This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

"What request?"

"I heard you promised Miss Dong that you would help her get pregnant, and I... I want to too!"

Hongyu Zhitong is one of the shyest girls in the team, but at this moment she mustered up her courage and made a very bold request to Dick.

This was mainly started by Dongfeng Wuxi. Ever since she first submitted the "children's work" application, the team's morale remained high, but their ambitions collectively swelled. They all had wildly imaginative ideas about having babies, little ship girls, and little dragons for him.

Dick thought to himself that one of his ambitions was to get all the women around him pregnant when he achieved success, which was not something he needed to ask for.

So Dick followed the deep cleavage of the female demon's chest, licking all the way to her cheek, kissing her until her ruby ​​eyes were dizzy as if she were drunk, before biting her crystal clear earlobe and whispering.

"Fool, you are my woman, of course you have to bear my children. But before that, I have to give you some 'special training' in being a mother."

"???"

Under the questioning gaze of Ruby Eyes, Dick took her "Hasbro" breast into his mouth, the intoxicating sucking sensation overwhelming the demoness, who couldn't help but let out a sweet moan...

Chapter 267: Ding'an and Kneading Dough

At the entrance of the trading post, Ding An, who had just returned from a business deal with a client, got off the carriage with Sui Xiang, who was accompanying him as a bodyguard.

The order was for a considerable amount of cotton. The initial price quoted by the other party was not low, but Ding'an, relying on information gathered by the intelligence department, easily grasped the other party's weakness and, through a series of cuts and discounts, managed to reduce the price by 30% and successfully secure the goods.

Holding the signed form, Ding An, in high spirits, hurried upstairs, ready to share the good news with Hong Yu Zhi Tong.

But when the two arrived at the study door, Honoka suddenly stiffened and quickly raised her hand to protect Tadasu behind her.

As a martial arts prodigy who learns everything incredibly quickly, Honoka has been studying ninjutsu under Momiji's tutelage and has now reached the level of a Jonin (high-ranking warrior). Therefore, she keenly sensed a strange noise coming from the office, seemingly from Manager Momiji crying. This led Honoka to instinctively assume an enemy had intruded, so without hesitation, she kicked the door open with a powerful side kick.

"Who goes there! Let go of the...master!?"

Honoka, who rushed in to save people, froze on the spot as if her brain had crashed after seeing the situation inside the room.

Ding An, standing behind her, glanced into the doorway and saw Hong Yu Zhi Tong, disheveled, lying on the desk in the office directly opposite. Her breasts, which were no less impressive than her own, were pressed into a fleshy pancake, while her legs were spread apart on the ground, her white, fleshy buttocks sticking up high.

Ding'an was very familiar with this posture because she had stood like this before. It made it very convenient for the person standing behind her to swing their waist and strike forward continuously.

Sure enough! It turns out that the Commander has returned.

"commander!"

Upon seeing Dick's return, Ding An's face lit up with joy. She waved to the staff who had come to investigate, signaling them not to come over and watch the commotion, then slipped into the house and closed the door to prevent any accidental exposure of their intimate moments.

Realizing she had made a blunder, Honoka scratched her head in embarrassment, said "I'm sorry" three times in a row, and then covered her blushing face and ran away.

Because Dick never forces his own people to do things they don't want to do, Honoka, who is particularly shy about matters between men and women, is still a virgin. The scene just now was really too stimulating for her.

Ding An, on the other hand, walked confidently to Dick's side, covered her mouth, and chuckled as she teased him.

Did that commotion just now ruin your plans?

Dick rolled his eyes, speechless. It was indeed not good to continue after all this. He and Hongyu Zhitong quickly straightened their clothes. Because Hongyu Zhitong was still a little weak, Ding'an considerately helped her fasten her buttons.

"Thank you."

"It's alright, good sisters support each other, maybe I'll need your help later, Miss Hong."

As Ding'an spoke, she gave Dick a charming smile.

For a ship girl, being favored by her beloved commander is the highest honor in her life. She's been busy lately negotiating so many business deals for her family, so it's perfectly reasonable for her to ask the commander for a reward now.

Ding An always felt that, as the succubus nun said, these ship girls were actually unsatisfied little bastards at heart, but they only showed their erotic side to the commander.

Seeing Ding An shake the order contract in her hand and reveal a smug and charming expression, Dick thought to himself that he really did want to "knead the dough".

Since the lock on the main office door was broken, the three moved to the lounge in the inner room. Following the tradition from their hometown, a large bed big enough for four people to lie side-by-side was set up there.

Ding An gracefully sat in Dick's lap, enjoying the commander's "loving massage" while reporting on her work progress. She was truly managing to juggle both work and personal life!

After the team arrived in the south, Hongyu Zhitong and Ding'an took on different roles: Hongyu Zhitong was mainly responsible for selling, while Ding'an was mainly responsible for buying. In addition, there was another task that couldn't be openly discussed: poaching talent.

One of Dick's long-held beliefs is that you can never have too much talent. Moreover, Taragug has always had a significant talent shortage, but recruiting talent requires strategy.

Therefore, before Dick arrived, he had already set out the course of action through a meeting.

He wouldn't poach the famous ones yet; these big shots were highly sought after, either as honored guests of certain lords or the targets of numerous other companies. For an outsider like himself to try and poach such bigwigs right off the bat was like reaching into a stranger's crotch—he'd immediately become a target of public criticism. How could he continue doing arms dealing in the south then?

Therefore, Dick was targeting those unknown lower and middle-class intellectuals, especially those who were literate and came from lower and middle-class backgrounds and could serve as grassroots cadres.

Although the empire did not have basic education that aimed to eradicate illiteracy among all its citizens, it was not so ruthless as to prohibit the common people from accessing cultural knowledge. Moreover, some low-level jobs that commoners could do did indeed require literacy skills. Therefore, the overall literacy rate of the people was not too bad, and the south was far better than the north.

During this period, Crimson Eyes and Ding'an have recruited over two hundred qualified individuals under the guise of hiring temporary workers. Tia will be responsible for secretly vetting these people, eliminating those with ulterior motives, opportunists, and spies planted by other forces.

The good reputation that Dick had been intentionally cultivating came in handy at this time.

Halfway through the work report, Ding An had already slid from Dick's arms to kneel between his legs, habitually gathering her hair behind her head. But just as she was about to speak, remembering that she still had to continue the report, she switched to using her soft and elastic "big steamed buns" on her chest to sandwich a sausage, letting Hong Yu Zhi Tong beside her savor it.

Dick had to endure the pleasure of service while maintaining a clear and rational mind so that he could continue discussing work with Ding An.

Dick thought to himself, "If you're going to use this to test your cadres, who the hell can withstand that?!"

"Commander, that's all I have to report. Now... may I get in?"

While Ding An was asking questions, her body was already impatiently pushing Dick down onto the soft bed. Before pressing herself against him, she even unfolded her ship equipment and changed her ordinary clothes that she wore when she went out on business into a sexy ship girl outfit.

With its slit cheongsam, milk foam, white stockings, high heels, and fleshy legs, the combat power of the Donghuang transport ship should not be underestimated!

Pressed down by such a voluptuous body, Dick felt immense pressure. His hands instinctively reached upwards, but the palms, which were as large as a teenager's, could not cover the heavy, milky-white snow-capped peaks. They were allowed to undergo beautiful transformations, overflowing from his palms.

Fortunately, although Dick was not tall, he had some special skills. His towering pillar perfectly filled the hole that was leaking the water of the Milky Way, making Ding'an let out a satisfied moan.

"Commander... your dough-kneading skills have improved again!"

Chapter 268: Business is Business

That evening, news of Dick's return reached everyone at the Mousse Harbor Business Hall, and a small, closed-door cocktail party was held to celebrate the business achievements made during this period.

The Chamber of Commerce's sales staff have been incredibly busy lately, but no one has complained of being tired. Everyone is enjoying themselves because the Chamber has adopted a net profit commission system to boost the enthusiasm of its sales staff. The more they sell, the more bonuses they receive.

At the party, Dick also personally commended several top sales performers.

It is worth mentioning that nearly one-third of the salesmen who came to the south were actually intelligence agents. While promoting their products, they also had the task of collecting intelligence, analyzing and organizing information on military, political, population, and industrial matters in various territories in the south.

Currently, there are three main forces in the south: the founding nobles led by the Best family, the Southwest plantation alliance led by the Valente family, and the royalists led by Prince Steiner. Other minor lords, even if they do not explicitly take sides, will have obvious inclinations due to geographical factors.

Because unless someone is an extremely stubborn idiot or a complete fool, no weakling will have a significant conflict with a behemoth that is right next to them.

Among the three major forces, the thirteen noble families are the strongest in terms of overall strength, but they also have the highest tendency to be independent. These thirteen families can be traced back to the founding fathers of the Black Forest Empire. They helped the first Black Forest Emperor conquer the world and have made legitimate contributions to the founding of the empire.

However, starting with Hesse III, the empire had always wanted to weaken and dismantle these powerful nobles, so rifts gradually developed, and after several generations, it eventually became the current situation of covert confrontation.

The large plantation alliance is a "new force" that has gradually risen in the past two hundred years (relative to the noble groups). They control the largest and most fertile southwestern plain in the southwest of the empire and follow the path of corporatization. If there is any characteristic of them, it is undoubtedly that they are rich!

There's not much to say about the royalists; they're a conservative faction that the cabinet specifically supported to balance the power in the south. Prince Steiner is the brother-in-law of Hesse VII, and he's an old coffin-like man in his early nineties. He's probably just a symbolic figurehead.

As for the Dragon Sleep Valley family, they were a reclusive and powerful family that remained aloof from worldly affairs for a long time, only recently emerging from seclusion.

If we were to summarize the characteristics of these three forces, they would be: they have knives, they have money, and they have disease!

At first glance, the noble group with stronger military power was clearly more powerful, but it was precisely because of their power and the ambition they vaguely showed that the latter two were forced to unite.

Despite the wealth of the southern region, a major problem there is the uneven distribution of resources. Several important minerals suitable for developing heavy industry are not concentrated in one area, but are scattered across the spheres of influence of different groups.

In contrast, although the north is rich in mineral resources, its natural conditions are relatively harsh. The best location is still the central area centered on the capital, otherwise the Hessian royal family would not have chosen it.

Currently, all three major powers are strengthening their military capabilities. The Plantation Alliance has even sent people to Mouth Harbor on the East Coast to contact the Lagug Merchant Guild. Ostensibly, they intend to purchase a batch of cavalry equipment, but secretly, they have sent a representative who wants to meet with Dick himself.

That's why Dick made a special trip back from the front lines.

The day after the party, Dick, accompanied by Ruby Eyes and Ding An, met with the representative sent by the Plantation Alliance—a young bespectacled man whose face alone exuded the air of a cunning businessman.

The other party identified himself as Will Valente, a special envoy of the Gold Merchant Guild. From this surname, it is not difficult to tell that he is a member of the Valente family.

Before meeting him, Dick had read the man's information. He was the third son of Earl Valente, born to his first wife. His two older brothers were born to concubines, so he was the first in line to the throne.

The fact that the Valente family sent this person to negotiate certainly demonstrates their high regard for the Lagug Merchant Guild, but aren't they afraid that something might happen to this eldest son outside?

At that moment, Dick noticed the waiter accompanying Will, and the instant their eyes met, Dick's doubts were answered.

Okay! It's Saint Rank.

After all, they are a well-known powerful family in the south. If their family didn't have one or two Saint-level experts, they wouldn't be qualified to raise their flag and establish their own territory.

However, Dick was still a little puzzled. Logically speaking, the plantation alliance and the noble group had never gotten along very well, and since his surname was "Best," even if Dick didn't admit it, in other people's eyes, he was naturally a member of the noble group.

Fortunately, Will wasn't the type to beat around the bush. He spoke frankly and directly, stating the purpose of his visit: in addition to ordering cavalry equipment from the Lagug Merchant Guild, he also hoped to establish a deeper cooperative relationship with the Northern United Front led by Dick.

Dick chuckled upon hearing this and asked in a seemingly joking tone.

"Is it really okay for the Valente family to cooperate with someone like me, whose surname is Best?"

"We intend to cooperate with Count Lagug and the Northern Alliance he leads. This has nothing to do with the Best family. Please do not underestimate the intelligence network of the Golden Merchant Guild. With your current power and strength, we do not believe that a man of your stature would be willing to remain subordinate to others for long."

Having said all that, the two exchanged knowing smiles.

"So, how exactly do you plan to collaborate?"

The strategy of the large plantation alliance is clearly "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones". There is no direct conflict of interest between the two sides, and the Northern Alliance has something they urgently need: minerals!

As mentioned before, the distribution of natural resources in the southern region is very uneven. The fertile land of the southwestern plains is the most important grain-producing area of ​​the empire, but the mineral resources here are extremely scarce. There are only a few small iron mines with low reserves, and the mining is so difficult that even dwarves would scratch their heads. The grade of the ore is also low.

In contrast, Laguge and its surrounding areas represent the other extreme, with high-quality minerals everywhere. Even stones picked up casually from the roadside can be smelted into two ounces of iron.

But before Dick solved the extreme climate caused by the winter god and introduced improved varieties, Lagug's food self-sufficiency rate was less than 20%, allowing grain traders to make a fortune.

However, since Dick arrived in Laguge, he has fixed the broken leg of the local area. The food self-sufficiency rate has soared from less than 20% to 150%. They no longer have to put up with the ugly faces of those grain merchants and spend a lot of money to buy their exorbitantly priced old grain.

The Gold Merchants Association was naturally among those who made that ill-gotten money back then, but times have changed. Now they are the ones who need the Northerners' help, so they have to be more humble.

Moreover, the alliance's relationship with the Northern Alliance has another purpose: to hope that if any conflict arises between the alliance and the nobility group in the future, the Northern Alliance can remain uninvolved and avoid taking sides as much as possible.

It must be said that the strategists of the Valente family are indeed quite capable. Dick really has no intention of getting involved in the power conflicts in the South, and at least he will not rush into action before the situation is clear.

Since the two sides' backgrounds did not conflict, the negotiations proceeded very smoothly.

After seeing off the representatives of the Great Plantation Alliance, Dick rested his head on Ruby Eyes' soft thighs while enjoying Ding An's leg massage. The three had basically reached a consensus on the deal: they could agree to it for now, since it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and the Alliance also had resources they needed.

However, Dick also knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the news would soon reach the Best family as well; the intelligence network of an established power was not to be underestimated.

Sure enough! The next morning, Dick received a “warning” from the Best family. The letter was quite harsh, rebuking Dick for his lack of business acumen, for not prioritizing the family’s interests, and for actually associating with the nouveau riche of the plantation alliance.

After reading the entire letter, Dick calmly spoke to those around him.

"This must have been written by the second wife; she has always managed the Best family business."

The Best family is a traditional military noble family, and most of its members choose to join the army and fight. However, in the new era, the taxes from their fiefdoms and the meager salaries of their official positions are no longer enough to support the family's ever-growing expenses in the capital. Therefore, they have also developed many new industries.

The industrial zone built around the Hongshan Mine is one of the few heavy industrial areas in the south.

Ironically, while Dick was developing industry in Laguge, the Hongshan Mine did not provide them with even the slightest assistance.

Dick didn't take the letter seriously at all. He went about his business in Mousse Harbor, keeping busy with his work and also taking the time to spend with the girls who were working hard there.

Just as he finished his business and was preparing to return to the front lines, a man who surprised him a little suddenly came to his door. The man was none other than Farn Best, the second young master of the Best family. He, along with the third young master Polly and the third young lady Finney, were all born to the second wife. They were also the three siblings who had bullied Dick the most at the Duke's mansion.

At the behest of the second wife, Farn directly demanded, in the name of the Best family, to "take over" all of the Lagug Merchant Guild's businesses in Mouth Harbor.

Looking at his second brother, who was still as arrogant as ever on his tall horse, Dick's smile remained unchanged, but he was already planning how to "deal with" this fool who didn't know what was good for him.

Chapter 269: The Second Brother's Ordeal

If you were to ask who among the current descendants of the Best family best fits the criteria of a "second-generation rich kid," it would undoubtedly be Farn Best.

In his early years, the Duke was busy with official duties and did not pay much attention to the education of his children. Each of his wives took care of their own children, and therefore their educational methods differed.

The First Lady was a "tiger mom" and had a very strong preference for sons over daughters. This resulted in her eldest son, Reinhard, living under his mother's oppressive rule from a young age. He was capable but had obvious personality flaws.

The second wife, on the other hand, was indeed shrewd and calculating, but she doted on her children, resulting in her three children being useless and dissolute playboys.

Dick was bullied by the second wife's gang since he was a child. At first, he couldn't fight back, but he endured it. Finally, he seized the opportunity to break out of that messed-up city and create a world of his own with his comrades.

When Dick saw his former bully again, he was calm and composed. He no longer needed to pretend to be weak to hide himself. But Faen still had the same arrogant and haughty attitude as before. It seemed that years of doing whatever he wanted had formed a kind of habitual thinking in him. He felt that even if his fifth brother was a powerful Saint-level expert, he would still bully him at will, just like before.

How should I put it? It fits Dick's stereotype of his second brother perfectly—he has no self-awareness.

This old guy was known for his outrageous behavior back in the capital. He was arrogant and domineering, loved to drink but had a terrible tolerance for alcohol and poor manners when drunk. As a result, whenever someone wanted to scam him, they would go drinking with prostitutes and he would always succeed!

Unfortunately, the second wife doted on him, and the old duke would always step in to bail him out when things got out of hand. As a result, he turned a little fool into the big fool he is today.

Looking back now, this was probably not the Duke's intentional act; the eccentricities in the second wife's lineage were simply a means for the Best family to "tarnish" their reputation. In the treacherous capital, having no leverage is more dangerous than having leverage!

"Fifth brother, I heard your business is booming lately. Mother was worried you'd get into trouble, so she specially sent me over to take good care of you."