Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

At this moment, Kal'tsit explained as she ran:

"I'm sorry, my judgment was flawed. Their target was you from the very beginning."

Wayne glanced at the pursuers behind him, thought for a moment, and then let go of Kal'tsit's hand and started running—it was faster that way.

"Why?" he asked.

"That's a question you'll have to ask yourself. Do you have a mole on your side? Otherwise, how could they have exposed that you're in New York State and inside a financial exchange?"

Wayne's lips twitched, and he immediately remembered that phone call.

Rhine Life Insurance...

"Where do we go now?"

“Back at the financial exchange, all our procedures are legal. As long as we’re inside, no matter how many people are there, they won’t dare do anything to us,” Kal’tsit explained, her ears twitching as she reached out and pulled Wayne aside, dodging a bullet fired from behind. “As for what happens next, that’s up to you.”

Chapter 51 You Flip the Table, I'll Smash the Party

Victoria, Lentinium, Big Ben.

Unicorns don't like change, but they always have to learn to adapt. Although Wayne hasn't been in Victoria lately, his actions have been constantly changing this ancient country. While Winster feels uncomfortable about this, he hasn't voiced any objections.

In any case, life inside the clock tower continued as usual. He could still enjoy tea, discuss philosophy, and play chess with old friends from the Yan Kingdom's Surveillance Bureau and the Imperial Observatory, thousands of miles away, through the internet—a novelty for young people. Occasionally, he might even be able to gather a group for a game of mahjong, since the world had been relatively peaceful lately.

However, in his spare time, Unicorn also had his share of tasks. For example, he had to arrange for people to secretly protect His Highness Wayne in Columbia, maintain surveillance on the various city-states and nobles of Victoria, and take care of Her Majesty the Queen's safety, among other things. Although the tasks were not particularly troublesome, they were certainly quite complicated.

Not to mention, Vina also found them a new job—training Wayne's two guards, Mudrock and Surtur.

"They are all very capable people, but they are a bit too undisciplined."

This is Winston's assessment of the two. He had witnessed Surtr and Mudrock's power firsthand during the Northern Rebellion; those mountain-sized lava giants were a force even he wasn't confident he could defeat head-on.

Of course, this doesn't mean Winston's strength is weaker than Surtr and Mudrock's. For a master assassin lurking in the shadows, attempting close-quarters combat to assassinate an enemy would be a failure. He has plenty of ways to eliminate Mudrock and Surtr before they merge into a lava giant. But there's no need; these two are not his enemies.

The problem with Mudrock and Surtr is that both seem to lack a clear understanding of how to use their powers. They both unfortunately only utilize a small fraction of their abilities, remaining completely unaware of more efficient ways to use them.

Winster was responsible for teaching them these things.

But this was truly a tough job. Mudrock was always wrapped in thick power armor, and would often fall into a state of absentmindedness. Surtr, on the other hand, had a natural aversion to training. If you wanted her to settle down and study, Unicorn would first need to prepare a large freezer full of ice cream, as well as a spell master who was even more powerful than Surtr in Originium magic.

One is a quiet, withdrawn student who is always daydreaming in class, and the other is a vibrant but unruly delinquent girl. Winster has never raised a child before, but now she understands the sadness of raising a child that her old friend from the Yan Kingdom's Surveillance Department had described.

First day at work: Me, a dignified master of magic, can't possibly handle two brats who are less than one percent of my age?

Day 10 at work: Me, a grandmaster of magic, these two brats are nothing, I can definitely handle them...

Day 20 of work: Me, a dignified master of magic, surely I can handle two students?

One month into my job: Am I really a magic master?

On her first month and one day at work, Vina encountered Winster, who was blocking the office door. He looked haggard and listless, even his usually polished and waxed unicorn horn was dull and lifeless. That day, Her Majesty the Queen received the unicorn's resignation.

"That's what happened, Theresa. What do you think I should do?"

Vina shrugged, the red cloak on her shoulders giving her a rather dignified look, a stark contrast to the helpless expression on her face.

“The Sarkaz are all very distinctive people.” Theresa scratched her head and chuckled. She didn’t know what to do either. If Winster couldn’t teach them, how could she be expected to?

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she suggested, "Why don't we try sending them to school?"

Vina glanced at Theresa and rolled her eyes:

"The Sarkaz Education Act hasn't been drafted yet. Right now, the probability of Victoria's schools accepting Sarkaz students is... well, it's not that it's impossible, but the cost is too high. More importantly, I think they would be expelled from the school within a few days because of boosting the performance of the surrounding hospitals."

"Is it really that exaggerated...? I mean, that school, founded by His Highness Bruce."

"Whampoa?... No, the Kazdel branch of the Military Academy?"

Vina almost called him by the wrong name because of Wayne's casual way of addressing him, she murmured:

"Hmm, I think it's a good idea. Didn't your brother claim he could lead all the Sarkaz and make the most of every single one of them? Let him give it a try."

Theresis is different from Theresa. Theresa's slogan is "Sarkaz should be free." She opposes any malicious exploitation, slander, or enslavement of the Sarkaz people and hopes that they can awaken their independent consciousness and become individuals with their own thoughts.

Theresis, on the other hand, had a simple and straightforward slogan that perfectly reflected his personal philosophy: "I will make the most of every Sarkaz person." It might sound like he was treating the Sarkaz as some kind of tool, but as he said, in the country he wanted to build, every Sarkaz citizen would be a cog in the machine of the state. Since the current Sarkaz people could not decide their own future, he would help them find the place that best suited them.

With their opposing views, Theresa and Theresis have recently argued quite a few times about this matter. But unfortunately, Theresis is the principal of the military academy, and Theresa is powerless to intervene even if she wants to.

If it's possible for Theresis to gain some insight and change through awakened Sarkaz youths like Surtr and Mudrock, who have their own ideas, then that would be a good thing.

However, since these two are Prince Bruce's guards, we should still ask for his opinion.

Theresa and Vina exchanged a glance and nodded. Finally, Vina made the call to Wayne.

The phone beeped twice, and Wayne's panting voice came through the receiver, with some background noise.

"Hello, Vina? I was just about to call you."

"Huh?" Vina paused, putting Surtr aside for the moment, and asked, "What happened? It's so noisy over there."

Wayne glanced at the perimeter of the financial exchange. Soldiers carrying crossbows and machetes were coming and going, clearly showing that some people in this gamble had already lost their minds. However, Wayne did not expect that the person who wanted to overturn the table was not a politician from the Federal Parliament, but the military, with whom he had never had any dealings before.

But it doesn't matter, it's all the same. Whether it's the political or military circles, as long as they represent Colombia, they've already fallen into the lion's hunting ground now that they're trying to take action against Wayne.

The smug hunter, unaware that he had become prey, remained completely calm and explained to Vina on the other end of the microphone:

"Well, nothing serious. They're just surrounded by Colombian troops inside the New York Stock Exchange. The reason? You know why. They made their own rules and got themselves into trouble. The cowards in the Federal Congress are too timid, but the military is incredibly brave. They're planning to overturn the table."

Vina's face darkened:

"They don't know you're there?"

"They came for me."

"So bold?"

"This shows a lack of respect for you, the Queen and Victoria."

"You don't need to stir things up!" Vina said, half-laughing and half-crying, while her anxiety eased slightly. The fact that Wayne could still joke with her meant he hadn't yet faced direct danger.

However, time was of the essence, so she immediately pressed the call button on the table three times in a row, sending summons to Arthur, the mayor of Londinium, Winster, the leader of the Unicorns, and Ernest, the current head of the military.

Within five minutes, these three top figures of Victorian power would arrive at the Queen's office. Vina then continued to say to Wayne, "Protect yourself, don't get hurt. If they try to overturn the table, I'll smash the place up."

"Don't forget what I used to do!"

Vina, the Queen of Push, is the leader of the Glasgow Gang, a gang in the working-class district of Lentinium, Victoria, which controls three of the city's more than one hundred blocks.

Although she is now Queen Victoria, she hasn't forgotten any of the skills she's acquired over the years. She has plenty of experience dealing with those scoundrels who lose their pants and then try to renege on their bets!

written request for leave

I'm taking the day off today for many reasons, but mainly because I'm feeling a bit tired.

A lot has happened recently.

As an author of Arknights fanfiction, I've been thoroughly disgusted lately.

I was disgusted by some Arknights fanboys and sycophants in a large Arknights fandom group. What started as a peaceful discussion about Arknights' recent decline in popularity turned into a barrage of classic three questions: "Play if you want, don't play if you don't, get lost." I won't ramble on about it here.

I feel a bit mentally exhausted. Today I drew the Big Ha Fish Bible meme, a very classic one. The artist who created that "We unite" meme was also criticized by fans of the game and had to delete all his works and leave the community because of what he said.

All I can say is that some people who are overly devoted to their children, when someone speaks up for your gaming experience, you can choose not to help, not to support, or even to pay attention to them, but please don't be a fool and say things like "I don't care, if you don't want to play, then quit."

All Arknights fanfiction creators are acting in the best interests of Arknights. If you can't do it, someone else will. The only thing to ask is that you don't stab us in the back or hold us back. We also don't want certain people to use the slogan of cracking down on fandoms to become part of the fandom themselves.

That's it. I'm a little angry tonight (actually, very angry), and I can't seem to type anything even when I sit in front of the computer. Let me take a day off.

I'm really feeling exhausted.

For the first time, I felt my enthusiasm for the Ark had cooled down a bit.

Sorry, I'll try to update more tomorrow.

Chapter 52 Countermeasures against Colombia (2k5)

"This is outrageous!"

Ernest, who had rushed from the General Staff's sand table to the Iron Palace Queen's office in a special car, angrily slammed his military cap on the desk. He then hurriedly picked it up, dusted it off, and put it back on, bowing apologetically to the somewhat helpless Vina before him.

"I apologize, Your Majesty, I lost my composure."

Vina waved her hand. She wasn't angry. Although Ernest's actions were somewhat disrespectful and inconsiderate of the occasion, it also proved his loyalty to Wayne, which wasn't a bad thing.

A straightforward person is always easier to understand, especially when that person is the head of the military. Vina didn't dislike Ernest's personality; having him in charge of the military always gave her a sense of security. This is probably why her brother, who was exceptionally strict with the entire aristocratic class, treated Ernest more like a friend than a superior. At least you know that his inner thoughts are filled with loyalty.

Vina turned her gaze to the other two. Arthur, the municipal official of Lontinim, also looked grim, his anger palpable. However, compared to Ernest, he had somewhat restrained his former military temper, managing to control his pent-up emotions. Winston's expression wasn't much better, but it was calmer than the other two. His experience and life lessons meant that while he might be surprised and angry at such an event, he wouldn't be consumed by rage.

Vina asked:

"The reason I've gathered you three here today is this: what actions do you think we should take to rescue the Prince of Wales?"

Ernest snorted, clenched his fist, and said bluntly:

"I'll go back and inform the General Staff immediately to produce an operational plan for taking Colombia within three days!"

Victoria has been developing so smoothly lately. With the precedent of border cities being wiped out due to the northern rebellion, it's been as peaceful as a flock of rabbits, not daring to utter a sound. The infected people domestically have also benefited from His Highness Wayne's series of new policies and have become much more docile recently. The military has been itching for a fight, eager to find a scapegoat. And Colombia has delivered itself right to their doorstep.

You dare to hold Prince Wayne hostage? Within three days, steam-armored soldiers will be in Washington State, and the entire federal legislature will be annihilated!

The municipal official Arthur, standing to the side, smiled helplessly, his slightly furrowed brows clearly indicating his disapproval of his former superior's proposal.

Victoria and Colombia are not far apart, but it's far from a situation where an army can be dispatched at will. This isn't like suppressing a domestic rebellion; a war would be extremely costly and could very well drag Victoria, which has just barely emerged from the shadows of a vacant throne and a rebellion in the north, back into yet another predicament. This would undoubtedly be a waste of this hard-won golden age.

For him and the bureaucrats he represented, war was always the last resort if the goal was to achieve the best results at the lowest cost.

After careful consideration, he weighed the interests of the military and the political establishment in his mind, and boldly proposed:

“I think we should protest and condemn Colombia, and formally deliver a strongly worded warning letter. We should also send more troops to create some friction in Colombian border cities. Let's give them a taste of their own medicine and bring His Highness Wayne back.”

"What do you mean? This is a life-threatening act against the Colombian royal family!"

Ernest looked at Arthur with displeasure. He hadn't expected that his former subordinate would stand up and oppose his opinion.

If we don't show those arrogant Colombian traitors Victoria's iron fist at this moment, they'll really forget who the "father" is!

Arthur, with his neck stiff, explained:

"Marshal, don't rush things. Launching a war rashly could very well provoke the Colombians completely..."

"Does our Victorian Empire fear Colombia?"