Haggard… retching… what exactly did "Mr. Tower" do to that lady named Islant…?
If it hadn't been just one day, I'd definitely be thinking in the wrong direction!
No, wait—this is a world filled with Beyonders. Even one day isn't impossible…
Hidden in the shadows, Mr. Fool couldn't help letting his imagination drift upon hearing Miss Justice's question. After all, Liu Bo—like Huang Tao—wasn't exactly someone to be trusted in certain respects.
Ebner, unaware that Klein was secretly mocking him, curved his lips slightly after hearing Audrey's question. Imagining that "tragic" scene, he said with a faint smile, "It's actually a punishment for her… and also a little way to vent your anger."
"Punishment? Then what exactly did you do? I asked Miss Islant about it, but she refused to say a single word," Audrey asked curiously.
In the shadows, the hidden "Mr. Fool" Klein also turned his gaze toward Ebner, intrigued.
Well, she is a young lady. She must have been terribly embarrassed at the time, so of course she doesn't want to talk about it… Ebner thought inwardly, before replying casually, "It's nothing much. You should know I changed the 'Corrupted Suitcase's' appetite to wolf-fish canned food. She's probably just… not used to the taste."
Wolf-fish canned food? Even "Mr. Fool" shuddered upon hearing that. He looked at Ebner with disbelief, thinking that "Mr. Tower" was truly wicked!
Though he himself had once fed wolf-fish to "Creeping Hunger," that had been out of sheer necessity…
"Not used to the taste of wolf-fish canned food? That's all?" Audrey studied Ebner carefully, somewhat skeptical, but his expression and gaze told her he wasn't lying.
"If you don't believe me, you can buy a few cans to try yourself… Hmm, just make sure you prepare bathwater first. Oh, and have Susie stay far away—I fear she might lose control on the spot." Ebner offered his advice with complete seriousness.
"So it's that terrible?" Audrey was a little taken aback, yet Mr. Tower's description only piqued her curiosity further…
She had always been an inquisitive girl, brave and eager to experience new things.
Besides, deep down she suspected Mr. Tower might be exaggerating.
But Father, Mother, and my friends surely haven't tried such a thing either… If Islant refuses to even talk about it, forcing her to buy it wouldn't be right…
Food common at sea… Hmm, I wonder if Alfred could get some. I'll write to him once I return.
Thinking this, Audrey recalled Islant's pale, exhausted face and the way she hadn't eaten all day, and couldn't help feeling sympathy. "Mr. Tower, can't you change the suitcase's taste a little?
"I think Miss Islant has suffered enough."
Ebner shook his head with a faint smile. "I could, but there's no need.
"She isn't a fool. Having suffered this once without being prepared, she'll definitely find a way to handle it next time."
"That's true." Audrey nodded thoughtfully, dropping the issue. She then asked, "Mr. Tower, you've entrusted such an important trophy to me for safekeeping—does that mean there's something you need me to do?"
In theory, both the Sealed Artifact suitcase and Islant herself were Ebner's spoils of war. Yet one had become Audrey's "assistant," and the other, the assistant's "equipment." Naturally, Audrey couldn't just accept that without question.
"There are indeed some things I'd like your help with," Ebner said, nodding. Before Audrey could ask, he continued directly, "Once you return to Backlund, I hope you can guide your friends to invest in my territory—Beldan. I'll provide a detailed proposal later.
"Of course, if you yourself are willing to invest, that would be even better."
"Investment?" Audrey blinked, surprised that Mr. Tower would bring up something so "mundane." Still, as the daughter of a great banker, even without formal business training, she quickly asked several key questions: "How much investment are you seeking? What specific projects are involved? And will the prospects appeal to most investors?"
"The more, the better, naturally. But at a rough estimate, at least one million gold pounds will be needed initially, with follow-up funding likely required.
"As for the project, I plan to combine it with my film company and turn Beldan into a 'City of Film.'" Ebner explained simply.
"A City of Film?" Audrey's eyes lit up with interest. "Can you elaborate?"
"It's simple," Ebner said. "I intend to 'bring' famous landmarks and architecture from all over the world to Beldan—be it the Arc de Triomphe of Intis, Feysac's Olmir Palace, the pyramids of the Southern Continent, the Coral Palace of the Rorsted Archipelago, or even scenes people see in their dreams. As long as they 'wish' to witness them in reality, on the big screen, I'll recreate them to scale and fulfill their wishes."
He paused, then went on to outline his plans for a theme park centered on blockbuster films.
As she listened, Audrey's eyes grew brighter and brighter, feeling that the project truly sounded worth investing in.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, "Mr. Fool" Klein couldn't help commenting inwardly that Ebner was basically planning to merge Hengdian World Studios and Hollywood. Yet he also felt a twinge of doubt: Why did Mr. Tower emphasize people's 'wishes'? And why did he deliberately mention recreating even dreamscapes? Was that just talk—or part of a deeper plan?
On the other hand, Audrey gradually regained her composure after hearing Ebner's persuasive pitch. Thinking for a moment, she said, "Although it sounds wonderful… the investment required would far exceed one million pounds. My friends would likely hesitate to commit right away. And as for myself, I don't have that much cash—just a few tens of thousands of pounds at most.
"As for my other assets, I'd need my father's approval to liquidate them."
Ebner smiled and replied, "That's easily handled. I'll provide the initial investment myself. Once we produce one or two hit films and the sets become popular attractions, investors' confidence will grow naturally."
As for the issue of "investors" diluting his shares, Ebner wasn't concerned. As the lord of Beldan, even if capital holders owned large stakes, none would dare defy him.
Besides, by the end of the year, the war would break out. When that happened, he could easily buy back the shares at a fraction of the cost.
Of course, by then, he probably wouldn't need to worry about such matters anymore—that would be Helene or Hazel's concern.
At present, Ebner's film company already had branches across several nations—Intis was managed by Helene, while in Loen, Hazel handled affairs for now. Yet as the company's scale and influence grew, Hazel was beginning to struggle. After all, she was still young and primarily a priestess of the Earth Mother Church. If not for Councilor Macht's secretary assisting with management, the Loen branch would have been in chaos long ago.
As for Feynopotter and Feysac, their operations were overseen by the ladies of "Sloth" and "Greed," who appointed their own directors.
The same applied to Luenburg, Segar, Masin, and the Rorsted Archipelago.
"My most capable employee is still Helene.
"She's efficient, passionate, and genuinely loves her work… Hmm, as a reward, I should find a way to help her reach demigodhood someday. She's a Beyonder of the Hunter pathway—ideally, I'll make her a Nightwatcher… That way, we can truly achieve 007."
Muttering to himself, Ebner then continued discussing the investment details with Miss Audrey for a while before moving on to his final topic—how he had ultimately found the Queen of Calamity, Cohinem, in the small town of Kabas. He ended by asking,
"I promised that once I found the Queen of Calamity, I'd take you to the real 'City of Miracles.' When will you have time?"
Audrey's beautiful eyes immediately lit up with joy. She checked her upcoming schedule and said excitedly,
"How about next Monday—right after the Tarot Club?"
She had already arranged an excuse to be alone for the meeting that day, so even if she didn't return overnight, no one would suspect a thing.
…..
(End of Chapter)