Chapter 280

Chapter 280

Leisa and Arnold stood side by side in silence.

Jacob and Elia were also nearby.

Ye Mo and Zener skipped the pleasantries and were already discussing what good food was at the banquet.

Ye Mo looked around. "I haven't seen it yet, but over there seems to be the drink area. Baide and Adrian just went over."

Zener gestured excitedly to Ye Mo. "Most of that area is just alcoholic drinks, nothing interesting. Over there are pastries, and over there are specialty dishes from various countries. Didn't you look at the map? I was studying it yesterday."

Zener lowered his voice as he spoke. "There's better stuff inside. That's where the VIPs are—they don't want to be seen, so they all stay inside, with their own seats. Their food and drinks are served individually. Just go over and you'll get some. Think about it: the Star Alliance must give them the best."

Ye Mo started to look forward to it. "Then let's go in and check it out."

But Zener deflated a bit. "A lot of it we can't eat. I still don't dare to go near Kainan's side—I can't speak up over there."

But then he cheered up again. "Captain can definitely go over. I'll ask him later what it tastes like. Last time, Captain was inside too. He said even the utensils had gems embedded in them, but he had no appetite, so he didn't eat."

Zener looked regretful. "I heard even the decorative flowers on the plates are delicious."

Ye Mo tugged Zener. "Then let's go to my father's side. He'll definitely let us in."

Zener was happy for a moment, then hesitated. "Won't that cause trouble for him? My parents told me not to follow the captain at times like this."

Ye Mo turned to look at Elia and the others.

Before Elia could speak, Arnold straightened up behind them, with a parental air. "Go if you want. Big brother probably doesn't have anything serious going on."

Even if he did, it wasn't unusual for Cyril to play around while Norton worked. Cyril could do whatever he wanted.

With permission granted, Ye Mo pulled Zener and went inside.

Arnold and Jacob followed closely.

Elia lagged behind, looking at Leisa, and said warmly, "Would you like to be a guest at Grath's table?"

Leisa pressed his hand to his chest and bowed. "It would be my honor."

He followed them up the steps, raising his head to see covert or direct glances from all around. When their eyes met, some looked away, while most ignored them.

Leisa was used to their reactions. Everyone here was either a contestant or an official—top achievers in their fields, used to being arrogant.

Leisa knew what they were watching. Since the end of the first round, Grath had been the absolute center of attention.

He'd bet that over these days, Grath's files had definitely landed on the desks of leaders from various countries.

This was a resource war. Every change in ranking was tied to tangible benefits. Kainan had also started being consistently targeted after gaining an advantage over Xiboen in the resource war.

And Grath had eliminated so many countries in the first round, proving their strength, but that would inevitably invite resentment.

At the same time, more countries would likely want to recruit these powerful Grath contestants into their own ranks.

It was easy to imagine what Grath would face—constant probing and invitations.

When Leisa first made a name for himself in the resource war, he too had faced probing and invitations from all sides, even from Kainan, and faced a lot of pressure.

And what Grath would face was way more intense than that.

The audience was watching them too.

"Ahh! They went inside—I can't see them now!"

"Leisa went with Grath. Are Kainan and Grath about to team up further? And what did he mean by 'be careful'? Is it what I'm thinking? That's way too obvious."

"Of course. Leisa insisted on staying with Kainan and got targeted badly. Last time, a contestant from a small country was forced to quit permanently—there must be some hidden story. Better to stick with a big country. Big countries can protect their contestants. No one dares to harass them, and the contestants can focus on the competition."

...

Inside the hall, banquet guests could mingle freely.

Besides the public area, each country had its own designated rest area, allowing leaders to rest undisturbed. Sitting there also meant they didn't want to chat for the time being.

The rest areas were arranged in a ring. Grath's rest area was on the side, close to the terrace but partially set back, keeping out of the light.

As soon as Norton entered, he sat down. Since it was a banquet, Deenlie and Secretary-General Lin stood behind him. Herli was nowhere to be seen.

People passed by, but no one bothered them.

As soon as Ye Mo entered, he immediately spotted Norton within the vast venue.

He quickly guided Zener over. Jacob and Arnold exchanged a look and then went after them.

Arnold and the others hung back, taking their time.

Zener, in turn, suddenly became nervous. He had thought it would be as Leisa said—the rest area would be crowded, everyone's attention on the leaders, and he could just slip into a corner and do almost nothing.

But Grath's area was so empty and noticeable!

And their leader, though young, didn't look very approachable.

Which one was Cyril's father? The captain had mentioned it, but damn, he was so hungry he forgot. He should have done his research ahead of time. Hopefully it was the guy with glasses—he looked easier to talk to.

Ye Mo didn't know what Zener was fretting over. He pulled Zener straight toward Norton. When they were still some distance away, Norton turned his head and looked at them.

Zener watched as Ye Mo walked up and said to Norton, "Father."

Ye Mo also knew that was a lame excuse. He leaned in toward Norton and whispered, "We want to try some of the food here. Zener says it's delicious."

Norton didn't even stir. Secretary-General Lin at his side bent down and said to Ye Mo, "One moment, young prince." Then he walked to a nearby service counter. The food for the rest area was freshly made to order and would take a while.

Arnold and the others followed Ye Mo over.

Arnold and Jacob naturally sat to one side. Elia still remembered Leisa. "Sit wherever you like."

Ye Mo also said, "Father, this is my friend Zener, and this is Zener's captain, Leisa."

Leisa bowed to Norton. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

Zener's mind went blank the moment Ye Mo called Norton "Father." Ye Mo had never said his father was the head of a country! He should have checked the StarNet news more often.

When the captain spoke, he came to his senses and stammered, imitating him. "G-good afternoon, Your Majesty."

Norton nodded, and Leisa sat down. Ye Mo also pulled Zener to sit nearby. Sensing Zener's tension, he deliberately chose a seat farther from Norton, next to Leisa.

Secretary-General Lin returned quickly, accompanied by two attendants carrying trays. They placed a drink in front of each person. Since Ye Mo and Zener were there, Secretary-General Lin made sure all drinks were non-alcoholic.

When it came to Ye Mo, the server placed a glass of milk in front of him.

Ye Mo turned to look at Zener, who had juice—good, close enough.

Zener was also looking at his milk—Childish. He was way more mature than Ye Mo.

Secretary Lin pushed up his glasses. "The meal will be served in twenty-three minutes. Please wait a moment, Little Prince and Mr. Zener."

"Thank you."

Zener instinctively straightened his back and followed Ye Mo's lead. "Thank you, sir."

With five minutes to go, Secretary Lin left again, heading to the banquet kitchen. He found the previous person in charge. "I'm here to check on the pre-ordered meal. Country: Grath."

The person in charge looked uneasy. "Sir, it's over there, already loaded onto the cart, but there's a small issue."

Beside the cart stood two staff members and two people clearly in formal attire: a young man and an older middle-aged man. The staff were still talking with them. "This meal is for Grath. You can wait or talk to the Grath people whether they can spare some."

The middle-aged man waved a hand. "Too long to wait. How about this—you give it to us first—"

Secretary Lin walked over and interrupted them. "Sorry, but we're not sharing."

Then he turned to the staff. "Please deliver it to the Grath rest area."

The middle-aged man glanced at the young man beside him. The young man stepped forward, revealing the mecha button on his wrist. "But we're not backing down either."

The staff didn't move.

Secretary Lin looked up at them.

The middle-aged man gave a slight smile, gently pushing down the young man's wrist that was blocking Secretary Lin. "Don't be rude."

Then he looked at Secretary Lin. "I mean no harm. No need to make this difficult. Why don't you go ask if you can give us some? You can't decide this, can you?"

Secretary Lin pushed up his glasses. "So you're not changing your mind?"

"How about this—you go back and ask. Whatever the answer is, we'll accept it."

"I'll pass that along."

Secretary Lin turned and went back, left the kitchen and walked across the hall.

In the hall, a few eyes discreetly turned toward the Grath lounge.

He walked straight to Norton's side. The people in the rest area, including those around him, all watched. Deenlie frowned. He hadn't come back with the food.

"Your Majesty, there are people causing trouble. They intercepted the Little Prince's meal and demanded we either wait for the next batch or give them some. Refusing didn't work."

Zener's eyes widened, and he dared not make a sound. It was awkward to see this firsthand.

Beside him, Leisa also sat up a little straighter, furrowing his brow. This wasn't a good sign. Kainan was the same way; they never got tired of these old tricks.

They tested the target's limits bit by bit. This time it's the food; next time it'll be something else. Giving in wouldn't earn respect, but being too tough would invite a lot of little provocations. Of course, some countries handled such matters excellently—they had great diplomats who handled these petty tricks well, saving a lot of hassle.

Leisa pondered inwardly. Secretary Lin seemed quite adept at handling such situations.

Secretary Lin lowered his voice. "I think it's a test, Your Majesty."

Leisa couldn't help but look at Secretary Lin—so direct, and right in front of everyone.

Ye Mo turned his head to look at Secretary Lin, his milk nearly finished. "Were they polite? If they were, I could spare some. I can wait."

Secretary Lin recalled. "I'm afraid not very polite, Little Prince."

Their very request already shows disrespect to Prince Cyril.

Norton tilted his head. "Deenlie."

Deenlie nodded and left with Secretary Lin.

Leisa watched Deenlie's retreating back, beginning to worry. Was Deenlie someone who handled such occasions well?

He had been reviewing the competition videos and knew Deenlie was a member of Grath, but he hadn't reached Deenlie's part yet. He didn't seem like the smooth-talking type.

Elia looked concerned. "I hope Deenlie restrains himself. Cyril still needs to eat later."

The food wouldn't get spoiled, would it? Going hungry stunts your growth.