From the Abyss of Stars Part 1

Vol-2: 016. The Odd Little Country

【He's probably trying to show that Triangle Town and I have a close relationship, aiming for strategic binding? No, more likely it's to maintain appearances in front of Tianhuan.】

Li Aozi didn't mind; he glanced at the visitors and asked:

"And these two are..."

"Let me introduce you."

Auckland pointed to the civil servant beside him:

"This gentleman is remarkable, the deputy director of the SCIA intelligence department of Tianhuan, Director Liu Deming. The samurai beside him is Jin Xiuming, a retainer of the Aoba family."

Liu Deming smiled warmly, stood up, walked over to Li Aozi, and extended his hand:

"The lord praises me too much; I am merely an ordinary administrative officer. Please take care of me."

The samurai beside him nodded slightly, still with arms crossed. Li Aozi couldn't be bothered to engage—Tianhuan's samurai class was more arrogant than the officials; they only obeyed their own family groups and had a habit of not saluting outsiders.

An intelligence officer accompanied by a samurai—this was no small setup. Li Aozi realized he had underestimated Tianhuan's determination to deal with Frost-Plated.

Although both were part of the Four Nations, Tianhuan and Frost-Plated were a bit too close, even if separated by over 3,000 kilometers of old-era seabed. However, the existence of Triangle Town revealed the hidden value of this seabed.

The forward cities of both countries continued to dig forward, all for resources. Given this, it was only a matter of time before the two countries clashed. Tianhuan and Frost-Plated almost constantly slandered each other on GTB over the forward city routes, neither looking any better than the other.

Lord Auckland of Triangle Town was certainly worried about a Tianhuan invasion, but Tianhuan was also a key importer and exporter for Triangle Town. For the data in Li Aozi's possession that could threaten Frost-Plated, the two Tianhuan representatives offered an irresistible tax exemption deal.

Over the years, the friction between Tianhuan and Frost-Plated had never ceased. Lord Auckland foresaw that war was inevitable, and if Tianhuan attacked Frost-Plated, Triangle Town would become a crucial hub, likely to be taken over directly.

Therefore, Auckland tightly clung to Li Aozi, hoping to leverage Li Aozi's identity and the information he held to gain protection.

This little scheme was no big deal, and Li Aozi was happy to maintain Triangle Town's neutrality. After all, this was his future base, and staying neutral wouldn't provoke Tianhuan or Frost-Plated, allowing his business to continue flowing between the two countries.

"Pleasure to meet you." Li Aozi shook hands with the other party. "Director Liu, I'm a straightforward person. I know why you're here."

"Oh, Mr. Li, you're mistaken." Director Liu chuckled, "We came with the friendship of the Tianhuan people. You might not know, living in the outer world, but you have now become a national idol in Tianhuan."

Li Aozi forced a smile and said nothing.

He was well aware that regardless of their ethnic background, once people integrated into Tianhuan, they became two-faced. They especially loved to praise others to the point of bewilderment, making them feel invincible, only to suddenly pull the rug out from under them, pushing them off their pedestal.

This despicable atmosphere was common among Tianhuan's lower class, but the upper echelon was skilled at manipulating emotions, making it something to guard against.