Chapter 1 The Music and the Banquet

The melodious music echoed.

The banquet hall was resplendent with gold.

Gu Shen and Lin Lin had not yet entered the hall. They were just standing at the door when someone enthusiastically greeted them.

"Brother Gu."

"Little Gu, brother."

Some of the garrison commanders who had met on the ramparts of Gu Fort were chatting outside the hall. They saw Gu Shen and immediately smiled and stepped forward to say hello.

In addition, there were many unfamiliar faces.

Gu Shen was momentarily "overwhelmed by favor."

He turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Didn't Duke Zhuxue say... this banquet wasn't held for us?"

Lin Lin took out a cigarette, lit it, and said lightly, "His words are best treated as farts."

Gu Shen was silent for a moment.

The young commodore, with a cigarette in his mouth, frowned as he watched the growing number of people around him. He reached out and patted Gu Shen on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude. "It seems you're the star of tonight's banquet. Enjoy it... I don't like crowds, so I'll take my leave first."

Among the "big shots" from the Northern Continent invited to the banquet were not only garrison commanders who held military power, but also the heads of many intercontinental corporations. These people were also very interested in Gu Shen. In addition, there were some "Central City reporters" who only had interview rights and no chance to participate in the banquet, mixed in the crowd at this moment.

For a time, Gu Shen was busy coping with them.

Chu Ling, who had been watching the show in the Zero-Zero-One carriage, suddenly said, "It seems that Duke Zhuxue, Lin Chou, values you very much. This banquet may really be a welcome reception specifically for 'you'."

"How so?"

"Your seat is arranged at the very front... well, to be precise, Lin Chou values the returned ones who successfully carried out the Maze mission this time. That table is full of your old acquaintances."

After dealing with everyone, Gu Shen finally broke free from the crowd. He turned his gaze to the table at the very front.

Li Chen stood up and waved from afar, "Brother Gu, over here!"

He was wearing a black suit, a far cry from his appearance when he had set out on the mission.

The guys from the Second Squad of the Investigation Corps had changed into evening gowns, and they all looked decent, with a dramatic change in temperament.

Gu Shen sat down with difficulty, breathed a long sigh of relief, and said with a smile, "You guys just watched me get surrounded... without lending a hand?"

Mo Hongyi said with a mischievous smile, "Brother Gu, you're mistaken. We don't want to enjoy this kind of good fortune again."

They had arrived earlier than him...

Judging from the wrinkles on the evening gowns of these rough men, they must have experienced a "siege" like this before.

"Who exactly are these guys... why are they so enthusiastic?"

Gu Shen was a little curious.

"The captain said that after tonight's banquet, there will be an 'award ceremony'." Zhu Xiao took a small sip of fruit wine, feeling refreshed. "It's a First Class Medal. Did you see those reporters just now? Central City will write a special report for us."

No wonder everyone was dressed up, even Su He, who was usually the most low-key, had put on a brand-new礼服 (lǐfú - formal dress).

Compared to them, his clothes today seemed too "shabby."

However, Gu Shen didn't care about the "award ceremony." He looked around and asked in surprise, "Where's Lin Lin?"

Only after sitting down did he realize that the table was already full.

And in the surrounding seats, he couldn't see Lin Lin's nameplate. This guy was also a great contributor to the Gu Fort battle. Logically speaking, he should also be receiving an award. Why wasn't he arranged a seat in the front row?

"Not too sure..."

Only Li Chen scratched his head and answered Gu Shen.

The rest of the Second Squad didn't have their minds on this matter at all.

They sipped their wine in small sips, excitedly anticipating the start of the banquet.

"Lin Lin went to the second floor."

Chu Ling mobilized the surveillance cameras in the banquet hall and said slowly, "He left through the VIP通道 (tōngdào - passage)... it's worth mentioning that there is no 'identity nameplate' for him at the banquet, which means that if there is an award ceremony after the banquet, then Duke Zhuxue has defaulted to not giving Lin Lin an award or reward."

What did this mean?

The great contributor to the Gu Fort battle... had traveled all the way to Central City, and there would be no award for him?

Gu Shen was thoughtful.

After a moment, he greeted the people around him, and using the excuse of going to the toilet, got up and left his seat.

...

...

"You could have sat down."

Second floor of the banquet hall.

Lin Chou smiled and gestured for the upright man in front of him to sit down.

Lin Lin, with a cigarette in his mouth, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

Sitting down meant a long conversation.

And he didn't want to sit down.

After exhaling the smoke, Lin Lin said coldly, "If you have something to say, say it quickly. I'm waiting to go downstairs to eat."

Hearing these words, Zhuxue's expression became a little complicated.

Everyone invited to this banquet tonight knew that... the banquet was not the main point, the main point was the "award ceremony" after the banquet. He would represent Her Majesty the Queen to award medals to the miraculously returned ones from the Maze mission.

Who had come here just to eat?

"There's no seat arranged for you downstairs." Lin Chou smiled, interlacing his fingers. "Since you've returned to Central City, you should get used to the change in status... you're no longer the garrison commander of Gu Fort."

"I don't have the habit of being overly ambitious like someone else. Let me make it clear in advance that I came to Central City this time to eat, and in the end, I'll go back to where I came from." Lin Lin pressed the cigarette butt he had finished smoking onto the expensive pear wood table in front of Duke Zhuxue. The cigarette butt hissed and smoked, a scene that made Lin Chou frown.

But not because of heartache.

But because he didn't like the smell.

"The smell of inferior tar..." Lin Chou raised his head and asked, "Can you switch to some more tasteful cigars? I have 'Double Pyramids' produced in the Eastern Continent here. If you like, I can give them to you for free."

Lin Lin sneered.

He didn't pay attention to Lin Chou at all, but continued the previous topic and continued, "Let me reiterate that as long as I'm the commander of Gu Fort, I'll be a garrison commander in that godforsaken place for the rest of my life!"

Duke Zhuxue didn't show any anger.

He looked at Lin Lin, who was "domineering" in front of him at the moment, and repeated three words softly and slowly: "Godforsaken place..."

Lin Chou raised his handsome face and asked seriously, "Since you yourself think that Gu Fort is a 'godforsaken place,' why do you still want to go back? What exactly attracts you there?"

"If there were no Gu Fort..."

Lin Lin was just about to speak.

"If there were no Gu Fort, the Northern Continent's interior would suffer a huge blow, and Central City would be forced to start the 'Kindling Plan' proposed by Aunt Wen." Lin Chou interrupted him and said leisurely, "But not having you and not having Gu Fort are two different things. You leaving Gu Fort, there are plenty of capable generals in the Northern Continent who can garrison Gu Fort. Lin Lin, don't think too highly of yourself. Without you, Gu Fort can still operate."

"Is that so..."

Lin Lin tactically paused for a second, and then mercilessly ridiculed, "If I'm not that important, why would someone bother to invite me back to the capital? You're right, without me, Gu Fort can still operate, but Central City... why is it a little 'stuck'?"

The usually calm Duke Zhuxue, a flash of anger flashed in his eyes at this moment.

He stopped arguing with his "stupid" younger brother.

And Lin Lin didn't want to waste his breath either.

"I'm hungry."

He threw two choices to Zhuxue: "Either I drive my airship back to Gu Fort now; or, add a seat in the banquet hall downstairs, and I want to sit at Gu Shen's table."

"Gu Shen... you seem to be quite fond of this kid..."

Lin Chou said softly with a smile, "I'm really curious. You should be meeting for the first time, right? With your personality, would you get along so well with someone in such a short amount of time?"

Lin Lin narrowed his eyes.

This was indeed an interesting thing... even he himself didn't realize that he had only known Gu Shen for dozens of days, and the relationship between the two was very "familiar." And in these years of garrisoning Gu Fort, he had almost no friends. The only person he trusted, Zou Hai, was also an old friend he had known for ten years.

If Lin Chou hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't even have realized it himself.

"Returning to Central City from Gu Fort is something that can be done by just taking an airship... but you invited him onto your ship." Lin Chou said lightly, "What's even more interesting is that he refused the invitation from the Investigation Corps for this reason and waited for you at the fortress for three days."

"Hmph..."

Mentioning this matter, Lin Lin wasn't in a hurry to go downstairs anymore.

He lit another cigarette and sat in the reserved seat behind him.

"Is there a problem?"

Lin Lin looked directly at his elder brother and asked softly, "Is it not okay to hit it off and have a pleasant conversation?"

"Of course, it's okay, there's no problem, you don't need to be nervous." Lin Chou said leisurely, "I'm just curious... what is the purpose of a guy like you, who has been self-isolated since childhood, to invite outsiders to board the ship? If you have special sexual preferences, then I can only wish you well. I heard that Gu Shen's other half is the new gravekeeper of Qingzong Cemetery, and she's very beautiful, so your chances aren't good."

Lin Lin's expression was gloomy.

He flicked out the cigarette butt.

With a "bang!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

The cigarette butt hit an invisible air wall half a meter away from Duke Zhuxue, shattering into pieces. The latter's expression was calm and composed, and he even picked up the specially prepared fruit wine for the banquet and took a sip.

"You're going to get physical if you can't win with words, just like always."

Lin Chou smiled and said, "Sorry, it seems like the joke I made just now was a bit too much. I express my sincere apology to you, but if your sexual orientation is normal... I really can't figure out why you don't accept the marriage alliance from the Light City of the Western Continent."

"A 'heavenly proud daughter' whose appearance, aptitude, and talent are all of the highest quality, is regarded by countless believers in the Light City as the absolute successor to the next God. For a normal person, even being able to see her up close is an honor worth showing off."

Duke Zhuxue asked coldly, "I ask the whole world, how many people are as lucky as you... to have such a marriage contract?"

"Is that so?"

Lin Lin retorted mercilessly, "It's a pity, I don't care about this kind of luck. I don't care about the heavenly proud daughter or the successor to the divine throne... If I have to show off even seeing such a woman, wouldn't I have to say that I'm the Northern Continent Queen's younger brother ten thousand times a day?"

"..."

Lin Chou was also silent all of a sudden.

For "sister," this was the highest sacredness, and inviolable... it had been like this since childhood, no matter how much they argued, there was no dispute about this matter.

"Of course, no one in this world can compare to her."

Lin Chou snorted coldly and said, "Today we'll put aside those useless things... and just talk about your affairs. You refuse to return to Central City and insist on being a small garrison commander in Gu Fort... year after year, do you know the pressure on Central City? Are you just going to keep dragging on like this? How am I supposed to explain this to the Light City?"

"Is this question difficult?"

Lin Lin said, "Tell the Light City that the marriage contract is void, let everyone go their own way."

"Lin Lin!"

Lin Chou slammed the table heavily. This Northern Continent Duke's calm and composed expression showed anger for the first time. He said, "Do you think this kind of thing... is child's play? Everyone gets married and breaks up as they please?"

The Northern Continent's royal family and the Western Continent's Light City are the two top forces in the Five Continents.

If they were to marry, then under the promotion of that old man in Light City and Lin Lin's sister, it was very likely that it would be the combination of the next "Light God Throne" and the "Northern Continent Royal Family"...

"There are two God Seats on the 源之塔 (Yuán zhī Tǎ - Tower of Origin) side. How much has the Northern Continent lost over the years? You're guarding Gu Fort to protect the people behind you, but isn't entering the Five Continents Federation Council also protection?" Lin Chou said in a low voice, "It's the same as war. The war in Gu Fort has gunpowder smoke. Hundreds or thousands of people will die in a single battle... But the war on the other side has no gunpowder smoke. If the Northern Continent loses power, then tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people will be affected. You can look a little further."

"Brother, you're so right, look a little further... even further..."

"Of course, I can."

Lin Lin smiled and looked at his elder brother, and said softly, "I understand all the reasons you said... The reason I came back to Central City is that I've made up my mind to have it out with you. If the country needs me, I will naturally step forward. Just don't treat me as a real fool. The news from Light City has already spread throughout the Five Continents. Who doesn't know that Meng Xizhou was the first to publicly break the contract? She tore up the marriage contract, so do I have to shamelessly go up again?"

Lin Chou was speechless for a moment.

He stared blankly at his younger brother.

"That's just a..."

Lin Lin said faintly, "That's just an accident. I know too well what you're going to say. Everything is an accident. Perhaps Light City is saying the same thing to that Miss Meng at this moment, but we all know... as the future leader of a continent, the dominant figure with absolute say, the two of us are not suitable. Perhaps you and the promoters behind Light City can consider a better ending."

"In addition, there's another thing."

In Lin Lin's eyes, there was a faint hint of coldness.

"Because I invited Gu Shen on board... did it ruin someone's good deed?"

He ridiculed, "I thought about it all the way and couldn't figure out who would be hostile to Gu Shen, but now that you say it, it's clear. That guy is 'Duke Zhenyue,' right?"