My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 47

“...This is going to be interesting,” Lily said as she came out of the kitchen, a soup spoon in her mouth.

Chapter 107

"Hello, sir/madam, did you bring the money today?"

"Even I find it outrageous to see a former knight-errant wearing such a fawning smile..."

Monica couldn't help but speak up. The usually taciturn maid only seemed so helpless when facing the Kazimierz spy—Miss Theresa—not knowing what to say, but remaining silent would only make her feel restless.

Yang Hao could understand Monica's feelings... After all, it was as perplexing as seeing a tough military man who would spare your life even if he lost three legs suddenly become a die-hard fan of a game that only seven-year-olds play. He just had to get it off his chest.

Faced with Monica's complaints, former knight Theresa—the Kuranta girl dressed in what could be considered the most beautiful dress among commoners—simply pursed her lips and uttered a series of irrefutable words:

"What can I do? My sisters are just waiting for the money to come in before they betray me. If I don't flatter them, what if they kidnap me and send me to your master's bed?"

"...I don't think my master would be interested in you—"

"This guy is a pervert who fantasizes about us Kuranta people having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, and wants to whip our butts hard."

"..."

Monica, please don't look at me like that. Those were mistakes I made when I was young. Look, I haven't done anything wrong now, have I? How could I possibly be interested in this outspoken former knight-errant!

Can you put down your communicator and stop texting Kosic, okay?

“Sigh…” Yang Hao sighed heavily, and after signaling Monica not to send the text message for the time being, he talked to Theresa about his main topic: “In short, Miss Theresa—if there are no unexpected events, you will see the first batch of red gold on the morning of the 12th.”

“Three times?” Theresa raised an eyebrow. “I mean—the money Kazimierz originally gave us, three times that amount? Converted to red gold?”

"Yes. So, shouldn't you also do something?"

"We're ready to pay you, aren't you going to do something in return?" Yang Hao rubbed his fingers together, hinting that Teresa and the others needed to work harder in the future.

However, Theresa seemed to have misunderstood something... Her complexion changed from normal white to red, then from red to pale white, and finally, the pale white turned into an indescribable pink.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped, her hand resting on the table as if suppressing something about to explode, but in the end she held back.

"Um—how about I send you the old lady from our area?"

"Huh?" Yang Hao was utterly puzzled, thinking, "Your old lady over there? Giving it to me? My turtle, what kind of delusions are you having?"

"Look, she's very mature, she should be able to satisfy your need to whip her bottom, right? What do you think?"

"What I mean is, can you guys be a little more attentive to your work in the future, and have some integrity, okay?" It was a misunderstanding, after all. Yang Hao was heartbroken, thinking, "I just explained why I was disappointed back then, did they really have to misunderstand my character like this now?!"

"So you [Kasimir swear word] were talking about something serious after all?!"

"..." Seeing Theresa's utterly astonished expression, Yang Hao knew that his image in front of this Kuranta girl had already been fixed as that of a certain kind of pervert.

Sigh, so be it. At worst, I can do some perverted things in the future that are justifiable to make up for the damage to my fragile heart. Besides, it's getting late, I should go home...

With this in mind, Yang Hao sighed heavily and decided to leave. If nothing unexpected happened, he would simply deal with some of the minor nobles on the list, and then, once he had the money, hire them.

Ah, and the Gauls—hopefully they'll meet my expectations. If they don't come that day, I'll have to send Serpent Scales.

"In short, I hope you can at least do something worthwhile after you get the money—that's all, little pony. My maid will pass on the news that you tried to sell your boss."

"Wait, wait a minute?! Don't do that—!!!"

Ignoring the poor foal's cries, Yang Hao gained a deeper understanding of the integrity of the Kazimierz spies. On the way home for lunch, Monica kept giving Yang Hao strange looks.

She seemed to have been persuaded by the Kuranta girl... After all, in a sense, Monica was one of the women who knew just how fanatical Yang Hao was about flattery back then.

"In short, sir... are you sure you won't do that kind of thing to the Kuranta people?"

"These are all mistakes I made when I was young... Oh, Monica, please don't dwell on it, okay? Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Yang Haoyi replied righteously, completely forgetting the days when he lingered in front of the Kazimierz brothel.

But it doesn't matter if he forgets, Monica remembers.

"...My lord, I must remind you...if you cannot even satisfy Lord Koschche, you would be better off not looking for other women."

“...Monica?” At this moment, Yang Hao had a bad feeling when he faced Monica’s serious face.

"Lady Koschei has complained to me about your stamina... Although I know how strong the desires accumulated by someone who has lived for over a thousand years must be, since you've decided to become Lady Koschei's husband, you at least have to be responsible to her in terms of family matters..."

"...Monica? I mean—" The ominous premonition grew stronger. Cold sweat poured down his face.

"Yes, I understand what you mean—my room is right next to the palace, and the wall between my room and the palace isn't very thick, so that I can take care of you at any time and clean up all your messes afterward."

"..." This was no longer just an ominous premonition. Yang Hao felt as if he was confirming a fact that he had been aware of before, but which was now becoming increasingly clear.

"By the way, sir, I can't bear to see you so exhausted. Since you've already decided to delegate most of the non-core work to lower-level civil servants—why not use your free time to get some exercise?"

...

It seems that, apart from the existence of the [Puppet Stage], I don't have many secrets left in front of Monica.

It's possible that this serious and meticulous maid knows everything about his own strengths and weaknesses—after realizing this fact, Yang Hao was greatly shocked and only recovered by dinner today, which is another matter entirely.

Chapter 108

Happy and carefree times always pass so quickly. While Yang Hao temporarily put aside his ambitions of immortality and for the Duke of Koschie to surpass the world within ten years, he happily spent his days with his wife and maid.

It was the afternoon of March 11th.

Today is the day when the Gauls in the Lille tavern decide their own fate.

After carefully considering all possibilities and fully enjoying the convenience brought by the Duke's gold, the leader of the Gauls, Mr. Napoleon, ordered 100 Gaulish warriors without residency permits in the city to prepare their weapons and prepare to meet him that night to see what kind of test the great man would give them.

"Captain, are you sure you don't need us to come along? And you're only taking 100 soldiers, at least—"

The corporal was clearly worried about Napoleon's decision. After all, taking only 100 soldiers out—what if they encountered some danger? Wouldn't they all perish there?

“Even if I bring all my soldiers with me, if that man wants to kill us, he could crush us with ease.” Monsieur Napoleon shook his head, inspecting his equipment—the uniform he wore when he joined the army, and the knight’s sword he used for self-defense.

When he was a captain in the army, he didn't need to command troops in frontline combat—more precisely, he didn't need to lead his soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. He was a captain in the artillery, meaning that directing artillery fire was his forte.

But without cannons, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it—fortunately, while the Gallic artillery might not be skilled in close combat, every Gallic officer needed to learn self-defense and melee combat techniques. So, in a sense, Napoleon was still confident he could pass the test.

"But..." The corporal seemed to want to say something more.

"Besides, we need to prepare for the future! I left you guys with residence permits here so that if something happens to us, you can still look after our compatriots, right? Stop with the 'buts,' and make a good business and earn money while we go out tonight, understand, Corporal?"

"Yes."

Seeing that the corporal had finally shut his mouth, Captain Napoleon breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to enjoy a moment of peace.

.....

While the Gauls were making preparations, Yang Hao wasn't idle either.

He first had Serpent Scales check the [examination venue] to make sure all the [examination papers] would stay safely at home today. Then he asked Serpent Scales Paul for advice—meaning, if the exam was graded on a 100-point scale, how should the Gauls be assigned their scores?

After pondering for a while, Paul gave his reply.

“My lord,” Paul said, “we, the Serpent Scales, are not a force that engages in direct combat, so I cannot conduct a comprehensive test and assessment of the Gauls, who are skilled in frontal warfare.” “Therefore, I can only offer some key points for evaluating our Serpent Scales.”

To be able to assassinate all targets without attracting attention, I'd give him 60 out of 100.

However, not all missions end perfectly after assassinating the target. Depending on the mission requirements, sometimes we might need to create a terrifying scene to shock the enemy, or clean everything up thoroughly to avoid detection. Most importantly, after completing these tasks, in most cases we must evacuate and clean up the mess alone. Whether we will be discovered during the evacuation is also a crucial factor, and I'd give that a 40 out of 100.

"Hmm...so you mean the basic assassination and retreat tests? But considering those Gauls are [Warriors] rather than [Assassins], we need to make some modifications." Yang Hao frowned, sipping the fruit tea Monica had prepared for him while scribbling on a piece of paper. "Hmm...the Gauls' troops will be used for [Assault] or [Kill] missions that your Serpent Scale units aren't suited for...How about this—we'll slightly reduce the score for retreat, and change the objective of [Assassination] to [Kill] target, what do you think?"

"what do you mean?"

“I don’t need them to be quiet when they kill the naughty boys on the list. They just need to kill their targets and make a big commotion—that’s good enough. If they can not only make a big commotion, but also make the scene even more terrifying when they kill the naughty boys, thus intimidating the fence-sitters, then I’ll give them an excellent rating.”

"This is acceptable for a soldier. So, what is the standard for a perfect score?"

"The standard for a perfect score is to eliminate everyone at the target site and not let a single person escape."

"But if that's the case, wouldn't the standard of making a big fuss in the past be meaningless?"

"Paul, you can understand it this way—if you're not aiming for perfection, then making a big fuss is insignificant. But if you are aiming for perfection, then you have to take everyone out relatively quietly. After all, I've thought about it carefully, and if the essence of assassination is to infiltrate the target's vicinity unobtrusively and kill them, then can't we think about it from a different perspective?"

That means if you kill everyone on the scene, no one will see you, and then you can easily sneak into the vicinity of the target – that's still an assassination.

"...You're right, sir."

Paul's hesitant expression made Yang Hao wonder if he had said something wrong. But upon closer inspection, there was indeed nothing wrong with the principle behind it, so he didn't dwell on it any longer.

He looked at the names written on the paper. Those were all members of a small aristocratic alliance on the mischievous list who had targeted Mr. Anton. They were all very wealthy and had committed countless evil deeds, deserving of death.

"By the way, Paul, I remember that these nobles all have quite a few thugs and hooligans under their command?"

"Yes. The most mischievous one had about 20 thugs under his command."

"Hmm... tonight is going to be a massacre—but we still need to be prepared. If the Gauls don't come, then you'll be responsible for taking care of them."

“Understood.” Paul nodded. “However, there’s no curfew tonight, so we need to finely chop the corpses into minced meat before we can flush them down the drain.”

"No need for all that trouble. Leaving the bodies there is fine. I'm planning to have the Gauls storm the nobles' mansions and kill them all, even without a curfew. It's just that controlling public opinion tomorrow morning will be a bit of a hassle."

"Public opinion control? Lord Kosiché and Mr. Joseph will handle that for you. But what I'm more worried about is, if the Gauls pass the test, are we really going to let them build a base at the Lubyanka Hotel with Casimir's spies?"

"of course."

In Yang Hao's plan, the Gauls and the Casimirs would be playing office politics in the same office, so he didn't need to worry. If all else failed, he could just use the [Puppet Stage] to brainwash them the moment they accepted his control. It couldn't be easier.

But Paul's concern might not have been about loyalty... He simply thought about it seriously for a while, and then, in a strange tone, raised another issue that Yang Hao hadn't considered:

“Sir… I must remind you, that grand hotel doesn’t have the space to accommodate two agencies handling their daily affairs simultaneously,” Paul stated, presenting a harsh reality. “I’ve already investigated it. The Lubyanka Grand Hotel only has 20 rooms, and even including the roof, its floor space is barely enough for a competent intelligence agency to fit all their necessary equipment—communication devices, code-breaking machines, secret storage rooms for documents, interrogation rooms, training rooms… These things alone could take up half the rooms in the Lubyanka Grand Hotel. Not to mention, more than two-thirds of the rooms are now used as dormitories for those spies.”

"...what?"

Is that so? Not knowing much about this special force, Yang Hao stared blankly at Paul, feeling that his plan might need to be significantly revised.

"Furthermore, you do not allow the two armies to establish a base within the Duke's mansion, which has ample space. Therefore... we need to find a new place for the Gauls. Otherwise, they will not only be unable to work for us, but they will also lack the basic space to establish a department, let alone expand their manpower and retrain them."

"...You're right. Perhaps I've found another place for the workers on the work-for-relief program to work. But are there any unused plots of land in this megacity that are relatively close to the Duke's mansion?"

“Not now,” Paul shook his head, “but there are a few good places after tonight.”

"The homes of those nobles?" Yang Hao seemed to realize what he meant. "I've looked at the map; their houses aren't very large. Although they all have yards, isn't that too small for a violent organization?"

“We can expand, so we just need to find the mansions of nobles who have the capacity to expand.”

"Oh—Monica, please bring me the detailed information."

"Yes."

The maid behind him nodded and left the planning room first.

[Event: We need more buildings!]

A reminder from your loyal servant makes you realize that the Lubyanka Grand Hotel can only accommodate the base needs of one of the newly established organizations. Whether it's the fewer than 50 Casimir spies or the 500 soon-to-arrive iron-fisted Gauls, they all have a need for space, and that need to be met.

You can choose to hand over the Lubyanka Grand Hotel to the Qazimirs as a base. At that time, the Lubyanka Grand Hotel will become a temporary intelligence center, helping you to destroy spy networks, find more noble secrets, some smuggling routes, and bribe the next Qazimir spy with less money, or enjoy 'special services'.

Alternatively, you could hand over the Lubyanca Hotel to the Gauls as a base. It would then become the headquarters of the Gallic "Foreign Legion," and a genuine grand hotel. You could train foreign soldiers here, or enjoy the delicious hot springs made with French armor-piercing shells. Please install and train as many as possible, as these soldiers need regular training to maintain their combat effectiveness.

Regardless of your choice, you'll need to find new empty buildings for the remaining one to meet their needs—an organization without a base will offer virtually no assistance. Please make your decision as soon as possible.

'The Grand Gallic Hotel?'

'Kasimir brothel... I mean, the pony's inn?'

This sudden incident prompted Yang Hao to seriously consider the matter for quite some time. Even the [Puppet Stage] had advised him to prioritize the needs of one unit, so naturally, he had abandoned the idea of ​​having the Gauls and Casimirs squeeze together—he didn't want to later explain the conflict as a dispute between a Gaulish cook and a Casimir masseur...

So what to do? The Gauls can train waiters, cooks, and foreign soldiers. But the Casimirians can uncover more secrets, smuggling routes, and even bribe new Casimir spies with less money? Hmm...

Let's prioritize the Kazimierz people. Their benefits can also be used for the second phase of reforms in the administrative center after June, and for dealing with the mischievous kids we'll have to deal with from time to time during the work relief program.

Yang Hao made his decision. Just then, Monica returned from outside carrying a large document.

“By the way, sir—if nothing unexpected happens, I should apply for a month-long leave in... April or May.” Monica placed the documents on the table and, after organizing the urgently needed materials for Yang Hao, she said this. “Please don’t misunderstand, this is a long leave I apply for every year. Although I used to apply in June, considering your work, it’s better for me to apply in advance.”

"Ah, of course, no problem—but tell me the reason. I need to explain to Koschich later." Yang Hao nodded; he wasn't the kind of capitalist who would fire an employee just because they applied for extended leave. "Or are you going to tell Koschich yourself?"

"The reason is actually quite simple. Besides the usual annual leave, the more important reason is that I am worried that April and beyond will be a busy period for handling affairs. If my usual leave makes you busy and flustered, then it would be better to take leave in advance and come back to help you more when I return."

"I see... So, Monica, what are your plans for your vacation?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, I will be resting at my home in the Lahn residential area near the duchy, or perhaps going about my other daily routines—please let me know in advance if you are coming, sir."

"Your home isn't in the Duke's mansion?"

"Well, I am a maid with some assets. Isn't it normal for me to buy a house outside?"

Monica rolled her eyes at Yang Hao, gave him her home address, and then went back to diligently serving him at work.

I hope that you can work well when things aren't too busy in April.