The Big Fireworks

Ten minutes later.

"Please sit here, don't move! Please don't move!"

Lieutenant Chen ShouGong knelt on the ground. No matter how foolish he was, he finally understood Glory's true identity—this woman was cunning and ruthless, and she hadn't killed the soldiers, showing them some mercy. She was the War King himself!

So he invited Glory to the conference room. His legs went weak, and he crawled on his knees all the way back to the general affairs counter. When he saw the bewildered little Elena, the palace adjutant still didn't dare to get up. He greeted the little girl with his knees, exchanged a few polite words, and asked about the whole story. He then quickly brought the War King's "daughter" into the conference room as well.

Glory was puzzled; she felt a little embarrassed to have taken up someone else's meeting room.

In the past, when people went to the warbands' meeting centers, it was either all about fighting and killing or practicing with weapons; there was never any talk of inviting guests for tea.

As the saying goes, a man's knees are worth gold, so this adjutant first ordered dozens of soldiers in the barracks to come out and be beaten. Seeing that things were not going well, he finally gave in and knelt all the way, then began to reason with them.

Glory knew the meaning of "courtesy first, then force," but what kind of situation was "force first, then courtesy"?

After she finished beating up the group of young soldiers, those with more serious injuries needed to have their bones set, and those with minor injuries needed massages—she needed to find out their crimes and gather evidence to convict them. This was something that couldn't be explained in a short time, so she needed to have a good talk with the adjutant.

At this moment, Chen ShouGong climbed in through the conference room door, followed by his two deputies Jin Ge Yin Ge.

The three of them knelt down and crawled on their knees to get close to the War King.

The adjutant holding the tea set, Jin Ge carrying the kettle, and Yin Ge holding the dossier, the three seemed to have something to say, their faces full of awkward smiles, but they dared not speak first, waiting for His Majesty the War King to question them first before they could continue the conversation.

Glory clapped her hands at Elena.

"--Could you do me a favor and bring the things from the car over?"

Elena hadn't even reacted yet; her mind was filled with images of her mother beating up the battle group. She was captivated by the mother's agile figure and violent methods, and her soul had drifted far away.

"Things? What things?"

Glory: "The cell phone, the cell phone! And the head! The fingers!"

"Oh! Oh!" Elena finally snapped out of her daze and ran outside.

After her "daughter" had run far away, Glory looked at the three soldiers kneeling on the carpet, both amused and exasperated. "Why are you kneeling?"

Chen ShouGong immediately replied, "This is out of respect for the BOSS! You are the imperial envoy of Ming De! Seeing you is like seeing the BOSS! We would never dare to be negligent!"

The War King took the tea set from Jin Ge's hands, kicked aside the chairs next to the conference table, creating three seats.

"Sit down and talk to me. Put your hands on the table."

"Understood!" Chen ShouGong roared, "The War King commands! A speech will be delivered on November 28, 2032, at the assembly hall of the 101st Regiment in the East Industrial Park of the Lieyang Fort Autonomous Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the District 54 of the Abyssal Railway, in Conference Room R201 of the Golden Beetle Defense Center."

Jin Ge's spirits lifted. War King accepted the tea set, which meant he still had a way out. He quickly helped his adjutant to his feet and sat down at the conference table.

The adjutant continued the proceedings, "Meeting moderator: Chen Jingwen, the leader of the second squad of the Assault Team Construction Department of the Mr. Fantastic Combat Corps, has appointed me as the head of the Golden Beetle Defense Center."

"Meeting Clerk: Jin Ge."

"Listening in: Yin Ge."

After hearing this long, repetitive speech, Glory was dizzy and disoriented. She distributed tea sets to the three soldiers and went to get the teapot.

Yin Ge and the palace adjutant panicked and immediately shouted for a halt.

"No, no, no! You should rest! Rest!" Shougong snatched the teapot from Yin Ge's hands, offering to pour tea and serve water.

--This adjutant's mind was complicated. He seemed to think that the War King giving them seats was a kind of "etiquette" and "acknowledgment," but for the War King to personally serve them, his subordinates, when it came to pouring tea was a great disrespect.

"Tsk," Glory muttered, holding her breath, unsure what to say—this was her weakness.

If it's an enemy who's baring their teeth and showing their ferocity, she's overjoyed; as long as they dare to reveal their health bar, she'll definitely provide excellent service.

After pouring tea for the War King, Chen ShouGong's movements were graceful and polite, his demeanor refined and approachable. He made no mention of what had happened in the hall earlier, and instead asked with a smile.

"Your Majesty the War King's campaign to annihilate the White Shark Association has concluded. On behalf of my deputy and commander, I, the Guardian, extend my congratulations to Your Majesty the War King. May Lady Luck continue to protect the brave warrior."

"As the saying goes, one doesn't visit a temple without a reason—what brings Your Majesty the War King, still lingering in the Lieyang Fort Autonomous Prefecture and now here at the gathering center?"

"Of course, of course! Of course!"

Chen ShouGong lightly patted his palms, a defensive gesture, like cleaning dust from the back of his hands. Just like crossing his arms, squeezing his legs together, or hugging his arms, he was trying to find a more comfortable posture and return to a normal state of mind—this indicated that he was tense and afraid.

"If Your War King has a secret mission that you'd rather not reveal, I won't ask any further, right?"

Glory did not answer.

Chen ShouGong turned swiftly and immediately looked at his two deputies.

Jin Ge immediately chimed in, "Hehe. Heh, yes, yes."

Yin Ge chimed in, "Yes!"

After this thorough foreplay, the gecko's adjutant was sweating profusely. He even wondered if he had said something wrong.

--His inner thoughts were very complex, considering that sitting in front of him was the BOSS's absolute ace, the one who had been cracking down on corrupt officials.

The female general's brother had just died in the struggle against the Immortals.

Who exactly is this anonymous person?

If we consider Ming De as the King of Qin, then the gunsmith and Glory are his "Lord Wu'an".

--Gougong understood this historical allusion perfectly; it was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend.

The brothers in the barracks had exchanged a few blows with the War King, and the wounded were all fine. The guard was pleased, as it seemed the War King hadn't lost his mind and was merely joking and playing around with the soldiers, without any intention of fighting.

So he tried to ask questions directly, making a straightforward probe, but the War King showed no intention of answering. This made the guard feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, fearing that the matter was serious and that an official of his rank had no authority to inquire about it.

But what the palace guard's adjutant didn't expect was...

Glory was completely ignorant of the etiquette of officialdom; she was simply waiting for Elena, waiting for her daughter to bring the evidence.

This kind of conversation, where they were talking past each other, became very awkward. Xue Ming was a down-to-earth person, and in his usual social manners, he could chat and joke around with other VIPs in the station system very freely and casually, without ever putting on airs.

"Is it about the deputy regimental commander?" Chen ShouGong asked tentatively.

Glory remained as still as a block of wood; her soul had long since flown elsewhere.

At this moment, she was thinking about her children. A few hours earlier, Zheng'er had video-called her. Luo Ping'an was beating up some kids, giving her sons boxing lessons. She was very moved and wanted to join in this kind of parent-child game.

"Could it be about the regimental commander?!" Chen ShouGong panicked, somewhat flustered. "You've found out everything the regimental commander's son, Chen Huan, has done?"

Glory remained silent, her eyes fixed on the screen, wondering curiously—Mr. Plark said there was a way for her to return to her family in male form, but what exactly was that method? The gunsmith was dead, and Jiang Xueming was about to disappear as well. Would she need plastic surgery to change her face after becoming a man again?

Chen ShouGong continued, "Really? Really? Your War King, there's no need to go to such extremes, is there?"

Glory suddenly gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

She still felt unsatisfied. Little Orange was the bravest and most honest of the three military dogs. George Joshua died so easily; it was too good for that scumbag.

Chen ShouGong turned pale with fright and hurriedly explained, "This matter has nothing to do with me! I'm innocent! Your War King, when you arrest someone or kill a thief, you must have evidence and reason. At most, I'm just an informant; I can be a witness!"

Elena pushed open the door and came in carrying a bloody head. Jin Ge and Yin Ge were so frightened that their eyes bulged out. When they saw the deputy secretary's head, the two strong men immediately became as timid as mice, their bodies trembling like leaves.

At this moment, Glory's soul finally returned to her body.

"--Oh! Uh, let's continue."

Chen ShouGong dared not speak.

The War King took the secretary's head, unlocked the face, and as time passed, the corpse's face became swollen, and its eyes became bloodshot.

She grabbed the head and squeezed it, massaging the corpse and drawing the blood from its eyes elsewhere. The sensitive facial nerves, stimulated by the psychic energy, began to make strange, winking expressions, which terrified the three soldiers present.

After finally unlocking the phone using facial recognition, Glory chatted casually with the gecko's adjutant.

"This, this, this... what was this again?"

Shougong reminded him, "He is the deputy regimental commander's secretary and also his nephew, named Feng Boshen."

"Oh." Glory suddenly realized, "We're all family?"

The gecko nodded cautiously.

Glory patted her secretary's head. "That little Feng, I killed him."

Gecko: "Hmm"

Glory: "You said the vice-captain is his uncle, right?"

Gecko: "Hmm"

Glory: "He's hanging around with a training instructor in the group. They work for Juseberg, taking George Joshua's stolen goods as their own and sending them into the warband through resale. Are you aware of this?"

Jin Ge was about to speak, seemingly having a clue, but hesitated to say something.

Chen ShouGong immediately realized the fatal crisis. "I don't know! I'm not sure! I've never heard of it before!"

Glory didn't want to press the matter further. Seeing the gecko's guilty look, it was clear it knew, but hadn't been involved.

--Following this surname order, all of Mr. Fantastic's commanders are family. Chen ShouGong, this adjutant, is only fit to follow the vice-captain around eating shit; he has no right to touch George Joshua's legacy.

"Completely unaware, huh?" Glory continued.

Chen ShouGong nodded vigorously, then pressed his other hand against Jin Ge's head and nodded along with him.

"I don't know! I have absolutely no idea!"

Glory then said, "Then please call your deputy commander over; I'd like to talk to him."

"Understood!" Shougong immediately turned on his phone.

Glory quickly called out, "Wait a minute, make the call."

The gecko did as instructed.

Glory: "Turn on speakerphone."

The gecko continued as before.

Glory: "Just tell this deputy regimental commander that Xiao Feng's matter has been settled and that the deputy regimental commander should come to inspect it."

Shougong countered, "What about the commander's matter?"

Glory was overwhelmed by the complicated and convoluted relationships within this family.

"--Let's take things one step at a time. Why don't you tell me about the basic situation of your family first?"

The palace guard's adjutant was very cooperative with the War King's work.

The leaders of the Mister Fantastic's Battle Group are centered around Captain Chen Jingwen. Her father and elder brother both died at the hands of the Madness Butterfly Sect. Like Juseberg, she successfully inherited her father's and brother's positions.

The deputy regimental commander's name was Chen Yufei, Chen Jingwen's cousin. His wife's name was Feng Yan. Feng Yan's elder brother, Feng Jun, had a child, who was Feng Boshen, the secretary of the assault team killed by the War King.

This secretary entered Mr. Fantastic through her aunt's network of connections. Before that, she was considered a handsome and talented young man from a wealthy family, having attended the military academy in the capital of District 54. She was very close to Juseberg's two daughters, making it a modern-day arranged marriage between powerful families.

The operation involving the transfer of George Joshua's black market assets was orchestrated by Chen Jingwen, with Chen Yufei assisting. This secretary was tasked with its execution, but ultimately she ran right into War King's trap—this is the irrefutable evidence on the phone.

"And you?" Glory asked, inquiring about Chen ShouGong's surname. "What is your relationship with these two?"

Chen ShouGong quickly replied, "They are distant relatives."

Glory: "How far?"

Chen ShouGong suddenly became proud. "My great-grandfather had five children. By the time it came to Commander Chen Jingwen's generation, there were five families and four generations of kinship—according to seniority, the commander should call me 'little uncle'!"

Glory: "Oh, I see?"

"That's it!" Chen ShouGong with absolute certainty.

Glory: "I need your help with something."

Chen ShouGong and immediately replied, "The War King has given the order! The mission will be accomplished!"

Glory: "Go to No. 115 Wangxian West Road in the industrial park. There's a fireworks factory there. Buy some powerful fireworks, preferably the kind with rockets that go whoosh and make a loud noise."

"Oh! I know!" Chen ShouGong suddenly realized, "The White Shark Association be destroyed, and the War King will come to comfort us soldiers! We should set off cannons to celebrate! That's great! That's really great!"

"Alright, go ahead and make the call," Glory said, heading towards the restroom in the conference room.

Taking advantage of this lull, Chen ShouGong quickly notified Mr. Fantastic's vice-captain to come and meet the War King.

After Glory went into the bathroom, she cleaned the blood off her hands and said to Monkey Bro was sitting next to the toilet.

"Don't worry, young man, your matter may take a little longer. It will be put on the waiting list."

Monkey Bro had been hiding in the toilet. With the help of White Lady's products, his injuries had been mostly healed, but he still had many bruises on his face.

"This is outrageous! I didn't do anything! War King! They've wronged me! You must do justice for me!"

Glory wiped her hands clean and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I know you didn't kill anyone, you didn't rob a bank, you don't have the ability. But..."

The Horse-Faced Monkey looked even more aggrieved when the word "but" came up.

Glory frankly told him, "Your car theft is a done deal; you're going to jail for it."

After saying this, Glory washed her hands and returned to the meeting room to await good news.

--After waiting for half an hour, Deputy Regiment Commander Chen Yufei Teacher San San.

Two large baskets of small, explosive rockets, collected from the fireworks factory, were placed next to the conference room.

Chen Yufei, the deputy commander, looked radiant, his eyes gleaming. He carried gifts toward the conference room, unaware that his nephew was dead and Juseberg had also passed away. He only knew that Lady Glory, who had made the greatest contribution in this battle, had personally come to pay her a visit. If he could obtain the War King's promise, the warband could openly annex the White Shark Association's assets, and there were many benefits to be discussed.

He walked to the outside of the meeting room and saw Secretary Feng's head, then shouted "Oh no!" He strode towards the front hall, desperate for a way out, his heart filled with extreme panic. The valuable vintage wine in the gift bag smashed against the floor tiles, shattering into pieces.

He shoved aside the eager brothers who had surrounded him from both sides, all of whom wanted a closer look at the War King. They had been too busy getting beaten up to ask their idol for an autograph. The vice-captain was terrified, his face turning pale, and he rushed towards the gate, knocking down a large group of people in the process.

When this "brave and fearless" leader ran to the square, the sun was shining directly into his eyes. He covered his face, feeling immense sorrow and countless bitterness in his heart. Once these serious cases of corruption, bribery, forming cliques, and harming loyal officials were confirmed, he would surely suffer a terrible death.

Glory: "Why is he running?"

Chen ShouGong: "I don't know."

Glory: "He didn't do anything wrong, so why is he running away?"

Chen ShouGong: "I don't know."

Glory: "Does he really think he can get away?"

Chen ShouGong: "I don't know."

After answering these three soul-searching questions, Glory walked out of the meeting room, picked up a small rocket, and shouted to the brothers outside the door.

Does anyone have a motorcycle they can lend me?

The junior leader, who had initially been evenly matched with the War King, immediately shouted, "I have it! I have it!"

Glory took the keys and followed them outside the square. Seeing that Deputy Commander Chen Yufei was about to run to the parking lot, she got on her motorcycle and chased after him.

In just over 300 meters, the motorcycle's front wheel lifted up, veered into the parking lot's side path, and crushed Chen Yufei's back, leaving this frightened man ruthlessly running over on the asphalt road.

Chen Yufei tried to resist and climb back into his car, Glory kicked and crushed the thief's hands and feet. Hearing the screams, she returned to her familiar rhythm and her comfortable environment.

She grabbed the deputy regimental commander's body, tied him to the motorcycle, and dragged him all the way back to the square in front of the assembly hall, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

Returning to the Chapter's insignia statue, Glory asked—

"--Do you know why I'm killing you?"

Chen Yufei remained silent. Having witnessed Ming De's violence, he had given up hope, but refused to confess. In his view, with his nephew, Secretary Feng, dead, he was certain he couldn't escape punishment; this was a little helper he had personally trained. Putting aside the idea proposed by Juseberg and his cousin, besides the dirty dealings following George Joshua's fall, there were numerous bloody incidents before that; mentioning any one of them would be enough to kill him.

Seeing that the bandit was stubborn and refused to confess, Glory tied the little rocket to the cripple's waist and abdomen, found an angle, and propped him up on the steps in front of the warband's meeting place.

Chen Yufei's expression finally changed. "What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do?! What are you trying to do! My older brother won't let you get away with this! I..."

"Don't you have any newer lines?" Glory frowned, unsure what to say. "Every time I go to a new place, a new city, and I run into a coward like you, you always manage to spout this kind of rubbish before you die."

She covered her mouth, feigning surprise and resentment as she spoke.

"Oh! My older brother won't let you get away with this! My dad won't let you get away with this!"

"My godfather won't let you get away with this! You're going to die!"

"Have you even figured out your place? Who are you talking to? Don't you know I have no one above me anymore, only a cat!"

Glory lit a cigarette and gathered all the fuses of the little rocket together.

"Do you think you have a chance to reform, Deputy Commander Chen Yufei? For example, when we live in peace and tranquility, we all say it's the environment's fault, it's society's fault, not yours. You're just conforming to the times, the trend, and the laws of history to become a cannibal? Is that it? Come on! What other twisted logic and heresies do you have? Come on, tell me."

Chen Yufei was momentarily speechless.

"Look," Glory said with a grin, "Sometimes you don't realize how much of a clown you are until you push yourself. You can't forgive yourself."

"To die in the sky—that's a death many cultists of the Madness Butterfly would envy."

As she said this, Glory patted Chen Yufei's cheek.

"We're going to heaven!~"

The fuse burned, and the flame shot towards the firework tube.

More than thirty bursts of fireworks propelled the ogre straight into the sky, the powerful thrust lifting the seventy-odd kilograms man to a height of over eighty meters. Just as he approached the King of Cinder, he was nearly roasted alive.

A dazzling spherical fire exploded in the sky, followed by a burst of colorful sparks that transformed into giant pink hearts.

Countless human fragments fell back to the ground. Glory clapped her hands vigorously and asked her comrades in the legion behind her.

Why are you all just watching?

The dozens of officers and soldiers finally came to their senses and joined in the applause.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted immediately.

Chen ShouGong, hunched over, approached the War King and whispered, "Isn't this too cruel? Too much? He's the leader of the warband, after all. This... this... Your War King, how do you expect the leaders of the other warbands to view this?"

"Who are these 'leaders of other chapters' you're talking about? Did they all run away in fear when they saw me trying to steal something? Did they also want to die in the sky?" Glory's eyes lit up. "Such a good thing? Tell me in detail? Do you know the inside story? Are there any experts?"

Chen ShouGong quickly shut his mouth. He knew nothing and was unclear about nothing; he just felt that doing so was inappropriate.

"Actually, you have a point," Glory clicked her tongue, looking at the pieces of the body scattered on the ground, feeling that things hadn't been handled very well. "Mr. Shugong, it was my carelessness. I shouldn't have done that."

"Uh," the gecko wanted to say something more, "I think so too. At least we should go through some procedures. Go through some procedures."

Glory then added, "This amount of explosive isn't enough. I need to find a way to tie on more, preferably to get it into the Lord of Cinder's mouth. These scumbags need to be put to the best of their ability and sent flying higher."

The gecko nodded immediately.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."