Strike First?

When urgent intelligence was relayed back to Distant Harbor from Tula Xiaye, Kang De was inspecting the Distant Harbor Scout Camp and Salesian Home, which had been established for three months and was functioning well.

Shouting in unison, class after class of teenagers jogged past on the track not far away. Their youthful faces were straight ahead, their eyes fixed straight ahead. They were neither surprised nor surprised by the arrival of the Duke of Qin, or rather, they had suppressed their surprise and curiosity.

This discipline was achieved at the cost of countless lashes and corporal punishment.

After all, just three months ago, these teenagers were nothing but hopeless scum.

Now, they are still mostly scum, but at least they have regained some semblance of humanity.

His once thin and malnourished body has gradually become stronger.

In the scout camp, they didn't go hungry at all. They received plenty of food, which they could never have imagined in their previous street life, and they also had sturdy houses and warm blankets to keep warm.

The price to pay is a strict schedule, rising at the sound of a whistle, obeying orders without question, sitting upright like a pine tree, and undergoing military training day after day, training in walking, running, jumping, and throwing, training in teamwork, training in absolute obedience, and training in steely willpower.

Don't get me wrong, reality isn't a fairy tale. These beggars and petty thugs who had been living on the streets for years were not moved to tears by the abundance of food, nor did they become obedient and train diligently from then on.

Their spirituality has long been eroded by theft, lies, crime, and suffering; their character is now only characterized by cunning, deceit, and bullying.

In the beginning, they would slack off during training, drag their feet during group activities, be dazed when receiving instruction, and burst into laughter at the standard movements demonstrated by the instructors.

Following Kang De's orders, the instructors gave warnings the first time, physically punished the whole class the second time, and whipped them the third time. There was no fourth time; the punishment was limited to three offenses.

In the first term of the Scout Camp, within three months, five percent of the trainees were expelled. Among them, seventeen were executed for attacking instructors, injuring fellow trainees, and inciting riots to escape. The rest were all sent to underground mines to perform forced labor every day until the money spent on them during those days was repaid.

If someone's nature is fixed and beyond redemption, then there's no need to try to save them.

Kang De watched the jogging group run far away and slowly exhaled.

"Thank you for your hard work."

He said this.

The elf following behind breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to offer some flattery, but the elf's pride prevented him from uttering any obsequious words. However, this job was indeed arduous.

From the elves' perspective, humans are all trash, and this group of teenagers are the trashiest of trash. Teaching them, without being able to kill them outright, is truly a difficult task—compared to Quilion, who wears power armor and basks in the sun all day long, it's even harder to maintain a balanced mindset.

I also want to be transferred to a front-line unit to drive power armor!

Just then, he heard Prince Kang De say, "In another half month, elves will come to replace you. It's truly an injustice to have elite officers of the Royal Navy instructing these scum."

The elf was overjoyed upon hearing this and stood at attention, saying, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness!"

This is quite interesting—the elves are proud and straightforward, and they do not deny the claim that "you have been wronged."

Because these teenagers are indeed the worst kind of scum.

After all, this is a scout camp.

Scout camps, as the name suggests, are places where children and even teenagers are managed and trained with military discipline, and those who disobey are severely punished. It sounds extremely inhumane.

This was also one of the first institutions approved by Kang De after he took charge of the Distant Harbor.

Among those crammed into the scout camp were little beggars wandering the streets and slums of Distant Harbor, orphans who had joined gangs and were now engaged in swindling and cheating at a young age, as well as boys and girls rescued from brothels, young gladiators kept in gladiatorial arenas, and so on.

After Kang De took control of Distant Harbor, he launched several Thanos operations. The nobles were all killed, and the "gangster bosses" who were protected by them and did shady things for them did not go far.

These gangsters, once their crimes were proven, either faced horrific executions or were relegated to working in mines with no prospect of survival. However, the juvenile thieves, swindlers, and other minor offenders they had protected, instigated, and trained suddenly found themselves without protection or livelihood, creating a very difficult situation.

Kang De did not leave them to fend for themselves.

These juvenile offenders were gathered together and interrogated separately to clarify their age, experience, and circumstances.

Anyone who leads or carries out a human trafficking operation—such as pretending to leave with their parents, luring naive young girls to take them to their families, or enticing children of the same age to play with them—regardless of age, should be dragged out and killed.

Those who cooperated with the "bosses" in torturing and forcing others to join their gang also met a similar fate.

Only what remains is worth saving.

However, Kang De, who came from Earth and whose moral understanding was superior to that of the other world, did not directly establish an orphanage or similar place to accept them, nor did he use abundant food and warm care without expecting anything in return to gain the gratitude and recognition of these orphans, much less use his saintly personal charm to win their gratitude and vows of life-or-death loyalty—reality is not a fairy tale, and there will never be such a straightforward logic.

There is no such thing as "If I'm good to you, you'll definitely be good to me in return."

I'm good to you, and you'll be good to me in return. It's not because the candy I offer is particularly sweet, but because you see the knife I'm holding in my other hand—not to cut you, but you know I'll cut you when the time comes.

That's how Boy Scout camps came about.

It was truly a waste of talent for the proud and powerful elven officers to train these people. All the instructors complained endlessly. There's a saying that rotten wood cannot be carved, and these teenagers were exactly like rotten wood chips from the start. They couldn't even fight them freely... which only made things more complicated.

Now, I'm finally going to make it big.

Hearing Kang De's understanding words, the proud spirit was delighted but also felt a little embarrassed. She wanted to praise Kang De even more, so she racked her brains and came up with a plan.

When he was first given this task, he thought he was going to help Kang De train assassins, but after seeing the detailed plan, the ample supplies, and the reasonable strategy, that idea vanished.

This is not training suicide squads.

This is a rescue operation.

The elf said, "Kang De Highness Kant, humans rarely earn the respect of elves, but you are one of them. My respect for you stems not from your power, but from your mercy. These scum are gradually transforming from beasts back into humans; it is you who have given them a second chance... allowing them to rebuild their shattered souls."

Kang De did not reply, but simply gazed into the distance in silence.

The instructor suggested, "Should I gather them together? To show you our results and their hard work... and let them hear your guidance, so they know who they should thank."

Kang De shook his head.

"No need," he said. "I'm just seeking revenge."

The elf paused, then asked blankly, "What?"

"They transformed from beasts back into human beings. Though they were nothing but maggots in the mud, I was determined to reshape their souls and restore their dignity. Two years would rebuild their personalities, and after two years, they could stand tall as human beings, facing the future with their heads held high. They could become apprentices, learn a craft, and become honorable workers, or formally join the army, earning military merit through courage and enthusiasm, standing tall and upright."

Kang De turned his head, looked at the elf, and smiled slightly.

"They have nothing to do with me, they are of no value to me, and they should have spent their lives in sorrow and confusion, rotting in the Shadow and twisting in their baseness. But I will spend a lot of energy and money to completely transform them—this is my revenge."

He said calmly, "These people can easily gain a new life, whether it's wealth or a prestigious status; they can obtain it as long as they work hard—in that despairing hell, if a vile soul could see such a scene, it would surely be twisted with resentment, curses, and hatred."

"Because sooner or later, there will be no more people like him in the world, and sooner or later, people like him will all have a future and hope—only he will never be redeemed and is destined to have no hope."

Kang De exhaled, his voice calm and composed.

"Ah, that's awesome," he said. "I really hope he can see this."

The elf instructor was speechless.

He felt terrified.

Kang De ultimately did not give any speech or speak to the Scouts. Instead, he thanked the instructors one by one, distributed a military merit award, and then went to the Salesian Orphanage.

Salesian homes served as a supplement to scout camps.

The word "Salesian" originates from the "Book of Rites of Zhou", which refers to one of the six measures to recuperate and provide for the people during the Western Zhou Dynasty. The first is Salesian, the second is caring for the elderly, the third is supporting the poor, the fourth is caring for the poor, the fifth is tolerating the sick, and the sixth is to provide for wealth. The Salesian refers to those who care for the young, that is, babies and children.

The Salesian Bureau is a facility established by the Distant Harbor Authority to care for orphans and abandoned infants.

It's actually quite similar to an orphanage.

The reason it's called the Orphanage isn't out of reverence for the past, but because "orphan" is inherently a negative term. It's unnecessary to use it except as an insult, and there's no need to constantly emphasize it in the name so that the children here will remember it for a lifetime.

The establishment of the Salesian Bureau stemmed from Tina's suggestion.

The underage scum from the dark side of the Distant Harbor should naturally be thrown into the crucible of the military camp to be cleansed and to awaken their humanity, but not all orphans are suitable for that place.

Orphans who were separated from their families during the Broken Isles Great Evacuation Operation, or who were risked by their loved ones to be put on rescue balloons, could not be sent to scout camps.

In the future, good children who unexpectedly lose their parents in Distant Harbor certainly cannot be directly sent to military camps to suffer.

Furthermore, in the increasingly fierce battles to come, some soldiers will inevitably shed their blood on the battlefield. If their offspring are insufficient to guarantee their survival, then an official agency will have to take over all of this.

These are all things that must be taken seriously and even prepared for in advance, because they are not far off.

Scout camps and sales homes were not two distinct departments; they could exchange members and complement each other. Wild, unruly, and arrogant children from sales homes would be sent to scout camps, while honest, law-abiding scouts would be sent to sales homes after thorough investigation and research.

Salesian Orphanage doesn't need to reshape the souls of its children with rigorous military training. Their pace is faster. Apart from necessary physical activities and military training, most of the courses are about mathematics, writing, history, art, and even basic magical knowledge, laying a solid foundation for the future.

The same curriculum is taught in the primary and secondary schools established at the same time.

Led by the dean, Kang De visited each classroom and then listened to a lecture in one of them, answering several questions from the children like a tsar.

Their eyes were innocent and clear, filled with imagination and curiosity about the world.

Some children even asked, "Why doesn't the Arcane Council like Distant Harbor?"

This question was difficult to answer, at least not to explain to a young child, but even more absurd to Kang De than this was "Your Highness, how many wives do you have?"

The question was certainly absurd, but the thought, "So many noble ladies admire Your Highness, you must have many children," almost made the tough guy secretly weep.

In this awkward situation that would make the Parrot laugh for a hundred years, the classroom door was knocked open, a Valentan Guards pushed the door open and entered, and at the same time, a personal terminal buzzed.

"Your Highness," the guard whispered in Kang De's ear, "Urgent report: Tula Xiaye has been attacked. Violent tremors and explosions have been heard inside the Tower of All-Seeing. The specific situation is under investigation, but intelligence officers witnessed an aircraft crashing into the Tower of All-Seeing. It was shot down by the Thundercloud Divine Arrow of the Star-Bearing Titan. The wreckage of the aircraft crashed into the city, causing a violent explosion and a raging fire. There have been considerable casualties."

Kang De's pupils contracted slightly.

His gaze swept over the children, who seemed to sense the serious atmosphere and quieted down, their eyes filled with inquiry and unease as they looked at Kang De.

"Notify the Shogunate to prepare for a meeting."

Kang De spoke calmly, then dismissed the guard.

Then he smiled, continued interacting with the children, answered their last question, and gave them gifts: delicious candies and chocolates, autographs from green-skinned soccer stars, and tickets to the latest animated films.

After shaking hands with the teacher to say goodbye, Kang De smiled and closed the classroom door, gesturing for the waiting guards to proceed. The Phase Gate opened brilliantly, and he stepped into the conference room.

"Hold."

He pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the ministers who had already taken their places.

"I spent seven minutes at the sales home trying to figure out how this ridiculous thing could have happened."

The urgent intelligence, transmitted from Tula Xiaye back to the Distant Harbor, shocked even Kang De, who knew of the many terrible things that had happened on Earth over thousands of years through history.

He couldn't help but glance again at the detailed intelligence displayed on the table.

"Don't you know what happened Tower of All-Seeing?"

Tina replied, "I just inquired with the Brotherhood again. This matter will surely shake the world; all nations should have heard the news. However, Tula Xiaye is under martial law, the Tower of All-Seeing has activated its defensive spells, Star-Bearing Titan has been activated. Any attempt to approach the Tower of All-Seeing may invite a thunderous strike..."

She shook her head, a hint of worry appearing on her beautiful face. "The Brotherhood isn't quite sure what happened either—but the Fate Weaver sent word, reminding us to be careful."

Kang De gave a cold laugh.

You really need to be careful.

The situation inside the Tower of All-Seeing is unclear, but the fact that the "plane" fell from the sky and crashed into Tula Xiaye is obvious to everyone in the city.

Dong Tianming pondered, "This is undoubtedly a frame-up. Whoever did it, the conspirator must be trying to instigate a major war between Distant Harbor and the Council... Is it the Star Palace?"

The Parrot said coldly, "Perhaps... only they thrive on chaos."

There are many reasons for war... such as planes crashing directly into the capital, the highest authority being attacked and exploded, then the resulting war will inevitably be a war of annihilation that will not end in peace.

This deviated from the Shogunate's war plans and vision.

It even exceeded the control of the Council.

Although war was a consensus between the two sides, neither expected it to escalate to this point—even the Council feared the Forbidden Spell. If the fighting reached a point of no return, who could guarantee they would survive Kang De's Forbidden Spell?

"... Regardless, what's done is done."

Hong San said, "We must take action."

Kang De looked at A Fu and Horus, and the two marshals replied, "The navy and army have entered a state of highest alert, and defensive plans are ready to be deployed at any time."

Tina cautioned, "We also need to prepare to explain the situation to the world... This is a frame-up, but we still need to make our voice heard. We also need to explain to our allies."

Nixiyasi also attended this Shogunate meeting, and she bluntly stated, "War is inevitable, and there are many members of the Council wary of them."

High Priest Tuosidiwa was also present. Three months was enough for him to learn the Continental Common Language: "I think this will be a great war, probably larger than we anticipated at the time. My friend Kang De, you should prepare early—not how to fight, but how to deal with war."

He looked at Kang De: "According to our sacred covenant, the warriors of Yilan-Tai'er are ready to fight for you at any time, but are you ready?"

"A conspiracy has emerged behind this war. Will you go with the flow and engage in a decisive battle with the Arcane Council to resolve the problems and difficulties standing in your way, or will you control its scale and prevent it from happening, lest the real enemy gloat in the shadows?"

All eyes were on him, Kang De remained silent.

"Prepare... what do I want to do?"

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Dong Tianming Malegith, these humans and elves, are among the most experienced generals of the past present, and Kang De only asked for their opinions.

"The blame has already been placed on us. It's not just the planes; the explosions inside the Tower of All-Seeing are incessant. This grudge is irreconcilable, unresolved, and inexplicable. Rather than waiting for the Council to launch a punitive expedition and invade, why not use the Phase Gate to send a heavy-armored legion to storm Tula Xiaye, seize control of the Arcane Council's capital, and strike first—what do you think!?"