"However, you will be leaving soon. Can we speak a few words of truth?"

"Of course. Your Highness. Please," Lei Luo said.

​​

"All right." Ulysses nodded. He did not give in and said it himself. "Use four words to describe my current state. It's like walking on thin ice. I dare say that as long as I can ascend to the throne of Beichen King, I won't care about any of the people on the stage right now. However, the crux of the problem is that I might not be able to ascend to the throne right now because I have an older brother who is a few hundred years older than me. He is an older brother who has been in business for a few hundred years more than me. No matter how capable I am, I'm only in my twenties. I've only been in business for a few years. I'm just like a few-year-old baby. No matter how strong I am, how can I defeat an adult? You're right. I may seem famous, but I'm actually full of danger. To me, this reputation is a fortune, but it's also a disaster. It forced me to have no way out. I have to move forward. However, the truth is that with my current strength, unless my father supports me, I've carefully calculated that my chances of winning don't exceed 10%. Therefore, I have been secretly enduring. I am waiting for a variable. I have never known what this variable is, but I always believe that this variable will come. At that time, I will be able to turn the tables. Until a week ago, I waited for you. After I finished talking to you, I am sure that the variable I need is you. You are smart enough, cold enough, flexible enough, and at the same time, you know how to make a choice. Almost from the moment I finished talking to you, I made up my mind."

As Ulysses said this, he looked at Lei Luo with a serious expression.

"Lei Luo, you and I both know that we are not open and aboveboard people. There are dark corners in our hearts that cannot be known by others. However, I think you also know that people like us are not completely devoid of blood and sincerity. It's just that we can't meet the right person. And today, I, Ulysses, am willing to swear to you that with the fifth province as the boundary, as long as your influence has not developed to this point, I will always be your ally. No matter what happens to you, I will do my best to support you. Are you...willing to make the same promise to me? This time...I want you to tell me the truth."

Ulysses' words were like a medium-sized stone thrown on the surface of a lake. It left a ripple in Lei Luo's heart.

It was only at this moment that Lei Luo finally had a sincere respect for this prince in front of him.

"Your Highness, if I succeed, sooner or later, I will pass the Fifth Province."

After a long silence, Lei Luo finally spoke frankly.

"Regarding this, you and I understand. Perhaps one day, we will become enemies. But that is in the future. Now, we are the same. We need to pass the test in front of us. Moreover, if that day really comes, I will not feel disappointed. On the contrary, I will feel a great sense of achievement. Choosing a lifelong friend is something that even vagrants on the streets can do. However, how many people can choose a person to be their greatest enemy in their lifetime?"

Hearing this, Lei Luo slowly laughed. He raised his right hand and said with a smile, "I, Lei Luo, swear here that unless Ulysses' influence crosses the fifth province, no matter what happens to you, I will do my best to support you..."

Ulysses raised his head and laughed heartily. He slapped his right hand on Lei Luo's. "Deal."

When Ulysses stretched out his hands, he smiled as he looked at the fleet that was gradually leaving.

Without knowing when, Strachey had already walked up slowly.

"Your Highness, I know that you don't like the Great Hall to keep Lord Kalman by your side, but you actually sent him away just like that. Isn't that a little inappropriate? Besides, since you let him leave with Lei Luo, then the Grand Hall will most likely know about the matter of you giving Lei Luo a hundred Dragon God Ships. If the Grand Hall finds out, it will probably be very angry, right?"

"Father has decided to sell the research materials of the Dragon God Ships to the senate to obtain a huge and substantial amount of power gold. When that time comes, the senate will soon sell the Dragon God Ships all over the empire. Lei Luo will only get it one or two months in advance. Even if father finds out about this, it's just a scolding. It's no big deal. As for Karman, he's always by my side. He's also a scourge. It's also a good thing to send him away at this time. Karman is an unruly person. Father only sent him to my side because he felt that he wouldn't be bribed by me. As for how much he likes him, that might not be the case. So, teacher, feel free to relax. Nothing big will happen."

Hearing what Ulysses said, Strachey also thought about it.

He felt that what Ulysses said was quite reasonable, so he didn't try to persuade him further. He just nodded.

After a while, Strachey asked again, "Your Highness, the alliance between you and Lei Luo..."

"Teacher wants to ask if it's serious?" Ulysses asked with a smile, and Strachey answered in silence.

"It might seem a little hasty, but Teacher, in that chaotic world in the future, perhaps this hasty alliance between him and I will be the one that lasts the longest."

Ulysses smiled confidently when he said this.

After thinking for a while, Strachey asked again, "Why did it have to be him?"

"There aren't many people who have the ambition to participate and have a clear understanding of the general situation of the empire. And Lei Luo feels that it's one of them. Moreover, the development of the situation is much faster than we imagined. We don't have the time to choose a more suitable candidate than him."

As Ulysses spoke, he took out a piece of white paper.

"This is the meeting record of our meeting in the 'Imperial capital.' Teacher, you can take a look."

Strachey had a premonition, but he also had some doubts as he took the meeting record and looked through it.

After a short while, Strachey was shocked, "The matter has already..."

Ulysses did not answer. He only took a deep breath and looked up at the Lei Luo squadron that had already disappeared into the darkness.

"As ambitious young men, Lei Luo and I have a common natural disadvantage, and that is that the empire did not give us enough time to prepare. Therefore, we can't develop on the normal path. We have to constantly gamble, take risks, and win every time."

"The meeting record...Have you shown it to him?" Strachey asked again.