Chapter 202: The Name of This Play is Madness

"Didn't expect these sand-sculpture players to be quite capable."

Queen Street, Lei Ming City, Dawn's Embrace Hotel.

Luo Yan, who was drinking afternoon tea, had just learned from Hearing You You that Calamity Castle had sent an envoy, but before he could finish his tea, the problem had solved itself.

According to the agreement reached between the Graveyard's life-profession players and the dwarves of Calamity Castle, several life-profession players led by 【Dead Are Not Afraid of Ghosts】 agreed to help Calamity Castle build a freight railway to the Graveyard and improve Calamity Castle's mines.

Of course, this was not free.

Both sides would jointly operate the mines near Broken Rock Peak in the Wan Ren Mountain Range, each holding half the shares. The players would provide the technology, while Calamity Castle would provide the money and labor.

As for the current food crisis, Calamity Castle brought out a full ton of gold, exchanged it for 100 million Nether Coins in Beifeng City, and ordered a batch of wheat at a price of 10 Nether Coins per kilogram, to be delivered in six installments over six months, with one batch delivered each month.

As for the remaining money, it would be used to purchase high-manganese steel rails for the railway and motorized train engines.

This ton of gold was enough for Luo Yan to mint another 100,000 gold coins.

As for the food purchased by Calamity Castle, it would cost at most 10,000 gold coins, equivalent to a pocket watch of Princess Ailin.

Of course, money was secondary; the main thing was that this 100-million Nether Coin order could stimulate the Graveyard's economy, boost the production enthusiasm of life-profession players, and promote them to come up with more wild ideas.

This was the most critical point.

As for money itself, Luo Yan actually didn't have much interest; that thing was just a tool he used to buy souls.

Just like now, he had already unknowingly bought off the Andes family and was gradually buying off the citizens of the entire Lei Ming City using the stocks of the Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company...

Many people thought that the auctioning of equity vouchers was crazy enough, but in fact, they didn't realize that everything had just begun.

It wouldn't be long before they witnessed what true madness was.

Although these were histories that had once happened on Earth, for the people living in this world, it was their first time experiencing them.

Just like putting a steam engine on a railway.

Unlike the Demon King who was taking precautions for the future of the Graveyard, Hearing You You, who was floating beside him, was worried about the threat from afar.

"... It seems the problem at Brass Pass is likely even more serious than imagined; it's not just humans, even dwarves have started to flee."

"Hmm." Luo Yan nodded without saying much.

Hearing You You looked at Luo Yan curiously and said.

"Are you not worried at all?"

Luo Yan said casually.

"To say I'm not worried at all is impossible, but that is after all beyond our control; even if we worry, we can't change anything, so we can only wait and see."

And—

This might not necessarily be a bad thing for the Graveyard.

He was a Demon King, after all; he couldn't expect himself to truly worry about things an Emperor should worry about, like an imperial noble...

【Dear Mr. Prince Prince Kelin,

Since that banquet, time seems to have passed a bit faster. The snow outside the window is turning into crystalline water droplets, and Lei Ming City is also beginning to gradually exude the breath of spring. In at most another month, the Campbell Principality will enter its most beautiful time.

Recently, for some reason, whenever I stand before the sun-drenched window, I always think of that emerald diamond you presented that night.

After that day, Mr. Yan Andes presented it to my brother, Grand Duke Edward Campbell, and now it has become the most beautiful treasure on the crown of the Campbell Principality.

You once said it was like my eyes, and others have said the same. I don't know if it's because of this, but my brother's relationship with me has eased quite a bit recently, and he even wrote a letter to actively inquire about my situation.

If this is truly the case, I really don't know how to thank you. Ever since our father passed away, he has seemed like a different person, sometimes even making me feel afraid...

However, please don't worry about me; he is my brother after all. I think there might be some misunderstandings between us, but I believe he will definitely understand me, understand father; after all, we are a family, aren't we?

Also, let's talk about something happy.

Recently, according to the plan, I have invested the funds raised into the resettlement work for refugees, and with everyone's efforts, we have successfully established shelters for tens of thousands of families.

I still remember when I first passed by there, it was as cold as a graveyard, and the hungry people didn't even have the strength to speak, like walking corpses sitting withered and waiting for death. But now, when I pass by there again, everything has changed; wooden houses have replaced the crumbling shacks, and the laughter of children echoes in the camp... all of that makes me feel deeply gratified.

However, sometimes I also feel helpless; my subordinates don't always understand what I do, and more and more land disputes have dragged the conflict between the City Hall and the Viceroy's Mansion into it. Even if I try my best, it's impossible to make everyone feel satisfied.

Whenever this happens, I always involuntarily think of the composure and elegance you showed at the banquet. Perhaps I should learn more from you and use more wisdom and decisiveness to face these challenges, rather than relying solely on sensibility.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to my complaints and for tirelessly replying to every one of my letters.

Honestly, the only moments that can make me relax every day are probably when I practice swordsmanship and write to you.:)】

Also, at the beginning of next month, I plan to go to the southern part of the Silver Pine Forest to inspect. That place was once the front line where my father, Duke Aaron Campbell, and the Demon King Regi Dragon fought a decisive battle, and it is also one of the places most affected by the aftermath of the war. I want to know how the recovery is going there. Moreover, a certain legend that appeared locally makes me feel concerned.

I don't know if you are interested in traveling with me?

Once again, I send you my sincere greetings and look forward to your reply!

—Ailin Campbell】

【Respected Princess Ailin Campbell,

I am very happy that you can share the bits and pieces of your life with me. Please never feel that this is a trouble to me or will cause me any inconvenience. To tell you the truth, that is one of the few shelters I have in this complex world, a harbor where I can temporarily forget my worries and rest my soul. If one day you no longer share these worries with me, I think I will definitely be sad.

As for your worries, I deeply understand and admire them. I have never tried to make my servants understand everything I do, yet you can see the incomprehension in their eyes... this is something I ask myself and cannot do.

As you can see, I am not as perfect as you imagine; I am also confused by the elusive human heart.

So please be confident; you haven't done anything wrong, and not being perfect has never been a mistake. Only God can make everyone feel satisfied, and we are human after all; we can only do what is within our power.

Finally, regarding your invitation, I am very happy to go with you. Although I passed by the Silver Pine Forest area when I was traveling before, it happened to be snowing heavily, so I didn't stop to enjoy the scenery. If I can travel with you, I think I will definitely be able to see different scenery.

—Luo Ke Sai Prince Prince Kelin

】

As time passed day by day, February gradually approached. The snow outside Lei Ming City had receded from the knees to the ankles, and perhaps it wouldn't be long before it turned into spring water and flowed into the fields beside the country roads.

Unknowingly, Luo Yan had stayed in Lei Ming City for more than half a month. During this time, he was either replying to various letters or walking through the stage built for him by the upper-class society of Lei Ming City in the identity of Luo Ke Sai Prince Prince Kelin.

Excluding the Andes family and the local powerful figures.

During this time, he had met almost all the influential families in the Campbell Principality, and even Count Spinor, Alex's father, and Count Danchi of the South Creek Valley Earldom had talked happily with him.

These people were once the capable generals of Grand Duke Aaron Campbell.

The latter's ability to defeat Regi Dragon relied not only on the "Light of Praise" in his hands but also on the support of these people.

And at this moment, these cornerstones that made up the power building of the Campbell Principality were flirting with a demon... although they didn't realize that the person flirting with them was a demon.

Even Grand Duke Edward, who sat on the throne of the Campbell Principality, had developed an interest in winning him over.

Including Lord Jerock, who was competing for power with Grand Duke Edward, also revealed his intention to win him over through the Count of North Creek Valley.

That was almost the center of power in the Campbell Principality, and also a whirlpool that Ailin Campbell had always intended to avoid.

Luo Yan didn't expect himself to be so proficient in such things; clearly, he had only learned about it in class before and hadn't practiced it beforehand.

Perhaps this is talent.

Please... you... collect_(!)

In short, under the unconscious endorsement of Princess Campbell and the pushing of the Andes family, the upper-class society of Lei Ming City had become deeply convinced of the various titles and backgrounds of "Mr. Prince Prince Kelin," and were showing their desires more and more explicitly.

The titles were real.

The gold coins and diamonds were too.

Including Ailin Campbell's admiration.

If one still had to doubt the truth or falsehood after reaching this point, it would be better to doubt whether the world one lived in was fake.

In addition, although Luo Yan was not in the Demon King's territory during this time, he did not completely let go of the Demon King's work, but watched every move of his minions through Hearing You You.

When something needed him to come forward, he would instruct Alakto or Cici to handle it according to the specific situation; if it was not necessary, he would not interfere.

Interestingly, Luo Yan found that when he was away, his little players developed better than when he was staring at them every day.

They were like dandelions in a garden; only when no one was staring at them would their various wild ideas grow wildly.

At the same time that the Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company landed in the port area of Lei Ming City, his players also established the first truly joint-stock company in the Graveyard—the Graveyard Railway Group.

More than 100 players participated in the establishment of the group, and without his leadership, they spontaneously discussed and completed the construction of the entire company's operational structure and equity structure.

Although Luo Yan felt that they had copied the methods from reality, it was quite remarkable to be able to do it in such an orderly manner.

With the ability to organize a group of people like this, even if they were not in the game, they could achieve a career in reality.

Besides the "coal bosses" and "iron bosses" who were keen on infrastructure, the little players who were keen on farming were not idle either.

Through the brainstorming of 【Beast Senior】 and others, the mine tunnels that had been riddled with holes by skeleton miners had been transformed by them into greenhouse sheds for planting crops, and they had completely solved the technical problem that "magic that accelerates growth is difficult to bear fruitful results."

And 【Gulping Down the Chemical Pool】, who had worried Luo Yan the most before, had finally turned his wild ideas into useful things.

This guy opened the first truly chemical factory of the Graveyard in Beifeng City, and through "safe and reliable methods," produced picric acid explosives and fertilizers that were in increasing demand, finally no longer the small workshop that could explode at any time.

Everything was developing prosperously.

And thanks to these players being so worry-free, Luo Yan could put more energy into the corruption of Lei Ming City.

Queen's District, Lei Ming City, Queen's Grand Theater, this was the most luxurious theater in the entire Campbell Principality and even the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea.

Two hundred years ago, the wealthy of Lei Ming City built this theater and presented it as a birthday gift to the Queen who loved drama at that time... just like the Andes family presented the "Eye of Ailin" to Grand Duke Edward who craved vanity today.

There is a saying that Queen Street got its name because of this theater, even though most people today have forgotten that beautiful story of the past.

In the box on the top floor of the theater, Andes and Luo Yan sat side by side on two sofas, watching the pitch-black theater below the stands.

What was about to be performed on stage was not any troupe's performance, but for Luo Yan sitting here, it was no different from a drama.

"... I actually don't understand, if your family needs funds, just tell me, why do you need to raise funds in this way?" Looking at Mr. Prince Prince Kelin sitting on the sofa beside him, Andes had a puzzled expression on his face.

He was not doubting the strength of the Prince Prince Kelin family, but felt that sharing benefits with unnecessary people was superfluous.

If the Prince Prince Kelin family intended to sell one-tenth of the shares, the Andes family could completely take them, and even when discussing the equity ratio, it could have been finalized... for example, the Andes family would pay more money and take an extra 10% of the shares.

However, Prince Prince Kelin just didn't do that.

Not only that, he also asked the bank under the Andes family not to participate, leaving this opportunity, which was almost equivalent to picking up money, to others.

Since Lei Ming City had banks, he had never heard of such a strange request.

Could it be that this noble Mr. Prince Prince Kelin had also been led astray by the Princess?

Andes even had this rude thought in his heart, but he just thought about it and didn't say it out loud.

Seeing through the confusion in Andes' heart, Luo Yan just smiled lightly and didn't answer the question directly, but asked instead.

"Mr. Andes, do you know why I chose to hold the public bidding here?"

"To accommodate more audience?" Andes said puzzledly.

"It's to accommodate more actors."

Luo Yan gently shook the wine glass in his hand, and through the blood-red wine, appreciated the actors on stage who were eager to try, and those hungry and thirsty faces.

Except for him, everyone was on stage.

Including Yan Andes sitting beside him.

"I want to invite you to watch a performance."

"The name of this play is 'Madness'."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 203 =====