Got Any Mines?

The King and the Ambassador had no objection to the name "Africa Weapons Sceptre League".

It's just a company name; it might be a bit odd, but it doesn't really matter.

As Kang De said, no matter how convoluted it may seem, people will get used to it once it's done on a large scale.

Moreover, by then, even the strangest names will be embellished to appear incredibly sophisticated.

For example, the Bavarian Engine Works AG.

For example, the People's Car.

And Subway.

Look at those famous brands, Adidas, Siemens, Louis Vuitton, Lamborghini, etc. They sound so prestigious, but they are all just the names of their founders.

Moreover, the name itself is actually quite ordinary.

In China parlance, it's like Wang Shengli's shoe store, Jianguo's electrical appliance store, Li Cuihua's tailor shop, and Feng Meili's car dealership—they became high-end and prestigious precisely because they grew so large.

So they have no objections.

Since it's not my company, there's no need to argue with Kang De over this.

But Kang Jinzhu finally understood the pain Kang De had previously suffered.

His face had turned a deep purplish-red.

Just as Kang De could not explain to the Ambassador and Chakat II why he disliked the term "non-European," Kang Jinzhu today cannot explain the profound meaning behind the abbreviation "AWSL."

"That's the name?"

"That's the name."

"Alright then."

The ambassador said, "Registering the company and providing materials—for the Comora issue, you can ask the King to handle it; for domestic matters, we'll take care of it. Please leave some basic information later. Although the normal procedure requires you to make the trip in person, that's not possible right now, so let's make an exception."

Kang De casually hooked his arm around his father's shoulder and chuckled, "Let my dad be the legal representative and chairman."

His smile was filial and sincere.

He then said to the ambassador, "You see, I'm just a young man with no relevant experience, and I'm busy. It's more reassuring to let my own father handle this kind of thing. After all, he's worked in Comora for a long time and has connections there. If I were to appoint him as a minor chief, the locals would be more accepting. Besides, he's a loyal party member, so both sides can trust him when dealing with matters with the motherland."

He patted her shoulder as he spoke.

And she looked at her father beside her.

Kang Jinzhu, the legal representative and chairman of AWSL Company, is a seasoned tech tycoon with advanced technology.

That look in his eyes truly showed paternal love and filial piety.

Kang Jinzhu angrily declared, "I won't do it!"

Kang De earnestly advised, "That's where you're wrong, Jingzhu. There's a saying that brothers go to war together, and fathers and sons fight tigers side by side. How can you bear to leave your son alone, letting him struggle and suffer in this treacherous business world, while you enjoy a life of pleasure with your wife?"

--Bullshit! I've seen the photos. You're clearly more carefree and promiscuous than me!

The king also advised, "Jingzhu, you must help your son."

The ambassador also advised, "Old Kang, are you having some difficulties? Look, it's rare for your son to be so successful. As an elder, you should help him out, lend a hand, and give him some guidance. After all, young people are prone to making mistakes..."

Kang De, standing nearby, made a sarcastic remark. "Mr. Ambassador, I've heard that your generation has excellent conduct and high awareness. As for my father's situation, we should ask the organization to speak up and give him more responsibilities."

The ambassador's heart skipped a beat. This was a promise of an official position. But it didn't matter. He wasn't afraid of Kang De asking for anything; he was just worried that Kant had no other requests. Besides, solving the worries about life for outstanding citizens with advanced thinking and high awareness was just part of the job and not a big deal at all.

He said kindly, "Old Kang, I will report this to the organization. You demonstrated exemplary conduct and worked diligently in Comora, contributing to the friendship between China and Comoros. Furthermore, you remained calm and composed in the face of difficulties, making a significant contribution to protecting state-owned assets and the lives of your compatriots. This truly deserves recognition. In my opinion, your position in the Engineers Association could be moved up a bit..."

Moreover, this is not a simple transaction.

Even without the factor of Kang De, the testimonies of the company employees who were captured with Kang Jinzhu are already quite clear. In order to protect the safety of others, Kang Jinzhu took the initiative to cooperate with the kidnappers' demands and left with them, putting himself in greater danger. This sense of responsibility and courage should be rewarded handsomely.

The ambassador, having considered this point, further hinted, "In addition, I've heard that your wife is an exceptionally outstanding teacher, which explains how she could raise such a remarkable child as Kang De. The country needs such talent, and I hope she can be placed in a more suitable position to promote her parenting experience throughout the nation..."

This was clearly a good thing, but after hearing it, both Kang De and his son had very strange expressions.

To be honest...

If Teacher Li truly promotes her parenting experience to families across the country and it is successfully implemented, then within five to ten years, at least the development of China's motorsports industry will experience a comprehensive leap forward.

Kang Jinzhu hesitated, "This... this..."

Kang De whispered, "I've recorded this. If you refuse again, I'll tell Teacher Li that you've ruined her chance to get a top-level professional title and more free time."

Papa Kang shivered, and the two men looked at each other with a fatherly and filial devotion.

Kang Jinzhu shamefully compromised.

This threat is absolutely deadly.

For Teacher Li Shaoyuan, the main benefit of the title of Special Grade Teacher is that she can now treat the idiotic principal who acts on a whim and the education bureau director who spouts nonsense as worthless trash, and no longer need to pay attention to their bullshit policies. This is of profound significance and extremely important.

As for gaining more free time... needless to say.

Once Kang De makes such a accusation, it is foreseeable that Engineer Kang will inevitably face the furious roar of a shrew, and Professor Li Shaoyuan will certainly not understand his predicament.

After all, that old woman, like her little brat, enjoys watching others have a good time.

--What a miserable life.

"Alright, then it's settled."

Kang De made the decision. "We'll trouble the Ambassador to take care of things back home. As for Comora, we'll find some time to go to the relevant departments to get things done..."

The King said, "I've brought the Minister of Commerce with me."

... Okay, that's very Batman.

The company was registered on the spot. The Comora People demonstrated an efficiency that Kang Jinzhu envied and resented. The bespectacled, stout minister prepared all the documents. Kang De only needed to sign, sign, and sign again. Even the photos were taken by the minister himself. The whole process was completed in five minutes.

"It would normally take a long time, but since it's Kang De, it doesn't matter."

All unnecessary procedures can be omitted, because everyone knows that so-called business acumen and national power are no longer sufficient to serve as proof of a contract, so they are irrelevant. What truly matters is the benefit of cooperation, the power of Kang De, and mutual goodwill.

Without these, even the most meticulously crafted contract is nothing but a castle in the air.

Another point is that Comora is currently far too weak.

So weak that Kang De alone could overthrow it; so weak that it was powerless in the face of France aggression and intrigue, United States humiliation, and even the atrocities of a group of mercenaries.

They can only seek hope for revenge by relying on external forces.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

The group formally took their seats, all eyes fixed on the minister. External enemies still existed: personal and public grudges with France, the hasty withdrawal of troops from Gambia, the involvement of the American Empire, and even issues involving supernatural powers... The only country capable of leading the response to this situation was China, another permanent member of the UN Security Council.

"This is the country's opinion."

The ambassador slowly said, "France and the United States have done wrong, and they must pay the price. We have caught them red-handed, so we must draw blood. It's a matter of life and death, revenge for revenge. There's nothing more to say. After all, we've come to understand over the years that if we repay evil with kindness, they'll think we're weak and easy to bully. Only by repaying evil with justice will they, though still resentful, at least feel the pain!"

"Only after experiencing pain will one become afraid; only after becoming afraid can one take the medicine."

The three listened and slowly nodded in agreement. Indeed, it was true. Kang De himself was somewhat moved. A few years ago, he had thought the "class struggle" and "ideology" in political textbooks were outdated and boring empty rhetoric and falsehoods. But with age and experience, he had come to a new understanding: the former truly could not be relaxed for a moment, and the latter...

It truly is an irreconcilable difference, conflict, contradiction, and even war between ideologies.

Seeking common ground while reserving differences is a China philosophy; Westerners would never think that way.

If I am right, then you must be wrong; if I am righteous, then you must be evil.

The ambassador continued, "However, pursuing and beating a drowning dog also requires tactics. We can't get fat in one bite; revolution can't be accomplished in a day, and Rome couldn't be built in a day. We are currently unprepared, so we must adhere to the principle of 'fighting without breaking apart.' It's okay to bleed the foreign devils a little, but we can't adopt a 'I want you dead' stance, otherwise, they will become desperate and do something rash. Don't you think that makes sense?"

He looked at Kang De, his tone sincere and persuasive.

It's practically as if their faces say, "I'm afraid you'll tear down the Arc de Triomphe, chop down the Eiffel Tower, and loot the Louvre."

Kang De was both amused and exasperated. "Do you think I'm some kind of violent psychopath with severe antisocial tendencies?"

"No, no."

Despite saying that, the slight embarrassment on the ambassador's face betrayed him.

--Don't you think you are? Do you know how many times the professionals who came to Comora these past two days to clean up your mess and erase the traces have vomited? I heard you plan to develop your career in Comora for a while, and I wonder how many people above you are breathing a sigh of relief!

To be fair, a country would certainly value someone like Kang De, who possesses supernatural powers, highly. However, along with this emphasis, there are also concerns. Although various intelligence searches and information gathering indicate that he is a good comrade, with strong ideology, advanced awareness, patriotism, nationalist tendencies, and a great power chauvinist, which is certainly a good thing... However, after his father was captured, this guy clearly changed his tune.

Comora slaughtered indiscriminately, leaving rivers of blood and piles of heads, and his methods were extremely brutal and bloody.

Keeping an old man like this in China is a bit of a headache. If you don't monitor him, you're afraid he might do something he doesn't like and cause a huge scandal that can't be controlled. If you do monitor him, he might find out and develop a grudge. It's hard to strike the right balance.

It's more convenient in Africa.

Anyway, they can teleport you; if there's anything, just come back and we can discuss it and cooperate.

"In short, rest assured, I am a restrained pacifist," Kang De said. "My father is fine, my mother is fine, I'm not so insane as to want to kill the entire France president's family, nor am I thinking of making a big splash at the Large Hadron Collider near the France border, nor am I thinking of sinking the Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier..."

"As for magnetizing the Eiffel Tower and attracting lightning to strike randomly all over Paris, that was something I never even considered..."

--You've told me everything!

--Damn it, isn't this the Soviet campaign from Red Alert 2? Bah! Young people these days are poisoned by video games from a young age, what are they thinking about?

The ambassador was inwardly grumbling. These days, officials value composure and calmness, especially diplomats who deal with national leaders and important officials, or successful overseas Chinese—all established figures in society. He had never seen such a frivolous young man before.

You have to be patient and argue with him.

"Now that you say that, we're relieved."

... I have to stroke it gently, it's so annoying.

The ambassador, no longer daring to dwell on such a strange topic, clarified the central idea.

"In short, news came from China last night that the France government has quietly begun contacting us. After all, if this matter were to be fully exposed, the cabinet would collapse. No government can bear the accusation of genocide, especially one concerning a sensitive issue in Africa. You know, France is now a Black country."

As he said this, the ambassador nodded to the king, indicating that he had no intention of offending him.

The king waved his hand.

Kang De laughed and said, "So, they're going to surrender?"

"Yes, they're very skilled at this kind of thing." The ambassador joked, "We kept the France waiting for several hours, after all, it was still dawn in China, they hadn't gotten up yet. Now that we've received formal notification, we're beginning secret negotiations with the France and presenting our conditions."

He glanced at the King and continued, "The main topic of the talks is reparations, which consist of two parts: first, compensation for Comora, and second, personal reparations for Kang De."

Kang De said, "A state can ask the France for anything it wants."

The ambassador paused for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, "I appreciate the good intentions, but it's inappropriate. The country standing up for Comora is an act of internationalism, humanitarianism, and the responsibility of a major power. Standing up for you is protecting the legitimate rights of our citizens; it's the government's obligation, and no one can object."

"But seeking technical blueprints and trade licenses for their own benefit—in their words, the evil erosion of the free world by communism—will inevitably arouse widespread vigilance in Western countries, give other countries an opportunity to intervene, and provoke a reaction from hardliners within France. After all, international trade involves too many people and could easily affect the interests of many, so it is inappropriate."

"If we simply seek justice and compensation for you, things will be much simpler. Moreover, the France political scene won't be united against you, and even the cabinet won't dare to speak out. They'll just have to swallow their anger and pay the price. The opposition will only take advantage of the situation to attack and watch the show—after all, you don't want much, and you can't touch such a big piece of the pie."

The ambassador smiled and said to Kang De, "So, this time the country is working for you for free. If there's anything we need your help with in the future, don't refuse!"

Kang De's eyes lit up. "Wait, not much?"

"..."

"Haha, just kidding, just kidding. I will always remember the care and concern the country has shown me."

The ambassador hesitated for a moment, then continued, "But there's one thing I need to make clear to you both beforehand: the France are settling this matter with money. In other words, the deal is done, so the public relations tone needs to be changed, especially for Your Majesty. The compensation from France will be provided in the form of interest-free loans and grants, whether in money or supplies. I hope you can understand."

The king nodded; he had expected this.

However, he doesn't care about saving face; he only cares about substance. Talking about revenge now is too extravagant.

"And for you, Kang De, the same applies. The government will handle the handover for you, so you don't need to worry about it. What you need to do is hold a press conference or give an interview."

The ambassador's expression turned serious. "This time it's not just the United States and France trying to cover up what they've done; we also have things to cover up. You know, what you did in Comora wasn't wrong, but the public can't know, at least not now..."

Kang De nodded.

Making a fortune quietly is a traditional Chinese skill.

"Now that the news is widespread, you're practically world-famous. So we need to cooperate with Western countries to define this matter globally. To that end, we need to downplay your role in this operation. After all, you single-handedly wiped out two military camps in Gambia, routed three mercenary patrol convoys, and shelled all the terrorists in an entire city—that's an exaggeration."

Kang De nodded again.

He had no intention of playing Superman -like role, nor did he intend to become a public superhero.

The ambassador breathed a sigh of relief, "It's great that you're willing to cooperate. We plan to split the costs of this operation. In terms of publicity, we'll say that you didn't defeat the Gambia army single-handedly; you had the help of mercenary friends. The Myanmar and Russia are willing to cooperate with us in putting on a show, so it won't seem too exaggerated. As for the city rescue operation, we'll be a little shameless and admit we shouldn't take some credit. We're quite embarrassed."

Kang De nodded and said, "That's normal. You've helped a lot, so there's no need for me to feel guilty."

When the city was in turmoil, the ambassador decisively ordered the armed police to be deployed, and he did so without consulting the authorities first, taking action before the domestic investigation was completed. This sense of responsibility deserves such a share of the profits and rewards.

The ambassador smiled; he was quite pleased with his previous decision.

"Since you have no objections, we can proceed. Our team will immediately prepare the details and statements for the press conference and interviews. We will brief you beforehand to confirm the details. Everything is moving in a positive direction. So, there's only one last question left."

He looked at the king and asked, "Your Majesty, Gambia was the main force and instigator of this war of aggression, while Comora was the victim. Whether King Gambia was instigated or not is no longer important, because he messed things up. The international community, including the France, will no longer tolerate that madman's country and his arrogant king. But how to punish him and what outcome we want depends on your decision."

Punishment is divided into two types: physical punishment and economic sanctions.

The latter goes without saying; the just international community can do the work, but it's not very meaningful. Apart from freezing overseas assets, it doesn't have much impact on the real culprits, and the people always suffer the most.

The former's desired outcome is nothing more than ceding territory and paying reparations, changing the government, seizing assets, plundering resources, or perhaps...

The king looked at Kang De.

He knew that Comora was no longer in a position to easily seek revenge.

Even if the target is a weak country like Gambia.

Unless this person speaks up.

Kang De asked, "What benefits are there to retaliating with force, besides venting anger?"

The king shook his head and said, "Gambia is also very poor."

This means that even if they demand huge war reparations, they won't be able to squeeze much profit out of the war.

After all, their annual military spending is only a few million dollars.

The gross national product is roughly a few billion US dollars.

But this is still quite substantial for an individual or a company.

Kang De, noticing their gazes, shrugged and said, "Don't look at me like that. I never intended to rip off poor people."

He turned to look at the regional map on the wall, walked over, took it down, placed it on the table, and asked the king, "Do you have any disputed border territories? That is, any core territories that you claim, territories that you can legally and legitimately take after winning a battle."

The king sighed, "It's all... Didn't I tell you before? Gambia and Comora were one country decades ago, forcibly separated by the United Kingdom and France before independence. I share the same royal blood as the King of Gambia; by seniority, he's my uncle. This time, Gambia launched a war under the banner of unification."

--Uni-President? That's my Master Kang's rival!

Okay, just kidding.

Kang De then remembered that this was indeed true.

He looked at the map. This was the West Africa part. Gambia was small, Comora was even smaller, surrounded by the Seligal. If Gambia was the neck of a tortoise, then Comora was the head, and the Seligal was the soil that enveloped the tortoise's neck and head.

Of course, that's not the main point. The main point is the long, narrow Gambia, which connects to Comora to the east.

It borders the sea to the west.

He seemed to be deep in thought, then shook his head like a lion. "Gambia, are there any mines?"

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PS1: 6,000 words updated! And so early! That's two chapters in total!