People in Terra, governing a weird little country

He went into the "President's Office (bird shelf)" that day and asked for Mark Max's opinion. After getting "permission", he dared to reply boldly:

"We will definitely send someone to bring the exhibits to the exhibition."

As for why he did not visit in person, the main reason was actually Ernst.

In his letter, Ernst specifically stopped Vice President Wilson's plan to go to Kjerag in person, and reminded him to stay in Columbia and go to Tremont to visit major technology companies, especially Rhine Life, when the expo was held.

As for the reason, it is also very simple. Ernst only used four words to summarize it in the letter - the time has come.

What time?

Naturally, it’s time to give a speech.

The World Expo is a perfect opportunity. It is perfect because, although the representatives of various countries who come to the World Expo have their own intentions, they are indeed here to show off their collections. Here, Terra's most advanced technology, oldest culture, and best products will be gathered.

This is the most suitable place to gain reputation.

Ernst had made an agreement with Vice President Wilson early in the morning, and both of them abided by the agreement. Ernst built up his international reputation in Kjerag, while Wilson built up his domestic reputation in Tremont.

The former could help Ernst gain a better international environment, while the latter could help Wilson gain a huge advantage in the upcoming vice presidential election. The two did not infringe on each other and each got what they needed.

This time it's a true win-win.

Wilson felt refreshed when he thought that the speech he had read countless times, memorized the lines by heart, and even the intonation and tone of every sentence had been carefully polished would finally be put to use.

Now, who can stop him? The next vice president of Colombia is already in his bag!

However, if there was one thing that made him feel a little uncertain, it must be the instructions given to him by President Mark Max.

"Why did His Excellency the President arrange for things to be sent over for the exhibition?"

"Wouldn't it be enough to just get something from Tremont that's not advanced enough to be displayed?"

“People don’t really go to the World Expo to see the exhibits.”

Wilson really couldn't understand the president's thinking, so he gave up thinking and just did his job well.

Forget it, the president's move must have a deeper meaning, he couldn't understand it, maybe his level was not high enough. Anyway, the president never made a mistake, just trust him.

He should recite the manuscript twice more.

Chapter 248 This is not peace, this is a twenty-year truce

Kjerag, Tukarim, government office building!

After handing the last invitation letter to Ceylon and asking her to send it to Xiosta, Ernst returned to his office.

The World Expo was really grand, and almost all the powers that had a say in Terra had received invitations from Ernst and Evangelista XI. From the dominant Terran powers, such as Victoria and Da Yan, Leitania and Casimir, to the small powers that barely made it to the threshold, such as the many kings and chieftains of Sargon, independent city-states like Xiosta and tourist cities like Dosores, Ernst could not guarantee how many of them would accept the invitation of Ernst and Evangelista XI, but even if only half or even one-third of the powers agreed to attend the conference, it would be a great opportunity and test for Kjerag.

Because this will be the first time that the small snowy country of Kjerag will officially show up on the land of Terra!

Before deciding on this matter, Ernst actually hesitated, worried, and pondered. Is the time ripe now? Can Kjerag afford the various expenses required to host the World Expo? Should he wait a little longer, until Kjerag develops further, until the international situation stabilizes, until everything reaches the "perfect" state that Ernst imagined.

But after much thought, he gave up this somewhat extravagant idea.

The political division in Victoria, the turmoil in Ursus, the tit-for-tat between the new and old factions in Leithania, the offensive and defensive formations of the merchant nobles in Casimir, even in Dayan, which was the projection of Ernst's hometown on the land of Terra, the internal and external troubles never stopped and it was difficult to escape.

It can be expected that the possibility of Terra moving towards peace and stability in the next few years is very slim. The current fragile balance is more like a brief ceasefire than a barely maintained order.

It is somewhat ironic that in the history books of Terra that Ernst read, scholars seemed to have reached a unified understanding of the landmark event in which Terra experienced a large-scale turmoil and rebuilt a new international social order in the turmoil, identifying it as the "Battle of the Four Emperors" that changed the pattern of war on Terra.

Just as Evangelista XI said, in the Battle of the Four Emperors, the weak people realized for the first time that the weapons in their hands had the ability to completely destroy the enemy. So the intensity of the war escalated further. The original war for hegemony began to turn into a war of annihilation; the war goal of defeating the enemy and making the enemy recognize oneself as its suzerain also turned into destroying the enemy, annexing their land, and assimilating their people.

That war did, to some extent, destroy the millennium-long civilization of Terra.

Since that war, Terra has built an international order with the Victoria Empire as the only superpower, land hegemony, Ursus, Leitania, Casimir, Columbia, and Da Yan as regional powers with great influence and cannot be ignored. And from this order, there have been many wars with the purpose of destroying or annexing a country, such as the Ursus Great Conquest Era, the proxy war between Leitania and Columbia in Bolivar, and the Ten Uka Wars between Casimir and Ursus.

Ernst summarized all of the above into one era and named it the "Post-Four Emperors Era" - an era established by the Terra Empire, which officially rose and reached its peak after the War of the Four Emperors, full of hegemony, power politics, and conspiracy politics, but generally speaking, it was still a stable era.

Unfortunately, the post-Four Emperors era has become a thing of the past. Its end was marked in 1077 when the ruler of the Lethanian Empire, one of the four great empires that had participated in the Battle of the Four Emperors and divided up the countless legacies after the fall of the Gallic Empire, the Witch King "Herhunzoron", was killed by the coalition's secret weapon "Twins", now known as the "Twin Queens", during the Electors' raid on the capital and fell from the top of the tower.

This once-mighty ruler, Emperor of the Leitanian Empire, and one of the winners of the Battle of the Four Emperors, eventually followed in the footsteps of his three predecessors.

The Gallic Emperor - Corsica I, the defeated one, died on the battlefield of the Battle of the Four Emperors.

The Emperor of Ursus, Vladimir Ivanovich, the victor, died of illness in his bedroom under suspicious circumstances.

Emperor Victoria - Frederick III, the victor and the biggest winner, died in the rebellion of the uncontrollable aristocratic forces and was pushed to the gallows.

The Emperor of Leithania - the Sorcerer King Herhomzoren, the victor, died from his own "madness" and the rebellion of the Electors. His horns broke and the king fell to the ground.

Everyone has their own dreams and they are all wonderful. We all have a bright future!

And why does Ernst feel that the timing of the end of the [Post-Four Emperors Era] is so delicate, and the possibility of the future development of the situation on Terra is so ironic? It is because, according to the few memories of Ernst about the original world line of Arknights, the landmark event marking the beginning of the next turmoil on Terra will be a riot in Ursus, a city called Chernobog in December 1096.

And from then on, the short-lived peace will end again, and countless events will break out all over Terra, plunging the land into turmoil, until a new world order is once again constructed in the flames of war.

1077-1096, calculating the time, it is exactly twenty years.

Ernst didn't know if this was a little historical joke played by the architects of the worldview of Arknights. But now, as a less qualified prophet, Ernst could copy that extremely classic quote into this world without changing a word.

"This is not peace, this is a twenty-year truce!"

Now it is the year 1094, and time is running out for Kjerag.

The countdown to the turbulent era has begun. Ernst must seize every opportunity to accumulate reputation, strengthen national strength, and improve status to ensure that Kjerag can, if not stay out of trouble, at least tighten his belt and maintain a general stability in the turbulent era. At the same time, make good use of these preliminary preparations, put forward proposals in the shortest possible time, build order, and use the [Summit of Nations], the Terra United Nations system, to fill the vacuum left after the collapse of the [Four Emperors Battle System] originally dominated by several major empires, and end the turmoil as quickly as possible.

Not only to save yourself, but also to save more innocent people.

"call--"

After taking a long breath and briefly reviewing the current situation and the direction and focus of work in the next few years, Ernst finally had time to turn his attention back to a question he had never considered before but now had to think about - Terra, how many Laterans are there?

This certainly does not mean how many paradises on earth there are on Terra like Lateran, or isolated Edens, but rather how many countries there are on Terra like Lateran, with the shadow of human civilization vaguely behind them.

Since returning from Lateran, the words "Hello, world!" often appeared in his dreams. Due to realistic considerations, he did not rashly touch the huge "Law" machine at that time, nor did he reveal to Evangelista XI the secret that he could understand part of the content on it. However, realistic considerations are realistic considerations, and it is also realistic that Ernst is not only a snow leopard, but also a human being.

There was no way he didn't care about the scene that was obviously a "producer's easter egg".

He couldn't help but think, if the halo of Sakota described by Mostima as a "shackle", and the weapon that Ernst complained about as a "gun" that could obviously be called a "gun", then the birth and development of the entire country were all influenced by the man-made object of "Law", then is there only this one "easter egg" on the land of Terra?

Did Lateran, or Sakota, have this Easter egg because of its specialness? Or was it just because their Easter eggs were so obvious that they seemed so special and conspicuous?

Ernst was not sure about this question, and it was actually difficult for him to verify it.

Not every national leader is like Evangelista XI, a familiar and friendly Sakota KFC grandfather who can take Ernst, an outsider, to visit his family's deepest secrets.

But Ernst believes that if there are more than one "easter eggs" in Sakota, he will definitely be able to find some suspicious content in more places!

He looked at Kjerag again with suspicion, but found nothing. However, this did not discourage him. Because Kjerag was indeed very small and special. Thanks to the protection of its kind mother, Jelagund, it had maintained a kind of innocence like Litang. Therefore, all the unreasonable things here were not difficult to accept.

Ernst boldly looked elsewhere.

He had to put aside the time-travel-like ideas and views that "this is originally a game world, so the world view is set like this for convenience" and look at the problem from the perspective of a true "Terra person".

That is to say, if there really is such a civilization that existed before the existing Terra civilization and developed to a sufficiently advanced level, then how many traces did this hypothetical "pre-civilization" leave on Terra, where were they, and most importantly - where are they now?

This is not an easy task. Just thinking outside of the box is something that is easier said than done for someone like Ernst who is used to thinking like an earthling or a time traveler.

“It feels like you need to use liberal arts thinking to understand math problems.”

Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

But no matter what, this is one step closer to the truth.

Chapter 249 He Dalei's Job Hunting Route

Shelag, Tukarim, Spark Night School.

Hedley, or Mr. He Dalei, has been in Kjerag for nearly half a month.

Thanks to Tornst's generosity, his life in Kjerag was relatively free. As long as he went to the Kjerag government regularly to report his daily situation to him or Miss Holhayya, he could move freely without any restrictions.

This treatment was not that good. In Ernst's previous life, it was basically the same as being released on parole. However, Hedley's life in Londinium was indeed a little far from being anthropomorphic. So now, when he was asked "Are you used to living in Kjerag?", he would even calmly and serenely reply: "I'm actually fine."

Of course, such a free life also has a price, that is, Hedley's quality of life has been greatly reduced.

Yes, Hedley's quality of life in Kjerag was obviously not as good as that in Londinium. The reason was simple, Londinium was the capital of Victoria, the city of cities. Ever since the Iberian Port sank into the sea in silence and the Gallic Ringones perished along with the country, Londinium became the veritable "city of world desire".

Although the Grand Dukes seemed to not care about the city, the reason they didn't care was that they believed that the Sarkaz, who only relied on Londinium, could never fight against them, who had an entire dukedom behind them, plus a large number of overseas enclaves for blood transfusion. When Londinium was used to compare with several or even more than ten mobile cities in an entire territory, it was enough to prove its value.

The people of Londinium, who were holding the Union Jack in Victoria, once said: "After all, even a dog has to be born in our city of Londinium."

It can be seen from this that whether in terms of development or living standards, Londinium must be far ahead of Kjerag, far ahead!

Some people may ask, what does this have to do with Hedley's living standards? He is not from Londinium.

It’s superficial to think so.

Who are the Sarkaz? They are a roaming criminal gang that is famous all over Terra. They are terrifying humanoid creatures that can stop children from crying at night. Wherever they go, no grass will grow. They are "eradicating" machines.

Now that they have occupied Londinium and are in charge of hundreds of thousands of people, can they honestly follow the war principles that the Victorians themselves did not follow, keep a distance from civilians and strictly control the soldiers?

Just kidding, you can guess what they will do even with the tip of a snow leopard's tail. They will definitely implement the principle of not taking a single needle or thread from the people, but except for a single needle or thread, they will plunder everything else.

And considering Hedley's status as Manfred's "favorite general" in Londinium, it's needless to say what kind of life he usually leads. This doesn't even have anything to do with Hedley himself. Whether he is willing to accept these plundered gains or not, as long as his status is there, things will come to him on their own.

This is why the King of Chu liked thin waists and many people in the palace starved to death.

But now in Kjerag, he naturally didn't have this treatment. Even though he had informed Ernst in advance and announced his identity and intentions as a double agent, Ernst didn't give him a penny more in financial subsidies.

"Shelagh has nothing but spies. No matter if you are a spy of the Sarkaz or the Victorians, it is impossible to get something for nothing. Even if the king of heaven comes, he has to work first and then eat!"

Hedley expressed his deep understanding of Ernst's righteous declaration.

After all, in the short half month since he came to Kjerag, he had witnessed many spectacles, including but not limited to "the daughter of Duke Victoria was rejected as a child laborer and could only work as a product taster", "Wellington's envoy turned into a small stove and stayed in the office all day", "the director of Rhine Life Engineering Department worked all day without touching the ground and was not exhausted", etc. He also fully realized the truth that in Kjerag, if you don't have some skills, you can't even be a living person.

By the way, after learning about Nastie's deeds, Hedley also had the inspiration to write the first report to be delivered to Tracys.

Presumably, there is nothing that can better reflect Ernst's equal attitude towards Sarkaz and ordinary people than the fact that he has no discrimination and simply and efficiently squeezes the surplus value of a banshee?

This must be a very good starting point for the story. He will make up a story for Tracys with many ups and downs, twists and turns, and reveal the truth in a reasonable way. I swear by his unparalleled cultural level!

Of course, the future is the future, and the present is the present. The first problem Hedley needs to solve now is the problem of eating.

He had no relatives or friends in Kjerag, and without Ernst's help, he had to sleep in the open most of the time. It would be fine if the weather was warm, but if it was cold, he might have to dress up as a little match girl selling firewood - the most urgent thing was to find a job with food and accommodation!

With Kjerag now working everywhere, this was not a very difficult request. There were many options before Hedley, but after careful consideration, hitting a wall, and eliminating all the jobs that just started with "no Sarkaz", Hedley only found three options that best suited him.

The first one is the workers at the Tukarim construction site. The advantages are high wages, less brainwork, free food and accommodation, cheap meals in the construction site cafeteria every day, and sleep in a temporary iron house at night. Regardless of whether it is comfortable or not, at least it is a place to stay. The disadvantages are also obvious. The person in charge of recruitment is not a Kjerag person, but an employee of the Rhine Life Engineering Department. Their quotas are basically only given to Kjerag locals and employees brought by Rhine Life. Moreover, it is not like Da Yan, who can just report his name and roll up his sleeves to get a job, but to go through a complete interview process and sign a formal labor contract. This means that third-party personnel like Hedley who have nothing to do with Rhine Life and Kjerag will find it difficult to pass the interview stage.

The second one is the receptionist at Kjerag Railway Station. There are many advantages. It is a public institution, with fixed working hours per week, stable salary, free food and accommodation, and it is a formal railway staff dormitory, single room accommodation, household water and electricity, and life is more comfortable than some Kjerag people in the mountains. But the disadvantages are also obvious. The railway station has not been completed yet, so this job cannot be done for the time being.

Moreover, the receptionist's job involves a wide variety of responsibilities. Even if Hedley is confident that he can do the job, his scarred face and one-eyed appearance probably do not meet the tourists' requirements for a "beautiful and sweet-voiced" receptionist. Likewise, he may not be able to pass the interview.

As for the last option, he set his sights on Spark Night School.

Education is the foundation of a country's prosperity. Education is the top priority for a country's development and represents the future and hope. Qualified education is also one of the most important guarantees that the policies and goals of a short-lived country will not be destroyed after the death of the ruler.

Ernst invested a lot of energy in the Spark Night School. He personally took charge as the principal to ensure that no force would dare to offend the school. He also gave the actual power of the vice principal to Ceylan, a top student who graduated from Victoria National University. He also arranged or negotiated to invite Lola, Joyce, Nastie, Christen and other big names from Kjerag and Columbia to serve as visiting professors, and come to the school once or twice a month or every semester to give lectures and answer questions.

It can be said that at the level of high-end education, although Xinghuo Night School is just a night school, its faculty is definitely not inferior to any ordinary university.

But the problem is that the column of basic education, which is what Ernst really pursues, is still very poor.

Christen was neither in the mood nor willing to teach one plus one equals two and junior high school physics. Although Lola and Nastie were willing to teach people how to putty, they were very busy themselves and came only a few times. As for Joyce, being busy was one thing, but her teaching style was too mechanical and straightforward, resulting in snoring louder than the lecture in the whole class. Considering the girl's self-esteem, Ernst did not let this one of the few college students in Kjerag continue to suffer grievances.

"So, He Dalei, I think you have a good chance."

As the vice-president, Ceylon, who had already interviewed Hedley, encouraged him.

"Next, as long as you pass Mr. Ernst's interview, you can officially become a teacher in Kjerag. Good luck!"

Chapter 250: Who isn’t a daily life person?

Kjerag, Tukarim, Prime Minister's Office, Government Office Building.

Ernst attaches great importance to the recruitment of teachers for the Xinghuo Night School and offers high salaries. He even often takes time out of his busy schedule to conduct on-site interviews with each applicant just to ensure the qualification of the night school teachers.

But unfortunately, the Kjerag people are obviously not very enthusiastic about being teachers.

It's not that the villagers don't like to learn. On the contrary, with the opening of the Snowland Express, all kinds of new things in modern society have gradually poured into Kjerag, and this poor and backward country has gradually changed. People have gone from resisting foreign things at the beginning to gradually accepting new things, and then actively accepting, using, and enjoying the convenience brought by modern society, and are willing to learn more advanced technologies. Although these changes are slow, they have been happening in a real way.

However, there is still a big gap between taking the initiative to learn and being willing to teach. The fellow villagers of Kjerag, who cannot even tell how many types of small stoves there are, obviously do not have the confidence to apply for teaching positions.

Ernst certainly couldn't say that "Kjerag people have lost their confidence", but it did cause him a lot of trouble. Fortunately, the friendship of Ceylan, a full-time teacher, helped him reduce a lot of pressure.

But Ernst felt a little guilty about exploiting Ceylon. If Mayor Hermann of Xiosta remembered this one day and came to ask, "How is my daughter in Kjerag?", Ernst would have a hard time explaining.