People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Colombia is a large country with affairs everywhere: development zones, scientific research, defense construction. It has the same expenses as Scherragón, and it also has expenses that Scherragón doesn't have. If you take 40 percent of it at once, won't you just bankrupt the Ministry of Finance?

But Mark Max's answer was firm and confident:

"It's just a matter of halting some projects that have already started. I can guarantee that Colombia will not collapse. At worst, it will only experience a slight pause in development. The solution is simple. I have a hundred ways to do this: shake the carriages to make everyone think the train is still running. In the short term, this won't be a big problem."

"Father's orders and your needs are far more important than this!"

Ernst gasped.

Even though this was already within his own field of expertise and not as far-fetched as those technologies, he still found it difficult to understand.

The previous civilization still gave him a little supermodel shock.

Ernst did not answer, and Mark Max continued to set conditions:

"Or, do you need some influence?"

"I can make Colombia follow your lead at the World Summit. If needed, I can send a delegation to visit your country, or have the propaganda department spend some money to create a Sherag fever in Colombia."

"Seragrimmar" is a very simple phrase. It simply aims to pique the curiosity of Colombians about Seragrimmar's culture, to inspire their longing for Seragrimmar, thereby increasing their understanding of Seragrimmar, cultivating more people who want to visit Seragrimmar, and encouraging more people who want to travel to Seragrimmar to embark on their journey.

It's just a social trend.

Mark Max described it so casually, as if it were something as simple as lighting a small stove in winter.

But behind this lies proof that his powerful influence hangs over Colombia, and the country is entirely under his control.

"If you need me."

Mark Max continued without waiting for Ernst's reply, three

"I can also leave with you directly. My main terminal is inconvenient to move, but this clone can. You can take it back to Shelag. Please believe me, my signal range is wide, so don't worry about connection problems."

Ernst shook his head.

He was greedy for money and goods, but he didn't want that much, nor did he want to take it for free. After all, he took 40 percent at the cost of Colombia's development stagnating. Even though Mark Max made it sound so easy, guaranteeing that Colombia wouldn't run into any trouble, Ernst knew very well that this was just another instance of "making the common people suffer."

Ernst didn't want to bear the infamy, even if no one knew it was him.

If you want to gain some advantage, do some trade, or if you absolutely must provide free aid, then donate to the World Summit. The bigger the World Summit becomes, the more Kjerag, the initiating country, and the host city will benefit. Ernst can also use that money to support Hammer and his team's work, helping more people in need.

Influence is indeed very necessary, and Ernst did not refuse. He has many plans that need support, and the future exploration of Originium, Sealing, and the Demonic Realm will also require more help from others. Columbia will be the most promising new force.

I don't mean I'll blindly follow his lead, but I still have to put on an act. Even if everyone can see through it, I still have to wear a mask. Besides, not everyone might even be able to tell.

As for Mark Max himself.

Forget about that. Like I said, Ernst already has enough on him; having another doll watching him every day would make him feel uncomfortable.

Moreover, it's not that Ernst is criticizing it, but Mark Max seems to be going a bit too far.

He really likes to take things to extremes. If you let him follow you, he might not do anything that is subjectively detrimental to you, and he might even make Ernst profit in everything. Win, win, win, and win again!

But winning all the time isn't necessarily a good thing. Sometimes, Ernst needs to make concessions and losses in order to gain cooperation and trust.

The worst thing is when good intentions lead to bad results, and you can't even say anything about it. It's better to eliminate this possibility from the start.

Therefore, in the end, Ernst only put forward three conditions.

First, it would give Sherrag more opportunities for trade cooperation. The "Sherrag fever" could indeed be fostered, which would not only help expand Sherrag's influence but also bring in a lot of foreign exchange.

Secondly, if you encounter any "special people" like Levy, please pay attention to them and consider sending them to you.

Third, on the future issues concerning the pre-civilization and the three catastrophes, we will stand firmly with Sherag and stand with him.

Mark Max accepted without hesitation.

At this moment, as he looked at the Tin Man, he was fulfilling his promise:

"Tin Man, I think Sherag is a really nice place, don't you think?"

"Ahh!"

The tin man paused for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening and tentatively asked,

“You’re right. I’ve wanted to visit Shelag for a long time.”

To everyone's surprise, Mark Max immediately flapped his wings and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"To put it bluntly, I think a person's life is incomplete if they don't visit Kjerag at least once. I believe that every Colombian should be able to visit Kjerag at least once in their lifetime."

"I hope this plan will be on my desk by tomorrow, or even this week. Is that alright?"

The tin man's metal chin fell off.

This is ridiculous demand! What kind of lousy client is this?

What? This is His Excellency the Great President?

""

That's all, what can we do now?

Damn it, did you give His Excellency the President some kind of spell? Ernst?

With a bitter look at Ernst, the Tin Man bent down, picked up his chin, put it back on, and bowed deeply:

"Happy to oblige."

Chapter 648 Kristen: I'm going to complain to Ernst.

Columbia, Rhine Life.

Christensen was alone in her office.

She rarely feels lonely; being alone gives her more ample and relaxed space to think.

Unfortunately, as long as she stays in her office, the time she can be alone is destined to be short.

Even though the focus has undeniably shifted towards Sherag, Rhine Lab's headquarters in Columbia still retains its title. When Christensen and Seria are absent, Yara handles all of Rhine Lab's affairs, but Yara's past identity is that of a Bluewood actress, not some unknown scientist. She might be able to manage personnel and negotiate collaborations with Justin Bieber, but asking her to lead the entire company's research is a bit too much for her.

These things just piled up here. They wouldn't erupt when Christen wasn't around, but once Christen returned, they would be enough for her to handle.

Sure enough, before she could even rest for a moment, Yara pressed the doorbell of the governor's office.

Christensen snapped out of her reverie. She had intended to refuse other people's invitations to meet, but she couldn't bring herself to say it to Yara.

Yara and her parents were old friends, and Yara adopted Christen after the Wrights died in a plane crash.

At the time, the Columbian scientific community unanimously criticized the Wrights' aircraft experiments because many large investors had poured huge sums of money into them, only to have the test flight fail and the plane crash. This meant that much of the initial investment had gone down the drain. Even though Christensen was still young at the time, some people still harbored resentment and vented their anger on this child who had just lost her parents.

It was Yara who stood up and protected her at that time.

Christen didn't understand at the time, but when she grew up, she realized how much Yara had sacrificed for her.

The Blue Cardwood actress should have had an even brighter future, but having to drag her along with a person with a bad reputation and having to use her connections to protect her will definitely damage her career.

Yara might have received compensation from the Wrights' inheritance, but she didn't. Christensen knew that the money for her education, the initial capital that supported her successful business ventures, and many of her past expenses had all come from her parents' inheritance; Yara hadn't taken a penny, and had even contributed a considerable amount.

She even posted herself on social media. After taking a break from acting, she came to Rhine Life Sciences, a research company, as the head of human resources development. For a former Columbia Film Festival Best Actress, this was certainly not the "best choice".

There aren't many people on this land who would do this for others. Even with the connection of being the daughter of an old friend, what difference does it make? Kristen has seen plenty of siblings fighting tooth and nail over a little money. At least, Kristen can't bring herself to be as selfless and forgiving as Yara.

She has always been selfish, and she is aware of that.

That's why, when faced with this person who genuinely cares for her and is even more concerned about her than she is selfish, Christensen would unusually feel compelled to meet him.

"Please come in."

She pressed the open button, and Yara slowly walked in.

Graceful and elegant, she lacked the airs of a Blue Cardwood star, displaying instead the warmth and joy of an elder seeing a younger generation after a long absence. She walked up to Christensen and spoke softly.

"How's life in Kjerag?"

"is acceptable."

Christen answered, but then pursed her lips slightly and gritted her teeth.

Yara immediately noticed Christensen's subtle mood:

"Did something unpleasant happen? Then don't go next time."

"Not really, most of the time it's quite comfortable."

Christensen quickly denied it. Sherag did indeed live a free life, without any foolish clients who would make demands for no reason, and with nothing for her to handle. She could devote all her energy to the work at the Dome Research Station, and she was unwilling to stop going.

However, there were also some unpleasant things.

"Ernst refused. He didn't agree to go to space with me."

Christensen sighed.

Yara raised an eyebrow, a hint of helplessness on her face.

It's normal that Ernst doesn't agree; if he did, Yara would be surprised and uneasy.

Why? Because of identity.

Everyone in this world wears their own identity. His identity is a former movie star and current department head; Christensen's identity is a scientist and the head of Rhine Lab; and Ernst's identity is the Holy Son and the Prime Minister.

Every identity symbolizes a responsibility, and Christensen is someone who doesn't want to be bound by such an identity. She wants to break free from this land and pursue true freedom, which is irresponsible.

But Yara understands.

Or rather, she couldn't understand it, but she could accept it.

Because she truly loved Christensen enough, even to the point of spoiling her.

This child, whom she watched grow up, has dreams that are not bound by the hardships of the earth; her destiny should be the stars and the sea.

Her unwavering commitment to her dream over decades may not move everyone, but it was enough to touch Yara's heart.

But Ernst was different.

If he agrees to Christensen's request, the impact will be far more than just a small, perhaps insignificant, enterprise losing its backbone.

He rules a country, and the lives of millions of people are intertwined with his; he cannot simply walk away.

If he agrees to Christensen's request, Yara might be happy for Christensen, because she has achieved another dream, and the child will have someone to care about. But she will look down on Ernst, because he is irresponsible.

Ernst was unaware of her thoughts. If he had known, he would have simply commented, "Well, Colombians, their double standards are a family tradition."

This is a double standard – the same standard applied to the child you love and the child trying to take advantage of.

Fortunately, Ernst is mature; he certainly won't make that choice. Yara is also happy and appreciative, even though all she can express now is sadness and comfort.

"Alright, alright, just because he doesn't agree now doesn't mean he won't agree later."

"His position doesn't allow him to make that choice. But what about the future? Perhaps one day he'll be free from his burdens? At that time, he might just accept your invitation."

Christen glanced at Yara, then rolled her eyes and sighed.

Anyone can spout such platitudes. Even knowing that Yara was genuinely trying to comfort him, Christensen would only feel annoyed and that it was unnecessary.

Wait, wait, how long do we have to wait?

"Let's get down to business."

She waved her hand.

"You came all this way to see me, there must be something important on your mind?"

"indeed."

Yara nodded.

“This matter should actually be handled by Saria, but she's not here. I can only tell you directly.”

"Do you remember the Loken water tank?"

Christen raised an eyebrow; surprisingly, this time she hadn't forgotten:

"What happened to Loken Williams' lab?"

"The Terra International Human Rights Council investigated and found that their human experimentation went too far, even using children as subjects. This is not allowed."

Yara sighed.

Rhine Lab is a large company with numerous subordinate departments and laboratories and experimental areas in various locations. In addition, it has many affiliated and cooperative companies. Unfortunately, its CEO, Christensen, dislikes managing affairs, which directly leads to constant chaos below, and Rhine Lab, theoretically obligated to supervise and regulate them, is utterly powerless to oversee their activities.

When the second boss, Saria, was around, the defense department could provide limited oversight and clean up the mess. Now that Saria has also gone to Sherag, the people below have completely run wild.

Yara felt particularly heavy-hearted when she received the report on the Loken water tank incident.

She was a child lover, and when she saw the report's unvarnished mention of various human experiments on children, she almost gritted her teeth in anger.

But reason told her that she needed to consult Christensen first.