Forge a path to success

The nobleman took out a handkerchief and elegantly wiped his glasses, not forgetting to express his gratitude: "Thank you for the reminder. Now, let's begin checking the 18th..."

Vande squinted: "Hey, that's enough. Can't you see the kids' faces are all black? The staff over there are also very troubled, they're practically bald, you bastard."

“I object. My prosecutorial insight tells me that he was originally bald.”

"Why are you guys making bald jokes so casually again?!" Sethlen protested. "Watch your mouths! You'll all be like that someday!"

Vande squirmed and twisted: "I have no hair!"

"I can control the amount of hair I have, so I won't lose it," the nobleman said seriously.

"Please, Prosecutor Banningtik, for the sake of the tourists, please check somewhere else! The spot check of the fountain area is over, and the children can have their chocolates now!"

Sethlen managed to coax the prosecutor aside, and the children swarmed around him, making faces at him. Banningtik pulled out a large, scroll-like form and wrote "Temporarily harmless" next to the fountain.

"The inspection items are so detailed?" Chu Hengkong glanced at it. "Is it necessary? This is a government-owned property of the Fifth Team."

The fountain entry is only about a third of the way down the first page, while the castle category alone has at least 300 entries waiting to be checked.

Banningtik put away his pen and replied, “It is necessary. Admittedly, citizens will have a natural trust in the Fifth Pulse Guard because of its credibility, but the captain’s personal character cannot guarantee the safety of the amusement park rides. Regularly hiring neutral third parties to conduct safety inspections to the highest standards is the responsible way to ensure the safety of citizens’ lives.”

This long and convoluted argument left Gulibo dizzy, and his argumentative voice softened by a third: "But what you wrote was all harmless, Bo..."

“Temporary harmlessness does not equate to permanent harmlessness,” Banningtik replied seriously. “The ingredients inside the castle are all harmless, but whether there are any safety hazards after they are mixed still needs further inspection. At the end of this route, there are facilities that use local ingredients to cook food, which I believe is precisely the highest-risk part.”

Chu Hengkong also shook his head: "That's nitpicking..."

Before the words were even finished, a small golden head peeked in from outside the waterfall, its eyes full of anticipation: "Akong, come quick! There's a cooking competition at the end of the castle route, we can use the ingredients we find there to cook and have fun!"

"Okay." Chu Hengkong was also eager to try.

Van Der shuddered, trembling, "Well... it can't be said that there are no safety risks..."

Chapter 315 Driving My Beloved Bumper Car

【~Rules Introduction~】

Legend has it that incredible ingredients grow in the fields outside the Chocolate Castle, and magical, delicious kitchen utensils are hidden behind the castle.

Get your hands dirty and use your imagination! Craft a vehicle from the plant seeds available and embark on a culinary adventure!

Chu Hengkong looked away from the notice board: "It seems like they're going to play DIY racing."

Deep in the chocolate meadow, a lively scene unfolds before the starting line drawn with syrup. Adults, children, and animals alike hold their randomly selected quick-growing plant seeds and are planting them on the spot to assemble their vehicles.

The cartoon map on the notice board clearly shows the entire route: they must first grow "plant off-road vehicles" within the city-state, drive around the free area after leaving the city to collect ingredients, and then overcome the obstruction of flying pirate ships to reach the destination where cooking utensils are hidden.

"This route is quite long; it'll take almost a whole day to complete," Vande commented. "So, does anyone know how to assemble the plant carts?"

Ji Huaisu flipped through the manual quickly: "According to the instructions, these fast-growing plants can grow in 30 seconds as long as they are buried on the spot and watered... This thing looks so familiar. It's basically a civilian version of war plants."

"Military technology is generally 30 years ahead of civilian technology," Qingye said, taking out a shovel. "Let me give it a try first!"

She casually scattered a few seeds into the soil. After Ji Huaisu poured some ice water on them, the soil where the seeds were buried swelled up into a mound, and several peas the size of cartwheels, hardwood bark that jingled when tapped, and reflective leaves emerged one after another. These plant "parts" all had obvious seams, clearly custom-designed plants specifically for the game.

"Plant-based Lego bricks, how interesting." Chu Hengkong started working on it.

"I'll help too!" Ji Huaisu said enthusiastically.

The children who arrived earlier had almost finished assembling their vehicles. The design concept was simple: peas were used as wheels, wooden planks were used to build the canopy, leaves were used to make the windows and rearview mirrors, and a few other small gadgets were added to complete the vehicle. The finished products from each group were quite similar, with the main differences being the decorations made using vines and patterns, as well as the number of wheels.

Van Der nodded repeatedly: "I must say, this amusement park design is actually quite good. It's not difficult at all. If even kids can fit into it, then you guys should be able to too..."

It turned its head and saw Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu standing on a strange contraption that looked like a broken wooden raft with a ball on its head.

“It’s done,” Chu Hengkong said.

"Completed my ass! What is this? What does this car have to do with anything?! This piece of junk looks like a stranded, broken raft covered in troll snot!"

“Vander, your spatial reasoning is really terrible,” Ji Huaisu shook his head. “Look!”

She flipped the raft upside down so that the pea-ball side landed on the ground, and the magical thing looked like a... wheelbarrow with no handles or windows, only one wheel.

"It's done!" Ji Huaisu said proudly.

"I can't see any connection to completion at all. Seriously, are you really planning to run on those pitiful wheels? It feels like the pea-sized wheels are crying." Qingye ate grass.

"Xiao Ye, you don't understand at all! As long as there's a steering wheel, a vehicle can move smoothly!" Ji Huaisu took out a bicycle-shaped handlebar woven from vines and attached it. "Let's go, Flying Swallow Pivot!"

"They even gave it a name!"

The vine-covered handlebars glowed green, and the Swallow Fulcrum, now powered, surged forward! 0.1 seconds later, it lost its balance and flung the two people on board onto the grass! The pea-shaped wheel broke free of the raft and soared into the sky alone!

Ji Huaisu reached out in anguish: "No! The Flying Swallow Pivot!"

"Why..." Chu Hengkong was disappointed.

"I want to ask why too! Why do you guys actually believe that this thing can run?" Vande covered his eyes.

"Ah, plant assembly is an art with a long history. Even if the assembly threshold is lowered to the level of an infant, it is not something that laymen can easily do."

At that moment, a male voice with a traditional aristocratic air rang out. Prosecutor Banningtik, standing nearby, flicked his cloak, displaying the car behind him: "Look. This is true art from the land of Thorns!"

Unlike the orcish-style creations of the Dragon City duo, Banningtik's vehicle was well-proportioned and elegantly designed. The vines used for decoration even featured fully hand-carved cryptic reliefs, making it as exquisite as a work of art straight out of a museum.

The children watching were practically beaming with pride, while Banningtik himself crossed his arms, looking quite pleased with himself.

"It actually looks quite decent..." Vande exclaimed in amazement.

"But where's the steering wheel?" Ji Huaisu noticed something amiss. "How are you going to drive without the handle?"

This convertible plant van was perfect in every way, except for the lack of a floral vine handle for steering and power. Banningtik pointed casually: "Looks like your observation skills are far from reaching the level of a prosecutor… The steering wheel is right here!"

The group went around to the back of the vehicle and saw a bicycle handlebar stuck on the back of the vehicle, looking like a bicycle logo.

Van der stared wide-eyed: "Not noticing this has absolutely nothing to do with observation skills. What kind of thinking led you to put the handlebars on the back of the bike?!"

Banningtik wiped his glasses: "This is... for aesthetic reasons..."

"You're obviously guilty! You just forgot, didn't you! You were smugly assembling it until the very end when you realized you'd forgotten an important part, so you just shoved it in randomly, didn't you!"

Chu Hengkong's focus was more practical: "How do you plan to drive this car?"

"If you're facing away from the car window and using your arm's length to control the steering wheel..."

"That's quite serious, a safety hazard. If I were a traffic cop, I would definitely give you a ticket."

Banningtik wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and said seriously, "Don't talk about me if you don't even have a car."

"He's starting to change the subject, huh? How lame."

"The competition starts in one minute. You guys better think of something for yourselves than me!"

Sethlen hurriedly banged a gong, signaling to the competitors that the rally race was about to begin. Ji Huaisu pondered, "It seems the Flying Swallow Pivot still needs further improvements..."

"Your beat-up car is beyond repair; you should start building a new one from scratch."

Chu Hengkong offered a groundbreaking suggestion: "Shouldn't we add another wheel?"

"They should at least add three more wheels," Qingye pointed out. "Besides, there are only 30 seconds left on the countdown. Instead of struggling in vain, it would be better to see if there are any other cars we can hitch a ride on."

"I'll just slice through my steel armor and fly over there..."

"Sister Huaisu, we're here to have fun. Don't you realize you're playing a game?"

Just then, Qingxia waved happily from afar: "Everyone come quick~ Our car is finished~~!"

"It's done!"

Vande slapped his forehead, thinking to himself that he'd been hanging out with idiots for too long and hadn't thought of any professionals. He turned around confidently: "Gulibo, this round depends entirely on—what did you even plant?!"

That thing was probably an accidental product of a large truck and a heavy tank after a serious drinking session, and then it underwent a complete set of antique modifications at a medieval knight training camp. It looked absolutely "majestic".

It is nearly four meters wide and six meters high, with its bronze-colored hardwood armor fitting together seamlessly, making it appear as an impenetrable fortress. The front armor forms a dangerous curve, densely covered with wooden spikes, leaving no doubt that anyone daring to approach would be instantly sent flying. Each side of the vehicle is equipped with a sickle and a cutting blade, while the rear section houses an anti-aircraft turret and a machine gun control panel. The rear section also features a uniquely designed, extra-large, all-wood predatory claw, likely intended for snatching valuable food, enemy infantry, or perhaps the mother of some unfortunate soul.

Gulibo stood on the high cannon platform, proudly raising his nose: "Gulibo has finished smashing the car."

Van der was shocked: "Even if you give it a cute name, it can't hide its ferocious nature! What on earth is this thing?!"

“It’s a traditional farming tool of our Gubo tribe. It’s very big and very green. During the busy farming season, we drive the shovel, the millstone, and the specially modified large-capacity mill to harvest the boar.”

"Stop talking nonsense. Are you trying to say this is a farm tool? This thing is so terrifying that even the Demon King's army would be scared to tears if they saw it!"

The children around him looked at him with eyes that seemed to hold the Milky Way: "So cool!"

Prosecutor Banningtik couldn't help but nod: "I hate to admit it, but...everyone wanted to own a car like that when they were a kid..."

Vande's single eye was lifeless: "I can no longer tell whether it's the Gubo tribe or your Thorn City-State that's terrifying."

"By the way, because the soil around the bramble is rich in nutrients, this child tastes a little better than the ones we planted before."

"Who would dare eat this! I'd be grateful if it didn't eat me!"

Chu Heng patted the outer armor of the "Gubo Zaza Car" with admiration, saying, "What a great car! Who wants to be the driver?"

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" Qingxia rushed to the driver's seat impatiently.

"You just handed the most dangerous weapon to the most dangerous person so easily, you bastard."

Chu Hengkong dragged the panting Fan De, who was still out of breath from all the complaining, into the side seat of the truck. Ji Huaisu took the muzzle, and Qing Ye occupied the machine gun turret. Gu Libo sat in his exclusive passenger seat, exclaiming with gusto, "Let's go!"

"Let's go and crush the pirate ship into a pancake!"

Vande nearly choked: "You don't even understand what we're doing, you idiot!"

"Are you all ready, passengers? We're about to depart!"

The turtle employee sitting on a small cloud blew a whistle. One after another, misshapen and haphazardly designed plant-themed off-road vehicles started simultaneously and rushed forward. Even more deafening than the cheers and laughter was the resounding boom of the "Goblin Smash Car" starting up. The muzzle swayed, the wooden claws extended and retracted, and the massive vehicle seemed to come alive, arriving in an instant…

The last one in the team!

"I forgot to mention, the car-smashing speed is a bit slow."

"So it's an armed tractor!!!"

Chapter 316 Fire the Cannons at the Pirate Ship

"Honestly, this is less funny and more embarrassing! A first-class gardener's plant off-road vehicle is slower than a child's bumper car!" Vande shouted.

Guli Bo deeply reflected: "All I was thinking about was making Bo green enough..."

"The most important thing about vehicles isn't color, but speed."

"It has to be green! It absolutely has to be green, the greener the plant, the more vibrant it is!"

"Speaking of which, this leaf decoration is actually quite delicious." Qingye ate a leaf.

"Stop eating the car, Xiaoye!!!"

The Gubo Smash Car struggled to travel nearly 100 meters, while the other bumper cars had long since disappeared. Ji Huaisu angrily smashed the car in an attempt to accelerate. She heard the man next to her comment, "The so-called 'the greener the better' is typical gardener's thinking. Treating a work of art with the mindset of tending plants will naturally result in an unsatisfactory finished product."

“That makes a lot of sense, but…” Ji Huaisu glanced sideways, “wouldn’t you like to look in the mirror before criticizing others, Mr. Prosecutor?”

Prosecutor Banningtik's voice came from a hundred meters away. He wasn't the last in the line, as his car hadn't started yet. Because the steering wheel was mounted at the rear, the prosecutor inside couldn't move the car no matter what he did.

He's currently trying to touch the steering wheel with a difficult backbend! But he failed because his arms aren't long enough!

Chu Hengkong sincerely suggested, "Why don't we reinstall it first?"

"No need, I've already investigated the details of this vehicle..."

"That's a car you assembled yourself. Is it really appropriate to say that like you're inspecting evidence?"

Prosecutor Banningtik recovered from his backbend and, as he stepped out of the car, elegantly adjusted the scarf at his chest. He went to the back of the car and with a sweep of his hands, two pointed planks sprouted from beneath the pea-sized wheels. Then, Prosecutor Banningtik assumed a horse stance and gripped the steering wheel at the back of the car!

"Spear of the Divine Tree, launch!"

"You even named your car..."

Finally, the perfectly crafted vehicle started, pulling Banningtik forward like a wild horse. Then, Banningtik leaped slightly, placing each foot on a long, extended plank! He steered the runaway off-road vehicle with the grace of a seasoned hunter!

Gulibo's eyes widened in disbelief: "What does this have to do with a car? This is practically a sled, Bo!"

“This is the way a gentleman travels!” Banningtik laughed heartily, pulling out a leather whip from somewhere and lashing the carriage hard. “Now we can finally conduct safety assessments at a normal speed, and the wind is quite pleasant too, hahahahahahaha!”

"You prosecutor, you're having more fun than the tourists, you scoundrel!"

Ji Huaisu watched Banningtik's departing figure and said with worry, "This way we'll really be in last place."

"No." Chu Hengkong clenched his fist. "I...don't want to..."

"Alright, buddy, I know you don't want to lose. Please, someone come up with a plan before this madman goes berserk!"

"Leave it to me," Qingxia said confidently. "I'll make this combat truck reach its full potential!"