My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 239

During the meal, Yang Hao wanted to ask more than once – could the food in Kazdel be any lighter? This might be because Yang Hao's palate had been completely changed by the heavy, oily, salty, sweet, and sour flavors of Ursus, or it might be because there really wasn't much salt in today's lunch. In any case... this food was just too bland!

To be honest, despite looking so delicious, it tasted just like a regular steamed bun—Yang Hao didn't mean to look down on steamed buns, but really... it was just too bland...

Seemingly noticing the fleeting hesitation in Yang Hao's eyes, Ms. Therese smiled and, under her sister's curious gaze, explained:

"Business activity in the Kazdel region has not been smooth before. In a sense, the seasonings needed for cooking are also a headache for us—but compared to other problems, they are not important, so we have put them on hold for the time being."

"...If I remember correctly, the Ursus merchants also brought a large amount of seasonings?"

“But teacher, that doesn’t mean the royal chefs will trust those—and to be honest, Ursus’s taste is too strong. We only added normal amounts of salt, which does seem rather bland compared to the amount used by Ursus chefs.”

"...Ugh."

Isn't it because your taste is too bland? At least add more salt, right?

Mr. Yang Hao reluctantly stuffed the rather bland food into his mouth.

Meanwhile, Ms. Norsen, standing to the side, thought with a strange expression that this seemed to be related to an Originium Arts technique she herself had set up to enhance his physical recovery speed...

After all, it's common knowledge that the human body needs salt. Although Ms. Northumi herself couldn't understand why people with faster recovery speeds would have a greater need for salt, she understood one thing: the combination of her Originium Arts and the "normal" food in Kazdel was what led to Mr. Yang Hao's current preference for "bland" food...

Fortunately, this didn't cause any major disaster... Sigh, I'll remind them again when I get back.

Ms. Norson remained silent. Soon, this agonizing lunch for Mr. Yang Hao finally ended—they resumed their conversation at the table.

"We hope to receive technical assistance from Ursus."

“Technical assistance? That’s not impossible. But Your Highness Theresa, you should understand—it comes at a price. While we are willing to open up some…classified technologies that cannot be disclosed [referring to the heavy industrial technology of 985] to you, you must pay the price on behalf of Kazdel.”

"Unfortunately, Kazdel's current offerings are either valiant Sarkaz mercenaries, which is my sister's company, or some ancient Sarkaz sorcery and Originium Arts. In addition, there are large Originium mines that are also located in other countries and regions."

"Originium ore? We can talk about that..."

Originium mines are also an option—after all, to be honest, if Yang Hao plans to shut down those Originium mines in the country later, it will undoubtedly increase the operating costs of mines in Ursus.

But if you ask him, wouldn't it be better to just actively develop high-tech industries and manufacturing industries domestically at no cost, and then transfer raw material mining companies that require low-end labor to overseas?

In this way, not only can domestic natural resources be stored for future needs, but foreign resources can also be plundered in a way that is acceptable to everyone—is there anything better? Perhaps, but Yang Hao doesn't want to resort to the old method of black people picking cotton. And to be honest, he doesn't want Ursus to return to serfdom or slavery.

Some might argue that workers in capitalist factories aren't slaves or something like that—but in Yang Hao's opinion, workers in capitalist factories are probably exploited even worse than slaves. So forget it, forget it, whether they're slaves or capitalists, forget it.

Of course, if you're talking about slaves like the little pony who pats your butt, from a personal perspective, he actually quite likes them.

"So, regarding the Originium ore..."

Princess Theresa showed no sign of letting her guard down.

He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the private dining room.

It is now 1:05 PM.

Chapter 158

December 11th...

At 7 o'clock in the evening.

When Yang Hao and Karina dragged their tired bodies back to their landship, he found that Margarita had finished her work and was in her room, sitting in a corner chair, swinging her legs like a well-behaved but lonely kitten waiting for him to return.

Seeing Yang Hao and Karina return, Margarita jumped off her chair with a joyful expression. She then threw herself into Yang Hao's arms, hugged him, looked around for a while, and then, puzzled, looked at Karina's retreating figure and said:

"Yang Hao, welcome back—um, isn't the teacher back yet?"

“Ms. Norsen said she’s going back to her room first. Ugh, I’m exhausted today.” Yang Hao rubbed Margarita’s pointed ears, gesturing for Karina to rest in her seat as well. He then picked up Margarita and carried her to the sofa. After sitting down, he sighed heavily. “Negotiations with that Demon King were more troublesome than I expected… but luckily, we’ve pretty much finished talking. It’s just that the food there was bland, so I’ve decided to come back for dinner…”

"Huh? Mr. Yang Hao, do you think the food there is bland?" Karina, who was resting on her desk, looked up in surprise and said, "I think it's alright... just a little blander than what we have in Ursus..."

"Really? Sigh, maybe it's because I've become too picky about Ursus's tastes... Anyway, Margarita, have you gone to Sanae's place yet?"

"Ok!"

Margarita squinted her eyes happily beside Yang Hao and told him about her busy day.

Meanwhile, Miss Karina, waiting for dinner to be delivered, watched Margarita and Yang Hao's interaction with a strange expression. She muttered to herself, "They really seem like father and daughter, or maybe pets," while sprawled on the sofa, reflecting on the day's work.

Well, today's results were undoubtedly a resounding victory for Ursus—but for Karina and Yang Hao, it was a bitter pill to swallow...

On one hand, they worked hard and achieved results for Ursus, but at the cost of a great deal of energy—Karina wasn't used to communicating with the Sarkaz. And frankly, the current diplomatic situation with Kazdel's representatives—well...it's still relatively "Hordeal"—was a huge burden for Karina...

She wasn't sure if the contract they had already agreed on would be voided for some reason under these circumstances... So, trembling with fear, Karina could only quietly wait for the final result and arrangements to arrive—but even so, it couldn't be denied that she had brought a huge advantage to the Ursus Empire.

On the other hand, for Yang Hao, the bickering with Theresa had indeed drained him of a great deal of energy—this was the first time he had felt so exhausted since his body was enhanced. It's no exaggeration to say that if the fatigue from sex could be compared to the fatigue from work, it was even more tiring than having sex with both Monica and Koschie simultaneously before his body was enhanced...

Moreover, this was mental fatigue, coupled with the fact that Princess Theresa seemed to possess some strange Originium Arts that could affect his...mood to some extent?

No, that doesn't seem to be a feeling. Yang Hao thoughtfully rested his chin on Margarita's head. It must be some kind of [mind-reading] ability... However, Theresa can't do many things: if this is truly mind-reading, then this negotiation wouldn't have gone so smoothly. After all, Yang Hao's ultimate goal is to completely turn Kazdel into his protectorate or vassal state...

...

So what happened? Yang Hao rubbed Margarita's little belly, muttering "Margarita has gotten fat" amidst her dissatisfied sulking, while squinting his eyes and waiting for the waiter to bring their dinner.

...

Meanwhile, Margarita felt Yang Hao rubbing her lower abdomen with his large hands as she sat down. She thought to herself, "His movements are so practiced," while secretly sniffing Yang Hao's scent.

Although Margarita was naive, she wasn't the kind of foolish child who wouldn't question what was happening around her. Lately, she had become increasingly aware that her teacher and Yang Hao seemed to be growing closer—especially last night, when Margarita secretly approached her sleeping teacher and sniffed her body, she faintly detected Yang Hao's scent in certain places on her teacher's skin.

Is it...the lower abdomen? And...the neck, and...inside the mouth? Hmm...

Margarita tentatively assumed that the taste in her mouth was the lingering scent of her teacher's blood after drinking Yang Hao's. But what about her neck and lower abdomen? Margarita glanced at Karina, who was sprawled on the sofa not far away, too tired to move, then subtly looked down at her own lower abdomen: she knew very well that only the closest people could touch that area! After all, it was the most vulnerable spot, and how could she let anyone other than someone she absolutely trusted see or even touch it...?

so...

teacher?!

Margarita had a vague sense that something was very wrong... but she hadn't yet considered the worst-case scenario. She thought to herself, perhaps Yang Hao, after the departure of the gentle Ms. Sonia and the lively Miss Theresa, subconsciously felt lonely, which was why he inadvertently deepened his relationship with his teacher?

Although Margarita didn't mind too much, but but but but—your childhood sweetheart is right here!

Why can't I do it now?! The little bat's cheeks puffed up, but quickly, after trying to sniff Yang Hao's scent, her sullen expression stopped:

"Um, Yang Hao, I'm going to check on the teacher first, so I'll head back now."

"Eh? Ah—okay. But Margarita, don't overwork yourself."

"Ok!"

Although Yang Hao has the air of a teacher, it's not strong; it's just within a normal range.

so, what happened?

Because of the position, one cannot smell the odor of certain specific parts.

After jumping off her childhood friend, the little bat walked towards her room, puzzled.

She thought to herself, "The teacher must be tired after coming back, and is probably resting now. So, I shouldn't knock on the door and disturb her?"

So, the innocent little bat quietly cracked open a crack in her bedroom door. But before she could go in, she saw through the crack that her teacher was lying on her side on the bed, her face flushed, seemingly rubbing her body against the hard corner of the pillow.

What are they doing?

Margarita blinked, looking puzzled, but then opened the door anyway.

Chapter 159

...

This was accompanied by Ms. Northumber's scream that echoed throughout the entire landship: "Margarita, next time you should knock before you come in!!"

On the other side, in Kazdel, in Princess Theresa's private quarters.

"...So, sister. I think we need to reach a consensus on at least one thing."

"Huh? Are you talking to me simply as sisters, or as the Demon Lord Kazdel and the CEO of Umbrella Security?"

"...I hoped it was the former. But the impact of this matter is just too great, so it is actually the latter."

"Then I understand."

The two sisters are discussing today's important matters.

Although Theresa looked somewhat tired, she couldn't afford to rest at such an important moment. She was now scrutinizing her sister, who sat opposite her, and when she noticed that Theresa was wearing an Umbrella Security Company hat when she came over, the helplessness in her eyes deepened.

Thinking back to today's negotiations... the helplessness in her eyes reached its peak: she herself wasn't sure if her sister still belonged to Kazdel, even with her Originium Arts. And as things stood, her Originium Arts weren't particularly useful to Mr. Yang Hao.

His heart was like a dangerous, high wall, firmly blocking her attempts to understand him. Theresa knew that if she were truly determined to try and understand his heart, she could definitely break through that wall—but if she did, some dangerous and ancient being would kill her in an instant.

She couldn't take that risk... so, with no other choice, Theresa had to bite the bullet and slowly work through the contract with Yang Hao.

...

This conversation went on until evening.

Theresa's efforts didn't bring Kazdel much benefit. Later, her subordinates' discussion of the details regarding "business share" with Mr. Yang Hao's secretary only made her more dizzy: Who exactly are these people? 70% business share? Why don't you just say Kazdel is a province of your Ursus?! Wouldn't it be easier for us to just let you move in 100% and give you more benefits that way?

Why are you all already at 70%? Why don't you take it a step further? It's not that Theresa is unwilling to trade decades of development time by making Kazdel a vassal of Ursus! But the problem is, you've already gone this far, why don't you... take it a step further?

This is like robbing a bank, only to find the vault door open, and you take all the gold, with plenty of empty space in your bag, only to leave the arriving police with stacks of one-dollar bills—it's as absurd as that...

And most importantly: Theresa couldn't say anything... and her sister...

Yes, it's her sister: Therese. Theresa always had a feeling that this girl was planning to sell her out... but thinking about it, wasn't her sister that kind of person? As long as she was sure she could gain some practical benefit and the price was acceptable, she would definitely do it—or slow down a bit and see if she could earn more.

In a sense, this is also the source of his sister's trustworthy and iron-fisted leadership...

"...I hope Kazdel was a whole before, and it is a whole now. Therese."

"Naturally."

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Theresa does not want Kazdel to split apart under external forces.

Fortunately, her sister now agrees. So this really relieved Theresa.

After reaching a consensus on this most important issue, the two sisters ate their meal while discussing the major issues that still needed to be addressed.

“Although the matter at the Gallic Empire ruins is almost settled, as expected, we still need substantial support from the Ursus people—if we send a large number of vanguards into the [Wasteland] for long-term exploration, our defenses here will inevitably weaken.” Therese shrugged as she sipped her wine. “I want Ursus to send some people to be stationed nearby. After all, you know, mercenaries are currently our most important source of income in Kazdel.”

"...Sigh. Can't we just send our soldiers back to fill the gaps?"

“You have to convince the old men of the Royal Court, and you also have to look at Kazdel’s financial statements—for one thing, we just bought 20 districts.”

"..."

Kazdel is now facing a very serious... income and expenditure problem.

If Kazdel previously had a considerable income thanks to Umbrella Security's efforts, now, after buying 20 mobile districts, he has very little money left.

Moreover, acquiring the city districts is a consensus among everyone. With cities, they can develop industries that depend on them. And with industries, they can find ways to break free from a single source of income—literally. Kazdel can't rely on mercenaries to make money for the country forever; it needs to develop industry, and developing industry requires cities. Therefore, if all 20 districts can be acquired, Kazdel will have a way to rise after enduring 20 or 30 years of hardship.

Then Kazdel actually took over these 20 districts, at the cost of...

They're almost broke, on the verge of bankruptcy, and if they really need to borrow money, the only ones they'll likely be able to lend to are the Ursus people...

"However, Ursus is not completely out of the economic crisis yet... so I guess they won't lend us money... which means that at the moment, our soldiers abroad cannot be recalled at all—they still need to find ways to take on orders and make money."

"...Sigh. Blame it on Kazdel being such a barren land. Fortunately, our [Vanguard] has been able to earn us quite a bit of money since it officially started operating..."

"I think Ursus is just giving us a small share. The teacher probably wants something much more important."

"...Your relationship with that Prince Yang Hao..."

"Theresia, let's call her that for now."

"Who doesn't know he has a connection with the Holy One of Ursus? Sigh, now that it's just the two of us here, let's not be so reserved."

"alright."

The two sisters, either with furrowed brows or serious expressions, spent the entire night discussing their upcoming work and arrangements.

"...But before I leave, I want to ask, that Blood Demon, you..."

“That Northrend? I recall from the records that her father was a high-ranking elder in the Blood Demon Clan, but he left Kazdel for some reason and settled down in the Gallic Empire. She can't possibly be on our side, so be it—but perhaps your former advisor Kal'tsit would be willing to stand with us.”

"...I will contact her."

"so be it."

After discussing some key points, Therese went back—after all, she still had to prepare for her "private meeting" with Yang Hao the next day.

Chapter 160

...December 12th.

It was during Yang Hao's private meeting with Therese.