A New Tool

In the end, we couldn't talk in bed.

Upon hearing Kang De recount the Dragon Emperor's broken promise and the change of their agreement, Tina's expression immediately changed.

Then we need to go find the Grand Duke.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, let him get a good night's sleep," Kang De advised, "No rush."

Tina, unusually, retorted, "The agreed deadline is only half a month, how can we not be anxious?"

"But we can't rush things." Kang De was much calmer. Half a month, or three or four months on Earth if you extend the time difference, is enough time for him to collect all the short-range air defense missiles on the market. No matter what, he has effective backup options, and that's where his confidence comes from.

He picked up the drunken A Xing and placed her on the bed. He took off her shoes and unbuttoned her coat. A Xing cooperated in her drunken stupor, but made strange noises that made him slightly aroused.

"This matter has two parts. The first part is something only Horus and I can do, and the second part is something Goth can help with. We need to determine these two parts before we can allocate and confirm the tasks."

Kang De lifted A Xing's head, placed a pillow underneath, and helped her lie down. The girl, still half-asleep, stretched out her arms. He hugged her helplessly, then patted her forehead. A Xing then let go, arched her back, lay on her side, and began to sleep soundly.

"So let's not disturb the Duke and the others for now. These days have been very stressful, but things have eased up a bit recently. Let them rest for the night; it won't be a problem."

Kang De straightened up, turned around, and then looked on in astonishment.

Tina leaned against the window not far from the wall, staring at him intently, seemingly a little unhappy.

He laughed and asked, "What's wrong?"

Tina turned her head to the side. "... I want to drink."

"Stop fooling around."

"I'm not kidding, I also want to be taken care of like this by Kang De..." Tina said, then turned back to look at him, her eyes a little moist. "Does that mean if I were drunk, Kang De wouldn't take care of me like this?"

Is this considered jealousy?

Kang De wasn't exactly a straight man, so he couldn't possibly say something like, "Don't you have a lot of maids?" He was about to reply when he seemed to remember something and lowered his head slightly.

Wait a minute, wait a minute, shouldn't I think about this before I answer?

This is a bit like those "death trap" questions you see online.

So...

Time acceleration, activate!

Because he lowered his head and closed his eyes, the clock face and golden light in his eyes were obscured. The axis of time accelerated around Kang De, and the river of time surged forward. With the acceleration of time, Kang De gained many times more time to think, reorganized his language, and deduced the correct answer!

Thanks, Brother Tu!

You really know how to enjoy life!

The next moment, at least in Tina's eyes, Kang De looked up, a warm and gentle smile on his face, and said, "Whether you're drunk or not, I'll still take care of you like this."

The surprise and smile on Tina's face were the best feedback for her score.

--yeah!

But the next moment, Tina walked gracefully to the bedside, sat down next to Kang De, gathered her skirt, and gently stretched her legs forward, revealing a pair of calfskin ankle boots.

And a touch of milky white sheen between the hem of the skirt and the ankle boots.

She said sweetly, "Then help me take it off."

The heel tapped on the carpet, making a dull thud.

Tina spoke in a coquettish tone, while glancing at Kang De with a hint of nervousness.

The other world is still a patriarchal society. After all, before the industrial age, women could not provide labor similar to men, nor could they earn wages comparable to men. Without an economic foundation, there is no superstructure. Since they work differently and are paid differently, they naturally cannot fight for power or improve their social status.

The idea of a man taking off a woman's shoes... sounds a bit unacceptable.

Kang De's eyes narrowed slightly.

Kang, a fine young man, born of parents, upright and honorable, a true man—how could he do such a thing!?

--able.

He naturally and smoothly knelt down in a tiger-like landing, lifted Tina's left leg, and gently removed the leather boot, revealing her foot encased in milky-white stockings.

The small arch of her foot was taut with tension, the graceful lines were exquisite, and the touch was soft and adorable. To be fair, Kang De wasn't a foot fetishist; he just thought it was beautiful.

Then came the other one.

Tina blushed, lowered her head slightly, and trembled gently. Her mind was a mess, filled with both joy and nervousness. She stood with her legs together, her long skirt slightly lifted, revealing a small section of her calves, which were also covered by milky white pantyhose, faintly exuding a strange fragrance.

She felt Kang De's hand gently move upwards, groping inch by inch. She bit her lip to endure it, but in the end she couldn't hold back and let out a soft laugh. Her legs kicked out subconsciously, and then Kang De pulled her into his arms. Such an action would lead to a result, in martial arts terms, that is, leaving her completely exposed.

Martial artists also understand life.

The girl's shy nature ultimately overwhelmed her love; she instinctively grabbed her skirt and cried out, "No!"

Upon hearing this, Kang De released his grip, stood up, and flicked Tina's forehead.

"Mock up."

The princess gasped softly, covering her forehead as she watched Kang De walk toward the desk. Her mind was still a jumbled mess; she didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed. She knew why Kang De had stopped.

The girl turned her head and looked at A Xing, who was fast asleep. How could this idiot sleep so carefree...? Was there any way to get rid of her temporarily?

Some.

Tina touched the pendant on her chest; the Eternal Tranquility's Protection rippled like ocean waves.

She smiled slightly, then stood up and stepped barefoot onto the carpet. The rustling sound of her stockings against the hand-woven plush carpet felt like walking on sand—very comfortable.

"Come over."

Kang De walked to the table, beckoned, and took out his phone. The stone tablet provided by Horus listed all sorts of parts and materials it needed, from material requirements to attribute requirements, and even the shape and structure, all clearly listed. He needed to determine which things could be obtained from the other world, which things could only be obtained on Earth, and which things required cooperation between the two worlds.

Tina walked over curiously, then Kang De pressed her into a chair and took out paper and a pen.

Horus wrote in Chinese, and he had to explain to the translator what the bearing of a horse is.

"I'll describe it, you record it. This needs to be shown to your father. Relying on Goth's national strength for searching and processing it will also require the help of alchemy masters."

Tina glanced at it a few times. Although she had been studying the Cathay script, this was a completely different matter. She recognized many of the characters individually, but when they were put together, she couldn't understand them.

But that's alright, Kang De said, she wrote it, and that's easy.

"Alright," the princess changed the subject, "But..."

"But what?"

Tina raised her little head. "Having a princess as your scribe comes at a high price."

Kang De laughed and asked, "What price?"

"First, I want a Coke!" the princess exclaimed.

"Okay, with ice, and it comes with potato chips."

"Secondly, I want a seat cushion!"

"..."

Ten minutes later, under the calming and soothing glow of a magic lamp on the desk, two figures were intertwined, one on top of the other. Tina sat on Kang De's lap, occasionally biting her lip and chuckling softly, casually shifting her body, with a glass of soda beside her that was bubbling slightly from time to time.

Kang De had his left arm around Tina's waist, his right hand on the table holding his phone, and his head resting on Tina's shoulder, his soft cheek occasionally touching hers, their ears rubbing together – that's the feeling.

He looked at his phone, translating and describing to Tina annotated and drew diagrams with her skillful hands. They occasionally chatted and laughed, their eyes meeting, and sometimes Tina would turn her head and give him a light kiss on the cheek.

A Xing, on the other hand, was fast asleep in bed.

It must be said that, in Tina's opinion, a sleeping A Xing is a good A Xing. First, the A Xing is still an excellent control valve, reminding Kang De not to act recklessly. Second, with the A Xing asleep, Tina becomes a bit unrestrained, and in order to retaliate for her previous lapse in behavior, she becomes even more energetic.

Late into the night, the list of materials provided by Horus was finally translated and annotated, and Tina had thoroughly understood it. It was much more convenient for her, an outsider, to explain it to her fellow human beings than for Kang De to explain it himself.

Night had fallen, and the work was finished. Tina could no longer resist her weariness and slowly slumped onto the table, falling into a deep sleep. Kang De gently nudged her a few times, then sighed sadly, ran his fingers along the princess's alabaster face, stood up, and lifted her up, placing her on the bed.

Cover yourself with a blanket.

A Xing's body was twisted into a difficult position, with traces of drool still around his mouth, fast asleep. Tina, on the other hand, was much more elegant. The strict court education not only made the princess's words and actions pleasing to the eye, but even her sleeping posture was extremely charming. The story of Sleeping Beauty is indeed true.

"Good night."

He yawned, took off his clothes, and lay down in the middle. The A Xing smelled his scent and wrapped itself around him like an octopus in its sleep. Kang De was not to be outdone and wrapped himself around Tina like an octopus, rubbing against her a few times. He inhaled the fragrance of the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep as well.

Because they were so close, the Chang'an's Watch and the Eternal Tranquility's Protection resonated gently.

Kang De dreamed that he became the Lord of the Rings.

The next day.

Emergency meeting.

The agreement between the Dragon Clan and Kang De was known only to a select few. Now that the agreement has changed, it is also unnecessary to inform others, so as not to cause unnecessary panic.

The Grand Duke, his face ashen, stared at the photocopies of the documents Tina had prepared. A copy also lay before Princess Stella. Grand Duke Reknos glanced at his second daughter and asked, "Is Saint Covelo University sufficient?"

"I'll probably have to transfer some more from other schools, as well as several alchemy masters from the Legal Department. If we don't consider confidentiality, there are also a few in the private sector..."

Stella glanced at Kang De as she finished speaking.

It's about alchemy masters... Some of the materials Horus needs require enchanting techniques to activate and modify their properties, an advantage that Earth lacks.

Kang De said, "There's no need to keep it a secret; the attack on Horus can't be hidden."

More concerning than that was the supply of materials. "Can Goth's treasury provide the materials needed here? Should we find another way?"

Reknos shook his head and said, "You didn't specify what kind of materials you need, only the properties and requirements. Whether it's enough or not needs to be assessed and listed by experienced professionals... Don't worry, Goth will meet your requirements. Even if the national treasury doesn't have enough, we will find a way to buy it."

Kang De nodded and said, "Alright, if that's not enough, there's no need to look for the black market or anything like that. Just talk to Santos and buy it from the dragons. They definitely have it."

The king thought he had misheard, his eyes widening. "You made an agreement with the dragons to fight, and it was a real fight, and you even had to buy their materials to repair your weapons?"

"Why wouldn't they sell? First, it's to make money; second, it's also to do me a favor."

"But isn't that aiding the enemy?"

"The dragons didn't intend to kill me, otherwise they wouldn't have waited half a month. Today, the Dragon Emperor brought his henchmen to kill me," Kang De said. "Dragon Island knows that Horus is damaged and that I need to repair it. This duel is probably to test my strength. I just need to prove that I can restore Horus to its fighting power within half a month. It doesn't matter whose materials I buy; they'll probably feel more at ease buying from them."

Sitting to the side, the Sword Saint Cascading Snow said, "We mustn't let them do anything underhanded."

Kang De shook his head and said, "No, the dragons wouldn't risk being discovered by me to do such a despicable thing. If they did, it would be quite interesting."

Fire Thief experts at identifying all kinds of counterfeit and shoddy goods. They can tell whether something is genuine or not simply by sensing its Element... Dragons generally wouldn't try anything funny here.

Just then, Stella put down the documents in her hand, her expression serious.

"There's not enough time."

She said, "So many complex parts, requiring corresponding enchanting treatments, demand extremely high alchemist skills. The key issue is the sheer number of parts and the amount of repetitive work... I'm afraid half a month won't be enough. Even if we mobilized all the alchemists in Danfeng Lucerne, it probably wouldn't be enough."

Horus provided a long list, which, when copied, filled a whole stack. It contained the parts required for a Transformers, with countless intricate components, from parts to transmissions, interlocking parts, and internal rotation devices, large and small, in extremely large quantities. The craftsmanship, reminiscent of an otherworldly workshop, was truly astonishing.

But Kang De already had a plan in mind.

"Then let's gather the masters first, assign tasks, and I'll handle the repetitive labor issue. But first, they need to get started and come up with a production plan."

Kang De glanced at Stella, then at the Grand Duke, and said, "Please make arrangements immediately, Your Majesty. It would be best if I could meet with the masters today so we can establish a plan. Thank you."

It's time to develop new "tools" (personal assistants).

The project to restore Horus requires the union of Earth and the otherworld.

He already has someone in mind to be his tool on Earth.

Kang Jinzhu Kang, a drafting engineer with over twenty years of experience, is a perfect fit.

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PS1: Update... Going to sleep. Sigh, Kobe.