People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

You see, Nasti had already prepared to use her wildest imaginations in rebuilding Tukarim, but Ernst's actions have blocked her opportunities.

Although she knew it made sense, Nastya still felt a pang of disappointment. Her plan to build a simple magical generator in the city center might be doomed.

As for the last one, it's even more of a heavyweight.

Enabling RheinLife to find affordable and high-quality building materials means using RheinLife's distribution channels.

Ernst's calculations were so precise that even the underground preservers could hear them. He knew perfectly well that if the Sherrag government were to buy the same thing, the big Colombian corporations wouldn't even give them a second glance. They might even charge a higher price just because you're a government agency.

But if it's Rhine Life, a star company in Trimont, that's a different story.

As Mr. Reeves, the bridge engineer at Black Steel International, said, everyone in Colombia these days knows that doing scientific research is the most lucrative business. Construction giants are eager to connect with Trimont's star research companies so they can be among the first to access new research findings.

It may just be a small step forward in materials science, but once it is mass-produced, it could change the landscape of the entire construction industry!

Therefore, they would almost certainly offer Rhine Life a discount to establish a good relationship.

When Justin from the Business Department heard this request, his face turned so dark he could almost cosplay as the Night of Sherag.

Apart from Tukarim, which serves as Sherag's eye to the outside world and is still lit, there was no other light; it was a pure, unadorned darkness.

Thankfully, Ernst added "hopefully," otherwise Justin Bieber would probably have stood up, slammed his fist on the table, and stormed off.

This is outrageous! How can you do business like this?!

But even under the current conditions, they are perhaps a bit too "harsh".

Justin cleared his throat and glanced at Christine without making it obvious, giving off an air of "I'm all set."

He absolutely did not believe that Commander Christen would agree to such a deal that would bring almost no benefit to Rhine Life.

Business negotiation was his forte, and he was well aware of the tactics politicians and businessmen used to employ—demanding exorbitant prices and then settling for bargains. Ernst's decision to initiate the negotiation clearly indicated that he was prepared to negotiate.

Justin was confident that he could use his eloquence to negotiate and remove, or at least reduce, the most unreasonable demands in the deal.

The council has too many members, five in total, and most of them are Sherag people. It could easily lead to a one-sided vote and interfere with Nastya's design ideas. If she can't take the initiative, it's better not to let her design at all.

Recruiting local workers for research stations is not difficult to accept, but restrictions must be imposed. For example, research stations should only recruit local laborers with certain basic knowledge and skills. You can't expect research stations to teach people from scratch what an excavator is, what a bulldozer is, or that pressing a button can blow up a wall, can you?

As for purchasing building materials through Rhine's channels, Justin has already come up with a perfect excuse:

"Rhine Life fully understands the limited channels available to the Kjerag people and is very willing to help our partners. However, based on the principles of integrity and mutual benefit, Rhine Life cannot afford to offend one partner in order to help another. Therefore, please understand that if you do need Rhine Life's assistance, Rhine Life will, in accordance with the principles of fairness, impartiality, and transparency, introduce you to suitable companies, ensuring quality while enabling Kjerag to purchase appropriate building materials at market prices."

A very commercial, yet empathetic, dialogue!

Even Ernst would certainly have no words to refute such a "flawless" response.

Justin Bieber is already eager to try.

But Christen still didn't call him.

Justin had to straighten his tie and cough twice in an attempt to get Christine's attention.

But Christensen still looked thoughtful.

Justin pointed to the three "Business Department" nameplates assigned to him, but the manager remained silent.

Justin finally couldn't hold back any longer. His constant winking and grimacing had made him look somewhat comical, and seeing that Christensen remained silent, he simply spoke up:

"Mr. Ernst, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Justin from the Business Department of Rhine Life Sciences..."

Before he could finish speaking, Christen finally raised her head and replied:

“I agree. But I have one request. The project must start as soon as possible, and during the project’s execution, as long as no major problems arise, I do not want any resistance from the public or the government in Shelag.”

"Huh?" Justin turned his head, looking bewildered, to look at Christen, before he could even speak. Ernst immediately replied,

"Of course, that's the case. But I must also state in advance that I can only govern the secular affairs of Sherag. If your scientific research is affected by unforeseen circumstances, then please forgive me for being powerless to help."

Ordinary people might understand this force majeure factor as a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, landslide, or blizzard blocking the mountain pass. But in Shelag, this force majeure factor has an additional element to it—Yelagand.

If you offend the great god Yeragand, I won't compensate you.

Unless you pay more, I can try to persuade Him. But the effect might not be significant, and you might have to pay even more.

If you really piss Him off, then I'm sorry, have you ever heard how the Holy Stone of Holy Stone Square came about?

Ernst would tell them this story at their graves.

Ernst had barely finished speaking when Justin exclaimed in surprise again:

"what?"

This time, both Christensen and Ernst noticed him. Christensen frowned at this man who kept repeating "ah ah ah" over and over, and asked him in confusion:

"What's wrong? Is your throat sore?"

Justin's face was filled with disbelief. He stared wide-eyed at Christensen and asked sincerely:

"Christen, I'm the head of the Business Department, right? All of Rhine Lab's business activities go through me, don't they?"

Christen nodded naturally.

Justin Bieber also said:

"So you knew all along! I hadn't even said a word and you already agreed to the collaboration. Then why did you call me here? To sit in on the conversation?"

“Of course not.” Christen shook his head, looking at him as if to say, “Do you want to hear what I have to say?” and replied, “Like you said, Justin, all the business process-related matters in this collaboration are being handled by you. This is very important, so make sure it gets done.”

Justin's lips twitched, and his gaze toward Christine seemed to be pleading for help.

You...you might as well just tell me to go and kill the president!

It's better than me getting so angry that I die!

But Christensen seemed completely unconcerned. He didn't care about Justin's offense to him as his superior, nor did he care about the potential losses Rhine Life might suffer from his casual agreement to cooperate.

That's just the kind of person she is. Professor Ferdinand, the renowned high-energy physicist who is considered one of the most brilliant minds in the world, once aptly described Christensen: "She wouldn't hesitate to sell the entire Rhineway Life System if it meant achieving her goals!"

Her goal was to touch the stars with a mortal body.

“Alright, let’s move on to the next topic.” Ignoring Justin’s almost tearful expression, Christen said calmly, “I haven’t introduced you yet, Mr. Ernst. This is Professor Levi Klitschko from Ursus.”

Ernst immediately stood up and warmly extended his hand, saying:

"I have long admired your name, Professor Klitschko."

A strange smile appeared on Levi's face. He also stood up, shook Ernst's hand in return, and asked:

“Mr. Ernst, hello. To be honest, I’m a fan of the Chronicles of Erzley.”

Ernst's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Although Vina had already told her when she returned that Ernst's main story had been published and that the translation was being sent to bookstores all over the world, this was the first time Ernst had actually met a fan of Ernst's, especially since this fan was a scientist from Ursus who was temporarily living in Colombia!

Doesn't this prove Ers's infectious power?

He asked excitedly, "Is that so? I wonder which chapter of the Ers that Professor Klitschko prefers? China? Egypt? Or Mesopotamia or India?"

Levi shook his head, his eyes narrowed into slits, and his grinning mouth gave off a meaningful look.

He replied:

"I prefer the Russian episode."

"The Russian chapter, ah, that was indeed a truly magnificent chapter, from the PUBG tournament to the Third Rome, and then to the great League..."

Ernst's words came to an abrupt halt.

His gaze fell in astonishment as he looked at the man before him, his heart filled with turmoil.

Chapter 108 Comrade, You Should Take Up the Banner of Exporting Revolution

To be fair, Ernst thinks it's perfectly normal for some people to like the Russian section of "The Chronicles of Erzley".

Whether viewed as a reference to the Kangxi Dynasty or from a realistic perspective, Russia truly deserves to be called a great country with a long history and countless inspiring stories.

From the Viking tribes on the plains of East Europe during the Viking Age, to the Slavic slaves shackled by the Mongol invasion, to the grey livestock of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Russian Empire, and finally, to the unbreakable alliance that brought change to the world, and the internal collapse that provided valuable lessons for all those who followed.

Russia's history is worthy of praise, study, and careful appreciation. Anyone who studies the history of human development cannot avoid this country and cannot help but develop a deep interest in it.

Ernst also had a premonition that once he successfully wrote the complete "Chronicles of Ers - Russia", it would inevitably become one of the most popular chapters in the entire "Ers" series.

But the problem is, I haven't even written about Russia yet!

Looking at Levi, who was smiling meaningfully, Ernst's expression changed repeatedly. He wanted to ask for clarification immediately, but his eyes caught sight of Christensen and Hinterlea out of the corner of his eye.

After a moment of silence, he replied:

"You like Russia, that's a very tasteful idea. I wonder which chapter about Russia you like the most?"

Levy answered matter-of-factly:

"Of course, it's the chapter of the Great Alliance. The courage and wisdom of the people are always awe-inspiring, aren't they?"

Watching Ernst's expression, Levy withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and praised him like an ordinary book lover:

"That's precisely why I feel no sense of belonging to Ursus. I remember an ordinary comrade in your book saying something like this: 'I have never despised pigs, but I loathe the golden crowns hanging high on branches. In my homeland, people burned bishops, hanged kings, chopped off emperors' heads, and smashed all the old nobles to pieces. No one will fear the so-called kings and nobles anymore.' How well said, isn't it?"

"Yes...yes." Ernst wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded in agreement.

He is currently in a state of mixed relief and sweat.

He breathed a sigh of relief because Levy's response to his probing was very clear. He was not from the same era as Ernst; his former homeland was still known to the world as the USSR.

Although we don't know exactly which period he comes from—whether it's the steel industry, corn, or the era of our old friend's billions in subsidies—scientists are generally trustworthy.

His decision not to confront Ernst immediately and overturn the table also earned him considerable favor from Ernst.

As for why I'm sweating so much, the reason is quite simple.

This person's thinking seems a bit extreme; he immediately started by saying he wanted to hang the king and bishops and smash the old aristocracy.

Ernst, while not getting all three right, certainly got two out of three right.

In other words, he had to be hanged, and then smashed.

The pure-blooded Soviet man, lurking inside Colombia, gave Ernst a rather unnerving look.

You're not a follower of Bobo Killer, are you?

Of course, having lived in society for so many years, Ernst had long understood the principle that while it's important to have a stance on things, you can't get anything done just by having a stance.

Since he himself chose to stay in Colombia, a place that the Soviets considered to be "full of the stench of capitalism and the blood of pioneers," and to continue his research using the technology and resources there, it is enough to prove that he and I are the same kind of people in terms of our principles of conduct.

"Did you two know each other before?" Sensing the subtle atmosphere between Ernst and Levi, Christen became unusually gossipy.

She had witnessed Levi's arrogance countless times. Ordinary scientists wouldn't ignore or even refuse invitations from a company of Rhine Lab's caliber countless times.

He actually gets interested in a book and even calls himself a book lover?

Christensen, however, began to take an interest in the book Levy had mentioned, "The History of Erzley".

Ernst shook his head: "I don't know him, but we hit it off immediately. Maybe we were destined to meet in a past life."

Levy smiled without saying a word. Christensen, however, took it as a joke:

"Mr. Ernst is quite humorous. But since the two of you get along so well, it saves me a lot of explanation."

She paused, her smile fading, and then became serious again:

"Yes, Mr. Ernst, Mr. Levy also wants to participate in the research projects at the Dome Research Station, and we would like to ask for your opinion on this matter."

Ernst found the question rather odd.

He can join if he wants to, why are you asking for my opinion? It's not like you're saying that once the Dome Research Station is built, Kjerag will actually be able to send a scientist up there to participate in the research.

We didn't originally stipulate which people Rhine Labs should send to Kjerag. If you want to send Rhine Labs people, then go ahead and send them. This kind of thing can be submitted to me directly when submitting the list of researchers entering the country later. Is it really necessary to make it a special issue?

But when faced with Ernst's question, Christen didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Levy and said with absolute certainty:

“Mr. Levi, you heard it too. The Dome Research Station is a major research project jointly undertaken by Rhine Labs and the Kjerag government, and it only accepts scientists from both sides. To put it bluntly, if you refuse to join Rhine Labs, then the Dome Research Station project is destined to be out of your reach.”

Ernst then looked at Levy in astonishment.

Levi, looking like a researcher, sat in the room the whole time, and Ernst thought he was a scientist from Rhine Lab.

So, comrade, you're not one of them?

No wonder Christen asked that question specifically; it turns out she wanted to use me to help her recruit people.

The lady in charge is quite resourceful.

Christen's words were very straightforward, and even Levi could tell that she was confident of victory.

He looked up at Christensen, and just when the lady of the house thought he was about to agree, he asked instead: