People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Justin looked up, his expression blank.

"No, man, is this for real? A prophecy?"

Ferdinand was becoming somewhat incoherent.

If it's illogical for Saria not to vote against it, then what's this all about? Mysticism?

He even received a prophecy half a month in advance. What kind of deity is Sami?

Besides, why would He help Sherag?

Completely bewildered by what had happened, Ferdinand felt as if his long-established scientific values ​​had been shattered by a double punch from Seria (left) and Mariam (right)!

Muirsey was also bewildered. But she reacted quickly.

This must mean, "help us"?

Sami! Thank you! I don't know if you'll receive this, but I'll go to Manju Temple to offer you two sticks of incense later!

Impatient and eager to press their advantage, Muirsay immediately said:

"So, may we begin voting?"

"Department heads who agree to open a branch in Shelag, please raise your hands!"

Muirsey took the lead, raising both hands in a Gallic salute to represent her and Nasti's two votes.

Yara smiled slightly and raised one hand. This was Saria's vote of approval.

Levy and Palvis exchanged a glance. Their personalities were similar, their moral compass was flexible, and their research areas overlapped, making them naturally the closest of friends. Levy raised his hand, and Palvis followed suit.

Seeing this, Justin glanced helplessly at Ferdinand, sighed, then pushed up his glasses and raised his hand as well.

Magellan held up the letter.

Only Ferdinand remained silent.

He was about to say something when Yara, who had just questioned him, shook her head:

"Ferdinand and I abstain."

She looked at Ferdinand, her eyes seeming to say:

"Keep some dignity for yourself, Ferdinand."

Whatever.

Ferdinand gave a wry smile and nodded.

Muirsey clapped his hands and announced happily:

"So, the final voting results are: 7 votes in favor, 0 votes against, and 2 abstentions!"

"Resolution passed! Oh oh oh!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the conference room, while Ferdinand watched all of this in silence.

He turned a button on his clothes, and the person behind that slightly reflective button was also watching him.

Ferdinand knew that the real challenge was only just beginning.

...........

At the same time, in Mark Maxwell District, Columbia, at the Capitol.

An interrogation is taking place here.

The questioner was Colombian Congressman Conrad Jackson.

This Colombian congressman, a former military officer, was once considered a candidate for the next vice president. However, due to various reasons, especially the outstanding achievement of the "Project Star" jointly carried out by Rhine Life and Scherrager under Wilson's "instruction," he ultimately lost the election to incumbent Vice President Wilson, who won re-election.

The party being questioned was none other than Seria, the current head of Rhine Labs.

The oversight and questioning process safeguards human rights through the boundaries of science, or rather, the Terra International Human Rights Council—bang—this is what the Grand President demanded.

The representative sent by the Terra International Human Rights Council was none other than Hermer, who had just returned to Colombia.

The question was about whether Rhine Life's investment in Kjerag was within the normal range.

"Rhine Lab not only signed a large number of unequal contracts with Kjerag at a near loss, but also invested heavily in infrastructure construction in Kjerag. And your company's head of engineering is still in Kjerag to this day?"

Seria: "Mr. Congressman, I need to clarify that investment inherently carries risk, and Christensen's foresight ultimately proved to be—"

Before she could finish speaking, the councilor rudely interrupted her:

All I need is your answer: yes or no?

"Yes or no?"

Saria's eyelids twitched, and she shook her head:

"no."

"This is deception."

Conrad Jackson retorted crisply:

“We have ample evidence to prove that Ms. Nastya is currently in Kjerag, and we can also provide copies and photographs of the contract signed between Rhine Life and Kjerag. This is sufficient to prove Ms. Seria’s dishonesty in this matter!”

Saria clenched her fist: "I need to clarify that claim. Our investment was made with Kjerag's development expectations in mind; there was no inequality involved..."

She was interrupted again by Conrad Jackson halfway through her sentence. He clearly had no intention of giving her any space or time to explain, and instead pressed on:

"Furthermore, according to sources, Rhine Life plans to establish a branch in Kjerag, transferring its core industries to Kjerag, and has already leaked core technologies and secrets originally belonging to Colombia to the Kjerag government and related companies!"

"Ms. Seria, do you have an explanation for this?"

Seria stared at Conrad Jackson.

The decision regarding Rhine Labs establishing a branch in Kjerag should still be in the voting process at headquarters. Yet, the special zone already knows about it.

Furthermore, given the photos of the contract signed between Kjerag and Rhine Life that the other party claimed to be able to provide, there is no doubt that there has been another mole within Rhine Life.

Why did I say "again"?

Seria glanced somewhat embarrassedly at Hermer, who was also looking at Conrad Jackson with a serious expression.

She took a deep breath and tried to answer again, but this time, just like last time, before she could even utter a single syllable, the congressman waved his hand:

"What I need is an answer, not an explanation. The matter will be investigated by a specialized department, and your one-sided account has been proven unreliable."

"You just need to tell me, yes, or no?"

Saria clicked her tongue.

Clearly, Ferdinand's thinking was too simplistic.

The military's offensive against Rhine Labs won't wait for his battle report.

They started a long time ago.

P.S.: Regarding the commission for Xiao Te, I also commissioned an artist to make a live wallpaper for Bilibili. If you're interested, you can search for HZW3 and check it out in the Bilibili workshop. The wallpaper looks pretty good, and it's very affordable at five yuan a set. If you're interested, please support it. I'll be continuing to commission other works in the future. Is there anything you'd like to see?

Chapter 478 The President: I, the one who always stands people up, got stood up.

Columbia, Mark Maxwell District, White House.

Vice President Wilson is packing his things.

He plans to go to Congress.

"That idiot Conrad, and those short-sighted morons in the military, do they really think they can bring me down with these kinds of methods?"

They summoned the head of Rhine Life to the Special Administrative Region for questioning. They called it a questioning, but what was their real purpose? Did they think Wilson couldn't see through it?

Anyone with even a modicum of political acumen can smell the stench emanating from that! It's insidious, utterly insidious! To put it bluntly, it's disloyalty!

But Wilson couldn't deny that both the military and its spokesperson, Conrad Jackson, who had challenged him in the vice-presidential election, were acting according to normal procedures. At least for now, nothing had been found to have crossed the line.

But so what?

In Colombia, who doesn't know how to do illegal things through legal means?

Wilson may not be able to stop the ongoing congressional questioning, but he has plenty of ways to teach the arrogant Conrad and the military a small lesson after the questioning ends.

The investigation into the legitimate flow of funds was clear, with the specific procedures, dates, and details of what was said. However, he forgot which year the rape charges were filed, the bribery allegations, and the concealment of classified government documents. If Wilson wanted, he could legally and legitimately shackle Conrad with hundreds of criminal charges, or even directly arrange for agents to raid his home!

Of course, retaliating in kind by directly instructing a member of Congress to launch an inquiry into Conrad or other figures with military backgrounds or factions would be easy. In Colombia, which politician who goes this far doesn't have some backers? It's just that they don't usually use such methods.

Once he decides to do it this way, Wilson will show no mercy whatsoever; if he does it, he'll do it to the bitter end. In the end, either you maintain your dignity, or I'll help you maintain your dignity.

He was shot in the back with eight crossbow bolts. After a preliminary investigation, the police concluded that it was a suicide.

Wilson now has a much larger faction than Conrad, so what else is there to say?

arrangement!

Wilson sneered and had just opened the double doors to his office when a cough came from behind him.

"Cough cough."

Wilson withdrew an open door.

He turned around, his face no longer bearing the chilling killing intent from before, but instead radiating a gentle, spring-like smile, and approached the one-legged, horned, feathered beast standing on the windowsill:

"Your Excellency, when did you arrive?"

The President of Colombia, the true master of this country, this special district, this palace—Mark Max's cross-shaped pupils shifted slightly, as smoothly as a camera lens, focusing on Wilson before him, his tone calm:

"Just now."

Wilson breathed a slight sigh of relief. It was good that he had just arrived. In Colombia, you could offend anyone, even him, but you absolutely could not offend the President.

Their country appears democratic and free, but everything is actually built on the foundation of an absolute authoritarian leader.

The more Wilson schemed and plotted for the vice presidency, the more he realized that there are limits to human potential in Colombia.

Mark Max is that limit.

Above this president lies the realm of pure "gods." This "god" doesn't refer to a powerful creature like a giant beast, but rather to the omniscient, omnipotent, immortal, and transcendent conception found in human imagination. Below the president are humble mortals like him, busy public servants of the state.

Only the President is the boundary between God and man, eternally existing, forever great, forever wise, forever calm, forever decisive, forever and ever!

He is the true "Sage King".

Unless Wilson himself decides to abandon humanity, the relationship between him and the President will always remain that of servant and master, bird and bird, mortal and extraordinary. A chasm-like gap!

However, this is for the best. The Lateran people, when declaring their eternal neutrality, famously proclaimed: "Give the gods their things, and the king theirs." Wilson respected this boundary; he only needed to govern the mundane affairs of Columbia. Why worry about things beyond his understanding, things that should be considered by the President?

He bowed respectfully, offering his shoulder to the horned, feathered beast perched on the windowsill. Only when the President's sharp claws caught on his clothes did he softly ask:

"Did the President want to see me about something?"

"Don't go to Congress."

The president's words are always concise, even when it is an order that is extremely difficult to understand.

Don't go to Parliament? Does that mean I should ignore the questioning of Rhine Lab that's happening there?

But why?

Rhine Lab's initial collaboration with Kjerag was indeed unrelated to these politicians; it was a private agreement between Prime Minister Kjerag, his close friend and brother Ernst Schivaesch, and Rhine Lab's General Manager Kristen. But that was then!

The past is the past, and the present is the present. After Ernst's messenger, Miss Aslan of Kjerag, came before him during the Balrog incident and proposed a deal to counterbalance the military on Ernst's behalf, the cooperation between Rhine Lab and Kjerag was no longer so pure.

After that, Rhine Life received a lot of preferential policies and support from the Colombian government he led, and Kjerag became the most popular tourist destination for Colombians. It can be said that behind the cooperation between Rhine Life and Kjerag stood him, the Colombian political circle.

But now, the president is asking him not to go?

If he doesn't go, doesn't show up, and doesn't retaliate, it's tantamount to the currently powerful political establishment bowing to the military and Ministry of Defense, and him bowing to Conrad Jackson, his defeated adversary! This isn't just slapping Rhine Life's backside; it's slapping him and the political establishment in the face!

Can he not go?

He really can!

"I understand, Your Excellency."

Wilson lowered his head obediently and agreed, without a trace of dissatisfaction in his tone.

Mark Max nodded slightly.

He knew that his fairly functional bird stand was probably full of doubts right now. But that didn't matter, and he didn't need to explain.

As president, his power is limitless. Whether in politics or the military, everyone is essentially working for him. What boss explains the rationale behind their decisions to their employees?

Not to mention, his purpose in doing this wasn't something he could very well tell these Terrans directly.