Reinhardt frowned. He did not think there was any misunderstanding in this matter. Carey and Martin were simply asking for humiliation. Even if Fatty hadn’t presented proof, the honest fellow was still more credible than those two playboys. However, this matter had too great an impact on Donald. In noble circles, the rule of supporting one another, though Reinhardt despised it, was something he understood. Sometimes, it’s better to turn a big problem into a small one, and a small problem into no problem at all.
But when it came to Zhang Yuan’s blunt and unsophisticated nature, Reinhardt found it rather headache-inducing. He said to Fatty, "Zhang Yuan, maybe you mistook someone. Why don’t you talk with Mr. Donald." With that, he nodded to Donald and left straight away.
Donald, feeling as if he had been granted an imperial decree, knew that Reinhardt’s words were already quite generous. As long as he could appease the annoying Fatty, everything would be resolved. Though people would still gossip privately, publicly his reputation would remain intact, and no one would dare use this incident to accuse him face to face. Otherwise, they would be offending Stephen, himself, and the Mythical Army — three major forces. Given Reinhardt’s character, he absolutely wouldn’t like to see anyone using a member of the Mythical Army as a tool.
Christina and Ann Lei also found it inconvenient to stay any longer, so they followed Reinhardt into the ballroom, leaving Fatty and Donald staring at each other.
After a long pause, Fatty said bluntly, "I didn’t lie, I really didn’t lie!"
Donald almost spat blood in Fatty’s face. Damn it, I know you didn’t lie; the problem now is that you’re not lying! He suppressed his internal turmoil and laughed loudly, "Ha ha, as long as it’s a misunderstanding, that’s fine! I told you, Carey wouldn’t go to such a place." This old fox, narrowing his eyes at Fatty, continued loudly, "Mr. Zhang, thank you so much. The people of the Mythical Army are truly remarkable! They are honest and noble! Misunderstandings can always be cleared up!"
This old hand’s trick of confusing black and white was highly practiced. These two sentences were loud and clear enough for the nobles passing by the door to hear, evidently aiming to establish the predetermined fact that Zhang Yuan had admitted it was a misunderstanding.
Fatty chuckled inwardly, his face red from holding back as he played the part of an aggrieved innocent. Just as he was about to cause trouble for Donald, he saw Prince George walking over, enthusiastically shaking his hand. "Mr. Zhang, I am George. Christina often mentions you and praises your mechanical skills!" Without waiting for Fatty to speak, George turned to Donald and said, "My dear Minister of Propaganda, since the misunderstanding is cleared up, let’s leave it at that. The ball is about to start. How to thank Mr. Zhang, we’ll discuss later."
Initially, Donald was on edge due to Fatty’s soon-to-be-explosive aggrieved look. On hearing George’s words, he was extremely grateful and repeatedly said, "Okay, okay! We’ll repay the favor later, repay the favor later." He said this quietly while hastily retreating to the castle hall, afraid that if he stayed any longer, something else might go wrong with the dim-witted Fatty.
George handled the situation beautifully. His leverage turned the tide, solving in one sentence what Stephen couldn’t, and he sold an enormous favor to Donald, who had just joined Stephen’s camp. As long as Donald remained Minister of Propaganda, any reputation hit his son might take was less beneficial than pulling the Minister to his side. As long as George remained the Crown Prince, this favor was one Donald couldn’t refuse to repay. Using this opportunity to network with the Fatty, who had not yet been deeply marked by the Mythical Army, and letting Donald present a grand gift, George not only did a favor but also won Fatty’s goodwill. It was a relaxed and pleasant experience.
Fatty of course had to show respect for George’s face. Keeping his face flushed, he ultimately didn’t speak, just kept shaking his head and sighing, as if he had suffered a great loss, with his integrity twisted and his pure life tainted. This made George almost feel guilty, as if it were a crime to manipulate such an honest Fatty.
Fatty looked at George with a wistful gaze, making George uneasy. Suddenly, Fatty seemed to remember something, and exclaimed joyfully, "Are you the Crown Prince of the Empire, Prince George?"
George nodded blankly. Fatty’s face was a mix of disbelief and uncontainable joy. "Heavens... I’m so... so honored! Prince George, you are my number one idol!"
George’s heart bloomed with joy, "No, no, Mr. Zhang, your skills are extraordinary. You are my idol. I particularly like Mecha; we must spar sometime."
Fatty blushed and touched the back of his head embarrassedly, "I only have some mechanical knowledge, unlike Prince George. Everyone says you are the epitome of elegance and poise, with unparalleled scholarship and refinement in the Empire! The rare thing is you are kind and never domineering. Meeting you today, you truly live up to your reputation. How can a mechanic like me compare to Prince George, let alone talk about being an idol? Knowing you is a great fortune for me!"