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

Kimberly stopped in his tracks after hearing the noise.

He then looked at the group of people.

"My lords, what is this all about...?"

“Mr. Jin, you’re not an outsider either… Although we haven’t had a close relationship, we’ve known each other for a long time. I have no objection to your investment.”

"Yes, yes, yes! That's great, Mr. Jin, we support your investment..."

These representatives all expressed their opinions.

In fact, if it were the patriarchs of the twelve families, they certainly wouldn't say a word if they encountered such a situation.

But it is precisely because of these people's identities that they represent [their position/role].

Moreover, I learned from Kimberly the difference between those individual representatives and agents.

There is one and only one agent, who is fully responsible for all the affairs and functions of the president and whose function is actually equivalent to that of the president.

These representatives are numerous and geographically restricted; for example, they represent families and are responsible for handling affairs within the city of Lingas.

These representatives have power, but not much. And they also have performance targets.

If we were to talk about these people in later generations, they would be more like regional general managers.

The representatives from Lingas City, despite their higher status compared to representatives from other regions, also faced greater pressure.

If the revenue they generate here is less than that generated elsewhere, then they are very likely to be replaced.

Of course, their estimate of benefits is not based on direct benefits, but rather on long-term benefits; each family has its own method for making such an estimate.

They had already lost a significant amount of money, and although it was at the behest of their family patriarch, such substantial losses inevitably led to them being blamed...

Therefore, they cannot miss this collaboration with the dark light brand.

After all, if that's the case, Kimberly's 100 billion and Boudica and Xiao Ce's 60 billion would amount to 160 billion. Including the initial capital, they essentially obtained 32 billion in funds by using the naming rights of a castle and a three-year lease.

This deal is incredibly profitable! The castle will still be theirs in three years, and they'll even get a share of the profits...

It's an incredibly profitable business, except that the investors are of somewhat questionable status.

So, after weighing their options, they decided they absolutely had to try and keep them.

After listening to their words, Kimberly gave a wry smile: "That's true, but I really can't come up with that much money to invest... Let alone a hundred billion, even a few billion soles would be too much for me..."

"Actually, if you don't mind, you can let other families in. It would be a permanent solution for you. Besides, if the Dark Light brand encounters problems in the future, it's always good to have more backers..."

Kimberly said that on purpose, to target them.

The gist of it is that you are the only ones who can protect us now.

However, if you find more families, you won't be the only ones to rely on. Boudica and Xiao Ce will have more options and won't necessarily have to rely on them.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of these individuals immediately froze.

They didn't want things to develop this way either...

"No, no, no, actually you are the best off right now. After all, our families are staunch allies. If we were to attract other families, it would inevitably lead to a split, which wouldn't be good for you... Mr. Ce, don't you think so..."

Xiao Ce stood to the side, not uttering a single word.

This time, they took the initiative to find him.

Xiao Ce nodded, "That makes sense... I really just wanted to cooperate with you all... However, without funds, our expansion will slow down. We originally planned to be profitable within a year, but if the funds don't keep up, I'm afraid even three years of profitability is a pipe dream... You all should understand that time is money, and making a profit sooner is making money..."

These people had by now been completely led astray by Xiao Ce...

"Yes, yes, that makes sense. How about this: you said it's Berle Capital, right? Let's just say Berle Capital owns 40%, and we don't need to disclose the other shareholders..."

Kimberly said awkwardly, "Gentlemen, you know what a hundred billion means to them... You should understand even better why they're cooperating with us. To put it bluntly, they don't even care if our project makes money; they just want a chance to be in the spotlight..."

“Actually, I can bring Berle Capital with me, and they can represent my people. To the outside world, it would appear as if I'm collaborating with him, while your collaboration with Mr. Ce and Ms. Boudica... wouldn't lower your status... We haven't collaborated, have we?”

Kimberly's rhetoric is also very impressive.

That immediately got these people completely confused.

Kimberly said, “Actually, gentlemen, I’m going to say something that you may not agree with. But the point is this: although the Twelve Families look down on them… they don’t know that the Twelve Families also started from this stage.”

"And now that they've joined Dark Light, how much will their wealth skyrocket in three or five years? Families don't stay the same. From the initial four major Western families, then the six major families, the eight major families, and now the twelve families."

"Who can guarantee that there won't be fourteen, sixteen, or even eighteen families in the future? And who can guarantee that they won't be among those families in the future?"

"Furthermore, if we start working together now, since we met when we were both nobody, wouldn't they be even more grateful for your help?"

"Of course, this is just my suggestion... I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. In Lingas City, money is everything, and I think at least here no one will laugh at you. On the contrary, they will respect you. You should know that those at the top of the pyramid are destined to be a minority."

"But there are many people in the central region. If you gain the support of most of them, you can build a great empire from small beginnings. Gentlemen, let me add one more thing. The Western world today is not what it used to be. Our Western world is in the early stages of transformation."

"Previously, East Asia served as a buffer against conflict, but now that the offensive in East Asia has been halted, the only option is to turn inward. If everyone remains unchanged, then when the outside world undergoes drastic changes, and you don't adapt... you should know how many outdated noble families the Industrial Revolution rendered obsolete..."

Kimberly’s slowly uttered words had a tremendous impact on these people.

These viewpoints were given to him by Xiao Ce, and Jin Bo expressed them using his own understanding and language.

Actually, Kimberly had wanted Xiao Ce to speak first, but Xiao Ce wanted to show off.

But I don't want to be in the limelight too much.

Kimberly's identity was already very mysterious to them, and there was a powerful figure behind him.

When he says these things, people can take it as his own opinion.

It could also be the opinion of a wise person behind him.

This further strengthens the persuasiveness of Kimberly's claims.

John Jonard was the first to support the idea after hearing it, since Ed White had said something similar.

“Yes, Mr. Jin, you’re right... I support you! I agree.”

John Jonard was convinced, so naturally the others were convinced as well...

They chimed in, saying, "I agree... Mr. Kim is right, we are actually also collaborating with Ms. Boudica..."

These people can change their tune very quickly.

At this moment, Xiao Ce still asked, "Everyone, shouldn't we discuss this, or perhaps go back and discuss it with our families..."

"No need! Mr. Jin's words make perfect sense. If the family has any objections, I can use these words to retort... Our goal now is to make money... Only by making money can we move forward..."

With that, the group went to sign the contract.

It went even more smoothly than I expected.

They immediately renamed the castle Luminova Castle.

A three-year contract was then signed.

After doing all that, John Jonard said, “Ms. Boudica, Mr. Ze, we know that this whole thing is actually going to benefit us. But don’t worry, we won’t take advantage of you for nothing… If you need any help in the future, just let us know.”

The representatives from the other families nodded in agreement: "That's right. Besides, you rejected other people's investments, and those families will come after you for trouble. Now that we've joined you, we won't be stingy with your actions... You can rest assured."

"By the way, Ms. Boudica, there's something Mr. Ce is not quite aware of."

As the representative of the Rust family spoke in a mysterious manner, Xiao Ce asked, "What is it?"

"William Armiten and Sean Jolton are both gathering evidence. You're teaming up with us to frame William Cam and Targaryen Isa..." Louis said.

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Lord Lust, you should know... we didn't do anything about it at all... as the saying goes, if you're upright, you have nothing to fear... you're the ones who should be worried."

Luster looked embarrassed.

Xiao Ce knew he had misunderstood, and quickly added to Lust...

"Lord Rust, please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying you did anything. I just feel that now that they've started operating, they still need to be careful... As the saying goes, 'If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext.' Just like back then, they found those gunmen who testified against William Cam and Targaryen Isa. What if they make those people change their testimonies now..."

The representative of the Luster family narrowed his eyes slightly as he listened to Xiao Ce's words: "Mr. Ce, your concerns are indeed valid... Thank you for reminding me."

Xiao Ce smiled but didn't say anything more.

Watching him leave in a hurry.

Boudica said to Xiao Ce, "Ce, are you reminding them? Isn't it more interesting to let them attack each other?"

Xiao Ce chuckled and said, "That's right. I was afraid these people wouldn't be able to think of that, so I thought I'd remind them... Besides, I still need to use their weapons... If these people are crippled and replaced by someone else, especially a smarter one, it would be a troublesome situation for me..."

Boudica then said thoughtfully, "I do hope that William Cam and Targaryen Boudica are rescued..."

Hearing Boudica's words, Xiao Ce was clearly surprised: "Oh? Why do you have this idea?"

Boudica said to Xiao Ce, "Because the conditions at Lingas Prison are really good, and with the William family and Sean Jolton here, they will definitely spend money to improve their conditions... Although they can't afford to bail them out, they can afford to improve their conditions. Putting them in here is just like letting them recuperate, isn't it?"

“If they come out, the first people they will retaliate against will be John Jonard and his group. They don’t dare to go against the chairman, but they do dare to go against the agents... Only when they start fighting will we have a chance to fish in troubled waters... Moreover, only when they start making trouble can we escalate the situation.”

"Then we can drag the British royal family, including the Targaryen family, into this mess. That way, we might be able to use that power to wipe them out in one fell swoop..."

After listening to Boudica's words, Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Boudica, it seems you've figured out all my tricks..."

Boudica smiled and said to Xiao Ce, "I was just copying what he did... Is that what you think too?"

Xiao Ce smiled and waved his hand: "My direction is different from yours, but your consideration is still very correct... However, for now, let's just do what we're doing. Let things develop as they will. Anyway, if they come to provoke us, we don't need to pay them any attention for the time being."

Boudica nodded: "That's what I meant too."

...

The following day, Kimberly told the eight merchants the good news.

The eight major merchants were overjoyed.

He then sent people out to spread the news that the castle that John Jonard and his group had photographed had been renamed "Luminova Castle," and explained that Luminova meant light.

Xiao Ce, on the other hand, spread the news everywhere, using the tiger's skin as a banner.

The effect will naturally be better.

Meanwhile, in the prison next to the Lingas City Police Department, William Armiten and Sean Jolton, through many connections, found William Cam and Targaryen Isa.

The swelling on their faces had subsided, but the scars remained, and they both looked noticeably thinner...