Doctor, I'm really strong!

Delicious! Really delicious! Of course, saying it melts in your mouth is nonsense. That's an adjective, not used to describe how delicious food is. If everything melts in your mouth, you're just drinking soup.

It's a pity that such a large animal can only be eaten by oneself. If it could be disposed of in a harmless manner, it would truly be a natural source of protein.

Wait a minute, harmless disposal isn't out of the question either. Just throw it into the conversion system of the all-powerful factory. The recycling station is built using this function. After breaking it down into basic particles, it is reconstructed, and all kinds of flesh and blood are rendered harmless.

However, it doesn't necessarily have to be used for food; it can be used for other things as well.

At this moment, Nian spoke up: "This body needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, the sooner the better."

Liu Jiuli nodded: "Indeed, if such a large corpse were to rot, it would definitely cause a plague."

Nian Yao pointed to the sky, then to the ground: "Many animals are coming. They will definitely devour the corpses of the sea creatures, transforming them into new sea creatures, and then the sea creatures will spread to the land."

Liu Jiuli nodded. It seemed that Hai Si's assimilation function wasn't just effective on humans, but on other organisms as well. But if that was the case...

"Shouldn't the land be covered with sea cucumbers by now?"

Nian Yi shrugged: "It's very simple. Those nascent terrestrial sea creatures cannot adapt to the Originium environment and will die out soon."

Liu Jiuli: "No wonder."

Nian: "But if the sample size is large enough, they will definitely be able to mutate into special individuals adapted to the terrestrial environment before they die out, and then start to proliferate on a large scale. So when dealing with the Sealings, we should not only deal with the invaders, but also with other creatures that have devoured the flesh and blood of the Sealings. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."

"This is really troublesome."

Liu Jiuli hadn't expected Hai Si to have so many cleanup issues to deal with, but none of that mattered. He raised his hand and activated Originium Arts (he had learned quite a few Originium Arts during this time), letting the flames purify everything.

Nian gave Liu Jiuli a thumbs up: "You're pretty good at playing with fire, little brother. When did you learn that?"

Liu Jiuli: "I've been learning for a while now, and Originium Arts is indeed very convenient."

Year: "Speaking of Originium Arts, Jiuli, what is your innate ability?"

Liu Jiuli was taken aback: "Talent? What talent? Does daring to commit suicide count?"

In the space of consciousness, Moon Shadow coughed with a stern face.

Nian raised her hand and summoned a small wisp of white flame, saying, "It's your strength. For example, I'm particularly skilled in forging, and flames are my specialty. Your sister has abilities related to dreams. What about you?"

Liu Jiuli shook his head directly: "I can't."

I can't exactly say that the system is a skill, and that I acquired this skill by committing suicide.

Wait a minute, how come this story is turning into a horror story?

Nian stared at Liu Jiuli for a long time, and finally sighed: "Forget it, it's normal not to know. I didn't know what the characteristics of my power were or what talents I had at the beginning. Only after truly understanding yourself can you have your own talents."

Liu Jiuli nodded, but inwardly rolled his eyes: I'm not a fragment of the Year Beast, where would I get this innate talent?

More than studying that, Liu Jiuli wanted to know what the ocean in the Arknights world was like. Compared to the land, it was a much more expansive place, representing more resources and more possibilities.

If the Sealings could be used, could we guide them to become a swarm of insects and then have them work as miners in the sea? This way, we could have a continuous supply of marine resources to develop. Even if the system's all-powerful factory became unusable one day, the Red Guards would have a backup plan to ensure that society does not regress.

After all, everything the Red Guards have now is built on the production capacity of completely black technology. Once this system collapses or is weakened, the impact will be devastating.

A healthy civilization cannot develop through cutting-edge technology. We must understand not only what the technology is, but also why it is so.

The waves are churning, but the sea is calm today. It is the cradle of life, the beginning of all possibilities.

Following Liu Jiuli's gaze, Nian turned her head and asked, "You don't have any designs on the sea, do you? I advise you to get rid of those ideas as soon as possible; they're too dangerous."

Liu Jiuli said, "As long as we continue to develop, the ocean will inevitably be within our reach. In any case, the ocean is still within our knowledge and accessible ecosystem, which is much easier than mining in the sky."

Nian sighed: "Back then, Jie was just like you, always thinking about many things that were hard for others to understand."

Upon hearing the name Jie again, Liu Jiuli asked, "Sister Jie, what exactly did you do before?"

Nian countered, "Didn't your sister tell you?"

Liu Jiuli: "They've said some things, and it's probably the same as what I've heard, um, pretty much like that."

Nian chuckled and snorted, "You're causing trouble outside, but back then, Jie was causing trouble inside Yan Kingdom, and quite a lot of trouble."

Liu Jiuli: "How big?"

In his serious reply, he said, "It's so important that no one is allowed to mention it to this day."

Liu Jiuli laughed and said, "Feudal autocracy and people's autocracy are indeed irreconcilable enemies."

After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked, "Do you plan to return to Yan Kingdom in the future?"

Chapter 170: The War That Was Necessary

(Summoning comments (～￣▽￣)～)

Nian asked a question that Liu Jiuli had never considered before.

Although the reason is unknown, both Nian and Ling believe that they are the incarnations of the Sui Beast, and the Sui Beast's origin is within the territory of Yan Kingdom. So, after developing and growing stronger outside, will the wanderer want to return home? Or, will he have any other thoughts about Yan Kingdom?

After thinking for a moment, Liu Jiuli replied, "The answer to this question does not lie with me."

Yan Kingdom is the Yan Kingdom of the Terra continent, not his own homeland. Liu Jiuli has no feelings for this feudal empire. Don't talk about Yan Kingdom being the ceiling of the Terra continent. You should know that even in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, there were still poor people in China who were barely clothed. The prosperity of a feudal dynasty is only the prosperity of a few people and has nothing to do with the vast majority of people.

As for the so-called prosperous era of the Qing Dynasty, they should thank sweet potatoes and potatoes more.

The path chosen by the Red Guards will inevitably make them enemies of the feudal elites. Even slightly more advanced capitalist countries would think so. At that time, these people will have the opportunity to unite and jointly suppress this force. The Soviet Union did so, and the Red Guards will certainly do the same.

If they didn't do that, it only shows that they are incompetent rulers who can't even grasp the main contradictions.

That's why Liu Jiuli said that if Yan State were to attack the Red Guards, Liu Jiuli would treat them as Beiyang and the people, and if he couldn't kill them, he would change his surname.

Don't even mention compromise. Compromise between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat is for the sake of productivity, but compromise with the feudal aristocracy is utter bullshit; you've betrayed your people!

Of course, Nian had no idea that Liu Jiuli had thought so much. In her opinion, Liu Jiuli's ambiguous answer was actually a confirmation that there would definitely be a conflict with Yan, that he would definitely take over Yan, and that there would definitely be fierce confrontation.

But in the end, she just sighed and didn't say anything more.

The disappearance of the giant octopus seemed to cause a huge stir, but very few people actually knew about it because there were no villages or towns nearby, and the nearest mobile city was more than 100 kilometers away. Although the explosion of a 500mm shell was huge, you couldn't hear anything at that distance. Most ordinary people continued to live their lives, full of hope for tomorrow.

However, Liu Jiuli did not stay in Yansk for long, but immediately headed to Kazdel, because something had happened there.

The Syracusean side is assembling its troops.

But before the official start of the war, Lady Sicily actually sent a special envoy to Kazdel, hoping to have a dialogue with the Red Guard's high command and strive for a peaceful resolution.

Syracuse is already sharpening its knives, but if possible, Ms. Sicily does not want to fight this war.

The reason is very simple: Future Technology has now replaced Kazdel's previous illicit business and is expected to become Syracuse's largest source of revenue within the next two years. This shift from illicit to legitimate business is a turning point in the history of the Sicilian family, and Mrs. Sicily does not want to miss it.

However, she also had to give an explanation to her subordinates, especially those who mainly engaged in underworld business and lost money in shady dealings. Ironically, Syracuse did indeed rise to prominence through underworld business, as did the Sicilian family, thus creating a strong path dependency. There were many related personnel, which put a lot of pressure on her.

So Madame Sicily decided to send a special envoy, ostensibly for negotiations, but actually to probe the waters.

"To put it bluntly, they still want to do business with us, especially clean business."

Liu Jiuli already knew Syracuse's inclinations. The envoy's attitude spoke volumes. If the other party were merely a gangster kingpin, they wouldn't have such meticulous operations; they would have just started fighting directly.

Ms. Sicily is a visionary person with a broad perspective.

W, who was sitting next to him, said, "So, Syracuse doesn't really want to fight."

Liu Jiuli shook his head: "No, it's just that Ms. Sicily herself doesn't want to fight. But on this issue, there's very little she can decide. Don't forget, Syracuse rose to prominence through shady businesses. Now that she wants to transform, she has to face those vested interests from the old era."

W shrugged: "So that means you're going to fight."

Liu Jiuli stood up and walked to the map, turning his back to it as he said, "This battle is crucial; it's a political battle, and also a psychological battle."

W immediately rolled his eyes: "Politics, what a troublesome thing."

Liu Jiuli walked over and flicked the horn on W's head: "War is a continuation of politics. You better learn from this."

"I don't like this kind of thing." She looked aggrieved, and anyone who didn't know better would think that Liu Jiuli had done something to her.

Liu Jiuli: "You don't get to decide that. Your position determines your perspective. If you're in a certain position, you have to have the mindset that matches that position. As an intelligence officer, if you don't understand this, you'll be played to death sooner or later."

"Okay, okay, I understand. I will study hard. You are even more long-winded than His Highness."

Liu Jiuli laughed and said, "If rambling on for a bit can help you study better, I'm willing to waste a few more words."

W picked up a drink from the coffee table, took a sip, and then asked, "By the way, you just said this battle is a political and psychological war. What do you mean by that?"

Liu Jiuli explained: "The political war is because our victory can reverse the attitudes of neighboring countries towards Kazdel, and the psychological war is because the victory can help everyone to re-evaluate their environment, understand their own strength, and unite more people."

W: "Simply put, it's about giving everyone hope, right?"

Liu Jiuli: "That's right. After all, only if we exercise properly can we get idiots to talk to us calmly."

Besides these two things, there's another economic factor that Liu Jiuli didn't mention. To do legitimate business and make money, you need a favorable external environment. Syracuse is one of Kazdel's future commodity markets, and Liu Jiuli has no reason to let it go.

A war would serve as a wake-up call for Syracuse, allowing them to recognize the situation, weaken the influence of the underworld, and establish a cooperative and mutually beneficial mechanism between the two sides. It is estimated that Ms. Sicily will use this war to weaken the opposition's strength. Ms. Sicily's rational decision-making, coupled with the Red Guards' resounding victory, is enough to achieve a strategic win-win situation.

Some things will always be eliminated by history. If they are unwilling to accept this, then let's use guns and cannons to format the problem.

Those old fogies must understand that Kazdel is not the same as before, and that the future Kazdel will be even stronger, possessing the power to influence the surrounding situation.

At this time, Kazdel's Red Guards had increased to 100,000 men, and tensions were running high between the two sides.

Chapter 171: War, Imminent

(I've been quite busy lately, so updates might be unstable. I'm just an industrial worker, what can I do? ε=('ο｀))) Sigh)

Before any two armies clash, they always exchange provocations. For example, the Syracuse side gradually became more assertive, repeatedly saying, "Let those ungrateful Kazdel barbarians pay the price."

In contrast, Kazdel's side, or rather the Red Guards' side, was eerily quiet, as if nothing had happened.

Syracuse felt they had the upper hand, but their intelligence had already been delivered to Liu Jiuli's desk in its entirety. The country's intelligence department was practically nonexistent, and the gang members' secrecy was equivalent to the excellent matching mechanism in the African region. After a few drinks, they started to speak without thinking, and with a little prompting, they confessed everything.

The Ministry of the Interior simply opened a few bars in major cities within Syracuse, and by paying a small price for some fine wine, they managed to expose the Syracuse military plans in great detail.

Some don't even require you to ask; once they start bragging, anyone who pays a little attention can hear a lot of sensational stories. It's as easy as stealing missiles from West Germany, and they even do it through the official postal service.

According to intelligence, Syracuse has mobilized more than 200,000 troops, which sounds like a lot, doesn't it?

But the only truly capable fighters here are the private soldiers of those mafia families, or rather, professionally trained fighters. Their total strength is a mere 50,000. The remaining 150,000 are either their henchmen or just there for show. They're fine with raping and looting alongside the victorious main force, but in a direct confrontation, it's like Italy taking on Germany—suicide.

Furthermore, this army also faces logistical supply problems.

Wait a minute, is this all the modern equipment a country on the continent of Terra has? Don't go too far with your criticism.

This is really not too much. For a country dominated by gangs and families, it would be too much to expect its mobilization capabilities to be on par with the US and the USSR. At best, it can only compete with the mobilization capabilities of medieval feudal dynasties, and it can't even be a well-established centralized dynasty. The mobilization capabilities and organization of the iron-fisted Song Dynasty were higher than theirs.

After all, the larger the country, the more difficult it is to manage, the more managers there are, and all sorts of problems arise.

This is similar to the Athenian democracy of ancient Greece. It sounds great, right? But if it were spread, let alone the world, even the city of Athens would struggle to function, consuming enormous resources (in ancient times, gathering thousands or even tens of thousands of people for a meeting was very costly; people didn't have the internet or mobile phones). If all of Greece adopted Athens' democratic model, how could the locals live their lives if they were either in meetings or on their way to meetings every day?