Sakura Country.
Kyushu Island.
A certain secret room.
Lin Ran first surveyed his surroundings, then turned his head thoughtfully, looking at the group of people in front of him with a half-smile.
The two leading the way could be considered old acquaintances...
Tanaka Kensuke, Chizuru Ginshiro.
He hadn't expected to encounter this kind of situation after the competition ended...
What did these two scheming fellows want with him, dragging him here?
Luo Qingyan, standing beside him, was clearly displeased.
She had finally gotten a chance to relax with Lin Ran, wander around, and clear their minds, enjoying the beautiful scenery of a foreign land...
Never did she imagine that they would be waylaid by so many obstacles, one after another, causing trouble.
If not for the perfectly good attitude of Tanaka Kensuke and Chizuru Ginshiro, Luo Qingyan might have been tempted to beat them up.
"May I ask why you two are so urgently looking for us again?"
Seeing the two increasingly impatient individuals, Lin Ran, not wanting to waste any more time, spoke first.
Chizuru Ginshiro and Tanaka Kensuke, however, appeared quite awkward and hesitant. After exchanging glances, they both signaled to each other, prompting the other to speak first.
But annoyingly, both of them seemed to want to avoid the conversation, so neither took the initiative to step forward...
Lin Ran frowned impatiently:
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving then..."
"I'll let this matter of you wasting my time slide for now."
"But if there's a next time, I can't guarantee the safety of anyone who comes looking for us!"
Lin Ran said, pulling Luo Qingyan along as he prepared to leave, showing no intention of paying any attention to the group.
Tanaka Kensuke and Chizuru Ginshiro finally became anxious. They immediately blocked Lin Ran's path with smiles plastered on their faces:
"Please wait! Great Hero Lin, please stay..."
"We didn't mean to waste your time; we truly have important matters to discuss..."
"The importance of this matter far exceeds your expectations!"
"And this matter is of great concern to your personal interests, Great Hero Lin, so you cannot afford to ignore it!"
Lin Ran then slightly softened the hostility in his gaze and pretended to be curious:
"Oh? Is that so?"
Tanaka Kensuke smiled so much that his face seemed about to fold into wrinkles:
"Absolutely, absolutely!"
"We hope Great Hero Lin can be a little patient and let us explain slowly..."
Although Lin Ran already knew what kind of flattery they were about to dish out, he didn't expose them for the moment. Instead, he smiled and said:
"Then speak."
Tanaka Kensuke quickly agreed, glanced at Chizuru Ginshiro, who still had no intention of speaking, and had no choice but to steel himself and continue.
Ah, in the end, he had to be the one to speak...
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tanaka Kensuke slowly began:
"Observing your wise and mighty performance on the arena, Great Hero Lin, I presume you must hold an extraordinary position and receive exceptional treatment within Dragon Country's special system, correct?"
Here it comes!
Lin Ran almost burst out laughing.
As expected, they still hadn't given up on trying to pry into his affairs...
After all, in the complex and turbulent affairs of Sakura Country, he was like a perfect lever, and everyone believed he was a flawless tool under their influence.
However, they completely failed to realize that this beautiful lever of theirs possessed the power to uproot them all.
Not to mention, Lin Ran was perfectly aware of their petty schemes!
So Lin Ran immediately played dumb and followed Tanaka Kensuke's lead:
"It's alright, not great, but passable..."
"After all, my identity is still that of an undergraduate student who hasn't graduated. From any perspective, I couldn't have achieved meteoric success."
"But at least compared to before I made a name for myself, it's already quite luxurious."
"It will probably take another thirty or forty years to truly make it... There's no way around it."
Tanaka Kensuke immediately put on an expression of regret:
"Oh dear, that's truly a pity..."
"I had thought that with Great Hero Lin's god-like performance, Dragon Country would surely promote talent without sticking to convention."
"But Dragon Country, at least up to this point, has yet to realize your true value, Great Hero Lin!"
"It's truly too formulaic..."
Tanaka Kensuke said this while carefully observing Lin Ran's expression.
Lin Ran, on the other hand, maintained his act perfectly. He first showed a slightly hesitant expression, which he quickly shifted to one of firm conviction and irrefutability:
"It's alright... Actually, I'm not someone who cares too much about those things..."
"For me, what's most attractive is probably resources and cultivation."
"Besides, while they haven't fulfilled many of my expectations yet, they have already promised me everything I need in advance."
"As time goes by, I will still get those things."
Tanaka Kensuke, that old fox, didn't miss Lin Ran's natural shift in expression. His eyes immediately lit up.
Excellent! From Lin Ran's not entirely dismissive wording and attitude, he could tell there was hope!
As long as he guided and persuaded him carefully, capturing Lin Ran wouldn't be difficult...
As for what conditions to offer Lin Ran, it had nothing to do with him.
After all, the money and resources wouldn't be coming out of his own pocket, so the amount was irrelevant...
However, since the Prime Minister of Kannai was also secretly observing all of this, to avoid arousing suspicion in this young emperor, he had to try his best to negotiate openly.
So Tanaka Kensuke sighed:
"A pie not yet in the stomach is ultimately just a fleeting illusion..."
"I still feel that they haven't truly shown corresponding sincerity."
"For an exceptional talent like yourself, Great Hero Lin, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to directly grant you the highest position, or even enfeoff you with land..."
"How could those who merely hold positions without merit and are unworthy of their status stand above you, Great Hero Lin?"
"Even those people might secretly make things difficult for you out of fear of your strength, suppressing you by any means necessary, both openly and covertly?"
"Alas, it's a shame... If it were me, I would spare no effort to provide you with all possible assistance, Great Hero Lin..."
"Uh... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... My apologies... For saying this, it seems a bit presumptuous..."
"But regardless, this is truly my honest opinion!"