Homecoming

Good news, bad news.

Around afternoon, Kang De returned to the White Mist World, carrying a large bag of things.

Various metal ingots, magic stones, and enchanted alloys were laid out before Horus, the fruits of a four-hour meeting. The Grand Duke had summoned them, from the chief of the court to the academy masters, and even the alchemists working for civilian organizations, to serve as Kang De's advisors and tools.

Because of their limited understanding of materials science in the other world, Horus's list of material requirements did not specify concrete materials. Instead, it listed material property requirements, leaving it to the otherworldly beings to discuss which materials would be suitable.

Fire-resistant, highly ductile, highly wear-resistant, and highly conductive... The more intricate the structure, the stronger the material support it requires, and the more fragile its interior becomes. Horus's current problem is that the sharpness of its spear far outweighs the strength of its shield, and it wants to fill this gap.

The Transformers sat down in front of Kang De, extended its mechanical arm, and picked up a piece of alloy ingot. "Bad news?"

Kang De replied, "The bad news is that production capacity is insufficient. Your demand list includes a large number of gears, blades, bearings, levers, and many more gadgets that I don't understand. Larger armor plates and hydraulic structures are relatively easy to handle, but the machining of highly sophisticated parts can kill ninety percent of alchemists in one go. Only a small number of masters and metallurgical experts can handle it."

"Even with the small-scale, handcrafted production methods of the otherworldly alchemy workshop, they couldn't complete all the components in a year—and that's just forging, not even counting the enchanting."

The more powerful the structure, the more precise the internal structure. Even a small blade component has stringent requirements for angle, width, and core.

For the artisans of this other world, this was an absolutely daunting workload.

Horus slowly nodded. "And the good news?"

Kang De continued, "The good news is that, compared to modern industrial technology, the alchemical field in this other world also has its unique aspects. The use of supernatural power and mental strength allows the best alchemists to possess skills akin to a level twelve fitter. Calling them human lithography machines is a bit of an exaggeration... but they are still quite powerful."

He opened the box that was placed to the side, inside which was a sweeping exchange component, a monstrous three-layer structure, made of an alloy called Moon Spirit through plastic processing, which was simultaneously diffusion welded during the heating process, and the truss structure between the two alloy skins ensured strength... He had witnessed the alchemist from the Saint Covelo University complete this process on the spot.

Heated by flames, impurities were separated by mental energy, and then shaped by telekinesis. The complex structural diagram had been memorized and reproduced through the guidance of mental energy, making it a human 3D printer.

Horus picked up the box and looked surprised.

Kang De laughed and said, "How about that? Impressive, isn't it?"

The Transformers nodded and said, "Yes, much better than Father."

"..."

Is this guy going through puberty? That's happening way too fast!

Kang De retorted angrily, "How many years have the masters studied? I've only been doing this for a few months! Besides, those in positions of power are always overworked; no matter how capable they are, aren't they still just my tools?"

Horus, seeing that he had gained an advantage, nodded in agreement.

It learned some social skills online and is now testing them on its father. The first key to interpersonal communication is tact. Some things can be said, but you can't go too far. You have to test the waters little by little, conquer territory bit by bit. Taking three steps forward and two steps back is also acceptable. This is called nibbling away.

For example, it can complain about its father, but that's it. After the father refutes it, it should rationally shut up, or even flatter him a few times to show its agreement.

You can't say things like, "My father now seems more like a tool to me."

It wisely changed the subject. "But even the most skilled master can't produce enough work in a short time... But Father must have a solution. In fact, that's the difference between mental and physical labor; the former always has a way of thinking and a method to solve problems—am I right?"

As expected, Kang De's anger turned to joy.

--If I were a woman, Princess Tina wouldn't stand a chance. A Xing is such an idiot.

The thought crossed Horus's mind.

He continued to coax, "Does Father have any solutions?"

Kang De held up two fingers.

"Three options: division of labor, division of labor, and more division of labor."

He pushed over the stone tablet Horus had written on that day and tapped it, "The materials and parts you need are categorized according to processing precision and material strength. Alchemists have limited production capacity, so the best materials are used where they are most needed. That is, those with precise structures and extremely high material property requirements are listed in a separate category and will be handcrafted by master alchemists. The second category consists of materials that are produced in large quantities but have relatively lower precision and material property requirements."

Kang De paused here, then bent one finger. "Ideally, it should be applicable to Earth's technology and materials science; even better, a substitute should be readily available on Earth."

Horus pondered, a torrent of information surging through its processor. After a while, red light shot from its eyes, projecting onto the ground and categorizing the information. "My predecessor was derived from Humvee vehicle, containing many car parts. Later, fighter jets were added. Many components can be found from Earth's vehicles, armored vehicles, and fighter jets, but some involve core components, some need optimization, and others need enchanting."

"There are also some parts that are not suitable for use in cars, since they are civilian vehicles and have already undergone a long period of wear and tear... Ideally, they should be brand new, and the material requirements should be relatively high. This part has the largest demand, and it is best to have standardized industrial machines for production."

Kang De smiled upon hearing this.

He said, "That's not a problem."

"Does Father have a solution?"

"Yes, there's a way." Kang De's smile widened. "Didn't I tell you? Xiaoman's father, Uncle Wang, is a tycoon in the province's automobile manufacturing industry."

"No," Horus said calmly. "Just as you didn't tell me, Father, what happened to the wedding rings that appeared on both your hands overnight?"

"..."

Grass.

Before Kang De could speak, Iron Son continued, "I suggest you wear gloves, or find eight more rings to cover all your fingers—if you're going back to Earth to see my first mother."

Kang De's mind flashed with Xiaoman's voice and smile, and for some reason, he felt guilty. He glared at her and said, "This is adult stuff, children shouldn't talk nonsense!"

"Yes."

In any case, Horus had done its duty as the son to remind Horus, and that was all it could do. It changed the subject. "What about enchantments?"

Kang De composed himself and took another gear out of the box.

It gleamed with Magic Power luster, and the gear, about half the size of a palm, was enchanted with three kinds of enchantments: "Indestructible", "Swift", and "Fire Warding" to meet Horus's enhancement needs.

The Otherworldly Alchemy Corps also has a puppetry field, and mechanical engineering and structural mechanics have also developed accordingly. They also use things like gears. They weren't completely clueless about the design requirements submitted by Kang De, but rather they enchanted and reinforced them based on experience—but the problem still exists.

There are just too many parts that need to be enchanted; the workload is enormous.

"We'll handle the repetitive work; they'll be responsible for the drawings and the design."

Kang De held the gear in his hand. In the Fire Thief's vision, the Element were clearly defined, and the mysterious supernatural power was no longer a mystery. The Eye of the Phoenix made his observation even clearer.

Do you remember the plan I told you about before?

Kang De said, "Copy the Element array, import it into the drawing software, control the laser engraving machine, modify the engraving drill part, inject the Element, and complete the enchantment..."

"However, the ongoing wars prevented us from putting this idea into practice. Now, we face new challenges and must consider the issue from a national perspective... It's time to take this step."

He tossed the gear to Horus and stood up. "This time, we'll go back to Earth and solve this problem."

The Power of the Fire Thief goes straight to the source, bypassing complex and profound enchanting techniques, and in one step endows objects with extraordinary properties. Since Kang De was born on Earth and was familiar with the course of history, he would be un -China if he didn't advocate national policies such as reducing costs, breaking monopolies, and large-scale industrial production.

--Everyone move aside, I'm going to farm.

Horus said quietly, "Don't forget to bring a gift for Wang Xiaoman."

"--You tell me!"

Enraged shouts echoed through the White Mist Space.

"That's the situation."

After a busy afternoon, the detailed division of labor agreed upon with Horus was handed over to Goth's team.

The processing and enchanting of high-precision core components are left to the alchemy masters in Danfeng Lucerne. No matter how powerful Uncle Wang's factory is, it is still in the field of civilian automotive parts. Without the corresponding processing equipment, those things cannot be made. We can only rely on the masters' superb spiritual power.

As for the materials, after discussion, it was decided that the parts to be manufactured and processed on Earth would still use Earth's steel and alloys. The first issue is the processing equipment. Although the otherworldly super-magical alloy is better, Earth's equipment may not be able to process it... Moreover, it is an unprecedented new material. Goth has too many things to do right now, and Kang De is not yet ready to deal with his own government.

This will cause wear and tear on parts and extend their lifespan. Just enchant them and make do for now. If necessary, produce more and replace and maintain them frequently. You can consider further enhancement later.

That's settled.

He would follow the same pattern as before: he would return to Earth at night, reverse the time difference, and return when it was daytime in the other world, ensuring that he would not disappear for too long and arouse suspicion from the enemy.

"I'm counting on you guys to cover for me."

As night fell, Kang De briefly explained the situation. Explaining things about Earth was too complicated, so he simply told Tina for the time being, "I actually come from another world... Just think of it as another plane. I need to go back there to find the things needed to repair Horus. I'll tell you the details later."

Tina's first thought was of the scenes of destruction, war, and extinction she had seen on the tablet Kang De had given her on the Holy Seal Archipelago.

She was curious about Kang De's secret, but not in a hurry to know, because her experience in Glittering Sand Town had shattered the young princess's romantic dreams and turned her into a pragmatist. Kang De's secret was not important; what mattered was that he was by her side, safe and happy.

She took Kang De's hand. "Is it dangerous there?"

Earth, Africa, Comora. Before arriving, he was almost wiped out by a joint attack force from the American Empire and France. After the battle of Moyani, he has earned a name among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Goodwill, malice, scheming, hostility—the attention of all nations will fall upon him.

The motherland will definitely support him. He is an extraordinary person, born under the Hongqi, with Han chauvinistic tendencies, pro-government commentators, and a clean family background. How could the country possibly push such a good young man away? Kang De was just bored and went to foreign countries for fun—language, history, culture. This sense of identity and belonging is the power of Civilization.

But conversely, with a motherland comes enemies, and with enemies come barbarians who cannot bear to see China prosper.

It might be quite lively when I go back this time.

He said, "A little... but overall, it's safe."

Since their reunion, Tina has been worrying about him excessively; it would be better if she offered him some comfort.

Who knew Tina would have something to say no matter what? The princess lowered her eyes, her gaze shimmering, and whispered, "Kang De gave up his peaceful and beautiful life to travel here for Goth..."

As she said this, she seized the opportunity, hugged Kang De's arm, and whispered, "Kang De, you've done so much for us, I don't know how to repay you..."

As usual, Kang De comforted the uneasy Tina.

Watching from the side, A Xing, not to be outdone, clung to Kang De's other arm. Gazing at Tina's heartbreakingly beautiful profile, she instinctively felt that Tina was very cunning, and that this was her scheme.

A psychological phenomenon.

A helps B, and then A's favorability towards B increases to an even greater extent than B's favorability towards A. If this relationship of giving and receiving favors is strengthened and continued, A's favorability towards B will be even higher.

Tina's constant emphasis on the help and kindness Kang De had shown her not only helped solidify and enhance her goodwill towards him, but also provided a reasonable motivation for her many "acts of gratitude." This motivation was not meant to convince herself, but rather to convince Kang De.

Gradually, Kang De would become accustomed to this rhetoric, just as he became accustomed to various "rewards."

--The strategy to subdue Kang De had already been secretly laid out.

Upon thinking of this, Tina glanced at A Xing and suppressed the smile that was about to appear on her lips.

How could I lose?

She held Kang De's arm, stroking Kang De hand and the "Chang'an's Watch" mark on his ring finger. A mysterious power connected their destinies, and she couldn't help but wonder if this ancient spiritual vow, which allowed one person to be transported to another's side, could take her to Kang De's hometown.

No rush, no rush.

She looked at A Xing meaningfully, her intuition telling her that this little fool knew many of Kang De's secrets, but that was just a head start, and she would catch up soon enough.

Let's get all your secrets out of you tonight. We have a whole night after Kang De left.

"Well, I'm leaving then."

After a brief moment of tenderness, he gave some more instructions, handed the signal generator to A Xing, and agreed on a return time and things to be careful about. Kang De then walked through the dark doorway as they watched him go.

Arriving in the White Mist World.

Use this as a springboard.

Homecoming.

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PS1: It's a bit early today... Time for bed, goodnight.