Eight Hours

The night was deep, the wind was blowing, A Fu was being affectionate.

"Dad!" she cried, her voice trembling with tears, "My older brother is bullying me!"

Nixiyasi also heard the phrase "successful comparison to the little beach," and she and the ice cream vendor were both bewildered—what did this "little beach" mean?

After all, the word "little beach" is spoken in a universal language, and it is difficult for people who do not understand English to make such an association. However, Kang De and the Parrot understood it instantly. During their year in the Holy Seal Archipelago, the man and the Parrot watched every movie that Kang De could find, and learned to swear at each other in English.

With a bunch of foreign games added to the mix, the Parrot has started speaking English.

The ancients had the insight to "see mountains as not mountains," and these two are also masters who "hear beaches as not beaches."

Kang De patted A Fu's shoulder awkwardly, feeling somewhat displeased. It was bad enough that his Iron Son betrayed his kind father, but to bully such a cute little sister was truly unacceptable.

He said, "Horus was in the wrong, and I will teach him a lesson and make him apologize."

A Fu sobbed, "Maybe Horus is just joking with me..."

The obedient daughter hugged Kang De, nuzzling against his chest, and whispered, "But... maybe it's because before only Horus kept Father company, and now that A Fu is here, Horus is afraid that A Fu will take away Father's love..."

Bullshit, it even takes away a father's love.

It's only worried that you'll steal its right to backstab it.

It must be said that Kang De was genuinely charmed by a delicate, adorable, and pretty little girl who, with tears streaming down her face, spoke softly and gently in front of him, making excuses for others.

Just as he was about to comfort A Fu again, the ship girl said, "Father, don't be angry. A Fu will get along well with Horus. Tonight is for entertaining Sister Nixiyasi, don't let it interfere with important matters..."

Ah, how sensible.

Kang De patted A Fu's head, A Fu raised his head, revealing a smiling face, his eyes squinting like a cat's. He looked at Nixiyasi beside him and said apologetically, "You flatter me."

... But the admiral didn't seem to hear their conversation. The sea beauty was staring blankly at Kang De's hand on A Fu's head, lost in thought, and only now did she come to her senses.

"Ah?" she said in a panic, "Ah, no, no, no, no."

Seeing this, A Fu blinked. She had been chatting with Nixiyasi every day for the past few days, and they were practically best friends. She had almost completely uncovered the secrets of this Flower of the Navy. Now, with a quick thought, she knew what the other was thinking. She smiled and said, "Sister, would you like to try it? It feels like Daddy pats your head."

Nixiyasi almost jumped up. "I-I don't want to!"

Just kidding, I'm older than him, how could I let him pat my head! I'm not a child!

The Parrot poked its head out from the other side.

--As an old relic from the previous era, she is extremely distant from this world, maintaining a cold distance. She only reveals her true nature in front of Kang De and Dairila, but there are exceptions. For example, as soon as she puts on Dairila's disguise, she instantly lets go of herself and becomes so unrestrained that she does whatever she wants.

"A Fu, you just don't understand," the Phoenix King said. "Big Sister Nixiyasi is an adult now. She can't let your father pat her head like a little child. She wants her head patted elsewhere..."

A Fu asked innocently, "Huh, there are other heads too?"

The Parrot exclaimed vividly, "Yes, and there's more than one! I just don't know what your sister wants to be..."

Nixiyasi blushed.

Although ships are one of the easiest places for dirty jokes to be born and spread, the admiral herself knows at least three hundred such jokes. Sometimes, officers who have had too much to drink will boldly tell her dirty jokes during the banquet, but without exception, they all end up being hung on the mast by her to be exposed to the wind until they sober up, and then having to clean the deck the next day.

... But she never expected that one day the Elf Queen would make a lewd joke at her face.

"Your Majesty!" she hissed, "Please have some self-respect!"

"Hey, there's no one else here, why be so formal?" The Parrot said in a affected, effeminate tone, "Anyway, we'll soon be calling each other sisters..."

"..."

Kang De said to A Fu, "Go buy some ice cream, don't keep the vendor waiting."

He also had his own identity badge and emblem, but it was inconvenient to take them out. Firstly, it would be a bit pretentious and might scare away the master; secondly... with A Fu's lesson learned, he wasn't sure how he would be compared to others.

What if we have a comparison like "Successful comparison of a dead virgin," "Successful comparison of Wang Xiaoman's childhood sweetheart," or "Successful comparison of a time management master"... and there are outsiders present.

This will not only severely damage his reputation, but will also provide the Parrot, this bird-like person, with plenty of laughs for a long time to come.

No, I have to teach this rebellious son a lesson, no matter what.

A Fu sweetly agreed, then asked about everyone's preferences. A moment later, she returned with four ice cream cones. Kang De took two, walked over to the Parrot that was incessantly bothering Nixiyasi, and shoved the ice cream into her mouth. "Shut up!"

The Parrot made a cooing sound. Nixiyasi thanked him and took the other ice cream cone from Kang De. Their eyes met for a moment, and then they both looked at the Parrot that had pulled out the ice cream cone.

Their expressions were rather subtle.

It's like opening an umbrella in advance and waiting for the rain to fall from the sky.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

The Parrot looked at Kang De, then at Nixiyasi: "... What's wrong?"

"N-nothing... it's nothing." Kang De hesitated for a moment, "... I thought you were going to make a dirty joke."

After all, his mouth had just been stuffed with such a thick stick.

Surprisingly, he didn't say a word.

Nixiyasi nodded subconsciously.

That's what she thought too.

Then she realized that this action was extremely inappropriate, so she quickly lowered her head to cover it up and took a bite of ice cream.

The Parrot scratched its head and said, "Well, I originally wanted to say a few words, but I felt it wasn't very interesting. I wanted to say something more novel and original, but I couldn't think of anything right now..."

Meanwhile, Nixiyasi looked surprised.

A subtle sweetness permeated her mouth with the fragrance of fruit she had never tasted before, accompanied by a cool sensation, spreading in her mouth and leaving a lingering aftertaste.

This...

The exquisite taste, sweetness, and fragrance were stored within the cool frost, melting and releasing between her lips and tongue. She squinted her eyes in surprise and delight, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"Ah," said the Parrot, "Kang De, you've won her over with your stomach."

Then the "Phoenix King" stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it should be said—the white flesh from Kang De, melted and sucked out by Miss Nixiyasi's fiery lips and tongue..."

Before she could finish speaking, Kang De pushed her aside, his fingers spread wide, his face shoved in the air. "That's enough. Miss Nixiyasi is a guest. Don't tease her like that; it's very impolite."

The Parrot pursed its lips and obediently bowed its head to Nixiyasi, saying, "I'm sorry, I am the annoying Phoenix King Dairila, who has zero social skills, no sense of social boundaries, speaks inappropriately, makes jokes without thinking, doesn't know how to interact with others, and uses vulgarity as humor."

"Oh, this..."

Nixiyasi looked flustered. "This, this, you don't need to apologize. I, actually, this kind of thing is quite normal on a ship. I wasn't angry, anyway..."

To be fair, she was indeed somewhat frustrated with her current predicament and troubled by the Elf Queen's repeated baffling behavior, but she wasn't exactly angry.

After all, the opponent is the Phoenix King.

For someone to condescend to joke with a naval officer from the Council like that could, to some extent, be seen as a sign of goodwill, closeness, and appreciation. Not to mention her, no one in the world would find it offensive; some elves would even be overjoyed.

As for wanting an apology... are you crazy?

"--See, you also think I didn't do anything wrong, and I also think I didn't do anything wrong. In fact, no one in the world, not even an elf, would think I should apologize."

Just then, the Phoenix King put his arm around the Cathayan's shoulder. "But only this Cathayan thinks I did something wrong. I shouldn't have made such a vulgar joke to someone I'm not close to. I should apologize to you—I even know that if I don't give him face, refuse to apologize, or even lose my temper, he's prepared to pester me all night, nagging and chanting until dawn."

Nixiyasi looked surprised.

"I mean it, he really is that kind of person," the Queen said with a smile. "Aren't you touched? Don't you think he's a good man?"

Whether it was the stories she had read in the newspapers, her personal experiences during the evacuation, or even the night view tonight, the simple story of that family of five she witnessed resonated deeply with her, and even now...

Nixiyasi nodded subconsciously.

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh haha ..."

The Parrot laughed wildly, "You've taken the bait! You've fallen for it! Kang De is going to get his hands on you!"

--Oops!

The admiral's daughter jumped in fright, startled, and shouted, "I didn't!"

"... Are you ever going to stop?!"

Kang De Parrot laughed loudly as it ran away, giving Kang De the middle finger as it went.

"Okay, okay, I got it, I'll be right there!"

On the other side, A Fu pressed the walkie-talkie to his ear, said a few words, and then looked troubled. He said to Kang De, "Father, it's like this, there's a technical problem with the broadcasting system. I have to go take a look. Business is important. I'll be back in a bit—I'll leave Sister Nixiyasi in your care. That's all!"

After saying that, she took off running, disappearing into the night streets of Distant Harbor, one after the other, with the Parrot.

"Hey! Hey!"

"Wait a moment!"

Kang De and Nixiyasi extended Erkang's hand in perfect unison.

Unfortunately, the two guys who ran away one after the other, and whose excuses seemed rather flimsy, simply wouldn't listen.

The two withdrew their hands and exchanged an awkward glance.

"... Well," Kang De hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Don't listen to her, she's just joking. I have no ulterior motives towards you..."

Nixiyasi turned her head, her expression somewhat subtle. "... Oh."

Kang De sensed something was amiss and continued, "Well, I can't say I'm entirely without ulterior motives. After all, I'm a normal man, and appreciating beautiful women is my nature and instinct. Besides your appearance, I also respect and admire your achievements in the military and your career..."

The admiral took a small bite of her ice cream. "... Mmm."

--Did I say something wrong? What should I say right now?

Kang De scratched his head. "... How about I take you back?"

In the distance, there seemed to be loud coughing and words like "grass," but they were quickly dispersed by the wind, and a clear look of shock and confusion appeared in Nixiyasi's eyes.

Although she had no romantic experience, as Flower of the Navy and a famous general of the Council, she had many suitors.

She'd seen all sorts of men—charming French scions, impeccably dressed aristocratic youths—and witnessed their various courtship techniques. But Kang De's demeanor, from his words to his gestures to his expressions to his behavior...

He was clearly the weakest of them all.

Unless this is some new tactic she doesn't know, Kang De's performance tonight is completely inconsistent with his reputation as a Casanova who first won over Princess Tina's heart, then made the Phoenix King fall deeply in love with him, and supposedly even won over a silver dragon within hours. Yet Kang De's demeanor doesn't seem fake at all.

Could it be that...

He doesn't understand at all?

Or rather...

Looking at the conflicted and embarrassed expression on Kang De's face, and recalling his words and actions tonight, Nixiyasi had two bold and startling speculations.

First, Kang De genuinely had no romantic interest in her.

Secondly, Kang De had absolutely no idea how to get along with women...

This unexpected discovery even made her want to laugh. The terrifying image of the Cathayan, wielding Forbidden Spell swords, invincible and intimidating to all nations, suddenly seemed more approachable and real. Perhaps it was the sweetness from the ice cream in her hand that made her relax and let go of her tension and vigilance. The admiral even felt that staying a little longer wouldn't hurt.

Furthermore...

Should we go back?

Returning to the fleet that felt foreign to her, she faced her father pressuring her, a special envoy with ulterior motives, and officers and soldiers who had become greedy under the promise of a hefty reward from the Council...

A bitter smile appeared on Nixiyasi's face.

She whispered, "Could I stay here a little longer?"

Kang De paused for a moment, then nodded. "No problem, that's fine."

Just as the admiral was about to say thank you, she heard the other person say, "Then feel free to walk around. I'll give you a communicator; call me if you need anything..."

"??????"

Nixiyasi looked up, her ruby-red eyes widening in astonishment.

Kang De looked back at her in surprise, then after a moment realized, "Oh, oh, oh, you want me to stay with you for a while? I know, I know. I thought you wanted to be alone for a while..."

He scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.

"..."

This is fake, right? This must be fake!?

As if possessed, Nixiyasi blurted out, "Has no woman ever made a similar request to you before?"

Kang De's laughter paused.

He remained in that awkward, head-touching, chuckling pose, his mouth slightly open, frozen like a statue.

Nixiyasi couldn't help but chuckle.

She realized she had been rude and covered her mouth, but she couldn't stop laughing. Just thinking about how silly Kang De looked standing there made her feel like she could laugh out loud even when she was in bed tonight.

"I'm... I'm sorry," she said, suppressing a laugh. "I... I wasn't laughing at you..."

Kang De said in a muffled voice, "... It's alright."

It really doesn't matter. Anyway, from childhood to adulthood, from family to childhood sweethearts to friends, from humans to Transformers, even if your mother leaves Earth and goes to another world, you'll still be laughed at for this.

I'm used to it.

Nixiyasi quickly changed the subject. "Let's take a walk."

"Oh..." Kang De said sullenly, "Where to?"

--This is your city, why are you asking me where I'm going?

Nixiyasi looked helpless. She pointed in a direction, the direction the family of five had left. "Which way does that road lead? I saw that family go that way."

Kang De glanced at it. "The dock construction area—the city hall is working on expanding the docks and renovating the previously abandoned port area. That man should be working in the dock area. Judging from his rating, he's a level two skilled worker, so he should be a foreman. And he himself said he's on the night shift."

"So, he's going to work?" Nixiyasi asked. "Is his family and children accompanying him?"

"It should be."

"May I go take a look?"

"Sure."

The two reached a consensus and quickened their pace. Although they lingered at the ice cream stand for a while, the family walked slowly and not very fast. Soon, their figures, walking slowly under the streetlights, came into view in the distance.

On the way, Nixiyasi asked curiously, "What is the night shift?"

Kang De replied, "The night shift, naturally, involves working at night."

Nixiyasi asked in surprise, "Working at night? Isn't that a bit too tiring?"

"Yes, after all, they're used to waking up early and going to bed late. Working at night goes against their biological clock, so they'll be more tired than working during the day. But the construction schedule is tight; the sooner it's completed, the sooner the port facilities will be operational."

Kang De replied, "Therefore, night shifts offer many benefits and higher wages than day shifts. These are extraordinary times, and in the future, night shifts will only be retained for special positions."

"That's good," Nixiyasi said. "After all, working from day to night is too strenuous. Workers who don't get enough sleep will suffer physically and are more prone to making mistakes."

As she said this, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Kang De was turning to look at her. "Did I say something wrong?"

Kang De chuckled and said, "You misunderstand. The night shift doesn't mean working at night after finishing work during the day; it means working only at night and resting during the day."

He held up two fingers. "Eight hours. He only needs to work eight hours at night to complete a day's work. I'll pay him by the hour."

The admiral's eyes widened. "Eight hours? This...!"

She murmured, "This isn't enough."

"We operate on a three-shift system, meaning three groups of workers take turns working, with each group working eight hours. In reality, it's not even eight hours because there are rest periods in between."

Kang De explained, "In this way, every job is staffed 24 hours a day, and everyone is energetic and full of vitality, so efficiency is maximized, and there's no need to worry about insufficient staff."

"No, no, no, I don't mean this isn't enough, I mean..."

Nixiyasi looked incomprehensible. "They only work eight hours a day?"

Kang De shrugged and said, "What else?"

--That's what I wanted to ask you too!

In today's world, those who engage in hard labor, from slaves to farmers to artisans to servants, are managed and supported by the merchants, nobles, and slave owners who wish they could work every minute—eight hours a day? Allowing them eight hours of sleep, meals, and rest would make them the most benevolent of masters!

Work begins at the crack of dawn and ends at dusk, a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years—the reason for stopping work at night is simply because lighting costs are too high.

Why did you only make them work eight hours a day?

Nixiyasi thought of the delicious ice cream. A so-called level two skilled worker, working the night shift, eight hours a day, received five ice cream desserts every three days—this was called a "welfare allowance."

The admiral had no doubt that if this ice cream were repackaged in Tula Xiaye and sold to those sugar-loving fatballs who spent all their time in the library and mage tower, it would fetch at least a gold coin!

How much do they earn?

Thinking of this, she murmured, "If this news gets out, slaves, workers, farmers, and even commoners all over the world, even if it means selling their souls, will come to Distant Harbor to work for you."

"They can't come, because those who enslave and exploit them will frantically block information, preventing them from knowing that there's a place called Distant Harbor, and from knowing anything about Distant Harbor."

He looked at the admiral's daughter and smiled calmly.

"But it's alright," Kang De said, "We'll get there."

In that instant, Nixiyasi even felt a clear electric current coursing through her spine, making her whole body numb, even her soul tremble—she felt an indescribable...

Fear.

"I... I don't understand," she murmured, "Eight hours..."

Kang De asked, "Why don't you understand?"

"They only work eight hours a day and don't get tired at all. I... I once heard a nobleman say..." She hesitated, because even relaying the nobleman's words made her feel ashamed and humiliated in Kang De's presence. "He said that if these... these lowly people weren't allowed to devote all their energy and strength to the farms and mines, they would have nothing to do and would cause trouble..."

Kang De countered, "Why would they cause trouble?"

Nixiyasi was speechless.

Yes.

Why was that family of five she saw, that proud man standing tall, that happy family of five, causing trouble?

"And it's not like I have nothing to do," he said. "I can spend time with my family, go out for walks, and enjoy the scenery. Besides that, I've arranged many things for them."

I knew it.

Nixiyasi recalled a colleague's boast that the peasants under his uncle's rule, in addition to cultivating their own land, also had to work, repair, and build for the lord for free, and even bring their own food.

Nixiyasi perked up and asked, "What is it?"

Kang De smiled and said, "As of yesterday, five workers' schools have opened. I encourage workers to go to school in their spare time to learn necessary knowledge and skills."

--School?

Upon hearing this word, Nixiyasi felt an extreme sense of absurdity.

School.

She thought of the ancient mage academies and war universities of Tula Xiaye, their magnificent spires and totems shimmering with elemental light, and the universities she visited in the capital city as an exchange student at the Royal Magic Academy, imbued with humanistic brilliance and aristocratic elegance, where well-dressed rich kids and nobles studied and socialized... That was her impression of schools.

Workers... school?

She was increasingly astonished. "Learn knowledge? Learn what knowledge? Why?"

"Because what I need are not just laborers who can hammer nails and move things, but workers with logical thinking skills, mathematical abilities, learning abilities, the capacity to accept new things, and the ability to learn and use new tools. I also want the backbone of the Distant Harbor —the middle-aged and young working class who have mastered labor and productivity and have children—to understand the importance and significance of education."

Kang De said, "That man is a level two skilled worker. I have designed a merit and promotion system for the working class. If he doesn't go to night school, he can only reach level four at most in his life, because further promotion requires corresponding knowledge and logical ability. Night school is his only way out."

He looked at Nixiyasi: "It's that simple. Night school is entirely voluntary. He works eight hours a day, and with the remaining sixteen hours, he can either hang out in a pub and brag, sleep at home, or go to night school. I respect his choice. As long as he works eight hours a day diligently, he won't starve and can support himself and his family. But if he wants to go further, he has to go to school."

Nixiyasi was speechless.

"This is Distant Harbor... All those who are diligent and hardworking will reap the rewards of their labor, and all those who are unwilling to be ordinary will have the opportunity to change their destiny."

Kang De paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I see."

Upon hearing this, the admiral asked in confusion, "What?"

"I'm feeling a bit down tonight, and I have some questions. Parrot... Dairila pulled me to Distant Harbor and told me to see with my own eyes. At first, I didn't know what she wanted me to see."

Kang De said softly, "Now I understand."

Nixiyasi said blankly, "I don't understand."

"So, Miss Nixiyasi," Kang De gazed at the family of five, "What do you see?"

What did I see?

Nixiyasi looked into the distance.

She saw the family of five notice the two cloaked figures following behind them. The children seemed a little uneasy. She saw the woman shield the children and look back warily, but her tense expression quickly relaxed because she saw the ice cream cones in Nixiyasi and Kang De's hands.

The nun's keen senses allowed her to hear her mother's comforting voice ahead.

"Don't be afraid, they're all eating ice cream," the mother said softly. "Those who can eat ice cream are all people who work for His Highness Kang De; they're not bad people."

"That's not entirely true, but..."

The husband seemed to disagree with his wife's statement, but he wasn't nervous. Holding his youngest son, he pointed in a direction where a street lamp cast a bright glow on the ground. Three cameras were positioned at different heights on the lamppost, pointing in three different directions, gazing into the deep night.

"Don't be afraid, those are His Highness Kang De's eyes; he knows everything about this city."

He held his son in his arms and spoke to his wife and two other children, his voice filled with pride. "So don't be afraid, His Highness Kang De will protect us; he's always watching over us."

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: 7,000 words...

PS2: The first half of this chapter was so... damn it, I regret it. I should have written Nixiyasi as a man from the beginning. Damn, women are such a hassle.