Trust Me

An agreement has been reached.

The Dragon Clan's imminent performance crisis was averted without them even realizing it.

--At least the decision-makers on both sides have reached a consensus.

The next step is to discuss the details and carry out the specific implementation.

Tina and the others knew that the matter had been settled.

Although the conversation was taking place in a private room, with soundproofing so that those outside couldn't know what was being discussed, they could still tell from the two people's expressions and movements that they were having a very pleasant conversation.

When going in, everyone politely yielded to each other; when coming out, they walked out arm in arm.

Tina and Stella smiled at the same time. Then, the second princess noticed something strange: after her younger sister showed joy, she looked at Kang De and Santos and suddenly sighed with melancholy.

--What's wrong?

The One-Punch Dragon Girl, who also witnessed this scene, suddenly had a glint of light in her eyes.

I instinctively pulled out paper and pen from my pocket.

Tina and A Xing had already come to greet her, and Her Highness smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Before Kang De could speak, Santos chimed in with a playful assist. "Your Highness Tina, beautiful princess, you have the best husband in the world; every woman on the continent should envy you."

Tina's response and smile were both very appropriate and beautiful, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, you should thank him properly." Santos winked. "No amount of thanks is too much."

This sounded normal, but upon closer inspection, it had a slightly suggestive undertone. Tina and Kang De exchanged a glance, both recalling what had happened the previous morning.

Just then, with only the two of them inside, and no one else watching, the girl's skirt was slightly lifted, revealing a section of hazy, soft, milky-white, sheer fabric, neither too thick nor too thin, and her slightly bent, closed legs were gently caressed by a hot, trembling hand...

No amount of thanks is too much.

She didn't speak, but smiled and hugged Kang De's arm even tighter, her now-warm body conveying her temperature, heartbeat, and thoughts.

Santos remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was envious. Not wanting to stay and eat his fill, he said, "Then let's get down to business. Your Highness should inform the two princesses of our decision, and I also have a mission. Please send someone to take me to receive the dragon remains, to seal and inventory them..."

He held up a finger and waved it around at Kang De, Stella, and Tina: "Two."

Stella and Tina both showed surprise and delight, not expecting that they could reach an agreement so easily.

Kang De patted him on the shoulder. "Hmm, two."

Stella immediately replied, "I'll make the arrangements. The dragon's remains were sealed away immediately. Two warehouses were specially set aside, and mages created an ice domain to preserve them. There were no omissions or oversights."

"Very well, Princess Stella, Your Highness Kang De. The ransom will be presented immediately."

Kang De frowned and said, "Didn't we agree? Even if you keep it here, you'll still have to pay for it. It's too much trouble going back and forth. Just take it back and deal with it together with His Majesty the Dragon Emperor."

Santos immediately smiled.

The two men exchanged glances, revealing a mutual appreciation.

This Prince Kang De is very knowledgeable.

I'm sure I'll get along well with His Majesty the Dragon Emperor; maybe we can see if we can do business together.

--Kang De's words are significant.

As previously agreed, the two would throw the match and not discuss money. In other words, Kang De would trade his reputation for something that money couldn't buy. He wanted living dragons, not dead ones. He wanted to sign a group of dragon mercenaries in Goth's name. On the one hand, this would help promote the dragon rider battle group for the Dragon Defense. On the other hand, it would also deepen the connection with Dragon Island and consolidate Goth's defense, which was in dire need of rebuilding after the great war.

Hiring dragons costs money. This is what Kang De meant when he said he wouldn't talk about money. It means that the huge ransom that Dragon Island paid to redeem the dragon's remains was returned to Dragon Island by Kang De in exchange for a dragon-hiring squad. That money was considered a commission.

The flow of funds is as follows: Dragon Defense pays the ransom to Kang De, Kang De then returns the money as a wage payment. The company's finances record this, and it is then disbursed as commission and labor costs for the mercenary force that is about to go to Goth.

The logic is sound, but Kang De just said "to deal with it together with His Majesty the Dragon Emperor".

This clearly presents a different line of logic.

You see, the ransom paid to Kang De was paid by the company and went through official accounts. Sending the Dragon Clan operator team to Goth was for the company's benefit and to put on a show with Kang De. It was equivalent to the operators taking paid leave. All expenses were paid by Dragon Defense, so there was no problem. In other words, according to the logic Kang De is giving us now, Dragon Island Defense has paid two sums of money: first, the ransom paid to Kang De; second, the labor costs of hiring the Dragon Clan operator team to stand in Goth.

Kang De said that the ransom should be taken back to His Majesty the Dragon Emperor for disposal.

This means that the ransom paid by the company, after being transferred to Kang De and returned to Dragon Island, did not go into the public accounts, but instead went into the private accounts of His Dragon Emperor and Santos...

Divide into three parts and seven parts, divide into three parts and seven parts.

The labor fees paid to the dragon mercenaries by Dragon Island will naturally have to be paid again.

But what's the big deal? It's company money anyway.

This seemingly effortless Tai Chi-style push-hands technique clearly demonstrates profound skill. It's astonishing that Prince Kang De, at such a young age, is so knowledgeable and capable; he is truly an outstanding individual.

Santos smiled knowingly, skillfully considering how much of a kickback he should give Kang De. He then thought about how the guy had repeatedly said he wasn't interested in money, which probably wasn't a lie. So...

Okay, then I'll use my internal employee discount to give him the kickback portion and let him pick out some things he likes from the treasure vault. When he's picking dragons, I'll pick out a few real female dragons for him; that'll be a good gesture.

Santos had made up his mind, and his gaze towards Kang De became even more affectionate. "Then I'll go and get on with my business."

Kang De said, "Go quickly and come back soon. We'll have lunch together."

"Okay, of course."

Santos was about to leave when Stella went to arrange for someone to lead the way. As everyone left the conference room and was about to say goodbye, One-Punch Dragon Girl said, "I'm not going."

"..."

The chief marketing officer gave a subtle look, conveying with his eyes what he meant by "What are you up to now?"

The Dragon Girl said, "I'm afraid of blood, I'm timid, and I can't bear to look at corpses."

--Bullshit! All those business units you crushed with one punch are crying!

Before Santos could speak, the Dragon Girl looked at Kang De again, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and said with a hopeful but poorly acting expression, "Your Highness, may I stay here? I have admired you for a long time and would like to ask you some questions, is that alright?"

It has to be said that being beautiful to a certain extent allows one to do whatever one wants. Even if the acting is terrible, the lines are stiff, and there is no sincerity, one's words and actions can still be described as cute and adorable.

If you replace it with something ugly, it's a completely different story.

--That's how it was supposed to be.

But Kang De had previously heard Santos mention that some twisted adult male dragons, in pursuit of triple pay, had even gone so far as to use shapeshifting magic a second time, transforming themselves into young dragon girls and practicing voice imitation—truly the greatest and most heinous event in the continent's history. So, the question arises...

His gaze toward the Dragon Girl was scrutinizing, wary, and suspicious.

What if this person is a pervert?

Santos, being the shrewd man he was, immediately guessed what Kang De was thinking upon seeing his expression. He laughed inwardly, thinking to himself, "So this cunning dragon has finally met his match!"

... Let's just forget about it.

If I'm caught, I'll be beaten to death.

He quickly advised, "His Kang De also has things to discuss. What are you doing here? If you want to ask His Kang De any questions, you can do so at noon. I also have something to say to you..."

However, Kang De still keenly noticed his unnatural tone.

Kang De was first surprised, then horrified.

Oh shit.

The Phoenix King is one thing, but you're a real dog.

After much persuasion, Santos managed to convince the Dragon Girl to change her mind. The One-Punch Dragon Girl looked at Kang De with a hint of doubt in her eyes, realizing that he was clearly very wary of her.

It wasn't there before.

Why?

After the Dragon Defense personnel left, everyone surrounded Kang De.

Tina was the first to notice that Kang De's expression was a little off. "What's wrong?"

Kang De asked in a subtle tone, "That dragon..."

"Miss Lily?"

--Damn, how shameless of you to give yourself a name like that.

Kang De thought to himself, when he heard Tina say, "She seems like a very strange dragon lady..."

His expression suddenly changed. "Did he do something strange?"

"What does Kang De mean?" Tina asked. "While you were negotiating with Mr. Santos, she had a pen and notebook, and she kept asking us strange questions..."

Kang De said in a deep voice, "Be careful in the future; he might be a male dragon that has taken on a female form."

The women's expressions changed simultaneously, and then they all revealed subtle hints of something else.

Hilmeria frowned and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"What I heard from Santos is that because of the misleading nature of Dragon Knight novels, many human employers prefer female dragons that look very young after transforming, driving up their prices, so..."

Kang De offered his explanation, then angrily exclaimed, "Damn it, this dragon definitely has ill intentions! It even said it admires me—fuck, it might have some filthy and malicious thoughts..."

Stella's expression grew increasingly subtle. Just as she was about to say something, Tina gently tugged at her sleeve. The second princess turned her head and saw her little sister smiling softly at her.

There was a meaning behind the smile.

Isn't this better?

Stella was initially taken aback, but then a deeper, more subtle feeling welled up within her.

I feel like my younger sister is... a little different?

"Okay, okay, we know, we'll avoid her."

Tina took Kang De's arm. "Aren't you going to tell me the results of this negotiation?"

Kang De then broke free from his "wrath blinded by malice" and began to recount the results of his talks with Santos. By helping the dragons resolve their financial crisis, they secured Dragon Island's non-prosecution regarding the third dragon skeleton and gained access to a group of dragon mercenaries. This provided Goth with some support, given his weakened nation and the hostile international environment.

Along with the Sword Saint Cascading Snow, the three members of the Taidariel Family were both surprised and delighted. Tina finally understood what Santos meant by his earlier words, and she truly felt that no amount of gratitude was too much.

This matter can not only be resolved smoothly, but it can also be of great help to Goth.

"Oh no, Kang De..."

The princess pressed her face against Kang De's arm and whispered, "I love you even more now, what am I going to do?"

... Please be mindful of the occasion, young lady.

Sure enough, A Xing exclaimed with a mixture of envy and jealousy, "You're here again!"

She pondered for a long time, experiencing much inner struggle, and finally had to painfully admit that in a fight, she could crush ten Tina with a single finger, but when it came to seducing Kang De, she was no match for even a single hair of his.

Damn it, I wish I could do that too! I wish I could just casually say things like that...

But what ultimately came out was a phrase I learned from Kang De: "You're so sexy!"

Tina's pretty face flushed slightly, but she didn't back down an inch. Since there were no other men present besides Kang De, she raised her head and said, "I'm being seductive only for Kang De! He likes it!"

--Damn it, I want to learn too!

A Xing was both furious and incredibly envious. Horus's words to her from yesterday flashed through her mind, along with the whole bag of clothes he'd slipped into her hand this morning amidst the chaos, clothes she'd shoved under the bed... Did she really have to wear those clothes? And then... how strange!

Even now, A Xing still only knows that one move.

She clung to Kang De's arm, crying out in distress, "Kang De! Look at her!"

It's really embarrassing.

In any case, there is finally a set of rules regarding Dragon Island.

Specific details still need to be discussed, including the time, location, and personnel involved in the match-fixing, as well as various contingency plans. This needs to be communicated to the Grand Duke, as this is a transaction between nations. Furthermore, the hired dragon squad needs to be arranged and utilized to maximize its effectiveness...

These are all things that the Grand Duke and Tina need to worry about.

As for Kang De, besides offering advice and taking responsibility for its implementation, his first task was to do something else entirely.

"... That's all there is to it."

Kang De asked, "You don't feel any psychological burden, do you?"

"Have."

"Iron Son said in a deep, muffled voice."

Yes, rather than saying Kang De threw the match, it's more accurate to say that his son, Iron Son, was the one throwing it. It's just that outsiders see the father and son as a single entity, which is actually true... but ultimately, Horus himself had to make the decision.

So I need to ask for his opinion.

But it seems that Horus, who was usually well-behaved and sensible, has his own ideas.

He muttered in a low voice, "Father, you taught me to be honest and upright. And besides, I've never lost before. I'm a unique mechanical life form, possessing power and mystery unimaginable to humans. I received the blessing and inheritance of Tacitus, and am the absolute overlord of the skies. Now, I have to bow down and admit defeat to a bunch of slow, stupid flying insects, pretending to be defeated by them..."

Kang De felt a chill run down his spine.

That's absolutely true.

Iron Son, after all, has his own thoughts, temperament, and pride. If he can't accept this, then he'll have to find another way. Fortunately, match-fixing only requires one result, so...

Just then, Horus said, "You have to make it up to me."

... Grass.

Kang De asked, "What compensation?"

Iron Son snapped and transformed into human form, kneeling before him. His massive steel face was calm, collected, and reliable, his electronic eyes gleaming with the wisdom of a leader.

"Father only needs to do one thing, don't worry, it's nothing bad."

It said earnestly, "You should trust me."

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PS1: Update: Goodnight.