The Land of Wonders was still filled with joyful laughter as Lin Ke had already taken Little Lily outside.
Following him were a middle-aged couple, a man and a woman, appearing to be in their forties.
Lin Ke knew these were Lily’s parents.
So he stopped, went over, and handed Lily to the couple: "If you ever encounter any difficulties, please remember to come to the castle and speak with John or Butler Billy. If they can’t handle it, they will inform me."
The couple seemed a bit uneasy, holding Little Lily, unsure of what to say in front of Lin Ke. After a moment, the woman finally asked with some hesitation: "Lord Lin Ke... was He Weijun brave on the battlefield?"
Both the man and woman looked at Lin Ke, their faces mixed with anticipation and sorrow, with the woman’s eyes glistening faintly.
"Brave, very brave," Lin Ke smiled, "Moreover, for every brave soul who dies standing in Azanen, their name will forever be etched on a stone brick on the Azanen Wall, to honor the glory they brought to the battlefield!"
The couple became even more emotional upon hearing Lin Ke’s words.
The woman wiped her tears while smiling: "Good, it’s good that He Weijun didn’t bring shame to Young Master Lin Ke..."
The man’s expression was more relieved: "Dying for the Lord’s cause is He Weijun’s glory! Good, good, good!"
Finally, the couple, deeply moved, left with Little Lily, leaving behind Lin Ke and his companions.
The words of the couple not only affected Lin Ke but also evoked sighs from his followers.
Like Lamiel, during travels in Naseng, it was rare to see a lord with such prestige.
But much of it was a result of Lin Ke’s benevolence.
Ultimately, Lin Ke returned to the castle, where someone was waiting for him.
"Mr. Lin Ke, everything is ready!"
Lady Heishan came to find Lin Ke, her face filled with curiosity, indicating that everything in Parrot City was prepared.
"Is the underground network almost complete?" Lin Ke was sketching, not pausing his conversation with Heishan.
"Regarding this, Mr. Lin Ke, I must confess my mistake to you." Lady Heishan pounded her right hand on her left chest.
Lin Ke put down the pencil in his hand and looked at Heishan: "What happened?"
Lady Heishan sweetly smiled: "Because I have unified the Underworld of all thirty-five cities of Azanen."
Thirty-five small cities!
Lin Ke’s eyes finally showed a hint of astonishment: "You mean the entire Underworld of Azanen has been unified?"
Heishan kneeled on one knee, bowing her head: "Yes, my esteemed Lord Lin Ke."
Lin Ke remained silent, deep in thought, as the atmosphere in the study plummeted to freezing point.
Heishan kneeled on the ground, cold sweat forming at her temples.
Such an action of acting first and reporting later is indeed a form of insubordination to a superior.
And with such a large force, even Heishan felt a bit frightened, knowing that this was the entire Underworld of Azanen!
It included bandits, pickpockets, thieves, assassins, fraudsters, and other shady forces.
This undoubtedly tested Lin Ke’s level of trust in Heishan.
But Heishan simply couldn’t bear the regret of letting an opportunity slip by when it was so close.
However, she felt that Lin Ke would also see the benefits in this.
This force was significant, and as long as the issue of trust was solved, it could bring endless benefits to Lin Ke.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Lin Ke’s index finger unconsciously tapped on the armrest of the chair, making the already quiet environment even more oppressive.
After a while, just as the pressure in Heishan’s heart was becoming unbearable, Lin Ke finally spoke: "You did a great job."
His voice was deep, revealing no hint of joy or anger.
For specific individuals, a specific attitude must be adopted.
Toward distant servants, Lin Ke would show kindness, amiability, and friendliness.
But toward direct subordinates, Lin Ke would be stern and solemn, maintaining authority.
Heishan was not a follower but a subordinate.
"However, your actions were unauthorized. I could easily suspect that you intended to use this to blackmail me," Lin Ke said with a smile, looking at Heishan.
"My esteemed Lord Lin Ke, I would never dare! I also wouldn’t do such a thing!" Lady Heishan was shocked, lifting her head to look at Lin Ke: "I have no reason to do such a thing!"
"You were with Akel’s people..." Lin Ke still smiled.
"No, I have become a person of my Lord Lin Ke!" Heishan’s tone was firm and decisive.
"John and the others only call me Young Master, or Young Master Lin Ke; they wouldn’t call me Lord... Hmm, that seems like a very ancient title," Lin Ke said slowly.
Heishan felt more at ease upon hearing this, less flustered, and cautiously ventured, "Lin Ke... Young Master?"
"Hahaha, no need for that," Lin Ke burst into laughter, stood up from his seat, and went over to help Heishan up.
Heishan was quite heavy, and Lin Ke used an air shield to get her up.
"Since I have given you authority, I will trust you. I have always been forgiving of mistakes, but betrayal is never allowed." Lin Ke led Lady Heishan to sit aside before returning to his seat.
"Has the Akel shop been modified?" Lin Ke sat back casually.
But Heishan remained tense inside, reining in all her probing thoughts.
She felt that Lin Ke’s authority could rival Akel’s, if not far exceed it.
"Yes, Young Master Lin Ke." Heishan nodded.
"Hmm, put signs on the three windows for the ticket booth, kiosk, and notice board."
Lin Ke touched the space ring on his left hand, then took out an amber and played with it between his fingers.
"Yes, Young Master Lin Ke." Heishan saw the broken Dragon Crystal in Lin Ke’s hand, finding it familiar but unable to identify it while continuing to listen to Lin Ke’s instructions.
"Tickets are for audience entry to view performances at the Land of Wonder, also including a complimentary juice and a performance schedule, priced at two silver coins."
Lin Ke began explaining his arrangement: "The kiosk will sell our papers, newspapers, and books, as well as miscellaneous items like chess. I will give you these goods in the future."
"The notice board only needs a panel, mainly for posting orders I issue, just like the couriers did before."
Heishan listened carefully beside him, trying to grasp Lin Ke’s intentions.
"By the way, let’s set up a lottery at the ticket booth."
Thinking it over, Lin Ke decided to introduce another money-making tool.
"Lottery?" Heishan didn’t understand.
"Yes, a lottery." Lin Ke smiled and explained, "There are many prizes. Let me give you an example."
Lin Ke turned around and sketched a simple pie chart on the paper in front of him, dividing it into many sections.
Most sections were labeled "Thank you for your patronage," scattered intermittently around the chart without converging.
A few sections were marked with prizes, labeled with Naseng numbers one to ten, representing first to tenth prizes.
As Lin Ke drew, he explained the strategy to Heishan.
Heishan stood behind Lin Ke, her eyes growing brighter, and after Lin Ke finished, she directly closed her eyes.
"Wow, there’s even feedback?"
Lin Ke was speechless internally.
Heishan was a professional [Merchant], and clearly, one of the traits of a [Merchant] was indeed making money.