Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 185: Ivan's Scheme
Ivan frowned and said, “We must take care of Mr. Zhao Hai's matters. This time, we owe it to him; otherwise, the Versailles Family would have suffered greatly. We absolutely cannot let them succeed.”
Laura sighed and replied, “The problem lies here. My uncles and cousins are all like wolves; once they set their sights on someone, there's no good outcome. This time, they sent someone over with no intention of letting Mr. Zhao off. If Mr. Zhao agrees, that's one thing, but if he doesn’t, they will certainly harass him relentlessly. A few days ago, I met with Mr. Zhao, and he said he would never agree. I asked him for a favor, stating that if they don’t go too far, he wouldn’t hold it against them, but they won’t just back down easily. If Mr. Zhao refuses, they will keep targeting him, and then, I fear it will lead to a great conflict between the Magedel Family and Mr. Zhao.”
Ivan understood that Laura was testing him, trying to gauge his stance on Zhao Hai. However, he already had his own plans.
Ivan was a man who valued gratitude. He placed great importance on loyalty; otherwise, he wouldn't have helped the Budah Family initially. Although he lost power because of this, he never regretted it. It was precisely because of this incident that he gained clarity about the Versailles Family, which is why he suppressed his violent temper and endured until he gained significant power today.
His current authority was largely thanks to Laura and Zhao Hai, so he felt grateful to both. He had long wanted to meet Zhao Hai and had heard about his remarkable abilities. Similarly, he was aware of Zhao Hai’s formidable combat strength, which he needed.
However, Zhao Hai had always been reclusive and did not see outsiders, even turning away the Versailles Family when they sought him out. He only met with Laura, which is why Ivan valued her so highly. As Kun Zheng had said, Ivan valued Laura not just because of gratitude but more because she could connect with Zhao Hai.
Ivan knew very well that if the Magedel Family succeeded this time, Zhao Hai would no longer be able to stay at Rubble Mountain, and he would lose the chance to establish a connection with him. More critically, Zhao Hai could become his enemy in the future.
Thus, he could not allow the Magedel Family to succeed. To ensure Zhao Hai stayed, he was willing to offend the Magedel Family. If Zhao Hai remained, the Versailles Principality would nearly have no worries about food anymore. If he built a good relationship with Zhao Hai, he would also be able to assist the Versailles Family in the future, and Zhao Hai's strength was not weak. If he truly wanted to help the Versailles Family, their influence would increase significantly, which would be very beneficial for them.
To be honest, Ivan had no good feelings toward those large commercial families. If it weren't for their schemes behind the scenes, the food crisis wouldn’t have escalated to this extent. Although he ultimately benefited, he wouldn't feel grateful to them, as Ivan had always been a part of the Versailles Family, while the large commercial families were plotting against the Versailles Family this time.
The Magedel Family had a bad reputation on the continent. Besides Laura and her immediate kin, the rest of the Magedel Family were referred to as the vampire family.
Vampires were a type of dark beings that thrived on the blood of humans and magical beasts; they could transform into bats. Such creatures were highly detestable, and using this term to describe the Magedel Family made their reputation clear.
To drive away a benefactor with such considerable power and background for the sake of a vampire family? What kind of fool would do that! It was evident that Ivan and Kun Zheng shared the same thought, both believing that Zhao Hai had a substantial background; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to produce so much food.
Although there were no reports of someone like Zhao Hai in the Aksu Empire, it was impossible to rule out that such figures existed in other countries. If Zhao Hai were indeed a great noble from another country who came to develop in the Versailles Principality, they would be even less inclined to offend him.