Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon-Chapter 289 - 288 Revisiting the Old Place

Chapter 289: Chapter 288: Revisiting the Old Place

Chapter 289 -288: Revisiting the Old Place

“…” Farrelan unexpectedly raised an eyebrow, “Do you think they can win?”

He didn’t specify who ‘they’ were, but both men understood what the other meant.

“Maybe they can, maybe they can’t,” Dane didn’t provide a definitive answer, “but it’s not because they are certain to win that I choose to stand with them.”

A faint sense of loss welled up in Farrelan’s heart; he thought he had gotten over it, but when his friend stood before him once again, he realized there was still a hurdle there.

That was because he had already chosen the victor before, since then living in the Royal Capital, marrying, having children, enjoying a prosperous life.

“Good luck to you, I’m heading home.”

Farrelan waved his hand and turned to walk towards the station exit.

“I’ll come to visit you,” Dane said.

He waited until the other man’s figure had vanished before leaving the station through a different exit and boarding a waiting carriage.

“Please take me to Walter News Agency.”

“All right, hold tight now,” the coachman immediately responded, “Giddy up!”

…

In the western district of the Royal Capital, inside Walter News Agency.

The chief editor Qiu Ji was checking the articles that would be published tomorrow. Five reporters stood in a row in front of the desk, not even daring to breathe loudly.

That was because the chief editor was not easy to deal with, what’s more critical was that the general manager had entrusted him with all personnel hiring and firing authority; in other words, he could kick out any of his staff from the news agency at any time.

Even in the Royal City, there wasn’t a second company like Walter willing to pay high salaries to recruit reporters.

Thus, no one wanted to be thrown out at this juncture.

Qiu Ji, with a cigar in his mouth, quickly scanned the articles in front of him. Suddenly, he furrowed his brow, and with a stony gaze, he stared at the third reporter, “Todd, what is this report about Duke Longjiu being blessed by the divinities? Bathed in divine light, personally adorned with a gear-crafted circlet by the hands of divinities… Were you at the scene? Did you witness it with your own eyes?”

Todd hastily explained, “Uh… it’s based on the scenes described in the scriptures…”

“Based on the Fertile Scripture, right!” Qiu Ji slammed the draft on the desk with a thud, “If you haven’t witnessed their blessing ceremony, don’t make things up, especially when it comes to attributing the Goddess of Abundance’s blessings to the Mechanical Sect! Gears on the head, be careful they don’t pop your head off and hang it on the city wall! Rewrite it!”

“But Mr. Todd indeed hasn’t seen the blessing ceremony… there aren’t many in the entire Royal Capital who have, right?” another reporter argued with a touch of despondence, “Besides, this isn’t really news; is it necessary to place it as the headline on the front page?”

“What, you have a problem with my requirements?” Qiu Ji said impatiently, “When I ask you to write, you write. What’s with all the fuss! Every newspaper in the city is praising Duke Longjiu, if we don’t write about it wouldn’t we stand out as the brightest star? Really think you’re not prominent enough… if you want to die, please do it outside, don’t splatter your blood on our agency floor.”

Everyone immediately shut their mouths.

The heads of the resisting military leaders of the Kingdom Guard were still hanging on the inner city walls.

“Then, please withdraw my report,” the last reporter said tentatively, “It seems… also a bit risky.”

“You’re called Li Xi, right? Let me have a look,” Qiu Ji directly flipped to the last article. This news piece focused on the families of the casualties after the battle—the army defending the Royal City had been scattered, with casualties estimated to exceed five thousand, and the Laurel Family, which was supposed to take care of their families, had lost all power. Although Duke Longjiu proclaimed the rebels were led by a group of nobles headed by General Fales Ben and had no intention of replacing the Laurel Family’s rule, it was apparent for all to see that the actual ruler of the Royal City had changed, and the families of the fallen soldiers had become “wandering citizens” nobody cared about.

There were more than ten thousand of these people, their only difference from real vagabonds was a fixed residence, but their societal status was perilously unstable. Unable to receive pensions, with the death or disability of the family breadwinners leading to loss of income, some people deliberately persecuted these soldiers’ families to curry favor with the Longjiu Family, even outright assaults or robberies in their homes went unaddressed… All these issues caused the lives of these people to plummet to rock bottom.

“No, this article is well written. I think it can be published,” Qiu Ji said after a long breath, “We’ll just place it on the back page then.”

And the back page of the newspaper was second only to the front page in importance.

“But… aren’t you afraid of Duke Longjiu creating trouble?” Li Xi exclaimed in surprise.

“Will it? We’ve sung our anthems; we’ve got to do some real work,” Qiu Ji said with a smile, “Besides, haven’t you guys noticed? This kind of report indirectly acknowledges Duke Longjiu’s position as a lord. What is the king’s responsibility? It is to govern a region, and since the war has ended, he surely has the responsibility to deal with the aftermath. These soldiers’ families are his subjects, as well.”

“You speak as if everything you’re saying is just conjecture…” Todd muttered.

“Nonsense! I’m not a roundworm in Wilson Longjiu’s belly!” the chief editor glared at him, “But you can tell he’s a smart man from the fact that he didn’t wreak havoc in the Royal Capital, instead doing his utmost to restore order there. A smart person knows how to weigh pros and cons, so we naturally can speculate about his mindset. Only a fool would treat him as some butcher that came out of the countryside.”

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“Everyone, get to work. Tomorrow’s newspaper will be arranged this way.” He waved his hands, signaling his subordinates to scram.

Not long after the office door had closed, someone knocked again.

“What now?”

It was the doorman who came in, “Sir, there’s someone outside who wants to see the boss here.”

“Eh? Can’t he make an appointment with the general manager himself?” Qiu Ji lifted his head, clearly displeased, “Did he tell you his identity?”

“He handed me a business card.” The doorman hurriedly passed it over.

Glancing at it, the latter froze.

The doorman immediately knew what to do, “Then I’ll invite him in right away.”

“No… wait!” Qiu Ji’s eyes flickered, “Tell him the general manager doesn’t want to see him.”

“Uh…” The doorman blinked, “Okay, I got it.”

“Keep an eye on him, see how he reacts, and then tell me immediately,” he added.

As the doorman left, Qiu Ji’s gaze returned to the card. It was a name both familiar and foreign to him: Kort Dane.

Thoughts from over a decade ago surged, momentarily distracting him.

A minute later, the doorman re-entered the office, “Sir, he’s gone.”

“Gone… wait, what do you mean, he’s gone!?” Qiu Ji leaped from his leather chair, “He didn’t emphasize his own background? Didn’t plead at all?”

“Nope, he just said, ‘I see… what a shame.'”

So you’re that headstrong, not even willing to show a hint of regret? Qiu Ji couldn’t help but exclaim, “Quick, catch him before he’s too far away, and bring him back!”

“Ah? Bring him back?” The doorman looked confused and somewhat lost.

“Yes! Tell him Hawk Eye Qiu Ji is waiting for him! Hurry!” Qiu Ji urged.

Luckily, the former hadn’t gone far and within five minutes, the doorman had invited the visitor into the chief editor’s office.

“Long time no see. I never expected you’d become the chief editor of a news agency,” Dane said as he set down his briefcase and sat down across from Qiu Ji, “Congratulations, Qiu Ji. So it was you who refused me just now?”

“Indeed, who do you think you are, leaving without so much as a word?” Qiu Ji snorted coldly, “That position of chief editor was rightfully yours. Where the hell have you been? Not a single letter in all these years, do you know how disappointed Mr. Walter was?”

“Sigh… it’s a long story,” Dane shook his head, a wry smile on his face, “But it’s all water under the bridge, the Royal Capital kept on turning without me, so let’s not talk about it.”

Meanwhile, he sized up his once colleague. Over a decade had clearly left its mark on Qiu Ji, who was notably more rotund, his protruding belly indicating that he rarely hit the frontlines to gather news material anymore, and the name-brand cigar hanging from his lips added a touch of boss-like demeanor. It was clear that he was doing rather well for himself.

“Fine, where you went is your business, but don’t forget that Walter’s daughter had given her heart to you. If he sees you’ve returned, I can’t guarantee that you’ll leave the news agency unscathed,” Qiu Ji extinguished his cigar, leaning forward slightly, “So where exactly have you been?”

“Beyond the sea,” Dane tilted his head toward the south, “A new continent’s seaport.”