240 Super Event: Gretwor Nightong Unifies Sky Ring

Even though it was past closing time, the Beitiao Building was still brightly lit. The sprawling complex of buildings resembled a world tree that controlled the sky. It was planted by conglomerates and Huazu Group, taking root in the flesh and blood of the Heavenly Ring People, nourished by the labor and lives of 500 million people, and living endlessly.

Fashionable white-collar workers chuckled as they passed through the turnstiles, chatting about stocks and futures, casually eating a couple of bites of rice balls before heading back to their jobs.

In the Hojo Family, or rather in the entire Sky Ring, a 'shame culture' prevails. In the workplace, this shame culture evolves into mockery and bullying of those who leave work on time and receive a guaranteed minimum wage.

But thinking about it carefully, it's not that unusual, is it? After all, everyone is working hard to contribute to the rise of Sky Ring. If someone dares to leave work on time, wouldn't they feel ashamed? They would be traitors to the nation and the country, and would certainly be despised.

If all workers in the Sky Ring were to leave work on time, then this country would probably perish very soon!

"What a bunch of lunatics. If the country will be destroyed because no one is working overtime, then let it be destroyed..."

Yagyu Soji, an employee in the banking department of the Hojo Conglomerate, muttered to himself as he angrily gnawed on a sandwich while organizing financing documents, feeling extremely dissatisfied with this meaningless overtime.

"I've clearly finished my work, but they won't let me rest. They insist on keeping me here under the guise of 'cultivating team spirit.' I can't stand it!"

In the large office area, people came and went, each busy with their own work. They clearly saw Liu Sheng complaining, but no one reminded him that he shouldn't say those things. Instead, they simply ignored him and focused on their own tasks.

Yagyu Soji complained a few times, but seeing that no one responded to him, he muttered, "If you like to overdraw your life to make money so much, why don't you sell your organs to the rich?"

Even with such widespread ridicule, no one answered him.

For the group, and for the entire Sky Ring, everyone was indifferent to these things. Even if someone rushed in and opened fire with a machine gun, they would numbly continue with their work because they had become selfish and obedient machines under Sky Ring's rules, only caring about their own affairs.

Is this the right situation? Yagyu Soji doesn't know.

He finished organizing his documents, got up to go for a smoke, and had barely left his workstation when a voice immediately blared from the loudspeaker:

"Number 2105, Yagyu Soji, time away from workstation: 1 second, 2 seconds..."

In that instant, Yagyu Soji felt hateful and contemptuous gazes coming from all directions. His colleagues whispered among themselves, making no attempt to ridicule and insult him.

"That must be Yagyu from the banking department. Everyone is working hard, but he just left without permission..."

"No wonder he's 35 and can't even afford his mortgage. Doesn't he feel ashamed...?"

"If you can't deliver results, don't come to Hojo Heavy Industries ' banking division. Go Outland! These lazybones are the root cause of preventing our Sky Ring from becoming number one in the world!"

That's enough.

Ignoring the rumors, Liu Sheng went to the rooftop, bathed in the false sunlight, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and left all his worries and fatigue there before exhaling.

"When will this world end? Damn it!"

He grumbled, the name tag around his neck still ticking the time, reminding him that he had been away from his workstation for 5 minutes and 29 seconds. If he didn't return within a minute, the name tag would mock him sarcastically, reporting his mortgage amount and reminding him of his recent bank card expenses.

But he dared not throw this employee ID card away... For employees of the Hojo Conglomerate, such an employee ID card is equivalent to multiple forms of proof, such as an ID card, a bus pass, and a bank card. Losing this thing is basically like losing half of one's life.

Liu Sheng smoked a cigarette, his gaze fixed on the artificial light source overhead.

"... In science class, the teacher once said, 'The sun rises for daytime, and the moon rises for nighttime,' but this false sun never sets or goes out, and I have never seen a starry night."

The instinct to rise with the sun and rest with the sunset is ingrained in human genes, constantly radiating light, making it difficult for people to feel that 'it's time to rest'.

Bosses are probably the people who love Artificial Sun the most; the eternal light allows them to order their subordinates around and keep them working indefinitely.

In a few hundred years, humanity will probably adapt to a life with only Artificial Sun, and will no longer actively seek darkness, let alone reduce its burden or rest.

By then... even if Heavenly Ring Nation becomes the world's number one, what good will it do? It will just be another place to be a slave.

...moon.

As Liu Sheng, cigarette dangling from his lips, gazed at the perpetually extinguished, illusory sun, a sudden, intense emotion welled up within him:

"... I really want to see what the moon looks like."

He couldn't access materials from the Old Era, but he had heard people talk about them and describe them.

"The moon is a celestial body that revolves around the Azure Planet, that is, a satellite. From the ground, it appears silvery-white, and occasionally it appears dim or even reddish. Just gazing at the moon brings peace. From ancient times to the present, there have been many legends about the moon, and many local legends say that if you make a wish to the full moon, it will be answered."

Yagyu Soji exhaled a puff of smoke and said absentmindedly, "If the moon really can grant wishes... then let this country turn over a new leaf and start living the life that humans should live again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze blew, and the Artificial Sun continued to emit a hazy light, covering everything on the earth with a metallic texture, like a nickel-plated vessel.

'You have been away from your workstation for 7 minutes and 8 seconds, 9 seconds, 9 seconds... 9 seconds...'

There seemed to be something wrong with the employee ID card; it kept repeating the same time, which made Yagyu Soji feel even more embarrassed.

"Sigh... What's wrong with me? I'm an old man."

Yagyu Soji rubbed his head, stubbed out his cigarette, and turned to leave.

"How is it possible to change this country?"

He threw away his cigarette butt and opened the rooftop door.

Fu ——————

A strong gust of wind swept across his face, Yagyu Soji gripped the handle tightly, almost slipping and falling.

"Holy crap! What the hell is going on..."

Yagyu Soji steadied himself, gripped the handle tightly, and looked ahead:

Behind the rooftop gate, instead of the familiar stairwell, there was a desolate, burning inferno!

The Beitiao Building was completely split apart by some strange force. A strong wind swept across the rooftop, leaving only a small section of the southern building and part of the rooftop. Yagyu Soji looked around and saw that the streets had been directly crushed and destroyed by some enormous force. Police cars, armored vehicles, and Mobile Armor were twisted into scrap metal like sesame balls and carelessly thrown on the roadside.

The once deadly weapon capable of destroying a nation has been reduced to a pile of industrial scrap metal—the contrast is visually striking. Yagyu Soji nearly lost his grip on the handrail; he stumbled back a few steps as a series of sonic booms overhead slammed him to the ground—a continuous sea of drones and hypersonic fighter jets breached the capital's air defense perimeter, but as soon as they passed overhead, they plummeted to their doom like butterflies with broken wings.

Most Terror, there was no sign of attack whatsoever, and even the explosion upon impact was completely silent.

"What is going on?"

Yagyu Soji looked at the ruins:

That area ahead looks like the Ring King's palace and the Sky Ring Parliament Building, right? Swish swish swish

Just as he was still confused, the work badge suddenly emitted a noise, and then, as if it had been cracked, a human voice came through, shouting out several coded call signs before immediately switching to Sky Ring language to broadcast:

A Notice to All Citizens of Heavenly Ring Nation:

"This broadcast is to explain the ongoing change of regime in the Heavenly Ring Nation."

"I am Gretwar Night Song, one of the leaders of the Red Fan Army. With the help of the former Li Aoz's subordinates, we have now successfully captured the capital of Sky Ring, Qiongan Capital, and captured the former Head of State Sky Ring, the Ring King, Gen Zhengyi, as well as the former prime minister, Park Jeong-sun -Minamoto Shoichi. We have held a friendly meeting, exchanged views, and expressed our full approval of the transfer of power."

"Next, the nation will be reorganized and re-elected by our Red Fan Army. Before the nation's order is restored, the Red Fan Army will form a provisional government for the transition. Please cooperate with our work."

"The 1700-year history of the Ring King oppressing the people has come to an end! Fellow countrymen, the era of republic has arrived."