The Left Minister, having received benefits, was operating at peak efficiency.
No sooner had Lu Feng and the others arrived at the Guard Headquarters than the palace's messenger arrived.
At this very moment, Hank and Ouka, who had been confronting each other in the Guard Headquarters office, both vying for the position of Guard Leader, were in the midst of a fierce clash.
However, when faced with the dual pressure from the King and the Left Minister, even with a thousand unwilling thoughts in their hearts, they had no choice but to bow their heads and express submission.
The Left Minister's guards saw Lu Feng successfully take office and returned to report.
At this critical juncture, Lu Feng made a choice completely different from Su Dalao's.
He did not, as everyone expected, ruthlessly kill Ouka to eliminate future trouble.
Instead, he unexpectedly decided to keep Ouka, along with Hank.
Currently, Lu Feng held the advantage of timing, location, and human relations.
Openly, he had the Left Minister as a strong backer providing full support; covertly, he had the powerful Anka as military backing.
Thus, Lu Feng could easily use these advantages to control the entire situation, his circumstances being significantly better than Su Dalao's.
Moreover, he had a bold plan that could make good use of a resentful turncoat like Ouka.
"Lord Baize, please have your subordinates step aside; I have something to convey."
The messenger began to signal Lu Feng to clear the area; the fewer people who knew about the King's command, the better.
"No need, they are both my 'confidants.'"
Hearing Lu Feng's words, a smile appeared on Hank's face, while Ouka's expression was complex.
Hank was the person Lu Feng had been closest to after joining the Guard, and the two had even made private deals; now that Lu Feng was in power, it was only natural for him to become a confidant.
Ouka, on the other hand, had just been Lu Feng's competitor; now being treated as a 'confidant' might not be a good thing.
He didn't believe Lu Feng was the kind of benevolent person who would let bygones be bygones.
"Alright then, here's the situation: you must have heard about tomorrow night's 'operation,' haven't you?"
The operation the messenger referred to was the burning of the Waste Disposal Terminal.
"I have heard of it."
"Good, I'll get straight to the point. The higher-ups mean this: there are three factions suitable for this task, and we have made initial contact with all three. Now, we need you to approach these three factions, choose one among them, and execute tomorrow night's 'operation.'"
"No problem, I'll go right away."
The messenger found Lu Feng's reaction strangely calm and reminded him,
"Oh, and one more thing: although there are three factions, only one can be chosen to execute tomorrow's plan. As for the specific information, it's all in the document."
"Understood. This is my first mission since taking office; I guarantee it will be done perfectly."
The messenger was satisfied with Lu Feng's answer and left, escorted by Hank.
Lu Feng opened the document on his desk; its contents were as he expected, roughly meaning:
Choose a pirate crew, then provide that crew with explosives, and use the explosives to ignite the Waste Disposal Terminal.
"Ouka, go contact the Krieg Pirates."
"Yes, Lord."
Although Ouka resented Lu Feng, he couldn't show it and for now could only obediently follow orders.
"Hank, the Bulsam Pirates and the Skull Pirates are local factions; you go contact them. Schedule the meetings after the one with the Krieg Pirates."
Hank gave an awkward smile.
"Uh, Lord..."
Hank clearly didn't want to admit his collusion with local pirate crews, but Lu Feng didn't bother to argue with him.
"Go and return quickly; don't tell me you can't even handle such a small matter!"
"Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
...In a dirty alley in the commoner district, several men in loose black robes and hooded heads stood, cautiously surveying their surroundings.
"Captain Krieg, this is the place. That old warehouse ahead is the agreed-upon location."
"Hmm, you all wait here for me. Gin, you come with me."
Krieg's voice was low, and his armor clanked as he walked.
"Yes, Captain."
Gin was similarly dressed, with a weapon hidden in his sleeve.
The two entered the warehouse, where they saw some randomly placed wooden crates and a dusty floor; it seemed the warehouse had been abandoned for a long time.
Lu Feng had been waiting inside for a while.
"To dare to come alone, should I say you're bold or foolish!"
Krieg spoke first, his tone unfriendly.
He looked around, confirming there were no guards ambushed.
"The task is yours. After it's done, the kingdom will grant you noble status."
Lu Feng didn't waste words with him and went straight to the point.
"That's it? Didn't you say there were three factions competing..."
Lu Feng revealed a meaningful smile,
"Things are, of course, not that simple. The other two factions are key to your promotion and ennoblement."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
Krieg stroked his chin, realizing that things seemed more complicated than he had understood.
"Those two factions have been entrenched locally for a long time, harming the kingdom's interests. This time, with the Celestial Dragons visiting, the King not only doesn't want them to see the vast garbage mountains but also wants to take the opportunity to eliminate those two factions."
"So, you want us to help you eliminate those two factions?"
Krieg's already ferocious face was now filled with anger.
He was a pirate who had roamed the seas, untamed and arrogant; how could he willingly be ordered around like a dog?
Such humiliation, he absolutely could not endure!
Lu Feng, however, merely narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone still unhurried, but containing an undeniable authority,
"I haven't even finished speaking. Who gave you the audacity to interrupt me?"
Krieg and Gin suddenly felt a chill run through their bodies, and an extremely strong sense of mortal danger rapidly engulfed them like a tide.
It felt as if an incomparably sharp blade was held against their necks, and with the slightest mistake, they would be decapitated the next second!
They would die! If they dared to anger the person in front of them again, they would absolutely die the next moment!
At this moment, they finally realized how terrifying this Guard Leader named Baize truly was!
No wonder he dared to come alone to face them; it turned out his strength had reached an unfathomable level!
Thinking of this, Krieg and Gin couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread.
Krieg suppressed the urge to draw his weapon, trying to slow his tone as much as possible,
"My apologies, sir, please continue."
"That's more like it. You are all going to be nobles; you must mind your manners."
Lu Feng was very satisfied with Krieg and Gin's current reaction, and the sense of impending death that had enveloped them also dissipated.
Krieg and Gin immediately breathed a sigh of relief; in that short time, the backs of their clothes were already soaked with cold sweat.
Lu Feng, of course, did not possess the strength to threaten these two great pirates, but Anka did.
Anka's skill, 'Stealth,' allowed it to enter Stealth mode, and combined with its prior concealment in the dim warehouse, made it even harder to detect.
The first attack in Stealth mode dealt 20% additional damage to the target.
Even more terrifying, this damage could be added to 'Claw Strike.'
'Claw Strike' already dealt a high 225% attack strength damage; with both stacked, and in a surprise attack situation.
Anka was entirely capable of critically wounding or even instantly killing Krieg or Gin with one blow.
Lu Feng successfully intimidated the two by borrowing Anka's power and continued to speak unhurriedly,
"I have arranged for my subordinates to contact those two factions and have them responsible for igniting the Waste Disposal Terminal. We will then close the city gates, trapping them in the sea of fire. Once they are mostly burned, you will enter to clear out any surviving pirates."
"This way, you will become heroes who annihilated the vicious pirates at the Waste Disposal Terminal. The kingdom will have cleared the garbage mountain and swept away the pirates, you will have performed a great service, and be granted noble titles; both sides get what they need."
This intricate and ingenious scheme, a plan within a plan, made Krieg's eyes widen, sparkling with excitement.
If things could truly unfold according to this strategy, then for him, it would be like a windfall from heaven!
Because he would only have to pay a negligible price in casualties to easily wipe out those two factions, thereby achieving great victory and glory.
Although Krieg was cunning, his intelligence was not particularly high, and he had never encountered such a profound strategy.
At this moment, he was deeply captivated by Lu Feng's scheme, secretly marveling at it.
Under the dual impact of Lu Feng's strength and intellect, Krieg was utterly convinced by Lu Feng, though out of pride, he was unwilling to admit it verbally.
"So, what are the specific details of the operation?"
"Tomorrow night at 5:30, I will have them make their move. Half an hour later, at the sound of the 6 o'clock bell, you will enter to clean up. At the same time, our Guard will also depart from within the city. We will flank them from both sides, capturing them all!"
"Good, I'll do as you say!"
Krieg, seeing that the Guard would also act with them, completely dispelled his last shred of doubt and readily agreed.
After the Krieg Pirates had gone far, Lu Feng eagerly summoned Anka and mounted it,
"Quick, quick, go to Warehouse No. 2. These pirates are too long-winded; they're making me late for the next engagement."
The timing was just right; Lu Feng successfully had Anka ambush the other two pirate crews before they entered, continuing the same routine as before.
Only the narrative changed: the Krieg Pirates were malicious and intended to plunder the kingdom.
Lu Feng would trick the Krieg Pirates into the Waste Disposal Terminal, where they would ignite the pre-placed explosives.
After the Krieg Pirates were engulfed by the fire, they would then, along with Lu Feng's Guard, be completely annihilated.
As for the promised reward, it would naturally be noble status, given for meritorious service in eliminating pirates.
The two other pirate crews were also, without exception, fooled by Lu Feng and began to fantasize about the lavish life of a noble.
Lu Feng's plan was audacious; he wanted the entire kingdom to truly liven up, and a mere single pirate crew wasn't enough; if they were coming, all three should come together.
Because he had recruited Anka as a follower, Lu Feng 'painfully lost' a treasure chest, and naturally, he had to find a way to make up for it.
So he set his sights on Krieg, Gin, and the leaders of the other two pirate crews; the treasure chests they dropped would certainly not be inferior in quality to Anka's.
As the saying goes, the muddier the water, the easier it is to catch fish.
The current situation, under Lu Feng's arrangements, had become increasingly chaotic.
Especially after possessing Anka's incredibly powerful Stealth and instant kill abilities, Lu Feng was even more confident.
He firmly believed that once chaos ensued, he could at least successfully eliminate two of the four people mentioned above.
Moreover, Anka was merely a temporary follower in this world.
Given this, its potential must be utilized to the extreme!
However, Lu Feng was also well aware that he was outwardly obeying but inwardly defying the King's orders, and at the same time, he had allowed three ferocious pirate crews into the city.
Such actions were too risky; a slight misstep could expose him.
Therefore, to ensure the entire plan could be implemented smoothly without any errors, he also needed to bring another key figure into the fold.
That person was the powerful Left Minister!
Only with the Left Minister's covert protection could this scheme truly be foolproof.
But as for whether the Left Minister would be willing to participate in this risky operation, Lu Feng already had a plan.
He had already prepared a reason that would be impossible for the Left Minister to refuse...