"Ballard Lord... I seem to have heard of it somewhere." Alyssa muttered in a low voice.
It has not been long since she officially entered the Leinforte Group, and she has not been involved in social circles before. Her knowledge of the nobility is limited to the Northland family and people related to Thorz. At most, she has only heard the names of other famous nobles.
Degree.
Of course, if the Marquis comes to the Fourth Development Department to discuss business, that is another matter. Alyssa will definitely collect information in advance and fully understand this person so that she knows herself and her enemy.
Irina has already done similar things, and this set of procedures was taught by Irina to Alyssa. As Irina's right-hand man, Sharon already knows Ballard's information very well, and she talks about it.
"Marquis Ballard, whose full name is William Ballard, is the temporary administrator of Lamar State and the last person likely to succeed Duke Kane. He is the largest partner of the group in the west and the major shareholder of the western branch.
.”
"It turned out to be him."
As soon as she said this, Alyssa remembered.
She still knew about the Western Branch, saying that it had strong support from the next Duke Kane.
I have a growing dislike for Duke Kane, Alyssa and even the entire old Class VII.
The largest noble in the empire, the biggest instigator of the civil war, and the leader of the "Noble Alliance" wants to revive the great cause of his ancestor, the pseudo-emperor Eutrus.
Because of his ambition, the empire suffered huge losses, he imprisoned the royal family, and used Cedric to activate the "Crimson Riding God", which left a huge shadow on the latter, and indirectly led to Crowe's death.
Having committed so many crimes, it was naturally impossible for him to be given the title of Duke again. However, considering the long aristocratic history of the empire and the post-war revival issues, Emperor Jukent III did not deprive the Kane family of their hereditary titles and four titles.
The status of a famous family and the title of Duke can still be passed down according to the normal process.
The Duke of Cain's family is sparse, and the only one who is still active is the Marquis of Ballard, but he is also the taller among the dwarfs.
He has some ability, but it is selfish. Relying on his bloodline advantage and having no competitors, he only knows how to harm the public and enrich his own private interests. During his tenure as the manager of Lamar State, he abused his power and gained a lot of benefits for himself.
Many nobles are talking behind their backs that the Kane family is really going to decline.
"What did he do?"
Sharon did not answer Alyssa's question directly, but looked at Irina first.
Sharon is very measured in her actions and has clear priorities. Her first loyalty is to Irina, followed by Alyssa.
Small things don't matter, big things will never be exceeded.
Irina said: "He ordered four new train guns, intending to use them as the biggest bargaining chip to succeed Duke Kane."
For this reason, Ballard did not ask for confidentiality. On the contrary, he planned to publicize it once it was completed.
"Why would he make such a weapon? Aren't he afraid of being suspected by the government of rebellion?" Alyssa couldn't understand.
The Western Lamar State is the westernmost part of the Samlian continent. There is no country bordering it. The border is basically on the sea. The nearest city of Chu Lai has also been annexed by the empire. It can be said to be absolutely safe. There is no need to waste money.
and resources to build such weapons of mass destruction.
Moreover, it has only been a year and a half since Duke Kane took office, and construction at this time is really too sensitive.
"He wanted to give the train guns to the regular army in exchange for government support." Irina explained.
Ballard believed that he had no rivals among the nobility, so the only resistance could only come from the government. After all, his reputation was not good.
"It's still strange." Alyssa added, "The place where train guns can be most effective is the border with Kalvad. The corresponding fortresses have plans to install them."
"I also analyze it from this aspect and feel that there is something wrong with this matter, as if someone is pushing it behind the scenes."
After hearing what Irina said, Li En's doubts were finally dispelled.
"There are indeed people behind it who want to cause unrest in Lamar State, and my purpose is to disrupt this unrest."
"How do you want to destroy it?" Irina asked, "The agreement has been signed, and non-delivery or delayed delivery are impossible. Ballardhou has been watching this matter, and he is very clear about the progress every day.
.”
"It doesn't need to go to this extent."
Rean shook his head. A sudden change of mind could easily arouse suspicion and lead to unexpected changes.
"I hope I can do some tricks on the train gun. Normally everything works fine, but at critical moments it gets stuck and the gun cannot fire."
"This request..." Irina closed her eyes and thought for a while, then nodded and said, "It is feasible, Sharon, you can handle it. All of this has nothing to do with Ryan Forte, it is someone who wants to harm the group and cooperate.
A device secretly installed by my partner.”
"I understand, President." Sharon smiled.
This will not affect Ryan Fult's reputation, and it will fulfill Rean's wish.
Sharon has already thought of the method. Weapons like train guns cannot be pulled out and fired twice like conventional weapons.
At most, it only needs a few test fires before leaving the factory and delivery, and it still uses blank ammunition, so you only need to do some tricks on the launching mechanism to make it stop after the test firing period.
Of course, Sharon had to find an opportunity to install it secretly by herself, and there must be traces of the installation afterwards, so that Irina could shirk responsibility.
To take a step back, it doesn't matter even if what Rean is worried about doesn't happen. He can leave it to the regular army and find an opportunity to dismantle it. The installation and maintenance process of the train gun is different from that of ordinary weapons. Ryan Forte needs to send someone to track and take charge. Chances are
There are many.
"Thank you, Miss Sharon." Li En greeted with a smile.
Irina asked again: "Are there any other requirements?"
"Yes, yes, but it's not particularly urgent. During this period, you can verify the information I gave you first. You can't always be giving without getting anything in return." Li En understood the principle of accepting when something is good.
"Actually, I have already been rewarded." Irina glanced at Sharon.
Li En probably guessed that the two of them had renewed their contract, and he was happy in his heart, but said: "That doesn't count, I won't care about the gains and losses in this kind of thing."
This sentence made Irina take a deep look at Rean: "You are outstanding, you can say that you are the best young man in the empire. It is very reassuring to be friends and partners with people like you, but as a
Alyssa’s mother, it’s hard for me to trust you with my daughter.”
"Huh?" Li En was confused.
"Mom!" Alyssa panicked, blushing and waving her hands wildly, "I, there is nothing between us."
"Really?" Irina chuckled and said nothing more.
"President, please don't worry, I will do my best to help the eldest lady." Sharon patted her chest and expressed her stance.