——
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
"This… this is just too…"
Inside the tavern, Bell unconsciously took half a step back, his cheeks slightly flushed. Watching Skott's public humiliation on the screen, merely imagining himself in that position made his toes curl with secondhand embarrassment.
"Serves him right! That's what people like him deserve!"
Hestia waved her little fists, utterly satisfied watching Skott bark like a dog. When he forced Sushang to apologize earlier, she'd been hoping for this moment to come, but when Skott actually started barking… her mind went blank for a second.
"Bell-kun, for someone who only plays dirty tricks, this punishment is pretty light," Lili said, holding her teacup, her eyes glinting with cunning. "If it were me, I'd find a way to report this to the company. Not only is he embarrassing himself, but he's also disgracing the company's reputation. Getting him fired would be a punishment fitting his actions."
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it…?"
"Hmph, Bell-kun, Skott may look pitiful now, but he's the type who can bend and stretch. If you ask me, he's not someone to keep around. If he holds a grudge and comes back for revenge, that's when it'll be real trouble."
——
[The dock's debt crisis was temporarily resolved, but the revival of Aurum Alley was only just beginning.]
[Everyone planned to continue upgrading the dock, but this initiative was abruptly halted by the guild president. Confused by the president's decision, they all headed to the Merchants' Guild headquarters.]
[As it happened, Yukong was there. In the presence of the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission, the secretary Lianyan, representing the president, acknowledged everyone's efforts. However, he believed that continuing to upgrade the dock would be no different from the company's approach, destroying Aurum Alley's unique character.]
[The president's stance was to focus on cultural antiques and specialty snacks, opposing further logistics development. Historical data showed that the more logistics were developed, the fewer tourists visited, which was completely unacceptable.]
[The president's words seemed to hold some truth, and as everyone hesitated and pondered, Yukong was the first to challenge him.]
["The Sky-Faring Commission has received a joint petition from many shops: 'Reorganize the Merchants' Guild.' In other words, the merchants want you to step down as guild president."]
[A firm, weathered voice suddenly echoed in the room: "The merchants of Aurum Alley… will they betray me one day too?"]
["I won't abandon my vision for Aurum Alley, let alone relinquish my duties."]
[Yukong wasn't surprised by his response and said calmly: "I have,,, have no intention of interfering with the guild's decisions, but as an old friend, I must remind you: Aurum Alley belongs to the present, not the past."]
["…Lady Yukong, isn't the present always shaped by the past?"]
[Yukong suggested that Mingxi temporarily take over as president to secure enough 'bidding capital.' To achieve this, Yukong advised them to visit nearby shops to gain more support.]
——
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
The afternoon sun in Naples baked the villa's brick walls. Mista leaned lazily against the wall, letting out an annoyed "tch."
"This president…" Watching the dim lamplight in the room, the president's voice reminded Mista of those stubborn old gangsters who clung to their territories, experienced but rigid.
Trish rested her chin on one hand, idly twirling a silver fork. "Compared to the president, I find the company people more annoying. Their words show they don't care about Aurum Alley's history or character at all… it's like they're looking at a pile of goods to be processed. So cold and irritating."
"Thanks to Yukong buying Stelle and Mingxi some time, though… their choice reminds me of Giorno," Fugo said, suddenly shifting the topic, catching the blond boy across from him off guard.
"Huh?"
"They refuse to wallow in the past like the president or bow to stronger forces," Fugo said calmly. "Trying to carve a third path in the gap… it's foolish, but brave."
"—Fugo."
Mista smirked mockingly. "Haven't seen you in a while, and your brown-nosing skills have improved."
"Heh, thanks to you, I'd never say it otherwise."
Fugo's face paled as he lowered his head, muttering softly: "—That's what I wanted to say when I left back then."
——
[Following Yukong's advice, Stelle and the others immediately visited Tonggong Workshop, where the owner explained that the president's goal was to recreate the bustling glory days of Aurum Alley.]
[Though his aim was also to revive Aurum Alley, times had changed, and those past glories were no longer feasible. Not only would they fail against the company, but many major shops didn't support him either.]
[It took Stelle a lot of effort to persuade the Tonggong Workshop owner. With his support, their influence in Aurum Alley grew, leading to the guild's public meeting arranged by the president.]
[This time, they'd not only meet the elusive president but also debate him directly—a thrilling prospect.]
[After reviewing the materials, Stelle arrived at the meeting, but looking around, the president was nowhere to be seen. Sushang looked at Yukong in confusion: "We're all here, but where's the president?"]
["I'm right here."]
[A golden head on a chair suddenly spoke.]
["…You're the president?" Sushang and Stelle stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the sight.]
["Indeed," the president said helplessly. "I didn't want to show myself, but today concerns Aurum Alley's future, so I had to attend."]
——
Akame ga Kill
In the forest outside Night Raid's headquarters, Tatsumi nearly fell out of a tree in shock upon seeing the president's bald golden head.
Aurum Alley… even the president is a golden automaton?!
"…No wonder his voice felt so off," Tatsumi said, suddenly connecting it to Svarog from Belobog.
"This golden automaton seems far more advanced in logic and behavior than Svarog," Najenda said, closely examining the president's lone head. "Svarog was programmed with a goal, and all his actions were conditions to achieve it—a near-perfect executor, more like a weapon or tool."
"But this guild president… though he surely lacks Svarog's combat strength now, he has more intelligent ideas. He independently creates revitalization plans and even has something like a 'vision'… truly remarkable."
Chapter 198: The Bustle of Aurum Alley (Part 7)
[After brief pleasantries, Yukong invited the president to explain his plans and considerations for Aurum Alley.]
[The golden president and Stelle both wanted Aurum Alley to prosper, but the president believed their vision of prosperity would erase the alley's traditions and character, no different from the company's actions.]
[Overdevelopment would harm the tourist experience, leading to fewer visitors, which to the president was an undeniable fact.]
["Is that your data-based conclusion?" Stelle handed the president a revenue report from Tonggong Workshop. "Take a look at this. The data shows tourist numbers haven't dropped!"]
[The data recorded not only Tonggong Workshop's revenue changes but also the number of visitors, which had increased rather than decreased. This… made the president question the data's authenticity.]
[But with Yukong vouching for the data's credibility, he had no choice but to believe it. Still, he stubbornly insisted it was an exception, not reflective of Aurum Alley as a whole.]
["You haven't lived through the era I experienced, so you can't understand… my persistence."]
——
Teyvat, Liyue
The afternoon sun streamed through the carved wooden window of the Liyue Qixing's office, casting dappled shadows on the tea table. Hearing the guild president's words, Keqing let out a heavy huff, a flicker of displeasure in her purple eyes.
"Times change, and Aurum Alley should keep up. 'You haven't lived through my era'… that's just leaning on his age, isn't it?"
"Oh?" Ningguang raised an eyebrow, twirling her pipe lightly. "That's blunt. But why do you think the president is so stubborn?"
"…He just wants to recreate past glories," Keqing said firmly, setting down her teacup. "Xianzhou people live for centuries, even millennia. Some cling to every brick and tile of Aurum Alley, wanting them to 'stay the same,' calling it 'sentiment.'"
"But to me, that's just narrow-minded 'conservatism.'"
Ningguang chuckled softly. "As sharp as ever, but… that's what I've always admired about you."
She sipped her tea. "But governing Aurum Alley requires both bold progress and understanding. The president's experience, though full of outdated rules, has been tested through countless trials."
Keqing's fingers absently traced the edge of her teacup. "I don't disrespect his experience, but if it doesn't evolve, it becomes a shackle. Take your Jade Chamber—it wouldn't be as grand today without constant expansion and innovation, right?"
"An interesting comparison," Ningguang said, her eyes gleaming with approval. "But every expansion of the Jade Chamber was built on understanding its original structure. I never demolish recklessly; I innovate through inheritance."
——
["Aurum Alley chose my persistence back then, and that's what created a commercial miracle unmatched today."]
[The president's stance was clear: today's Aurum Alley paled compared to its past, when it was truly the "Luofu's top night market."]
["I object!" Stelle pulled out a historical transaction ledger for Aurum Alley. "Your description of the past isn't objective!"]
[According to the ledger, even the peak transaction volume of Aurum Alley's glory days was on par with today's.]
["You're counting those flying mechanical birds," the president said, growing anxious. "You can't directly compare the past to the present. The environment back then was completely different…"]
[The president trailed off.]
[He realized he was circling back to Stelle's argument.]
["President, to me, Aurum Alley isn't for mourning past illusions," Mingxi said earnestly. "Aurum Alley belongs to its people. As long as people change, Aurum Alley should change too."]
[Mingxi's words left the president speechless.]
[Just as they overcame this hurdle and prepared to confront the company, the young master Xiaohan, who had been helping them, suddenly stepped forward, revealing he was the company's business representative in Exalting Sanctum.]
["You little—!" Sushang gasped. The traitor was right beside them!]
[But Xiaohan didn't see them as adversaries but as like-minded friends. Though their goals aligned for Aurum Alley's development, his vision was entirely different from the little secretary's.]
[His ultimate aim was to surpass Aurum Alley's past, turning it into a galactic commercial port.]
——
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
"Uh… wouldn't that turn Aurum Alley into Aurum Port?" Stark said, puzzled.
"It makes sense, but I don't think turning it into a port is bad. It sounds like it could be even more prosperous," Sein said, approving of Xiaohan's idea. "If they handed Aurum Alley's operations to him, I think it'd be fine."
"Not to him, but to the company, Sein," Frieren said, shaking her head. "If Xiaohan didn't have the company's backing, I'd support him competing with the secretary. But with the company behind him… heh, I'm on the secretary's side."
"Frieren, do you hate the company that much?" Stark scratched his cheek. "Not everyone there is like Skott."
"I don't hate them. It's not about the people," Frieren said. "It's just that Aurum Alley's development and planning should stay in its own hands, not an outside company's."
She continued, "Self-planning, self-development… it's a tough path at first, but if it works, it's solid. Handing the reins to the company might be easy at first, but over time, Aurum Alley would lose its autonomy and become stagnant."
"It's not that serious, is it, Lady Frieren? Xiaohan's there, isn't he?" Fern looked at her curiously.
"For now, yes… he's there. In his hands, Aurum Alley's ship might stay on course."
Frieren smiled faintly. "But Xiaohan is human. 'People change constantly.' His stance, his vision, could shift. When his vision aligns with the company's interests, he's Aurum Alley's representative. But what if his vision conflicts with the company's one day?"
"…So, I hope the secretary wins, even if her vision isn't as grand as Xiaohan's."
Frieren looked down at the muddy ground. "It's fine to walk slowly, as long as each step is steady."