Chapter 200

Chapter 200

The area where the Monarch’s dedicated aircraft was docked was heavily guarded. Xue Ji passed through layers of guards to reach the aircraft, and Devalen proactively opened the door for him. Inside, the Monarch sat with his eyes closed, pretending to rest.

Xue Ji detected no fragrance and let his gaze linger on the Monarch’s chest for a moment before speaking: “You wanted to see me, Your Majesty.”

The Monarch opened his eyes, his voice deep: “Come up here and talk.”

Xue Ji climbed aboard, and as soon as he settled, Devalen immediately shut the door. Up front, Serrick got out of the driver’s seat too, and together with Devalen, they stood guard on either side of the aircraft.

Now it was just the two of them in the spacious cabin. Xue Ji pulled a handkerchief from his chest pocket to wipe his hands, especially where he’d just shaken hands, and said, “Your Majesty’s speech earlier was impressive—even I was a little moved.”

Asuer only asked, “What were you talking about with them just now?”

Xue Ji tossed the handkerchief into a micro trash disposal. “You heard everything, didn’t you, Your Majesty?”

Asuer paused, recalling Merlian’s assessment of Xue Ji.

So Xue Ji really was that sharp about things.

He had indeed heard everything; if his men hadn’t spotted Xue Ji talking to those people in the crowd and turned on real-time surveillance, he might have missed that critical conversation. A dark look crept into his eyes, when he suddenly heard Xue Ji say, “Questioning me like this—you don’t trust me?”

His tone gave nothing away. Yes, who’d be happy being monitored like that? But without that surveillance, how could he have sent someone in time to interrupt that conversation that almost blew his secret?

“…I don’t.” Asuer paused, unsure how to explain—that there were things he wasn’t ready to tell Xue Ji, that he really doubted if Xue Ji’s loyalty had strings attached, or that his enemies really had him by the throat?

Him showing up unharmed in front of that group today had already pushed the fragile balance to the breaking point. Add in the leads Devalen had just dug up, at this juncture, he didn’t dare gamble on his relationship with Xue Ji.

He was silent for too long. Xue Ji glanced at him in the rearview mirror and sighed to himself, resigned. Of course, he wished Asuer would be open with him—it’d let him treat his illness more efficiently and cut out the risks of Asuer sneaking around all the time. But clearly, that wasn’t happening anytime soon.

He shifted a little, but Asuer got the wrong idea and thought he was about to leave. Before he even thought about it, Asuer’s right hand clamped down on Xue Ji’s hand on the seat.

Xue Ji paused and looked up at him.

“I trust you—that’s beyond doubt.” Asuer tightened his fingers without thinking. “I just want you to hear certain things from me. Those people are sly and ruthless—they’ll say anything to get what they want. I don’t want them to fool you.”

If anyone else had fed Xue Ji that kind of half-truth, Xue Ji would’ve sneered and blown them off. But this was Asuer.

He always felt he owed him and went soft on him.

“Do I look that easy to trick?” Xue Ji finally said, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

“No,” Asuer replied. “But still, stay away from them. The more you catch their eye, the more danger you’re in. I would worry.”

Xue Ji liked hearing that and softened. “At least until after the bidding conference is over.” He turned his hand over and grabbed Asuer’s, glancing at the red spot where the clothes had rubbed him raw. “This fabric’s too rough for you, Your Majesty. Get a new set made.”

Only then did Asuer realize their hands were still intertwined. He quickly pulled his hand back, muttering a quiet “okay.”

The bidding conference steadily approached, just as everyone expected. Maybe the incident had been a wake-up call for Asuer, because in the days that followed, the Monarch called Xue Ji to the palace every couple of days. Nothing urgent—mostly just small talk and walks around the palace grounds in between official business.

Each time, Xue Ji had to change clothes. At this frequency, the outfits Devalen prepared and those Xue Ji changed out of quickly filled a wardrobe. The palace knights and attendants initially cast him subtle, curious glances, but soon grew accustomed to it, even setting aside a room specifically for his use.

Serrick’s face grew visibly colder day by day; his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush flies when he saw Xue Ji. In contrast, Devalen, who had started off awkward, adapted well and treated Xue Ji with increasing respect. Regardless of others’ attitudes, Xue Ji accepted everything with composure, coming and going from the palace with ease.

On the days he wasn’t summoned, the Monarch visited Qinu Star Tower in another identity, as if trying to monopolize all of Xue Ji’s time and prevent any contact with the nobles.

—Of course, it was impossible to prevent.

No matter how the Monarch tried to block him, Xue Ji always found a few evenings to slip away and meet certain people’s invitations.

Thus, the bidding conference arrived amid the Monarch’s worry and subtle displeasure, and Xue Ji’s mix of resignation and amusement.

On the eve of the bidding conference, Xue Ji issued three new regulations.

First, small and medium enterprises were allowed to participate in the bidding.

Second, when manufacturers used the Academy of Sciences’ achievements as commodities, a fixed price range must be set.

Third, all individuals or teams within the Academy and its subordinate institutions participating in the bidding must submit their research results anonymously through the OA system. Individual participation was permitted, and incoming and outgoing funds must not be mixed with research budgets; they would be settled uniformly after the bidding concluded.

The new regulations caused an uproar across the region.

That very night, Arvin Williams overturned his table.

“I warned you all—Xue Ji is insatiable. Give him one thing, and he’ll only demand more.” He paced back and forth in agitation. “Now he’s even taken over the bidding conference. How are we supposed to manipulate things? He’s getting rich, but what about us?”

“Just a little sweetener. It’s only one bidding conference; we can take it back next year.” Duke Williams dismissed it casually. “The greedier he is, the better for us. Once this conference is over, we’ll have plenty of leverage against him. Then we’ll leak something to Pulanbaige; with his intolerant nature, Xue Ji will have no choice but to side with us.”

Arvin scowled. “Why bother winning him over? I say we just finish him off—”

“Crude!” the Duke snapped. “If he dies now, Pulanbaige will surely blame us and come after us. Do you think those knights are idle?”

“So what? He’s only got some knights; the legions don’t listen to him. What can he do to us?”

“The legions don’t listen to him, but they won’t necessarily help us either.” The Duke’s expression turned odd. “Do you think a head-on clash is wise? Kexinia is no simple character. The more we fight with Pulanbaige, the more it benefits Kexinia. Besides, there’s a new group that’s been targeting us lately—we need to be cautious.”

Arvin was still unwilling. He had always been in charge, skimming plenty of kickbacks, and losing it to someone else was hard to swallow. “But which of those three rules benefits us? Even if we can adapt, the second one alone will upset those conglomerates.”

“Don’t worry about that. We’ve already come to an agreement with Xue Ji. The first rule is just to let his company in. The second rule looks strict on paper, but in practice, we set the prices. As for the third,” the Duke sneered, “you’re right—Xue Ji is greedy. How could he be satisfied with just the Academy’s procurement funds?”

Arvin paused, stunned. “You mean…”

The Duke nodded with a smile. “It’s all just a show for Pulanbaige. The funds will pass through Xue Ji first, but eventually, they’ll secretly go through the Dean’s office. Keep an eye out and don’t let the other three get ahead. Then proceed as usual. Once Xue Ji is fattened up and loses Pulanbaige as his backing, he’ll have no choice but to cough it all up.”

No matter the undercurrents, the bidding conference arrived as scheduled.

Five people from Xue Ji’s company arrived, acting as if they didn’t know each other and dispersing to different spots in the venue. Xue Ji buttoned his suit jacket, stepped up to the podium, discreetly confirmed their positions, exchanged a knowing glance, and officially began the conference.

With the conglomerates deliberately holding back, Xue Ji’s companies quickly secured a few projects. Xue Ji knew when to stop, making a prearranged subtle gesture, and the five ceased their participation. After that, various projects flowed into the hands of the conglomerates. The bidding conference lasted three days, and by the end, all parties were satisfied.

The delivery of projects would take some time. During this period, Xue Ji went to the palace and bluntly said to the Monarch, “I’ll need to borrow your people again. Also, find some geologists with clean backgrounds, or outstanding engineering or mechanical students—absolutely trustworthy and with few attachments.”

Asuer’s heart stirred. “What are you planning?”

“Naturally, to fulfill what I promised Your Majesty.” Xue Ji tapped his optical brain, and a three-dimensional projection of a planet appeared above—the asteroid where Xue Ji had bought all the land, perfect for building factories.

He briefly explained, and Asuer immediately understood, taking a deep breath. “Good. You can have as many people as you need.”

“Some of Your Majesty’s people need to go ahead first.” Xue Ji sent the planet’s coordinates to the Monarch’s optical brain. “Make preparations in advance. I’ll give specific orders when I arrive.”

Asuer was taken aback. “You’re going too?”

Xue Ji shrugged. “I said I’d take a vacation after the bidding conference. I can’t break my word.” He lifted the case he’d brought and placed it before the Monarch. “This is a six-month supply. Please have it delivered. If anything feels off during the process,” Xue Ji tapped his optical brain with two fingers, “tell him to message me. I’ll come back.”

Six months—that long.

Xue Ji had clearly arranged everything. Asuer knew the current situation and suppressed any inappropriate thoughts. “Since you’re going on a ‘vacation,’ I can’t see you off. I’ll arrange capable assistants for you, and Gene will accompany you. Whatever you need, just ask—they’ll fulfill it unconditionally.”

Now that's what I call the ultimate trust.

Xue Ji smirked. "Then I thank you, Your Majesty. You take care too, Your Majesty, while you're alone on the Imperial Star."

"I will."

The two shared a look, and Asuer was the first to look away, then got down to business. Xue Ji slid a micro disc over. "All funds from the bidding conference will flow through this account. You'll need to assign someone to keep a close eye on it, Your Majesty."

Asuer took it, and everything was clear without a word.

A month later, Xue Ji delegated tasks to the four deans of the academies and Laisen, closed down the underground assembly depot and lab, announced a leave of absence with no set return date, and, carrying his luggage, boarded a passenger ship to the Entertainment Capital with Gene.

The Monarch got the news, hesitated for a moment, then sent a message to Xue Ji through the Monarch's communication channel.

"Safe travels."

A few seconds later, the optical brain buzzed with a vibration, and Xue Ji's reply popped up.

"Take care."