Chapter 557: 557
Instant Noodles
Kant heaved a sigh of relief after sending the Dragon Emperor off.
In this incident, the dragon race could be said to be the biggest loser. From the mysterious disappearance of the diplomatic mission to the almost completely annihilated dragon army, the loss of more than 30 people on Dragon Island was a major event that was enough to shake the regime.
Therefore, after the Battle of Distant Harbor was settled, the most important thing was not to settle scores or blackmail the Imperium, the Council, and the elves, but to take any action that the dragons might take, including war.
Fortunately, the dragons that died this time were all from the Dragon Island’s conservative faction.
Fortunately, the Dragon Emperor was a business dragon.
Fortunately, Forbidden Spells, warships, armaments, and the things behind these three, as well as the deterrence of his identity as a Fire Stealer, allowed the Dragon King to maintain his cautious rationality.
However, there was still a price to pay for reaching an agreement with this business dragon.
“However, I didn’t lose out either.”
In the battle with Dragon Emperor, firstly, he had to show off his muscles; secondly, he had to show his attitude; finally, he had to gain a common understanding in ideology; finally, he had to exchange and bind interests.
For example, when the Dragon Emperor saw the tablet computer that could play videos, he was keenly aware of its other functions–text, news, public opinion control, advertisement, music, drama, and so on.
This top business dragon almost instantly expanded the endless charm and huge business opportunities of personal mobile devices in the Internet era. He realized that this was an unprecedented huge gold mine, which was even more profitable than the security business of Dragon Island Defense and became a new source of wealth growth.
Kant’s strength and attitude made him give up on the idea of monopolizing the production method.
Then, it turned into cooperation.
Such benefits were enough to make the Dragon Emperor ignore the casualties of the Dragon Clan in the past month.
After all, those who had died in battle at Lucerne City were work-related injuries, so they could not take revenge.
They were the ones who insisted on going to the diplomatic mission to search for treasures without reporting, and they even lost their dragon.
As for the dragons who died in the distant harbor, they were even more of a lost dragon. They were first stabbed in the back by their own people before Kant ferried them. Most importantly, they were still conservative and not the employees of Dragon Island’s defense. They even evaded taxes with the tacit approval of the elders. Other than dying without a corpse and not being able to shine for the tribe in the end, there was nothing to be regretful about if they died.
Of course, the most important reason was that Kant had given him too much money.
Kant also made a bid.
Broken Islands.
If Distant Harbor wanted to regain its position as the trade center of the West Coast, they had to first destroy the Broken Islands.
Dragon Island was isolated overseas. It was also an island country. The Broken Islands were completely within the combat radius of the dragon battle group. With the help of the Dragon Emperor, the external pressure would be greatly reduced. After all, the deterrence of the dragon was still enough.
When the Dragon Emperor heard this condition, he said that he had to pay more.
Hence, Kant increased the price.
He used his unparalleled alchemy skills to provide powerful weapons and equipment for the dragon guards on Dragon Island to enhance their market competitiveness and reduce casualties.
This could save a lot of pension and insurance money for the defense of Dragon Island.
Of course, he had to pay for it.
Of course, the Dragon Emperor didn’t care. After all, the company wasn’t the one paying. The dragon scales came from the dragon. If the dragon agents wanted to raise the price, they could buy weapons and equipment themselves.
Of course, if the royalists wanted to buy equipment, they could go through the company’s channels and buy it from Kant at the agreed price. The price was even better. There were also VIP products and three years of after-sales service.
It could be said that this negotiation was a complete success.
Kant and the Dragon Emperor had reached a strategic partnership. The two sides would carry out further exchanges and cooperation in the political, economic, military, diplomatic, and other fields. They would sign a package of economic stimulus plans such as joint venture, internet information business, and arms sales. The Dragon Island promised to fully support Kant in embracing free trade.
Kant did not suffer any losses in his confrontation with this otherworldly capitalist. He even won a small round.
” This old dragon has suffered from his lack of culture!”
Kant held Lily’s shoulder and recounted the process and outcome of the negotiation with her. In the end, he could not help but laugh.
” When he saw the tablet, he immediately thought of advertising, news, new media, content push, and a series of other operations. It’s indeed awesome, but the limitations of the times, he lacks a little bit of a big picture. His eyes are all in this virtual economy. Sometimes it was clothes! Real estate is the last word!”
” It’s as big as advertising screens,” Kant said proudly.” It’s as small as cell phones. Who’s going to sell them?” Me! Who would be responsible for setting up signal towers, providing content output, and even storage media? Me! The equipment needed to be maintained, updated, and maintained. It also needed electricity. Who could produce and provide it?
It’s still me!”
Complete monopoly.
Do you think this is Earth? Real estate was the father now!
Lily squinted.” He’s a good brother when he needs help. After he’s cheated, he’s an old dragon.”
” I’m just putting on a show.” Kant chuckled.” We can’t mess up our seniority.”
Long Niang spat.
At this moment, a golden dragon changed its direction and flew toward Tidal Sound Manor. It transformed into a human outside the manor and landed on the ground. In a flash, it arrived below the balcony.
” Your Highness Kant,” the handsome dragon half-knelt and said,” by the Dragon Emperor’s orders, we eight dragons will serve under your command as mercenaries until His Majesty calls us back.”
” His Majesty has ordered us to obey all your orders, including cooperating with you in the experiments of the dragon-shaped alchemical equipment and even in all acts of war. We will follow your instructions and atone for the sins of the dragon race!”
Kant was taken aback. He then looked disgusted.
Lily chuckled behind him.
“These…” Kant lowered his voice and said unhappily,” Aren’t they from the Conservatives?”
“Change your allegiance and be loyal to the Dragon Emperor. Don’t lose the dragon.” Lily whispered,” There were heavy casualties this time. Almost all of them were the descendants of the dragons and elders of noble blood. Only eight of them survived, and it was such an embarrassing incident. They will not have a good ending when they return to Dragon Island.”
“Not only are they interrogated every day, but they also have to suffer the disdainful looks of the elders. They are targeted in the open and in the dark. They might even be silenced to avoid disgracing the reputation of the Conservatives. They are not stupid. They must be looking for a way out. The Dragon Emperor only needs to wave his hand, and they will rush up to lick him. What’s so strange about that?”
“..”
The Dragon Emperor was so cunning.
“You motherf * cker.”
Kant rolled his eyes.” In other words, I’m going to equip these dragons with the alchemy equipment I promised him. I’m going to show him the results?”
“Yes.”
” He said he would help me deal with the Broken Islands. Is this his military support?”
“Eight dragons, enough to form a dragon battle group. Do you know how much it costs to hire such a combination on the market?” Lily’s eyes turned into crescents as she smiled. It was obvious that she was very happy.” This is a big deal. The Dragon Emperor has given his full support.”
” Dingli my ass! He didn’t even spend any money! Not only did he poach the Conservatives, but he also made them lose eight dragons ‘worth of combat power. He even used them to buy my equipment and equipment for free!” Kant rolled his eyes.” Do I have to keep an eye on these dragons for him in case they get involved with the Conservatives again?”
“That’s right.”
“.. I still have to use them carefully. Don’t let them die. Otherwise, the Dragon Emperor will have to compensate me.”
“That’s called compensation.”
“F * ck.”
“Alright, stop fucking around.”
Lily held back her laughter. She put her arm around Kant’s shoulder and comforted him.” He may have profited, but you didn’t suffer any losses, did you?” To be able to fight with this old dragon and win or lose, you’re already very powerful.”
Kant cursed.” F * ck you. Just you wait. We’ll get back at him sooner or later. I’ll let him know how the joining fee, patent fee, maintenance fee, and follow-up service fee are written!”
He was still not convinced and said angrily,”This old lizard with mixed hair!”
Lily patted him.” That’s enough. Don’t say such harsh words. It’s still waiting downstairs.”
Kant took a deep breath. He took a few steps forward and held onto the railing. He looked down at the dragon with a reserved smile.” Please get up. Thank my big brother for me.”
“Huh?” The other party raised his head in surprise.
“My big brother is your Dragon Emperor.” Kant said proudly,” We are sworn brothers.”
“Ah, this…”The golden dragon said blankly.
Kant raised his hand and said,” You can ask him for confirmation yourself. We had a great time talking. We regretted not meeting each other earlier. We hit it off. We are half-brothers.”
The giant dragon was still in a daze. It did not know what expression to show. In the blink of an eye, Kant had already floated down the stairs. He helped the dragon up and said in a pleasant tone,” How do I pay you for working for me?”
The other party answered submissively, probably because Kant considered himself the sworn brother of the Dragon Emperor and Lily did not object. Besides, the fear and intimidation brought by the Paragon Element had not dissipated yet.
“Your Majesty… His Majesty said that originally, we wouldn’t be paid for atonement, but considering how much Your Highness praised us, he defined our mission as a company assignment, and the company would be responsible for the payment…”
Finally, the old lizard said something human.
Although that was what Kant thought, he noticed a bitter look on the dragon’s face.
He turned his head and understood the reason behind it.
Damn it, the old lizard didn’t suffer any losses.
This company’s unified accounting was a curse that made the leeks tremble with fear. It meant that you had to pay for the money you spent first, and then you had to ask the company for reimbursement. This was the last step.
When you walked into the finance office with the receipt in both hands, you would have to face the other party’s scrutiny and scrutiny that was even more rigorous than the college entrance examination invigilator. The other party used the professional ability of the finance profession to analyze and scrutinize each and every one of them. They would also raise doubts and cross-examine them, and cut off the parts that ” did not conform to the company’s regulations ” one by one. Sometimes, if you spent 800 yuan, they could only give you 600 yuan. The extra 200 yuan could only be considered stupid.
The sh * t of this matter was that the finance department was not born to be a bad person. They took pleasure in your cold sweat and obedience. The reason why the other party was so unreasonable was because the company had regulations or the boss’s will and hints. After all, the landlord did not have any surplus food and could not let the employees have fun. However, the boss and the senior management never appeared personally. They only let the two leeks argue, hate, shout, and be angry.
The Dragon Emperor’s situation was even worse. The old man probably didn’t want to pay a single cent. But at least the old lizard knew what to do and gave Kant some hints.
There were only two ways to settle the accounts. Either the eight dragons would be responsible for their own losses, or Kant would have to pay for it himself. If he chose the former, the dragons would be doomed. If he chose the latter, he would be able to gain the leek dragons ‘gratitude and loyalty.
But Kant would not lose out either.
That was because Kant would definitely have trade relations with Dragon Island in the near future. He could use this opportunity to withhold a certain sum of money to make up for the money he had paid out.
He could even report a little more and make some names.
If it went a little overboard, they could take everything. That was, they could let the leek dragons pay for their own rations, and on the other hand, they could report to Dragon Island in their own name, and then keep the money to earn double.
[Motherf * cker, what’s so interesting about this?]
Kant shook his head. He saw this as the Dragon Emperor’s quirks and way of communication. After all, this giant dragon capitalist had been lonely at the top all these years. Finally, he had found a friend. He was itching to learn some skills.
“Alright, you guys look so pitiful. I’ll fork out this money and ask the Dragon Clan for it later.” Kant patted him on the shoulder.” Do your job well. You can still earn money. Otherwise, I’ll send you back to Dragon Island.”
“Thank you!” The dragon was moved. Your Highness! We will do our best!”
” Is everything normal?” Kant smiled.
” Yes, Your Highness. There’s no problem with us guarding the sky of Far Harbor!”
“Then I’ll have to trouble you to continue on duty.”
When the new boss said this, he seemed to have thought of something.” Oh, right. The rules here are a little different from those on Dragon Island. If you want to do something, you have to go through pre-job training.”
“Yes, please instruct me.”
With the threat of the Dragon Island, the Dragon Emperor’s intimidation, and Kant’s own deterrence, the dragon’s respect and obedience towards Kant were at their peak.
Kant said kindly,” After you’re done here today, go to Horus and tell him about this. Tell him that you need ‘loyal and thoughtful employee training to cultivate a sense of honor, fighting spirit, and wolf culture’. Then, he will know what to teach you.”
“Wolf…Wolf nature?”
‘Yes, the kind that teaches you to snatch meat but eat shit.’
Kant’s smile was unfathomable.” Go ahead. Also, remember to get Horus to help you build a file and measure the physical characteristics and data of your dragon form. The plan to develop a dragon-shaped mecha for you should be put on the agenda. This is also one of your missions here.”
“Yes, sir!”
” Yes.” Kant nodded as he watched Golden Dragon leave.” Dragons can be tamed, after all.”
He looked at Long Niang beside him.
“What are you looking at? I’m not one of those dragon-throwing things! You still want to tame me?”
“No, you’re a cat.”Kant laughed.
“What do you mean?”
“I praised you for being cute, elegant, and difficult to figure out.”
“.. I feel like you’re scolding me in a roundabout way.”
“Of course not.”
It was already close to noon, and the weather was clear. The cheers in the distance became even more enthusiastic. From here, it could be seen that the crowd was surging, and there were faint shouts.
“What now?” Lily frowned.
“It’s time to give out money for meals.” Kant turned to look at her.” Do you want to take a look?”
“No.” Lily shook her head.” I want to eat first. I’ll make you two vomit your breakfast.”
” This is the world of dirty but charming adults.” Kant turned around and returned to his room.” What do you want for lunch? Steamed, fried, fried, braised, stewed?”
“Ice cream, vanilla, strawberry, and yogurt. I want three buckets.”
“Meow and I’ll give it to you.”
“I’ll give you a meow at 0.1%.”
” Do you believe that 0.1% can make all the beautiful girls in the city wear cat ears and cat tails and walk in front of me for a week?”
“Tsk.”
After lunch, they were full.
Kant and Lily left Tidal Manor and went to the streets.
The dragon was still patrolling in the sky, and the drones were flying low. The navies of the three countries were maintaining order in the city, and the execution had come to an end.
The most abominable criminals of the riot had already been put on the gallows and were now begging for death in pain. However, their sins had yet to be paid off, and the spectators had already finished shouting. They no longer cared about blood and death because there were more important things waiting for them.
Money was about to be distributed.
He even took care of food.
This was the most important thing.
“Line up! Line up! Line up!”
Sharp whips and whistles sounded on the long street. The members of the court in black robes shouted in a terrifying voice,” No crowding, no cutting in line, no pushing, no noise! Those who did not obey the order would be disqualified! The receiver must leave immediately, no one is allowed to stay!”
Kant and Lily also donned their black robes and cloaks to avoid scaring others and causing unnecessary trouble. Colonel Henry, the commander of the Imperial Fleet, accompanied them throughout the journey and was very respectful.
“Father.”
But Horus was still in charge of the commentary.
” We’ve already set up 108 registration and distribution points to ensure that money and food are distributed as quickly as possible. Currently, the order is good and the people’s obedience is high…”
At this distribution point, the people were lined up in two rows. The line spread out backward, and everyone consciously stood behind the person in front of them. Even the children were firmly held down by their parents. Beside the line, there was a large empty area on the street, but no one stood there idly.
“It’s not easy for an ordinary human to do this,” said Long Niang in surprise.
” This is the first step, the simplest step.”
” Wait!” Kant turned around and said,” The first thing I’m going to teach them is to line up.”
“Order?” Long Niang pondered.
” Obey.” Kant shook his head.” Obey.”
At this moment, a commotion came from the front. A figure wanted to escape, but the traitor took a step forward and punched out. The other party screamed and fell straight down.
There was a brief commotion in the group. The sound of whips and shouts sounded, maintaining order. The rebel who waved his fist took a step forward and grabbed the unconscious person. He grabbed the other party’s wrist and twisted it. A shrill scream sounded, and the person was forcefully woken up by the pain.
Horus ‘cold voice rang out on the street, spreading far and wide.
“You’re clearly the Preston Family’s Sierno, why did you become the Cold Alley’s Chiaka? Greedy, foolish, and despicable person, your disgusting behavior has brought shame to this city. You must not take a single cent less or a single cent more from His Highness Kant’s reward. Today, you will understand this principle.”
The other party struggled, screamed, and begged for mercy,”Forgive me, my lord. Please forgive me…”
” The Rebellion Society shall be punished with twenty lashes, torture and plunder, and take back what His Highness Kant has given him. Sierno of the Preston family, I hereby announce that your identity certificate is stripped. You will lose all the gifts you may receive in the future. In the days to come, you will understand what you have done wrong today.”
Two members of the court dragged him to the side like wolves and tigers. Shrill screams accompanied the whipping of the whip. At the same time, some of the rebels walked back and loudly announced the crimes and stupidity of this person. The people looked at him with disdain and disdain.
Humans liked to stand on the moral high ground because it gave them a cheap sense of superiority.
“Identification-what’s that?” Lily whispered.
Condra led Long Niang forward.
Colonel Henry, who was very perceptive, had already stepped forward to identify himself. He ordered the soldiers not to salute and let everything proceed as usual. The cheater had already been dragged out and whipped. The next person walked forward fearfully.
“Please sit.”
Lily looked over and saw a row of long tables, neatly facing a large amount of food.
After being fed by Kant, Long Niang had already recognized those things. They were instant noodles, compressed biscuits, ham sausages, and canned luncheon meat. They piled up like mountains.
A few large boxes of silver coins were placed behind the table and opened.
“Hello, citizen.”
In front of the person was a machine with a camera and a microphone. Horus ‘voice sounded from inside.” Answer my question. Name, occupation, home address, family members…”
“Rick Layer…”
The man’s face was weathered and he looked to be in his thirties or forties. His face was cracked by the sea breeze and was extremely dark. His exposed chest was very red. He was obviously a man from the sea.
He stammered,”I…” I fish, home… I live at home…”
Along with his words, sizzling sounds rang out continuously. When he finished speaking, a small metal plate with a hole was handed over by the mechanical arm, along with a slightly black silver coin.
Then, there was a bucket of instant noodles and a packet of compressed biscuits.
Even though there were many precedents, Rick was still pleasantly surprised when it was his turn. He stood up and was about to kneel down.” Sir, thank you, sir…”
“You’re not allowed to kneel!”
Horus shouted.
“Yes, yes!”
” Alright, citizen. Thank you for coming here and supporting His Highness Kant’s righteous cause. This is the silver coin we agreed on as a thank you gift. This is your lunch and dinner. There’s meat and ham in the noodles.”
“And this…”
The mechanical arm pointed at the metal plate.” It’s proof of your identity. You have to keep it well and keep it with care. It has many uses. One of them is that if someone tries to steal this silver coin or the gift His Highness Kant has promised you, you can take this plate and look for any member of the court you see. They will uphold justice for you. This is His Highness’s sacred law and promise. Everyone should be respectful and respectful.”
“In addition…”
Horus paused for a moment before continuing,” This identification card has many other uses. It must not be lost. For example, if there is a good thing like giving out money and food next time…”
“You’ll have to come back with this.”
“You can leave now.”
The man in the sea hurriedly got up, holding the iron plate and silver coins tightly, picked up the hot round paper bowl and the packet of biscuits on it. He suddenly smelled an alluring fragrance coming from the round paper bowl. The man’s stomach thundered, and hunger drove him to open the lid.
“Don’t eat here.”
A voice that was more effective than the governor, the king, and the emperor rang in his ears.
“Everyone is hungry. Don’t be greedy.”
He thanked her with a red face and walked to the other side of the street. He walked away quickly, sticking close to the wall.
” Is this your second step?” Lily asked.” Let them know that you mean what you say?”
Kant shook his head.” No, I’m not keeping my word.” It’s about trust.”
” Let them know that I’m a man of my word, and let them know that they’d better keep their word to me. Very soon, credit will become the most precious currency in this city. An upright person with outstanding moral character will gain the envy and respect of the people…They will understand what they will gain by trusting me.”
“Money and food?” Long Niang asked,” Then what will you get from them? Power? Loyalty?”
” These are just side effects. Power and loyalty can allow me to better advance my plans and allow them to obtain more things, but the ultimate goal…But not so practical.”
“Oh?”Lily asked curiously. What’s that?”
“Follow me.”
Condra followed her and followed Rick Layer’s back.
They followed the man to an empty alley.
The hungry people could no longer stand the mesmerizing fragrance of the instant noodles.
At this moment, the man’s attention was completely distracted by his appetite. He didn’t even notice the two figures staring at him. He squatted down and placed the silver coin, iron plate, and biscuit between his thigh and abdomen. He pulled out the plastic fork with trembling hands and opened the lid of the instant noodles.
The hot air caressed his tanned face.
He had learned how to eat instant noodles without a teacher. He trembled as he dipped the small white fork into the soup and picked up the soft and elastic noodles with a string of soup. They were crystal clear, causing his mouth to secrete a large amount of saliva in an instant. He trembled as he opened his mouth and bit the noodles that were emitting rolling heat.
Then, he was stunned.
His body was stiff like a statue, not daring to move at all.
He allowed the salt, gourmet powder, sugar, spices, beef essence powder, palm oil, spices, and other ingredients in the instant noodles juice to bombard his poor taste buds.
It was such a wonderful feeling. The strong and rough man suddenly burst into tears. His body trembled violently, but he did not dare to cry loudly, nor did he dare to let the noodles spill. He chewed hard, and tears slid into the bucket of noodles as he ate.
He picked out the tender and soft ham and the luncheon meat with a little fat left. It was a delicacy that he had never tasted in decades. It was as if he was truly alive at this moment. He truly felt life, the meaning and value of life, the joy of life, and the unforgettable…
Sad.
He buried his head in the food in his hand.
From the back, it looked like a wolf.
“This is my answer.”
Kant gestured for Lily to leave.
“Although instant noodles are delicious, they shouldn’t be this delicious.”
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[PS 1: Upgraded!] 7,000 words! I didn’t sleep well yesterday, so I’ll sleep early tonight. Goodnight.