"Am I that useless?" Tong Xin asked, her expression one of disbelief.
"Your special abilities might work on ordinary people, or even some with abilities, but perhaps not quite as powerful against others who are also gifted.
Of course, your own awakened abilities are an exception," Guo Xuyang said.
"So, I'm not entirely without merit. What exactly did this Joanna tell everyone?"
"It's hard to say. She exposed our whereabouts completely.
As for what will happen when we return, I can't predict it.
It's getting late, you should get some rest.
And no one is to be told about today's events."
Guo Xuyang gave his instructions before leaving the room.
"Is Joanna alright?" Tong Xin called out as she followed him.
"She's just tired. She'll be fine when she wakes up tomorrow."
Seeing that Guo Xuyang was really leaving, she didn't dare to hold him back any longer.
"Not a single one of those women is easy to deal with," she muttered softly.
Guo Xuyang knew what she meant but pretended not to hear and walked away.
After all, it was only the first day, and she hadn't dared to go too far. Moreover, they didn't know what kind of people and situations they would face tomorrow.
Even a strong man like Guo Xuyang needed some rest.
The night passed peacefully. Perhaps Weilann hadn't prepared to make a move so quickly, or perhaps Weilann wanted to claim the bounty all for himself.
It was good to have no disturbances, sleeping soundly until dawn.
A new day began. Li Minxi's team leader arrived promptly, ready to take them to the wedding venue to familiarize themselves with the ceremony flow in advance.
They didn't want any major blunders.
Since they were here, the wedding would naturally be conducted in the Western style.
They followed Team Leader Xiao Li to an ancient church.
This place seemed to be a popular spot for wedding photos, with several couples already queuing to get married.
According to Xiao Li's arrangements, everyone sat inside the church to wait and observe other weddings, essentially to learn.
A Western-style wedding is actually quite simple: the bride and groom become husband and wife in the presence of a priest, exchange wedding rings, and the ceremony concludes.
Upon seeing this, Guo Xuyang suddenly asked Xiao Li, "Why is there an exchange of wedding rings?"
"Of course, it's a very important step," Xiao Li replied, looking at him strangely.
"Didn't Li Minxi tell you about my situation?"
"Yes. Your situation is rather unique, so we've had your rings specially prepared."
As Xiao Li spoke, he took a briefcase from his assistant and produced a jewelry box.
Inside were rings.
However, these rings were peculiar, appearing to be made of small metal pieces.
"When President Li made the arrangements, he planned for twenty beautiful young women to be your wives, so we had someone specially design this ring. These small metal pieces will be distributed to all your fiancées upon their return, eventually forming a wider ring," Xiao Li explained.
"How will I approach these women? One by one, or will I face them all at once?"
"You'll approach them one by one, of course. But you are the only groom.
The marriage certificates have already been processed. We are merely holding a Western-style ceremony."
"This is quite different from what I imagined.
I envisioned a grand collective wedding. Are you just sending me off with one priest?"
"President Guo, you shouldn't say that," Xiao Li quickly waved his hands.
"To prepare for this wedding of yours, we've traveled almost all over Basen, and only then did we decide to have a priest here to witness your love."
"Am I just a big spender? I'm paying for you to travel around, and then you find such a lousy place to just get us done with it?" Guo Xuyang became increasingly angry.
"Yangzi, don't get angry yet. Listen to Xiao Li finish," Li Minxi said, patting his arm.
"What's there to say?
What I wanted was excitement, a collective wedding, not to be dismissed after some foreigner says words we don't understand."
Guo Xuyang immediately entered a furious mode.
"President Guo, please let me finish.
This is just a ceremony. After the ceremony, we have a sumptuous lunch prepared in another castle.
You can then enjoy the delicacies here with your family and your loved ones.
In the evening, my team has prepared a candlelight dinner for you," Xiao Li said in a hurry.
"In the following days, my team will take you to tour Basen's famous scenic spots."
Guo Xuyang's expression softened slightly upon hearing about the candlelight dinner.
"I don't care how you do it, but tomorrow must be lively and grand.
Not like these people waiting outside the church, lining up for this foreigner to give us his blessings.
Besides, we Chinese don't need the blessings of foreign devils.
His blessings don't suit us."
"Yes, yes, President Guo, I will definitely handle these matters efficiently according to your requirements," Xiao Li nodded quickly in agreement.
"Let's go. It's the same routine over and over. I think the priest must be tired of it too."
Guo Xuyang said as he stood up, ready to head to the next location.
He intended to go through all the procedures and locations today.
If he hadn't come today, he wouldn't have known that his anticipated grand wedding would be so hastily concluded.
If he had waited until the last moment, he wouldn't have been able to make any changes.
Therefore, this step he took was quite wise.
The next location was a castle, which looked quite old.
Giant stones, an old river channel, a weathered wooden bridge, and observation posts built on the castle walls to defend against enemy invasions.
The castle courtyard was indeed very large, filled with tables and chairs, apparently set up for a luncheon.
All the tables were long banqueting tables, covered with crisp white tablecloths, with some fruit placed on them.
"Is this all?" Guo Xuyang asked Xiao Li.
"Of course not. Desserts and cheeses haven't arrived yet.
Tomorrow, while the wedding is being held in the church, this place will be decorated simultaneously.
Rest assured, all the materials used here are fresh."
"Are we the only ones in this castle?"
"Currently, it's just us.
Whether more tables will be added today or tomorrow, I can't say for sure.
After all, they make money from this," Xiao Li said.
"There's nothing else that needs to be prepared here, right?" Guo Xuyang asked.
"Yes. Tomorrow morning, all the fruits, sweets, and other items will be brought over."
"Do you have any white liquor?"
"No. Nothing has been prepared here.
All Western cuisine primarily features red wine and champagne.
Besides, these desserts don't pair well with white liquor."