Chapter 204: An Irresistible Temptation

Talk is talk.

Implementing community management requires careful calculation and division of labor, and the community managers Luo De spoke of must also undergo certain training before they can take up their posts; otherwise they would only add to the chaos.

These tedious tasks couldn't be accomplished by Kantisi and a few others alone.

But having a strategy suited to the current situation is enough.

To enforce these policies, having the Academy officials assigned here by the Academy is sufficient.

Luo De also gave Kantisi a suggestion in passing.

"Hope City isn't A Ru Cun; the situation here can't be stabilized by just one or two people working day and night."

He's accustomed to taking on everything himself.

After arriving at Hope City, Kantisi, who couldn't immediately change her habit, would occasionally show fatigue when talking with Luo De about the situation.

Luo De noticed this small detail.

After advising Kantisi with a couple of words, he then said to Saino and Dixiya: "The city might not be very peaceful these two days; remind the guard team and discipline officers to stay alert."

"Hmm."

Saino and Dixiya responded in unison.

Besides the very friendly Mondstadt envoy group that returned with Luo De, there was also the infamous Snezhnaya envoy group.

Dixiya had little contact with the Snezhnayan people.

But this didn't prevent her from forming a negative first impression of the Snezhnayan people.

The ruins of Vitality Home and the afflicted Ke Lai were still there; these incidents that happened around her made it hard for Dixiya to hold a good opinion of the Snezhnayan people.

Let alone Saino and Kantisi.

Those who constantly wander the desert have had plenty of dealings with the Foolish Masses.

Especially Saino, who holds the position of Senior Discipline Officer.

During Azar's administration.

In the desert, a person's life isn't worth much; even if a few are lost, no one bothers to investigate.

When Saino investigated cases, he had more than once discovered Foolish Masses members secretly looting scattered tribespeople.

Because he couldn't find evidence, he couldn't arrest or sue the Foolish Masses members.

This led Saino to continually view the Foolish Masses with suspicion; just as he was pessimistic about this meeting between the lady and Nadixa, he always felt the Foolish Masses harbored some intention harmful to Sumeru.

Hope City is now busy with many affairs.

After a brief meal, Luo De and the others who had finished discussing the matter went their separate ways.

Talking about this is also rather embarrassing.

As one of the top figures in Sumeru...

In reality, Luo De basically doesn't handle affairs; major matters are handled by Nadixa, minor matters are discussed by the Academy's officials and Kantisi, city defense is overseen by Dixiya, and construction is supervised by the Sage of the Wonder Theory School.

The things that truly require Luo De to do.

Only when everyone can't make up their minds.

Fortunately,

Sumeru's original system was so bad that Luo De simply copied and pasted those systems from his past life that he himself could barely understand, and the results were far better than the current situation.

"Everyone is so busy."

Walking the streets of Hope City, Luo De had no sense that he was the only idle person around, and as he walked he sighed.

However,

His idleness was only temporary.

Not far into his walk, a message arrived asking Luo De to help Nadixa.

Upon receiving the message,

Luo De immediately rushed to the Pure Benevolence Palace at top speed and found Nadixa leaning on her cheek, looking dazed.

"What did that woman say?"

As soon as he entered, Luo De got straight to the point and asked.

Something that would worry Nadixa probably isn't good news.

Having braced himself, Luo De listened as Nadixa said: "That envoy has applied to me for military stationing and a joint scientific expedition."

As expected.

Forced garrisoning and surveying of Sumeru's high‑tech relics,

But if it's only these two items, it's actually less troublesome than Luo De anticipated.

"What do you think?"

Luo De didn't voice his own opinion; he first asked Nadixa what she thought.

"I agreed."

An answer Luo De never expected popped out.

This turned his previously relaxed expression into a knot: "What!? You agreed?!"

He agreed so easily!?

Luo De could hardly believe his ears.

Nadixa's personality certainly has issues, but not to this extent.

Given Luo De's understanding of her,

Even if Snezhnaya declared tomorrow an all‑out war on Sumeru, with all eleven executors and the Ice God present, Nadixa would absolutely not betray Sumeru's interests or make the slightest concession.

"What did she promise you that you can't refuse?"

Luo De frowned and asked.

That's the only explanation.

That means behind these two harsh conditions there must be an irresistible temptation.

What can Snezhnaya offer?

"Industrial aid."

Nadixa softly uttered four words, then added: "And she brings the will of the Ice Queen; Snezhnaya's garrison is only to help Sumeru maintain the existing peace, not to interfere in Sumeru's internal affairs, with a limit of ten years, after which the garrison will withdraw; joint scientific research means sharing research results between the two countries, Snezhnaya's scientific personnel will report to the Academy before conducting research operations and will not act on their own."

After hearing these conditions, Luo De also fell into silence.

Leaving aside Snezhnaya's industrial level, let's talk about those later conditions.

If the lady were in charge of negotiations, Luo De would surely suspect she was just talking big, with no idea what she'd actually do behind the scenes.

But now she is acting in the name of the Snezhnaya Queen.

The most important thing is that this lady, like the young master, is a most loyal follower of the Ice Queen.

Since she is using the Ice Queen's name, it shows she won't play word games on this matter.

So the topic returns to the conditions the lady put forward.

A garrison that does not interfere in internal affairs but only maintains Sumeru's peace, fair and shared scientific research operations, and the troops will withdraw after being stationed for ten years.

This is indeed flawless.

That industrial aid mentioned at the beginning is even more heavyweight.

Among the seven nations of the Teyvat continent, Snezhnaya and Fontaine are both renowned for technology.

There, Snezhnaya's level of industrialization far surpasses that of the other six nations.

Fully automated production lines, purely mechanized farming methods, flexibly employing various slime-constructed mechanisms, and advanced industrial equipment such as blast furnaces.

Just as Albedo had told Luo De when he was in Sumeru City about using windmills to generate electricity, Luo De remembers clearly that he had explicitly said that by consulting Snezhnaya's industrial classics, one could build mechanisms using Thunder Fire Slimes to store and utilize windmill energy.

"Reason?"

Although these demands seem like good things, Luo De inevitably harbors suspicion.

He simply cannot believe that Snezhnaya would gratuitously bestow so many benefits on Sumeru.

However, this question made Nadixa sigh.

"She didn't say; she only said this was the Ice Queen's order, and she is merely relaying it."

(End of chapter)