Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The White-Bearded Man immediately set to work on the task assigned to him by Your Highness, which concerned the fate of humanity. He was immensely excited to be involved in this matter, and the Chief Administrator, now over fifty, was rejuvenated with youthful vigor.
Prince Banan felt a significant reduction in his inner turmoil. Despite the difficult circumstances, he sensed an endless surge of strength within him.
"What are your thoughts on our country's current situation?"
Prince Banan was quite interested in Zhang Qiu's opinions and even brought up the current situation for discussion, treating Zhang Qiu as a military advisor.
"I have no opinion," Zhang Qiu replied honestly, hesitant to comment on matters he did not fully understand. "I don't know much about the situation in Tanzania. I have seen sporadic reports in the news before and have had some personal experiences recently, but that’s all; I can't draw any conclusions."
"You and Lucia will attend the upcoming State Council Meeting together."
Zhang Qiu was slightly taken aback but then agreed. Since he had decided to stand with Prince Banan, attending the high-level meeting in Santania seemed necessary.
When Zhang Qiu and Lucia went to find K, K was packing up in his room. The once bulging desert camouflage backpack was now deflated, resembling a kangaroo without a pouch. K set the bag aside, stood up, and shifted his gaze from Zhang Qiu at the door to the sofa.
"Prince Banan has arranged for a plane; you can leave now."
"And what about you?"
"I will stay here with Lucia; that won't change. Please tell Professor Bai that I will personally bring the jade pendant to see him when I return home."
K snorted, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. As he passed by Zhang Qiu, he paused and said in Mandarin, "I can see that your relationship with Prince Banan is unusual. But I must remind you that this is not your place; returning home with me is the best choice for you."
"I think I might know better than you what is truly best for me," Zhang Qiu replied with a smile as he watched K leave. "Safe travels."
K walked toward the first floor under the guidance of a bodyguard dressed in black, never looking back. The desert camouflage bag on K's shoulder swayed side to side with his movements as he disappeared through the lobby exit.
"What did he say to you?" Lucia walked over and asked.
"K is trying to persuade me to go back to the country with him for one last effort."
"If you don't go back with him, will there really be no consequences?"
"Of course not."
"Both of you, Prince Banan requests your presence at the meeting," a servant approached to invite them.
The meeting place was not the conference room where Prince Banan had spoken with Zhang Qiu and Lucia, but rather a windowless room on the first floor, resembling a closed military fortress. When Zhang Qiu and Lucia entered, the room was already filled with people. In the center stood a dark oak conference table, with Prince Banan seated at the head. Behind him was a half-wall projection displaying a map labeled in English.
Prince Banan beckoned Zhang Qiu and Lucia over and introduced them to everyone: "These two friends are Zhang Qiu and Lucia, whom I mentioned to you. They will attend the meeting as my senior advisors. Now, let's begin."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia sat beside Prince Banan, looking particularly out of place among the tall, robust Africans. Zhang Qiu surveyed the senior officials present; some sat upright, their intense gazes fixed on the projection, while others slumped in their chairs, staring blankly at the table. Before arriving, Zhang Qiu had worried whether these officials would accept their participation as unknowns, but now it seemed his concerns were unfounded; no one was paying attention to them.
One person was speaking, his dark face lined with wrinkles, silver eyes perched on a broad nose, and graying temples adding an air of wisdom. He spoke rapidly, making it difficult for Zhang Qiu to catch every word's meaning. Fortunately, with Lucia's assistance beside him, Zhang Qiu could understand what they were discussing.
The speaker appeared to be the mayor of a city, reporting to Your Highness about the atrocities occurring in his jurisdiction. The National Defense Force had launched a surprise attack on the city last night, causing significant economic losses and resulting in dozens of civilian deaths. Therefore, he proposed negotiating peace with the south and reaching a ceasefire agreement between both parties.
As soon as the mayor finished speaking, a general slammed his hand on the table, his protruding beer belly nearly knocking over those nearby. "At this stage of events, there are still people thinking about negotiations," he glared fiercely at the mayor who suggested peace talks. "What you're doing will only lead to our hard-won city falling again."
"I just don't want to see innocent citizens lose their lives for nothing," the mayor argued with a flushed face.
"What you're doing will only cause more people to lose their lives!" The general ignored the mayor and turned to address the prince. "Your Highness, I believe it is crucial at this stage to conduct an emergency conscription during wartime to ensure we outnumber the National Defense Force. If we don't push the conservatives into a corner, they will never agree to reforms."
The meeting transformed from an orderly discussion into a chaotic uproar, resembling a condensed version of a bustling market where a group of vendors haggled over prices. Soon, two distinct factions emerged in the venue. The majority faction, composed of Civil Officials, advocated for peace; they sought reform rather than war and held onto illusions about the king. The other faction, made up of Military Officials, insisted on confrontation, believing that blood and fire were necessary to defend the impending freedom.
The pro-war and pro-peace factions were unyielding, arguing incessantly. In the debate, the pro-peace faction was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of momentum; although they were more numerous, their voices were not as loud. Conversely, the pro-war faction had the upper hand in spirit; despite being fewer in number, each member shouted at the top of their lungs. Thus, it sounded as if both sides were evenly matched. Zhang Qiu noticed an interesting issue: neither faction had pointed out how to implement their grand ideas.
Prince Banan looked troubled as he watched his subordinates bicker. They had argued all night without reaching any conclusions, and now the same situation was unfolding again. Feeling helpless, Prince Banan announced a temporary suspension of the meeting and called for a twenty-minute break. After the high-ranking officials left the conference room, Prince Banan turned to Zhang Qiu with a wry smile: "You see, this is my current predicament."
"I see."
"What do you think?"
"The situation is quite grim. This pessimism stems not only from pressure from the king but also from internal disunity." Having sung "Unity is Strength" from kindergarten through graduation, Zhang Qiu understood the importance of unity.
"You are absolutely right; my concern is precisely internal instability!" Prince Banan nodded repeatedly. "People rescued me from prison seemingly out of fervor. However, when I actually came to power, I found that many officials were not prepared for reform. No one can propose a good suggestion for our next steps."
"I have an idea."
Zhang Qiu was still in the stage of self-cultivation and did not possess profound insights into national affairs; he could only express himself passionately. He recalled the poetry he studied in his first year under Chairman's influence: youthful students full of vigor pointing out the course of history. Were not countless revolutionary predecessors fighting for their country at ages similar to his?
"You!" Prince Banan had already been surprised by Zhang Qiu too many times and hoped this time would be no different.
"I have been listening to the debate between both parties. The general made a critical point: unless we push the conservatives to their limits, they will never agree to reform. Therefore, war should be promoted as the main theme. What do you think, Prince Banan?" Zhang Qiu could not believe that such a significant issue had escaped the prince's consideration.
"My view aligns with yours; what troubles me is how to coordinate with the Civil Officials so they can reach an agreement on this matter. You saw it yourself—they just can't stop arguing when they come together. They argued all night yesterday and are starting again today!" Prince Banan frowned deeply; this issue weighed heavily on him.
"Could we separate them?"
"Separate?" Prince Banan expressed great interest in Zhang Qiu's proposal. "Please elaborate!"
"Since the two factions will argue endlessly when they meet, it would be better not to let them meet at all. The upcoming meetings can be divided into two groups. We already have a clear decision on whether to fight or negotiate, and there is no need for further discussion. Prince Banan just needs to issue commands. The Civil Officials will focus on researching the policies to be implemented after the reforms, while the Military Officials will prepare for war, always ready to march south!"
"Your approach has a bit of my father's style," Prince Banan said, feeling both hatred and regret when mentioning the king. If given a choice, he would prefer to be born into an ordinary family.
"Special times require special measures; this is war, which concerns the lives and deaths of hundreds of thousands."
"You are right!" Prince Banan nodded heavily. "Zhang Qiu, keeping you here is the best decision I have ever made!"
Zhang Qiu's suggestion enlightened Prince Banan, who immediately announced a meeting, first summoning the Military Officials. In the current situation, winning the war was more important than establishing systems. If they failed in war, all their beautiful hopes would shatter like bubbles at a single poke.
Prince Banan gathered the Military Officials for a meeting, but unexpectedly, it was the Chief Administrator who entered. Zhang Qiu noticed something unusual in the White-Bearded Man's gaze, and an unsettling feeling surged within him. With every step the White-Bearded Man took forward, Zhang Qiu's unease deepened. This anxiety was vague and inexplicable; Zhang Qiu did not know what it represented.
Prince Banan raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we calling for a meeting with the Military Officials?"
"Your Highness, something has happened..." The White-Bearded Man paused halfway through his sentence, glancing at Zhang Qiu out of the corner of his eye.
"You!" A flustered Prince Banan did not notice the White-Bearded Man's odd behavior. "Do you think it's necessary to keep this from them? Has something happened in the South again?"
Comment 0 Comment Count