Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Xiao Ce rubbed his hands together, looking as if John Jonard had guessed correctly.

John Jonard's expression immediately became wary upon hearing Xiao Ce's words.

Xiao Ce smiled, ignoring their expressions, and continued, "Agents, as you know, we're here to do business. We had previously expressed interest in buying that castle. It's not that we're vain; we simply want to use this castle to promote our brand."

"Therefore, we were thinking that after you win the bid for the castle, you could rent it to us for a period of time, if possible. Because before that, the final ownership of the castle certainly hasn't been decided yet, and during this period, it will mostly be vacant..."

"So, I was thinking of borrowing it as a launchpad for my brand... Of course, I've heard that these castles can be renamed after changing owners, so it would be even better if I could have naming rights..."

Everyone seemed to be considering it.

Xiao Ce continued, "Of course, I will make sure you are satisfied with the money. As for the timeframe, a year is fine if you agree, and a few months is also acceptable if you don't feel comfortable with that, whichever is more convenient for you."

After hearing this, John Jonard glanced at the others.

He immediately said, "I agree to your request... Actually, we just want to acquire the castle first. We haven't really considered what to do with it later. During this period, the castle will definitely be idle, so renting it to you is no problem..."

"Since you've brought it up, we won't stand on ceremony... As for the rent, we'll determine that based on the final transaction price. What do you say?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "Money is not a problem...money is not a problem..."

John Jonard turned to the other representatives and asked, "Gentlemen, do you think there's no problem with this?"

The representatives all nodded.

One of the Roman Empire's Ori spoke up, "By the way, naming, what do you want to name the castle?"

Xiao Ce then explained their brand: "We'd like to name it Luminova Castle. Of course, I'm not aware of the policies here, so if we can't change it frequently, then forget it... After all, we're getting a huge advantage here..."

John Jonard then played the good guy: "We have no objection to this... Of course, the rest of you should go back and ask around."

These representatives were still very dissatisfied after John Jonard said that...

After all, all he ever talks about is taking advantage of others.

If they disagree, they will act as the villains.

Some representatives said, "Sir John Jonard, you should consult the Chairman. After all, the naming of the castle is a matter of great importance... If the castle is renamed after Ms. Boudica's brand, people will think they bought it..."

After one representative spoke up, the others nodded in agreement.

Xiao Ce was somewhat surprised to hear them say that, thinking to himself that these people weren't stupid after all.

After being reminded of this, John Jonard also considered the issue.

Xiao Ce quickly said, "Everyone, no, that won't happen. Even if it's a rental or naming rights arrangement, we will definitely make it public..."

Then, he changed his tune, saying, "Of course, everyone, if you feel it's inappropriate, you're all free to disagree..."

John Jonard then changed his tune: "Mr. Ce, the loan is definitely not a problem. Let's discuss the naming rights as well. And regarding the loan funding you promised earlier, have you considered that...?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "Of course, of course... Do you need it now? We can give it to you right away."

John Jonard, fearing things might change if delayed, said to Xiao Ce, "How about this, we won't take advantage of you. We'll borrow 10 billion soles from you, five parties in total, 2.5 billion soles each. We'll lend it to you at the Union Savings Bank's interest rate, so you won't lose out..."

Xiao Ce waved his hand: "No interest...no interest...Acting Lord, I've made myself very clear...If you want interest, wouldn't that be a slap in my face? Aren't we supposed to be friends?"

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, the others began to persuade each other.

John Jonard then said, feigning nonchalance, "Let's leave it at that and go to the police station."

Looking at Xiao Ce's completely bewildered expression.

John Jonard explained with a smile, "Even though you have goodwill, we still need procedures to protect you... Let's be fair."

Xiao Ce continued with feigned politeness: "No need, my lord, I still have enough trust in you..."

This wasn't just something John Jonard's family representatives said they needed to do; other family representatives also indicated the need to do so.

Xiao Ce was naturally more than happy to do so. He did it that way to appear more polite and to make them think that he wasn't so shrewd.

In fact, Xiao Ce understood perfectly well that they were saying this because they were worried that he would change his mind.

After all, they couldn't raise the money immediately after Xiao Ce went back on his word.

If the other side manages to take advantage of the situation, they'll be devastated.

After much back and forth, Xiao Ce finally agreed.

"My lord, how about this: I'll lend you 20 billion Sols. After all, it's troublesome to come up with something at the last minute... Anyway, there's no interest involved, and you can pay me back whatever's left over later..."

Xiao Ce's idea was actually very simple: he wanted to trick them into spending more money.

After all, giving them more money gives them a lot of confidence, and when the authorities take charge, they'll definitely raise their prices higher...

This whole thing is just a stunt to get back at them, and it's a lose-lose situation.

It's just a perverse sense of humor.

They have different opinions on this matter, so they would be very happy to accept it.

They even thought Xiao Ce was doing this to curry favor with them…

After that, everything went very smoothly. They went to the notary office next to the police station and got a notarized document.

With so much money, unless these families withdraw from the Illuminati, they will have no choice but to give up.

Alternatively, they could file for bankruptcy; otherwise, they would still have to repay the money.

Moreover, this kind of money needs to be repaid no matter where they go.

This is also the source of Xiao Ce's confidence to play tricks on them like this.

After leaving the police station, they had no intention of having a meal together.

Clearly, they all had to go back and report, so they each left.

They went back to the carriage.

Boudica asked Xiao Ce, "Ce, would those people really spend so much money to buy that castle? Aren't they stupid? The cost of building such a castle is only a few million to tens of millions of Sol..."

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "It should be. We've already given them confidence. As for how things develop afterward, it's not up to us. Actually, their idea is that as long as the Illuminati stands, the city of Lingas, which is controlled by the Illuminati, will stand. They bid 20 billion this time, so even if other castles are lower in the future, they won't be too ridiculously low."

"And the reason I'm so confident in them is because I'm here! With me here, I'll make sure their Illuminati falls apart very quickly..."

They nodded.

Boudica asked Xiao Ce, "By the way, the people from the British Empire and the Targaryen family they mentioned have already gone to see Sister Pan'er. I wonder what Sister Pan'er's attitude is... If Sister Pan'er really helps them, won't we become enemies in the future?"

After listening to Boudica's words, Xiao Ce said, "Don't worry. Even if Yin Pan'er cooperates with them, she's just using them... The Illuminati has its rules. We don't need to worry..."

Boudica nodded, still somewhat hesitant.

Xiao Ce smiled slightly at Boudica: "Alright, don't worry too much... Even if we become opponents for a while, don't worry. Our ultimate opponent will never be Yin Pan'er."

Night Cat nodded: "Boudica, don't worry. The Lord and the Queen have an unspoken understanding; even if they're hostile, it's just a tacit act..."

Boudica relaxed a little after listening to their words.

...

They are currently inside the Twin Castles.

Yin Pan'er had just met with the two envoys from the William family and the Targaryen family.

One of them was William Cam's uncle, William Armiten.

The other is Thane Chawton, Thane Michelle's brother and Thane Targaryen's mother.

The two of them had actually arrived early in the morning, and Yin Pan'er had deliberately avoided seeing them.

Firstly, it was intentional, and also a way to give them a warning.

Secondly, we need to observe their attitude, which appears to be quite positive so far.

Yin Pan'er also wanted to see what was going on between Xiao Ce, Boudica, and John Jonard.

She wanted to observe how Xiao Ce and Boudica played their game before making her own decisions based on their methods…

After Yin Pan'er found out that Xiao Ce had lent them 20 billion.

Yin Pan'er was almost overjoyed; she naturally knew what Xiao Ce was doing.

After she vaguely guessed Xiao Ce's plan, she roughly figured out how to deal with it.

After Yin Pan'er arrived.

The two had already heard that the East Asia Association's representative was an East Asian woman.

However, they never expected that this East Asian woman would be so young and so beautiful.

William Armiteng and Sean Jolton began by introducing themselves.

After giving an introduction.

Yin Pan'er said to the two of them, "Please take a seat, gentlemen."

The two of them were very considerate of Yin Pan'er, waiting for her to sit down before they sat down themselves.

After Yin Pan'er sat down, she slowly began to introduce herself: "Gentlemen, you must have heard of my identity. Do I need to introduce myself?"

William Armington and Sean Jolton shook their heads repeatedly: "No...no, we know your name, Ms. Yin Pan'er."

"Do you think it's alright if we address you this way? We're not familiar with the customs for addressing people in East Asia..."

Yin Pan'er smiled and said, "It's fine, whatever you like."

The two men nodded.

Then, seeing that Yin Pan'er didn't seem inclined to initiate the conversation, they spoke first: "Ms. Yin Pan'er, we've come here on behalf of the William royal family and the Targaryen family, seeking their assistance."

Yin Pan'er said to the two of them, "Are you aware of what William Cam and Targaryen Isa have been doing here?"

Sion Chalton nodded first: “Yes, we’ve heard. Firstly, we’re skeptical of the person claiming to be a Targaryen Boudica. We searched for our Lady Boudica, found her, and confirmed she was dead. She’s buried in our Targaryen family cemetery. So, this Boudica’s identity must be false…”

William Armiten continued, picking up where Sion Jolton left off: "Since the identity of this woman who claims to be Targaryen Boudica is false, then all the so-called revenge is fake... We suspect that John Jonard, the agent of the Western Guild, has a personal grudge against our prince."

Yin Pan'er smiled as she listened: "You think they were setting a trap for you? As far as I know, the reason they later kicked you when you were down was entirely because they were badly screwed over by you, William Cam and Targaryen Isa. They bet on their gladiators to win, and then lost terribly."

"You know, their defeat was far more devastating than yours..."

After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Sean Jolton and William Armiten looked at Yin Pan'er with some surprise.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Yin Pan'er smiled and said, "Gentlemen, don't look at me. Although the Western Association President has been framing and harming our Association President."

"However, our president prefers to act with integrity. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. We will not disregard reason and help you just to win your support! Moreover, we have always maintained a neutral stance in this matter."

"Since you've sought our help, and you're in the wrong, we won't help you. Of course, if you have sufficient reasons and evidence to prove they've illegally bullied you, we won't stand idly by... But if you want us to help you unreasonably, that's not our leader's style..."

Yin Pan'er's words had already made the implication very clear.

If you have evidence that proves they deliberately framed you, then present it.

She will help you, and she will definitely help you to the end.

These two individuals, who were able to be dispatched by their respective families, are undoubtedly shrewd and capable.

Without saying a word, they nodded vigorously: "Of course!"