Alien creatures destroy homes? Start by killing upright apes!

"ask."

"Why are you willing to help us? Twenty-seven days ago, the whole world was laughing at you. The newspapers in the United States called you a 'spy sent by the Water Dragon Beast.' Don't you hold a grudge?"

Lu Cheng chuckled.

"I remember. So in addition to the three conditions, there is an additional clause—every newspaper in your seven countries must publish a correction statement on the front page, and the title must be consistent."

"What's the title?"

"We made the wrong choice, but Lu Cheng made the right one."

David looked as if someone had stuffed a whole bitter gourd into his mouth.

George's cigar fell off his ear.

Vito's shoulder twitched.

Massa's lips twitched.

Wood turned around abruptly, his shoulders shrug.

King William's tin boots clattered on the ground, making a metallic sound.

Louis couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Are you serious?" David asked.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

David stared at Lu Cheng for five seconds, then pulled a pen from his pocket: "Okay! I'll sign."

That evening, representatives from the seven countries signed a document at the government building in Winnagh.

The file name is very long—"Cooperation Framework Agreement on Introducing the Water Dragon Beast to Establish an Underground Network".

But later everyone called it the "Cave Treaty".

The signing took place in a burrow dug by the Water Dragon Beast. While the signing was taking place, another Water Dragon Beast was digging in the soil next door. The signing documents were placed on George's lap and signed.

After signing, Lu Cheng asked Jia Li to bring in eight bowls of soup.

The soup was milky white and steaming hot.

"It's made from the bones of the Water Dragon Beast. The meat isn't very edible, but the bones are fine for making soup. Give it a try."

David picked up the bowl, hesitated for a moment, and took a sip.

Then he paused for a moment, and took another sip.

George saw David drink it, so he picked up his glass and took a sip, his eyes widening in surprise.

Vito finished his drink and let out a satisfied sigh.

Massa sipped the drink slowly, then put the bowl down, put his hands together, and said something.

Wood drank the fastest, and after finishing, he looked at the empty bowl with a complicated expression, like someone heartbroken.

After finishing his drink, King William tapped his tin boot on the ground to indicate his satisfaction.

Louis's eyes reddened again after he finished drinking.

"This soup... is better than any soup in any restaurant in the Kingdom of Bulgan."

"The bones of the water dragon beast are high in collagen, and the soup will turn milky white if simmered for a long time. It's nutritious and doesn't contain the protein toxins found in black blood. That's because the toxins are in the meat, not the bones."

David put down his bowl and looked at the arc-shaped patterns left by the digging claws of the water dragon on the cave wall.

The patterns were neat and even, like some kind of ancient decoration.

"Ruler Lu, I have one more question."

"Um?"

"You previously said that Homo erectus would start disguising itself as human around 100 days old, and now it's been 27 days. Do you think that prediction is still accurate?"

Lu Cheng remained silent for a while.

"Maybe even faster."

The atmosphere in the cave became heavy again.

The sound of the water dragon digging its burrow next door continued muffledly, one beat after another, like a heartbeat.

……

Three days after the signing of the Underground Treaty, the representatives of the seven countries returned to their respective countries.

Lu Cheng escorted them to the entrance of the Executive Government and gave each of them a gift.

A jar of thick soup made from water dragon bones, sealed tightly, with a label: Store in the refrigerator, heat before drinking, will not cause diarrhea.

David's expression was complicated when he took the jar.

The prime minister of one of the four great powers flew across most of the planet to ask for help, signed an agreement to dig tunnels in his own country, and left with a jar of soup in his arms.

But he said nothing, tucked the can under his arm, and boarded the steam airship.

George stuffed the jar into the suitcase, and finally lit the cigar.

Vito stood on the airship's gangway, holding the jar. He glanced back at Lu Cheng, his lips moved, and he finally only said, "Thank you."

Massa accepted the jar with the utmost respect, bowed slightly, and said in Taro Tanuki's language, "Thank you for your kindness."

Wood handed the jar to his adjutant, who nearly dropped it—after all, the president of the United States was bringing a jar of soup back home, a sight he himself found hard to accept.

King William's tin boots tapped on the stone steps at the entrance to the Consulate, and he walked away carrying the jar, his steps lighter than when he had arrived.

Louis was the last to leave. He bowed to Lu Cheng while holding the jar, saying nothing, but his eyes reddened again.

After the airship took off, Carrie stood beside Lu Cheng, watching the seven black dots on the horizon grow smaller and smaller.

Do you think they will seriously implement it?

"Yes, they will." Lu Cheng turned and walked back. "Because their people are more anxious than they are. The reason why the four major powers are the four major powers is not because they never make mistakes, but because they know who to turn to for remedies after they make mistakes, and now they have."

Carrie caught up with him: "So what are we waiting for next?"

"Wait until the underground network is built, wait until the third stage of the upright ape development, wait—"

He paused for a moment.

"Wait for the first fake man to appear."

The day after the G7 delegates returned home, the newspapers were abuzz with reports.

It wasn't just any ordinary fried food; it was the kind of fried food that was printed out in extra editions before the layout was even finalized.

Because newspapers in seven countries simultaneously published the same correction statement on their front pages, with the exact same headline—"We made the wrong choice, Lu Cheng made the right one."

The British newspaper, The Times, printed this line below the masthead, even larger than the masthead itself.

The first paragraph states: This newspaper published an article titled "Upright Apes—The Gentlest Foreign Visitors" the day after Advent Day; the entire article is now retracted. We made the wrong choice; Lu Cheng, the ruler of the "Winner Monkey Kingdom," made the right one.

Taro Tanuki Country's "Taro News" is even more ruthless.

Aside from the headline, the front page featured only one photo—the moment Massa received the pot of soup with both hands in front of the government building of the Winners' Kingdom.

Photo caption: The answer the Prime Minister brought back.

The small print below reads: "Not a bullet, but soup."

The Jacques Chicken Newspaper published a photo on its front page of George squatting at the entrance of the Water Dragon Cave with a cigar in his mouth.

In the photo, George's cigar is finally lit, the smoke blurring half of his face, but the focus in his eyes is clearly visible.

An editor's note was added next to the title: Our Premier spent three days in the Winners' Country, the longest he's ever spent in his life.

The newspaper "Zhu Sai Lang" in the Kingdom of Zhu Sai Lang published a photo of Vito measuring the wall of the Water Dragon Cave with a ruler.

Below the title was a line of smaller print: He measured for three hours with a ruler, and after he finished, he signed the underground cave treaty.

The newspapers of Sam's Eagle Kingdom published a photo of Wood crouching at the entrance of the Water Dragon's Cave, his face almost touching the ground.

This photo later became a classic—the dignity of the President of the United States of America was cured by the cave of a water dragon.

The newspapers of Hanscat Kingdom published a close-up of King William's tin boots.

The soles of the boots were covered in mud from the Water Dragon Beast's cave.

The title is: These boots have stepped on the venom of giant millipedes and the caves of water dragons.

The newspaper of the Kingdom of Boulder published a photo of Louis poking the soil turned up by the water dragon with a stick.

Louis's expression in the photo is like that of someone who has discovered a treasure.

The title is only one line: Our Prime Minister has found the answer—not the upright ape, but the soil.

These seven newspapers were published on the same day.

Then newspapers in 100 countries around the world reprinted it.

When the newspapers of the powerful dragon nation reprinted the article, they added an editor's note:

Our President Kerry was accused of treason more than 20 days ago. What happened to those who accused him?