First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

.......

Lu Ding's tilted head made the Nanshan King's heart involuntarily tremble.

Once again, he simply couldn't reconcile Lu Ding's current demeanor and words with his identity as a Great Han 749 investigator.

Having dealt with, established relations with, and cooperated with the Great Han for so long.

From start to finish, the Great Han—including its investigators—had always given the Nanshan Kingdom and its king the impression of being gentle, refined, courteous, not troublemakers but not afraid of trouble either. They were very warmhearted, loved peace, and only fought because the environment forced them to, projecting an image of humanity.

They also seemed very honest.

With a deep cultural foundation.

But that kind of demeanor often made them easy to bully.

Yet Lu Ding gave him the feeling of pure, unadulterated savagery.

As if he were the extreme opposite born from the Great Han, a product of things reaching their breaking point.

Completely polarized.

In fact, most demons, monsters, and heretical evils might be considered kind-hearted souls compared to him.

And a man like this had risen to his current position within the Great Han.

The Nanshan King could only feel that the gentle one was the entire Great Han, but the brutal, violent one was Lu Ding alone.

These remarks sounded nothing like a good person's!!!!

The Nanshan King had no idea how to respond.

Speaking would either mean helping Lu Ding sanction the Nie Family, or persuading Lu Ding on the Nie Family's behalf.

Neither was a good option.

No matter how he weighed it, helping an outsider deal with his own people... that... wasn't good...

Seeing he wasn't answering.

Lu Ding spoke: "See, Your Majesty has already acquiesced."

Lu Ding stood up: "Qin Jinghao, come on, let's get to work!!!!!"

After flicking a hand seal toward the Nie Family Ancestor.

Lu Ding looked at the Nanshan King: "Your Majesty, shall we chat?"

The Nanshan King: "Let's go to the palace."

Lu Ding refused: "No need, right here is fine. Let's not waste too much time."

"I believe Captain Ding has already conveyed our conversation to you. Since you came to find me, you must have some thoughts on the matter."

As he spoke, he glanced at Nie Shen's children, who had been brought along with the Nanshan King and were suffering from the Four Pillar Divine Calamity.

Also present was Nie Lei's mother—only her head remained, with no trace of life.

But someone was missing. Nie Ping was absent.

Lu Ding didn't ask. That was the last shred of fig leaves. Since she wasn't going to survive anyway, he might as well leave the Nanshan King some dignity.

The Nanshan King tacitly refrained from bringing it up as well. His beloved consort could die, but ensuring she wasn't tortured in the end was his responsibility to the true feelings between them.

The Nanshan King was about to speak.

Then, beside them, Qin Jinghao's gruesome scene began.

The sound of flesh, bone, tearing, and shattering was chilling to the core—crack, crack, crack—mixed with wet, squelching noises and the Nie Family Ancestor's repeated groans of pain.

The Nanshan King forced himself not to look that way.

Taking a deep breath, he said: "The Nanshan Kingdom's situation has already reached this point. I've given you plenty of face regarding the Nie Family. Can't we at least negotiate? Do you have to rob me while my house is on fire?"

Lu Ding cupped his hands: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me face."

"But even brothers settle accounts clearly."

"Business is business."

"Your intelligence isn't really that great. I have the ability and the people to handle this independently. But this isn't just my business—I came here to help the Nanshan Kingdom."

"Just as I told Captain Ding, I can give. Can the Nanshan Kingdom give in return?"

"As for you calling it robbing you while your house is on fire, I disagree with that."

"If your intelligence and information were sufficient to support my completion of aid to the Nanshan Kingdom, and after using your data I demanded new terms or made outrageous demands, *that* would be robbing you while your house is on fire."

"But if everything relies on me—if our cooperation has turned into me single-handedly doing the work, me being the vanguard, me being the main force—shouldn't I receive greater compensation?"

"How can *that* be called robbing you while your house is on fire?"

The Nanshan King couldn't out-argue Lu Ding, and of course, his position was weak anyway.

Shifting his approach, the Nanshan King said: "Mineral resources are the lifeline of the Nanshan Kingdom."

"I can give you more personal compensation. Whether it's converted into contribution points, money, or something else, I can communicate with the Great Han side. Don't you think..."

Before he could finish, Lu Ding's refusal cut him off: "Your Majesty, I'm speaking with you very politely. Don't dig a pit and try to make me fall into it."

"My compensation, my salary—the source can only be issued by the Great Han Director-General."

"Accepting things privately is bribery. Are you trying to harm me?"

Lu Ding's palm had never been open for handouts.

The Great Han had never treated him poorly.

If he started accepting things on the side, then there would be a problem with his character.

Besides, if he brought back mineral resources, the Great Han would reward him anyway.

There was no need to mess around with shady dealings.

The Nanshan King tried one more time: "It's different, after all..."

Lu Ding raised his hand again: "Alright, Your Majesty. Don't blame me for being blunt. Your Nanshan Kingdom officials and your people might have that habit, but I, Lu Ding, do not."

"Or perhaps you've known or seen other investigators with their palms open?"

"Now *that* piques my interest. Tell me, who were they?"

The Nanshan King's expression stiffened.

"Lu Ding, you've misunderstood."

Lu Ding's eyes deepened: "Let's hope it's just a misunderstanding."

"Alright, Your Majesty, let's end this topic here. Don't worry, I'm not asking for much. I won't make outrageous demands. Of course, if you're unwilling to agree, I can wait for your intelligence. But whether other changes occur by then—like strongmen from other nations swooping in to take advantage—I can't say."

"If you're willing now, just write me an authorization. I only want the White Ink Mine in Dong'an Province, in the Ghost-Occupied Zone of the Nanshan Kingdom."

The White Ink Mine. One of the Great Han's most important technological mineral ores.

Badly needed.

It had a very large specific surface area and possessed excellent adsorption, thermal conductivity, and incredible strength. For example, the convertible energy source for the Reshaper was based on ores like White Ink Mine.

It could effectively reduce natural energy consumption and increase the efficiency of energy use within the Reshaper.

It also performed excellently in the standard protective gear worn by investigators.

And it was needed for various other scientific research purposes, too numerous to list individually.

It was one of the Great Han's most critical, in-demand technological materials.

The Nanshan King knew how important the White Ink Mine was to the Great Han. In fact, the export price of White Ink Mine to the Great Han had already risen several times.

Now Lu Ding was asking for this. It truly put him in a difficult spot.

Lu Ding could see his predicament: "Your Majesty, no rush. Take your time to think. But I don't know if time will wait for you. The White Ink Mine is in the Ghost-Occupied Zone. If you don't give it to me, it can't help the Nanshan Kingdom's economy anyway."

"If you give it to me, I can go get it myself and save you the trouble. This may be cutting off a piece of your flesh, but trading one White Ink Mine for the return of half the Nanshan Kingdom occupied by ghosts? That's not a losing deal."