“An Appeal from the Preparatory Committee for the Donation of Advanced Scientific and Technical Materials by All Sectors of Society “
At a foggy crossroads, people crowded around a bulletin board, staring at a newly posted document that two soldiers in blue uniforms had just affixed to it.
“What timing is this to be appealing for us to give up our hard-earned knowledge? “
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“What is this Preparatory Committee, anyway? “
A few workers, drunk after working all night, stumbled past. Spotting the commotion, they pushed through the crowd. One of them suddenly spat out, “Pfft! “
“Damn it, the only ones picked in this election are aristocrats and their spawn. And now they want us peasants to hand over our technology? I’ll beat the shite out of you bastards! “
The glass liquor bottle in his hand shattered against the bulletin board with a crisp crash.
The crowd surged in agitation. Two soldiers clicked off the safeties of their rifles and grabbed the man. Seeing this, those cursing nearby erupted in shouts. Some quickly fled while they could; others, as if afraid the situation wasn’t heated enough, backed away a few steps and cried out, “The army’s beating the down-and-out migrant workers! “
But in the end, no one really started a big riot, because this was Herterborg, a heavy city in the Kingdom of Nordstein renowned for its strict military discipline, standing on the western front against the pressure of the Schiefer Armored Corps.
In less than three minutes, the soldiers arrived and subdued the brawling drunkards and instigators with a few blows, then beat them and hauled them away; moments later, rows of military vehicles suddenly surrounded the block and the building.
The nearby garrison soldiers watched in bafflement as this unit, led by the commander of the Defense Forces, made its sudden appearance.
Seven minutes later, a few gunshots echoed from inside the building, followed by a man’s voice clearing his throat twice over the radio speaker, before a calm, cold male voice rang out:
“I am the first military commissar of Miche. From this moment onward… all armed forces centered around the ‘Steel Shield Knight Order’ have fully assumed command over the political and military authority of the Kingdom of Nordstein and the city of Herterborg. “
The entire nation erupted in shock; a legitimate government had been overthrown in the span of seven minutes. It had even been the mainstay that resisted the Imperial Army for over a decade.
Immediately after, the entire city of Herterborg was flooded with flyers, and a house-to-house search was launched across nearly every home.
All scientific and technical materials and personnel were transported to a school in the northern district, heavily guarded by troops.
Only then did people realize with shock that, amid the crisis of population migration, those bizarre rumors about mysterious data suddenly emerging seemed to be no joking matter.
……
In the room, Yang Zicang had a brief exchange with the local mayor and others, including the diplomat from the Grand Duchy, Reno Hoffman, who wore gold-rimmed spectacles.
At this moment, he bowed his head in deep thought.
Overall, it seemed that the Holy Ring Council, whose existence was unknown to the common people, had delegated the authority to organize the Scientific Vein Council to the various nations.
Perhaps it was because the technology of this era had long been suppressed by the threat of nightmares. As the diplomat from the Grand Duchy said, technical documents from various nations were mostly the safest, yet also the most basic and stable, records of the age.
It was like the difference between a feature-rich luxury car and a manual-transmission old pickup: the former embodied cutting-edge technology, while the latter was a reliable companion that could travel hundreds of thousands of miles and even pull someone out of the wilderness.
As Yang Zicang was still pondering whether to head to Havenzirk or the Grand Duchy, someone suddenly knocked on the door with a crisp “thump, thump. “
“What’s happened? ” asked Ron Dara, sitting across from him.
The person who entered had a strange look on their face and said, “Gentlemen, a major incident occurred half an hour ago. The Nordstein Kingdom army stationed in Hertenberg has mutinied—and succeeded. Commander Miche has declared himself the first Military Commissioner. “
“This… for such a thing to happen, it seems some people are being cornered by the current situation. “
The people in the meeting room, including the mayor, whispered among themselves for a moment, only to find the attendant still standing at the door, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated in front of them.
“Is there something else? ” another local official attending the meeting asked.
“Yes, there’s a telegram for our hero. ” The man looked towards Yang Zicang, who had finally raised his head to look. “Who is it from? ” Yang Zicang asked, somewhat bewildered.
The attendant swallowed before saying, “It’s from Mr. Meeche, the military commissioner of Hertenburg from the Nordstein Kingdom regime. He invites you to the Nordstein Kingdom to serve as the chairman of the organizing committee for something. “
The people in the room were instantly jolted upright by the news.
“You can’t do it! ” Long Dala immediately panicked. “Mr. Yang Bucheng, we’re preparing an organizing committee here too, and we need your… uh, help as well. “
The gentleman wearing gold-rimmed glasses immediately interjected with a smile:
“Our Grand Duchy is Mr. Bucheng’s eternal backing and the second home for Mr. Bucheng here. “
Turning to Yang Zicang, he said, “Mr. Bucheng. We are located at the easternmost point, and there are basically no associates of yours here now. And sir, you must be well aware of the twists and dangers involved in sorting out our country’s technological legacy without the help of the Fogfolk. “
This truly surprised Yang Zicang.
Suddenly, Deriano’s figure appeared running at the door. “Buchen! I’ve checked it out; we have a solution for your friend’s problem. “
A glimmer of light shone in Yang Zicang’s eyes.
……
No matter how urgent the situation here, it couldn’t compare to the need to find a solution for He Yishu’s problem.
After leaving a telegram contact for Xue Qi, Yang Zicang packed his things and prepared to leave. “Let’s just take the Demon Train and leave directly, ” Yang Zicang said as he stuffed clothes into a leather suitcase inside the tent.
“I’m not going. I’ll keep investigating for more intel on that train. “
Zorro said, “Also, I’ll check for you whether any Moon Realm Distributors from the Sixth and Seventh Layers will be coming in the next couple of days. “
“Well… alright then, I’ll leave it to you. “
Yang Zicang glanced at Dereiano at the entrance, then swept his gaze over Zorro, ultimately choosing not to ask if this man was someone worth trusting.
After all… he wasn’t sure how long Zorro had been with him. Calculating it, he had only been with Zorro for half a year. Though he considered their friendship quite deep, who knew whether the bond between him and others was as strong as it was with himself?
“Big brother Dereiano, let’s take my Demon Train friend to Hevenisk. “
Dereiano turned his head and, within a second, broke into a broad grin. “Alright. “
……
The start-up of the Demon Train made the people scattered around the square clamor as they either ran or walked over to surround it.
Yang Zicang, standing by the door of the train, waved to everyone.
At the doorway of a small house in the distance of the square, a few people walked out, watching the train begin to move.
“He didn’t spare us a single glance from start to finish.” said a thin man in a dark coat, his hands in his pockets.
“A guy like that could never lack attention from distributors. All it means is that we just aren’t the ones he needs.“
These people turned and went back into the house; before long, two more entered.
Dereiano looked left and right at the train’s interior, and sighed:
“It’s been a long time since I sat in a subway like this. It feels like half a lifetime has passed—a sudden sense of being in a different world.“
Yang Zicang gave a faint smile. “Brother, when did you come? I mean, back to our world.“
Dereiano thought for a moment. “Hmm… 1990.“
“1990…” Yang Zicang held back his shock, doing the math. It was nearly thirty years apart from when he himself had left.
“What, does that surprise you? Hah, come to think of it, even Zorro never asked me that. Actually, the timing is quite normal. Without decades of struggle, I wouldn’t have the strength or power I have today.“
As he spoke, Dereiano rolled up his long sleeve and looked at his wheat-toned arm muscles and the scars left behind, as if putting them on display.
“These injuries… including this one.” He pointed to a scar beside his forehead, relatively unremarkable compared to Zorro’s large patches. “I kept every one as a souvenir. If I ever get the chance to return to my homeland, they will stand as proof of everything I’ve been through.“
Yang Zicang looked at the scars on Dereiano’s arm and instinctively touched his own chest.
“Oh, my dear friend. ” Dereiano walked over, shaking his outstretched hands, “You don’t need to keep any. You’ve already got far too many. “
With the Demon Train, it didn’t take long to reach Blackwood Guest House.
When the train appeared in the villa’s courtyard, it gave a great fright to a middle-aged maidservant and a male butler-like man once seen by Koni’s side in the Haili family.
{Would it be rude if I appear like this… }
The Demon Train curled up in the courtyard murmured, as if muttering to Yang Zicang in a hushed tone.
“I’ll handle it for you right now. “
Stepping down, Yang Zicang patted its head and said to Dereiano, “Since you’re very familiar with Lieutenant General Ross, you must surely be aware that his office isn’t far from here. I’ll come find you in a bit. “
“Sure, brother. ” The man clasped his hand and heavily patted him twice on the shoulder before tactfully turning and leaving the yard immediately, disappearing around the corner of the street across from him.
“Excuse me, Mr. Buchen. ” The male butler walked over, “Miss Koni said if you came, I must inform her. I’ll call her right away. “
“No need. ” Yang Zicang jumped back onto the train, “I’m leaving right now. “
“Then when will you return, sir? “
“Hmm… not sure. Just leave me a message if anything comes up. “
The train transformed into a swirling gust of wind and moved toward the nearby woods. Inside the car, once he saw the courtyard had rapidly faded into the distance, Yang Zicang said to the Demon Train:
“While that guy is in the courtyard, we head straight back to the large bedroom on the left wing. “
{……Oh? }
The train made a U-turn, bursting into Xue Qi’s former bedroom from behind the villa.
……
Leno Hoffman gripped the phone receiver tightly.
“Mm, mm, yes, sir. It doesn’t seem like he’ll choose us anymore. “
The voice faintly crackling over the line fell silent for a few moments before stirring softly again.
— “Can’t you come up with a new way to get him over here? “
Leno adjusted his gold‑rimmed glasses and spoke with a troubled frown.
_”This time, both Waldestadt and Haven Consult want to invite him as the protection and investor of the preparatory committee. Waldestadt goes without saying—their government’s fragmented state poses no threat to us at all. The scientific heritage here won’t let Mr. Buchen sacrifice that investment protection.
“Haven Consult was originally our biggest competitor, but I never expected that the new head of the Nordstain Kingdom, which is tens of thousands of miles away from here, would actually send him a telegram directly, inviting him to be the overall leader of the preparatory committee. “
The other end of the line fell completely silent.
Suddenly, a faint noise came through, as if someone had taken over the receiver, followed by a voice that made Leno instantly stand straight.
— “You mean, even though he’ll exhaust his current fund, there’s still a chance he could obtain another one? “
“Yes, honorable… That possibility exists. ” Leno didn’t dare to utter the title “His Highness the Grand Crown Prince ” in another country.
“He must never be allowed to become the head of the preparatory committee for Nordstein. This is a non-negotiable order.“
“…Yes…” Lenau gritted his teeth, somewhat at a loss, as he accepted the command.
……
The demon train gleefully surveyed her spacious… yet vintage room, from the doorway.
Her entire body coiled from the second floor, extending all the way down the stairs.
Right now, the walls of this room were being pushed inwards by velveteen rats dressed like workers in cowboy-esque overalls. They grunted and squeaked, “He-zhirk, he-zhirk,” as they labored to expand the area within.
At the very back, a rat in a tuxedo and a small round hat stood on the shoulders of another rat, who was wearing a white apron and acting as his steed. The conductor rat, wielding a small triangular red flag as if directing an orchestra, shouted inaudibly. The apron-clad rat below, holding his legs, staggered slightly under the weight, shuffling haphazardly behind the rest of the working crew. From time to time, he sniffed the air. If anyone stopped to pant for breath, he would shriek loudly.
Huhng… huhng…
For every adult step the wall was moved forward, a linch-velvet rat waiting behind would quickly pull a rug from beneath the serving cart and lay it down with practiced dexterity.
“Leave this to me!” Zhao Xuemei said, covering her mouth with a smile as she appeared behind Yang Zicang.
“Have you found anyone to enter the rooms on your floor?“
-｛Distributor Loki·Tata Mingqi expresses “waiting.“｝
-｛Distributor Quartz Odyssey observes my current experience with a sense of wonder.｝
Zhao Xuemei, radiant in her floral dress, swayed gracefully, feeling cheerful as she spoke:
“Well, An Long handled the boat situation. Rest assured, it’s just as we agreed—we won’t give them the key until we’re fully settled into the presidential suite. For now, it’s just a matter of registering.“
“Plus, according to An Long, the folks on the boat have gone crazy. Some are even offering him a complete Bloodline Statue as a trade just to get in.“
“Gone crazy? Huh… I thought he’d keep it secret…“
“Heh heh, you’re overthinking it. After disappearing for days on the boat without a trace, suddenly popping up like that—he’d need a good excuse to get past his friends. I can already imagine him getting caught in his own lie and having nowhere to hide.“
Watching the room gradually expand, Yang Zicang indeed didn’t have much time to linger.
“Well then, please take good care of things here.” He then headed to He Yishu’s room. With parts of him in tatters, relying only on that bizarre state and his model ability to patch up wounds that didn’t even bleed, he made his way to Blackwen Zerk.
When he stepped out of the bedroom, the man outside, who had been wiping the table with a maid, was startled out of his wits.
“Mr-.Mr.! Sir, how did you… I mean, when did you come back?“
Yang Zicang looked at this new face that had appeared in the past two days, politely managing a faint smile of acknowledgement. “Miss Koni had a secret passage built here. Mm, did she not inform you before she left?“
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