Meeting Cao Cao

The girl, gently stroking her silver hair that shone mysteriously like it had absorbed moonlight, turned her head and spoke.

"Jaon. What do you mean by 'interesting guy'?"

Her captivating red eyes fixed on me. She looked exactly like Cao Cao's stunning figure straight out of Misam 8. I couldn't help but take in the imposing silhouette of something massive and intimidating that utterly mismatched her petite frame. No, I had to. The thin black silk robe, etched with silver orchid patterns, was barely holding up against the overwhelming volume of her bust, as if on the verge of defeat!

At the same time, a simple interface unfolded before my eyes. Only then did I fully register that this beauty was Cao Cao.

'Huh? Why's Honey Water suddenly flooding back?'

This only pops up when you try gifting to a general whose favorability is already maxed out. Did I inherit some material guy's favorability and overflow hers? But I never raised Cao Cao's favorability myself...

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. The moment our gazes met, Honey Water—the favorability item—poured straight into my inventory. Twenty of them, no less. The alerts kept blaring nonstop.

"Your face is decent enough, but..."

Whoa... I didn't even see the favorability event, and Yuanbao just poured in like that? Total honey pot!

"Not even pretending to listen to me."

Cao Cao approached me as she spoke.

"You're just annoying. So what exactly makes you 'interesting,' Jaon?"

"Truth is, I brought you here 'cause I figured your reaction would be the fun part. Hahaha!"

"......"

As Cao Cao glared, Xiahou Dun shrugged and chimed in.

"Joking aside, this guy's totally unfazed taking my aura head-on. That's what I meant by at least general-rank material."

"General-rank talent, huh..."

"Plus his background's weird. Something like... Dongyi tribe? Goguryeo? Says he came from there."

"Dongyi tribe? All the way from beyond Liaodong? He's clearly concussed."

"And get this—he joins up, then flips in three seconds flat. Wants to retire or something."

"Hmph, ridiculous."

Cao Cao's eyebrow twitched slightly as she turned back to me.

"Speak. Who are you?"

"Name's Lee An. No courtesy name."

"Lee An? From Lee Family Village, perhaps. Could be a distant kin to Li Gan. She's the only Lee clansman who's allied with me."

There is a Li Gan among the relatives, but... how'd she know?!

"Exactly! Now it all makes sense!"

Xiahou Dun's eyes lit up as she continued.

"This guy was one of the able-bodied men Li Gan was gonna bring. But some unfortunate accident split him from the group. Lost his memory and trekked through hell and back from some wild border to Guancheng."

"Walked from Fuyang's Wang Family Village?"

"From Fuyang?! Must've taken a wrong turn... tragic! But heaven's grace brought you here, Lee An. I'll value you highly!"

Xiahou Dun was drumming her own accompaniment, going full hype mode, grabbing my shoulder with a burning gaze. Was this what mirror therapy felt like? Conversation wasn't landing at all—frustrating as hell. Was this how people always saw me?

From now on, interface windows only when no one's around.

"Mengde! How about recommending this man for Filial Clerk?"

"Filial Clerk... not bad. If he can handle your aura, he'll be useful to us. And I need more talent."

—Ding!

Huh? Never mind, scratch that. Conversation's flowing smoother than silk. All that frustration vanished the second I saw "1,200 Yuanbao." And a premium gacha ticket guaranteeing an SSR general? Tempting enough to skip the achievement grind entirely.

"I humbly accept your boundless grace! I'll shatter my bones and grind my body to dust in service to the Governor—please recommend me!"

Eh?

"Pfft—haha, Lee An. Didn't peg you for such an ambitious climber. Guess that's how you caught Mengde's eye—with that nonsense!"

Xiahou Dun roared with laughter, slapping my shoulder.

Not even close... I let out an exasperated chuckle at the injustice.

"Enough teasing, Jaon. Better a man who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wears his ambition openly than those scheming types swallowing grudges in silence."

Cao Cao smirked and stepped closer, her alluring orchid scent enveloping me. She stopped right in front of me, gazing up with those hypnotic red eyes that somehow mixed tenderness and warmth.

"But now that you're under my command, abandon any dreams of climbing high on that attitude alone."

"Pardon?"

"I ignore lineage, background—anything. Only skill and matching achievements matter to me."

As she shifted, the orchid fragrance intensified.

"I'll only recommend the truly talented. Prove your worth to me. Stand proudly by my side..."

Cao Cao's voice was firm as she gripped my shoulder.

That was when it happened.

"Ngh?!"

The Cao Cao who'd just been preaching about proving one's mettle collapsed into my arms with a lewd gasp the instant she touched my shoulder.

......?

The thick orchid scent clogging my nose scrambled my brain.

"Mengde?!"

Xiahou Dun freaked out and lunged toward Cao Cao in my arms.

"D-don't come near. I'm f-fine..."

Cao Cao struggled to rise on her own, so I grabbed her shoulder to help.

—Thud.

"Y-you too, back off...!"

Her face flushed beet red, shoulders trembling. Panting hot breaths, she forced herself upright with deep gasps.

"Mengde..."

Xiahou Dun approached and pressed a hand to Cao Cao's forehead.

"Burning up like a furnace. That last scrap with the Heishan bandits was brutal, and you've been buried in work nonstop. No wonder your body's giving out."

Xiahou Dun eyed her with concern.

"Leave the Guancheng recruitment to me and Zilian. Get some real rest. I'll call when it's done."

I knew it was a misunderstanding but didn't correct her. Gotta preserve my future lord's dignity, after all.

"Hoo... haa..."

Cao Cao steadied her ragged breaths.

"Jaon. I'm... fine now. Assign some troops to Lee An. Time to test his mettle."

Xiahou Dun nodded.

"How many? 50? Or... 10?"

Hmm... 50-man leader, a Dubo.

"Better start as Dubo than Shichang," Cao Cao said.

Shichang's 10 men, right? Our eyes suddenly met.

...What now? She's my lord now—should I bow?

As I pondered, I defaulted to grinning. Can't spit on a smiling face, after all.

"Mengde! To make a real talent out of Lee An, better start him from the bottom and build up slow?"

Huh?

Lee An, Squad Leader of Cao Cao's Army. Command over five soldiers. That was my current rank.

For some reason, Xiahou Dun had a whim and demoted me straight to squad leader. Who gets two ranks dropped—from 50-man leader—in three seconds flat? Not that I'd ever actually been one.

"Why doesn't this count as an achievement..."

Muttering, I slipped out of Cao Cao's tent, a unfamiliar sword now gripped in my hand.

Demote me to squad leader, then hand over a weapon like this? Its martial bonus was way below my SR Ring-Pommel Sword, but the higher rank hinted at hidden potential. This world was like my old game but with tweaks—stuff like Cao Cao's weapon stayed under wraps.

Anyway, I buckled the Qinggang Sword to my waist and headed to the assembly point Xiahou Dun mentioned. Dozens of able-bodied men were already lined up in neat rows, minus me.

"You're the new squad ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leader personally appointed by Lady Jaon?"

A stern officer on the platform upfront approached gruffly.

"Yes. Here to pick my men."

"If you caught her eye, you must be some big shot! You're last, but I'll let you pick first as a special favor. The front rows are the best stock—choose wisely!"

His eyes gleamed as he spoke.

"Halt!"

"...Pardon?"

Was he telling me to cut in line for the goods? Cutting was the worst of the seven deadly sins. Only those who've pulled all-nighters for limited merch know the sacred rule.

"Are you ordering me to cut? Absolutely not! I'm late, so I'll wait at the very back!"

"Such integrity... Understood. Best of luck!"

He bowed and stepped aside. I took the platform and looked down.

Hundreds of recruits stared back at me and the other squad leaders.

Front-row elites or back-row scrubs—it was all the same trash.

Hold up... is that a named general mixed in?

Amid the sea of gray and white names, one jarringly purple label caught my eye.