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

And this time, he was fired by his boss right before he died! He was about to commit suicide, but he didn't forget to fire himself first!

She finally got serious this once, but the Unarmored Alliance made her lose so completely! (Sound of a curse)

...........

Victoria, Lentinium.

Wayne, sitting in his office chair, suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for breath. Kal'tsit, who was sitting next to him, immediately handed him a glass of water.

"How is it, Your Highness?"

“What can’t I do? Notify our spies in Columbia to go to Block 3 in Wisconsin, the Mustang Logistics Express point, use special logistics, code word Business Federation Kane 048, and retrieve our stuff.”

Wayne drank the water in one gulp, but still wasn't satisfied, so he dashed off to the bathroom.

"It was the first time I'd ever handled a dead body; it was really disgusting. It smelled like mud and decay. I'll never do it again!"

Kal'tsit smiled helplessly. She really wanted to say, "When you left Little Hill County, you specifically asked Theresis about the place where Xuan Tie was killed, and when you went to dig up Xuan Tie's body and bring it back, that wasn't what you said." But Kal'tsit's emotional intelligence naturally prevented her from saying something that would embarrass Wayne. After all, controlling a corpse just to retrieve the information about Victoria being betrayed, Wayne had already done enough. She shouldn't kick him while he was down; instead, she should praise and reward him.

She silently walked to the wardrobe, expertly took out a few clothes for Wayne, and placed them in Wayne's laundry basket in front of the bathroom door, saying:

"You've worked hard. Now you should get some rest."

PS: Some people have pointed out that Monique's timing is incorrect.

I know, but I think the combination of Monique and Roy, the "King of Roll" and the "Taking a Loser," is really classic. I also watched a lot of silly Rockets videos that were popular at that time. Rather than creating an original character, I chose to write about Monique.

Let's embellish the story a bit: After Victoria and Deeppool went to war, Monique wanted to enlist a few years earlier than planned, but was rejected by the Victorian army a few years earlier, and then ran away to Kazimierz a few years earlier than planned. Yeah, that's it.

P.S.: Wayne becomes an emperor by sitting on a golden toilet, hmm, that's a nice image. I'll try to get a picture of it out sometime. Hahahaha.

PS: Wayne's Mandate of Heaven controls the physical body, which is reflected in many places. For example, when the Mandate of Heaven first appeared and suppressed the demons, it forbade the demons to move. At that time, the demons were using the bodies of dead guards. He knew he was being controlled and couldn't move, but his body couldn't resist.

Later, Colombia also controlled the crowd, and so did the referee.

Later, Lungmen controlled the conman to slap him and controlled everyone in the neighborhood to turn on their lights. Hoshiguma also realized that something was wrong with her and that she was being controlled. Her mind was still her own, but her body followed Wayne's commands.

The reason why Wayne's abilities can affect the mind is that in all my writing, I use the scenario of "someone attacking from behind" and the mind defending itself to affect the mind of others. The result can range from mental breakdown to sudden death.

Chapter 41 I Will Return from Hell

12 month 31 day.

The Casimir government officially conveyed its investigation report on the assassination to the Victoria government this morning. Just as Ambassador Black had suggested to Grand Knight Russell, the Casimir Oversight Council ultimately chose to remove the Business Federation and take the blame. However, just as the National Assembly was preparing to formally seize all the assets of the Business Federation, something unexpected happened.

An organization called "Tower of Babel" arrived in Qazimir with notarization from the Lateran, Victoria, and Ursus notary offices. According to Qazimir law, they seized the vast majority of shares and assets of five large companies within the Business Federation, including the Wine Gazette. They then sold all these shares to the Qazimir National Assembly, taking all the cash and precious metals seized by the National Assembly from their confiscation of assets.

The entire process was conducted with the assistance of legal counsel, and all the evidence presented was proven authentic. Multiple pieces of evidence have confirmed that the chairmen of five large companies, including the Wine Gazette, have "fled to Colombia." Faced with their actions of legally cashing out their shares, the Supervisory Commission and the National Assembly ultimately remained silent.

After all, the Business Federation is a huge alliance, not just five companies, and the directors do not hold all the shares in those five companies; they have only cashed out their portion. Selling these shares to the National Assembly ensures that the Business Federation remains under the control of the Oversight Council and the National Assembly, no longer becoming as uncontrollable and unmanageable as before.

Victoria did not fully endorse the solution. After a full day of consultations and negotiations, Victoria's representatives formally reached a preliminary agreement with Kazimierz's representatives, allowing Victorian businesses to settle in the Grand Knight Territory and establish a Grand Knight Territory duty-free zone for Victorian businesses to operate and develop. Thus, the two sides formally reached an agreement.

Wayne's idea was simple: the best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting, the next best is to subdue them without fighting, and the worst is to subdue them without fighting. It would be much easier and cheaper to restrain Kazimir through diplomatic and economic means and thus eliminate this potential threat than to destroy the country in one war and then manage the region and its cities under the harassment of countless guerrillas and resistance organizations.

Following the agreement reached between Victoria and Casimir, on the evening of December 31st, the Ursus Empire government held a press conference. Foreign Minister Sobelev announced Ursus's recent military exercise plans, all of which were conducted on the border between Ursus and Casimir. Almost all commentators believed that Ursus was using the guise of "military exercises" to "deploy troops" and prepare for the Eleventh Ursus-Casimir War. However, in reality, the Emperor of Ursus had no such intention.

Fyodor was obsessed with economic development, and the non-aggression pact with Victoria further increased the number of businesses in Fyodor City (formerly the Duchy of Kosichear). Profit-driven capitalists began to believe that Fyodor's royal government could protect their businesses and ensure their prosperity across Ursus and the entire Terran continent, at the cost of simply nationalizing their companies. With Victoria's success in New Wales setting a precedent, almost every unambitious company now flocked to nationalization. They could make money, make a lot of money; for that, they were willing to betray their country, so why couldn't they betray themselves?

As for the secret talks in the palace a few days ago about the partition of Kazimir, Wayne and Fyodor tacitly did not mention it to outsiders. As long as this treaty is in place, Kazimir will never dare to make any rash moves. Both of them are currently facing the hidden dangers brought about by domestic development and progress, so they are unwilling to start a war, stop construction, and allow the military's power to rise again.

This treaty is a "nuclear weapon" against Kazimir. The agreement between the two sides to "not invade each other and be friendly neighbors" is more deterrent when it is not actually implemented than when it is.

The scariest thing is when a knife is held to your neck; once it's cut, you don't care about anything else.

Meanwhile, in the heavily guarded Vayne's convalescent area within the Iron Palace of Londinium, Vayne, who had orchestrated everything, did not drop his disguise and announce that he was unharmed after Kazimierz raised the white flag and surrendered. At this moment, he was in a hospital room that had been converted into a temporary office, talking with Vina, who claimed to have come to visit him, and Kal'tsit, who stayed there to take care of him.

"This is the first time the Tower of Babel has appeared before an official political entity. It needs to be a big show, but short-lived, giving the impression of flashing across the sky like lightning. There's no point in us keeping our shares in the Wine Newspaper. The Business Federation will be completely suppressed in Kasimir until it reverts to being a simple business federation. The shares will become less and less valuable once they're in our hands. We might as well take advantage of the current market price and sell them directly to the Oversight Council and the National Assembly. That way, we can get the maximum benefit and also do them a favor."

Wayne explained the purpose of each step to Vina in detail, ensuring that Her Majesty the Queen could understand every detail and learn something from it.

This assassination attempt served as a wake-up call for him. Although he was strong, he was not invincible. While he had escaped unscathed this time, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be assassinated again, and that the rumors circulating outside would prove true—that Wayne's life was hanging by a thread. To prevent Victoria from being leaderless or going astray if something happened to her, Vina needed to understand her own actions and thought process.

After completing his education, Wayne shared some good news:

"As for what we lost, our spies in Wisconsin have retrieved the package, which showed no signs of being opened. To be on the safe side, Unicorn arranged for the elimination of all those who knew about it along the way."

The fact that the design blueprints for the steam-powered armor have not been leaked is good news, indicating that this unique Victorian unit will remain quite competitive and will not become commonplace.

Vina's face lit up with joy. "Then our mission is complete. Brother, can you go out now? Staying in the infirmary all the time will make you sick, won't it?"

Wayne chuckled, ruffled her hair, and shook his head: "Going out isn't an option yet. It's not the right time."

He turned his head to look at Kal'tsit, who was waiting nearby, and said:

"Kal'tsit, how's the matter you arranged going?"

“Everything is ready, Your Highness,” Kal'tsit replied. “The set design for the entire street will begin tonight and be officially completed by tomorrow morning.”

"Settings? What sets?" Vina asked in confusion. Wasn't the ceremony setup already completed? These past few days have only been for safety inspections. What else on the street needs to be set up?

Wayne pinched her cheek: "Stop laughing. Be serious and solemn tomorrow. I've dressed the whole street in white."

"White?...Has someone passed away?"

“No, but some people think I’m dead,” Wayne said. “Remember the first time we worked together? It was at the coronation ceremony. We staged a coup and fooled the nobles. This time, we’re going to do the same thing.”

“You need to be a little sad, Vina, so that those on the list think this scene of mourning is for me, not for them.”

"Then I will return from hell to give them a final judgment."

"This is the last time."

PS: Number of attendees at the ceremony: Reed Sisters, Mandra, Ahmoni, Wayne, Kal'tsit, Theresa, Vina, Surtr Mudrock Group, Theresis, Shining, Chen, Swire, Ernest, Winster, Victoria Nobles, Rhine Life Group.

P.S.: The next chapter will officially begin the spellcasting animation!

P.S.: Have you guys seen that zoo ghost story that's been all the rage lately? I think it's really interesting. I've been staying up late these past few days researching it, and my jet lag has failed me again.

P.S.: The new event is Karan Trade. I originally wanted to write about Karan, but to avoid being betrayed, I decided not to.

Chapter 42 They Came Smiling

Victoria, Lentinium. December 31.

The subtle shifts in the Victorian atmosphere had no impact on the prosperity of Londinium, nor on the stability of the palace. Talulah could clearly sense the vibrant life force burning within Wayne in the infirmary. Contrary to rumors, he was not critically injured and on the verge of death; on the contrary, he was healthy, strong, and had a good appetite. In fact, those in the palace who were qualified to approach the infirmary could more or less guess from the expressions of Vina and Kal'tsit, who frequently visited the infirmary, that Wayne's condition was not as bad as imagined.

Regardless, as long as this central figure remains, the palace will not descend into chaos. Don't you see, the final checks for the ceremonies at Londinium are still proceeding smoothly and methodically?

As one of the main characters in tomorrow's ceremony, Talulah has been very busy lately. Although she has lived a few more years of noble life in the Dukedom of Kosichear than Vina and knows some basic etiquette, there are still many differences between the norms of Ursus and Victoria. Adapting and changing requires a lot of time, and Talulah does not have that much time. She can only achieve the same goal through a lot of communication.

But she didn't find it hard. The conditions provided by Lontinem were very generous. Apart from not being able to wander around freely, she enjoyed treatment basically the same as that of ordinary members of the royal family. She also didn't feel lonely. Although Theresa wasn't there, she did see her sister Chen Huijie, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.

More than a decade has passed since Kosichek kidnapped them from Lungmen when they were children. The sisters, reunited, had countless things to share and countless secrets to tell each other. However, upon meeting again, they were speechless and replaced with a tight hug instead of any words.

Chen introduced Swire to Talulah, their new friend, and made a phone call to Hoshiguma, who was now replacing Nine as the Lungmen Inspector. She then took the newly arrived Talulah on a tour of the streets and alleys of Lentinium. Chen was a student at the Royal Guard Academy, a status that made her a minor local figure even in the powerful and wealthy Lentinium. Chen had originally wanted to take this opportunity to introduce Talulah to her classmate Bagpipe, but she learned that Bagpipe had chosen to join the Victorian army and was now serving as a garrison officer in his hometown. Due to timing issues, she had to abandon this idea.

Similarly, Talulah introduced Chen to the friends she had met over the years: Yelena, the seemingly cold but warm-hearted white rabbit who loved spicy food; Mr. Bozocasti, a respectable elder and a true patriot; Alina, her best friend and teacher, a gentle and humble little deer; and the members of the Tundra Guerrilla. Nine was also mentioned in their conversation.

"Have you seen Nine, sister? She's a Phidia, and I still can't believe she could be... a traitor."

Chen pursed her lips, a hint of disappointment on her face. To her, Jiu was a mentor who had led her onto this path; to the Guard Bureau, Jiu was the first person in this position; and to Lungmen, Jiu was the guardian of the citizens. Although she had her shortcomings, no one had ever considered this person who had devoted herself to Lungmen a "traitor." Therefore, when Chen arrived in Lontinim and accidentally learned this news from Kal'tsit, the shock she experienced was unimaginable.

Talulah nodded. "I've seen her. She should be in Ursus now."

As a guide, Nine led Theresa to Talulah and the guerrillas who were wandering in the tundra, but when she finally left, she and the guerrillas who were unwilling to leave Ursus insisted on staying on the snowfield.

During their brief time together, Talulah did not think that Nine was an irredeemable person. On the contrary, she possessed the noble qualities that a warrior should have, only that they had been obscured for too long.

Seeing her younger sister's disappointed look, Talulah gently comforted her:

"Don't doubt her, sister. Everything she did was sincere. Chen, you know, I've wandered this land for a long time, and the most profound lesson I've learned is that humans are complex beings."

"I was once influenced by Koschei and thought that all nobles were corrupt and evil. But His Highness Wayne and the Victoria family shattered my preconceived notions. I used to think that the infected, like the starving villagers in the tundra, were oppressed and driven to desperation, and had no choice but to rebel. But when I tried to liberate them and get along with them, they told me that the weak are angry and will turn their swords against the weaker. I used to think that my path was definitely right, but in the end, the truth told me that I was still pitifully naive."

"Nine is the same. Different people make different choices when faced with different situations. Some choose to give up their ideals, some choose to go their own way, some choose to blend in with the world, and some choose to die to prove their integrity. Just like me now, perhaps a few months ago, I would not have imagined that one day I would stand with the royal family that I swore I hated the most."

"But now I know it's the right thing to do, because it will stop more ambitious people, prevent more bloodshed, and bring a better future. So I chose to do it. You will also face this choice in the future, sister."

Will I do that too?

Chen Moran nodded. Although her knowledge level was far inferior to his, his older sister was far ahead of him in terms of life experience. She had been a child of Lungmen, become a noblewoman of Ursus, fought against the guerrillas and the pickets, and even clashed with the ancient will of Ursus and the legendary undead with their steely resolve. Finally, she reclaimed her Drak identity, hoping to use it to bring peace to a nation.

Compared to her, there was so little he could do. To protect himself, Wei Yanwu even wanted to send him to Victoria.

Chen sighed self-deprecatingly. But she was never one to be discouraged by things like this. If she couldn't do it now, she would work twice as hard until she could. Besides, this time, she wasn't alone; she had her good friends, her sister, and Wayne by her side.

"I understand! If I run into Jiu again next time, I'll ask her directly!"

Chen swore earnestly, and Talulah smiled and patted her shoulder. Just then, Kal'tsit, who had been patiently waiting at the corner of the corridor for a long time, finally came out and said to Talulah:

"Miss Talulah, Her Majesty the Queen is looking for you. It concerns arrangements for tomorrow."

Talulah nodded to Chen, and Chen waved goodbye to her.

"Go for it, sister!"

"I will!" Talulah waved back, turned around, and left with Kal'tsit.

Outside the corridor, the sky over Lentinium was bright with sunshine, but if someone were to take a drone up high and take aerial photos of Lentinium, they would surely find that, centered on the Iron Palace, the entire city of Lentinium was covered in a blanket of white. The streets, shops, lampposts, and building rooftops were decorated with a heavy white theme, gradually spreading outwards from the center, like a blooming snow lotus.

The world is pure.

The same thought arose in the minds of everyone in Lontinim, Victoria, and indeed all of Terra.

The Prince of Wales, who was seriously injured after the assassination attempt, ultimately did not survive the year.

The lion, which had just awakened, entered another period of slumber on the last day of the year.

No one realized that this was merely the calm before the storm. The closer to the eye of the storm in Londinium, the calmer the atmosphere became. The nobles who orchestrated the attack were now celebrating, delighted to see Victoria turn her attention to Kazimir, delighted to see the Commercial Federation collapse, delighted to see the Unarmored Alliance vanish, delighted to have achieved their long-desired result without paying a single penny.

They called upon their friends and companions, inviting them to join them, and traveled by all sorts of means to attend the ceremony to be held on the first day of the new year, regardless of whether it was the abolition of Drak's right of succession or the royal funeral of Prince Aslan.

Their faces were wet with tears of joy, making them stand out awkwardly among those who were truly grieving.

At the same time, Celts and Reeds arrived in Londinium. Theresa and Theresis.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the curtain to rise tomorrow.

Chapter 43 The Fourth Calamity is Awakening

On January 1st, 1093 in the Terran calendar, at the beginning of the new year, the wounded people lived on a ravaged land, each day feeling like their last. No one doubted that this fragile world could be utterly destroyed by natural disaster at any moment, but at least they were enjoying the present moment. The calendar turned to a new era, even though there is nothing new under the sun.