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

“Your Highness Wayne, this document is the most complete ancient text preserved in the Sarkaz royal court.”

Wayne's face flushed slightly. He hadn't expected Theresa to suddenly turn cunning and publicly execute Kal'tsit at the doorway. He had intended to pick up a few pages to examine them, but the moment he touched the paper and tried to lift it, it creaked under its weight. He had no choice but to put it down and ask Kal'tsit directly, "An ancient book? How ancient?"

Theresa answered the question:

"Mr. Bruce, it's not just the Laterans who possess those relics from the previous civilization. The Sarkaz also have them, and in no fewer numbers than the Laterans. It's just that the Laterans mostly possess things that can be directly used in battle, while we possess scattered and disjointed information like these. That's why we are far inferior to the Laterans in our expertise in restoring ancient artifacts."

"But even incomplete information has valuable parts. The Sarkaz obtained the approximate location of an undiscovered site from some of the information."

At this point, Wayne realized something, but he said nothing, waiting for Theresa to make the proposal he had been waiting for.

“According to ancient records, near the Rabbit Mine in Rembito, there is a deeply buried ancient ruin that may contain complete artifacts from a previous civilization. I sent Sarkaz to investigate the site some time ago, and so far, no one has excavated the ruin. Mr. Bruce, are you interested in this?”

Facing Theresa's expectant face, Wayne took a deep breath and nodded without hesitation, "Of course!"

P.S.: Merry Christmas everyone. Today is MacArthur's Day; let the American troops celebrate Christmas amidst the sounds of gunfire.

However, today is also the day when Jing Su sheds tears. It's time to check the group map to see if the group has disbanded.

Anyway, Merry Christmas!

Chapter Seventy-Two: Bunny, I Want a Bunny

It is said that when the Tower of Babel was first established, a member asked the following question: Does the Tower of Babel have a base?

At the time, Wayne's answer was: Yes, it will happen, it definitely will happen.

As a transmigrator, he knew that Rhodes Island was discovered in Rembiton's mines. However, with just this one piece of information, Wayne couldn't find Rhodes Island out of thin air. After all, although Rembiton was a puppet state based on mining, and the entire country was more like a giant mine than a nation, its land area was still considerable. Even with Victoria's strength, digging up every inch of Rembiton wouldn't be easy, let alone using such a wasteful and exhausting method just to find a landship—it would be a complete waste of resources. Wouldn't it be easier for Wayne to just place an order with a domestic military factory and build a landship?

For Wayne, who was in charge of Victoria, poaching Rhodes Island was, frankly speaking, mostly driven by nostalgia.

Theresa and Kal'tsit possessed intelligence about Rhodes Island, a fact Wayne had known for some time. However, he hadn't asked about it, partly because he had no reason to, and partly because he was always too busy with other matters to inquire. Over time, he had almost forgotten about it. Now that Theresa and Kal'tsit had brought it up, he suddenly remembered and naturally wanted to offer his full support.

Not only should we support them, we should strongly support them. Wayne was already prepared to delegate domestic affairs to Vina and slip away with Theresa to Rembiton.

For no other reason than that there are bunnies there! Bunnies! They're the limited-edition youth version with a white shirt covering their eyes and bangs, as pure as a blank sheet of paper! They won't wake you up at night to work with their braying like donkeys, nor will they make you worry about making ends meet by working overtime every day. If you raise them well, they'll be your adorable and sweet little darling, isn't that wonderful?

How could a PhD student possibly resist?

"When do we set off?" Wayne asked impatiently. His enthusiasm startled Theresa and Kal'tsit.

They thought convincing Wayne would take some effort, because, as Theresa had just said, the Empire had just emerged from a period of turmoil. What appeared to be a common rebellion across Terra was, in reality, a far-reaching purge of the nobility. The North was now in dire need of liberation and reconstruction, and the mobile cities, stripped of noble rule, desperately needed new administrative systems to take over. Logically, Wayne should have a lot on his plate.

At this time, launching a large-scale, costly, and uncertain-return excavation operation in Rembiton is certainly not a good choice.

Theresa was prepared for Wayne to refuse, but she didn't expect Wayne to agree so readily, even with the excitement of getting dressed and leaving right now. This made her wonder if she had spoken too hastily and if Wayne hadn't heard her clearly.

"Uh... actually, there's no rush. We can do it after things are settled back home..."

“Leave the domestic affairs to Vina; she’s capable of handling things on her own.” Wayne, without a shred of conscience, passed the task to Vina. “Besides, the current situation isn’t as bad as we think. Victoria’s losses this time were considerable, but not crippling… well, I mean economically.”

The empire's main industrial and commercial areas are concentrated in the southwest, while most northern cities are agricultural areas. Although the fall of the empire will cause the prices of agricultural products in Victoria to rise in the next two years, thanks to the favorable natural conditions of the central valleys leading to high grain yields, as long as Victoria releases some strategic grain reserves, the inflated prices can be easily suppressed. As for the large sums of money needed for reconstruction... the money obtained from confiscating property will even leave a surplus.

Otherwise, how could nobles dare to call themselves pillars of the nation? They were truly wealthy.

Thanks to its good relations with Ursus, even during this "most difficult" and "turbulent period," Victoria did not need to strengthen its defenses against the Ursus Empire's challenges to its position. Basic defenses were certainly necessary, but no additional funding was required, unless Emperor Fyodor of Ursus wanted his hard-won nationalization reforms to be aborted due to the war, and then watch as the war-profiting military-industrial complex and warlords once again took advantage of him.

Of course, domestic and foreign affairs are both fine; foreign policy is worry-free, the economy is fine, the only concern is the domestic administrative system. The large-scale purge of nobles, if in a game, would be a short-term debuff but a long-term buff. Bureaucratic chaos is inevitable; such problems always arise when power is transferred through non-peaceful means. However, Wayne has found a solution.

Central officials appointed by him will collaborate with local EARTH organizations to establish a provisional government to manage matters related to the relocation of the city. This is a bold undertaking, as EARTH is Victoria's most influential, oldest, and largest workers' organization, comprising workers from all walks of life. Their elected representatives will assist the official commissioners in reconstruction and stability maintenance until Victoria has weathered this reconstruction period.

At that time, Wien will analyze the specific circumstances and make a pragmatic decision on whether to have Lentinium form a government and parachute it into various cities to manage them, or to maintain this system.

There is no single right way, and Wayne was unsure whether doing so would cause any unforeseen social reactions, but rather than sitting idly by and waiting for an opportunity that might never come, Wayne was willing to give it a try.

"So, so, is there a specific location? We can set off at any time!"

Wayne said seriously.

Whether Rhodes Island is unearthed or not isn't really important to him. Even if it isn't, it's not a big deal; he can just create another one. With Rhine Lab's scientific level, coupled with Kroos's AI development progress and Victoria's strong technological resources, perfectly replicating a PRT shouldn't be too difficult (Wayne hasn't watched Boruto and doesn't know the secret of PRTS; while there was speculation in Chapter 8 that PRTS was Precyth, there was no concrete evidence at the time). But unearthing it would be much better, satisfying a small sentimental attachment, and most importantly, it's about the bunny!

Theresa and Kal'tsit exchanged a glance and looked at each other, asking:

"Then who will tell Vina?"

Then, the two of them turned around at the same time and looked at Wayne, who was smiling and preparing to pack his luggage.

Wayne was stunned, suddenly realizing that he was forcing his blood-is-thicker-than-water younger sister to work overtime like a corporate slave. He was immediately overcome with sorrow and said with great reluctance, "Uh...actually, I think we can postpone it. It's not that I'm afraid of being bitten to death by Vina, it's just that I feel sorry for Vina working overtime."

Chapter 73 You bring people like you bring local specialties

Victoria, the Queen's Office.

Sitting in a specially lined and padded winter chair, Vina tapped the armrest listlessly, listening to the court physician pacing back and forth tirelessly explaining health and wellness knowledge, while her restless gaze drifted toward the office door.

No one informed her of any distinguished guests who would be visiting today, and there were no rumors circulating in the palace, but Vina had a premonition that someone would definitely push open that door today and bring her bad news.

Sure enough, after countless times her gaze unconsciously drifted to the door that looked like a chocolate bar, the door was finally pushed open.

Under Vina's curious gaze, Wayne cautiously peeked out from the crack in the door, observing the situation inside. After confirming that only a nutritionist and Vina were present, he stealthily pushed the door open and, like Tom the Cat sneaking, pressed his back against the wall, inching his way in. Only after he was completely inside did he let out a soft sigh of relief, taking a handwritten letter bearing his seal and sealed with red paint from his pocket, intending to place it discreetly on Vina's desk.

However, as he gently placed the letter on Vina's desk and was about to withdraw his hand, a hand lightly pressed down on Wayne's fingers. Wayne's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly raised his head, meeting Vina's eyes, which were scrutinizing him with great interest.

"Go down, the prince wants to see me."

Vina waved her hand, dismissing the court physician from the room. Looking at the awkward smile on Wayne's face, she asked curiously:

"What's wrong, brother? Why are you sneaking around looking for me?"

Wayne looked away and coughed lightly. He knew it. Even though they were all felines, it was a pipe dream to put something under the nose of another feline without attracting her attention. What kind of crazy ideas did Kelsey have?

However, since things had come to this point, Wayne didn't back down. He organized his thoughts and explained, "Vina, wait a minute, how could you say your brother was acting suspiciously? I just didn't want to disturb your class. I'm just delivering a letter to you; you can read it after class."

Speaking of classes, Vina complained angrily, "Are these health and wellness classes really useful for us? Don't we already have those two Sarkaz artifacts that can freeze time?"

"You can't say that. The magic isn't freezing time, it just slows down aging. For example, a hundred years may have passed in the outside world, but only one year will be reflected in your life. But you still definitely lived that year. So you still need to pay attention to your health. Otherwise, if you stay up too late or do something like that, you might not even be able to last a year and die suddenly."

Wayne said, "I'll go and call that teacher back to class right away. How about we talk about everything else after class?"

"What are you trying to hide from me now?" Vina rolled her eyes and complained, "Stop joking around, brother, just be frank. You've got it written all over your face."

Seeing that Vina wasn't taking the bait, Wayne could only pout and say honestly:

"I plan to go to Rembiton."

"Where?" Vina was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses and asked in surprise, "That mine? What are you going there for?"

Vina's question wasn't without reason. Having lived together for so long, she knew Wayne's character well. Every time he went out, his excuse was always the same: "Important Business." But every time he returned, there were always a few extra rooms in the palace. This had practically become "Wayne's Law." In the North, he brought back Kal'tsit; in Columbia, he brought back the entire Rhine Lab; in Lungmen, he brought back Chen, Swire, and Lin Yuxia—the "Dragon, Tiger, and Rat Trio"; and in Ursus, he went even further, bringing back Lilia, Natalia, the daughter of an Ursus noble, and an orphanage. It was like bringing home special souvenirs. What was he planning to bring back this time from his trip to Rembiton?

Vina always thought Rembiton was just a giant mine. What was Wayne trying to bring there? Originium lifeforms?

Are you playing this high-stakes game?

Wayne was clearly unaware that his image had become so bizarre in his sister's eyes, and he explained earnestly:

“This time I’m going with Theresa and the others. The ancient Sarkaz texts record an ancient ruin buried in Rembito, which may contain artifacts from a previous civilization, and may even contain complete, usable items. I want to go and see it.”

Vina frowned, but hearing that Theresa was with them brought a slight sense of relief. With Theresa keeping an eye on things, Wayne shouldn't cause any more trouble, right? However, out of concern, she still suggested, "Rembitor isn't safe. Wouldn't sending an excavation team over there be enough for this?"

But Wayne shook his head: "That's an ancient ruin. Vina, have you ever seen an ancient ruin?"

“Uh…no.” Vina shook her head. She had seen ancient ruins in books, and the Royal Archives also contained photos of various ancient ruins in Victoria, but she had never actually seen the real thing.

Most ancient ruins are concentrated in two areas: Lateran and Great Yan. While Victoria's Central Valley does have ruins, they only rank third. Moreover, most of them have already been thoroughly excavated, offering little new interest.

"I'll bring you local specialties!" Seeing that Vina was interested, Wayne immediately pressed his advantage, "I'll video call you every day, take pictures of you at the mine, and send you the first picture when I dig up some ruins, how about that?"

Vina had to admit that she was indeed tempted, but along with that, she still wondered, "Then why can't I go with you?"

"Uh... well, it's because you have to work, Vina." Wayne chuckled, saying something terrifying in a very relaxed tone. "You still have a lot of work to do. The Queen doesn't take holidays, you know."

"?" Vina couldn't believe that Wayne's 36.8-degree mouth could utter such cold words. The Empress doesn't actually have holidays?

“Especially now that Victoria is still in the reconstruction phase, you definitely won’t be able to get away,” Wayne added, scratching his head.

Vina opened her mouth, her pupils dilating in shock.

"Furthermore... now that I've dealt with all the nobles, a large part of local government affairs will be handled centrally, so you'll probably be so busy lately that you won't even have time to attend classes..."

Vina clenched her fists. Seeing Wayne muttering to himself and even trying to speak, she slammed her hand on the table, leaped up from her chair, pounced on Wayne, and bit him hard:

"Awoo!"

"Don't bite, Vina! I really didn't mean to sneak out and leave you to do all the work! I swear, I really went to get down to business!"

"Then promise me you won't bring a new woman back this time!"

"Oh...when did I ever do something like that...?"

"The rooms in the Iron Palace are almost full!" Vina said through gritted teeth.

Wayne could only nod frantically: "I swear, I swear, I will never bring back another woman! Not even a young girl!"

Vina reluctantly nodded, her face showing worry at the thought of all the chores that would soon be piling up on her. Thankfully, Wayne spoke up in time:

"When we get back, I'll come and help you with your work this time too!"

"Really?" Vina looked Wayne up and down. This guy had never handled government affairs before, and he might not even be as good as her.

However, Vina was very touched by his intention.

"It's a promise!" Wayne and Vina pinky swear. Only then did Vina finally smile again.

As Wayne stepped out of the office, he wiped the cold sweat from his brow and gave Theresa and Kal'tsit an OK sign as they peeked around the corner of the corridor.

As for Amiya... can you call Amiya a teenage girl? She's a sweet little girl, an angel, a daughter, a little loli.

She doesn't need to take up a room; she can sleep with Theresa, Kal'tsit, or herself.

Hehe, bunny, I'm here!

Chapter Seventy-Four: The Unremarkable Silver Boss

Rembiton, Rabbit Mine.

Calling Rembiton a country would be an exaggeration, but calling it a mine is certainly not an insult. In fact, as the largest Originium mine on the entire land, Rembiton's greatest significance lies in ensuring that the nations of the land can receive high-quality Originium on time and in the required quantity every month.

Rembitox has its own government, but this government has no president, no king, and no real leader in any sense. If you were to ask, "Ah? How then can such a government fulfill its functions?"

The government of Rembitox responded that they did not perform any functions at all.

The highest power of the government is held by a Rembiton Mining Committee, and none of its members are native to Rembiton. This land was originally uninhabited; its first inhabitants were convicts exiled from Victoria, "Silent Ones" (criminal beings unable to use magic) driven out of Letania, and former nobles fleeing Ursus. After the other nations discovered Rembiton, a region rich in mineral resources, these exiles established a government there and began exporting Originium and processed products to other nations under the name "Rembiton."