How Am I Still Alive?-Chapter 1362 - 1348: Unexpected Joy

The Silent Mountain Range was destroyed, but the Sa Clan and the Phosphor Tribe, as the primary ethnic groups, did not perish; a considerable number of clans and their deities came to this new world.

Facing adversity, banding together was only natural; regardless of which kingdom or ethnic group they belonged to in the past, in this Exotic Realm, feeling unsafe and outnumbered, they naturally formed alliances and connected on various levels.

"....It has nothing to do with me, I do have friends and relatives who are Moon Goddess Knights, but I’m not even a believer myself."

"I know."

Wang Xier breathed a sigh of relief; even though she knew Lu Ping’an was a calm individual, when it came to the interests of races and ethnic groups, even the most rational person could become a Fanatic Believer.

"...It should, maybe, probably, be one of my uncles or something, possibly Uncle Wang (Wang Sixiang), they have their own communication channels at the High level."

Just like the High level Contact Board used by Lin Nu’s side, Quasi-Gods and those of the seventh and eighth order had their own circles of communication.

And the channels through which they exchanged messages could mobilize Power greatly surpassing widespread social public opinion... their stance might differ, perhaps resulting in completely different styles of acting; many unimaginable decisions, in the end, came down to different sources of information and perspectives.

The friendly and persuasive approach of Lu Ping’an’s party towards the Ancient City’s Saphire people was conveyed through some channel to the Moon Goddess’s Saphire people, who were anxiously looking for a way out.

And so, quite naturally, they came.

"Should we reject them? There’s no reason to reject them, and it’s impossible to reject them, isn’t it..."

As the representative of the interests of the Natives of Mercury 42, Lulu would not refuse their joining; even at a financial loss, it would be worth guiding their inclusion.

Perhaps the most important thing Lu Ping’an ought to do now was to collect a bit more of a "friendship fee"... a "brokerage fee."

"I’m quite interested in the Moon God Path..."

"The Salvation Army... the Native powers of that world are willing to accept the migration of the Saphire people, but no family has spare Territory, uh, I seem to have a lot of cities and lands given to me by others."

"Right, I personally have a certain interest in the Holy Fire of the Silent Mountain Range World; I wonder if you have any information about it..."

Talking, when both parties have needs from each other, everything is negotiable.

And Lu Ping’an’s "request" actually accelerated the negotiations directly.

Having no desires is actually harder to deal with.

Lu Ping’an nearly understood the other party’s current situation; the Moon God was, in essence, dissatisfied with the conditions given by the Red Star, feeling they had reneged on their initial "promise," and didn’t want their future tied to an "outsider," thus they harbored thoughts of leaving.

But throwing her lot in with any nation on Earth would bring huge pressure and complications, even if she chose to leave this world, only the forces of the Eastern Country could bear the pressure coming from the Red Star.

"She’s willing to join, and our mission is halfway complete."

As for the Moon Goddess claiming she’s on her own, Lu Ping’an didn’t believe a word of it.

Back then, all the Main Gods had a large number of Demigods and the Family Clan around them, even if the Moon Goddess is a Phoenix that had lost its feathers, after all, she had a substantial foundation back in the day and certainly still had other Demigods and the Family Clan following her.

For Lu and his party, the most valuable thing about her might just be those precious followers who believed in her.

"The main problem lies in whether they are too domineering....."

At that moment, even if Lu Ping’an wanted to shirk his duties, he had to muster an effort.

They needed to introduce more local powers of the Eastern Country from Earth to avoid the possibility of the Saphire people becoming too dominant.

"...Could it be that she discovered the fragments and went to treasure hunt on her own??"

"It won’t happen... If she really found them, she might not even talk, but just migrate and snatch them directly."

Lu Ping’an’s team, including Lulu, could ignore a reality... On the surface of Mercury 42, there should be the existence of World Fragments.

If this could be brought out as a bargaining chip, it certainly would attract many powerful deities... but Lu didn’t want to provoke a global war, so naturally the interests of all parties were hidden.

When those outsiders got to that world, and by chance a few lucky ones found fragments, it would be acceptable as well. By then, those lucky few would keep it a secret themselves to avoid attracting more competitors.

And after a few years, when most fragments had owners, everything would no longer be a problem... Lin Nu and Lu Ping’an would tacitly focus on searching and completely digesting this Heaven’s Gift resource.

The most valuable bargaining chip could not be brought out for trade, so it was no wonder Lu Ping’an’s "borrowing troops" was so difficult.

Most of the Proper God Church were not particularly interested in Mercury 42, mainly because it was Lin Nu’s territory. Lu Ping’an’s negotiations were not smooth. Those with power often had their own domains, and those without power would only become a new unstable element by forcing their way over, leaving Lu Ping’an with no choice but to decline politely.

In this process, threats, bribes, and deceptions abounded. In a way, having Lu Ping’an handle this affair was indeed the right choice.

"Yes, two nations, that’s already a set matter. You can join, but building a nation at will is unacceptable, which will lead to a new round of internal wars..."

The bargaining chips that Lu Ping’an could offer were limited. The Moon God informed him that sometimes "honesty" was a prerequisite for trade... Overspending credit on this level of chip exchange could directly lead to future wars and vendettas.

If Red Star truly wouldn’t let go of the God, the Moon God wouldn’t just settle. The habitual dominance of the mortal strong countries, confronting the pride of the once Divine King, the Moon God, mutual destruction was the most likely outcome.

Lu Ping’an directly strived to maintain the "framework." The local Long Hand Clan and Fishman’s nation-building was a foregone conclusion, and those Saphire people were definitely going to establish their own nation... Forcibly merging them together would only lead to numerous conflicts—it was like intentionally burying mines.

The Eastern Country people would not build a nation, but their domain would be encapsulated by a stronger and more independent complete nation.

The known struggle between three countries was already the limit. Lu Ping’an turned down the participation of many mid-sized and small Exotic Realm powers. On the other hand, Lu Ping’an also signed agreements with many local powers of the Eastern Country; he needed more local forces for balance.

"...It’s about time."

All who could be negotiated with had been negotiated with. Ninety percent were just onlookers, and about one or two tenths were watchful. Only a few Experimenters made early-stage investments.

But Lu Ping’an’s mission had already been completed beyond expectations. All the necessary advertisements had been made, and all the relevant individuals had gotten involved... Next, he only needed to leave an office and a contact point. As long as the first batch of participants gained enough benefits, other "mercenaries" would naturally follow.

"You won’t be disappointed..."

That level of promise was about the limit. It just so happened that when Lu Ping’an was almost ready to accept the reality and consider leaving, a small unexpected event occurred.

"A local nurturing project? It truly became a model project?"

Perhaps Lu’s cultural export was too enticing. The "Ancient City Branch" proposal he put forward not only passed smoothly in the Ancient City but also garnered the attention of Wanjing. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

They included it in their "2000 New Era Key Development Projects"... It seemed to be just an insignificant title, but it meant they would dispatch personnel to participate in and track the project’s progress.

"To get official resources for free, along with financial support, how could one refuse..."

What Lu Ping’an was most interested in wasn’t just the support in technology, finance, and human resources that this would bring. It was also because it would generate traffic, keeping Mercury 42 constantly in the field of vision of the native population.

And after finalizing a portion of alliances, the weightiest alliance took place... under the eyes of all, the "Moon God" disappeared into the starry sky once more, and this significant alliance now rested in the hands of Lu Ping’an.