No News in Small Country 021 (Part 1)

Twenty-six-year-old Barnum Ziegler finished his day's work and took a ride home.

Although it's called home, he actually lives alone in suite 409 of the Joyful Seasons Hotel at 67 Speya Avenue.

As a GTB dispatched operator, he was quite satisfied with the accommodations arranged for him by the Duchy. Pushing open the window, he saw the Grand Duke's mansion and the symbol of power for the entire Grant Duchy — 'Surut Palace '.

The Frostplate Citizen love white and blue, so they painted their Gemini Palace white, while the Grant Duchy has worshipped the volcano that nurtured them since ancient times, so they painted their palaces a passionate crimson.

To be honest, it wasn't that Barnum didn't love his country, but red just looked more grand and vibrant than white. He loved doing things like this: coming home after work each day, opening the French windows of the balcony, sitting in a chair, enjoying the gentle breeze that was warmer than Frostplate, and watching the Grand Duke's guards change the guard.

In the apartment across from his window lived a very kind man with a large beard and pale skin, clearly of Outland descent. Barnum knew that the man also enjoyed watching the Changing of the Guard, but he couldn't remember the exact time and would take out his camera and binoculars to observe every few hours.

This country, abundant in coffee and grains, boasts a golden land bestowed by the planet, with ample geothermal energy allowing it to enjoy hot springs that even those in Frostplate could only dream of, a more powerful Artificial Sun, and delicious sugarcane.

Even though he'd been away on business for half a year, all he had to do was drop a sugar cube into his coffee and wait for the hotel staff to bring over the cod, pork rice, and salad, and he wouldn't miss home as much.

The clock's hour hand, like a sharp sword, severed the past before six o'clock. As usual, he sat on the chair on the balcony and began to watch the Grand Duke's changing of the guard.

However, he waited for quite a while, but the usually tall and imposing guard still didn't step forward.

"That's really strange," Barnum thought to himself, puzzled.

He glanced at his watch to make sure the time was right, then started using his Personal Terminal to see what news was out.

"At the GTB Summit, the diplomatic representative of Heavenly Ring Nation once again presented strong evidence that the allegations of inhumane experiments involving the Nethermark Humanity are likely true. The spokesperson for Frostplate said: 'I don't know about this matter... Who cares? It's not like major powers have been throwing mud at each other for just a day or two.'"

"Red Arrow Empire raises interest rates again, Derby to Galen exchange rate falls below 9.8, inflation continues, Frostplate may implement strict price control - are you crazy? If prices are locked at this time, the factory will shut down directly."

"Zhengxu Immigration's eligibility criteria have been raised again, and only 100,000 Green Card will be issued this year... Sigh, it's getting even harder."

Despite being a graduate of a prestigious university, Barnum's ambitions were rather ordinary. Having lost his parents at a young age and never married, he simply wanted to earn enough money to leave this Frostplate place and live a life in a high-welfare country like Zhengxu.

Nobody likes Frostplate. Women find it terrifying, and they worry about being discriminated against if they have a son. Men are even more miserable, with no chance to even complain.

Thinking about it, the Grant Duchy isn't bad, but it's still Colonies, and the people's quality varies. Barnum hopes that his children will be able to receive better educational resources in the future. Whether they can stand out from the crowd is secondary; the best thing is that they can have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

In that case, it would be best to immigrate to Zhengxu; it's quiet, comfortable, and free from war.

However, Barnum discovered that the aforementioned conditions also seemed to apply to Grant...

Does this mean I'm really going to settle in the Colonies?

To be honest, Barnum has been here for six months and has a very good impression of the warm people. As a GTB employee, his main task is to provide energy loans.

For a country like Grenland that doesn't lack energy, the work is actually quite leisurely; they just wander around the streets and alleys when they have nothing to do.

As time went by, he developed some affection for this place.

Just as Barnum was lost in thought, his colleague Zhao Sen'an called him.

"Hello, it's me."

"Hey, Barnum, did you graduate from Gemini Star University?" Zhao Sen'an asked with a flippant tone and curiosity.

"Yes, I just graduated this year. Is there a problem?" Barnum asked, puzzled.

Is it the Department of Economics and Management?

"Obviously." Barnum was speechless. If he didn't work at GTB after studying finance, where else could he go that would be better?

"That's right." Zhao Sen'an said excitedly, "You have a female student in your second year named Li Hui-xi, right?"

"I vaguely remember her. She was very pretty, with a slim waist and long legs. At our social gathering, my friends encouraged me to invite her to dance, but she ignored me because she thought I came from a poor background," Barnum said casually.

"You call this a vague impression? I think you're holding a grudge!" Zhao Sen'an teased.

"That's not true. I stopped caring a long time ago. One should be more magnanimous," Barnum said dismissively, taking a sip of coffee.

"Li Hui-xi has been arrested for committing a crime."

"Good riddance!" Barnum slammed his hand on the table, immediately pressing for details. "What did she do to get in there? She's only in second grade, could she have been involved in economic crimes?"

"Yes, there is a connection, Barnum. Do you know that ' Li Aoz Meme ' that's been all the rage lately?"

"I don't watch those kinds of videos," Barnum said righteously.

"You didn't see it? Then how did you know that Li Aoz's speech was posted on the SnakeClear Website!" Zhao Sen'an said disdainfully, "To tell you the truth, one of my friends who Law Enforcement Division Three told me that Li Hui-xi is Li Aoz's biological sister, so they arrested her and planned to use her to threaten Li Aoz into surrendering."

"Isn't this too despicable..." Barnum frowned. "Taking the family members of criminals hostage is essentially no different from being a criminal."

"Li Aoz is no longer a criminal. He killed more than a hundred employees of the Nethermark Humanity and was hailed as a hero by people Outland." Zhao Sen'an joked, "This guy has ruined the reputation of our Frostplate Citizen and sold intelligence to other countries. It's no wonder his family was implicated."

"I never said Frostplate was right," Barnum retorted. "While the Nethermark Humanity may have its faults, it is also a fact that Li Aoz killed unarmed civilians. And the Frostplate Government's inhumane experiments are even more contrary to common sense."

"Someone has to take the blame, it can't be us." Zhao Sen'an smiled, then said seriously, "If Frostplate is sanctioned internationally, the warriors of Sky Ring might take this opportunity to start a war against us. I plan to bring my family from Frostplate."

"Hit Grange? That's good, it's safe here."

"Yes, ordinary people like us should just stay in the Colonies and countryside. The soldiers of Sky Ring are ruthless when they kill people."

Zhao Sen'an said with a worried expression:

"My wife still manages my three savings cards. Last year we took out a loan of 3 million Derby dollars and just bought a school district house in Gemini City. Xiao Na finally started elementary school. If war breaks out and missiles hit our house, where am I supposed to go to cry..."

"No, it won't," Barnum reassured him. "Only nuclear bombs can penetrate the Frostplate Capital's air defenses. On the bright side, tens of thousands of households around you don't have school district housing anymore, so you don't have to worry about your kids competing in the same old schools."

"The way you're saying this is almost inhuman."

Just then, Barnum suddenly saw what appeared to be an eight-foot-long white cloth floating down from the sky above the distant Surut Palace, as graceful and natural as a butterfly.

Cloth? But when he looked closely, he realized that it was not just a piece of white cloth. A large number of flowing white strips were falling from the sky, heading straight for the Grand Duke's mansion.

Barnum?

"Old Zhao," Barnum said, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He wiped it away with his hand and whispered, "You should let your wife stay at home for now."

"What?"

The next moment, the white strips of cloth transformed into human figures as they approached the ground, and the assault soldiers in gliders smashed through the windows and rushed into the Grand Duke's mansion.

Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Gunfire erupted. Explosions followed one after another, shattering the tranquility of the city. Then, police and military armored vehicles drove into the streets. Barnum witnessed the doors and windows of the apartment across the street open, and the usually kind and gentle bearded man picked up a missile launcher, aimed it at the armored vehicle on the ground, and pulled the trigger.