Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1464 (Part 1) - Both Host and Guest Enjoy Themselves (Two Chapters Combined)

"If we're going to talk about the origins of gladiatorial culture, we have to talk about Rome. If we're going to talk about Rome, what role did the bloody thrill of gladiatorial culture play in Roman society at that time? Gladiator culture has never disappeared from our lives. All addictive pastimes and sensory-stimulating entertainment products uphold the basic function of gladiatorial culture: to divert attention and discontent, and to make the recipient lose the ability to think about real-world problems. This entertainment can be boxing, disco, or drugs like marijuana; anything can be a form of gladiatorial culture... If Wakanda opens its borders, it will inevitably experience a culture shock, because no one can resist entertainment. A culture shock will lead to everything, including politics, becoming entertainment, all seriousness will be dissolved, and the bottom line of social morality will be constantly broken."

He pointed to Steve Rogers in the audience.

"This is a case in point. He was a hero who distinguished himself in World War II, yet his fate was one of labeling and flattening. Captain America ceased to exist as a human being, but as a consumable product. The weight and seriousness of his history were constantly eroded until he became a symbol representing America. A simple, unambiguous figure, so righteous that people could forget the military-industrial complex's dealings with the Third Reich during World War II. All questions about America's role in World War II were questions about this figure. When Steve Rogers became a collective memory for generations, the truth of history ceased to matter, the past crimes ceased to matter, and in some people's memories, it was Steve Rogers who raised the American flag on the Reichstag in Berlin." He concluded his argument with a very classic line, "Look at the audience, they want blood, now they've all become Romans."

This was a small salon, and not many people attended.

Because the Emperor himself held a seat among the industrial nobility, some of the industrial nobles from the Golden Tribe also attended the salon, since they didn't usually have much work to do. In the eyes of the Wakanda, Sam Wilson, with his Mesopotamian ancestry, wasn't considered Black. Even though his slightly darker skin distinguished him significantly from Germanic and Anglo-Saxon peoples, he was still categorized as white. This is why T'Challa brought Steve Rogers and others along. To T'Challa's embarrassment, although Sam Wilson was Black, this superhero had no affinity for African culture. If it weren't for his idol being there, Sam Wilson wouldn't have stayed.

T'Challa's first conversation with Sam Wilson wasn't very pleasant. While the latter remained polite and expressed surprise at Wakanda's technological level, the entertainment wasn't to his liking. Sam Wilson only considered his trip to Wakanda a short visit, given the unwelcoming Yugoslav Federation. In contrast, the initially dejected white man, James Buchanan, accepted a country cabin and completely immersed himself in rural life. He even removed his prosthetic arm, intending to focus on his rural lifestyle and completely abstain from entertainment and violence. When Steve Rogers saw his good friend again, he could hardly believe that the man dressed in local attire, with a stubble beard and looking like an ascetic, was his former comrade-in-arms.

The Wakandas originally brought these white men to help their "white" emperor relax, but T'Challa and Steve Rogers had a very pleasant conversation, while Queen Mother Ramonda and the emperor chatted quite happily. James Buchanan, in particular, even discussed what crops to plant on the land he had been given the following year, and T'Challa offered his suggestions.

“A very interesting direction for interpretation,” Queen Mother Ramonda nodded. This wasn’t a formal reception; the only attendees were the Wakanda royal family, Steve Rogers, who was on a “long-term trip” to Wakanda, the Emperor, and a member of the Royal Guard whom no other Wakandan had ever seen before. “Wakanda has never experienced anything like this before. The royal family is very strict about prohibited drugs and cultural control; violence and bloodshed should be kept far away from the lives of ordinary people. You should understand the predicament Wakanda is facing. Right now, Wakanda’s respectable culture is easily impacted, and not everyone is open to it.”

"No one can stop entertainment; people need amusement, and that's the purpose of gladiatorial culture. If even entertainment is taken away after a hard day's work, what can relieve the fatigue? Rock music and Coca-Cola won't harm people; it's loud rock music and Coca-Cola with coca leaves that will cause harm. The worst thing about gladiatorial culture isn't that it makes people seek thrills, but that it makes the masses and the ruling class crave limitless sensory stimulation, crave blood, and flock to the corruption and debauchery that come with it. This is the situation we really need to be wary of. Correct entertainment itself is not wrong; what's wrong is the limitless entertainment that undermines seriousness."

"Cultural control," Queen Mother Ramonda said. Wakanda had always been safe until the civil war that erupted after N. Jadaka ascended the throne. The civil war, initiated by Queen Mother Ramonda through her alliance with the Emperor and his army, shattered this facade. When main battle tanks rolled into the streets, and genetically modified warriors clashed with supporters of N. Jadaka and the Black Panther royal succession rules using explosives and plasma weapons, T'Challa's throne was built at the cost of centuries of established succession—there would be no more stable succession to the throne. Queen Mother Ramonda knew very well what she had done, but to put T'Challa on the throne, she was willing to sacrifice the legitimacy and legality of the Black Panther royal family.

At the same time, Wakanda's social order was also destroyed.

Although the civil war was short-lived, many weapons ended up in civilian hands as the War Dogs clashed with the army and genetically modified soldiers loyal to the succession system. Even Wakanda had to contend with threats to law and order from civilian groups, forcing the weakened War Dogs to work overtime to maintain order and eliminate violent civilian groups that trafficked contraband and controlled entertainment venues.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union taught the world a lesson, and Wakanda has the capacity to learn from it. But let's not forget that royalty can also be a culture, a cultural symbol created by the bourgeoisie to enhance their own image. European monarchies with constitutional monarchies are the most typical examples, even becoming a means and symbol of cultural export, with the British Royal Family of Windsor being the most prominent." He cautioned, "When this culture becomes prevalent, political demands, intentions, and policies are no longer what the people need to consider; free bread and more bloodshed are what they need to think about. The monarchy becomes merely the legal basis for union, not the foundation of rule."

Queen Mother Ramonda thought about it carefully.

The sharp contradictions within Wakanda's internal politics were no secret, and she was also pondering solutions. The solutions left by countless previous kings who had sat on the Black Panther's throne were not entirely effective in the face of an open Wakanda. Queen Mother Ramonda knew she had to find a new solution to ensure a safe transition of power throughout Wakanda—she had supported T'Chaka's open policy only because she would unconditionally support her husband. Now, T'Chaka was dead at the hands of outsiders, and her son T'Challa was also facing a war of succession. Insecurity had become a heavy weight on her mind, an insurmountable obstacle.

Do you have any suggestions?

"I will always stand on the side that benefits the human race, and building a community with a shared future for mankind is my unwavering ideal. I need all of Wakanda's support, and I believe that Wakanda will also take the future well-being of the human race as its own responsibility." He did not answer directly, but this answer was enough to satisfy Queen Mother Ramonda. Everyone knew that the Emperor did not care about Wakanda's ideology; Wakanda's industrial capacity was the most important thing. Just as Regent Victor von Doom said during a drink after get off work, the establishment of the Yugoslav Federation was very likely a test for Himself. As the first step in undertaking the continuation of human reason, He had to make Himself a true ruler, and Wakanda was just another stepping stone.

He simply smiled and did not respond to the accusations.

"That civil war had a profound impact on Wakanda, leaving many with a negative impression of the Yugoslav Federation." Queen Mother Ramonda nodded, then raised her glass to the Emperor, expressing her willingness to reconcile—Wakanda's culture and people trace their lineage back to ancient Egypt, with a history of trading wine and other alcoholic beverages through Red Sea ports. The Wakandans' history of drinking wine, beer, and sorghum liquor is as long as human history itself. From this day forward, the painful memory of that civil war will not be politically correct in Wakanda; all blame will be placed on En Jadaka and the vibranium dealer Klaue Julius, who colluded with him. Protect vibranium, protect Wakanda; the Yugoslav Federation will be the hero who helps T'Challa the Black Panther defend Wakanda.

"Perhaps you'd be interested in attending an informal dinner to give people a real sense of what the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was like? You know, Wakanda knows too little about the outside world. Maybe I should bring Shuri back from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; she'll definitely have a lot in common with you."

He nodded and raised his glass in response.

"I will establish a charitable organization in the name of the industrial aristocracy to provide job opportunities for the families of the victims of the Civil War," He said. "The order of Wakanda needs to be extended to Africa to bring peace to this continent. We cannot stand by and watch this continent fall into poverty, ignorance, and violence, even if it means we have to solve problems with violence."

Queen Mother Ramonda laughed, because it meant the Emperor supported her idea.

Simply investing in factories or sending medical personnel is insufficient. The chaotic political situation and rampant brutal warlords in Africa are the biggest obstacles to investment in Wakanda and the Yugoslav Federation. Moreover, these brutal warlords and tyrants might be reinstated by Western countries after investment begins in Wakanda, becoming the biggest hindrance to Wakanda's access to African resources. Attacks have already occurred; many acts of kindness carried out in the name of Wakanda have been thwarted by bloodshed. Plague and bullets are the harbingers of death lurking on this continent; drugs, religion, and ignorance are Africa's shroud. When Wakanda tries to save these people, there will always be those cloaked in morality who try to stop it.

If war is the only way to make Africa truly African, then the Emperor and the Yugoslav Federation will provide support and increase investment in Wakanda's industrial production. As a nation that doesn't rely heavily on the industrial-agricultural price scissors for industrialization, the Emperor's promise carries significant weight, and everyone knows he's not averse to using war to resolve issues. Everyone in the world knows that the Emperor's next targets are Macedonia, Greece, and Constantinople; the smoke of war has already been quietly ignited, and Wakanda must fight for enough resources to survive the approaching winter.

"We will build a scientific, rational, and secular Africa, a united Africa."

"I think this cause needs some allies, friends who would like to see a stable Africa," He said. "You know, the lenses used in the standard-issue laser rifles of the Yugoslav Federation were actually made from natural diamonds, and diamonds don't have much added value in the Balkans."

"You know, the Wakandans are afraid of your eyes," Queen Mother Ramonda suddenly brought up another matter. When the Emperor met with the Wakandan nobles, the vast majority of the Wakandan tribesmen didn't display the usual reverence, but rather a rare sense of distance. She had mentioned this to Shuri before, and Queen Mother Ramonda naturally learned of it, using it as a lighthearted anecdote to alleviate the Wakandans' fear when discussing the Emperor.

"In Wakanda, Black Panther priests are usually chosen only from those with jet-black eyes, because they possess Bastet's obsidian-like eyes. With those eyes, Black Panther priests can witness war and bloodshed cleansing the world, and deliver judgment upon the dying… I know how outsiders perceive Wakanda. Wakandans are not superstitious; the Black Panther faith is integrated into our lives and institutions, and it doesn't hinder technological development. You have Bastet's eyes, but Wakandans fear you not just because of superstition, but because of the aura you exude." Queen Mother Ramonda narrowed her eyes. "What is your name? No one knows. What do you look like? No one knows either. Wakandans cannot pronounce your name. Only gods possess such power; this has always been the Wakanda belief…"

(End of this chapter)