Kang De Tearfully Clung to His Last Shred of Dignity

Kirov, a Russia, is a well-known military contractor and philanthropist in the industry.

His business involved acting as a middleman in the gray area of military trade, sourcing goods from unidentified, mysterious manufacturers and then selling these humanitarian supplies to people in need across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

I had a very pleasant working relationship with Kang De when he single-handedly stormed the Comora in the Transformers.

This good brother's humanitarian supplies not only shone brightly on the battlefield of Comora, where they dealt a heavy blow to France, but were even exported to other worlds, playing an extremely important role in the Goth People's struggle against imperialism and aggression. In this respect, the Russia Kirov was actually the first human in Earth's history to sell arms to other worlds.

However, he will most likely never know about this in his lifetime.

Battle of Comora, the situation in West Africa became turbulent. Kang De made a name for himself and caught the eye of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Whether this was a case of one man's success bringing benefits to his entire family and friends, or a case of collateral damage, it was hard to say. In any case, Kirov, Russia who had once had a cordial dealings with Kang De, was summoned to an audience by the Tsar.

Between a stack of incriminating documents and Federal Security Service credentials, he had no choice but to choose the latter.

He served as both a public liaison and a covert spy for Kang De.

Now, the Russian is working at AWSL Company founded by Kang De. His main task at this stage is to cooperate with Kang De in spending money—his new boss recently extorted a large sum of money from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and like all nouveau riche who become rich overnight, he immediately began an unrestrained and irrational purchasing spree.

However, regardless of the country or region, what ordinary nouveau riche buy are probably real estate, luxury cars, yachts, luxury goods, and women. This China boss's taste is clearly different from others.

The only thing this nouveau riche has in common with is his thirst for real estate and land. Kirov, who has been cramming on China culture lately, privately thinks this is probably a racial instinct inherited from five thousand years of agrarian Civilization. As for his other hobbies...

Guns, cannons, heavy vehicles, industrial machinery, special steel... Kirov felt that Boss Kang seemed to be a very hardcore industrialist, and a very Soviet one at that. Specifically, he scoffed at information high technology such as electronic chips, and wanted to buy mostly old products that did not rely on high technology, especially old weapons that were obviously too lethal in the last century.

He's calling again now, obviously with a new order.

The Russian, who was clumsily taking notes in the office, suddenly stood up and, facing his new boss's orders and requirements, showed an extremely professional and enthusiastic smile.

"--Alright!"

The Chinese was spoken with perfect pronunciation. "Say what you want, there's nothing Kirov can't buy!"

Kang De gave brief instructions over the phone, basically the same three things as always: machine guns, artillery, and rockets. In addition, he added a new request, "I need to buy explosives."

Kirov paused for a moment, then asked, "What kind of explosives?"

"Buy whatever you can get: RDX, Octogen, CL-20... I don't know much about those, but I want them all, the more powerful the better. Buy as many as you can, and have them delivered by transport plane."

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "By the way, pay special attention to underwater-specific explosives, such as warhead charges for mines and torpedoes. Those would be best."

Kirov pondered for a moment, then said, "Boss?"

"How?"

The Russian's words betrayed a hint of caution. "I don't know what you're buying these for, and I won't ask, but if, and I mean if, you need to deal with some underwater targets, or do something at sea—why not ask your homeland?"

Kang De exclaimed in astonishment, "What?"

"Sea mines," the Russian chuckled. "No offense intended, but boss, given the severe pressure of coastal defense and the extreme weakness of our early naval forces, you China have really mastered the art of using sea mines."

"... Yeah?"

Kang De spent a few minutes learning about the powerful weapon the People's Liberation Army Navy used to deter American Empire aircraft carriers before the Dongfeng-21D appeared.

Mines, mines, still fucking mines.

He then instructed Kirov to expedite the procurement, and after thinking for a moment, Kang De dialed a number.

The call was answered instantly, and a sweet, gentle voice rang out. "Mr. Kang De? Is there anything I can help you with?"

The young woman who answered the phone was named Qin Mengjin. We had known each other for a long time. During the locust plague in Gambia, she was ordered to establish an emergency response team, affiliated with the Ministry of Emergency Management, but in reality, she was a member of the United Front Work Department. Her current task was very clear: to unite the country and bring together Kang De, this wild and powerful superpowered individual.

Kang De smiled and said, "I'd like to buy something from the state."

The way the two communicated depended on Kang De's attitude. The department's evaluation of Kang De was "seemingly harmless," meaning that he was a very good-tempered boy when he wasn't angry.

So Miss Qin joked, "Oh, I heard you're a millionaire now, and this money is even tax-free—what, want to contribute to the national economy again? Tell me, what do you want to buy? I'll pass on the message, but of course, whether it can be sold depends on the decision from above."

Kang De said crisply, "I want to buy N2 Explosive!"

"..."

A series of violent coughs came through the microphone, and not just one; to Kang De's ears, at least three people spat out water. After a moment, Miss Qin's disheveled voice rang out. "That's definitely not going to work, don't even think about it. And I can tell you, there isn't such a thing yet. We have a long way to go—and by the way, stop reading those exaggerated and sensationalist news reports..."

Kang De sighed, "Sell me some of that plastic explosive, I'll help the country clear out its inventory, how about that? Su-6's all been released by now, right? I'll just buy some Su-5..."

The voice on the other end sounded somewhat ambiguous, "What... what do you need those things for?"

Kang De hesitated, "Is that not possible? How about just selling me some sea mines? I don't want rocket-propelled smart mines, just some old ones will do. I'll help the country clear out the cargo hold..."

The other side fell silent instantly.

Kang De frowned; he noticed a subtle difference.

When they talked about buying weapons earlier, Qin Mengjin's voice was still cheerful, and she only showed surprise after hearing the conversation. But when she mentioned buying naval mines, he clearly heard her breathing catch in her throat.

Why this reaction?

Kang De paused for a moment, then heard Qin Mengjin say, "Well, let me ask for you. Please wait a moment, someone will contact you shortly... What do you think?"

You've been so kind of me, and you've been very polite.

Explanation: Nervous.

"... oh."

After hanging up the phone, Kang De shrugged, somewhat bewildered.

But since they've said that, let's just wait and see.

He casually found a place to sit down, looked at the sky, and pondered what he was about to get for free—what would emerge from the sea monster fed by the God of the Star Palace, how big it would be, and how powerful it would be, he wasn't sure, but in any case, he had to prepare now.

Not only do we need to find a way to expedite the evacuation of the people from the Broken Isles, but we also need to prepare for the upcoming deep-sea raid. This is an enemy we've never encountered before, and who knows what monsters will appear next.

The Scales of Time had reversed, flowing at a rate of seven to one. He could rest on Earth for a while and adjust his mindset. Kang De breathed steadily, emptying his mind, until the phone rang and woke him up.

He glanced at his phone, surprised.

"Uncle Wang?"

The voice of Uncle Wang Yongzhi came from the other end of the line. He was Xiaoman's father, Papa Kang's childhood friend, a retired soldier, and a well-known industrialist—and it seemed that he maintained certain connections with the military and the government.

What level of connection...? Probably to the point where a trip to the Amerikkka being apprehended on the spot.

The other party immediately launched into a tirade. "What are you planning now? If you make money, buy a nice car, a mansion, a watch, or try some wine that costs five thousand pounds a glass. Why are you buying explosives?"

Kang De replied solemnly, "Of course, it's to protect Comora from further invasion by imperialist powers—don't forget, I am the chief of Comora!"

"--Pah!"

Wang Yongzhi lowered his voice. "Then why did you buy sea mines? Sea mines can't kill fish."

Kang De asked in surprise, "What fish?"

Wang Yongzhi was taken aback. "You don't know?"

"... What should I know?"

You really don't know?

"At least tell me what it is!"

"Haven't been going out wandering around lately? Haven't been causing trouble?"

"... Why am I wandering around like this? It's only been a few days."

"That's true..." Wang Yongzhi muttered, "You've always known what's important, even though you've only been a child."

Kang De was increasingly puzzled. "So what exactly are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to say anything more. Those who know, know; those who don't, I won't go into detail. Anyway, that water really runs deep..."

"Get out of here, riddle man!"

"What? So disrespectful!" Wang Yongzhi didn't take it to heart. He figured he had a generation gap with the younger generation anyway, and Xiaoman often said strange things to him. He then asked, "What exactly do you need the explosives for?"

Kang De whistled. "It all started when I was a child. Uncle, you should know the term 'compensatory consumption,' right? It means that when your parents wouldn't buy you toys when you were little, you grew up and started earning money, so you bought a lot at once. You know, when I was little, I begged my dad to bring me a piece of TNT when he went back to China, but he wouldn't. He was so stingy, and he even spanked me. Now that I'm grown up and have my own wings, of course I want to buy warehouses full of them..."

Wang Yongzhi snorted, "If you don't want to talk, then don't. Why make up these excuses?"

Kang De sighed, "Alright, I actually wanted to research using high explosives as an auxiliary to enhance my destructive capabilities and enrich my attack methods—would that be acceptable?"

He complained, "Why are you bothered by such a trivial matter?"

"The main thing is you want to buy sea mines... tsk, I was shocked after hearing their explanation and claims." Wang Yongzhi interrupted Kang De's question. "As for why, don't ask. I can't tell you. The American Empire is deleting posts globally right now. If they need your help, they'll contact you."

At this point, Uncle Wang added with dissatisfaction, "You're always showing off. Now that the five great powers are watching you, if anything secret or strange happens, you'll be the first one they suspect."

Kang De scratched his head. Although he was somewhat curious, the situation on the Broken Isles was more serious right now. "Alright, I won't ask anymore, so can we sell the explosives now?"

Wang Yongzhi said, "There are some things that are difficult to say directly to officials, so they asked me to act as an intermediary. To be honest, the quantity you want to buy is too large, and the higher-ups are hesitant and reluctant to sell."

"Hesitate?"

"Yeah, with your ability to transport an entire armored company's equipment to the other side of the world in the blink of an eye, do you think I, as an elder, would sell you high-explosives by the ton?"

Kang De protested, "I bought it not for anything else, I'm so patriotic!"

"Hey, the higher-ups are worried you're being overly patriotic," Uncle Wang scoffed. "Look at an ordinary person, how can they express their patriotism? At most, they might set off a string of firecrackers worth a few dozen dollars at the US consulate. But you, with your superpowers, who knows what you might do if you get excited and your patriotic fervor kicks in?"

Tsk.

This is so troublesome.

Since it involved a major explosion, Kang De patiently advised, "This worry is unnecessary. Think about it, Uncle Wang, if I wanted to cause any damage, would I need to specifically buy explosives? Aren't there enough shells for the Comora? They can be disassembled and used right away. If I really wanted to do something, even if I didn't have explosives on hand, I could just steal them, right? This worry is completely unnecessary."

"That's not how you say it. Those who hold that position should have the considerations expected of them."

Uncle Wang explained, "Think about it. If you wanted to buy a nuclear bomb, but said you just wanted to research it, and that you're capable of causing destruction even without a nuclear bomb—would the higher-ups still sell it to you?"

Huh... a nuclear bomb?

Kang De's eyes lit up, but he immediately shook his head.

It's too difficult; it's not that difficult right now.

He pondered for a moment. In business, the key is communication. He has maintained pleasant communication with the country to this day. Origin, nationality, and Civilization identity are one thing, but another is that both sides have always maintained a sincere and friendly attitude.

He understood Uncle Wang's concerns and offered solutions.

"Here's what we'll do. The preparation, transportation, and storage of the sensitive, high-powered weapons I purchased from China can be handled by specialized government personnel. That is, the government will send people to prepare, transport, and store them. Once these explosives are transported to a designated area in Comora, government personnel will guard and protect them. I won't interfere in any aspect; they can check them a hundred or eighty times a day without any problems."

"If I want to use or experiment with it, I will submit a formal application to the warehouse manager. My combat experiments will be conducted under their observation and accompaniment. They will record and verify the amount of explosives used—once I go this far, they should be at ease, right?"

Uncle Wang thought for a moment and said, "Oh, I'll go ask for you."

About five or six minutes later, Wang Yongzhi's voice rang out again, a little embarrassed. "Kang De, well, what they mean is, they can set up a testing ground for you in China, allowing you to conduct any experiments you want in a safe and confidential environment, with unlimited supplies..."

"..."

Kang De's voice turned colder. "Uncle Wang."

"Um?"

"I have my pride too," he said calmly. "Also, please tell them that they don't want you relaying these kinds of hurtful things anymore. I really dislike that kind of cunning."

Wang Yongzhi sighed, "I knew you wouldn't agree, you're so stubborn..."

"--However, this time, for your sake, I'm willing to compromise."

Suddenly, things took a turn for the better. Uncle Wang asked in confusion, "What?"

He then immediately said, "It's alright, Kang De, I, Wang Yongzhi, don't need my nephew to lower himself to save face for me. You can do whatever you want..."

Kang De smiled and said, "It's alright, you're Xiaoman's father, this isn't a grievance."

Wang Yongzhi stood there stunned, then cursed, "... Damn, you've finally figured it out?"

"Ah?"

"Tch, it's nothing now."

Kang De was preoccupied with that bastard who dumped the Dead Sea with high explosives, and paid no heed to Wang Yongzhi's strange words. "Please tell the higher-ups, we need naval mines, plastic explosives, and ordinary high explosives will do too. Give me a thousand tons first..."

Wang Yongzhi was also taken aback. "You want to create Little Boy?"

"Isn't the Little Boy supposed to be worth 15,000 tons of metal?"

"That number is too large!"

"Then could you help me chop it?"

"You can even cut this?" Wang Yongzhi retorted. "Where did you compromise?"

"Oh, so you're making a concession."

Kang De said, "If the higher-ups agree to this deal, then I can make concessions—like the earlier promise to establish a testing ground for me in the country to help with my research, right? I know the country's plans and am willing to cooperate, but I'm a bit arrogant and overconfident right now, and I don't like being manipulated."

"So what do you want?"

"It's very simple. I won't be a guinea pig, I won't be a spectacle for others to watch. I'm willing to cooperate in exchanges and research, but note, it's cooperation, not obedience—the testing ground can be built, I'm willing to make concessions here, but the country must also make concessions. Simply put, the procedure should be like this..."

"That is, the state will grant me a piece of land, and then I will build an experimental field on that land, complete the relevant facilities, allow researchers to move in, allow them to conduct a certain degree of capability research, and collect data. They will provide me with experimental materials and supplies, and I also welcome professionals to offer me ideas and suggestions."

"So, the difference is that I am the owner of that land and testing ground. I am the one who allows the relevant personnel to cooperate and support me and conduct a certain degree of research, rather than the state mercifully giving me a place to run wild, allowing a group of researchers to treat me like a monkey—do you understand what I'm saying?"

Wang Yongzhi understood immediately, so his tone became extremely subtle. "You really care about saving face, huh?"

Indeed, the only difference between these two approaches lies in the name.

The land was approved by the state, the testing ground was built by the state, the personnel were dispatched by the state, and the materials were provided by the state. Kang De was merely allowed to bear the name of the owner. In the face of state organs, the so-called ownership and property owner are meaningless.

That's really a concession.

Kang De feigned tears, saying, "Faced with the overwhelming power of the state and the overwhelming force of family ties, what can a lone superpowered individual do? He can only stubbornly grit his teeth, hold back his tears, and fight for a false sense of dignity, but he knows that this is the only thing he can grasp..."

"... nausea."

Wang Yongzhi disappeared for a short while, then said, "I've submitted it. They should discuss it a bit. I'll get back to you in a bit."

"Okay."

After the phone call ended, laughter echoed from somewhere on the other side of the world, in a place whose name cannot be revealed. "Isn't this just like the late Qing Dynasty? They'd give up everything for appearances, even the substance."

"Young people, they have a strong sense of self-esteem," another voice said with a smile. "But the rule in our republic throughout history has been that substance is more important than appearance—besides, this really isn't a big deal."

"So you agree?"

"Okay."

While waiting for a final reply, Kang De heard his phone vibrate twice. He looked at it and saw it was Uncle Wang's WeChat, which had sent him two messages.

There are two news items.

It's nonsensical.

Article 1: China conducts large-scale anti-submarine military exercises in the South China Sea.

Article 2: Russia conducts large-scale anti-submarine military exercises in the Arctic Ocean.

These all happened in the last two days.

Kang De was slightly taken aback and sent a message asking what it was, but Uncle Wang didn't reply with a single word.

Mines? Fishing bombs?

Kang De seemed lost in thought.

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Habits are truly terrifying... By the way, this is a novel, so please don't make any assumptions (winking).