Women's Rights

At seven o'clock local time, Kang De climbed up the River Thames, clinging to the riverbank.

He has already illegally crossed into London.

It was already two o'clock in the afternoon in China, but it was early morning in London. He felt the cool river breeze that ran through London and used the Power of the Fire Thief to evaporate the remaining moisture from his body.

We chose to land at this section of the river because the magnificent London Eye is right above us. This huge city landmark was once the world's largest Ferris wheel, offering panoramic views of London.

Would you like something to eat?

Iron Son's voice rang in his ears. "Father, just south of you, a short walk away, there's a famous local Britain restaurant."

Kang De casually asked, "What is it?"

Horus replied, "The Great Britain Fish and Chips Restaurant."

"..."

Just as Kang De was about to roll his eyes, he suddenly looked south, in the direction Horus had indicated.

He frowned. "What place is that?"

Horus looked at the building over there. "Great Britain Fish and Chips Restaurant."

"Anything else? Surely such a big building isn't just some place filled with Stargazing pie posters, is it?"

Kang De's expression was somewhat strange. For some reason, when he looked at that building, he suddenly felt a strange sensation... and was inexplicably concerned.

Horus had already prepared the map, immediately replied, "Oh, that's a famous horror site in London, the London Dungeon, which contains most of England's terrifying legends and bloody history over the past two thousand years, such as Jack the Ripper, Bloody Mary, the Black Death, the Great Fire of London... and so on and so forth."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and said, "Are there any 18th-century United Kingdom' Happiness Factories'? They used child labor, had an average lifespan of fifteen years, suffered from malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and severe pollution, with women even forced to haul coal?"

No, not at all.

"Does that mean women's rights exist? Queen Victoria, as a woman, condemned female suffrage and opposed women's political rights. Is this fact faithfully recorded?"

"It doesn't seem so."

"Oh."

Kang De shrugged, averting his gaze. He flicked his right hand, distorting the light and blurring his form as he vanished into the void. Then he tossed the coin in his hand into the air. "To the London Eye."

At this time, the famous Ferris wheel attraction was not yet open, but that was not a problem for Kang De. He didn't intend to go inside and ride it, but rather to take advantage of the location. From the London Eye, one could overlook the entire city, and being high up and looking far was beneficial for determining direction, planning routes, and making plans.

Seated atop the highest cockpit, Kang De donned his Horus- type binoculars and gazed upon the entire city, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Oh, here it is. Yes, this is the Houses of Parliament, um, Big Ben..."

Horus asked, "Father, have you been to London before?"

"Of course!" Kang De said proudly, "When I was a kid, I utterly crushed Yuri's army here."

"..."

Kang De's gaze shifted to the other side, and he exclaimed, "I see the Head Maid!"

The HMS Belfast War Museum is located on the River Thames, about six or seven kilometers from the Ferris wheel and not far from the famous London Tower Bridge. Like the Iowa, it is now a warship museum—thanks to the efforts of private foundations, it has been spared from being demolished.

Kang De's gaze swept over it, not paying much attention. After all, compared to Iowa's 406-sized penis, the Head Maid had no need to specifically copy it for free.

He glanced around the city briefly, then asked, "Where did An Youyi's accident happen?"

The target location was marked on the visor screen.

Kang De turned to look to the west, across the River Thames, where Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey were located. Two or three kilometers further out was Buckingham Palace — Buckingham Palace Gardens bordered Hyde Park, and near the north side of Hyde Park was the residential area where An Youyi's incident occurred.

Indeed, a prime location.

Adjacent to the famous Hyde Park, it boasts lush greenery and is located in the heart of Kensington Commercial District, London's most vibrant business district, where all your needs can be met.

This residential area is said to be highly favored by wealthy people from all over the world. The most famous one, "One Hyde Park," has an average price of over £60,000 per square meter and is always in high demand.

The gap between the rich and poor on Earth is truly appalling.

"Good location," Kang De remarked as he observed. "The scene isn't far from 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, or Buckingham Palace. Even if you can't find An Youyi, it's very convenient for the United Kingdom to go anywhere."

For Kang De, a few kilometers was not a road at all.

He took out his phone and dialed a satellite call. The call connected quickly, and Qin Mengjin's voice came through. "You've arrived?"

Kang De said calmly, "We're on our way to the scene— the United Kingdom still won't budge?"

"Yes," Qin Mengjin said helplessly. "Yesterday, the police were dispatched and the crime scene was cordoned off. The matter caused quite a stir, but today, none of the major United Kingdom newspapers or news websites have mentioned it. It's likely that the British authorities used administrative means to suppress it—which is normal. London is home to too many wealthy people and international students from around the world; they won't allow such a heinous crime to spread unchecked."

Kang De calmly replied, "Or perhaps, the matter is more complex than we imagine."

He leaped off the 135-meter-high Ferris wheel.

He activated the Feather Fall, landing gracefully and continuing south without stopping. He crossed the River Thames from Westminster Bridge, walked briskly along the way, passed Parliament Square, entered St James's Park, and finally arrived at the Queen Victoria Memorial. There he saw Buckingham Palace, which looked rather plain compared to the Houses of Parliament. Tourists gathered here, and a traditional tourist activity was to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

This is the Queen's palace.

--I'll come see you again when I have the chance.

They turned west, taking a detour, and entered Constitution Hill. Walking on the gravel road, which was inaccessible to cars, Kang De and Qin Mengjin kept in touch to learn about the latest developments.

The United Kingdom showed a very unexpected lack of cooperation... even arrogance.

Although the British responded to China's request and quickly dispatched police to handle the An Youyi incident, for the next dozen or so hours, the British side refused to inform China of the progress of the case and even obstructed local embassy members from inquiring about and investigating the case. They only promised China that they would do their best to search for and rescue the victim, but refused to tell China how far the case had progressed.

There are no suspects, no progress in the case, and they won't even share the surveillance footage.

"Although I advised you before to avoid revealing to the British that you were planning to interfere in this matter..." Qin Mengjin's voice was hesitant, "Should we reconsider now?"

Because the situation is different now.

Previous research by special national departments suggested that as long as secret national channels were used to convey a serious attitude to the United Kingdom and make them understand that this was not a simple case of a missing citizen, the United Kingdom would take it seriously, and the British state's violent organs would be able to easily solve a simple kidnapping case.

But the United Kingdom's lack of cooperation made everyone sense that something was wrong.

At this point, waving Kang De's banner might actually be somewhat useful—a distant country with limited power projection and deep economic cooperation can't really do anything to you for the time being, but what about the world's strongest superpowered individual with extreme nationalist tendencies? Are you afraid yet?

"Don't tell them."

Kang De said calmly, "The situation is now quite clear. We need to consider the worst-case scenario—that the United Kingdom aren't being arrogant and dismissive of An Youyi, but rather that this isn't a simple kidnapping case. Either they're afraid to investigate, or they don't want to. In either case, announcing to the United Kingdom that I'm prepared to intervene would only alert them."

He said in a chilling tone, "I don't care what they do with An Youyi, at least she won't die immediately, and there's still a chance she can be rescued. But if the United Kingdom find out I'm here, An Youyi is very likely doomed... Right now, the most important thing is to ensure she's alive and well."

Qin Mengjin sighed, "Yes... you decide."

Kang De has already arrived in London, so all that can be done now is to rely on Kang De composure and restraint.

Passing through Wellington Arch and entering Hyde Park, the park is flat and tranquil. Apart from a few monuments, there are few man-made buildings. The benches along the roadside are donated by residents, and men and women sit on the lawn doing their morning exercises, their laughter filling the air. Meanwhile, pedestrians hurry along in the chilly morning air.

They were students at South Kensington Men's Technical College. Their dormitories and campus were separated by an entire park, which was their fastest route to school and almost their only way.

Incidentally, Hyde Park is also a well-known route for students applying to graduate programs at this school.

The incident began when a handsome South Korea male exchange student, on a whim, strolled through Hyde Park at night. A passing black man was caught picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence. The school felt the impact was too negative and tried to silence him, which resulted in the South Korea man obtaining permanent residency, while his studies were inevitably affected.

Thus, rumors circulated in the city that if you can't graduate in your junior or senior year, you should go to Hyde Park, where both men and women have a chance—a much more advanced approach than in China.

As expected of a developed country, they do a great job in gender equality.

While exchanging information and confirming the plan with Qin Mengjin, Kang De surveyed the surrounding scenery. Hyde Park had several types of paths—a dirt path for morning runs, a concrete path for cycling, and a horse trail. Kang De heard the neighing of horses and, roughly to the southeast, he saw two figures trotting on horseback. The riders were agile and looked very aristocratic.

He suddenly remembered the handsome guy who took a photo with An Youyi on the plane; he'd heard that the guy owned his own horse farm.

"That bastard who hit on An Youyi on the plane, the one you mentioned, the lord who owns the horse farm," Kang De said, "Send me the address of his horse farm."

Qin Mengjin said, both amused and exasperated, "You still want to cause him trouble?"

"He looks all respectable, but he's definitely not a good person. He might be a prime suspect. I find him very strange and unpleasant," Kang De casually remarked. "If we can't find a breakthrough in the investigation later, I'll go and question him, and try to persuade him to confess and receive leniency, or resist and face severe punishment."

Miss Qin said helplessly, "Okay..."

"Oh, by the way, how's my AWSL Company framework coming along? Is the money-spraying department in place?"

That's the investment department.

A series of clicks came from the other end of the line. Qin Mengjin typed a few questions and then replied, "The funds have been injected. As for the personnel, several outstanding talents from the State Council Financial Affairs Bureau and the National Ministry of Commerce and Trade have resigned for personal reasons. After your company's invitation, they believe that AWSL's development prospects are excellent, so they gladly joined. Oh, by the way, they want to ask you who will be the head of the China branch?"

Kang De replied, "Of course, it's Engineer Kang."

Originally, I planned to have my dad work for me at the Africa headquarters, but the international situation is changing rapidly, and the deep cooperation between Kang De and the country is too important. Therefore, I can't let my dad wander around abroad. It's good that he can be a mascot in China.

... Originally, Uncle Wang was the candidate. After all, Engineer Kang was just an engineer with no other experience, while Uncle Wang had been in the business world for many years and at least knew how to do it.

However, Uncle Wang founded the Fengqiao Group, a prominent entrepreneur in Z Province, who even had a name and a seat with the provincial governor. How could he abandon his great empire and become a lackey under Kang De?

Of course, in the dead of night, Kang De did have some dark thoughts—for example, using his power to stage a management buyout of Fengqiao Group, swallowing up all of Uncle Wang's hard work and merging it into AWSL Company. That way, he could not only get Uncle Wang as an SR card, but also legally own all of Fengqiao Group's industrial plants and factories, making his progress in the White Mist World quite enjoyable.

As for the money spent on the acquisition, that's nothing.

Anyway, since it was given to Uncle Wang, it will eventually be Xiaoman's.

--By the way, the above thought came from my mom's chuckles during dinner at home. Her mischievous smile with raised eyebrows implied another unspoken message.

Anyway, Xiaoman will be yours sooner or later.

Left hand to right hand, amazing!

The thought crossed his mind, and he immediately said, "Then contact the Department of Finance. I'm taking this opportunity during my trip to London to do some research and plan to acquire some properties here. Tell them to prepare accordingly."

With the company's spending spree on track, it's time to establish distribution points globally.

If something else happens and we have to wait for more than ten hours like this time, it's simply a despicable waste.

As he spoke, he had already left Hyde Park and entered Paddington District, heading towards the residential area where An Youyi's incident occurred—he hadn't gone far before he realized the change in atmosphere.

There are more police officers now.

Guided by Horus, Kang De emerged in a deserted alley. He changed into a trench coat that wouldn't look out of place abroad, covered half his face with a scarf, and casually walked toward his target neighborhood. The residential areas in London are different from those in China. It's rare to see fully enclosed communities; instead, they are mainly street-style, with row houses lining both sides of the street.

As more and more people came and went, most of them were white and black, with Asians making up a minority. This bustling and legendary city was a foreign land, said to be inhabited by more than 300 languages. It was exotic and culturally diverse, but this was not enough to make Kang De uncomfortable—he had already been to places that were unimaginable to earthlings.

He came here with a clear goal.

This is it.

Kang De stopped in his tracks. It was a residential building with more than ten floors, which was quite rare in London. He saw police officers guarding the entrance, strictly checking everyone who entered.

In the distance, a reluctant reporter vehicle lingered, while nearby, small groups of people were gathering. Last night's commotion had already told everyone one thing—big news was happening here.

"The United Kingdom police are creating obstacles... normal entry is impossible." Kang De looked up; An Youyi and the others lived on the seventh floor. "Hopefully they haven't cleared the scene."

Just then, the sound of arguing came from the other side.

We have the right to know what happened!

"Those are our compatriots, our classmates!"

"Who is in charge of this? Please tell us!"

Kang De turned his head and saw that the person arguing fiercely with the police was a familiar person with yellow skin and black hair; they must be from the same hometown, and it seemed that they didn't know anything either...

The United Kingdom police politely but coldly refused their questions, their icy faces etched with impatience.

After a moment's thought, Kang De decided there was no need to meet them—they seemed to be You Luna's classmates, and even if they knew anything about You Luna, they would inform the embassy staff on their own. He didn't need to engage in conversation to inquire about the details. What he needed to consider now was how to get into the apartment building.

Excuse me... sir?

A questioning female voice sounded beside him. Kang De turned his head and saw a typical Western woman with blonde hair and blue eyes—she looked at least forty years old, her skin showed signs of aging, her eyes were slightly dim, her cheeks were thin, and her appearance was somewhat strange. She tried to force a smile and show her friendliness.

You are China, right?

She looked towards the heavily guarded building; several China men were leaving dejectedly, one girl was even sobbing softly, and another was comforting her. The woman continued, "I'm sorry to hear about this. You know those two missing girls, don't you? I mean, you..."

Horus translates these words in real time. After a period of learning, analysis, and practice, Iron Son has become a qualified AI translation software.

Kang De interrupted the other person, asking calmly, "Who are you?"

The woman paused, then extended her hand. "My name is Shalalin. I heard about what happened to those two girls, but the police won't tell me more. I want to help them..."

"Are you a reporter?"

"No, I'm a member of the organization 'Help All Victimized Women'," the woman said. "I..."

"A women's rights organization." Kang De, having lost all interest by this point, calmly said, "This isn't a place for you to create sensational news to scam sponsorships and extort money. Leave."

He turned to leave, but the woman quickly stepped forward and blocked his way, saying seriously, "Sir, you seem to have many misunderstandings about us, but I really want to help those two innocent girls."

Kang De said impatiently, "They are not innocent. They are despicable China, the kind you hate and despise the most. Don't use them to attack us. If you're so compassionate, why don't you go and care about the Vietnam who froze to death in refrigerated trucks? Now, get out of here."

"There's no need to speak in such a sarcastic tone. I want to help them simply because they need help. I neither hate nor despise them. I know their pain and helplessness, I..."

Kang De stopped and looked at the incessantly chattering woman, his eyes cold and impatient.

"Take care of yourself, ma'am," he said coldly. "You look haggard, your eyes are lifeless, your breathing is rapid, and your voice is slightly nasal... You should go get some inhaler. Is this how feminism is played out?"

Shalalin was startled, her face turning ashen. She instinctively took two steps back. Kang De snorted, pulled up the hood of his trench coat, and disappeared into the crowd without giving her another glance.

"Baffling."

Kang De walked around to the back of the apartment building. "Now, let's figure out a way to get in."

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PS1:... Damn, I'm not saying anything more.