Petty Man

At the Central Island Observation Station, Kang De is issuing orders to the fleet via video conference.

"Throughout the entire denial and expulsion operation, we must act with reason, evidence, and restraint!"

In other words, we are determined not to fire the first shot!

"In detail, the operational principle is: be prepared to fire the first shot, be prepared to counterattack while maintaining absolute defense, not give the enemy a chance to fire a second shot, and on the basis of these two, use all means, methods, and strategies to force or induce the enemy to fire the first shot!"

"All the details of the operation will be recorded by cameras and used as material for future verbal battles and propaganda. We cannot act domineeringly, because Distant Harbor needs to unite insightful people from all over the world. We must always stand on the side of justice. The moral high ground is very useful, especially since we have advanced media and propaganda power in our hands... Okay, it doesn't matter if you don't understand, just obey orders!"

"I've done my calculations. The Azure Fleet will probably employ shameless tactics, brazenly dispersing its forces to infiltrate the Broken Sea and loot our spoils. Their fleet is massive, with numerous ships and overwhelming force, but that's alright. Data links, integrated air and sea operations, and hyperspace maneuverability—we are the ones with the greater power!"

"Now, Horus will proceed to each warship to install high-pressure water cannons on you..."

Just then, A Fu's voice came through the communication channel.

"Father." When it came to matters of war, A Fu's gentle voice became serious and crisp. "The Azure Fleet has responded; they have ships and soldiers missing in the Broken Sea and have requested permission to search for them."

"..."

Kang De remained silent for a moment, then turned and said, "Horus, upgrade firepower, prepare for full-scale saturation bombardment."

--ha?

The captains were all stunned. Just a moment ago they were saying, "We must exercise restraint, be reasonable and evidence-based, and occupy the moral high ground." What happened? Why did they suddenly become angry?

On the vast blue sea, after the special envoy's words were carried by the gale to the other side, the entire sea fell silent. The special envoy from Tula Xiaye smiled and instructed, "Alright, at least we have a reasonable excuse to act. Even if the dispute escalates to the diplomatic level, we have a reason and pretext to argue."

He waved his hand and said, "Now, let the ships prepare to move. Be swift, decisive, and shameless. This is not a combat mission, but a gold rush opportunity to plunder treasure and reap wealth. We..."

--Thunder rumbled from the sea.

A fierce fire rose from the Broken Sea, smoke billowed in the distance, a howling sound grew louder as it approached, a deafening roar erupted, and huge columns of water exploded from the sea, the scorching storm pushing icy water mist towards us!

Exclamations erupted from the scattered ships!

A barrage of rockets soared into the sky from the launch sites on the three islands, a continuous stream of fireballs sweeping across the sea, thick smoke with the smell of sulfur spreading and extending, as if these were Flame arrows from hell, messengers of death and burning, exploding into continuous columns of water at sea.

"The sky!"

The screams made the sailors of the Azure Fleet look up at the sky. The three large aircraft circling in the sky turned their bodies and faced the sea with their bellies!

The eagle-eyed officers clearly saw numerous thick metal tubes protruding from the aircraft's portholes.

Flames erupted, and smoke exploded!

Death rained down from the sky, bullets exploding near the Azure Fleet, splashing water and surging waves. The terrifying force shocked the terrified sailors; death was just around the corner!

Installing and firing multiple howitzers on a commercial airliner would only cause a terrifying recoil that would smash the entire aircraft to pieces in mid-air. However, if the howitzers were mounted in White Mist World, that would be a different story.

Although Horus is pondering how to convert the large passenger planes in the White Mist World into vanguard gunships, and the finished product is still a long way off, that doesn't stop Kang De from using his phase ability to simulate such an attack effect—what's the point of that, you ask? It's for strategic misdirection and intimidation, of course!

Anyway, these otherworldly beings don't know.

Star Wars Program.

The soldiers of the Azure Fleet truly had no idea! All they knew was that in the blink of an eye, the calm sky erupted with a violent roar, smoke billowed, and waves surged. Continuous flashes of fire and lightning bolts shot down from the Broken Isles Broken Sea.

They have entered Kang De's domain.

The main fleet from the Arcane Council responded immediately to the attack.

The well-trained and battle-hardened sailors immediately roared and took their battle positions. The magic cores were running at full power, the elemental directional shields were deployed, the ballistae were replaced with spread interceptor warheads, the shipborne magic devices were set up for counterattacks, and the mages were guided to lock onto the aircraft in the sky with their mental power and prepare to set up attack beacons!

In the chaotic yet orderly battlefield environment where gunners were in position, the flagship roared in exasperation.

"No retaliating! No retaliating!"

The special envoy roared, "All ships are forbidden from attacking without authorization! No unauthorized attacks allowed! Give the order now! This is not a formal attack! We cannot initiate the offensive!"

--Are you kidding me!

If the two sides were to officially enter into war, Kang De would not engage in a long-range magical weapon exchange with the Azure Fleet at all; one of his Forbidden Spell would solve everything!

He initiated a new dialogue with the Astolfo across the way using a loudspeaker array.

"This is the Azure Fleet! We have no intention of provoking conflict, but any inappropriate act of hostility could lead to war. Please consider this carefully! Please immediately cease this reckless attack!"

A moment later, a cold voice came from the sea.

"Azure Fleet, we are conducting exercises within His Highness Kang De's legitimate territorial waters. Our routine exercises aim to train the fleet's rapid response and area denial capabilities and are unrelated to any war operations. We advise your personnel to immediately move away from the Broken Sea to avoid unavoidable collateral damage. Otherwise, we will not bear any responsibility for any losses or casualties suffered by your forces..."

The special envoy, his face flushed with anger, shouted, "Some of our ships and soldiers are missing..."

"His Highness Kang De has already considered this issue."

The voice said indifferently, "We don't know where your missing fleet has drifted, so we will use concentrated firepower to plow through the entire sea area. As long as we kill them, you won't need to come in to search."

Before the words were finished, the broadcast was replaced by another voice.

"You cowards in the Council! If you want to cause trouble, then come on in! Let's fight here!"

"If you don't dare to make a move, you're nothing but sea dogs!"

"Come on, I'm going to max out all the power armor modifications today!"

A cacophony of jeers and provocations erupted, some humiliating, some mocking, some laughing, some cursing. Each word was like a powerful slap across the special envoy's handsome face. Facing the sea breeze, his expression shifted between anger and rage, his teeth clenched, his fury enough to evaporate the ocean.

Finally, all sounds faded into indifference.

"I am Kang De," the voice said. "A fleet soldier has gone missing, and anyone who comes up with this excuse to search for him will be killed, no matter who he is."

Her flushed face instantly turned pale.

This is an ultimatum from the Dragon of Cathay.

He stood at the bow of the ship, his anger at being insulted and his embarrassment at his failed plan instantly transforming into the fear of death. The officers around him stared at him with strange expressions, their eyes filled with complex and inexplicable emotions.

There was pity in that gaze.

It's like looking at a dead person.

A powerful fleet, a profound background, and extreme confidence—all of these have now vanished like a reflection in a mirror.

Under Kang De's declaration of death, all of this is no longer reliable.

The deafening roar of artillery shells and rockets had not yet subsided, the sky vibrated with the roar of aircraft engines, and the trembling of the fleet's elemental energy flowed incessantly, but the special envoy felt only a profound silence. He looked around at the officers and soldiers with their inscrutable expressions, and slowly grinned.

"... Forward," he repeated. "The reward has been doubled. Begin the mission."

The officers who had initially been extremely enthusiastic towards him remained unmoved.

The special envoy stared blankly to his left and right, then roared, "Go now!"

"... This could trigger a war, you heard that." After a long silence, an officer said slowly, "Soldiers are probably unwilling to risk their lives going out to sea."

No matter how much money you have, you still need to be alive to enjoy it.

The special envoy saw rejection in everyone's eyes; perhaps it was just his imagination, but he even saw mockery. The fear of death made him tremble with terror, even turning into furious rage—why! Why kill me!? Why so forceful? Why adopt such a war-or-die attitude?

The confidence he had gained from being ordered to come here, and the smugness from successfully seizing power, have completely faded away. He may be able to use the name of the Council and generous rewards to drive the officers and men of this fleet to pursue their own interests, but the one who truly holds absolute authority over this fleet is still the woman in the captain's cabin.

But asking the other side for orders to advance now is unlikely to succeed.

We need to think of a way, we need to think of a way...

I can't die, I can't be killed by Kang De, I have to escape, escape...

He thought of the teleportation array that had already been assembled.

No, I can't escape. Escaping would be no different from dying; the Council wouldn't let me go.

I need to complete the task perfectly in order to get the court to save me.

But these damned soldiers refused to obey orders; only Nixiyasi could make them follow orders...

Nixiyasi will definitely not help me.

Damn it, how can I get her to cooperate? Who can command her to go against her will? The Council? No, she's probably not the kind of person who's blindly loyal, then...

Nixiyasi's resume came to mind—suddenly, he looked up.

Got it!

He rushed back to his room, took out the magical device that enabled remote communication through elemental resonance, took a deep breath, and began to write furiously.

He first greeted the members of parliament, and then got down to business.

"Due to the Azure Fleet's inappropriate and reckless actions, a strong reaction has been provoked from the Broken Isles..."

"Although I persuaded the soldiers to serve justice and righteousness through the spirit of the Council and material rewards, the senior officers still harbored doubts. They seemed to have a close personal relationship with Kang De, which was probably related to the rescue efforts Battle of the Broken Isles. I heard that Kang De provided a large amount of supplies to the Azure Fleet unconditionally at that time, and they are investigating whether there were any private deals or agreements..."

"Although I took over command, Commander Nixiyasi remained secluded and adopted a passive resistance... I don't know if the senior officers received private authorization, but they strictly prohibited the soldiers from acting on their own. The senior officers' ability to control the entire fleet and their prestige were too strong, so much so that even though the soldiers were willing to serve their country, they still dared not act without authorization, after all, military law is strict."

"But all investigations must be conducted in private. After all, Your Excellencies have repeatedly emphasized to me that the most important task is to break Kang De's monopoly and obtain the unknown substance. I chose to endure the humiliation from the officers of the Azure Fleet and did not openly question their integrity and loyalty. However, what worries me most is that I cannot convey the will of the Council to the entire fleet and give them orders."

"Supreme authority over this fleet remains in the hands of Commander Nixiyasi."

"She strongly resisted the Council's orders and refused to send the fleet into the Broken Sea. When I questioned whether her passive attitude was related to her personal relationship with Kang De, she reacted extremely strongly and issued veiled death threats against me. I think that in order to get the fleet to carry out the mission, I must change her attitude. She disregards the Council's orders and I cannot get her to cooperate. Therefore, I request your assistance."

"I need someone who can persuade her."

As he wrote this, a smile appeared on his face as he watched the words gradually disappear from the crystal plate.

Yes, I will complete the task.

Only I can retrieve the precious materials lost in the Broken Sea for the esteemed members of the council and thwart Kang De's ambitions; the Azure Fleet is but a pawn in this game.

I am the one playing chess.

The councilors will appreciate it.

The Broken Isles.

"They were terrified!"

The sailors celebrated jubilantly, Quilion laughed, "These cowards! They must be terrified! Look at them, they don't even dare to fight back!"

Kang De sat in his chair, legs crossed, and said, "We can't let our guard down; it's almost night."

It's already 5:15 local time. The sun is setting and night is approaching. If these shameless people sneak in to steal things in the dark, it will be really hard to guard against.

"That would only work if they dared to come in."

The elven commander laughed and said, "Rest assured, we are better at night battles than they are."

Because the Arcane Council was involved, the Azure Fleet portion of the Combined Fleet was ordered to recuse itself. Most of the officers present were burly elves, and each of these macho men revealed a chilling smile.

Quilion said ominously, "It's a dark and stormy night. Even if the ship sinks and everyone drowns, no one will know."

Kang De shook his head. "The soldiers are innocent. Don't keep shouting for war and killing; it's too violent. Just arrest them and send them to the island to mine..."

Hearing this, Horus interjected, "Yes, Father is also trying to seduce that beautiful admiral's daughter."

Kang De retorted angrily, "What nonsense!"

Whistles rang out, and the elves burst into laughter. Quilion, who was closest to Kang De, approached mysteriously and winked, saying, "Your Highness, a power armor. I will keep this secret for you. Even if Her Majesty the Queen asks, I will never betray you."

Kang De kicked him.

"Oh, right, Father."

Horus added, "We received an inquiry from the Sound of the Tide Manor regarding the situation. Also, Princess Tina asked if you will be going home for dinner tonight."

The whistling sounded again, and the elves' smiles grew even more sinister.

They recalled the toasts given that day.

Ah, my dear prince, do not ask why we smile; we have thought of something joyful: our wives and lovers have not met.

8 PM that evening.

"Damn, every meal is torture."

In the research lab, Kang De, having just showered, sat eating ice cream with his Parrot. He sighed, "Even though everyone I eat with is a beautiful girl, each one is incredibly pretty, so nice to me, and has such sweet smiles, why do I always feel so uncomfortable...?"

The Parrot thought for a moment and replied, "I saw a solution in a book, and it seems that many successful people in life use this method to solve this problem."

Kang De's expression shifted. "Damn, do you elves have examples like this too? Tell me about it."

The Parrot said seriously, "It's very difficult for you."

How did you do it?

Malegith held up one finger. "Put them all on one bed and fuck them all all night, have your fill of sex, and the next day they'll be friends again, having forgiven each other."

Kang De looked puzzled. "Huh? This sounds familiar..."

It wasn't until he saw the Parrot's smirk that he snapped out of his daze and roared, "This is straight out of some cheesy romance novel! You actually read it in a book?! What the hell?!"

Malegith said proudly, "That's something I read in a book!"

"... Never mind, never mind."

Kang De pointed to a stack of documents on the table. "Do you have any clue about the abilities of those few 'oddballs'? How should we train them?"

The Parrot poured all the ice cream from the small bowl into its mouth, chewed a few times, and mumbled, "The superhumans in your planet are quite interesting, I mean, the form of their awakening."

How so?

Malegith swallowed the ice cream, let out a satisfied breath, and said, "It's like at the very beginning of this era, when the extraordinary beings awakened inexplicable mysterious powers. At first, it was a mythical era like totem legends, and later they gradually summarized the rules, developed techniques, and established traditions. Obviously, the extraordinary beings on your planet are still very primitive, but their path of evolution is very different from ours."

Kang De nodded and said, "After all, there is intervention and guidance from state power."

The Parrot frowned, as if she had thought of something, but then she shook her head. "The data is insufficient. In the future, when you obtain data on other extraordinary individuals, it would be best to bring me an entire archive to take a look."

"How?"

"I'm a bit curious. The spiritual energy revival of your ball came so suddenly, but according to you, it has been hiding extraordinary power since ancient times... Why did it exist before, why did it disappear, and why has it reappeared now? That really intrigues me." The Parrot thought for a moment, "It doesn't make sense."

"I'll ask about it when I have time," Kang De added. "And what about their training plan?"

The Parrot said disdainfully, "A basic training course for magic swordsmen is enough for them for a long time. Besides, you have technological support to enhance it, so there's no need to be comprehensive. I'll modify the key training programs and remove the systematic and standardized parts to avoid arousing suspicion from your country. Give them the rest of the calisthenics to do and see how effective it is."

"Good."

When are you going back to Earth?

"Ah?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? Hurry back and go buy, buy, buy! The Council has already started digging up your equipment and it still hasn't arrived. Also, your navy is terrible. Go to Earth and buy a few supertankers to bolster your image."

Kang De said, "The Council a lot of tricks up its sleeve. I'll wait here tonight. As for the submarine, A Fu's sonar is watching it. At most, one deep-sea rocket will launch it, and they won't even know it was me who fired it."

The Parrot rolled its eyes at him. "What, does the master intend to spend the night here?"

Kang De readily agreed, "That's not impossible, it's been a long time since I slept with you."

"Get out! Get out!"

Broken Sea.

Night had fallen, Azure Fleet, which remained in place, was in an awkward situation. The soldiers were unwilling to risk entering the sea to carry out salvage operations, but they also could not directly defy the orders from the Council. All of this was irrelevant to Nixiyasi, who had already relinquished command and remained secluded.

The commander lay listlessly on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her jewel-like red eyes shimmered with the glow of the magic crystal lamp. Her loose blue curls spread across the pristine white pillow. She slowly stretched out her hand, gazing at her slightly rough palms, calloused from years of wielding a staff. From childhood to adulthood, she had followed the path of arcane magic, joined the Council, accumulated military merits, and risen through the ranks—but what was it all for?

The orders the Azure Fleet had previously received had already made her quite resentful of the Council, and today's events made her instinctively uneasy. The bright and great Council she remembered seemed to have become unfamiliar, and she couldn't help but think of the joking words she had exchanged with Kang De before.

Distant Harbor...

She immediately laughed at her own thought.

Should we just give up like this?

Father will be very disappointed... He...

At this thought, a somber sigh flashed in Nixiyasi's eyes.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

The commander's eyes sharpened. With a flick of her wrist, the staff from the bedside flew through the air. She put on her boots, tied up her long hair, donned her coat, glanced at herself in the mirror, and regained her commanding captain's demeanor. "Who is it?"

The special envoy's voice rang out from outside the door. "Commander."

Nixiyasi sneered inwardly. She said, "It's late. If there's nothing urgent, please leave. If there is, please summon the fleet officers and we'll discuss it in the conference room."

"It's an important matter, but there's no need to summon officers."

The special envoy smiled and said, "I have brought a gentleman with me; you will certainly be able to meet him."

Then, a deep voice sounded from outside the door, "Open the door."

Nixiyasi trembled, her face showing disbelief.

She hurried forward, opened the door, and looked at the familiar face outside. She whispered, "Father..."

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Six thousand words... Damn, I overslept today.

PS2: That's right, my main sleep problem isn't difficulty falling asleep, but rather insufficient sleep duration. These past few days, I've only slept for less than seven hours before waking up—I'm the kind of person who needs more than eight hours of sleep. If I don't get eight hours of sleep, it means I'll feel lethargic, groggy, and sweating profusely all day. I've probably mentioned this many times in my book.

PS3: I fell asleep around 9 pm last night and woke up at 3 am. But I was so tired the past few days, so today I was determined not to get out of bed until I got enough sleep. I tossed and turned in bed until almost 6 am, and then fell asleep and slept until 9 or 10 am -- wow, it seems you won't sleep until dawn...

PS4: That's about it. I'll test it again tonight to see if this is the case. If it really doesn't work, I'll just have to get up at 3 AM to finish writing before going to sleep... (shrugs)