Lin Ran slowly swept his gaze around again, narrowed his eyes, and said,
"So you went to all this trouble to wait for me here!"
"To entice me to betray Long Country and defect to you? You've really come up with a clever plan!"
Tanaka Kenko laughed heartily,
"Not at all, not at all, Hero Lin, you're too kind..."
"What do you mean betray Long Country and defect to me? It's nothing like that!"
"Firstly, Hero Lin is merely developing his own forces with us, and hasn't caused any harm to Long Country!"
"Secondly, I am merely providing Hero Lin with a platform to develop his forces and offering some initial investment. We are on equal footing, there's no talk of defection."
"Everything is built upon our personal friendship..."
Chizuru Ginpaku also laughed along,
"That's right, exactly..."
"What's more, from my observations, Hero Lin seems quite interested in this friendly exchange meeting."
"Otherwise, you would have long since rebuked us and stormed out, not stayed here to waste so much breath with us."
"Isn't that so?"
Lin Ran looked at Chizuru Ginpaku, his eyes narrowing even further,
"I didn't expect you to be so insightful on this matter..."
Chizuru Ginpaku immediately laughed again,
"That's because we and Hero Lin are of one mind!"
Since everything had been laid bare, Lin Ran had no intention of lingering. He directly pulled Luo Qingyan and boldly sat down at the negotiation table provided by Tanaka Kenko and the others.
"So... shall we begin?"
"Tell me first, what do you need me to do?"
Good heavens, he switched gears so quickly.
It seemed he had long understood their hints and was prepared, waiting for this day.
And this cunning old fox was still pretending not to know at the start!
Despite looking so young, he was ahead of everyone else when it came to calculating benefits.
However, this wasn't a bad thing. It precisely showed that he was a sophisticated egoist.
As long as the price was right, he would willingly serve them.
As for whether he would betray them in the future for a better offer... that would be none of their concern.
In Tanaka Kenko's mind, Lin Ran likely wouldn't live to see that day.
With that, Tanaka Kenko and Chizuru Ginpaku exchanged glances before also sitting down.
They first shared knowing smiles, and then Tanaka Kenko said,
"Actually, this sort of thing is a win-win for everyone..."
"And we don't need Hero Lin to be our subordinate or anything of that sort. We only need you to help us stabilize the nation."
Lin Ran looked at Tanaka Kenko curiously, remaining silent.
Tanaka Kenko naturally noticed Lin Ran's confusion and sighed softly,
"Hero Lin, you're a smart person. You must be able to see the current predicament of my Sakura Country, right?"
"Putting aside the brewing threats from the异族 (yi zu) and the dimensional rifts, the pressure from our own compatriots abroad is already unbearable..."
"Sakura Country right now is not like a normal country at all!"
"And the culprit for all of this..."
Lin Ran suddenly interjected,
"The Lighthouse Country, right?"
Tanaka Kenko was taken aback, then nodded with a wry smile,
"That's right. Any clear-sighted person can see what's wrong with Sakura now..."
"Under the control of the Lighthouse, it's not an exaggeration to say that Sakura is in decline, slowly being eroded."
"If this situation continues, in another century or two, when all of us old folks are gone, Sakura might truly perish."
"At least, as an independent nation, its concept will be lost."
Hearing this, Lin Ran thoughtfully stroked his chin,
"So?"
"You... aren't you here to ask me to solve this problem for you?"
"I think you're overestimating me a bit..."
"Even if I can contend with those top-tier powerhouses now, going against an entire country is still too far-fetched."
"Even ten of me would be like a drop in the bucket for such a task!"
Tanaka Kenko immediately shook his head,
"Hero Lin, you misunderstand. Of course, we don't expect you to face it alone..."
"We just want you to be a force for us, fighting alongside us."
"And preferably, as a feudal lord enfeoffed by us."
"I believe that through our joint efforts, it won't be difficult to drive out those despicable Lighthouse troops."
"After all, the heroic aura you possess is undeniable..."
"If you agree to join us, our chances of victory will greatly increase!"
"Moreover, we are willing to specially allocate a portion of the fertile territory in Sakura Country to you and equip you with an army capable of fighting."
"And you will be able to choose these things freely within Sakura Country..."
Chizuru Ginpaku also chimed in at this moment,
"Yes, that's right."
"In the game between nations, national destiny is extremely important."
"According to the observations of our Chief Shinto Priest, the heroic aura latent within Hero Lin is undoubtedly the first person to set foot in Sakura thus far!"
"As long as you agree to join us, even if it's just to show support and take some action, it will be of immense help to us!"
"With the addition of your heroic aura, purifying Sakura and sweeping away the Lighthouse will no longer be a fantasy or a dream!"
Lin Ran looked at the agitated elder and younger man, feigning serious consideration as his gaze shifted between their faces.
At this moment, Tanaka Kenko and Chizuru Ginpaku knew that the matter had reached its most crucial point. They were desperately trying to convey sincerity on their faces, their pupils shrinking and eyes widening, clearly filled with apprehension.
After a long pause, Lin Ran finally smiled,
"It seems... like a decent offer?"
Both Tanaka Kenko and Chizuru Ginpaku revealed expressions of excited joy.
Although, whether they were happy for Sakura Country as a whole or for their own selfish reasons, was unknown.