One of Kang De's Wives

If there were trending topics in another world...

Kang De must have been the sole headline for the past few months.

He's like a different world's King of Understanding, naturally trending and always making headlines. The difference is that the US president is good at pleasing the public—specifically, redneck voters—while Master Kang is a born pleasure-seeker, decisive and ruthless, doing whatever he wants.

For example, that president used underhanded means to assassinate the enemy country's second-in-command, and then got retaliated with a missile. He didn't say a word and refused to admit any deaths, only saying that dozens of people were hit with concussions, and that it was delayed damage with an outrageously high ping.

And what about Kang De?

In the past month, the number of nobles he has hung on streetlights is countless. It can be described as a catastrophe that is rare in the Azure Waves Province in a century. The number of people stripped of their titles and the extinction of their families is unprecedented. The precedent of large-scale massacres of noble bloodlines can be traced back to the tyrant of the wasteland hundreds of years ago. Kang De's perverse, tyrannical and cruel behavior has naturally been strongly condemned and opposed by international public opinion and social opinion.

--Oh, by the way, in this backward era, the so-called "public opinion" is of course the voice of the powerful and qualified officials.

After hanging the streetlights all over the wealthy and powerful in Distant Harbor, he immediately began to cause more trouble. This time, the evil claws of the Dragon of Cathay reached out to the beautiful Broken Isles.

On a sunny afternoon, the alchemical warship forged from steel leaped out of the Phase Door and appeared in the Broken Sea. What happened next shocked the world a few hours later.

The evil Cathayan minced all the innocent nobles, merchants, and investment experts from Azure Waves Province Broken Isles into mincemeat and scattered it on the Broken Isles' most famous Pioneer Square, desecrating this landmark symbolizing resilience, exploration, and freedom. Then, he made an insatiable demand for conquest of the Broken Isles —he commanded this haven of freedom to surrender to him and offer its loyalty and wealth.

The world was in uproar.

As the news spread around the world, people's perception of Kang De gradually transformed into that of a ruthless demon king, an evil Eastern barbarian, and an incomparably greedy, tyrannical, and bloodthirsty tyrant.

"International opinion is nothing."

At the Sound of the Tide Manor, Kang De let out a disdainful sneer, "I understand that. Under the existing order, the power of discourse always lies in the hands of the enemy. Public opinion about us won't change because of what we do; it only depends on our strength. So..."

"I am a barbarian."

"Let them curse, we'll fight."

"As long as we keep winning and getting stronger, they'll come begging to us sooner or later."

Kang De pointed to the map on the wall, or more precisely, to the thumbtack on the Broken Isles —a map he had taken from the home of the Imperial ambassador to Goth.

"Next phase of action: Take over the Broken Isles!"

In the conference room, Kang De sat in the leader's seat, with his henchmen seated on either side. It was rather shabby, as although it was the highest military and political meeting, there were only six participants besides Kang De and Lily, who served as his secretary. Only four of them were human, one was an elf, and the other was a dragon.

From Hong San downwards are the dragon Sarosmir and Han Zezheng.

To his right were three foreign aids, the commanders of the three major fleets.

For the purposes of a military conquest of the Broken Isles, such a council was far too rudimentary, given the scarcity of talent at the beginning of Kang De's Shogunate.

The target of the war, the Broken Isles, is a loosely yet tightly knit group of interests.

In terms of international relations and interests, the Broken Isles can be considered a top-tier country; in terms of economic strength, it is a first-tier country; in terms of naval power, it is a second-tier country... All these miscellaneous data combined, in terms of comprehensive national strength, certainly make it a truly powerful country in the world today.

The other main force in the war that sought to conquer it was a city.

With a population of several hundred thousand, having just experienced a change of government and power turmoil, the loyalty of the standing army is questionable, the industry and resources have not been fully integrated, and the relationship with the province and even the national capital is both delicate and tense.

In short, even the phrase "like an egg striking a rock" cannot adequately describe the absurdity and ridiculousness of this war.

Those present looked at each other, speechless.

After a moment, Hong San broke the silence. The so-called chief minister was someone who would save face for the boss when things got awkward, and play a role in enlivening the atmosphere and starting a discussion.

He smiled and said, "Your Highness, since you've summoned us for this discussion, I can boldly deduce that your battle plan is definitely not to fly over the Broken Isles and drop a Forbidden Spell to wipe them all out."

Kang De laughed heartily upon hearing this.

His smile made the other henchmen and temporary henchmen laugh along.

Regardless of whether they mean it sincerely or not.

"Of course not."

Kang De said, "Forbidden Spell are like arrows drawn at full capacity; their deterrent power is greatest before they are released. They cannot be used frequently, otherwise they will accelerate the fear and apprehension of the nations, turning it into preemptive hostility. Moreover, the Broken Isles have accumulated countless riches over the years; it would be a real pity to smash them with a single stone."

Hong San nodded and then asked, "So Your Highness plans to command invincible warships, roam the seas, blockade shipping lanes, sink enemy ships, cut off trade and supplies, besiege the enemy, and force them to surrender?"

Kang De shook his head and said, "That's far too slow. We need to take the initiative and occupy the territory."

Upon hearing this, the three temporary henchmen opposite Hong San couldn't sit still any longer.

The fleet commanders of the three countries all know how useless the standing army in this Distant Harbor is now. Those soldiers may not even be loyal to His Highness Kang De, so how can they be deployed to fight a landing operation?

They're talking about taking the initiative and conquering the islands in the Broken Sea... This is basically asking us to go in!

Are you kidding me?

Those are the Broken Isles, with an impregnable island defense system built over hundreds of years. We couldn't even defeat them by sea, and now they want us to come ashore and fight them with knives?

Whether it was the elven brigadier, the Council seeker of secrets, or the imperial colonel, they all hesitated, looking at each other, wanting the other to speak first.

--To this day, they have grown increasingly in awe of Kang De, and even the most unruly Kavisalong is reluctant to openly say no to Master Kang.

Hong San observed their expressions and glanced around, and immediately understood what was going on.

He smiled slightly, "Your Highness, the garrison at the Distant Harbor is of little use. Does Your Highness desire a force capable of siege warfare and field battles, perhaps you intend to send the Suppressors of Rebellion into battle? Forgive my bluntness, but while the generals are willing to serve Your Highness, they are, after all, the naval elites of their respective nations. Sending them into battle would not be good for the reputation of the three nations, and the generals must be in a difficult position..."

Upon hearing this, the commanders all cast grateful glances at him.

I thought that His Highness Kang De's decision to put Hong San up as the first ruler of Distant Harbor was just nepotism and promoting a fellow townsman, but I didn't expect him to be such a good man.

Your Highness has excellent taste.

Kang De and Hong San exchanged a glance, each seeing the smile in the other's eyes.

He then looked at the three commanders.

The fleet commanders of the three kingdoms all instinctively straightened their backs.

Kang De knew this.

It's called Inquisition, a Suppressors of Rebellion Traitor Suppression Society, but nowadays it's nothing more than a large-scale brewery.

Almost all of the members inside were switching between being loyal agents and traitors, including Colonel Beike of the Empire, who was the most obsequious to Kang De. These guys, despite being respectful and obedient to Kang De, could turn around and return to their motherland at any time, providing a lot of intelligence.

However, Kang De did not mind this.

As the fame of the Dragon of Cathay grew on the mainland, more and more admirers began to study and explore his life. A doctrine that could be named "Kang Studies" gradually took shape and became a topic of conversation among countless people who worshipped power and had mental problems.

The mainstream view holds that Kang De was traumatized in Glittering Sand Town and developed a deep hatred for betrayal, readily resorting to mass killings of entire families of traitors and tolerating no act of treachery—this is actually a huge misunderstanding. In fact, Kang De was quite easy to talk to in some ways.

Just like Kavisalong, it would be perfectly normal for him to report all the news and intelligence about Distant Harbor and Kang De to the Dusk Moon Parliament after returning home. Kang De would never pursue the matter and might even commend such behavior, because it is loyalty, loyalty to the motherland. He did what he should do, and what the elves saw was what Kang De allowed him to see.

But if it were someone like Sarosmir or Alset Scourger, who pledged loyalty and swore an oath to Kang De, only to turn around and choose betrayal, then their entire family would certainly be killed.

For the reasons mentioned above, Kang De understood the hesitation of the commanders of the three kingdoms.

"The Suppressors of Rebellion will definitely participate in the island-seizing operation."

He nodded to the three generals. "Don't rush, I know your concerns and I understand them. I will explain to your countries, and you can also use your own channels to convey my ideas directly to your home countries—in the island-seizing operation, I will test a series of concepts, equipment, and tactics, including my newly developed individual soldier weapons, armored vehicles, and superior firepower theory."

At this point, Kang De revealed a sly smile, "That's right, I sincerely invite the naval elites of the three nations' fleets to serve as battlefield observers, training teams, and testers. Participants can try out all the new equipment I deployed in the island-seizing operation free of charge, and all feedback and intelligence you collect during use can be unconditionally transmitted back to your home countries—these are the conditions I'm offering you."

Today, everyone knows that Kang De's alchemical skills were unparalleled.

The generals were all deeply moved.

What terrified and horrified them most were some of the terms Kang De mentioned.

They.

All.

You.

Kavisalong took a deep breath. "Your Highness, may I ask if you believe that the number of new equipment you are deploying in the upcoming war is... quite large?"

"Not many," Kang De smiled slightly, "But not few either."

The generals exchanged glances.

"We will await a reply from home." The elven commodore pounded his chest in salute. "If His Majesty agrees and the Council approves, then the entire fleet will become your sharp blade, ready to wipe out your powerful enemies."

The seeker and the Imperial Colonel immediately made their promises.

"No, generals, your mission is not direct combat, but protection and instruction," Kang De shook his head. "I want to use the Flame of war to refine some ores of unknown quality."

No amount of training and exercises can replace the real battlefield.

The generals seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hong San," Kang De turned and asked, "How are the new recruits doing?"

The other party replied, "We've recovered. Everyone's files have been created, and those who didn't meet the requirements have been removed. A total of 1,734 people have been recruited and selected."

Kang De nodded and said, "Next, you will be responsible for reorganizing the military affairs of the Distant Harbor. Select soldiers with clean records, strong physiques, and exceptional skills from the city's garrison. After passing the dual review and examination by Horus and the Inquisition, those who pass will be incorporated into the new army, Horus will train them."

Hong San solemnly replied, "Yes."

Kang De then looked at Han Zezheng: "Chief Financial Officer, for the next period of time, you will also be in charge of the municipal affairs. The economic tasks of the new Distant Harbor government are to expand the docks, adjust the industrial structure, and recruit manpower to cope with the recovery of commercial activities and trade. The war against the Broken Isles is expected to last for several months or longer, because I will smash that place to pieces and use it as my training ground and weapons testing ground."

Just as he told Qiaobu.

No place is more suitable than the Broken Isles —it has almost no strategic depth, strong military power, world-class equipment, advanced magic-based warfare, and a systematic combat system. Such a place is an ideal testing ground for weapons and a training ground for troops.

He continued, "Therefore, the Broken Isles' status as a trading hub will cease to exist. No merchant will use the war-torn region as a transit point for their goods. If they don't go to the Broken Isles, they can only come to Distant Harbor, and they must come to Distant Harbor. This will bring about a full recovery of Distant Harbor's economy, which is what I can bring to this city from the battlefield—you must accept it!"

"Yes!" Han Zezheng up and said, "I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Kang De nodded. "This is not a simple task, and your mission is not just this. With the outbreak of the war, maritime trade will be cut off, and merchant ships coming here from the Broken Isles will be out of the question. Goth might even sabotage things from within. Maintaining economic operations and ensuring sufficient supplies will also be your responsibility."

"In short, this is an unprecedented opportunity and challenge. As the Minister of Economy in the new Distant Harbor government, I've provided you with the stage. Whether you can do it well, and to what extent, depends on your own efforts."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Han Zezheng bowed deeply. "This old minister will serve you to the death!"

"Alright, everyone do their job, follow instructions, and that's fine."

Kang De waved his hand and said, "Meeting adjourned!"

All the henchmen had left, leaving only Kang De, Hong San, and Lily in the meeting room.

Lily closed the meeting minutes, pursed her lips, and said, "Why did you call Sarosmir here? Just to make up the numbers? I didn't say a single word to him the whole time."

Kang De smiled and said, "He's very happy to have been invited."

Lily paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes and said, "Cunning... Damn it, no wonder he looked so happy when he sat down. Using this method to win over a money-grubbing dragon, shameless."

Kang De glanced at her.

So what? There are even companies that use equity incentives to lure in giants and gradually lower their psychological defenses.

Hong San sat to the side, pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "I never expected Your Highness to want to get a share of the pie from the Three Kingdoms—it sounds like you also want to sell them alchemical weapons?"

"This is a key project for future export earnings; let's use it to whet their appetite."

Kang De explained, "But that's just a pretext, a reason for the three leaders to persuade their ministers and the opposition—the real bait is the enormous wealth accumulated over the centuries by the Broken Isles, a trading hub in the western seas, which would tempt even the Dusk Moon Dynasty."

"If I were to take action against the Broken Isles, many people would oppose it. The Broken Isles have done a great job in this regard; they've made the pie very big and are willing to share it. As a result, many powers and nations across the continent act as their natural protectors, creating complex entanglements of interests and making military action very difficult."

"But who can blame me for being the mad Cathay of China? I think my performances these past few days should have made me known to the whole world. When I successfully make them realize that I will do anything I want to do, they will finally understand that the Broken Isles cannot be saved."

"Since we can't protect it, we might as well try to get as much benefit as possible."

Kang De calmly stated, "Let the three kingdoms divide the spoils if they want. They'll have to contribute their efforts and alleviate some of my burden. As for what they want—the money from the Broken Isles is unimportant to me, but their people are important. Their trade routes and businesses are even more important to me, but for the three kingdoms, money is the most important thing."

"They take the money, I take the people, and the trade routes. As for the money they took..." A sly smile crept across his lips, "I'll earn it back quickly with the latter two, very quickly."

"But I must still remind you, Your Highness."

Hong San took out a map from the folder. "Although I haven't been to the Broken Isles, I've done some research over the past two days and have a general understanding of this land of wealth. After countless years of accumulation and development, with heavy investment in the latest technology and talent acquisition, the Broken Isles possess the highest unit density of defensive forces. Its island defense system is extremely complete, and conquering it is an incredibly difficult task. Even the unparalleled military might of the Dusk Moon Dynasty wouldn't dare to claim victory lightly."

He pointed and said, "In fact, Your Highness, without using Forbidden Spell, it would be an extremely difficult task to dismantle this series of massive fortresses, arrays of mage towers, and permanently heavy magical artifacts using only conventional force. I don't know if you..."

"Alright," Kang De nodded and smiled. "I'll handle the fighting; you don't need to worry about it."

Did I not tell you?

I have a wife who is currently enjoying the breeze at the docks in Los Angeles, United States. Her name is Iowa.

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PS1: Update... I haven't been sleeping well these past few days, I'll try to adjust tomorrow. Goodnight.