After having Aijier arrange bodyguards and contacts for her, the girl hurried back.
She was in such a hurry for two reasons.
First, to convince Lai En to fork over money, she needed to prepare a convincing plan, which meant she had to start writing immediately.
Second, the weather was starting to turn cold, and the chilly wind outside was biting.
It was better to hurry back and hole up indoors.
Back at her homestead, the girl threw herself into writing with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Three days later, a white paper titled “On Strengthening Intelligence and Internal Affairs” was placed on Lai En’s desk.
Lai En picked up the stack of carefully bound papyrus and tentatively opened the first page.
Seeing none of Alicia’s signature flattery and grandiose empty words, he relaxed.
“What, you finally realize that writing that sycophantic stuff is meaningless besides being disgusting?”
“Lord and Master, this is a serious internal document after all. I’ve tried my best to avoid nonsense.”
The girl stood below, eyes fixed forward, but inwardly she was cursing him a hundred times over and taking deep breaths, ready for anything.
“You actually realize that’s nonsense!”
Lai En seemed in a good mood.
He leaned back comfortably in his high-backed chair and began flipping through quickly.
The organizational structure, division of functions, and training outline were novel, but the logic was clear, causing him to nod slightly.
However, when he turned to the later pages and saw the budget request that Alicia had conspicuously circled and bolded in bright red ink, he felt a surge of anger rush to his head.
“What—! Alicia, say that again! How much salary do you plan to pay them?!”
Lai En leaped up from his chair as if burned.
He slapped the table, making the ink pot jump, and his finger trembled as he jabbed at the glaring red line on the paper.
“Three hundred Cuini a month? Do you think my silver falls from the sky? Why don’t you just rob me?”
The girl had anticipated this reaction and immediately put on an innocent face.
“Lord and Master, please calm your anger! What I’ve written here is the ideal budget for the organization’s complete, efficient operation in the future! It’s a target, not something we need immediately! You see, I’ve explained why I need this money, the detailed use of each coin, and the expected benefits in the several preceding chapters of planning and argumentation! My plan is interconnected!”
“That’s still too much! This money could support several knights. You…”
He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly narrowed his eyes, and looked Alicia up and down with extreme suspicion.
“Tell me honestly, have you been secretly overspending again?”
“What do you mean ‘again’…?”
Alicia’s face instantly fell.
“Lord and Master, this is a good thing that will benefit the current generation and future ages, just like the Toilet Improvement and Popularization Plan I proposed before.”
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
Lai En angrily pushed the white paper to the edge of the table, adopting a “no discussion” posture.
“So all this was just to ask for money? Then I don’t need to read the rest.”
“No! Lord and Master!”
Alicia nearly jumped up in panic, forgetting her composure.
“The budget… can be negotiated! Can be discussed! We can do it in stages, pay based on results! But at least read through my specific implementation plan, risk assessment, and expected outcomes for the next three years! I dare to write this number because I have evidence and confidence! Okay? Please!”
Lai En wore a sour face, staring at her for several seconds before reluctantly taking the white paper back.
“Hmph…”
He grumbled, and with patience, skipped the budget section that had nearly given him high blood pressure, continuing to flip through.
At first, his expression still carried residual anger and pickiness.
But gradually, his face grew more and more serious.
The following content included the intelligence network hierarchy construction, cipher and invisible ink technology proposal, undercover agent selection and training regulations, intelligence analysis process, counter-intelligence methods, and a monitoring plan for potential instability factors within the territory.
He certainly knew what this combination of measures meant.
Although the intelligence content was novel, what truly frightened him was what the girl had written at the end—the concept of internal rectification, purge and discipline supervision.
It briefly discussed how to establish an independent internal supervision mechanism, with functions including but not limited to: investigating official dereliction of duty, corruption, and collusion with the enemy; monitoring abnormal fund and personnel flows within the territory; preventing and dealing with signs of internal rebellion; and even, under specific circumstances, possessing the authority for secret investigation and disposal without public trial.
The study fell silent, leaving only the rustling of papyrus and the occasional crackle of candle flames.
Lai En even felt a chill.
If he really let her create the agency she called the ‘Ministry of Internal Affairs’ according to her plan, what terrible power would this person hold in her hands?
The picture painted by this plan was both full of temptation and exuded a frightening dangerous aura.
If managed well, he would gain an extremely safe, loyal, and efficient rear support and intelligence network.
But if he loosened the reins, this organization could very well become an out-of-control beast.
Alicia held her breath, carefully watching every change in Lai En’s expression, her heart rising bit by bit with his page-turning movements.
“I can’t decide on this matter right now. You’ve worked hard. Go and rest for now.”
The girl was dumbfounded.
She had promised Mr. Aijier a tenfold salary increase!
“Lord and Master, about the budget… If you think it’s too much, then… one hundred Cuini a month?”
“You really don’t give up!”
Lai En looked at her with a mix of exasperation and amusement, then held his forehead with one hand and waved helplessly.
“A hundred it is. If you’re still not satisfied, don’t expect a single coin!”
“I, your subject, thank you for your great kindness! Lord and Master, you are truly far-sighted, open to good advice, and considerate of your subordinates…”
Alicia’s heart blossomed with joy, and flattery was about to pour out reflexively.
“Stop! Don’t be so smug after getting a bargain.”
Lai En immediately raised his hand to stop her flattery and pointed at the door.
“Get the hell out of here!”
“Yes, yes, yes. Your subject takes leave. I’ll be gone now!”
Holding back her laughter all the way, the girl burst out laughing as soon as she left the castle.
‘This is negotiation technique, negotiation technique! First give a condition that looks absolutely unacceptable, then make a concession, and the probability of the other party agreeing significantly increases. Didn’t I just get a hundred Cuini! The promise to Mr. Aijier is fulfilled!’
Completely unaware of the weight of what she had submitted, the girl hummed a tune and rode Black Bess for a leisurely stroll around the city.
Since she had nothing to do today, she might as well go check out the Advanced Firearms Research Institute.
It had been months; she wondered if Xindeli’s gunpowder workshop had made any new breakthroughs.
Just as she arrived at the workshop, the girl immediately saw several workers lying nervously on the ground.
The master craftsman Xindeli, whom she had high hopes for, was running toward her, waving his arms, wearing a set of full plate armor that clearly didn’t fit him.
What was that guy up to? Did he give up being a craftsman to become a knight?
“Ah, Excellency Alicia, you’re here!”
Xindeli recognized the girl and immediately smiled as he came over.
The ill-fitting armor clanged noisily with his movements.
“You’ve come at the right time. We’re preparing for a firearm test firing. If you’re interested, you can inspect it anytime!”
“Really?” The girl beamed and gladly went along.
After all, if Xindeli really produced a usable firearm, she would immediately prepare procurement and training plans for a firearm squad.
Then she would execute a three-row volley fire and let the enemy knights see what it meant for the times to change!
But why did the workers along the way all look so nervous? And why were so many shields placed at the observation post?
The girl vaguely felt something was off, but couldn’t resist Xindeli’s enthusiastic invitation.
She could only helplessly watch as the Xindeli brothers put armor on her.
“No, is it necessary to wear plate armor? You’re not planning to use me as a target, are you?”
“Of course not, this is just a precaution. Here, here, this is the helmet…”
The girl felt she couldn’t move a single step now.
This luxurious full plate armor with chainmail was too heavy for her small frame.
After some fuss, Xindeli finally brought out the firearm prototype they had forged together.
Its shape was nothing like the firearm in the girl’s memory.
It had a long thin wooden rod, with a thick stick nailed vertically at one end, and the other end connected to a palm-sized metal tube.
Rather than a firearm, it looked like a miniature muzzle-loading cannon with a stock.
This thing really looked… unreliable!
Xindeli carefully poured his homemade gunpowder into the barrel… no, the gun barrel, then placed a piece of papyrus, then took out a round pellet the size of a fingernail and stuffed it in, then used a small wooden rod to poke it down.
The whole process matched the steps in the girl’s memory, but it was terrifying to watch.
Especially when Xindeli, while busy loading, introduced the gunpowder as ‘unstable and difficult to store,’ the girl really wanted to run away.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t move a single step now.
She could only watch helplessly as Xindeli finished loading the ammunition, then placed the gun on a table ten meters away, fixed it with sandbags and wooden blocks, and aimed it at a set of rusty old breastplate not far away.
Good, good.
If he had planned to let her hold the gun for the test firing, she would never agree even if it killed her!
At least Xindeli had high safety awareness.
He used a long fuse to fire it, so they could hide outside the safe range for testing.
“Everyone—final check! Ready to ignite!”
Xindeli shouted, his voice distorted by nervousness and the visor.
He took a last look at the surrounding protections, confirming that everyone was well hidden, especially Alicia, who was thoroughly shielded by shields and barriers.
Then, he took a deep breath and, with a torch tied to a long pole, tremblingly approached the end of the fuse on the ground.
Sizzle—!
The fuse was lit, bursting into a cluster of dazzling sparks, then began to hiss and sped away at an alarming speed!
Boom—!!!
A violent explosion sounded, and a blazing fireball instantly engulfed the ‘creation’ on the firing platform.
The sturdy log table was blasted to pieces, and the sandbags used for fixing were thrown away by the shockwave!
In the horrified eyes of everyone, the so-called ‘firearm’ instantly turned into countless metal shards, crazily shooting in all directions!
Crackle!
Clang!
Alicia was extremely grateful that she was wearing heavy armor and hiding behind wood, iron shields, and sandbags.
Otherwise, she would definitely have been turned into a pincushion by the metal shards!