Forge a path to success

“Akong is working hard on this,” Wilbert said.

·

"One of the few things that gods and mortals have in common is that they also have weaknesses."

Kanin put down the Extreme Battle cards and poured a full glass of beer for the guests across the table.

"Having lived in Jingsha for so long, you must agree with this conclusion, after all, this old tree has many weaknesses. City-state politics, public sentiment, infiltration by heretics, the outdated system, and, of course, the chaotic lord..."

He counted on his fingers one by one and said with a smile, "The same applies to the other side."

Chu Hengkong picked through the cards he had won and tossed a Demon card back: "Jing Sha is Chaos's weakness? What makes you say that?"

“They’ve been entangled for far too long,” Olek said coldly from the side. “So long that the chaos has affected Jing Sha’s thinking, and vice versa.”

"So if we can strike first..."

“You can make Lord Chaos turn a blind eye to certain things,” Kanin continued. “And what’s interesting is that others won’t be able to detect it yet. If Lord Chaos’ loyal henchmen happen to do something impolite at that time… I’m afraid politicians and assassins alike will have to think twice.”

He interlaced his fingers and placed them in front of his chest: "I can give you this chance to take the initiative."

"What's your method?"

"Please allow me to keep this a secret, otherwise it won't work." Kanin shook his finger. "How about it? This time it's a huge loss, there won't be a second chance."

Chu Hengkong put away the cards and tossed a scroll of contracts onto the table. Kaning snatched it up and laughed loudly, "Detective Chu is indeed straightforward!"

Olek stood up first: "My concealment will be invalid after the contract is established. You can handle the rest yourselves."

"It's gotten to this point, it'd be pointless if we didn't step in now," Chu Heng said with a laugh.

“I never get involved in messy things,” Olek said.

Chu Heng finished his beer, clinked glasses with Kaning, and left the small bar. On the way, he took out his Youyou Cuo's magical tablet and glanced at it, pleased to find that an old friend had briefly come online and replied to his earlier message.

"That's it for today, let's go back to the bookstore for dinner."

Vande poked his head out of his pocket: "Wow, you're awesome, buddy. You can do business with the Great Demon without batting an eye now."

"That's not impressive enough. The big devil has to come to me to do business."

"That's good, you have ideals!" Vande raised his tentacle. "There's still no news from Shura Island, and we've done everything we can in the city. What's our next step?"

Chu Hengkong stretched and said, "After all this commotion for the past few days, it's time to catch our breath. Let's go back to the bookstore for dinner."

"Ah? Oh!"

They hadn't had a proper meal in days, and the night they met up with their boss, they received the devastating news that the bill had passed. After a short rest, they headed to the fields to begin their operation. The underground rebels in the fields certainly didn't have any gourmet food; during their days in the camp, they were busy beating people and their rations were basically made up with fast food.

So, the last normal meal was actually during the Vitex Festival. If Chu Hengkong hadn't mentioned it, Fan De would have almost forgotten that he was theoretically on vacation.

It quickly switched to vacation mode: "Any news? What's for dinner tonight?"

Chu Hengkong was also looking forward to it: "The boss said she made pasta."

·

As they pushed open the bookstore door, they were greeted by the rich aroma of meat sauce.

Mince pork, beef, carrots, and onions, then sauté them in red wine until they turn a deep, appetizing red. Add freshly cooked pasta to the meat sauce, stir, add Parmesan cheese, a little olive oil, and basil leaves. A spaghetti bolognese, commonly known as meat sauce spaghetti, is now ready.

“It’s simple to make, uses readily available ingredients, and is a very common home-cooked meal in Italy.” Vilbert handed over two plates, one large and one small. “The local ingredients in Jingsa are quite excellent, and I think the flavor is even better than the original version on Earth.”

Chu Hengkong couldn't wait to start eating. The slightly chewy noodles increased the chewing time, allowing the flavors of the meat sauce and cheese to fully melt in his mouth, creating a nostalgic taste that was hard to find in the Dark Realm.

He quickly devoured a plate and happily asked for another. Van der, slurping his noodles, looked on with delight: "I suddenly understand why you're willing to work..."

"She's quite skilled, isn't she?"

"I think he's fully capable of competing with the chef!"

Violet carefully observed the smug-looking beholder, puzzled as to how such a creature fed. She glanced at Chu Hengkong, who gave her a look that told her not to delve too deeply, but to sense it.

Besides pasta, the owner, who rarely has time, also prepared veal, grilled eggplant, and fish fillets made from a local fish, and even provided an extra-large portion for a particular big eater. The big-eyed store manager was happily munching away in front of the mountain of food, completely absorbed in the meal.

The otter editor, munching on a vegetable leaf, commented, "Dude, you're only one collar away from becoming a pet."

"Are there any spots left?" Manager Carp smacked his spaghetti. "I'd like to sign up too."

In stark contrast to the harmonious atmosphere of the lobby, three eerie humanoid creatures emanating an unsettling aura were piled on a small sofa in the corner. Ji Huaisu, holding an empty plate, lamented despair, "Am I the only one who thinks it's unfair that the underworld boss is such a good cook...?"

"My feminine prowess... after losing to the horse, has now been lost to the underworld..."

Qingxia wiped her mouth: "I want another plate..."

"No! You're not allowed to betray me!!"

Qingye retorted angrily, "Is your dignity less important than your stomach?!"

"That's a strange thing to say. I've always been a staunch supporter of Wilbert."

"You horse!"

Qingxia sneered: "Hehehe, Xiaoye, the industry is very cruel. Staying with you guys will only lead to us gradually degenerating into a trio of useless losers who pose no threat. But if we switch sides in time, we can get more opportunities to interact and appear on screen! That's the wisdom of survival!"

"This beast can no longer be allowed to continue its rampage! I must seal her away!"

"I'm here to help you!"

The trio wrestled on the sofa. After watching for a while, Violet commented, "Your team has a great atmosphere."

"You can quickly become familiar with them by fighting a match with them, so go ahead."

"Forgive me for refusing."

Gulibo, carrying two plates of small cakes, was about to go over and symbolically try to mediate the fight. Just then, the conch shell at the counter beeped, and it jumped onto the table to answer: "Hello, this is the Seafood Bookstore. How can I help you, Bo?"

Three seconds later, Gulibo rushed over, holding a conch shell, his nose as white as paper.

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

Vande glanced at it sideways: "Calm down and speak slowly, who's on the other side?"

"Yes, yes, Speaker."

"Who?!"

Gulibo stammered, "It's Speaker Parriman!"

Chapter 381: Can reconciliation be possible?

Everyone looked at each other, seeing the same bewilderment in each other's eyes, many of them still holding plates in their hands.

Violet instinctively reached for the conch shell, but Chu Hengkong stopped her. He picked up the conch shell and said, "I am Chu Hengkong."

“I am Parriman.” The politician’s cold voice came from the other end. “Let’s get straight to the point. I’m here for reconciliation.”

Chu Hengkong moved the conch shell further away: "Jing Sha's new joke?"

“I don’t usually joke about important matters,” Parryman said. “I admit I underestimated your ability to act. In just ten days, you collected over 7000 million votes, making a revote a real possibility. The shift in the tide between the fourth and second pulses is undoubtedly the result of your hard work.”

"However, if the current situation continues to develop, it will not benefit either of us."

Chu Hengkong said calmly, "How so? Isn't it our side's great advantage right now?"

"Perhaps you've all overlooked one point: there are currently over 17 billion citizens in the Jingsa City-State. How long do you think it would take to organize another national referendum?" Parryman chuckled. "Let me just tell you the answer directly: even with the Jingsa authorities sparing no resources and fully cooperating, it would still take at least a month to organize and mobilize the vote!"

Vilbert nodded, confirming the truth of this statement.

Even laymen can understand the difficulty of this task. The number of citizens in the Thorn Kingdom is simply too large—a staggering 17 billion lives of diverse races. The voting-related publicity alone is a massive headache for the authorities. In reality, even now, a considerable number of citizens from certain races are still unclear about the situation. Some insect-like and beast-like citizens are accustomed to solitary lives and are socially isolated, let alone participating in voting, not to mention the various forms of ballots and the numerous problems that may arise during the vote counting process…

The votes during the Thorn Sa festival were supported by the entire Thorn Sa government, and organizing another referendum with the resources available would take far more than a month.

Chu Hengkong's expression remained unchanged: "The Thorn Sacred Tree is happy to lend a hand."

“And I will do everything in my power to stop this,” Parryman said. “We all need to face reality, and a re-vote would mean the start of a protracted battle. You will all use all sorts of methods, and I and the authorities will do everything we can to delay the re-vote until the bill is successfully implemented.”

We only have a mere 20 days left. This short, high-pressure environment will drive both of us to extreme measures. Public opinion within the city-state will be divided, and both sides will be weakened by internal strife. Ultimately, regardless of who emerges victorious, their plans will be imperfectly implemented, only benefiting outsiders.

“I am not a hero of justice, but merely a vessel. However, regardless of faction or side, no citizen of Jingsha wants to see the city-state fall into the hands of heretics. Reconciliation is the best option for both of us.”

Chu Hengkong nodded: "State your conditions."

“The implementation of the bill can be postponed,” Parryman said. “If the existing garrison on Shura Island can hold out, then the Thorn Sands can continue to support the front line until Allied aid arrives and the various forces reach a satisfactory agreement. The construction of new sea routes can be carried out simultaneously during the transition period, so that the supply of materials to Dust Isles overseas can also be guaranteed.”

"We Allied supporters have no reason to object, but how will you deal with your independence supporters?"

“I will lie to them,” Parryman said without hesitation. “I will tell them that this is part of the independence plan, the best solution that is worthy of our allied comrades. My credibility is enough to support this lie for 3 to 4 years, which is the limit of the transition period after reconciliation. If the core problem of Jing Sha’s inability to maintain the front line is not resolved after my credibility collapses, and a new contingency plan has been formed by then, Jing Sha can leave the secret realm in a more peaceful way. I believe this is a better choice for both sides.”

Everyone's expression changed; they could all hear Parriman's voice. Ji Huaisu instinctively wanted to object, but couldn't find the words. Because the decision was indeed rational and feasible.

A short period of intensive action might influence public opinion, but it cannot change Jing Sha's predicament of being powerless. If a transitional period could be established to find a compromise, allowing both sides to escape the perilous situation while maintaining the front lines, it seems like a reasonable solution for both the city-state and its allies…

But Chu Hengkong acted as if he hadn't considered it at all, and before anyone could speak, he flatly refused: "No way. Whether the Allied Forces agree or not is not just a matter of work; I have my own personal grudges to settle!"

Vande's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "Dude, calm down..."

"Reconciliation and your personal grudges are not contradictory," Parriman said calmly. "I can give you information on those assassins and create opportunities for you to fight. If you are willing to show sincerity, I don't mind deploying the official forces of the Thorn Robe to assist in arresting the assassins. You all know the attitude of the five captains; no one will refuse to be an enemy of the Blood Oath assassins!"

He shoved all his chips onto the table, declaring with the madness of a gambler, "Everything is negotiable! All I want is a written agreement to independence. I'm even willing to relinquish my chairmanship if you all agree to Jing Sha's peaceful independence! Please consider this carefully from your own perspectives: do you want to persist in infighting in the face of a formidable enemy, or do you seek a compromise that is fair to both sides?"

The bookstore fell silent. Everyone was stunned by the speech, by the desperate, all-or-nothing fervor it exuded. At that moment, no one doubted his resolve; that do-or-die spirit was no mere politician's lie. He truly yearned for independence, truly loved the city-state; otherwise, he could never have uttered such words under such overwhelming pressure.

But in that silence, only Chu Hengkong was laughing. Like an idiot who couldn't understand the atmosphere, he couldn't help but laugh.

He clapped at the conch shell: "Well said! I'm clapping for you, did you hear me?"

Even Parriman was helpless: "...Why did you have to go to such lengths?"

"Good question! Why are we in this situation?" Chu Hengkong sat down with his legs crossed. "Zan van Pariman is the strongest politician in the Jingsa City-State in the last twenty years, perhaps the most powerful political animal in the city-state's history. His vision, cunning, and even decisiveness are all world-class. Before proposing the independence bill, he must have already considered the situation after the bill's passage and the responses of the allied forces. He must have known that negotiating and compromising with the allies to seek peaceful independence was the best solution for both sides."

But he didn't arrange it that way, why is that?

He sneered, "Because Parriman never intends to compromise. He's determined to get the city-state off the front lines; he wants to get it out of the battlefield as quickly as possible. He's used any means necessary, even resorting to the cruel act of hiring assassins to attack his own captain. Wanting reconciliation now is not his style. Only you, Dark Kingdom, would be such a foolish, self-deceiving idiot!"

“…………………………………………”

silence.

The silence stretched on and on, so long that one began to doubt the passage of time. Finally, a voice emerged from the conch shell once more, this time belonging to a frivolous young man.

"You're clearly not used to using your brain, so why do you have to act smart at a time like this?"

Chu Hengkong sneered: "Yes, who exactly is it that forced me to be so complacent because of me?"

“Hey, friend, I beg you to seriously consider this. It’s all feasible! All of it is feasible,” Wang Quan said. “The only difference is that I’ll do all these things for Parriman. Anyway, no one else will recognize me! I genuinely love this country, and I don’t mind if the city-state can leave the battlefield a few years later in peace. We’re just putting on a show for 17 billion people without anyone knowing. Why not give it a try?”

Chu Heng laughed: "I will never believe a single word you say in my entire life."

"Don't do this, I'm serious, even more serious than when I said I liked you—hey, don't hang up! Please let me say one more time, okay!"

Chu Hengkong held up the conch shell and said lazily, "Spit it out if you have something to say."

"It's rare that everyone gets a second chance at life, and the past is no longer irreversible. Is there really... no room for reconciliation between us?"

Chu Hengkong and Vilbert exchanged a glance, seeing the same emotion in each other's eyes.

“Others can be considered,” he said. “Only you. The Dark Kingdom. Only you, absolutely not!”

"Okay, okay, I know, don't shout so loudly. So all the efforts to reconcile have failed..."

The king's voice shifted to a faint female voice: "From this moment on, it is all-out war."

Its sound disappeared, and Chu Hengkong put the conch back on the table. Everyone's expressions were quite interesting.

Before she could utter her first words, the bookstore door was kicked open, and Lico rushed in, breathless.

"Quickly, open the water curtain!!" she shouted. "The Giant Lily has been activated at Star Castle Mansa!"

Ji Huaisu quickly reached for the remote control, while Vande wiped his head with his tentacle: "I'm fucking terrified of watching a water screen in the bookstore lobby..."

"Don't be nervous, don't fucking be nervous. Last time was already the limit. No matter what he says, it can't outweigh the bad news of the bill passing!"

The water curtain opened, and as expected, they saw Parriman's face. The man in the iron mask stood beneath the flag of Thorns, his eyes blazing with hatred and fury.

"Citizens, friends, today is destined to be a day etched in the history of our city-state. Our city-state defense system has finally been successfully activated, which means that Jing Sha has taken a significant step on the road to independence and peace. And I also have another piece of news to share: the official investigation into the Jinghua Festival riots has been completed, and we have finally obtained detailed intelligence on this unprecedented mob!"

Several video clips projected onto the water screen, the blurry images becoming clear under the divine scan. They showed a female knight wielding a flaming greatsword at the crowd, a man brandishing a sword in the damaged archives, and a suspicious-looking woman in a suit emerging from the disguise room. Parriman braced his hands on the podium, his heavy anger barely concealed by his iron mask.

"Perhaps some citizens will find these faces familiar. They claim to be allies who came to the aid of the city-state in times of crisis. Our Divine Guard members believed their promises, and even though their backgrounds are ambiguous, and even though some of them bear obvious traces of heretical corruption, we allowed them into the city-state. Because Jingsha has always been an inclusive nation, and we trust these comrades who have shared life and death."

"However, they responded to our trust with betrayal, and to our friendliness with malice. The investigation by the First Team has proven that these three outsiders who claimed to be allied comrades are the very culprits who seriously injured the Third Captain and disrupted the Vitex Festival!"

Parriman closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"I don't want to imagine how the many citizens felt when they learned about this. However, I have personally witnessed the tragedy of the Vitex Festival, and I have personally witnessed the deaths and tragedies they caused. Those beautiful lives that should have been celebrating the festival, those young people who should have been fighting for freedom and peace, did not die on the battlefield to defend the city, but died in their own homes because of the betrayal of the 'Allied Forces'!"