Instant Noodles

After seeing the Dragon Emperor off, Kang De breathed a sigh of relief.

In this incident, the dragon race was arguably the biggest loser. From the mysteriously missing delegation to the almost complete annihilation of the Dragon Legion, the loss of more than thirty members on Dragon Island was a major event that could shake the regime.

Therefore, with the Battle of Distant Harbor now concluded, the most important task is not settling scores afterward, nor is it to extort the Empire, the Council, and the Elves, but rather to deal with any actions the Dragon Clan might take, including war.

Fortunately, all the dragons that died this time were conservatives from Dragon Island.

Fortunately, the Dragon Emperor is a business-minded dragon.

Fortunately, the Forbidden Spell, warships, armaments, and what these three things represent, as well as the deterrent effect of the Fire Thief's identity, kept the Dragon King cautious and rational.

However, reaching an agreement with this business tycoon still comes at a price.

"However, I didn't suffer any losses."

The confrontation and struggle with the Dragon Emperor begins with flexing one's muscles, followed by stating one's stance, then reaching a consensus on ideas and ideologies, and finally, exchanging and binding interests.

For example, when the Dragon Emperor saw a tablet computer that could play videos, he keenly realized its many other uses—text, news, public opinion control, advertising, music, drama, and so on.

This top-notch businessman almost instantly discovered the infinite charm and huge business opportunities of personal mobile terminals in the Internet age, and realized that this was an unprecedented gold mine, even enough to surpass the security business profits of Dragon Island Defense and become a new source of wealth growth.

Kang De's force and attitude led him to abandon his idea of monopolizing the production method.

They then transitioned to cooperation.

Such benefits were enough for the Dragon Emperor to overlook the deaths and injuries of the dragon race over the past month.

After all, those who died in battle beneath the walls of Danfeng Lucerne were victims of workplace injuries and could not be avenged.

The mission went on a treasure hunt without prior notification and even lost a dragon; let's not dwell on that.

As for those dragons who died in the Distant Harbor, they were even more disgraced. First, they were betrayed by their own people, and then they were pardoned by Kang De. Most importantly, they were conservatives, not employees of Dragon Island Defense, and they evaded taxes with the tacit approval of the elders. These tax thieves, apart from dying without leaving a trace and being unable to contribute to the clan in the end, are not worth regretting in death.

--Of course, the most, most, most important reason is that Kang De offered just too much money.

Kang De also made a bid.

Broken Isles.

For Distant Harbor to regain its status as a trade hub on the West Coast, it must first eliminate the Broken Isles.

Dragon Island is isolated overseas. Although it is also an island nation, the Broken Isles are completely within the combat radius of the dragon battle group. With the Dragon Emperor's help, the external pressure will be greatly distributed, after all, the dragons' deterrent power is still sufficient.

Upon hearing this condition, the Dragon Emperor said, "We need to pay more."

So Kang De added more money.

He used his unparalleled alchemy skills to provide powerful weapons and equipment for the Dragon Island Defense's dragon operators, thereby enhancing their market competitiveness and reducing casualties.

This will save Dragon Island Defense a lot of compensation and insurance money.

Of course, there's a charge.

Of course, the Dragon Emperor didn't care—after all, the company wasn't the one paying, and the dragon scales came from the dragon itself. If the dragon operators wanted to raise their prices, they could use their own money to buy weapons and equipment.

Of course, if the royalist faction's agents want to buy equipment, they can go through the company's channels and purchase it from Kang De at a negotiated price, which is even better. There are also VIP products and a three-year after-sales service.

It can be said that the negotiations were a complete success.

Kang De and Dragon Emperor have reached a strategic partnership. The two parties will carry out further exchanges and cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, military, and diplomacy, and sign a package of economic stimulus plans including joint venture investment, internet information business, and arms sales. Dragon Island has pledged to fully support Kang De in embracing free trade.

In his confrontation with this capitalist from another world, Kang De did not suffer any losses; in fact, he even won a minor victory.

"That old dragon really suffered from his lack of education!"

Kang De put his arm around Lily's shoulder and reviewed the negotiation process and outcome with her, eventually bursting into laughter.

"When he saw the tablet, he immediately thought of advertising, news, new media, content delivery, and a whole host of other things. It's impressive, but it's limited by the times. He lacks a broader perspective. He's completely focused on the virtual economy. How naive! Sometimes, it's all about the clothes! The real economy is what matters!"

Kang De proudly declared, "From large advertising screens to small mobile phones, who ships them? Me! Who sets up signal towers, provides content production, and even storage media? Me! The equipment needs maintenance, updates, and upkeep, and it even needs electricity—who can produce and supply that? Me again!"

Complete monopoly.

Do you think this is Earth? The real economy is the real boss now!

Lily glanced sideways. "He's a good brother when you need something from him, but after you've fooled him, he's just an old dragon."

Kang De chuckled and said, "It's just a performance; we can't mess up the seniority."

The Dragon Girl spat.

Just then, a golden dragon in the distance changed direction and flew towards the Sound of the Tide Manor. Outside the manor, it transformed into a human, landed on the ground, and flashed to the area below the balcony.

The magnificent dragon knelt down and said, "Your Highness Kang De, by order of the Dragon Emperor, we eight dragons will serve under you as mercenaries until His Majesty recalls us."

"His Majesty commands us to obey all your orders, including cooperating with your dragon-type alchemical weapon experiments, and even all acts of war. We will follow your instructions and atone for the sins of the dragon race!"

Kang De paused, then showed a look of disgust.

Lily chuckled softly behind her.

"These..." Kang De lowered his voice, displeased, "Aren't they conservatives?"

"Changing allegiance, pledging allegiance to the Dragon Emperor, and not disgracing the dragons," Lily whispered. "This time the casualties were heavy; almost all the dead were noble dragons and the offspring of elders. Only these eight worthless wretches survived, and after such a disgraceful act, what good will they do when they return to Dragon Island?"

"Not only are we interrogated every day, but we also have to endure the elders' disdain, being targeted both openly and secretly, and possibly even silenced to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the conservatives—they're not stupid, they're definitely looking for a way out. The Dragon Emperor only needs to beckon, and they'll rush to fawn over him, what's so strange about that?"

"..."

That old Dragon Emperor is a real cunning bastard.

"Fuck you."

Kang De rolled his eyes and said, "So, in other words, I promised him I'd equip these dragons with my alchemical weapons so he could see the results?"

"Right."

"He said he'd help me deal with the Broken Isles, and this is his military support?"

"Eight dragons! That's enough to form a dragon battle group. Do you know how much it costs to hire such a combination on the market?" Lily's eyes crinkled into crescents with joy; she was clearly very happy. "This is a huge investment; the Dragon Emperor is truly giving his full support."

"Dingli my ass! He didn't spend a penny! Not only did he poach members from the conservatives, reducing their fighting strength by eight dragons, but he also used them to freeload off my equipment and supplies." Kang De rolled his eyes to the heavens. "And I have to keep an eye on these dragons for him, to prevent them from colluding with the conservatives again?"

"Yes."

"... I have to be careful with them, make sure they don't die, otherwise the Dragon Emperor will demand compensation from me."

That's called compensation.

"Grass."

"Alright, stop grass."

Lily suppressed a laugh and put her arm around Kang De's shoulder to comfort him, "He might have come out ahead, but you didn't lose out either, did you? You're already pretty impressive to have fought this old dragon to a standstill."

Kang De cursed, "Damn it, just you wait! I'll get my revenge sooner or later. I'll teach him a lesson about what franchise fees, patent fees, maintenance fees, and after-sales service fees are all about!"

Still unconvinced, he angrily retorted, "--This scruffy old lizard!"

Lily patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, stop with the threats. It's still waiting down there."

Upon hearing this, Kang De took a deep breath, stepped forward, gripped the railing, and gazed at the giant dragon below with a reserved smile, "Please rise quickly and thank my elder brother for me."

The other person looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"My elder brother is your Dragon Emperor," Kang De said proudly. "We are sworn brothers."

The golden dragon said blankly, "Ah, this..."

Kang De raised his hand and said, "You can ask him for confirmation yourself. We had a very pleasant conversation, felt like we had known each other for a long time, and were kindred spirits. We are like half-brothers."

The dragon remained dazed and unsure what expression to wear. In the blink of an eye, Kang De had already gracefully descended the stairs, helped him up, and asked kindly, "How will you be paid for your work?"

The other party answered hesitantly, perhaps because Kang De claimed to be the Dragon Emperor's sworn brother, and Lily did not object. Moreover, the fear and intimidation brought by the Paradox Element had not yet dissipated.

"His Majesty... His Majesty said that normally, meritorious service to atone for one's crimes doesn't come with pay, but considering Your Highness's many praises of us, our mission has been defined as an official company assignment, with the company handling all expenses..."

--At least this scruffy old lizard spoke a human word.

Despite this thought, Kang De noticed a bitter expression on the dragon's face.

He quickly figured out the reason behind it.

Damn it, the old lizard didn't lose out.

The company's unified expense reimbursement system is a terrifying curse for ordinary investors, meaning you have to pay for everything yourself first and then get reimbursed by the company at the end—the fatal flaw lies in this last step.

When you walk into the finance office with your invoice in your hands, you'll face scrutiny and review that's even more rigorous than a college entrance exam proctor. They'll analyze and examine each item with their professional financial expertise, raising questions and disputing anything that "doesn't comply with company regulations." Sometimes, if you spent 800, they'll only reimburse you 600; the extra 200 is just your own fault for being stupid.

The crux of the matter is that the finance person isn't inherently bad, nor does she revel in your cold sweats and subservience. The reason she's so heartless is because of company regulations, or rather, the boss's will and hints. After all, even the richest family doesn't have surplus grain, and they can't let employees squander their wealth. But the boss and senior executives never personally intervene, leaving the two employees to argue, hate each other, shout, and be angry.

The situation with the Dragon Emperor was even more outrageous. This old cunning fellow probably didn't want to pay a single penny back, but at least the old lizard had some sense of the situation and gave Kang De a few hints.

Unified accounting boils down to two paths: either the eight dragons bear their own profits and losses, or Kant covers the Kang De himself. If the former is chosen, these dragons deserve this calamity; if the latter is chosen, he can gain the gratitude of the dragons and some loyalty that may or may not be of any use.

But Kang De wouldn't be at a disadvantage either.

--Because in the near future, Kang De and Dragon Island will definitely have trade relations, and he can take this opportunity to intercept a certain amount of money to make up for the part of the money he has advanced.

They can even overreport and create new pretexts.

To go even further, they could take it all, meaning they would make the Leek Dragons pay for their own provisions while simultaneously reporting the expenses to Dragon Island in their own name, thus pocketing the money and making double.

--Damn it, what's the point of this meager sum?

Kang De shook his head, taking this little scheme as the Dragon Emperor's quirk and way of communicating. After all, this dragon capitalist had been feeling lonely at the top for years and had finally found a kindred spirit, so he was itching to show off his skills.

"Alright, you guys look pathetic. I'll take the money, and ask the Dragon Clan for it back later." Kang De patted him on the shoulder. "Do your job well, and you'll earn money. Otherwise, I'll send you back to Dragon Island."

The dragon actually showed a look of gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness! We will serve you with all our might!"

Kang De smiled, "Everything's normal?"

"Yes, Your Highness, there is no problem with us protecting the skies over Distant Harbor!"

"Then I'll trouble you to continue your duties."

The new boss paused, as if remembering something, and added, "Oh, by the way, my rules are a little different from those on Dragon Island. If you want to work here, you'll need to go through pre-job training."

"Yes, please give your instructions."

With the threat of Dragon Island, the intimidation of the Dragon Emperor, and the awe of Kang De himself, the dragon's reverence and obedience to Kang De are now at their peak.

Kang De said kindly, "After you're done here today, go to Horus and tell him about this. Tell him you need 'loyal and thorough employee training to cultivate a sense of honor, a fighting spirit, and a wolf-like culture,' and then it will know what to teach you."

"Wolf... wolf nature?"

--Yeah, it's the kind of thing that teaches you to grab meat but end up eating shit.

Kang De's smile was enigmatic, "Go. Also, remember to have Horus create files for you and measure your physical characteristics and data in dragon form. The plan to develop dragon-shaped mechs for you needs to be put on the agenda. This is one of your tasks while you stay here."

"Yes!"

Watching the golden dragon depart, Kang De nodded and said, "Yes, dragons can indeed be tamed."

He looked at the Dragon Girl beside him.

Miss Silver Dragon glared at him and said, "What are you looking at? I'm not one of those worthless dragons! You think you can tame me?"

Kang De laughed and said, "No, you're a cat."

"What's the meaning?"

"I'd say you're cute, elegant, and enigmatic."

"... I always feel like you're indirectly insulting me."

"That's nonsense."

It was nearly noon, the weather was clear, and the cheers in the distance grew even louder. From here, one could see a surging crowd, and the faint sound of shouts could be heard.

Lily frowned and asked, "What is it now?"

"They've started giving out money for meals." Kang De turned to look at her. "Want to go see?"

"No," Lily shook her head, "I want to eat first. You two made me so disgusted I threw up my breakfast."

"This is the dirty yet charming world of adults." Kang De turned and went back into the house. "What do you want for lunch? Steamed, stir-fried, fried, braised, stewed, or boiled?"

"Ice cream, vanilla, strawberry, yogurt, I want three tubs!"

"Just meow and I'll give you some."

I'll meow at you if there's a 0.1% chance.

"Do you believe there's a 0.1% chance I can get all the pretty girls in town to wear cat ears, cat tails, and bikinis and walk in front of me for a week?"

"Cut."

After lunch, we were full and satisfied.

Kang De and Lily left Sound of the Tide Manor and came out onto the street.

The dragon continued to patrol the sky, drones flew low overhead, and the navies of the three nations maintained order in the city. The executions had come to an end.

The most heinous criminals of the riot have already been put on the rack, and are now painfully begging for death, but their sins have not yet been fully atoned, while the onlookers who came here have already cheered. They no longer care about the blood and death, because something more important awaits them.

Money is coming.

Meals are provided.

This is the most important thing.

"Queue up! Queue up! Queue up!"

A sharp whip whistle cracked through the long street as members of the Inquisition, clad in black robes, shouted in terrifying voices, "No crowding, no cutting in line, no pushing, no shouting! Anyone who disobeys will be disqualified from receiving their share! Those who wish to receive their share must leave immediately and are not permitted to linger!"

Kang De and Lily also donned black robes and cloaks to avoid frightening anyone or causing unnecessary trouble. Colonel Henry, the commander of the Empire Fleet, accompanied them throughout, treating them with utmost respect.

"Father."

Horus was still in charge of providing the commentary.

"We have set up 108 registration and distribution points to ensure that money and food are distributed as quickly as possible. Currently, the order is good, and the public is highly compliant..."

At this distribution point, people lined up in two rows, with the queues spreading outwards. Everyone stood behind the person in front of them, and even children were held firmly in place by their parents. Next to the queues, there was a large empty area on the street, but no one was standing there idly.

The Dragon Girl exclaimed in surprise, "From the perspective of ordinary humans, this is truly not easy to do."

"This is the first step, the simplest step."

Kang De turned and said, "The first thing I want to teach them is to line up."

The Dragon Girl pondered, "Order?"

Kang De shook his head and said, "Obedience."

Just then, a commotion arose ahead, and a figure tried to flee, but a Suppressors of Rebellion stepped forward and threw a punch. The figure screamed and fell straight to the ground.

A brief commotion broke out in the ranks, with the crack of whips and shouts. To maintain order, one of the Suppressors of Rebellion stepped forward, grabbed the unconscious man, twisted his wrist, and a piercing scream rang out as the man was jolted awake by the pain.

Horus's indifferent voice rang out in the street, carrying far and wide.

"You are clearly Xilnuo of the Puston family, so why have you become Qiyaka of the Cold Alley? Greedy and foolish scoundrel, your disgusting behavior has brought shame to this city. You must not take a penny less or a cent more of His Highness Kang De's reward, and today you will understand this truth."

The other person struggled, screamed, and begged for mercy, "Forgive me, sir, please forgive me..."

"The Traitor Suppression Society shall be punished with twenty lashes, torture and ransacking, and all that His Highness Kang De has bestowed upon him shall be confiscated. Xilnuo of the Prince of Puston, I hereby declare that your identity documents are hereby revoked. You have thus lost all the favors you might have received in the future. In the days to come, you will understand what you have done wrong today."

Two ruthless members of the Inquisition dragged him aside, his shrill screams mingling with the whistling of whips. Meanwhile, Suppressors of Rebellion stepped back, loudly proclaiming the man's crimes and folly. The crowd stared at him, their faces filled with contempt and disdain.

Humans like to stand on moral high ground because it brings a very cheap sense of superiority.

Lily whispered, "Identity—what's that?"

Kang De led the Dragon Girl forward.

The astute Colonel Henry had already stepped forward to identify himself and ordered the soldiers not to salute, allowing everything to proceed as normal. The cheater had already been dragged out and whipped, and the next person stepped forward tremblingly.

Please have a seat.

Lily looked over and saw a row of long tables, neatly arranged with a large amount of food on them.

After being fed by Kang De, the Dragon Girl recognized the items: instant noodles in bowls, Biscuits, sausages, and canned luncheon meat... piled up like a mountain.

Several large boxes of silver coins were placed behind the table, all of them opened.

"Hello, citizen."

Opposite the man was a machine with a camera and a microphone. Horus's voice came from inside. "Answer my questions: name, occupation, home address, family member information..."

"Rick Leyer..."

The man's face was weathered, he looked to be in his thirties or forties, his face chapped and dark from the sea breeze, and his bare chest was very red, clearly a seaman.

He stammered, "I... I fish, my home... my home is..."

As he spoke, a sizzling sound rang out continuously. After he finished speaking, a small metal plate with a hole punched in it was handed out by the robotic arm, along with a slightly blackened silver coin.

Then came a bowl of instant noodles and a pack of Biscuit.

Despite numerous precedents, Rick still showed a look of surprise when it was his turn. He abruptly stood up, about to kneel. "My lord, thank you, my lord..."

"No kneeling allowed!"

Horus shouted.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"Alright, citizen, thank you for coming here and supporting His Highness Kang De's just cause. This is the agreed-upon silver coin as a token of your gratitude. This is your lunch and dinner, noodles with meat and ham."

"And this..."

The robotic arm pointed to the metal plaque. "This is your identification. Keep it safe and cherish it. It has many uses. One of them is that if anyone tries to steal this silver coin or the gift His Highness Kang De promised you, you can take this plaque to any member of the Inquisition you see. They will uphold justice for you. This is His Highness's sacred law and promise, and everyone should respect it."

"Also..."

Horus paused for a moment, then said, "This identification has many other uses, so it must not be lost. For example, if there's another good thing like giving out money or food..."

"You'll have to bring this to collect it."

"Now, you can leave."

The man from the sea hurriedly got up, clutching the iron plate and silver coins tightly. He picked up the hot, round paper tube and the packet of Biscuit on top. Suddenly, he smelled an enticing aroma emanating from the round paper bowl. A rumbling sound rose in his stomach, and hunger drove him to lift the lid.

Don't eat here.

A voice, more powerful than that of the governor, the king, and the emperor, rang in my ears.

Everyone's hungry, don't tempt us.

He blushed and thanked her, then consciously walked to the other side of the street and quickly left, hugging the wall.

Lily asked, "Is this your second step, to let them know you keep your word?"

Kang De shook his head and said, "No, it's not about keeping your word... it's about trust."

"Let them know that I keep my word, and let them know that they'd better keep their word to me too. Soon, credit will become the most precious currency in this city, and those of outstanding integrity will earn people's envy and respect... They will all understand what they will gain by trusting me."

"Money and food?" the Dragon Girl asked. "And what will you get from them? Power? Loyalty?"

"These are merely incidental, positive rewards. Power and loyalty allow me to better advance my plans and give them more, but the ultimate goal... isn't so utilitarian."

Lily asked curiously, "Oh? What's that?"

"Come with me."

Kang De led her, following Rick Leyer's retreating figure.

They followed the man who had been sailing to the sea to a deserted alley.

The hungry man could no longer resist the irresistible aroma of instant noodles.

At this moment, the man's attention was completely consumed by his appetite, and he didn't even notice the two figures watching him. He squatted down, tightly clutching the silver coins, iron plates, and Biscuit between his thighs and lower abdomen, and with trembling hands, pulled out the plastic fork and opened the lid of the instant noodles.

The steam rose gently from his dark face.

He learned how to eat instant noodles without a teacher. With trembling hands, he dipped the small white fork into the pool of broth, scooping up the soft, chewy noodles covered in a string of soup. The noodles were crystal clear, causing his mouth to water instantly. He opened his mouth with trembling hands and bit into the steaming hot noodles.

Then he froze.

Their bodies even stiffened, like stone sculptures, and they dared not move an inch.

Let the salt, MSG, sugar, spices, beef extract, palm oil, and other ingredients in the instant noodle broth bombard your poor taste buds.

What a wonderful feeling it was! The strong and rough man suddenly burst into tears, his body trembling violently, but he dared not cry out loud or spill the noodles. He chewed hard, tears sliding into the noodle bucket, slurping as he ate.

He picked out the tender, pink ham slices and the luncheon meat with a touch of fat—a taste he hadn't experienced in decades. It was as if, at that moment, he truly felt alive, truly understood life, its meaning and value, its joys, and the unforgettable moments...

Sorrow.

He buried his head in his food and ate heartily.

From behind, it looks like a wolf.

That's my answer.

Kang De gestured for Lily to leave.

"Instant noodles are delicious, but they shouldn't be this delicious."

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Update! 7,000 words! Didn't sleep well last night, going to bed early tonight. Goodnight.