Chapter Thirty-Eight: Plot

“To give the simplest example, many people adore cats, thinking these little creatures are beautiful and cute.”
“But no matter how beautiful or cute they are, unless they transform into cat-eared girls, I doubt anyone would feel any sexual attraction toward them, right?”
Hmm...
The black dragon hesitated for a moment, ultimately unable to bring himself to retort with a contrary ‘I could.’
“It’s pretty much the same for dragons and humans.”
The woman smiled as she spoke. “The subjective consciousness and emotions of intelligent beings like us are, to a large extent, influenced by the hormones secreted within our bodies.”
“Mr. Huang, before you return to human form, it’s perfectly normal that your sense of aesthetics and mate selection leans more toward dragons.”
“So that’s how it is...”
The black dragon pondered, but then asked in confusion, “If that’s so, why do you all keep arranging these so-called matchmaking partners for me?”
“With my current appearance, before I turn back into a human, I doubt anyone would genuinely like me.”
“That’s true.”
The woman laughed and nodded. “I can’t speak for everyone else, but personally, I really don’t find myself attracted to Mr. Huang as he is right now.”
“...Very good, woman. You’ve succeeded in catching my attention.”
The black dragon felt a bit irritated, so he raised his head, looming over her and fixing her with a dangerous gaze.
Of course, he wasn’t truly angry or about to lash out; it was more a mischievous urge to scare her—a domineering CEO act, after all.
And he couldn’t deny that he found this woman rather intriguing.
“That’s wonderful!”
The black dragon’s presence was not something an ordinary person could withstand. Even with her strong nerves, the woman couldn’t help but feel her knees go weak and her voice tremble, though she forced herself to stay composed and met the dragon’s eyes, saying loudly,
“Mr. Huang, my name is Gao Ying—‘Gao’ as in ‘noble,’ and ‘Ying’ as in ‘novelty.’ You’ll definitely remember me, won’t you?”
“...That’s not certain.”

The black dragon suddenly felt that scaring a girl was rather pointless, so he lay back down, closed his eyes, and began to nap, saying, “If this is all you’re capable of, then unfortunately, I don’t sense the professionalism you claim to have, and I’ll end up requesting a replacement.”
What an infuriatingly dense man!
Gao Ying cursed inwardly, a bit annoyed, but quickly pulled herself together—
Stay calm, stay calm, don’t get angry. Men like him are just donkeys that need to be stroked the right way; as long as you go along with him, he’s easy to win over!
Come on, Gao Ying, believe in yourself. You’re bound to become a ‘dragon tamer’!
She quietly cheered herself on, then took a deep breath and said,
“Mr. Huang, honestly, I don’t agree with the research team assigning you a girlfriend.”
“Oh... and then?”
The black dragon responded indifferently, not completely unmoved, but his desire to interact was low.
Huang Ze, though not very experienced, had a vague sense that this woman, despite claiming she wasn’t attracted to him, was actually playing hard to get, trying to win his favor in roundabout ways.
Waiting for the right moment to strike and take him down in one swoop!
Women only slow me down when I draw my sword; I mustn’t fall for her tricks!
The black dragon reminded himself.
“Colonel Liu, is our research team planning to create a false identity for Mr. Huang as a naturalized dragon?”
Gao Ying suddenly turned to Liu Weihan.
“That is indeed the plan.”
Liu Weihan nodded. “The identity of a naturalized dragon would be extremely helpful both for the country and for Mr. Huang personally.”
“For the country, a powerful native dragon choosing to become a citizen of our nation would inspire people, boost our national confidence, and stir patriotic enthusiasm. It would also be very useful for our international publicity and united front efforts.”
“Imagine—a black dragon, always known for its unruly nature, willingly becoming a citizen, living a fulfilled and happy life.”
“...Eating well, sleeping soundly, no more scheming or fighting, turning over a new leaf, embracing progress, soon transforming into an idealistic, moral, cultured, and disciplined dragon of the new era, no longer wild and brutal as before...”

Such a dramatic change would be the best and most straightforward propaganda material for foreign audiences. At that point, Mr. Huang would become a window and a bridge for us to communicate with the world outside our borders.
With his living example, our national strength and image would be fully affirmed. I believe it won’t be long before many intelligent species and supernatural beings proactively seek contact with our country, greatly facilitating the integration and exchange between us and the wider world.
And for Mr. Huang himself, the identity of a naturalized dragon would effectively help him hide his secrets, reduce unnecessary public attention and adulation, and allow him to enjoy a normal life with his original identity.
It’s also a form of protection, shielding him from special interest and targeting by hostile foreign forces.
“Hmm... The identity of a naturalized dragon is indeed necessary.”
Gao Ying nodded in agreement, then continued, “But I noticed that you intend to use a plot where a beauty falls in love with a dragon to explain the dragon’s motivation and journey toward naturalization, correct?”
“That’s right.”
Liu Weihan nodded. “After all, the black dragon is a powerful and proud supernatural being. If he were to suddenly naturalize with no apparent reason, both the motive and the authenticity would be questionable. So it’s best to have a pretext.”
“A romance between dragon and human... That’s a good reason. First, it has precedents in film and literature, fits people’s fantasies, and is easy for the public to accept; second, giving the naturalized dragon the identity of a son-in-law to the country’s people helps bridge the gap, making it easier for everyone to emotionally accept his existence.”
“But don’t you think... the plot of a dragon and human falling in love is a bit hollow and contrived?”
Gao Ying noticed that the black dragon’s ears had been perked up the whole time, and a smile spread across her lips as she raised her voice,
“Such publicity might work fine domestically. A powerful black dragon falling in love with a girl from our nation—the story, no matter how illogical or melodramatic, will be accepted as fact, and most of our people will be happy to believe it.”
“But what about abroad?”
As she stroked the dragon’s cold scales, Gao Ying said, “Will intelligent species outside our borders accept this narrative?”
“Will they believe that a mighty black dragon would, for the sake of so-called love, for a mere human girl, willingly abandon the pride and dignity of his kind, give up his freedom, and marry into our nation... Is that reasonable?”