40: I am Koji Tanaka, and I endorse stockings!

"A few did survive."

The middle-aged man shook his head with a bitter smile. "The remaining pretty girls ran off with other men. In this kind of situation, who wouldn't want to find a strong leg to cling to?"

"Now... it's just me left. Lingering on with a pile of unwanted rags."

He looked up, his eyes hollow as he stared at Chen Du. "I just want to trade these things for some food, living one day at a time."

Chen Du didn't speak.

He directly pulled a small glass vial from his chest pocket. Inside were roughly three portions of [life essence].

You have to understand, this was the real deal, hard currency!

Even a single portion was enough to trade for a week's worth of rations on the black market.

"I'll take it all."

Chen Du tossed the vial onto the stall. "Is this enough?"

Seeing that small vial, the middle-aged man's eyes nearly popped out of his head!

He picked up the small vial, so excited he was incoherent: "Enough! Enough! More than enough! Sir, you are my father!!"

Several stall owners watching nearby were green with envy, itching to rush over and snatch it.

A vial of life essence for a pile of tattered clothes and stockings?

Where the hell did this spendthrift come from?!

"Second Sister, pack it up." Chen Du snapped his fingers.

Xia Lai stepped forward, her movements freezing.

"Um... Captain."

She awkwardly scratched her head, her cheeks slightly red, her eyes darting around. "I got a bit too carried away earlier picking up scrap... I mean, zero-cost acquisitions. My inventory... is full."

How much scrap iron did this spendthrift woman pick up earlier?

Did you pull out all the lampposts?

"Full?" Chen Du looked at the large pile of strategic supplies on the ground, his brow furrowing. "These are all treasures, not a single piece can be left behind."

His gaze swept over the group of beauties.

"Ahem, since the inventory is full, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you all."

Chen Du, with a completely serious expression, picked up a bunny girl outfit and stuffed it into Xia Xin's arms.

"Eldest Sister, take this, don't complain!"

Xia Xin looked at the outfit in her hands, which consisted of just a few straps, and felt like she was about to combust.

"This... this isn't appropriate! It's too revealing..."

She wanted to throw it away but didn't dare disobey the captain's order. "Chen Du! Are you doing this on purpose?! Can this even be worn?"

"Of course!"

Chen Du declared righteously, casually stuffing a few pairs of black stockings into the side pocket of An Nuonuo's backpack.

"These are materials provided for the sacrifice notebook! What you're holding isn't lingerie, it's food! It's weaponry! It's the hope of the entire crew!"

"Broaden your horizons! Don't view these things with a mundane perspective!"

Chen Du's words were forceful and resounding. If you ignored him stuffing a pair of panties into his own pocket, you might actually believe his nonsense.

"The captain definitely wants to see it himself..."

An Nuonuo muttered softly but obediently put the items away.

Just as everyone was bustling about...

A sudden exclamation came from the crowd.

"Holy shit! Wait!"

A young man wearing glasses suddenly pointed at Chen Du as if he'd discovered a new continent: "Buying women's clothes... such a big spender... and with so many beauties following him..."

"Are you God Du?!"

"The perverted big shot who trades fruit for worn stockings in the world chat?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire trading area erupted!

Truly, fame is feared by men, and fattening pigs are feared by butchers!

To run into a fan in a place like this!

Countless greedy, probing gazes focused on them all at once!

Like spotlights!

In this survival game, fame often meant death.

Especially the reputation of being filthy rich and having perverted tendencies—that was practically painting a target on your back.

Tang Ran's expression changed as she stepped in front of Chen Du.

The atmosphere grew tense, on the verge of erupting!

However, Chen Du wasn't flustered in the slightest.

He slowly turned around, revealing a lewd, sleazy, punchable expression.

"Baka!!"

A furious roar, full of vigor, carrying a thick flavor of a Japanese officer.

"What God Du? Who is that nobody?!"

"I am the leader of the Yamato Construction Group, Tanaka Koji!"

The entire area fell silent.

Even the bespectacled man who had identified him was dumbfounded: "Huh? Ta... Tanaka? A Sakura Country person?"

"That's right! Yoshi!"

Chen Du proudly patted his chest, casually picking up a black stocking and taking a deep sniff.

"Ssshhhaa—! This is the scent of home! The cherry blossoms of my homeland are blooming!"

"We, the Yamato people, like it very much! Whether it's stockings or beautiful girls, we want them all!"

"What? You Chinese people, do you have a problem with us?!"

Chen Du's arrogant and domineering manner practically had the word 'villain' carved on his forehead.

The women behind him were all dumbstruck.

This... is this the legendary one-second immersion into character?!

Oscar owes the captain a little golden statue! With acting skills like this, not entering the entertainment industry is a loss for humanity!

Lin Keke was the first to react.

This was a great opportunity to show off her acting skills! As a veteran cosplayer, she was familiar with scenes like this!

The chuunibyou girl was instantly possessed by the acting bug.

She clutched her chest and cried out to Chen Du: "Wuwuwu! Tanaka-sama! Please, let us go!"

"We've already bought so many clothes for you, can we not work overtime tonight? My back is about to break... please, yamete..."

This line was a god-tier assist!

It practically solidified the persona of 'Tanaka Koji is a perverted bully who forces decent girls into servitude'.

"Yoshi! You, very aware!"

Chen Du gave Lin Keke an appreciative glance, then glared fiercely at the surrounding crowd. "What are you looking at?! Haven't you seen a Yamato warrior stocking up on goods before?!"

"Let me tell you! This port will bear the Tanaka name from now on! If anyone disagrees, feel free to come find me!"

After saying this, Chen Du arrogantly wrapped his arms around Xia Mo and Lin Keke and swaggered off.

Leaving only a group of survivors bewildered in the wind, their worldviews shattered.

"Damn... I'd heard those little Japs were perverted, but I never imagined to this extent!"

"Pah! So the pervert collecting stockings is Tanaka Koji! Disgusting!"

"Brothers, remember this! From now on, whenever we see anyone from the Yamato Construction Group, we beat them up on sight! We can't let scum like this pollute our eyes!"

Hatred successfully redirected! And with a critical hit!

...

Having left the trading area, the group ducked into an alley.

As soon as they were out of sight, the women couldn't hold back anymore.

"Pfft—hahaha! Captain, you're too evil!"

Lin Keke laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up, leaning against the wall and slapping her thigh.

"If Tanaka Koji knew his reputation in this area was ruined like this, he'd probably be so angry he'd commit seppuku!"

"This is called diverting trouble onto others."

Chen Du resumed his normal expression, calmly straightening his collar.

"He's no saint anyway, so it's not an injustice for him to carry this black mark."

Ye Qiu adjusted her glasses and reminded him rationally: "But Chen Du, this way, we've thoroughly made an enemy of Sakura Country. What if we encounter them again..."

"If we encounter them, we eliminate them." Chen Du's tone was flat. "Anyway, right now I am Tanaka Koji. Any bad things I do are his doing. As long as I don't admit it, who can prove I am me?"

Everyone: "..."

How devious! This logical loop is practically invincible!

But, why does it feel so reassuring? Following a boss like this, you'd definitely never suffer a loss!

"What's that place up ahead?"

Xia Mo, still in his arms, suddenly spoke up, pointing towards the end of the alley.

There was a shop with a flickering sign.

The shop name was quite artistic—[Deep Sea Kiss].

But the decorations at the entrance were rather unsettling.

Several still-writhing tentacles served as the door curtain.

Even before getting close, a fishy, foul smell assaulted their noses.

"Probably a bar."

Chen Du frowned, his steps faltering slightly.

Through the half-open tentacle curtain, they could see a chaotic scene under the dim light inside.

Several monsters with octopus-like heads were entwining human women.

Those women lay sprawled on tables, their eyes vacant...

And in the corners, indescribable cross-species exchanges were taking place.

"Urgh..."

Ye Qiu took one look and quickly covered her mouth, turning her head away.

An Nuonuo was so frightened her little face turned pale: "Captain... let's leave quickly, this place is scary... those women..."

Chen Du's face darkened as he reached out to block An Nuonuo's view.

"Don't look."

"It'll dirty your eyes."

Chen Du's voice was cold. "In this damned world, if we aren't strong enough, that will be our fate. Weakness is the original sin!"

All the women shuddered.

At this moment, they were immensely grateful that their captain was Chen Du.

"Let's go! Back to the ship!"

Chen Du showed not a shred of hesitation.

Since the supplies were obtained and the task completed, there was no need to waste time here, and certainly no need to subject the women to this mental pollution.

However.

On the second floor of the bar, behind an inconspicuous window.

A pair of venomous eyes were fixed intently on their retreating figures.

If face to face, Chen Du would have recognized her.

It was that madam!

The hand that had been crushed by Xia Lai had been replaced with a crab claw, making her look even more hideous and terrifying.

"Sir... it's them!"

"That man has a lot of life essence on him! And those women... they're top-tier, the cream of the crop! Especially the girl with the mechanical arm, she's a rare, pristine vessel!"

Beside her.

Stood a man nearly two meters tall, dressed in a luxurious tailcoat.

But he had no head.

Atop his neck sat a fly's head covered in black hair!

A pair of compound eyes, composed of thousands of tiny lenses, glowed with a red light.

A slender proboscis extended from his mouthparts, constantly retracting and extending.

"Sss... exquisite..."

"Delicious... flesh and blood... haven't smelled such a fresh scent in so long..."

The fly-man's compound eyes reflected the backs of Chen Du and the others, the image fracturing into countless pieces, each one filled with greed.

"They... won't get away... all will become my playthings..."

...

On the way back.

Chen Du's right eyelid suddenly twitched a few times.

He instinctively glanced back at the [Deep Sea Kiss] bar.

He saw nothing, yet the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Have we been targeted?"

Chen Du's heart sank.

He glanced at his watch.

Half the time had already passed.

Twelve hours remained until the forced expulsion from Crimson Port.

"Pick up the pace!"

Chen Du commanded in a low voice: "I have a bad feeling something filthy is following us!"