Chapter 18: A Sliver of Tenderness
"The Republic of Tanosi Ranch?"
Looking at the display on the screen, Tanosi asked with a look of confusion.
"It's pretty straightforward, isn't it? I only thought of it a little while ago," Tang Ping replied casually, his fingers flying across the keyboard. If possible, he wanted to wrap up all his work before dinner.
"The official title is the **Sacred Republic of Tanosi Ranch**. Adding 'Sacred' before your name signifies that this nation is presided over by a deity—a state built upon religion."
"The word 'Ranch' in the middle hints at the country's mode of operation; everything we do is geared toward producing 'products.'"
"And 'Republic' at the end is a symbol of peace, indicating that we have no intentions of outward aggression."
"Is that a problem?"
Tanosi toyed with her phone, expressionlessly deleting a text message. It was from Brenno: *Caught 36. 4 damaged.* Tang Ping, focused on editing the files, didn't notice a thing.
"There's an old saying from the land of Canghai: 'Build high walls, store grain widely, and be slow to claim the throne.' Launching a war without any preparation yields no benefits. Our goal is to maximize profit, not engage in mindless slaughter."
Tang Ping manipulated the mouse, sent the completed documents to Tanosi's phone, and used a projector to display the contents on the wall. On page twenty-seven, a passage was written in a massive, bold calligraphic font:
**"TANOSI-ISM?"**
Tanosi read the words out loud, one by one. She understood each character individually, but the concept as a whole escaped her. Tang Ping nodded and began his explanation.
"Like any other '-ism' in the world, Tanosi-ism is our core domestic developmental direction. It encompasses vital sectors such as politics, economy, diplomacy, and the people's livelihood."
"There are two primary objectives. First: use the maximization of profit as the core to build a theocratic nation where religion is supreme. Second: create a Utopia that everyone yearns for."
"The former is self-explanatory. The latter is more complex; I want to build a world where even a 'social reject' like me can live a relaxed and easy life."
"Like a video game—everyone can find their own fun, build their own character, and upgrade powerful skills." Tang Ping held up his phone, showing his favorite mobile game, *Gunfight Girls*.
"In this place, no one will scold you, and no one can exploit you. Everyone is their own master."
"I'm not trying to invent a brand-new political system. To keep it simple, we'll adopt real-world models, strip away the flaws, and add a few advantages. We aren't aiming for perfection, but for 'suitability'—as long as it fits our culture and modern values."
"Essentially, all known nations—including the world's superpower, the **GCP**, the birthplace of democracy in **Europe**, and the ancient civilization of **Canghai**—did exactly this. No one is purely capitalist, and no one is purely socialist."
"It's like cooking; everyone adds salt according to their needs. Some people even add sugar... Uh, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lost in his own vision, Tang Ping suddenly realized the Goddess was cupping her cheeks in her hands, watching him with a wide, beaming grin. Her eyes were curved like crescent moons, and the eight tentacles behind her swayed rhythmically from side to side.
"As I thought—a man focused on his work is the most handsome!"
"Your mouth says no, but your body honestly keeps on working. You look like someone so infatuated with me that you've lost your sense of direction. Ah! My beauty is truly a sin, leading a lost lamb straight into the forbidden abyss!"
"Uh... I am not."
Tang Ping's lip twitched. It was the first time in his life he felt the urge to hit a woman.
"Hehe! A tsundere man is truly adorable~ Really, you should just upgrade to the Large Fri—"
"No! Thank you!" Tang Ping refused sternly.
"Hee-hee~" Tanosi gave a small smile, her eyes full of triumph, wearing an expression that said *'I saw through you long ago.'*
Seeing that he couldn't shake the stigma of being her "secret admirer," Tang Ping quickly changed the subject. "Do you want to establish the nation quickly and start gathering the Power of Faith?"
Tanosi nodded with a smile.
"Then follow my lead. I'm a local; I know best how to survive on this planet. Just eat your chips, read your manga, and wait about ten years. By then, we'll have everything."
"Oh?" Tanosi looked at him with squinted eyes, making Tang Ping feel a bit uneasy.
"What?"
"You seem a bit different than before. I still remember that night when you said you wanted to be cruel to them. The look in your eyes back then, overflowing with the fires of revenge... it's still burned into my memory."
Tanosi lifted Tang Ping's chin. Her deep purple eyes radiated a mesmerizing and lethal glow. Anyone with a weak will would be lost in them instantly.
"The situation has changed..."
Tang Ping gently pushed her hand away. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the scenery outside. The blue sky was free of pollution, and vibrant green sprouts were bursting forth everywhere. Everything before him was teeming with life and vitality.
Except for himself... who remained unchanged.
The bright sunlight stretched Tang Ping's shadow across the floor. After a long moment, he finally uttered a single sentence.
"...I've had my fill."
"I know my own limits very well. Without your help, that cramped rental apartment would have been my final resting place—my tomb."
"Of course, I know this is a 'Blue Ocean' of opportunity. If I fought hard now, ten years later I'd likely have both wealth and power. But... I have no interest in that."
Tang Ping looked down at his own hands. Aside from a smartphone and a bottle of cola, they were incapable of holding anything significant, let alone supporting an entire nation. In the early years of nation-building, it might be manageable. But once the population grew and the complexity of governance skyrocketed, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it.
*Should an incompetent person like me cling to a position of power until I'm eventually overthrown by those beneath me?*
No. He had seen too much of that unfairness in schools, corporations, and the government. Every man has his own path, and expertise is specialized. That which does not belong to him, even if seized by force, would eventually slip through his fingers.
Things were good enough the way they were.
"I grew up in a poor family; I never received a healthy upbringing. It wasn't until I entered society that I realized I was a person with a hollow core." *Or perhaps, I just didn't want to admit it...* Tang Ping gave a bitter smile.
"I have no goals, no dreams, and nothing I particularly want to do. To be honest, even if you told me I would die tomorrow, I wouldn't feel a shred of fear. Silence... perhaps that is where I truly belong."
Tanosi gazed at the man before her. She realized that in this moment, Tang Ping looked even darker than when they first met. Perhaps she had stirred up memories of a humiliating past.
"But I was lucky. I met you. All my anxiety and inferiority feel like a tiny grain of sesame before your supreme power." Tang Ping smiled, like a child who had finally been given a piece of candy.
"The moment I received that 100 billion, I felt the reality of being alive for the first time in my life. I realized how much peace of mind a sturdy, reliable harbor can provide. Aside from offering you my everything, I have no way to repay you."
Between a world that failed to protect him and the demon that saved him, Tang Ping chose the latter. This wasn't his fault; it was the world's fault. He hadn't asked to be born, nor did he want to be a burden to his family, yet he had arrived nonetheless. He was a victim who grew up in the guise of a perpetrator. Under the weight of moral pressure, "gratitude" and "repayment" became the only metrics of his life.
There was no one around to help him, and no one who could. And so, Tang Ping lived until he was twenty-four, and then he met Tanosi. If there are no coincidences in the world, only inevitability, then he could not escape this sinful fate either.
"Even if it's just my own wishful thinking, I believe our meeting wasn't an accident. it was destiny."
Though the shadows beneath his feet were pitch black, a new light flickered in Tang Ping's eyes. Standing before him was an ancient existence with immense power. Thousands of years ago, gods led primitive humans toward civilization. Thousands of years later, those same beings could be the ones to save this decaying world.
"In this hopeless world, I met a god who could save me. Yes, you are Cthulhu, an Evil God. The tragedy of Xinshou City has already happened; no one can undo it. But I choose to believe that the power which saved me can also help others who have suffered like I have. Perhaps this is the reason why a 'loser' rejected by society was born into this world."
Tang Ping clenched his fists, a trace of fanaticism creeping into his voice. "In this world where the Age of Gods has vanished, you are an irreplaceable treasure. Even if it's just a little bit, as long as you are willing to share your 'tenderness'—the kind that often appears in Galgames—then an ending where everyone can smile will surely arrive. At least... that is what I hope for."
"But of course! I am a God, and a very great one at that! Human misfortune is a trivial matter; with a snap of my fingers, I could make it vanish from the Earth!"
Tanosi puffed out her chest with pride. The sudden movement caused a soft, heavy tremor; observing from such a close distance, Tang Ping couldn't help but swallow hard.
"My Mother Goddess once said: It takes a whole night for darkness to shroud the sky, but only a single moment for the dawn to light up the world. I'm not just going to save humanity, Tang Ping—I'm going to save *you*!"
Tanosi pointed a finger at him. In her face, Tang Ping saw no hesitation, only boundless confidence.
"It's nothing! A mere 'inferiority complex' is a flaw far too small for me to take seriously. If you hate it, then run away! If you're afraid, then hide! If you truly lose your way, then look at me!"
"My adorable Contractor, my partner who will walk beside me in the future—I have received the darkness in your heart! I am free, and you are protected. Do not worry. Under the brilliance of my glory, run as much as you like! At the end of this road, there is surely a perfect finish line. Go find it! I, the Great Evil God Tanosi, permit it!"
The silver-haired Goddess lifted the man's chin and bestowed upon him a kiss named 'Blessing.' A scent of citrus body wash and sea salt filled his senses, leaving him stunned. Even though they had been intimate recently, he still felt a strange, surreal sensation.
Tang Ping cautiously pulled her into an embrace. When the supreme being didn't rebuke him, he finally felt safe enough to touch this heavenly grace. Tanosi accepted his boldness like a merciful mother. To Tang Ping, this wasn't pure lust—it was the ultimate expression of trust.
If it was Tanosi, surely she would tolerate even his most childish actions.
For Tanosi, a kiss was nothing to be ashamed of.
When she was a child, her Mother Goddess would frequently pin her Father Goddess down, pouring out her affection without restraint. Her father, who initially seemed reluctant, would always give a much more intense response once his desire was stoked.
Her mother told her: "Love hides within sex, and sex nurtures an even deeper obsession. If you find someone you like in the future, do not be stingy with your affection—show it boldly. Whether you get a happy ending or not, that memory will be a vital treasure for your entire life."
"Of course!" her mother had added with a squint, giving her a look that said *'you know the drill.'* "These rules only apply to people you like. If someone you despise tries this..."
Tanosi understood. That meant she was allowed to go on a killing spree.
"Also," her mother had continued, "to save the Cthulhu clan from its declining birthrate, your father and I are working hard to contribute. You—this little glass lamp—should stop standing there being an eyesore!"
"I've put a hundred Titan Shark hatchlings in the training room. Go shred them all before you come back to see me. And finish before dinner, or the food will get cold."
With that, her five-year-old self had been tossed out the door. Back then, she hadn't understood what they were doing; now, as an adult, she finally did.
*Is this what Mother was so intoxicated by?*
*It feels... so good...*
Tasting carnal desire for the first time, Tanosi's gaze grew hazy. She lowered all her mental defenses and surrendered to the syrupy sweetness of the kiss. *No wonder Qinglan did this with him behind my back... I suppose it won't hurt if I'm a little selfish too, right?*
With a flicker of Tanosi's will, a massive magic circle manifested on the office floor. A brilliant white light filled the room, and in an instant, both figures vanished.
**Thud!**
A chilling sensation crawled over his skin. Tang Ping, who had been lost in the kiss, snapped his eyes open.
"!"
A cerulean world... rising bubbles... *Is this... seawater?!*
For some reason, Tang Ping and Tanosi had dropped into the ocean. Tanosi was still grinning, but Tang Ping panicked—he couldn't swim. Having no other choice, he clung tightly to her. Tanosi pressed her lips to his, passing him air. With a wave of her hand, they teleported again.
In the final second before they left the water, Tang Ping caught a glimpse of a strange sight: a giant pyramid at the bottom of the sea, with what looked like an altar at its peak. And there... was someone standing there?
The next moment, a feeling of weightlessness took over as they fell onto a massive, snow-white bed. The faint scent of roses filled the air. Tang Ping fought off the disorientation and looked around. It was a spacious, clean room, looking like a set from a historical drama—rich in the classical style of the land of **Canghai**. The furniture was all wood, and the lipstick and face masks on the dressing table revealed the owner's identity.
"Where are we?" Tang Ping turned to ask, but his answer came in the form of a pair of full lips.
"!"
Tanosi's eyes were bloodshot. She pinned Tang Ping to the bed, and with a flick of her wrist, her elegant palace gown shredded into rags. In this moment, she wasn't a noble goddess; she was a demonic beast starving for a sacrifice.
After a long while, Tanosi broke the kiss. She straightened her back and looked down at the disheveled man. A thin silver thread of saliva still connected their lips. She arched an eyebrow and tilted her chin, an invitation for him to be even more bold. It looked like an invitation, but it was a command.
Tang Ping felt as if he were standing on a cliff ten thousand meters high. He didn't have the courage to retreat; he could only grit his teeth and move forward. Among millions, he was the only "Chosen One" permitted to stand here. He was allowed to touch her noble skin, exerting all his effort just to win a smile from a goddess.
He had a premonition: if he continued, he would never be able to turn back. But he couldn't shrink away. Even if he had to consume this poppy flower, he had to go on. He would offer himself as a sacrifice in exchange for the "tenderness" of a supreme deity. He would be the bridge between Heaven and Earth, letting the "Unspeakable Terror" experience the beauty of humanity.
*The moment Tanosi falls in love with me is the moment she becomes a woman. The world will lose one bloodthirsty demon and gain one merciful god.*
Amidst the waves of desire, Tang Ping barely maintained consciousness. Powerful magic began to seep into his every vein; he felt the distance between him and God was only a step away. He walked through the forbidden garden and finally reached the Pure Land of ultimate bliss. In that split second where worry and pain were forgotten, he felt the void in his heart being filled.
*If I don't have to think about the future anymore... if I can just drown in this sea of tenderness... that wouldn't be so bad...* That was Tang Ping's last thought before he lost consciousness.
When he finally came to, it was over. A calmed Tang Ping realized one thing: Tanosi was still "pure." She told him that his current achievements weren't worthy of her yet, so they would wait for that day.
"I believe that day will come soon, and when it does, I'll..."
The silver-haired Goddess made her promise and pulled Tang Ping's head to her chest so he could hear her heartbeat.
"Loyal Servant..."
"Hmm?"
"Do you like me?"
"If it's a binary choice... then yes."
"More than pudding?"
"Definitely."
"Then it's 'The Most'!"
They looked at each other and laughed.
"As long as you're obedient, I'll give you whatever you want..." Tanosi dressed herself and kissed his forehead. A magic circle appeared once more. Before he vanished, she said: "Go to the basement! Your questions, your prayers—I've put them all there. You'll understand once you see it."
In a flash of white, Tang Ping was gone.
Tanosi stood up and sat on a leather sofa. With a wave of her hand, a bottle of red wine flew from the cabinet, filling a glass a quarter of the way before landing in her hand.
"Eavesdropping isn't the behavior of a good woman, you know~" Tanosi grinned, swirling the wine in her glass.
The person outside hesitated for a moment before finally stepping into the room that had originally belonged to her.
"You can have that," Tanosi said, pointing to the bed still lingering with the scent of their encounter. "I don't want it anymore."
The green-haired Dragon Princess, Qinglan, could do nothing. She lowered her head and clenched her fists so hard her nails drew blood. After a deep breath, Qinglan managed a smile and said:
"It felt good, didn't it? I'm the one who taught him."