The Diplomatic Chess Match and a New Beginning

Lin Feimu stepped into a small, yet exquisitely appointed, meeting room. A semicircle of chairs faced a matching semicircular table, beyond which a large screen dominated the front wall. On this screen, several smaller displays showed individuals deep in thought. Standing before the screen, his back to Lin Feimu, was a square-faced middle-aged man.

“Chairman, President Lin has arrived,” announced the soldier, whose surname was He.

The Chairman turned, his voice grave. “You may leave. Feimu and I have matters to discuss.”

“Yes, Chairman,” the soldier with the surname He saluted. As he passed Lin Feimu, he whispered, “This situation seems a bit hostile. Be careful.” With that, he marched out.

The Chairman nodded at Lin Feimu, then turned his gaze back to the screen. “Feimu is here. Speak your minds, everyone.”

The leader of M-Country was the first to speak, launching an attack. “Lin Feimu, Divine Realm has severely disrupted the operations of other games in our M-Country, according to…”

Lin Feimu cut him off with a cold sneer. “Enough with the pleasantries. Just tell me what you want.”

The President of M-Country’s face darkened at the interruption, yet he suppressed his anger, stating calmly, “For the collective benefit of us all, hand over the ultimate authority of Divine Realm.”

Lin Feimu replied indifferently, “And after I hand it over? Which country will control this ultimate authority?”

The Prime Minister of Y-Country stated coolly, “Naturally, it will be jointly controlled by our seven nations.”

Lin Feimu feigned a moment of contemplation before saying, “I agree to your demands. You wouldn’t happen to have any other conditions, would you?” Upon hearing this, the Chairman frowned, about to intervene and stop Lin Feimu. However, seeing a faint smile play on Lin Feimu’s lips, he hesitated, deciding instead to observe how things unfolded.

The leaders of the six nations were all momentarily stunned. Lin Feimu’s prompt agreement to surrender ultimate authority was entirely unexpected, leaving them somewhat unprepared.

“The shares of Divine Realm will be divided equally into seven parts, to be controlled by each nation.” The six leaders presented the plan they had already discussed.

Lin Feimu curled his lip in disdain, a cold laugh escaping him. “That’s a rather unsightly display of greed. As the developer of Divine Realm, I wouldn’t even retain a single share? I wonder how the capitalists in your countries would handle such a situation.”

The presidents of the six nations frowned. Lin Feimu’s words could be interpreted in many ways, but they knew they couldn’t follow his line of reasoning, lest they fall into his trap.

The President of F-Country stated calmly, “There’s no need to stray from the topic. We are simply discussing the current situation regarding Divine Realm.”

Lin Feimu took a deep breath, understanding that the presidents of the various nations would not back down. Furthermore, even if he ultimately succeeded, all countries except Z-Country would collectively boycott the game. In that case, it was better to offer them some incentives from the start to prevent their opposition.

Lin Feimu gazed at everyone, stating calmly, “My bottom line is this: the six of you will collectively divide 20% of the profits.”

The President of A-Country stopped tapping the table, saying coldly, “Lin Feimu, are you trying to brush us off with mere scraps?”

The Chairman, who had been observing silently, could no longer remain quiet. This was his moment to support Lin Feimu. The Chairman stated calmly, “Don’t forget, Z-Country has the largest population. Moreover, this is a product developed by Z-Country. Are you seriously trying to meddle in it, as if Z-Country is made of paper?”

The leaders of the six nations were surprised to see the Z-Country leader, who was usually perceived as weak in foreign affairs, suddenly display such resolve. They remained silent for a while before finally relenting and making a concession. “Very well.”

Lin Feimu said indifferently, “I have a few minor requests.”

The President of E-Country, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. “State them. If they don’t have a major impact, we can agree.” E-Country was naturally close to Z-Country, and only reluctantly joined the other five nations in applying pressure due to the immense threat posed by Divine Realm. Thus, upon hearing Lin Feimu’s words, he immediately responded. The other five nations did not object, acknowledging that their actions this time had indeed been somewhat dishonorable.

Lin Feimu stated calmly, “First, your respective countries must promote Divine Realm, ensuring its release and development face no obstacles.”

The six leaders nodded, agreeing in unison, “That goes without saying.”

A cold glint flashed in Lin Feimu’s eyes. “Second, hand over the five individuals who attacked Yue’er. I know precisely which countries they belong to, so don’t even think about trying to fob me off with a few random people.”

The leaders of the six nations exchanged glances, and finally, the President of M-Country spoke up. “Understood. We agree.”

Lin Feimu let out a long breath. “Third, you must promise that during your terms in office, you will not harm me or my family.”

The six leaders readily agreed. “That’s acceptable. We have no objections.”

Lin Feimu chuckled. “Our collaboration is complete.” Seeing the six leaders hesitate, as if wanting to say more, Lin Feimu offered a mocking smile. “You wanted the ultimate authority, didn’t you? I forgot to mention, I just granted the ultimate authority to ‘Nuwa.’ Now, I merely possess supervisory rights.”

The six leaders erupted in fury. “You played us!”

Lin Feimu stated calmly, “As you requested, I’ve relinquished the ultimate authority. Now, it’s time for you to fulfill your promises.”

The faces of the six leaders were grim, yet they were helpless. ‘Nuwa’ was an artificial intelligence; with ultimate authority, it could perfectly operate Divine Realm. Their displeasure stemmed solely from being tricked. “Lin Feimu, truly Lin Feimu. Very well, we won’t forget this manipulation,” the President of M-Country said coldly.

Lin Feimu chuckled, unconcerned by the M-Country President’s threat. “It seems you’ve forgotten the third clause of our agreement?” While covert attacks might still occur, at least openly, they wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.

The six leaders exchanged glances. As supreme leaders, they were bound to lead by example, and a promise made was not easily broken. “Very well, Lin Feimu. We didn’t expect to be played by you, but since we’ve made our commitment, we won’t engage in such actions again.”

Lin Feimu stated indifferently, “That’s all. Presidents, I won’t see you out.”

As the screen went dark, the Chairman finally spoke. “Feimu, you’ve truly been put through a lot this time.”

Lin Feimu shook his head. “Chairman, what are you saying? As a citizen of Z-Country, it is my duty to protect this nation. However, I hope you can grant me one request.”

The Chairman was surprised. “What is it? Speak.”

Lin Feimu said helplessly, “You know Yue’er was paralyzed for five years due to the attack, and only recently has there been hope for her recovery. I hope my Yue’er can directly enroll in Z University this year.” Z University was the best university in Z-Country; even he couldn’t pull strings to get someone in.

The Chairman frowned, but eventually said, “Alright, I will handle this matter. This time, I’ll help you for your contributions to the nation and for little Yue’er.”

Lin Feimu smiled. “Thank you, Chairman.”

****

“My name is Peerless Karma Fire. What’s yours?” the young man asked as they walked towards the village center.

“Yue’er,” Lin Shenyue replied.

Peerless Karma Fire was surprised. “Is that your nickname? Could it also be your pet name?”

Lin Shenyue replied indifferently, “It is.”

Peerless Karma Fire watched Lin Shenyue, who had reverted to her detached demeanor, puzzled by the stark difference in her personality. In truth, after her initial instinctive reaction, Lin Shenyue was reluctant to appear so girlish. Yet, unsure how to interact with the person who had made her feel awkward, she opted for a cold front.

By the time Peerless Karma Fire led Lin Shenyue to the village chief, a few people had already begun moving about. Upon seeing Lin Shenyue trailing behind Peerless Karma Fire, they all paused in surprise, then quickly surrounded them.

“Hello, beautiful, do you need any help?”

“Do you have any quests you can give us?”

Lin Shenyue’s mouth twitched. Her appearance was simply too youthful; players mistook her for an NPC. She glanced at the dense crowds in the distance, still familiarizing themselves with the controls, and felt her scalp prickle. If those people came over, she might as well just run away. Ignoring the few individuals around her, she gave Peerless Karma Fire a push. “I’m leaving this to you. I’m going to get a quest.”

Peerless Karma Fire looked at the ill-intentioned gazes around him, a wry smile touching his lips as he patiently began to explain.

Just as Lin Shenyue was about to greet the village chief, he spoke directly, “Ah, Yue’er. I heard the villagers talking about you yesterday. Is there something you need?”

Lin Shenyue was slightly astonished. How could such a proactive NPC exist in Divine Realm?

The village chief looked at the surprised Lin Shenyue and smiled. “No need to be surprised. Seeing you reminds me of my granddaughter. She’s your age, but sadly, she’s not with me.”

Lin Shenyue remembered her fashion’s +20 Charm attribute and understood why the village chief was so kind to her. She respectfully said, “Village Chief Grandpa, I’d like to see if there’s anything you need help with.”

The village chief looked at Lin Shenyue. “Indeed there is. Recently, the goats outside the village have suddenly become agitated for some unknown reason. If you could deal with some of them, I will give you a generous reward.”

[“Do you accept the quest: Clear the Enraged Goats?”]

[“Yes!”]

After confirming, Lin Shenyue bid farewell to the village chief. She glanced towards Peerless Karma Fire, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to him.

Peerless Karma Fire had finally managed to convince the surrounding people that Lin Shenyue was a player, though he earned several envious glares in return. He couldn’t help but inwardly smile bitterly. ‘Truly, a beauty brings trouble. If not for ‘that woman’ in his previous life, he wouldn’t have returned to this present moment.’

‘But returning to the present is also good; it’s a chance to mend my regrets.’

Peerless Karma Fire shook his head, casting away his memories. He looked at the young girl walking towards him, and recalling her poor sense of direction, he couldn’t bear to leave her alone. He sighed helplessly, “Have you finished accepting the village chief’s quest?” After receiving her affirmative nod, he added, “Come on, I’ll take you to get other quests.”

Lin Shenyue asked curiously, “You seem very familiar with the game?”

Peerless Karma Fire offered a stiff smile. “How could that be? I merely have a good understanding of how these types of games usually flow.”

Lin Shenyue nodded, accepting his explanation.

Peerless Karma Fire pondered for a moment, then sent Lin Shenyue a team invitation. “Let’s form a team; it’ll be more convenient this way.” ‘That way, even if you get lost, I can still find you,’ he thought to himself.

Lin Shenyue saw the team invitation pop up before her and accepted it. She couldn’t hear Peerless Karma Fire’s inner thoughts; otherwise, she would certainly have entered a ‘blackened’ state again.

After following Peerless Karma Fire to collect several available quests, a flicker of doubt arose in his mind. From what he’d seen, everyone treated Lin Shenyue with unusual kindness, indicating her Charm attribute must be exceptionally high. If that were the case, a Lin Shenyue with such high Charm would undoubtedly grow into a formidable expert, and she was also remarkably beautiful. So why had he never heard of her in his previous life?

Lin Shenyue looked at the dazed Peerless Karma Fire and spoke up. “What are you thinking about? Let’s go.”

Peerless Karma Fire smiled in response, heading out of the village. ‘Why am I thinking about all this? Regardless, having a ‘legal loli’ around to feast my eyes on is quite nice, even if she is a bit directionally challenged.’