Chapter 8
“So, Momo, do you think this is bad now?” Naze looked at Momo, who was frozen in fear, and teased her.
“No, I don’t! I’m just a little surprised, but it makes sense!” Momo touched her nose and said innocently, “They live much longer than humans, so naturally they should learn a lot over their long lives. If they lived for hundreds of years and still wrapped themselves in bark, living in the woods and thinking about eating raw meat every day, that would be strange. Uh, I’m not saying the Blood Clan drinking blood is bad, it’s just-”
The more Momo tried to explain, the worse it sounded. Frustrated, she patted her own head, silently blaming herself for being tactless. Naze didn’t reply immediately, but gently took her hand: “With me, you don’t need to be so cautious.”
After a pause, Naze continued, “The Blood Clan no longer randomly drink human blood or privately keep Blood Servants. All the blood they consume is provided by the Blood Bank we operate. However, while they enjoy these privileges, they actually refuse to change.”
“Is your sudden return to the company related to this?” Momo asked with concern.
Seeing Momo was interested, Naze was about to explain when a knock came at the door. He sighed and frowned. Momo reached out and pressed his brow: “Don’t frown, I don’t like it.”
“It seems things are really noisy over there.” Naze held Momo’s hand, covering his eyes as if to feel her warmth.
“I’ll go with you.” Seeing his tired face, Momo suddenly felt an urge to fight alongside him. Naze grabbed her hand, as if trying to see through her, startling Momo into quickly changing her mind, “If it’s not okay, then forget it. I was just saying.”
“No, I thought you weren’t ready to meet other Blood Clan members yet,” Naze’s faint smile grew warmer, “But I’m glad you’re willing to face this with me. You should know, this really isn’t a pleasant task.”
Momo grinned and waved her fist, looking ready for battle, which made Naze’s smile widen even more. Momo quickly climbed off Naze’s lap, changed her clothes, handed the child to a servant, and, full of excitement, walked with Naze toward the conference hall.
When Naze and Momo entered the conference hall, everyone stood up and bowed, though some people’s expressions were far from elegant or respectful-clearly, things had been heated just moments before.
Naze led Momo to the chief seat and sat down, his expression cold as he said, “The meeting will be conducted in Chinese. Continue.”
After three seconds of silence, everyone’s gaze shifted to Momo beside Naze. To be so favored, she must be the Princess Consort of the Fanzhuo Clan. She had a good presence, but as a human, what was she doing here?!
Feeling the curious and probing looks, Momo turned to Naze, silently asking for help. Naze smiled, squeezed her hand, and whispered in her ear, “Last time was our Fanzhuo Clan’s banquet, so everyone was familiar with you. Today, there are representatives from other clans. My Momo is the best. If they look at you, just look back at them.”
Well, that works, Momo muttered quietly. But since she was already here, she could only look back. Thinking about Naze’s words, she turned her head and began to observe the people present. On the left were those in traditional noble attire, while on the right were dressed in suits, but all were handsome men and beautiful women.
“Prince Fanzhuo, our Buluhe Clan does not agree to continue with this proposal. This proposal is an insult to our Blood Clan.” A man with a long blond beard on the left couldn’t wait to speak.
As soon as he finished, a woman in a black dress on the left immediately responded, “Oh, darling, can you really represent the views of the Buluhe Clan? Even humans know how ‘harmonious’ the Buluhe Clan is!”
A sharp laugh rang out nearby, “Oh, heavens, the Toreador artists are here too. I thought you only had passion for canvases and pianos!”
Momo glanced at the nobles on the left and couldn’t help but purse her lips. She had thought, like a debate, those in the same clothes would be on the same side, but it turned out there were internal conflicts.
“Silence!” The man in red next to Naze finally lost his patience. “Clan representatives, please focus on the meeting agenda.”
The scum of the Elder Council-no, the blood-scum-Momo clenched her fist under the table. She had already heard from Naze on the way here that the Elder Council of the Blood Clan was equivalent to their court, consisting of nine members, each nearly a thousand years old. They wore red robes symbolizing the so-called Blood Clan spirit. This incident had been orchestrated entirely by the three power-hungry old men sitting to Naze’s left. They hoped to take advantage of Naze’s absence to destroy the autonomous system he had established and reclaim the ever-diminishing authority of the Elder Council.
Silence. Silence. The representatives on the left, after being shouted at, didn’t dare make a sound.
In fact, the clan representatives didn’t want to offend the Fanzhuo Clan. The Prince of the Fanzhuo Clan was the only hereditary leader among the Blood Clan, rumored to possess the bloodline of Cain. While they might not respect him, they certainly didn’t dare to openly defy a Prince who wielded real power, even if they secretly wished for chaos. Today, these people were simply here for the spectacle; in their long lives, there weren’t many chances to meet the true leader of the Blood Clan in such an open setting.
Seeing no one respond, the Elder who had just spoken had no choice but to turn to Naze and say stiffly, “Your Highness, as you can see, the clan representatives are all taking a reserved stance on your company’s proposal. Therefore, I believe, regarding the development project of the Virtual Online Game, Your Highness the Prince must consider it very carefully.”
What?! Momo, who had been looking around, was immediately drawn in by the words she caught: “What Virtual Online Game?”
Momo’s question seemed to cause a brief awkward silence, but at Naze’s signal, a man in a work uniform on the right stood up respectfully to answer her. “Madam Momo, please allow me to answer your question. In fact, the current category of online games is accessed via computer and is considered carrier-based online gaming. However, after more than a decade of development, it can no longer meet human needs. They desire a more realistic, immersive experience. Therefore, the company hopes to gather Blood Clan employees with hallucinatory abilities, using illusions to satisfy players’ needs and thus develop a Virtual Online Game-”
“Why should our Blood Clan develop such a thing? I’ve played their games-they’re utterly boring!” The yellow-bearded puppet from the Buluhe Clan finally found his chance to speak.
“But at least in the game, we can see sunlight.” A small voice suddenly came from the shadows, the gently swaying curtain revealing his hiding place.
“Add a seat for the Nofele Clan representative,” Naze, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“No, no need!” The person behind the screen refused in a panic. “I’m fine right here.”
“Then put the seat behind the screen,” Momo interjected gently. Naze had once told her that after being Embraced, members of the Nofele Clan grew uglier by the day. They lived in sewers or underground crypts, but were actually very kind-hearted.
“Thank you, human madam!”
Hmm, what a strange form of address. Momo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
However, this heartwarming scene clearly provoked the Toreador beauty, who prided herself on her elegance and beauty: “Nofele’s hamster, what do you know?! The night is our Blood Clan’s true life. We rule it. Let those who worship God have their fun in the daylight!”
“The key issue isn’t day or night. If you could save 10% on expenses, the Blood Clan wouldn’t have to scramble for money. You lot, living in drunken debauchery!” The Elder sitting to the right of Fanzhuo finally dropped his mask of elegance and shouted loudly.
“Money? We could just rob someone!” The nobles on the left suddenly fell silent-they really had never earned any money.
“Don’t forget the First Precept of the Blood Clan: Seclusion! If you go robbing people, do you think humans wouldn’t notice?!”
“And you want to use supernatural powers to develop games-do you think humans are idiots?!”
“Oh, Satan, why should our noble Blood Clan care about those inferior humans?!”
“Shut up, all of you!” Momo slapped the table, losing her temper. Did they think she, a human, was just for show?!