Chapter 158: 158 – Fang Becomes A National Treasure
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Ren arrived at Sirocco's office at lunch time. Fang and Pax were waiting for him with lunch boxes that had been sent over by Chef Jules. No one wanted to take a risk and go out to eat food, or order something from the outside today, either. There were too many media persons hovering around, and none of them wanted to take any unnecessary risks.
"Just in time," Fang said, getting up to greet Ren with a kiss. "Come and eat first, I don't want the food to get cold."
"Yes, my dear prince," Ren responded in a teasing voice.
Fang rolled his eyes, but didn't object.
Pax's phone pinged, and he picked it up to check the new message. He frowned as soon as he saw the text.
"What's wrong, Pax?" Ren asked.
"The Dragon Queen wants to join our press conference in the evening. She is landing in Cosmopolis at four. We have scheduled the press conference at five, so we can have her picked up at the airport and bring her there directly," Pax replied. He narrowed his eyes at Ren and Fang. "Unless, of course, the two of you don't want her to be there. Then you have to tell me now and I will find a way to delay her flight or delay her at the airport without offending her."
Ren shook his head. "Let her come over," he said. "It will support our stance if she is here, too, right?" he asked Fang.
Fang nodded. "Yes, it will. After she issued a press release earlier today in response to what was being said by the deposed royals of the Valley Kingdom, the tides have turned completely in our favour. There are also a lot of people speaking up, and Wolf has even been able to find a few new clues and leads which will help him with the investigations about the death of my parents," he said.
Ren took Fang's hand and brought it to his lips. "And what about you? How are you doing? How are you feeling?" he asked gently.
Fang shrugged. "Surprisingly normal, actually," he murmured. "I think that is thanks to you, mostly. You have filled up the void in my life so thoroughly with yourself and the babies and our people like Pax and Wolf and Dr. Gordon and Steward Paul and Chef Jules and the others – that I don't feel alone and lost any more. You have given me a home, Ren, and that gives me the stability and the warmth that has ensured that these things don't affect me too much." He patted Ren's hand in a reassuring manner. "Don't worry about me. I am doing all right, and if I feel overwhelmed, I will come to you for solace. You are my rock, my island, my home, my everything, Ren. I didn't really know my parents – so, for me, it is enough to know who they were and the fact that they didn't abandon me of their own will. And that I still have a few living relatives who genuinely care about me, even if there are relatives who want to use me as a pawn for their own evil purposes. But I know that I can deal with everything because I have you with me."
Ren stared at Fang for a long time, and then he blinked slowly and pulled the younger man into a hug.
"Good," he said in an emotional voice. It would be impossible to claim that he was not touched by Fang's words.
"At the risk of ruining your romantic moment, I must point out that the food is getting cold," Pax said dryly. "And we still have things to do."
Ren and Fang sprang apart, both their faces turning red.
Pax smirked and handed out two lunch boxes to each of them, and claimed the third one for himself.
"I feel like I am back in school and eating lunch with my friends," Ren murmured, opening the lunch box and seeing how nicely Chef Jules had packed it.
"We can carry lunch boxes like this to SIMS sometimes if you like it," Fang offered immediately.
Ren chuckled and shook his head. "The lunch at SIMS is pretty good, too," he said. "I am beginning to feel that you had something to do with that, Fang."
Fang flushed and Pax raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't told Ren about it yet?" Pax asked Fang.
"Tell me what?" Ren demanded.
"Fang spent ages on researching proper caterers and finalising the menu in the cafeteria at SIMS," Pax told Ren. "He wanted to make sure that his beloved Ren would be able to eat at the plebian cafeteria with other people – because he didn't want you to be perceived as a snob by your peers."
Ren looked at Fang with adoring eyes. "Thank you, my prince charming," he said softly, his golden eyes glowing with affection and admiration.
Fang flushed. "I can do this much for you, at the very least," he murmured.
Ren beamed at him.
The three of them finished their lunch quickly, and then Pax took Ren through the plans and arrangements that he and Fang had made for the press conference, and what they were planning to say. Things had also been mobilised in the Valley Kingdom, and the leader of the rebellion had been contacted already and had been told firmly that Fang had no intention of turning up in the Valley Kingdom to claim the throne, and that if they needed help in setting up a democratic rule, then help would be offered from their side. But if they wanted Fang to come back and claim the throne, then that would not be possible, and if anyone created trouble for Fang because of this, then they would hit back without mercy.
After all, Fang had plenty of backing – be it the Dragon Nation, Sand Country or Sirocco (which was a given anyway) – or even Cosmopolis. The political leaders of Cosmopolis had actually reached out to Pax in the morning and offered their help as well. Fang was quite a precious person for them as well, and everyone knew how much Sirocco meant to the economy of Cosmopolis. And there was no one who was blind to the fact that Chairman Ren was head over heels in love with Fang – well, Prince Fang now. If Prince Fang decided to go off to live in the Valley Kingdom, then wouldn't that mean that Chairman Ren would pack up and follow his beloved Prince Fang? And if that happened, wouldn't Cosmopolis lose out on not only all the money that Sirocco was raking in, but also the newly set up Zephyr – the company of Prince Fang that would surely be a grand success based on the talents that had been demonstrated by Prince Fang until now? And what would happen to SIMS, that had been so meticulously set up by the two of them, and what would happen to the grand plans around the growth of SIMS that had been planned out by the cabinet ministers of Cosmopolis? And as if it wasn't bad enough that Prince Fang was the long lost heir to the throne of the Valley Kingdom – he also turned out to be a prince of the Dragon Nation on top of it! The Valley Kingdom could still be dismissed because of the current situation – but what if the Dragon Queen wanted to take her nephew back home? No, they had all decided. Prince Fang or just the young prodigy Fang – no matter what his real identity was, he had to remain in Cosmopolis and they would all treat him like a national treasure. He really was a treasure that they could not afford to give away to another country!
It was probably a result of this thought process on part of the cabinet ministers that half an hour after the news of the Dragon Queen's arrival to join the press conference of Ren and Fang in the evening came to Pax, the news that two of the cabinet ministers of Cosmopolis – the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of International Affairs – would also be joining the press conference. Their secretaries had texted Pax and wanted to arrange a quick conference call with Ren and Fang and Pax and to learn their thoughts about the matter.
Ren laughed when Pax relayed this information to them with a straight face (but mirth shining in his blue eyes).
Fang rubbed his temples. "What is wrong with these people? I just want to stay here with Ren and live my life peacefully – why is everyone creating such a ruckus around it?" he complained.
"Well, you are now a national treasure of Cosmopolis, Prince Fang," Pax said with an amused smile.. "Shall we speak to the two ministers and put their anxiety to rest? I am sure that they are worried to the point of pulling out their hair that you would go off to either the Valley Kingdom or the Dragon Nation, and then Ren would wrap up his business in Cosmopolis and run after you."
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Ren arrived at Sirocco's office at lunch time. Fang and Pax were waiting for him with lunch boxes that had been sent over by Chef Jules. No one wanted to take a risk and go out to eat food, or order something from the outside today, either. There were too many media persons hovering around, and none of them wanted to take any unnecessary risks.
"Just in time," Fang said, getting up to greet Ren with a kiss. "Come and eat first, I don't want the food to get cold."
"Yes, my dear prince," Ren responded in a teasing voice.
Fang rolled his eyes, but didn't object.
Pax's phone pinged, and he picked it up to check the new message. He frowned as soon as he saw the text.
"What's wrong, Pax?" Ren asked.
"The Dragon Queen wants to join our press conference in the evening. She is landing in Cosmopolis at four. We have scheduled the press conference at five, so we can have her picked up at the airport and bring her there directly," Pax replied. He narrowed his eyes at Ren and Fang. "Unless, of course, the two of you don't want her to be there. Then you have to tell me now and I will find a way to delay her flight or delay her at the airport without offending her."
Ren shook his head. "Let her come over," he said. "It will support our stance if she is here, too, right?" he asked Fang.
Fang nodded. "Yes, it will. After she issued a press release earlier today in response to what was being said by the deposed royals of the Valley Kingdom, the tides have turned completely in our favour. There are also a lot of people speaking up, and Wolf has even been able to find a few new clues and leads which will help him with the investigations about the death of my parents," he said.
Ren took Fang's hand and brought it to his lips. "And what about you? How are you doing? How are you feeling?" he asked gently.
Fang shrugged. "Surprisingly normal, actually," he murmured. "I think that is thanks to you, mostly. You have filled up the void in my life so thoroughly with yourself and the babies and our people like Pax and Wolf and Dr. Gordon and Steward Paul and Chef Jules and the others – that I don't feel alone and lost any more. You have given me a home, Ren, and that gives me the stability and the warmth that has ensured that these things don't affect me too much." He patted Ren's hand in a reassuring manner. "Don't worry about me. I am doing all right, and if I feel overwhelmed, I will come to you for solace. You are my rock, my island, my home, my everything, Ren. I didn't really know my parents – so, for me, it is enough to know who they were and the fact that they didn't abandon me of their own will. And that I still have a few living relatives who genuinely care about me, even if there are relatives who want to use me as a pawn for their own evil purposes. But I know that I can deal with everything because I have you with me."
Ren stared at Fang for a long time, and then he blinked slowly and pulled the younger man into a hug.
"Good," he said in an emotional voice. It would be impossible to claim that he was not touched by Fang's words.
"At the risk of ruining your romantic moment, I must point out that the food is getting cold," Pax said dryly. "And we still have things to do."
Ren and Fang sprang apart, both their faces turning red.
Pax smirked and handed out two lunch boxes to each of them, and claimed the third one for himself.
"I feel like I am back in school and eating lunch with my friends," Ren murmured, opening the lunch box and seeing how nicely Chef Jules had packed it.
"We can carry lunch boxes like this to SIMS sometimes if you like it," Fang offered immediately.
Ren chuckled and shook his head. "The lunch at SIMS is pretty good, too," he said. "I am beginning to feel that you had something to do with that, Fang."
Fang flushed and Pax raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't told Ren about it yet?" Pax asked Fang.
"Tell me what?" Ren demanded.
"Fang spent ages on researching proper caterers and finalising the menu in the cafeteria at SIMS," Pax told Ren. "He wanted to make sure that his beloved Ren would be able to eat at the plebian cafeteria with other people – because he didn't want you to be perceived as a snob by your peers."
Ren looked at Fang with adoring eyes. "Thank you, my prince charming," he said softly, his golden eyes glowing with affection and admiration.
Fang flushed. "I can do this much for you, at the very least," he murmured.
Ren beamed at him.
The three of them finished their lunch quickly, and then Pax took Ren through the plans and arrangements that he and Fang had made for the press conference, and what they were planning to say. Things had also been mobilised in the Valley Kingdom, and the leader of the rebellion had been contacted already and had been told firmly that Fang had no intention of turning up in the Valley Kingdom to claim the throne, and that if they needed help in setting up a democratic rule, then help would be offered from their side. But if they wanted Fang to come back and claim the throne, then that would not be possible, and if anyone created trouble for Fang because of this, then they would hit back without mercy.
After all, Fang had plenty of backing – be it the Dragon Nation, Sand Country or Sirocco (which was a given anyway) – or even Cosmopolis. The political leaders of Cosmopolis had actually reached out to Pax in the morning and offered their help as well. Fang was quite a precious person for them as well, and everyone knew how much Sirocco meant to the economy of Cosmopolis. And there was no one who was blind to the fact that Chairman Ren was head over heels in love with Fang – well, Prince Fang now. If Prince Fang decided to go off to live in the Valley Kingdom, then wouldn't that mean that Chairman Ren would pack up and follow his beloved Prince Fang? And if that happened, wouldn't Cosmopolis lose out on not only all the money that Sirocco was raking in, but also the newly set up Zephyr – the company of Prince Fang that would surely be a grand success based on the talents that had been demonstrated by Prince Fang until now? And what would happen to SIMS, that had been so meticulously set up by the two of them, and what would happen to the grand plans around the growth of SIMS that had been planned out by the cabinet ministers of Cosmopolis? And as if it wasn't bad enough that Prince Fang was the long lost heir to the throne of the Valley Kingdom – he also turned out to be a prince of the Dragon Nation on top of it! The Valley Kingdom could still be dismissed because of the current situation – but what if the Dragon Queen wanted to take her nephew back home? No, they had all decided. Prince Fang or just the young prodigy Fang – no matter what his real identity was, he had to remain in Cosmopolis and they would all treat him like a national treasure. He really was a treasure that they could not afford to give away to another country!
It was probably a result of this thought process on part of the cabinet ministers that half an hour after the news of the Dragon Queen's arrival to join the press conference of Ren and Fang in the evening came to Pax, the news that two of the cabinet ministers of Cosmopolis – the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of International Affairs – would also be joining the press conference. Their secretaries had texted Pax and wanted to arrange a quick conference call with Ren and Fang and Pax and to learn their thoughts about the matter.
Ren laughed when Pax relayed this information to them with a straight face (but mirth shining in his blue eyes).
Fang rubbed his temples. "What is wrong with these people? I just want to stay here with Ren and live my life peacefully – why is everyone creating such a ruckus around it?" he complained.
"Well, you are now a national treasure of Cosmopolis, Prince Fang," Pax said with an amused smile.. "Shall we speak to the two ministers and put their anxiety to rest? I am sure that they are worried to the point of pulling out their hair that you would go off to either the Valley Kingdom or the Dragon Nation, and then Ren would wrap up his business in Cosmopolis and run after you."
Ren arrived at Sirocco's office at lunch time. Fang and Pax were waiting for him with lunch boxes that had been sent over by Chef Jules. No one wanted to take a risk and go out to eat food, or order something from the outside today, either. There were too many media persons hovering around, and none of them wanted to take any unnecessary risks."Just in time," Fang said, getting up to greet Ren with a kiss. "Come and eat first, I don't want the food to get cold.""Yes, my dear prince," Ren responded in a teasing voice.Fang rolled his eyes, but didn't object.Pax's phone pinged, and he picked it up to check the new message. He frowned as soon as he saw the text."What's wrong, Pax?" Ren asked."The Dragon Queen wants to join our press conference in the evening. She is landing in Cosmopolis at four. We have scheduled the press conference at five, so we can have her picked up at the airport and bring her there directly," Pax replied. He narrowed his eyes at Ren and Fang. "Unless, of course, the two of you don't want her to be there. Then you have to tell me now and I will find a way to delay her flight or delay her at the airport without offending her."Ren shook his head. "Let her come over," he said. "It will support our stance if she is here, too, right?" he asked Fang.Fang nodded. "Yes, it will. After she issued a press release earlier today in response to what was being said by the deposed royals of the Valley Kingdom, the tides have turned completely in our favour. There are also a lot of people speaking up, and Wolf has even been able to find a few new clues and leads which will help him with the investigations about the death of my parents," he said.Ren took Fang's hand and brought it to his lips. "And what about you? How are you doing? How are you feeling?" he asked gently.Fang shrugged. "Surprisingly normal, actually," he murmured. "I think that is thanks to you, mostly. You have filled up the void in my life so thoroughly with yourself and the babies and our people like Pax and Wolf and Dr. Gordon and Steward Paul and Chef Jules and the others that I don't feel alone and lost any more. You have given me a home, Ren, and that gives me the stability and the warmth that has ensured that these things don't affect me too much." He patted Ren's hand in a reassuring manner. "Don't worry about me. I am doing all right, and if I feel overwhelmed, I will come to you for solace. You are my rock, my island, my home, my everything, Ren. I didn't really know my parents so, for me, it is enough to know who they were and the fact that they didn't abandon me of their own will. And that I still have a few living relatives who genuinely care about me, even if there are relatives who want to use me as a pawn for their own evil purposes. But I know that I can deal with everything because I have you with me."Ren stared at Fang for a long time, and then he blinked slowly and pulled the younger man into a hug."Good," he said in an emotional voice. It would be impossible to claim that he was not touched by Fang's words."At the risk of ruining your romantic moment, I must point out that the food is getting cold," Pax said dryly. "And we still have things to do."Ren and Fang sprang apart, both their faces turning red.Pax smirked and handed out two lunch boxes to each of them, and claimed the third one for himself."I feel like I am back in school and eating lunch with my friends," Ren murmured, opening the lunch box and seeing how nicely Chef Jules had packed it."We can carry lunch boxes like this to SIMS sometimes if you like it," Fang offered immediately.Ren chuckled and shook his head. "The lunch at SIMS is pretty good, too," he said. "I am beginning to feel that you had something to do with that, Fang."Fang flushed and Pax raised an eyebrow."You haven't told Ren about it yet?" Pax asked Fang."Tell me what?" Ren demanded."Fang spent ages on researching proper caterers and finalising the menu in the cafeteria at SIMS," Pax told Ren. "He wanted to make sure that his beloved Ren would be able to eat at the plebian cafeteria with other people because he didn't want you to be perceived as a snob by your peers."Ren looked at Fang with adoring eyes. "Thank you, my prince charming," he said softly, his golden eyes glowing with affection and admiration.Fang flushed. "I can do this much for you, at the very least," he murmured.Ren beamed at him.The three of them finished their lunch quickly, and then Pax took Ren through the plans and arrangements that he and Fang had made for the press conference, and what they were planning to say. Things had also been mobilised in the Valley Kingdom, and the leader of the rebellion had been contacted already and had been told firmly that Fang had no intention of turning up in the Valley Kingdom to claim the throne, and that if they needed help in setting up a democratic rule, then help would be offered from their side. But if they wanted Fang to come back and claim the throne, then that would not be possible, and if anyone created trouble for Fang because of this, then they would hit back without mercy.After all, Fang had plenty of backing be it the Dragon Nation, Sand Country or Sirocco which was a given anyway or even Cosmopolis. The political leaders of Cosmopolis had actually reached out to Pax in the morning and offered their help as well. Fang was quite a precious person for them as well, and everyone knew how much Sirocco meant to the economy of Cosmopolis. And there was no one who was blind to the fact that Chairman Ren was head over heels in love with Fang well, Prince Fang now. If Prince Fang decided to go off to live in the Valley Kingdom, then wouldn't that mean that Chairman Ren would pack up and follow his beloved Prince Fang? And if that happened, wouldn't Cosmopolis lose out on not only all the money that Sirocco was raking in, but also the newly set up Zephyr the company of Prince Fang that would surely be a grand success based on the talents that had been demonstrated by Prince Fang until now? And what would happen to SIMS, that had been so meticulously set up by the two of them, and what would happen to the grand plans around the growth of SIMS that had been planned out by the cabinet ministers of Cosmopolis? And as if it wasn't bad enough that Prince Fang was the long lost heir to the throne of the Valley Kingdom he also turned out to be a prince of the Dragon Nation on top of it! The Valley Kingdom could still be dismissed because of the current situation but what if the Dragon Queen wanted to take her nephew back home? No, they had all decided. Prince Fang or just the young prodigy Fang no matter what his real identity was, he had to remain in Cosmopolis and they would all treat him like a national treasure. He really was a treasure that they could not afford to give away to another country!It was probably a result of this thought process on part of the cabinet ministers that half an hour after the news of the Dragon Queen's arrival to join the press conference of Ren and Fang in the evening came to Pax, the news that two of the cabinet ministers of Cosmopolis the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of International Affairs would also be joining the press conference. Their secretaries had texted Pax and wanted to arrange a quick conference call with Ren and Fang and Pax and to learn their thoughts about the matter.Ren laughed when Pax relayed this information to them with a straight face but mirth shining in his blue eyes.Fang rubbed his temples. "What is wrong with these people? I just want to stay here with Ren and live my life peacefully why is everyone creating such a ruckus around it?" he complained."Well, you are now a national treasure of Cosmopolis, Prince Fang," Pax said with an amused smile.. "Shall we speak to the two ministers and put their anxiety to rest? I am sure that they are worried to the point of pulling out their hair that you would go off to either the Valley Kingdom or the Dragon Nation, and then Ren would wrap up his business in Cosmopolis and run after you."
