Chapter 123: Sticky Toffee Biscuit

Could the Soldier King have discovered that I am the secret boss behind the Azure Dragon Mercenary Group? I recall hearing from Azure Dragon that the Soldier King had once wanted to recruit him. But based on what Azure Dragon said, although the Soldier King had an eccentric temperament, he had never forced him; instead, he thought highly of him, helped him quite a bit, and taught him a lot.

Is he trying to stir up trouble or feeling resentful because I took over the Azure Dragon?

"Little Gege, come here, come to your brother." Fortunately, the dishes had not been served yet, or it would have been even more chaotic. Little Gege had been training with Fire Phoenix for a while, making her body agile, otherwise, she wouldn't have hopped onto the table so quickly just now.

Only after having Little Gege stand by his side did Xiao Tianci feel at ease. Ignoring Tang Bing, who was still standing there, he lowered his head and reprimanded, "No more of that, you hear me? Your brother doesn't need your protection. If something happens, remember to protect yourself first and hide behind your brother, understand?"

Little Gege nodded. Xiao Tianci thought she understood and was about to continue when Little Gege said with great determination, "Yes, okay, brother, don't worry. From now on, I'm responsible for the safety behind you."

Sweat... Xiao Tianci looked at the Chief Steward. The Chief Steward was staring straight ahead. Tang Bing was still standing there with his fists cupped. Seeing that Xiao Tianci seemed intent on continuing his conversation with the child, his usually serious face suddenly twisted into an expression of agony. "Please, big brother, I'm suffering here! Have some mercy and let me put my hands down, will you?"

"Oh, an interesting kid." Xiao Tianci decided to stop talking to Little Gege for now. He wouldn't be able to explain it to her for a while anyway. This kid, however, was quite amusing.

The Chief Steward, Lin Jian, explained, "Boss, this is the etiquette for the Soldier King when inviting guests. There will be more messages later; if you don't acknowledge him, he cannot lower his hands."

An interesting rule. Xiao Tianci laughed upon hearing this. "And what if I just ignore him? If I turn around and leave?"

Chief Steward Lin Jian had never considered that. He looked at Tang Bing, whose face was contorted in agony, and shook his head. "There is no precedent for that; I'm not sure."

Xiao Tianci looked at Tang Bing. He was quite interesting. The kid was a funny one. He waved his hand. "Alright, I understand."

"Phew..." Tang Bing finally lowered his hands, looking completely drained. However, he still pulled out a small silver invitation card and presented it respectfully with both hands. Chief Steward Lin Jian stepped forward, checked it briefly, and then handed it to Xiao Tianci.

Xiao Tianci took the card. It was palm-sized and made of solid silver, with golden text inside. It was simple, just a few words inviting Xiao Tianci to come for a chat.

Once the invitation was delivered, Tang Bing seemed to shed a heavy burden. He didn't stand on ceremony, pulled up a chair, and slumped into it, looking half-dead from exhaustion. At this moment, Fire Phoenix walked over. She hadn't met Tang Bing before, but she had heard her brother describe the Soldier King's men: playful, restless, and childlike. Most importantly...

Fire Phoenix felt uncomfortable just looking at him. A grown man—she had seen how formidable he was earlier; she had struck with full force and hadn't been able to hurt him, yet now he was acting like this.

"Are you very tired?"

Tang Bing looked at Fire Phoenix and nodded. "Tired? Sister Fire Phoenix, do you think it's easy to stand there for over an hour? Ow... my waist..."

Sister Fire Phoenix? Fire Phoenix was already annoyed by him and snapped, "Who is your sister? If you call me that again, be careful I don't break your bones."

Tang Bing pointed to himself with a grin. "Didn't Brother Azure Dragon tell you? I'm Tang Bing. We're all on the same side." Evidently, the Soldier King was very well-informed.

Fire Phoenix knew, of course, but she was in a bad mood today, and seeing his playful, cheeky face, she hardened her expression. "I don't care who Tang Bing is. I'm telling you, if you call me that again, be careful I don't tear your mouth open."

"Ah..." Tang Bing covered his mouth, looking terrified, though anyone could see he wasn't truly afraid. Fire Phoenix was so angry she was about to strike when Xiao Tianci said softly, "Fire Phoenix, a guest is a guest. Sit down and rest."

Fire Phoenix sat down. Xiao Tianci looked at Tang Bing and the invitation in his hand. "What does the Soldier King want with me?"

Tang Bing shook his head. "Big brother, I'm just a little soldier. How could a guy like me know about such important, top-secret matters? Hehe, but I'm satisfied just to see you. You don't know this, but I've crowned you as my number one super-invincible idol!"

Big brother? Ha... this kid was really quick to claim kinship. Before Xiao Tianci could speak, Fire Phoenix slammed her hand on the table. "Who is your big brother? You are not allowed to call him that."

Tang Bing looked innocent. "Sister, is 'big brother' off-limits too?"

"You..." Xiao Tianci tapped his fingers on the table twice, and both of them quieted down. Xiao Tianci suddenly thought about how he had just been playing the rogue with the presidents of two powerful nations; now someone was trying that same game on him. But this kid didn't seem to be faking it; he was even more natural than he was.

Why would the Soldier King, that old monster, invite me for no reason? And there was nothing written inside. Strange. Xiao Tianci handed the invitation to the Chief Steward. "Where is the location?"

Tang Bing was stretching his body and stopped at Xiao Tianci's words. He looked left and right, appearing troubled. "Big brother, you know how these rigid rules can kill a man! I can take you there, but I'm not allowed to say. It's frustrating even for me. What kind of rule is that? Not telling someone they aren't allowed to go is one thing, but not even telling the invited guest—sigh, big brother, I can't say!"

Xiao Tianci watched him and smiled, nodding. Interesting. This Tang Bing was truly interesting. Suddenly, Xiao Tianci's expression shifted. "You'd better answer whatever I ask you honestly. I'll count to three. Once I hit three, hmph..."

Tang Bing hurried to say, "Big brother, I'm just here to deliver a message and guide the way. I'm just a small soldier; why make things difficult for me?"

"One."

"Sister Fire Phoenix, say something! We're all on the same side, why be like this? I really can't say. If I could, I wouldn't hide it from my idol, would I?"

"Two."

Tang Bing urged, "Big brother..."

This time, the count of three came quickly. Before he could stand up, Xiao Tianci said, "Three."

Tang Bing saw that Xiao Tianci wasn't joking and hurriedly tried to stand to speak to him. But the moment his buttocks left the chair, he froze. A large hand was pressed against his back.

Tang Bing had mastered the art of bone-shrinking to a high level; a man his size could hide inside a half-meter-tall vase. During his fight with Fire Phoenix earlier, he had narrowly dodged her ultimate moves several times.

But this time, he couldn't move. Because King Kong's large hand had locked onto his spine; with the slightest bit of pressure, he would be finished. He knew of King Kong, but didn't he need to transform to increase his strength? How else could he have gotten behind him without him knowing? This was a disaster.

He couldn't move, but everything else was fine. He looked at Xiao Tianci with a mournful face, pleading, "Big brother, even in war, one does not execute the messenger. I'm just a small soldier delivering a letter." He added, "The boss behind this is Brother King Kong, right? You know, I idolize you so much."

Xiao Tianci said coldly, "Of course I won't kill you. Now, I'll give you thirty seconds. After thirty seconds, I'll have King Kong apply a little pressure. Don't worry, you won't die."

Tang Bing's face turned pale. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "Sigh, if that's the case, I'd rather be dead. But before I die, I have one final request."

Xiao Tianci looked at him. What could he want? "Go ahead."

"Big brother and Brother King Kong, I truly admire you both. If I die heroically, could you give me an autographed photo? Hehe, if we can take a picture together right now, that would be even better. Then I could take it to the afterlife, and I would have no regrets."

Xiao Tianci reached up and rubbed his head, shaking it helplessly. He waved for King Kong to let him go. King Kong flashed back behind Xiao Tianci. Even though he hadn't transformed, it didn't mean he needed to transform to use that power; it was all his own strength. It was just a different way of triggering it, like a treasure vault with both a main entrance and a back door—the size was just different.

So, if he didn't transform, he could increase his power for a short time, though it was brief and discounted—not his first choice for battle, but occasionally useful for miraculous effects.

Xiao Tianci realized that even if he really crippled Tang Bing, the result would be the same. No wonder the Soldier King sent him.

Tang Bing felt the pressure behind him lift. He looked up to see King Kong standing exactly where he had been before. "Wow!" he exclaimed, looking King Kong up and down. "Boss, you're amazing. No wonder you're called the fiercest and strongest newcomer of the last decade. Truly formidable." He then pulled out a pen and a notebook from somewhere. "Boss, give me an autograph!"

Speechless...

Sending someone who knows nothing just to deliver a card—was this a test, or was there something else?

"Big brother, your autograph is worth a fortune! If you have the chance, teach me a few tricks. I'm so poor these days I'm almost walking out in just my underwear. I want to buy a sports car, and by the way, brother, I want to buy stocks..."

What on earth was the Soldier King thinking, sending a guy like this?

"Big brother, please, I really admire you..."

Soldier King, what are you playing at? There hasn't been much news from Azure Dragon lately; could something have gone wrong there? No, I must contact them soon.

"Big brother, have pity on me. To see you and Brother King Kong early for this mission, I went through so much struggle and spent all my pocket money. Please, big brother, don't be so cruel to me." Tang Bing looked like a child begging for candy. "God, I can't take it anymore." Fire Phoenix couldn't stand it any longer and stood up to leave.

Tang Bing called out behind her, "Sister Fire Phoenix, you haven't eaten yet! When will you be back? Do you want me to tell them to save you some food?"

How could they eat like this? Xiao Tianci told the Chief Steward to take Little Gege away and have something separate prepared for her if she liked. He turned back to look at Tang Bing. What kind of person was he really? He wasn't afraid of death, yet he spoke like this. Why did the Soldier King send him? Was he intentionally acting, or was this his true nature?

With Tang Bing there, they couldn't finish their meal. Xiao Tianci also stood up. Tang Bing stood there, holding a pen in one hand and a notebook in the other, his face filled with pleading. "Big brother, please, I really want your autograph."

Interesting. Xiao Tianci had felt a sudden flash of anger, but then he thought: was this behavior similar to how he himself had acted like a rogue with Ivanov and Lages earlier today? It seemed the Soldier King's choice to send him wasn't so simple.

Xiao Tianci smiled at Tang Bing. "Heh... heh... you're quite interesting. Come here, I'll give you an autograph."

Tang Bing nodded. "Big brother... boo-hoo... I'm so touched..." After Xiao Tianci signed it and handed it back, Tang Bing looked ecstatic. "Big brother, I truly admire you. By the way, I have one more small matter." He said, acting very coy, "I spent a lot of money to get out here, even used up my public funds. I haven't had a full meal in three days. Big brother, I'm so miserable..."

Xiao Tianci nodded. "Alright, you can eat here. I'll have them bring up dinner in a moment. I have things to attend to."

With that, Xiao Tianci walked out, his heart full of mixed feelings. Dammit, if he was a rogue, what was this guy? A truly strange person, and it didn't seem entirely like an act. If this was intentional, his acting skills were truly top-tier.

Once outside, Chief Steward Lin Jian had already returned. Xiao Tianci headed toward the communication room. The room was small and specially shielded. After entering, Xiao Tianci leaned back in his chair. "Phew... tell me, what does the Soldier King mean by this? And this Tang... Bing..."

Chief Steward Lin Jian said, "The Soldier King's intentions aren't clear yet, but he doesn't seem to have any ill intent. As for this Tang Bing..." The Chief Steward smiled bitterly. "Boss, this Tang Bing you met today is very special. His nickname is 'Sticky Toffee Candy'—he's famous for being a guy who clings to you until you die of exhaustion."

"Heh... heh..." Xiao Tianci couldn't help but laugh. "Dammit, what is that old guy, the Soldier King, up to? By the way, Chief Steward, contact Azure Dragon immediately. I want to see if something went wrong on his end."