enciodes's good intentions.

Ensiodis could only sigh and shrug.

What can be done? It's impossible to reason with that damned Li Boli.

“Please let him in,” Ensiodis said.

Horn opened the door, and Ernst, beaming, walked into the room, beginning with:

"My dear brother, I have some fantastic news for you and Karan Trade! Would you like to hear it?"

"With just a small price to pay, the market of the Duchy of Windermere will be opened to you. Not only that, but there will also be tariff-free policies, government preferential treatment, green channels, and other benefits that you simply can't buy!"

Ensiodes's serene expression twitched extremely quickly, so fast that Ernst thought he was seeing things.

He asked, "Is there really such a good thing? Then, I wonder, what exactly is this small condition that my dear brother is referring to?"

“It’s very simple,” Ernst said, holding up one finger. “All I need to do is make myself or my agent one of the shareholders of Kalan Trading and join the board of directors’ decision-making team.”

Enciodes finally stopped, his gaze constantly shifting to Nosis Edwis, who stood with his back to him, his body trembling slightly. The upward curve of his lips had exceeded the bounds of propriety, and he answered haltingly, his voice trembling with barely suppressed laughter:

"Hey, isn't this... a coincidence?!"

Chapter 100 Latatos, you don't want the Browntao family to be swept into the garbage dump, do you?

"I'm serious, Ensiodis, you can't do this, you can't do this!"

After seeing Ernst off with great pleasure, Enciodes turned around and heard Nosis complaining.

Hmm... "complain" might not be the right word. To be more accurate, it should be "beg".

After all, he had just gone through the transition from a senior decision-maker to an ordinary worker, and the psychological gap might indeed be quite large.

But Enciodes was still reasonable: "Don't worry, Nosis, as I said, the Kalan Trade still needs your research. So you can rest assured, I won't really not allocate a single penny to you."

"Even though you're no longer the CTO, you can still contribute to our company as an employee of Kalan Trading. I'll still pay your salary and benefits as usual."

Based on the level of a normal researcher.

Ensiodis silently added in his mind.

The only thing that piqued his curiosity was who Ernst would send as an "agent" to Kalan Trade.

As far as he knew, few of Ernst's men possessed a business acumen. He couldn't quite figure out Holhaia, but as Ernst's secretary, a position that kept him busy enough, Ernst was unlikely to appoint him as the trade representative to Kalan.

So who could this person be?

Ernst was also thinking about this problem.

But her thinking was broader than Enciodes had predicted.

Instead of returning directly to his office, he had his butler and driver take him to the Brantau family's territory, where he found Latatos.

"So, you plan to have me go to Ensiodis's company and become your agent?"

Latatos stared at Ernst's face in disbelief, as if she were on guard against him suddenly splitting into three pieces and setting her up for a honey trap.

In fact, becoming a director in Enchiodes' company was far more thrilling and exciting than being scammed by Ernst.

At least in the latter case, even if she was scammed, she wouldn't have suffered too much of a loss.

"Are you kidding me? Ensiodis would agree to something like this?"

Latatos asked incredulously, which drew Hugh Luce, who had no interest in such serious matters, closer.

Ernst nodded and replied, "He agreed."

Latatos: "I told you he couldn't possibly... Huh? He would agree to something like this? You didn't pretend to be your brother and issue the order, did you?"

Ernst rolled his eyes at him.

My brother Ensiodis is a burly man, and compared to his double-door refrigerator-sized frame, I'm somewhat overestimating myself.

Ernst was a snow leopard who perfectly embodied the image of a civil official; among the snow leopard family, he was one of the few who never grinned. His physique was merely well-proportioned, not particularly robust.

Of course, this is only relative. Living in a place like Shelag, one's health can still be guaranteed.

The unhealthy ones all died.

Seeing that Ernst wasn't teasing her, Latatos pursed her lips and said seriously:

"why me?"

Because I have no one else under my command.

Ernst would never tell Latatos such a blunt truth.

There's a reason why he immediately thought of Latatos, something even Ensiodis hadn't anticipated.

"Latatos, don't you feel resentful?"

Instead of directly answering the question about squirrels, he asked in return,

"The changes in Sherag are happening so fast that some people haven't even had time to prepare before it's time for their curtain to fall. Don't you feel regretful?"

Latatos lowered her eyelids, and her hands, hidden between her woolen shawls, had somehow clenched into fists.

Yes, Sherag changed a little too fast.

It is unclear when exactly, but the three great families and Manju Academy, who had been performing on stage for thousands of years, quietly came to their final curtain call.

Since Ensiodis opened Tukarim and opened the door to external communication for Sherag, discussions about the Kallan trade have become more frequent than discussions about the Shivaesh family.

Since the Holy Stone Trial, discussions about the Holy Maiden and the new Holy Son have far outweighed discussions about the Manju Academy.

After Enya made an exception and offered Ernst an extra "prayer" during the Harvest Festival, which was tacitly approved by Jeragand, the discussions about the three major families in Sherag were gradually replaced by the new Sherag government.

The Blantau and Perroch families, who forced Enciodes to abandon his autocratic ways and establish the Sherag government, never imagined they would face such a predicament today.

And such changes are even difficult to reverse.

Even if Ernst is overthrown, the Sherag government is abolished, and the Carlan trade is completely destroyed, people will no longer look with reverence at the three ancient families.

Because a seed of knowledge, an idea, a trend of thought has been planted. And that seed cannot be killed.

After the French Revolution, no matter how many times the monarchy was restored, how many people were massacred in the counter-offensives, or how many rebellions were bloodily suppressed, people already knew that to defy the king, one could have a revolution!

The vested interest groups represented by the three major families are destined to be unhappy.

Losing power is not a pleasant experience. Although Ernst has not yet touched the fundamental interests of the Blantau and Perroch families, namely their actual control over their respective family territories, and therefore has not encountered too strong a backlash, this is merely a slow and insidious tactic.

This day was destined to come, and so was the resistance; it could only be weakened, not eradicated.

What Ernst had to do was to weaken the opposition as much as possible, for example, by bringing Latatos, the enlightened and capable leader of the Brantau family, into his camp.

The ancient Chinese wisdom lies in persuading the enemy with emotion, mobilizing them with force, and explaining the benefits to them, thus dividing them into two groups and ultimately annihilating the few stubborn reactionaries.

"Latatos, I want to give you a chance, and also give the Brantau family a chance."

"On the eve of Sherag's transformation, you were one of the first to open your eyes to the world. You were just a little bit later than Enciodes, so you missed the first wave of opportunities."

"But Khalkha won't only have one trading company, will it?"

Ernst looked at her and smiled.

"As my representative, you've entered Enciodes' company. Your understanding of Enciodes is no less than mine, and your philosophy and methods of checks and balances are enough to earn my approval and Enciodes' attention. With you in the picture, I can be assured that my vision won't be clouded. Enciodes won't try to resort to those underhanded tricks. And you..."

Ernst paused, then said,

"You will be given a unique and suitable position and opportunity in Kjerag to put your talents to use and your wisdom to prove that Latatos of the Brantau family is no less than Enciodis. You will also gain invaluable experience. This experience is crucial to the future transformation of the Brantau family."

They transformed from a feudal agricultural landlord into a capitalist family in the modern sense.

Ernst offered his terms and then fell silent.

He waited quietly for Latatos to answer.

It must be said that the word "future" truly possesses a kind of miraculous magic. This is why countless big bosses and leaders tirelessly mention it, making it the absolute core word of PUA techniques.

Latatos was well aware of the hidden meaning in Ernst's words.

Position, opportunity, putting talent to use, leveraging wisdom, proving oneself. Finally, a grand vision is painted: a bright future where the Blangau family owns their own "Kalan Trading" business.

In the end, they never mentioned compensation or benefits.

Goodness, he's a seasoned PUA master!

But even if you know it's PUA, what can you do?

Just as Ernst said, the position on the board of directors of Kalan Trade is absolutely unique! If Ensiodis hadn't lost his mind, he would never have allowed the power to appoint and dismiss people in this position to fall into Ernst's hands again.

As for Shelag, it only has one large company, Karan Trading, at least for now.

Starting a business with absolutely no knowledge, experience, channels, or connections is like a fish swimming in a fishbowl. It might look like it has some talent, but it will be gone in no time, even in Ernst's previous life, in that new era that encouraged entrepreneurship.

This is also why Ernst was unwilling to start his own company—everyone has their own strengths, and since he couldn't do business as a cadre in his previous life, he was powerless to change it after transmigrating.

Latatos might seem like she was going to refuse. But Ernst had her nailed on—Ms. Zalak was never one to back down; she was far more competitive than she appeared.

In that case, Ms. Latatos, you don't want the Brantau family to be swept into the dustbin of history in the future, do you?

What else can Latatos do?

She had no choice but to submit to PUA!

Taking a long breath, Latatos, having finally made up her mind, raised her head, her brown eyes looking at Ernst as if some kind of flame had ignited within them:

"Leave it to me, I can do anything!"

Chapter 101 Duke of Caesar, Please Put on Your Clown Mask

In 1094, Shelag was still a small, insignificant country with virtually no influence.

But in 1094, Victoria was still a colossal being that dominated Terra.

After finally deciding to wipe out the last obstacle in the city of Londinium—the Steam Knights—the nobles of Victoria began to gradually understand and appreciate the advantages of the Sarkaz.

For the Grand Dukes of Victoria, a mercenary force that is not expensive, but has strong combat capabilities, and although lacks discipline, is highly efficient in completing missions is simply the most handy weapon.

Not only did they think this way, but the noble councilors of the Lentinium City Council also thought so.

There are some minor misconceptions here, namely that the noble councilors of the Londinium City Council were not actually entirely under the control of the Grand Dukes.

Rather, in their minds, it wasn't the Grand Dukes who controlled them, but rather they who influenced and controlled the Grand Dukes.