One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

Although the divine tree lost its core and suffered a great loss of vitality, at least it did not die.

Its massive canopy was now as docile as a plucked quail, its drooping branches still trembling slightly, no longer daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Nathan stared blankly at the man who was reaching out and wiping the drool from Feng Baobao's mouth in a very natural way.

The last shred of hope and the dignity of being a queen in her heart were utterly shattered.

The sacred tree is the foundation of the island and the source of its power.

But even the sacred tree had to kneel and beg for mercy in front of this man.

Rather than holding onto this hot potato of a throne, waiting for the next wave of hyenas to snatch it away, it's better to...

Why not cling tightly to this leg that's a hundred times thicker than the divine tree?

Having figured this out, a glimmer of light rekindled in King Nathan's previously dejected eyes—a resolute determination to burn his bridges.

She took a deep breath, ignoring her physical weakness, and turned to walk towards the ruins of the royal palace in the center of the island, which had been half-collapsed by the aftershocks of the missile.

……

Half an hour later.

On the square in front of the royal palace.

Zhang Taichu, without any hesitation, found a fairly intact armchair and sat down. The chair was said to be made of thousand-year-old ironwood and had once been the throne of the successive Nasen kings.

But now he looks like an old man sunbathing in a park, one leg crossed over the other, lazily slumped in a chair, picking his teeth slowly with a straw he'd somehow acquired.

Feng Baobao squatted at his feet, hugging her knees. Her eyes, which had become much more lively, curiously looked around at everything. Every now and then, she would look up at Zhang Taichu, and the corners of her mouth would unconsciously turn up.

Wang Zhenqiu, on the other hand, was excitedly wandering around the ruins, scanning something with his tablet and clicking his tongue in amazement.

Only Zhang Chulan stood to the side with a bitter expression, looking at the devastated palace, feeling that the future was bleak.

Just then.

puff.

A muffled thud.

Nathan walked to the center of the square and knelt down on both knees, ten meters away from Zhang Taichu.

She raised her hands high, holding the dark gold branch that represented the Nathan royal power, and slammed her forehead heavily against the dusty stone slab.

"I am Nathan Elijah, the eighth Nathan King."

Her voice, no longer trembling, now carried an unprecedented firmness and solemnity, echoing across the empty square:

"I am willing to lead all the people of the island to offer up everything on Nathan Island, including ownership of the sacred tree."

"From this day forward, the entire island submits to Longhu Mountain!"

"I beg for the protection of a true person!"

After saying this, she prostrated herself, her raised golden branch and forehead pressed against the ground, adopting the most humble posture of an ancient subject meeting his king.

Zhang Chulan's eyes lit up instantly.

submission?

To surrender the island?

This...this is an entire island! A lawless land! A strategic location! Endless resources!

If this is managed well, the company will have the most solid bridgehead overseas in the future!

He was so excited that his face turned red, and he was about to step forward and say something polite, such as "Your Majesty, please rise."

However, Zhang Taichu, sitting in the grand chair, didn't even lift his eyelids.

He spat out the straw from his mouth, picked at his ear, and his face was full of impatience.

"submission?"

Zhang Taichu pursed his lips, as if he were listening to some huge joke:

"What would I do with this wretched island of yours?"

He pointed to the surrounding ruins, then to the desolate primeval forest in the distance:

"No internet, no electricity, no air conditioning."

"There isn't even a delivery service; if you want an iced Coke, you have to make it yourself."

"This shabby place is so cramped, even if it were given to me for free, I'd find it too bulky. And you expect me to protect you?"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Zhang Chulan's smile froze.

King Nathan, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised his head, his pretty face filled with disbelief.

A throne delivered to your door...

So you're being disliked like that?

The reason was... no takeout available?

What on earth is all this?!

Nathan's hands, holding the golden branch, trembled violently. A sense of humiliation, even stronger than defeat, welled up in her heart. She opened her mouth, but could not utter a single word.

"Grandmaster Uncle!"

Zhang Chulan panicked. This was an incredible benefit! How could he just say he didn't want it?

Just as he was about to speak to offer some advice, a hand landed on his shoulder.

Wang Zhenqiu approached him at some point, winked at him, and then walked up to Zhang Taichu with a grin.

"Sir, please calm down."

Wang Zhenqiu rubbed his hands together, like a cunning strategist, and said in a low voice:

"This place is a bit dilapidated now, but the basic structure is still there. And you see, this is a lawless area, nobody can interfere."

"If you get tired of staying in China... cough cough, or if you want to come out for a vacation and relax, it's so inconvenient not having a place to stay, isn't it?"

"You can treat this place like a villa overseas, come and stay occasionally, go fishing, and enjoy the sea view. If anyone dares to disturb you, you can just scatter their ashes. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Upon hearing the words "vacation" and "freedom," Zhang Taichu paused slightly while picking his teeth.

He squinted and thought about it, and it seemed that this twisted logic... actually made a little sense.

In China, there are rules everywhere, cameras everywhere, and even demolishing a building will draw criticism.

Here, let alone demolishing buildings, even if you sank the island, probably no one would dare to utter a sound.

It is indeed quiet.

"Alright."

Zhang Taichu nodded reluctantly, then casually pointed at Zhang Chulan, who was still in a daze:

"Then let's hang up a sign for the Longhushan Overseas Branch here."

"Zhang Chulan".

"From today onwards, you are the head of this branch."

"what?"

Zhang Chulan pointed to his own nose, completely dumbfounded.

Happiness... came so suddenly?

He, Zhang Chulan, has become the master of an island... no, the head of a branch of an island?

"What?!"

Zhang Taichu glared at him, looking very impatient:

"Unwilling? Then I will return this island to her right now."

"Yes, yes! This disciple is willing to share the burden for my master!" Zhang Chulan shuddered, shaking his head like a rattle drum, his face instantly plastered with a fawning smile, almost kneeling down to express his gratitude.

"snort."

Zhang Taichu stood up, walked to King Nasen, and without even glancing at the golden branch, spoke directly to Zhang Chulan:

"From now on, anyone who dares to cause trouble here should just say my name."

"What if giving my name doesn't work..."

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he glanced at the distant sea still billowing black smoke.

"Then let him go to the bottom of the sea and keep that aircraft carrier company."

Zhang Chulan had the heavy golden branch forcibly shoved into his hand, feeling its warm texture, before he could even process this huge surprise that had fallen from the sky.

A soft, elegant, and magnetic voice suddenly came from the shadows deep within the hall.

"Hehehe, congratulations, Master Zhang, on acquiring a celestial island."

The voice was unhurried, carrying a faint hint of amusement:

"I wonder if I have the honor of asking the new island lord for a cup of celebratory wine?"

Before he could finish speaking...

Everyone suddenly looked up.

On the dilapidated beams of the main hall, a figure had appeared at some unknown time.

He was dressed in a sharp black tailcoat, wearing white gloves, and his hair was neatly combed.

The strangest thing is that he was hanging upside down on the roof beam, as if he completely ignored the existence of gravity.

As he spoke, his handsome but pale face slowly emerged from the shadows, a gentlemanly smile playing on his lips.

The leader of the amusement park.

The Hanged Man.