Chapter 1640 No Choice

Chapter 1640 No Choice

Rui heaved a tired sigh as he left and returned to the central business convention, where the distinguished guests discussed various matters with each other. Rui half-considered returning home now that he had spoken with the princess.

"Ah, you've returned," Chairman Decker smirked, interrupting a conversation he was having, immediately dispensing with his formal tone.

Rui wasn't even interested in talking to him, yet the man refused to take a hint.

"How did it go?" He asked informally like they were already friends. "Are you a couple now?"

"Wait, you know?!" Rui widened his eyes.

"Well, yes," Chairman Decker tilted his head. "I am part of the Rafia Faction and was for the motion to reel you in if you must know."

Rui turned around with a feeling of horror. "So, how many people know that she proposed to me?"

"Not too many, but it's bound to be spread now that an attempt has been made," Chairman Decker replied.

"...Damn," Rui cursed.

"A libertarian economy," Rui simply stated. "Essentially, she would love to turn the Kandrian Empire's economy into that of the Shionel Confederation, with the only difference being that she would be in power instead of a merchant guild."

"Indeed," Chairman Decker nodded. "That is a desirable outcome for me as well since I have decided I have no choice but to go through with at least a large portion of my father's plans. In that case, it would benefit me greatly if the business ease index of the Kandrian Empire increased by about many points."

"Is it that low at the moment?" Rui raised an eyebrow. He had no idea about the details, although he knew that the Kandrian Empire's economy was not as liberal as it could be.

"It's not unbearable, but it would make my life much easier if it improved," Chairman Decker heaved a soft sigh with a troubled expression. "It's actually one of the reasons that I wasn't able to smoothly liquidate all the investments my father made into the Kandrian Empire. The sheer number of permits, approvals, statements, and criteria you must meet for any venture in this country is an eyesore."

"If that's the case, then it's a little surprising Guildmaster Bradt didn't see fit to join the Rafia Faction," Rui remarked nonchalantly.

Chairman Decker shook his head. "He doesn't need to. He's so influential and well-connected that these impediments are not even significant to him. The gap between Deacon Industries and Bradt Distribution Services has only grown. If anything, he would hate to see these impediments removed because it makes things much easier for his competitors than it does for him."

These were nuances that an outsider like Rui, no matter how intelligent, simply did not possess the depth of understanding that came with extensive experience to realize his own merit.

"He has more to gain from joining the Ranea Faction than he does the Rafia Faction, I suppose," Rui realized. "If the Kandrian Empire turns into even more of a seafaring powerhouse than it already is, he can deepen his reach across all of human civilization through the Great Nam Ocean as long as the Kandrian Empire improves its seafaring capacity."

Seafaring capacity was a measure of the maximum amount of net flux of seafare to and from a given nation that said nation was able to handle at any given point in time. It was essentially a measure of the bandwidth of the seafaring flux of the nation's seaports.

"Indeed," Chairman Decker heaved a soft sigh. "If Princess Ranea becomes Empress, he will probably become the most powerful figure in the transportation and shipping sector across the entire continent. No one, not even I, will be able to challenge his power anymore. He will effectively become the emperor of the Shionel Confederation. That is his true goal."Updated from novelbIn.(c)om