"Oh my, isn't this Lord Zhong Chen! Who made you so angry?"
Lady Tamayo greeted Zhong Chen with a smile as he stormed over, looking furious.
"Huh? Tamayo?"
Seeing Lady Tamayo, Zhong Chen immediately stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sign above the door.
It read: [Tamayo's Exquisite Handmade Merchandise].
"Uh… I didn't notice… I was wondering who it was, using my image and daring not to give me a single cent!"
"Since it's you, then never mind…"
Zhong Chen said with an awkward smile.
"Oh my, could it be that Lord Zhong Chen, as a shareholder, still wants to charge me royalties?"
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Tamayo stroked her cheek with her right hand, a teasing smile on her face as she looked at Zhong Chen.
"How could that be! It's just that I haven't seen any returns yet…"
Speaking of this merchandise store, it was actually a joint venture between Zhong Chen and Lady Tamayo. Zhong Chen provided the location, and Tamayo provided the technical expertise.
Their monthly income was split 60/40, with Zhong Chen getting 60% and Tamayo 40%.
However, for some reason, even after more than a year, Zhong Chen had not received a single dividend.
"Oh? Didn't Miss Sakuya tell you?"
Hearing Zhong Chen say he hadn't seen any money, Tamayo thought of Sakuya, who came every month, and asked with a puzzled expression.
"Tell me what?"
"I gave all your dividends to Miss Sakuya. Didn't she give them to you?"
"What!!! Given to Sakuya?!"
Upon hearing Tamayo's words, Zhong Chen felt like it was all over; his secret stash plan could be declared bankrupt.
"Lord Zhong Chen, are you alright?"
Lady Tamayo looked at Zhong Chen, who had suddenly fallen to his knees and entered an emotional state, and asked with a worried expression.
"Oh dear, Tamayo, don't mind A Chen, he's just having one of his usual fits."
Rimuru, holding a chibi doll of Zhong Chen as tall as himself, excitedly asked Lady Tamayo:
"But this doll is so cute, how much is it?"
"Hehe, if Lord Rimuru likes it, then it's a gift for you."
"Eh!!! How can that be, I must pay for it."
Rimuru insisted that one couldn't buy things without paying and firmly stated that he would pay.
Hearing Rimuru's words, Lady Tamayo showed a troubled expression, and finally had to say:
"Since you insist on paying, then give me three hundred lime coins."
Hearing the number three hundred, Zhong Chen instantly recovered, interrupted Tamayo, and loudly said:
"Three hundred? No, three thousand! Three thousand lime coins!"
"This… Lord Zhong Chen, this doll originally only sold for 1999 lime coins?"
"I don't care, I don't care, it has to sell for three thousand!"
Zhong Chen shamelessly began to throw a tantrum.
Meanwhile, Rimuru instantly understood Zhong Chen's intentions.
Good heavens, he's trying to fleece me.
"A Chen, you scoundrel, trying to swindle my money, I tell you, it's impossible!"
"Tamayo, here, these are three hundred lime coins."
Saying this, Rimuru pulled out three hundred lime coins and handed them to Tamayo, then put the doll into his stomach pouch.
After hearing Rimuru's words, Tamayo also understood why Zhong Chen wanted to raise the price.
Then she cheerfully pulled out a wad of lime coins and handed them to Zhong Chen.
"Lord Zhong Chen, this is this month's dividend. Since you're here, I'll give it directly to you."
Whoosh… Before Tamayo could finish speaking, Zhong Chen's right hand, with lightning speed, took the wad of lime coins.
Then he spit a little saliva on his finger, his eyes turned into money symbols, and he excitedly started counting.
"One thousand…"
"Two thousand…"
"Five thousand…"
"Thirty thousand!!!"
"Ow! I'm rich!"
After counting, Zhong Chen immediately felt his eyes no longer blurry, his back no longer aching, and his body full of strength.
"Everyone, let's go, big bro will treat you to some spending. Now big bro has plenty of money!"
Zhong Chen, shaking the mere thirty thousand lime coins in his hand, looking like a billionaire who didn't care about money, said to Rimuru and the others.
"Uh… A Chen, isn't it just thirty thousand lime coins? You don't mean you don't even have that much money, do you?"
Rimuru looked at Zhong Chen with sympathy, then asked a profound question.
"Huh? What do you mean 'just thirty thousand lime coins'? As if you guys could produce that much!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Veldora and the others, in unison, pulled out thick wads of lime coins and shook them in front of Zhong Chen.
"Nani!!! How are you guys so rich?!"
Zhong Chen's 24K gold-plated eyes merely glanced at the lime coins in their hands and immediately noticed that each person had no less than fifty thousand.
"Uh… These are all Sakuya's pocket money."
"Yeah, this is Sakuya's pocket money for me, the great one."
"Hehe, A Chen, Sakuya wouldn't not give you pocket money, would she?"
"Mm-hmm, pocket money!"
Hearing 'pocket money,' Zhong Chen looked at them in disbelief.
What was going on? Why did they have so much pocket money?
He only had two thousand in pocket money each month!
Speaking of which, it really wasn't Sakuya playing favorites.
In fact, at first, Sakuya would directly give Zhong Chen money without asking why, whenever he asked for it.
Until she noticed that Zhong Chen was asking for money more and more often, and finally discovered that he was throwing all his money into the pachinko parlor.
Sakuya, knowing that gambling harms people, began to strictly control Zhong Chen's pocket money from then on.
One could only say that everything was caused by someone's own foolish actions.
"Kishishishi! If that's the case, don't blame me!"
Zhong Chen's figure suddenly vanished from his spot, then flashed past the four people's eyes.
"Hey! My money!"
"Damn it, Zhong Chen, you actually stole my pocket money!"
"Wuwuwu, my money for sweets!"
"You hateful A Chen, I'll fight you!"
Saying this, Milim took out her Gaze and chased after Zhong Chen, who was excitedly counting money while fleeing.
"We're going too! Today, A Chen will learn why flowers are so red!"
The remaining three, seeing this, also took out their respective weapons and chased after him with furious expressions.
Lady Tamayo, witnessing this scene, walked out with an expression of someone enjoying the show.
"Oh dear, Lord Zhong Chen is probably in trouble this time…"
…At this moment, the high-ranking officials of the Eastern Empire, who had just finished watching the live broadcast of the Monster Country Federation conference, looked solemnly at Emperor Rudra, who was seated on the main throne.
"Your Majesty, the Monster Country Federation's urgent military expansion probably means they intend to resist our nation to the very end."
Kali Julio, the Legion Commander of the Mechanized Army, spoke to Rudra with a deep frown.
"Hmph, it's merely a nascent nation. What can a Demon Lord do, even if they have one?"
Damrada, the Fist Saint, one of the Four Knights of the Apocalypse, spoke with disdain.
Hearing his words, Kondo Tatsuya, the leader of the Four Knights who had previously led a team to the Monster Country Federation, spoke with a grave expression:
"Damrada, do not underestimate the Monster Country Federation. During my recent visit, I did not meet the true high-ranking officials of the Monster Country Federation."
"However, even their diplomatic official, Testarossa, gave me a sense of danger."
"Not to mention, according to intelligence, Storm Dragon Veldora has also joined the Monster Country Federation."
Hearing Veldora's name, Velgrynd, the Scorch Dragon, who was leaning on Emperor Rudra's throne, immediately brightened her eyes.
She then asked:
"Are you saying my troublemaking younger brother has revived?"
"Yes, Marshal!"
PS: Velgrynd has always been the Marshal of the Eastern Empire.
"Hehe, it seems I should go see my dear brother!"
At this moment, Veldora, who was currently chasing Zhong Chen, suddenly shivered and looked around with a terrified expression.
Rudra, seated on the throne—no, rather, the King of Justice—a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he softly murmured,
"The Monster Country Federation, is it…"