Chapter 185
Chapter 185: Fertilizer as Good as Old Loach, and She Wanted to Eat It
Huang Da Zhuang raised his hand, timid as a student in class. “Deputy General Xia, I have a question. Can I ask it?”
Xia Wei Yi’s voice was clear and steady. “Ask.”
“Guests are still guests,” Huang Da Zhuang said. “If we hand them bullets and drive them off Ri Pan Star, won’t that hurt the empire’s reputation?”
Xia Wei Yi nodded, approving. “Good question. Good concern. But it’s unnecessary. The Zhen Lin Empire is already powerful and prosperous.”
“The Space Weapons Exhibition on Ri Pan Star is our home ground. It’s being held on a planet in the Zhen Lin Empire’s system. No matter what country comes, they follow our rules.”
“If people fight and cause violent incidents on our territory, a lot of it is deliberate. The goal is to slap us in the face.”
“When we weren’t prosperous, we had no choice. We sold weapons to make money, then used that money to build even better weapons.”
“Now our technology, equipment, and armed forces are far beyond everyone else’s. Our scientists, engineers, and talented people in every field have worked in silence, endured hardship, and poured their youth and blood into the nation’s rise. If we keep swallowing insults now, that’s not being polite anymore.”
The Zhen Lin Empire had already become one of the dominant powers in the M31 Star System. A dominant power had to show dominant-power dignity.
Besides, any sensible country wouldn’t start brawls on someone else’s home ground just to slap them in the face. Only some self-important little countries couldn’t see their own position and loved to jump around.
Huang Da Zhuang straightened. “Thank you, Deputy General Xia, for answering me. I will strictly follow your orders and make sure no violent incident damages our nation’s dignity.”
Cheng Xiao Ting, Sui Xuan Chu, and the others followed with firm voices.
“Yes. Defending the nation’s dignity is what every cadet and soldier should do.”
“Deputy General Xia, don’t worry. Within our patrol range, we will not tolerate a single person involved in violence staying on Ri Pan Star.”
“The nation’s glory and dignity—we’ll defend them to the death. No one gets to trample them.”
Jiang Tea Tea felt their heat brush against her. That united, outward-facing hostility made her think of the Demon Clan.
Back in the Demon Clan, ancient monsters slept. Great demons sat on their mountains for decades, and when they got bored, they came out to fight. Little demons bared their teeth all day—You annoyed me, I annoyed you. A big fight every five days, a smaller one every three, a huge argument every two, and petty squabbles every day. That was normal.
But when it came to outsiders, whether it was great demons, little demons, or the old monsters still asleep, they would all rush out like their lives didn’t matter.
Xia Wei Yi’s mouth lifted. “The nation is fortunate to have children like you. And I believe you will defend the nation’s honor and dignity to the death, and never allow anyone to step on our face.”
The seven answered like iron striking stone. “Yes. The nation’s glory is above everything. We will defend the nation’s honor to the death.”
“These are anesthetic rounds, not real bullets,” Jiang Tea Tea reminded them, shifting the gun in her hands.
Xia Wei Yi nodded. “Correct. Anesthetic rounds. And there’s also a stun baton. Use the baton first. First strike, legs—so they can’t run. Second strike, mouth—so they can’t beg. Third strike, head—so they can’t resist.”
Jiang Tea Tea’s brows rose. “I like the baton. Simple and brutal.”
“Me too,” Xia Wei Yi said without hesitation. “Clean and decisive.”
Jiang Tea Tea put the anesthetic gun into her space and pulled out a telescoping stun baton, snapping it open with a flick. “When I’m patrolling, if I hold it and use it, that’s fine, right?”
“If violence happens in front of you,” Xia Wei Yi said, “as long as you stop it, you can use whatever you want.”
Jiang Tea Tea saluted with one hand. “Copy that.”
She was a tree demon. Using a stick suited her best.
The Space Weapons Exhibition covered a massive area. If you tried to walk it on two legs, you’d walk your legs off and still wouldn’t finish before the exhibition ended.
There were twenty-three participating countries. Each had its own zone, displaying everything useful for space warfare—space carriers, escort ships, fighters, mechs, guns, bullets, shells, beams, and more.
The Zhen Lin Empire’s main zone was the largest. A space carrier sat on the ground, covering several kilometers.
A single carrier was like a small world. Under Xia Wei Yi’s lead, Jiang Tea Tea and the others toured its virtual dynamic projection map.
Its exterior was magnificent and its interior vast. Jiang Tea Tea thought it looked like the small worlds the Demon Clan loved to grind through.
This one was still an empty shell. None of the internal equipment had been installed yet. Fully outfitted, it could hold anywhere from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand people, living inside while fighting in space.
Xia Wei Yi showed them their own country’s main zone in detail. When they toured other countries’ zones, she moved faster.
Even if different countries’ carriers looked similar on the outside, what they could carry and sustain inside was never the same.
“Oh my, Deputy General Xia—long time no see. You’re still as beautiful, dazzling, and radiant as ever.”
Xia Wei Yi led Jiang Tea Tea and the others to the boundary between Da Xi Nation’s zone and the Zhen Lin Empire’s zone. A man greeted her warmly.
He was about as tall as Chong Ming, with a similar presence: a fiery red ponytail, sapphire-blue eyes, and a face so striking it was hard to tell masculine from feminine at first glance.
Xia Wei Yi met him calmly and shook his hand. “Chief Executive, your face hasn’t changed in ten years. And you still speak as pleasantly as you always did.”
Jiang Tea Tea narrowed her eyes at him. The scent rolling off him, and the strength packed into his body, made her think of fertilizer—something rich, easy to absorb, and incredibly nourishing.
In this world, besides Chong Ming’s golden dragon, this was the first time she’d seen fertilizer this good.
So what exactly was this man’s beast form, that made her recognize at a glance how “supplemental” he was?
Jiang Tea Tea tilted her head and asked in a low voice, “Cheng Lin Yue, who is that?”
The way he talked was smooth, like he’d practiced it. Bold, too.
Cheng Lin Yue looked startled. “Sister Tea, that’s Da Xi Nation’s Chief Executive Zhong Li He. You don’t know him?”
Jiang Tea Tea blinked. “I rarely go online. I’ve heard the name, but I’ve never seen him in person, and I haven’t looked at photos.”
Sui Xuan Chu immediately backed her up. “Yeah. Sister Tea doesn’t like being online. It’s normal she hasn’t seen Chief Executive Zhong Li He.”
Cheng Lin Yue nodded quickly. “Mm-hm. Yes, yes.”
Jiang Tea Tea asked again, “What kind of bird beastfolk is he?”
Cheng Lin Yue answered, “His beast form is the king of birds—a phoenix bird.”
“A phoenix bird?” Jiang Tea Tea’s eyes widened.
A phoenix. Phoenix Clan.
Well, this world had the Dragon Clan. Having a Phoenix Clan was normal too.
No wonder he smelled like fertilizer.
A Phoenix Clan phoenix bird—a male one. The same pure-yang, super-supplement type as Chong Ming’s Old Loach.
Cheng Lin Yue lowered her voice. “He’s from Phoenix Clan. He’s one hundred and fifty this year, the same age as our Commander-in-Chief. Official information says his ability rank is the same as our Commander-in-Chief’s.”
Jiang Tea Tea nodded, understanding clicking into place. “A one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old old bird. No wonder he digs corners so smoothly.”
Zhong Li He still held Xia Wei Yi’s hand and teased, “Deputy General Xia, your mouth is getting sharper. You’re not as cute as before. Did you learn bad habits from your Commander-in-Chief? Want to think again about bringing your whole household to Da Xi Nation and becoming my Deputy General?”
He glanced toward Jiang Tea Tea. The little girl was cute—didn’t recognize him, yet bold enough to call him an old bird.
Xia Wei Yi released his hand after the shake. “Thank you for the kindness, Chief Executive. Da Xi Nation is good, but it can’t compare to the Zhen Lin Empire.”
“I won’t consider moving my whole household to Da Xi Nation. But if Chief Executive feels like Da Xi Nation is no longer livable, you can bring your household to the Zhen Lin Empire. Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming will definitely welcome you with the whole nation.”
Zhong Li He laughed. “Deputy General Xia really did learn bad habits from your Commander-in-Chief. Back when we met, you couldn’t say this much.”
Xia Wei Yi shot back, “I couldn’t help it. Before, whenever I met you, I couldn’t out-talk you. It always felt rude.”
“So these past years, I’ve trained my speaking skills, hoping that one day—like today—when I meet Chief Executive, I can actually have a proper chat.”
“Looks like I didn’t disappoint Beast God. All those years of learning weren’t wasted.” Xia Wei Yi’s smile sharpened. “I’m honored to earn Chief Executive’s praise.”
Zhong Li He lifted a brow. “So you really are sharp-tongued now. Those behind you—are they the recruits you brought? Are their mouths as slick as yours?”
Xia Wei Yi stepped between him and her people without hesitation. “Yes. They’re the kids I brought. To prevent a situation where I can’t out-talk you alone, I taught the people under me a bit too.”
“These kids haven’t seen your presence before. Seeing you suddenly, they discussed you a little and admired you a little. Chief Executive, you won’t stoop to arguing with a few kids, right?”
Zhong Li He’s sapphire gaze swept over them. Their faces were covered in paint, so their real looks were hidden. But their bright eyes gave away their age—the kind that couldn’t hide much.
Especially the little girl who didn’t recognize him. Her eyes were black and bright. She looked innocent, yet her gaze felt like a deep pit, calmly weighing him up the way a hunter measured prey.
It had to be his imagination. A little girl with no obvious psychic ability fluctuations treating him like prey was ridiculous.
Zhong Li He smiled. “Deputy General Xia, you’re overthinking. I’m just sighing that I’m still not famous enough for your soldiers not to recognize me.”
Xia Wei Yi answered with a hearty smile, just like her Commander-in-Chief, and stabbed straight into Zhong Li He’s heart. “Chief Executive, you’re joking. It’s not that you’re not famous.”
“The person they want to surpass is Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, so they don’t pay much attention to you. That’s why, when they met you in person, they didn’t recognize you right away.”