Hearing this, Elysia turned to Baldy Burke. "Didn't you give them advance notice?"
Baldy Burke shrugged. "I did."
Kong Zhiwang's face betrayed his exasperation. So this so-called "advance notice" meant being jolted awake at four in the morning by a phone call, informing me that the leader of White Eagle would be arriving in the Dragon Nation in two hours?
At the time, Kong Zhiwang had been utterly bewildered. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Still, it wasn't entirely Baldy Burke's fault. He had been working diligently all day when Elysia suddenly announced she was going to the Dragon Nation and insisted on leaving immediately. What could he have done?
So, whose fault was this, really?
Noticing both men's gazes on her, Elysia flashed an adorable smile. "Ehehe~?"
Whose fault could it be? Certainly not a Beautiful Girl's!
Kong Zhiwang naturally didn't hold it against her. "Given the abruptness of your visit, does White Eagle have any urgent matters to discuss?"
In terms of official status, Elysia was one of the White Eagle Eight, but Kong Zhiwang was the Director-General of the Dragon Nation. Their positions were roughly equivalent, with neither holding seniority over the other.
Elysia said, "I'm not here in my capacity as one of the White Eagle Eight. This is just a personal matter—I'm helping a friend with a small favor. Robin specifically asked me, and how could I possibly refuse such a request from such a lovely girl?"
Kong Zhiwang stared at her in disbelief. It was like a head of state rushing to another country just to try a local breakfast—absurd!
But then Kong Zhiwang remembered someone called "Mad Lion" and glanced at the pink-haired girl before him. Suddenly, Elysia's words seemed highly plausible.
Seriously? Are all of you from the White Eagle Eight this outrageous?
If even national leaders act so irresponsibly, how can they possibly govern their countries properly?!
"Achoo!" Baldy Burke suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose, glanced around in confusion, and wondered, Who's secretly talking about me?
Kong Zhiwang asked, "So, what exactly is the situation?"
Elysia said, "Robin told me that a friend of a friend of hers is trapped in an unknown Dimensional Rift. She asked me to help establish a stable Dimensional Rift channel."
Kong Zhiwang stared blankly. "Huh?"
Elysia spoke in Chinese, her voice as melodious and clear as a hundred larks. Listening to her was a pleasure in itself, but Kong Zhiwang was currently lost in a haze of bewilderment.
What in the world? he thought. You mean you're here to help a friend of a friend of your friend—Lü Heng, who's friends with Ikezawa—just because Robin asked you to?
Moreover, establishing a stable Dimensional Rift channel in another country was hardly a "small favor." On the contrary, it was a monumental undertaking. Kong Zhiwang insisted, "Anything related to Dimensional Rifts must be treated with the utmost seriousness. If an irreversible disaster occurs during such operations, it would be far from trivial!"
In other words: No, absolutely not.
But... nothing is absolutely impossible. These things could always be negotiated!
Baldy Burke stepped forward. Though he didn't fully understand Lady Elysia's intentions, he knew his duty was to follow orders. "Our Dimensional Rift technology has undergone extensive testing and is now remarkably stable. I can guarantee there won't be any accidents."
Kong Zhiwang retorted, "That's just your word. How can I be sure it's truly stable?"
The two men continued their heated exchange. Suddenly, Elysia interjected, "If you don't believe us, we'll provide you with the blueprints for the Dimensional Rift Machine. You can study them yourselves to verify its stability."
"Huh?" Kong Zhiwang blurted out.
"Huh?" Baldy Burke echoed.
Their expressions shifted in perfect synchronization, their argumentative frowns morphing into identical looks of bewildered confusion. The speed of their reactions nearly made Elysia burst out laughing.
In truth, Kong Zhiwang understood that Elysia's personal presence as one of the White Eagle Eight demonstrated the gravity of the matter. Yet he couldn't simply agree outright. Instead, he saw this as an opportunity to secure maximum benefits for the Dragon Nation.
Baldy Burke knew this well. His strategy was to get the other side to concede while giving up as little as possible.
But the moment the negotiations began, Elysia dropped a bombshell.
It was as if Kong Zhiwang and Baldy Burke were haggling over a ten-dollar item, with Burke chipping away at the price, when Elysia suddenly declared, "I'll take it for a thousand dollars."
Has she just given away the entire treasury?
Baldy Burke couldn't contain himself. "My God, what are you doing?!"
Elysia ignored him, her expression hardening slightly as she turned to Kong Zhiwang. "I'm serious."
"The Dimensional Rift concerns all of humanity. This technology shouldn't be hoarded; it should be shared for global research."
Kong Zhiwang's initial bewilderment slowly faded as he nodded. He didn't bother asking the obvious "Are you serious?" Instead, he saw in Elysia's earnest expression a genuine sincerity that radiated from the depths of her heart.
He now understood how a seemingly naive and slightly awkward young girl like Elysia could have been elected to the White Eagle Eight with such an overwhelmingly improbable vote share.
Elysia continued, "Since we're on this topic, I think it's a good opportunity for the White Eagle and the Dragon Nation to explore deeper cooperation."
Previously, the White Eagle's policy toward the Dragon Nation had naturally been one of containment and restriction. After all, this was a major power of comparable size and strength. Without such measures, would they really wholeheartedly assist its development?
Nations always prioritize their own interests.
Yet Elysia now proposed, "If the White Eagle and the Dragon Nation cooperate, could they unite the world?"
Kong Zhiwang was startled. Had the conversation taken too abrupt a turn, the ambition too great? Still, the proposal was undeniably enticing. He couldn't help but ask, "Can you, alone, represent the decision-making power of the entire White Eagle?"
Elysia nodded gently. At that moment, she truly possessed the authority to speak for the entire nation.