Outburst

As the Vidal Chamber of Commerce's convoy slowly drove into the neighborhood where the Heaven and Earth Society was located, Hong San received a hero's cheers and welcome, just like before.

Because those truckloads of supplies represented real, tangible benefits.

Leona is very generous and has the decisiveness that a good businesswoman must possess.

Among those cartloads of food were not only basic ingredients like flour, but also vegetables, pickled fish, sausages, alcohol, salt, and even sugar. These supplies were obviously quite valuable, but in the silver-haired girl's eyes, with Mayor Nick controlling and requisitioning supplies within Valentan City and the elven army eyeing them from the outside, even the best goods would be "smashed"—so it was better to hand them over to Kang De.

Even if it were given to Kang De for free, it would be better than falling into the mouth of Nick or the elf's dog.

These supplies were undoubtedly a shot in the arm, especially the luxury items like sugar, alcohol, and meat, which made people go crazy with joy. As the saying goes, in various strategy or management games, sugar and alcohol can be considered luxury items, as having them increases happiness—something that people living in modern societies with abundant supplies cannot understand.

So the streets erupted in cheers and celebration, with children, women, and even men all cheering and celebrating.

Only a small number of experienced men and some elderly people were secretly worried.

Because there were so many supplies, they also saw weapons and armor being carried in other vehicles... What this meant, no one dared to think about it.

Perhaps the current revelry is just people releasing stress due to fear and anxiety.

Hong San seemed to realize this as well, and took the opportunity to announce that a grand banquet would be held tonight, taking the already high-spirited and enthusiastic atmosphere to another level.

These displaced people had just arrived in Valentan after a long journey and were finally able to settle down when they heard news that war was approaching again... They desperately needed to release some of the pressure.

Kang De's gaze swept across every fanatical face, and he also saw the three leaders of the Heaven and Earth Society... oops, Hong San's three old brothers were also in the crowd, their smiles more or less forced.

As he was pondering this, his right arm suddenly tightened. It turned out that Hong San had grabbed his arm and lifted it high. Kang De turned his head and saw Hong San smiling at him.

"My friends, my brothers, my sisters, my children!"

Hong San shouted, "You must be wondering where this huge amount of supplies came from. You might think I brought them back for you, but no, I dare not take credit. Just as this victory was achieved not only through my command but also through the contributions and sacrifices of many brave individuals!"

"In fact, these abundant supplies and food came from the wealthy Vidal Chamber of Commerce, and the one who brought them back was this gentleman beside me, Dong Zhuo!"

"He's my senior fellow apprentice, or in mainland terms, my mentor's younger classmate. I asked him to be our strategist, that is, our chief strategist! I think he's already proven his ability with this harvest, because these supplies didn't cost us a single penny!"

The entire street, which had been jubilant moments before, fell completely silent as soon as Hong San spoke. Clearly, his prestige was almost reaching the level of a personality cult.

All eyes then fell on Kang De.

But to them, Kang De was a stranger, and their gazes were filled with curiosity and distance.

Just then, Hong San blinked and chuckled, "Want to know how he did it? Because the head of the Vidal Chamber of Commerce is a young and beautiful lady who was captivated by our strategist's talent, ability, and gentlemanly demeanor... Do you all understand now?"

The trivial matters between men and women have always been something the masses enjoy watching. As soon as these words were spoken, the sense of unfamiliarity and distance between people was quickly broken down. Everyone burst into laughter, whistles and cheers rose and fell, and some people even raised their arms and clapped vigorously, instantly closing the distance between them.

Hong San smiled and said, "Now, shouldn't we cheer for our strategist?"

Then, enthusiastic cheers and shouts surged like a tide, coming from all directions.

Kang De and Hong San stood side by side, both smiling.

However, both of their smiles seemed somewhat forced.

Next came the storage and distribution of supplies, a series of tedious and troublesome tasks.

Originally, such tasks as managing finances and supplies were to be handled by the strategist, but Hong San was quite shrewd. He knew that Master Kang was doing him a favor by appointing him as strategist, and it was just a nominal position. How could he possibly be willing to do such trivial and unpleasant work? Killing people was a different matter, of course.

So, as usual, he assigned these tasks to his trusted confidants, led by Old Du.

After all, Hong San wasn't stupid. The three leaders, Song, Chen, and Huang, all had ambitions and were establishing their own factions and developing their own cliques within the Heaven and Earth Society. Hong San was well aware of this, but he didn't interfere too much. He simply kept a tight grip on the control of money and supplies and maintained his extremely high prestige within the group. That was all.

After all, he was just trying to protect himself and make sure he wouldn't die in some random shootout—that was enough for him. Anyway, if something like that really happened, he could just run away; he'd already quit a long time ago.

Amidst the cheers and farewells of the crowd, the leaders arrived at the detached house where Hong San lived.

Congratulations, brother! Congratulations, brother!

With a smile, Song Baoyi cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "This has put our minds at ease. With provisions and weapons in hand, we are no longer worried... It is all thanks to the strategist's efforts; I thank you profusely!"

Huang Chao, beaming, bowed to Kang De and said, "Strategist, you are indeed a hero among men."

Still harboring resentment over their previous disagreement, Chen Honghu reluctantly offered a cupped-hand salute.

Kang De said casually, "It's nothing."

Song Baoyi looked at Hong San: "But brother, what's the purpose of this meeting at the city hall? What did the mayor say? We brothers should at least have a general idea."

This is the most important thing.

All three of them looked at Hong San.

All three leaders were ambitious, and the growing influence of the Heaven and Earth Society and their smooth sailing all the way undoubtedly fueled their ambitions.

These men were eager to make a name for themselves in this war in exchange for wealth and status. They didn't care how many people would die—as long as not too many of their own men died.

To put it simply, if they were in Hong San's position, they would be overjoyed to hear the mayor's orders; they'd be worried about not having a way in.

But Hong San was different.

Hong San had no interest in making achievements or becoming a superior person. Therefore, he cared more about the lives of the people in his team than people like Song, Chen, and Huang, whether they were Goth People or Cathayan.

Therefore, he was depressed, he felt lost and confused, and he was in great pain.

The three leaders stared expectantly at Hong San.

Hong San's face showed a complex and hesitant expression, and he sighed silently.

Kang De suddenly snorted, turned around, kicked open the door, and walked into the building.

Hong San's body trembled, and a bitter look flashed in his eyes.

This completely surprised the three of them. They were about to get down to business, and their strategist had just walked away – what was he doing?

Chen Honghu was the least scheming and had the shallowest yet greatest ambition. He was particularly resentful of Kang De's previous neglect and contempt. He patiently waited for Hong San to utter the divine words "Support Valentan and make a fortune," but just as he was fully focused, he saw Kang De turn and leave, kicking the door and slamming it shut with a loud bang.

He was furious and said with dissatisfaction, "This little..."

He had barely uttered two words when he abruptly fell silent, as a chilling, bone-deep killing intent washed over him, making his soul tremble. Chen Honghu stared intently, and then, horrified.

The hairs on my body stood on end.

In that instant, Hong San, who was usually gentle, even somewhat weak, and had an excellent temper, looked at him with an unprecedentedly fierce and ferocious expression, his eyes filled with an intense and unyielding madness.

He hissed, "Shut up."

It was like the howl of a desperate wolf, coming from its throat.

Humans are animals too, and they also have animalistic instincts.

The animalistic nature that is hidden by Civilization can also erupt for other reasons.

Kang De, who grew up in a Civilization country on Earth, experienced a year of drifting on a deserted island in another world and then suffered the loss of his family in Glittering Sand Town. As a result, he transformed into a beast, and fear and slaughter swept across the entire Viscount's territory.

Hong San was also a human being.

Therefore, he might also transform into a beast for certain reasons.

At this moment, it is the eruption after countless contradictions, entanglements and struggles. Even the most cowardly and servile person will unleash their beastly nature. At this moment, he seems to have become a different person.

The intense emotions that had been suppressed for so long were lifted slightly, revealing their sinister nature.

Ta-da, ta-da.

That was the sound of Chen Honghu's teeth chattering.

In that instant, whether it was Chen Honghu, who was the least cunning, Song Baoyi, who was the most shrewd, or Huang Jintong, who was the most learned, they all fell silent, their backs drenched in cold sweat.

They actually underestimated Hong San to some extent.

Although the other party was highly respected and had won many battles, and they admired Hong San's achievements and deeds, this did not conflict with their contempt for him, because Hong San was not ruthless enough to instill fear in his subordinates.

But now, they are afraid.

An unprecedented fear gripped the hearts of the three people in an instant.

When the leader, who has always been arrogant and dismissive, reveals his ferocious and terrifying fangs, they will understand why the alpha wolf became the alpha wolf.

The next moment, a cold snort came from inside the room.

The ferocity and madness on Hong San's face disappeared, and he returned to his previous state.

But the three leaders no longer dared to look Hong San in the eye.

"Brothers..."

Hong San sighed and said, "This matter is of great importance, and I am very uneasy about it. I must discuss it with the strategist. You all go and keep the men in check, and tell them not to slack off. I will discuss it with the strategist and then come back to tell the brothers."

Even the most troublesome Chen Honghu didn't dare to say another word, and the three of them clasped their hands and bowed in agreement.

Then they hurriedly retreated.

He was so scared he almost peed himself.

Hong San sighed softly.

He turned around, slowly moved into the room, and Kang De was watching him.

"Hong San."

A cold voice rang out, and Kang De said calmly, "You've grown quite bold... Tell me, why did you tell those people outside about my affairs? Why did you put all the credit for bringing back the supplies on me?"

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PS1: First update, 3,000 words. Second update will be later.

PS2: Damn, it's a bit unsettling without any comments or replies. Everyone should understand why Hong San had that brief emotional outburst in this chapter, right? And you should also be able to guess why Kang De slapped Hong San... Ah, if you can't figure it out, read the next chapter; I'll explain it more clearly then...