My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 224

...while on the other side.

Mr. Yang Hao, who was helping Teresa with some of her work, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if something terrible was about to happen. He felt his heart pounding, and he didn't know why.

"Maybe it's just my imagination"—with that thought in mind, Mr. Yang Hao simply shook his head, took a sip of hot tea, and prepared to call Ms. Therese—"Sigh! I hope I won't have to suffer so much when I go to Kazdel."

"I hope I can get back before little Leanna is born..." he muttered to himself, and with a fear that he didn't know why, he dialed Ms. Therese's number.

Chapter 126

Ms. Therese is monitoring intelligence regarding Kazimierz.

Since the end of the war in Casimir, Ms. Therese has been busy calculating the benefits she gained from it.

Money was one aspect, but more importantly, through this intervention in the war between Casimir and Colombia, Ms. Therese was pleasantly surprised to find that she seemed to have opened another door to commercial communication with the outside world—besides Ursus, even Casimir was now willing to establish diplomatic relations with Kazdel. How wonderful! How wonderful!

But then again...

"The loss of soldiers is greater than I imagined... Sigh. But it's something that has to go through—on another note, the number of Sarkaz remaining in Ursus is smaller than I expected? That's alright... at least the Royal Court and Theresa can handle it..."

She muttered something to herself as she flipped through the intelligence report in her hand. Before she knew it, Ms. Therese had begun to think about her [teacher].

It's been quite a while since the last "warning"—I wonder what Mr. Yang Hao is doing now. Will he come? Therese's lips twitched, and after picking up another intelligence report, she sighed heavily:

"And the situation at the Gallo Empire ruins is also a headache... those crystals are moving at a slow but steady pace... huh? And all the vegetation along the way has withered, even the most dangerous beasts are fleeing in panic? Hmm... this is not something we Kazdel can handle. But we just happen to be stuck at the very front?"

The location of the Kazdel region is really bad.

In the past, it was surrounded by powerful countries, and it was already bad enough that the country was destroyed within a few years of its founding.

We finally saw a turning point on the issue of "great power"... and then you give me this disaster-like trouble... Sigh!

I don't even know what to say. Maybe that's just how the Sarkaz are. Is living a sin?

That said, if "living is a sin"... then looking at it this way, the policies implemented by my "teacher" in his administrative district... were indeed a paradise for the Sarkaz and the Infected. So lenient towards the Sarkaz, treating the Infected equally, even spending huge sums to provide them with residential areas where they could live and work normally, areas that, apart from requiring quarantine, were no different from normal urban areas...

"...Perhaps ordinary citizens simply cannot understand this teacher's every move...but it must be said that, from the perspective of the infected and the Sarkaz...he is indeed a good ruler."

It's a pity this teacher isn't Sarkaz—and she's married, to that immortal Koschke. Sigh!

Therese shook her head and smiled wryly: "If Mr. Yang Hao's marriage partner were just an ordinary duke, that would be fine. But it's Duke Koschche, what are we going to do?"

If it were an ordinary duke, now that she's dead, Therese would be confident she could use this opportunity to deepen the relationship between them and then find a way to secure more benefits for Kazdel—but it's Duke Koschei... tsk tsk.

Even knowing the secret that this duke is immortal, they will only receive a stern warning. It seems that they can't break through this barrier.

What should I do? Sigh!

Why can't you just turn your business partner into the father of your child?

Therese was conflicted about this—and just then—

"Ok?"

Her phone was buzzing, causing her to temporarily put down the intelligence she was reading and instinctively reach for the phone—after all, the only contact she had on her phone was Mr. Yang Hao.

While she'd always been curious about how this phone could conduct real-time communication over such long distances, and had even considered using it for military purposes... it's clear that Therese simply couldn't afford to take that risk right now...

So, what's going on? Why did my teacher contact me at this time?

Curious, Therese opened her phone and said:

"teacher?"

"—I'll get straight to the point. I've acquired 20 vacant mobile districts in Kazimir, and I don't need them in Ursus either. Are you interested?"

"ha?!!!!"

Therese's startled scream echoed throughout the office. The absolutists guarding outside even barged in without knocking—they were too impulsive, worried that their master was in danger. But when they entered, they found... nothing serious had happened; their master was just yelling at the phone.

So after bowing their heads to express their apologies, they obediently left Therese's office, not forgetting to pick up the broken door that had fallen to the ground and put it back in its place.

And it was only after her subordinates left... that Ms. Therese managed to suppress her inner joy and, with a trembling, ecstatic tone, whispered urgently into her phone:

"Are you serious?! Twenty districts?! Empty?! You can sell them to us?!"

"Yes—but it's not free. You have to pay me—or something else."

“I understand! But I can’t make decisions on my own. I need to consult with my sister and the people from the royal court.”

"Okay—I'll wait for your reply. That's all for now, feel free to contact me anytime."

"Yes...I'll be back soon!"

Ms. Therese hung up the phone with trembling hands. She truly hadn't expected to stumble upon such a wonderful surprise!

Those are mobile cities?! Twenty of them, a full twenty! Those are the cities the Sarkaz people have always dreamed of?! A full twenty!

And it's a major city in Kazimir, not some undeveloped town!

More importantly, although Therese herself was certain that she couldn't take over all these cities... this directly demonstrated the attitude of Ursus and Kazimir—they didn't mind Kazdel's rise!

That's really great news!

Even after she hung up the phone, Therese's hands were still trembling...

...

But then again...

If there are already such great benefits just from the teacher-student relationship... then what if things go even further?

Therese gritted her teeth, thinking that she was going to go all out.

Chapter 127

2pm on July 16rd.

Inside the meeting room of the Kazdel Royal Court.

When Therese met her sister, the current Demon King Theresia, and the other noble patriarchs or heirs of the Sarkaz royal court, she had already largely prepared what she wanted to say.

So when everyone arrived, before her sister, who held different political views, had even had a chance to greet her, Therese said:

"Duke Yang Hao of Ursus is willing to sell us 20 mobile city blocks from Kazimir, but as the CEO of Umbrella Security and a general of the Sarkaz Military Council, I have no say in this matter. So, what are your opinions?"

"..."

The conference room fell silent instantly. Everyone here was intelligent; even Blood Demon, who was least politically astute, realized this was a hot potato.

What exactly does it mean to have 20 complete mobile city blocks?

This is something that Kazdel might spend decades painstakingly developing to complete—and more importantly, even if the Kazdel people managed to rebuild the city, it would only be a bare shell—without a single building on it, and building those buildings would require even more resources...

Moreover, this was sent by the Duke of Ursus, a mobile city from Kazimierz—what kind of concept is that?

"...In other words, our country has gained the recognition of at least two major powers...?"

“That’s fair to say. And if our intelligence is correct, the most likely candidate to become the Prime Minister or even the King of Kazimir is none other than Theresa Nowitzki, the chief spymaster under Duke Yang Hao.” Lady Theresa acknowledged Theresa’s murmur, then dropped a bombshell with a twitch at the corner of her mouth: “And if… there are no surprises, the current Emperor of Ursus has an extremely ambiguous relationship with Mr. Yang Hao.”

"...Since the founding of the Ursus Empire, the only noble titles ever conferred were basically those of the emperor's relatives or lovers."

"I don't believe Mr. Yang Hao is related to His Majesty. Besides, His Majesty is pregnant out of wedlock." Lady Therese's lips twitched, then she turned to the Blood Demon Chieftain, who was staring at the ceiling in deep thought, and explained, "Not to mention, His Majesty's most recent place of governance is the audience hall of the Duke's mansion in the Dukedom of Koschei, and not to mention, Saint-Strong Castle has been completely merged with the Dukedom of Koschei, and there are even rumors that the two cities will be merged in the future—my personal judgment is that Mr. Yang Hao is His Majesty's lover, whom he cannot publicly acknowledge but has already publicly acknowledged... the father of the future Crown Prince of the Ursus Empire."

This is an obvious and serious matter... The emperor personally bestowed upon her a title of nobility, the emperor became pregnant out of wedlock, the emperor is very close to the current nobility's "wife," and even the capital city is adjacent to her duchy... Hiss.

If at this point they were to say that there was no relationship between them, or that the child in His Majesty's womb had nothing to do with him, Therese would immediately sleep with her teacher, completely transforming him from a "teacher" and "partner" into the "father of the child"—she was serious.

"In other words... the Ursus Empire will also be his possession in the future?"

After Ms. Therese provided a reasonable analysis... everyone present understood the gravity of the situation: this wasn't a recognition of Kazdel by two separate nations—it was clearly a recognition of Kazdel by a single, seemingly unified superpower...

They were stunned. Even Therese's sister couldn't hide the fear on her face and instinctively asked:

"...Sister, are you serious? I mean...that duke really is—"

"He also serves as the Speaker of the Ursus Empire Council, the Chief Executive Officer, and the future tutor to the Crown Prince."

"...I understand. Ursus will become Mr. Yang Hao's family business in the future. However, considering that, we need to be cautious about our contact with him." Theresa was speechless, then could only nod helplessly: "So let's put aside for now what he and what dramatic changes might occur in the future between Kazdel and Ursus—20 mobile districts? Kazdel doesn't have that many funds to purchase all the districts at once..."

"Furthermore, we don't have enough resources for maintenance—to be precise, we can't produce it ourselves. We need to maintain trade with Ursus to ensure that some of the cities are properly maintained."

"If we add commercial exchanges with Kazimir in the future, perhaps we can maintain more urban areas... But do we have enough people to move into the city right now?"

"If we include the Sarkaz, who live independently in tribes across the wilderness of Kazdel... yes. But once we unite them, we'll face a crucial problem: food and industry..."

...

Everyone started chattering about today's important topic: the purchase of several districts. They discussed many details, especially Theresa, who hoped to acquire as many mobile districts as possible within Kazdel's acceptable range and transform them into the foundation for Kazdel's power and development—but without knowing the other party's offer, their discussion ultimately only yielded one result:

"Sister. We hope you can provide us with information regarding the [price]. Furthermore, we need information about the Sarkaz mercenaries outside—"

"They're long-term employees. The mercenaries in Kazimir will probably be back soon, but as for the ones in Ursus, it's best to treat them as Ursus people."

"...I understand now. And besides that, I heard Kal'tsit was there too?"

"Huh? Your doctor? Your staff? I'm not quite sure."

Kal'tsit seemed to have been Theresia's advisor for a long time, didn't she? Theresia shook her head, thinking it would be better if she didn't dwell on the question.

But... are there any of my sister's former staff members over there...?

She frowned, feeling like she had an idea...

Chapter 128

4pm on July 16rd.

When Yang Hao received news from his student, the person he was supporting, Ms. Therese, that they wanted to inquire about his "quote" first...

To be honest, Yang Hao still doesn't have a clear idea of ​​what's going on.

After all, 20 districts are simply too many. But for Kazimierz and Ursus, they are currently just garbage that is either abandoned or wasted. While other neighboring countries are interested, considering that the rise of Ursus and Kazimierz cannot be hindered too much in the future, Yang Hao, after discussing with Her Majesty Ekaterina and his family's old snake, decided that if they didn't sell them to them, they would sell them to Kazdel or Yan Kingdom, or even simply dismantle them on the spot.

But that's what I mean—what about the price?

His wife was still angry and immediately said, "You handle it yourself."

Her Majesty Catherine, being busy with her work and unable to work for too long, said, "You decide."

Little Pony—Little Pony was busy with her own things, and Yang Hao didn't want to bother her, so he said, "You decide."

So... Yang Hao is having a real headache about quoting prices right now.

Although he really wanted to squeeze Kazdel down to the same level of weakness as his own immature testicles back then—but considering they were the first line of defense against psionic beings, Yang Hao felt he couldn't go too far.

So, how should he quote a price?

Um...

Mr. Yang Hao pondered for a while, holding his phone. Then, under Sonia's mother's puzzled gaze, he sat down next to her, leaned against her shoulder, and then it occurred to him—

"-It's about half the price of a mobile city sold in a regular country."

He planned to sell it for half the price of other countries' self-built mobile cities. That was Yang Hao's idea. After all, to be honest, the city he currently possessed was actually a gift from Theresa—a gift from the little pony. He had obtained so many treasures from Theresa without spending a single penny, so he had to use them as soon as possible!

Perfect timing! Selling them at half price will basically ensure Kazdel can use up this portion of its reserves. More importantly, if Yang Hao remembers correctly, Kazdel currently lacks the capacity to produce the [consumables] necessary for maintaining the city.

The more cities they own, the more dependent they become on importing consumables. And right now, only Ursus is willing to supply them with consumables—so in other words, Yang Hao is using short-term losses to his own interests to force Kazdel to be subservient to Ursus for a longer period of time, which is a huge political win for him.

Moreover, after Kazdel bought all the mobile cities, Mr. Yang Hao, feeling refreshed, could use his short-term income in more suitable ways—such as the overall development of the Ursus Empire, financial aid to Kazimir, and establishing diplomatic relations with Yan Kingdom. Isn't this more practical than just leaving those cities to languish or even spending time and money to dismantle them?

So—Yang Hao made his decision: to sell it to Ms. Therese for half the price. However, he did have one condition attached...

"Additional conditions... those will be diplomatic conditions in the future—I personally feel that given Kazdel's close relationship with us, they'll have to show us something... Perfect, in five years at most, I plan to establish an alliance between nations and set up its headquarters in my territory—then the representatives they send will essentially be hostages..."

"Huh? Boss, then I don't need to send a representative, right? I feel like I'm the representative myself since I go to your place almost every day!" Theresa, who was sitting at her desk looking troubled while working, suddenly looked up and made a face. "Besides, you can do whatever you want to me—we've got this kind of relationship, so I don't need to go through all that trouble, do I?"

"Of course, you don't need to go through all that trouble. In the end, this so-called 'representative' is just a figurehead for us, but for Yan Kingdom and 'outside countries' like Kazdel, it's just sending hostages—so I need to make sure Ms. Theresa is ready to send a 'representative'... Oh, by the way, Theresa? How's tomorrow's plan coming along?"

"Don't worry~ I can borrow Miss Margarita and your Templar Knights when the time comes, I can handle it."

"Okay. I'll make the call now..."

Under Sonia's mother's gentle caress, Mr. Yang Hao simply lay down on the sofa, his head resting on her lap, and began making a phone call—just then, Miss Karina, who was holding Hela with a troubled expression, also came over. She complained about Hela's recent misbehavior, and then sat down next to Mr. Yang Hao, asking curiously as he hadn't yet answered the phone:

"Um, Mr. Yang Hao? If Ms. Sonia takes Hela and most of the soldiers back, will I still be working alongside you?"

“Yes. Sonia has to leave temporarily for some very special reasons, and Teresa the pony will also have to work in Kazimierz—so I can only take you with me. Hey, Hela, be good? In a few days, you can go home with Sonia's mom, okay? Karina and I will bring back some local specialties.”