Pinned Against the Wall

Kang De looked at Hong San.

Although this guy was very lazy, he was smart and knew how to read people's expressions and assess situations. So he understood a principle: no matter what his nature was, when he dealt with others as the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, he had to show the demeanor and appearance that a leader of a power should have.

Instead of the sycophantic fawning he used to be.

So whether he was talking to the mayor or in a meeting, he acted very professionally.

But when he received the mayor's instructions, Hong San couldn't hold back any longer.

Eight hundred able-bodied militiamen and eight hundred reservists.

Sixteen hundred people.

This meant that all able-bodied men in the team would have to fight, and even some strong women and elderly people would have to be conscripted, not to mention the difficulty of this work...

Those are all human lives.

Moreover, they were Hong San's close followers who spent every day with him and trusted him implicitly.

Sixteen hundred men, defending the city against elves—how many will die?

No.

Yes... how many will survive?

Kang De clearly saw that although Hong San maintained a calm expression, his hands under the table were trembling slightly.

He sighed silently and said, "The city..."

"Please wait a moment!"

Just then, Hong San's voice rang out, somewhat out of control and loud.

The mayor, who was about to assign the next task, adjusted his monocle upon hearing this. "Mr. Hong?"

Hong San took a deep breath. "Weapons, equipment, medicine—we lack these things. Moreover, we don't have that many able-bodied men. Eight hundred reservists means we'll have to conscript women and the elderly. They haven't received any combat training and lack the ability to deal with dangerous situations..."

The mayor frowned. "The city hall will help with some of the weapons and supplies; you can provide a list. As for the other issues, that's Mr. Hong's responsibility. Women and the elderly don't need to be on the front lines, but they should still take on tasks like battlefield transport. This is war; it doesn't discriminate based on gender or age."

Hong San said, "But..."

The mayor said calmly, "President Locke, your mission is..."

Kang De glanced sideways and saw that Hong San's breathing had quickened. His face was flushed, and he slowly lowered his head, his body trembling slightly. Unconsciously, his fists under the table clenched.

Arguing based on reason is useless.

With war raging, the mayor would stop at nothing to defend the city; he wouldn't listen to reason.

Pleading for mercy is useless.

Since the mayor doesn't even care about his own life, how could he care about the lives of others?

Saying more is useless.

Because you lack the ability, shouting loudly won't help.

Kang De withdrew his gaze and sighed silently.

Hong San, Cathayan, was used to going with the flow and had never had any desires. As long as he was safe and well-fed, he didn't care whether he was a slave or a servant. He used to be able to ignore all the power and injustice, and he could even be happy to be looked down upon and despised. But today he finally knew what it felt like to be powerless.

Hong San kept his head down until the meeting ended.

Everyone stood up, their faces grave, shook hands with the mayor, and filed out—who could be relaxed after such a mess?

Hong San led the way, followed by Kang De, with Leona obediently following behind Kang De, and then the old butler. The master and servant of the Vidal Family exchanged glances. Leona looked indifferent, while the old butler was frustrated and annoyed—who wouldn't be annoyed to have such a master?

"Mr. Hong."

The mayor shook hands with the absent-minded Hong San, but didn't say much.

Even Hong San, who possesses exceptional social skills and is known for his shrewdness, remained silent.

Mr. Dong.

Then, Nick shook hands with Kang De.

Kang De, on the other hand, didn't feel much about it, because he was still viewing the current events from an outsider's perspective and didn't have a direct sense of the impact of war on war.

He said, "Mayor Nick, that's a clever tactic."

Nick shook his head. "If I could, I would also like to be a kind and benevolent mayor, someone who can command a large following, and someone who can inspire everyone to participate in the defense of the city. But in this world, there are ultimately more incorrigible fools than people. Swords are more likely to move people than words... That's my experience and conclusion."

Kang De looked interested. "Oh... how so?"

Nick Valentan showed a lonely and sighing expression, but it was fleeting, leaving behind a steely resolve and coldness.

He said calmly, "For example, people would rather hate me than hate the elves."

Upon hearing this, Leona's expression changed slightly, and even Hong San, who was in front of her, turned around.

Kang De remained silent, then gave a thumbs-up. "Mr. Mayor, tall and strong."

"You flatter me," the mayor said. "But I have always firmly believed that the kind will be remembered by the world, and the worldly-wise will become philosophers, but those who succeed are always those who are both worldly-wise and hard-hearted."

As he said this, a more genuine smile appeared on his face, unlike his usual formulaic one.

Then he patted Kang De on the shoulder. "In this city, you and I are the only ones like you, so I sincerely hope that you will bring surprises and hope to this city."

After leaving the conference room and walking out of the main gate of the city hall, Kang De's expression remained subtle.

What did he mean by what he just said?

Yeah, why is this damn mayor treating me differently? Even that white-haired woman is fawning over me, and Hong San is bowing down to me—do I have some hidden aura of dominance?

After leaving the house, Hong San looked back at him, his eyes flashing with extreme helplessness and confusion.

Kang De said, "Let's go back and talk about it."

He and Hong San walked quickly towards the gate, with Leona calling out from behind, "Wait! Wait!"

Kang De waved his hand. "Your husband isn't here."

"..."

Leona was taken aback at first, then said inexplicably, "Where did I get a husband... Hey!"

Hong San was skilled in martial arts, and Kang De had excellent physical abilities. The two of them moved with lightning speed, leaving the front garden of the council hall in a hurry. Leona called out to them several times, but they did not turn around.

The girl stomped her feet in anger, but dared not call out Kang De's real name. After all, this name had appeared frequently in Goth's works over the past two months, because Princess Tina's fierce actions in the north had not only greatly boosted Goth's morale, but also made countless Goth People remember the name of Cathay.

Kang De.

The guy who stole the most beautiful and purest jewel from Teldrassil.

At least he's dead.

Many of Goth's men felt sorry for the princess, but also thought it wasn't so bad that the rival from Cathay, who appeared out of nowhere, was dead.

Kang De had slaughtered a group of the First Prince's henchmen in the Empire. No secrets stay hidden forever, and this news was bound to leak out sooner or later. Moreover, given the current passive situation, the First Prince would definitely be eager to get Kang De to use against Tina... His identity still needs to be kept secret.

Thinking of this, Leona had no choice but to lift her skirt and chase after them. She ran all the way out the gate, Shang-Chi. When she turned around, she saw that Kang De and Hong San had already entered an alley.

The silver-haired girl took off chasing after her. "Hey, keep up!"

The old butler warned warily, "Miss, be careful, it might be a trap."

"What nonsense! We came here to find him, are we not going to see him?" Leona said irritably. "Besides, I wrote Tina's name on his back. The reason he didn't object is that he understands my identity and intentions. He's definitely waiting for me up ahead..."

The girl chased after him in a flurry of activity until she reached the alleyway, where it was deserted. After a few steps, she suddenly heard the sound of wind in the sky. Looking up, she saw Kang De descending from the heavens.

He shouted, "Hong San!"

Dou Qi Inspiration and with a sharp gust of wind, Hong San and the old steward exchanged a punch, both staggering backward as their backs slammed against the wall with a dull thud.

Before Leona could speak, she felt a powerful force push her against the wall. Kang De loomed over her like a mountain, and only when she faced him directly could she feel his chilling power and murderous intent.

Well, while the term "wall slam" doesn't exist in this other world, the action itself does, and it frequently appears in plays and poems. It's like a knight cornering a young lady against a wall, his tall frame completely enveloping her petite body, his strong arms pressing against the wall, and so on.

Leona used to think these kinds of scenes were utter nonsense and bullshit. What was wrong with those women? How could they go soft all of a sudden? It was so fake. What man would dare to do that to her? She would definitely knee him in the balls.

But now, she's really into it.

This highly aggressive behavior, the overwhelming masculine aura, and the barely concealed killing intent made her feel that the situation was completely under the control of the other party, including herself.

Her heart was pounding faster than usual.

A tingling sensation even crept into my body, slowly creeping out.

She even involuntarily recalled the scenes from those plays and poems, where the male protagonist, after doing this, would slowly move closer until their cheeks were almost touching, their breaths mingling on each other's faces—to that extent. And then she wondered, what would it feel like if the other person did that? Ah, right, his arm hasn't reached out yet...

The standard gesture is for him to brace himself against the wall with his arm and lean closer, while I turn my head away, looking weak and helpless—that's how it should be.

--Pah, pah, pah, what the hell am I thinking?

Leona was momentarily lost in her fantasies, then suddenly realized how foolish she had been thinking. It was truly bizarre; this guy must have used some kind of method, probably some kind of evil martial art from Cathay — Tina was probably under its spell too.

But deep down, she was indeed looking forward to what it would feel like if Kang De actually cornered her against the wall.

So why isn't his arm reaching over yet?

But the next moment, the girl's dream shattered.

With a muffled thud, Leona felt tiny specks hit her soft cheek, and then she noticed a long object on the wall to the right of her head.

It was not Kang De's arm.

She turned her head blankly and saw an axe embedded in the wall, its handle very long and very close to her head, and Kang De's hand was on the handle.

"The Vidal Family, they're like a persistent ghost! Tell me, do you know me?"

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PS1: Second update, 3000 words. Ah, goodnight.