The Golden Throne - Chapter 278

“I am sorry that what we have done has enraged you so much, Your Majesty, but please give us time to explain. There is a reason that the situation is like this. even I myself am facing the consequences of a problem that I am not sure how to handle. I was forced not to send the request of help to the palace, and you were not within it. It was a very foreign place to be, and we were almost forced into submission.” an old and feeble voice came from within the building.

An old man in purple robes with a silver outline walked out of the building. He was the same man who headed the Silver Moon group back when Liu Feng asked them to meet him. The old man locked eyes with Liu Feng.

“The rest of you can resume work. I will be talking to your leader in private. I do not want this to take more time. The more time that this will take, the more time the people whom you have employed will be forced to live without a home.” Liu Feng barked at the others, who just stood there waiting to see what happened.

“I thank you for giving me a chance to explain, Your Majesty. I shall not throw it away. That is my word.” the old man bowed down as he approached Liu Feng.

“What I need now is not your word, leader of the Silver Moon group. What I need right now is an explanation. And why is it that the only ones that I can see are the Silver Moon group? Where is the Rock Tyrant group? They have also been very involved during the whole discussion. Where are they now? Not to be seen? Don’t tell me that they have gone back on their word.” Liu Feng said coldly.

“The problem is with regards to that, Your Majesty.” the old man said as he looked around. There were far too many prying eyes here, and what the man was about to disclose was hardly public information. He then bowed to Liu Feng.

“If you are okay, Your Majesty, I shall take you in to a more private room. We have made sure that the first floor is already completed so that it could be used for more important reasons. I want to see to it that what I say to you is for your ears only.” the old man said as he glanced at the driver behind Liu Feng.

“Do not worry about him. For now, he has been loyal enough to accompany me all the way here to unknown territory just to make sure that I am safe. Right now, I trust him more than I trust you.” Liu Feng shook his head.

Hearing this, the driver was moved beyond tears. Why wouldn’t he? After his king said that he would trust this puny driver? He trembled as he bowed.

“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. This life is forever yours.” the driver said in an emotional tone.

Liu Feng nodded and he started following the old man into the building. Indeed, as he has said, the first room was already done. With magical devices supplying light to all corners of the floor, it was completely visible. They were in a hallway now, and they were moving to the nearest door.

The old man produced a pair of keys from his pocket and he opened the door. He then let Liu Feng enter the room first.

“How dare you do that? This place has not been surveiled by any guard yet. Are you planning on attacking the king? I shall enter first to make sure that it has not been trapped.” the driver was enraged and he entered the room in the stead of Liu Feng. The moment that he stepped through the doorway… nothing happened.

He just stood there, blank and unmoving, staring at what the room was.

“This is being given to the slums? I should have lived there myself. This is too unreasonable. A room this big? It is enough for a whole family of ten!” the driver muttered.

“I know that there will be some who are jealous. That is why these buildings are not just for the slums. I am sure that the old man here has already figured it out. I have told him to make enough buildings to house a few ten thousand. This slum will be housed in just one of the five buildings that are being made, and they will not be given the rooms as luxuriously as you thought they would. I am not running a charity. Do not worry. Come back, and stand guard for the door. I shall have the talk with the leader myself.” Liu Feng smiled slightly as he entered the room. He looked at what was laid down. For one, there were other rooms in there, about four. And there was also a table that filled up the hall.

“I can see that there are bathrooms here as well. I thank you for trusting me enough to go through with my idea. If it does complete, then it shall revolutionize plumbing, and will considerably lessen the sewage problem of the city. Now, onto the more important problems. Tell me what is so problematic that there are people outside who are starving and have no food to eat?” Liu Feng asked as he sat on one side of the table, showing his back to the old man.

“Your Majesty. When you said it a few minutes ago, I was very astonished. I had kept the fact that the two groups were part of the same family a big secret. Only the upper echelons of the two groups knew. And yet you knew for a very long time, clearly. So you must understand why I am so distressed. The Iron Tyrant group, my son in law, and my daughter are all missing from action. I do not know where they disappeared. I only undertook such a big assignment because I would have the help of the Iron Tyrant group with me. And more importantly, I am worried about their safety. I wanted to come to the palace to explain my grievances, but then I received a letter suggesting that I stay here and just get on with my work.” the old man said with a quiet sob.

“So you are saying that someone kidnapped these men and are forcing you to stop building? That seems a bit interesting. The only reason that someone wouldn’t want this to be built is if they didn’t want you to profit. No one cares about the slums enough. No one thinks that they will be able to keep the homes for themselves, and they all think that after a certain point, I can be convinced to take their homes away from them. And the only thing that you get from this is that you will have exclusive rights to the cement. But you do remember that it was on the condition that you completed this project on time. It is clear that you have a mole on your side. I shall give you a week of leeway time. Feed everyone and focus on the mole. If it turns out that another merchant group was responsible for this, then soldiers will be questioning them, and they will pay for the whole building. But I shall warn you. If this is all just a play that you are trying out, I can easily take over your group as well.” Liu Feng said as he got up.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall forever appreciate the favor that you are showing us. I will ensure that from now on, this shall be our family’s highest priority. If the crown is able to bring back my precious daughter, then think of my group as your go to cheap source of renovation and building. That is my promise, Your Majesty.” the old man knelt on the ground.

“You shall be doing all the work, old man. Take care of whoever is in your inner circle. Only those who were in that meeting knew that the cement that you are using was part of the deal. Or you have a chattering idiot in your highest circle.” Liu Feng said as he started leaving the room.

He opened the door. The driver was waiting for him, and he looked at Liu Feng.

“Is everything alright, Your Majesty?” he asked.

“I have taken care of this temporarily. We shall be going back to the palace. I need to focus on something else for now, and these people are just wasting my time here.” Liu Feng said.

The driver nodded, although he had not a single clue on what happened inside. Liu Feng and the driver were headed off the leave the building, and the slums. Although it would be a shame to call these the slums anymore.

“It would be a shame. I think it is better to call it the Novus District. For all the new comers, and all the new beginnings of the city.” Liu Feng smiled.