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墨書 Inktalez
In the capital of the Tanzania Kingdom, Nassau, a massive protest involving over one hundred thousand people erupted against government corruption and a series of austerity measures. Reports indicate that angry demonstrators expressed their dissent by burning propaganda posters of the ruling party. They questioned the issue of government corruption, protested against the austerity policies, and demanded that parliamentary elections be held as soon as possible. Additionally, experts predict that the unemployment rate in Tanzania will reach its highest level in ten years by 2021.
Zhang Qiu stared blankly at Yang Yu and shook his head, saying, "I still don't see what this has to do with us. Japan's constant attempts to seize our islands are a much bigger problem."
"Brother Qiu, how can you be so clever all the time yet confused at this moment? Look at this," Yang Yu said, pointing to the screen. "Right here."
"Is it a picture?" Zhang Qiu had been focused on the text, but after Yang Yu's reminder, he opened the image and gently pulled it up, slowly enlarging it. In an instant, Zhang Qiu understood Yang Yu's point and said, "You really observe carefully."
"Brother Qiu, what do you think? Is this something that interests you?" Yang Yu smiled proudly, knowing Zhang Qiu would react this way.
"Yes, yes!" Zhang Qiu nodded excitedly. The enlarged image was taken by a local news reporter at the protest site. In front of the demonstrators stood security police in black uniforms holding riot shields, forming a wall. On a raised platform in the center, the Prince of Nasantia was leaning down to address the angry crowd under military protection. Due to his posture, a necklace hung in mid-air around his neck—exactly like the jade pendant Zhang Qiu wore.
"Tanzania, Tanzania..." Zhang Qiu kept repeating the name of the country and shouted, "Get me a map! No, no, my phone! Give me my phone!"
Jiang Xue handed her phone to Zhang Qiu. He took the recently popular smartphone and opened a browser to search for Tanzania; relevant information flooded in.
The Tanzania Kingdom is located on the southeastern coast of Africa, situated on the eastern slope of the Drakensberg Mountains along the southern edge of the South African plateau. The eastern border features mountainous terrain with rocky rivers and has a subtropical climate. Its per capita GDP ranks among the top in sub-Saharan Africa and is classified as a lower-middle-income country by the World Bank. It follows a free-market economy and encourages exports; however, exporters are limited. Social development is extremely uneven, with significant wealth disparity.
"No wonder protests have broken out," Zhang Qiu sighed as he continued to explore other information. Tanzania is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and East African Community (EAC). It is a typical dual constitutional monarchy with King Muwadis IV, Prime Minister Sibuso Ramini, and Prince Banan Muwadis.
Zhang Qiu looked at Yang Yu's phone photo showing Prince Banan in a brown shirt and couldn't suppress his excitement. The jade pendant hanging around his neck looked just like his own—one piece each from Asia, America, and Africa seemed reasonable. According to Wegener's theory of continental drift, all continents were once part of a massive landmass before they began to split and drift apart into their current positions. Thus, when dividing jade pendants initially, one piece went to Eurasia, one to America, and one to Africa. Zhang Qiu was thrilled by his discovery; he had often fantasized about continental drift maps in geography class and now felt validated.
Continuing to browse Jiang Xue's phone, he found a slogan listed under Tanzania Kingdom: "We are an unbreakable fortress." Zhang Qiu repeated this slogan and suddenly had an epiphany—what if this slogan had a deeper meaning? Could "We are an unbreakable fortress" be interpreted as a determination to defend humanity and protect Earth? The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He grabbed Yang Yu's hand and said, "Brother, you’ve done something great this time! Save that picture for me later and send it over. Also copy me any news articles."
Zhang Qiu returned Jiang Xue's phone and looked into her sparkling eyes as he said, "The third jade pendant has finally been found."
"Congratulations."
Jiang Xue could only utter those three words; she was completely stunned. When Yang Yu pointed out what Zhang Qiu was looking at, she curiously glanced over and discovered the very obvious white jade pendant around that man's neck in the picture. This confirmed that everything was real—things were happening that were beyond imagination; it was simply terrifying.
Zhang Qiu noticed that Jiang Xue's face was pale, so he reached out to touch her forehead and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I'm just having a hard time accepting this," Jiang Xue honestly shared her thoughts with Zhang Qiu. "The third jade pendant has appeared. Why is it so coincidental that all three pendants are showing up in your generation? Doesn't this mean that the legend is about to become reality?"
Actually, Zhang Qiu shared the same concerns as Jiang Xue, but seeing her in distress, he could only comfort her gently. "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Don't forget, your boyfriend's family specializes in saving humanity. We were able to do it before, and we can do it again." Suddenly, Zhang Qiu thought of a better way to reassure her and smiled. "Besides, it doesn't necessarily mean that these events will happen in our generation."
"But all three jade pendants have appeared at the same time," Jiang Xue interjected, firmly believing this was an ominous sign.
Zhang Qiu replied with a smile, "Let me explain why all three jade pendants have appeared simultaneously. Our political teacher often says we should look beyond appearances to understand the essence. The fundamental reason for the simultaneous appearance of the three jade pendants is the development of connectivity. Think about it: before connectivity emerged, although countries around the world were not isolated, the flow of information was vastly different compared to now. Because of our era's rapid development of connectivity, we are able to see this photo. In the past, if a protest occurred in an African country, it wouldn't concern us at all, but now it's different; it's globalization."
"Your explanation seems reasonable, but I'm still worried."
"Don't be afraid; I will protect you."
"Honestly, I'm more worried about you. If something really happens..." Jiang Xue couldn't finish her sentence. Throughout history, many heroes who led resistance against foreign invasions met tragic ends, and she didn't want Zhang Qiu to share the same fate. Love is selfish; she wanted her man to be a hero but wished even more for him to be safe.
Zhang Qiu placed his index finger over Jiang Xue's lips and smiled gently. "Nothing will happen; trust me."
"Brother Qiu, what are you and sister-in-law talking about? I don't understand anything," Yang Yu said from the side, confused by the conversation between Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue. It seemed like sister-in-law was on the verge of tears. That jade pendant was just a necklace belonging to Brother Qiu; what legends and realities were they talking about?
Yang Yu only knew that Zhang Qiu had such a jade pendant but was unaware of its origins. The White Day Fire was still under renovation with no customers around, so there was no need to worry about any disturbances. Bored, Yang Yu decided to check the news online and scrolled through various articles until he suddenly stopped at one about the Tanzania Kingdom. His gaze locked onto a man in the accompanying image who had a similar jade pendant around his neck as Brother Qiu.
Zhang Qiu explained to Yang Yu that he didn't need to hide anything from him; he was just concerned that Yang Yu might panic. Since things had come to light, he decided to tell him everything. "Here's the thing: this jade pendant is my family heirloom, and my family has always had a legend associated with it. Long ago, there was a massive global movement for freedom and independence on Earth. The people at that time were rebelling against 'gods.' I know you're curious about what 'gods' refers to, right?"
Seeing Yang Yu nodding, Zhang Qiu continued, "It could refer to Earthlings or aliens or some other species; I don't know exactly what it means. Many leaders emerged during that time on Earth, with three tribes being particularly famous—my family is one of them. Our ancestors were concerned that similar events might happen again in the future and agreed to take on the responsibility of protecting Earth and humanity together. If another crisis arises, future generations must unite and lead humanity toward victory once more.
"This jade pendant serves as a token of that agreement. I've already met the heir of the second jade pendant—a girl from America—whose family also carries a similar story; it's just that the specific characters differ somewhat. Mine features Chinese figures while hers includes Western figures; regardless of who they are, both stories convey essentially the same meaning. Now, with the appearance of the third jade pendant..."
Zhang Qiu looked at the dazed and wide-eyed Yang Yu, waving his hand in front of him and said, "Hey, are you okay?"
Yang Yu replied in a trance, "Brother Qiu, this feels like science fiction."
"That's right, I didn't believe it at first," Zhang Qiu said with a wry smile, "but now, I have no choice but to believe it."
"Then..." Yang Yu was momentarily speechless; the information from Zhang Qiu's story was too overwhelming for him to process.
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "No matter what, life has to go on."
As soon as Zhang Qiu finished speaking, Rui Rui pushed the door open and walked in, cheerfully calling out, "Brother Qiu, you have to see this! How does it look?"
Rui Rui stood in front of Zhang Qiu, and when he glanced over, he almost had a nosebleed. Rui Rui was wearing a nurse's outfit, but not just any simple nurse's outfit; it was one that was short to the knees and only fastened with two buttons on top, leaving her ample chest almost exposed. A white cap with a red cross adorned Rui Rui's golden hair, and every movement she made was filled with allure.
Zhang Qiu exclaimed in shock, "What is this..."
Just as he spoke, Zhang Qiu suddenly remembered that he had personally asked Rui Rui to take charge of role-playing. Looking at her outfit now, it was indeed role-playing. However, this portrayal was far too seductive. Zhang Qiu couldn't help but ask, "Where did you get this so quickly?"
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