A Demonstration at the Welcoming Dinner

Inside the room, a group of people who looked miserable were gathered together.

But then again, at a time like this, apart from celebrities and politicians, who can avoid looking miserable?

These people had a peculiar gleam in their eyes; they were preparing to do something big. However, among them, there was one person who was different from the others, or rather, two people.

"Martin, I don't know if this is right or wrong..." The speaker was an ordinary man around forty years old. He was wearing a summer short-sleeved shirt he had bought a few years ago, a pair of shorts he had worn for two years, and leather sandals that were worn in some places, but this was the most presentable outfit he could muster.

The man he called Martin stood by the window, leaning against the wall, one hand across his chest, the other tucked under his armpit, while the other held a cigarette.

In the dimly lit room, the bluish smoke seemed to turn a yellowish-brown. It rose relatively straight at first, then, as if disturbed by some airflow, began to tremble erratically before finally disappearing.

He was looking towards the hotel diagonally across the street. He had come with a mission: to cause a ruckus at the welcome banquet held at the City Hall.

As a Socialist Party worker representative leaning towards the Conservative Party —this might sound a bit odd— Martin was a union worker representative who was very active in the factory and, in the words of the union, adept at organizing workers to act together.

Of course, from the factory owner's perspective, Martin was an absolute troublemaker, not only for his troublesome status as a workers' representative, but also for frequently gathering small groups to organize workers to strike and stop production.

In addition to these identities, he was also a formal member of the Socialist Party because of his active involvement. The reason he joined the Socialist Party was probably that as a worker representative, he could get a low-level cadre title there and have some power, which was much easier than being in the Progressive Party or the Conservative Party.

As for his political stance, he actually leans towards the Conservative Party. In fact, the Working Class tends to lean towards the Conservative Party's political stance to some extent. They treat life like work, not wanting any unplanned changes. If they can live day after day without any changes, that would be the best life.

Not long ago, he received a mission to create some trouble during this diplomatic event.

Essentially, he disagreed with this demand. You see, he was no longer the kind of low-level worker who buried himself in the workshop all day, getting himself all dirty. He was already considered a half-cadre. As everyone knows, a worker representative is no longer a worker in a certain sense; he is just a representative.

He knew what it meant to cause trouble on such an important national affair, but the other party made a condition he couldn't refuse, and even now, thinking about it still makes his heart race.

Two bank drafts, each worth ten thousand yuan, are from the Big Six Banks banks in the Bayer Federation. These drafts require no proof; simply take them to any legitimate bank to convert them into cash or add the figures representing wealth to a designated bank account.

This was a condition he couldn't refuse. Before the economic recession, he could take 287.35 dollars a month from the factory, which was roughly equivalent to his total income over seven or eight years. Not to mention that the current economic situation was so bad, this money was even more important.

When questioned by his colleagues, Martin stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill, his expression somewhat strange. "We did nothing wrong!"

Everyone in the room looked at him, and he looked at them, doing what he had always done: stirring up the workers' emotions.

Previously, he incited antagonism between labor and management; now, he incites antagonism between the people of the Bayer Federation and the Nagaril United Kingdom. He is very good at this.

"Listen, first of all, I must tell you that we are not alone. Behind us are not only our families, but also countless ordinary people of the Bayer Federation. At this moment, we stand together."

"I don't know if you've heard, but the Federal Government plans to provide Nagaril with a large amount of supplies and help them build factories."

"They would rather give their meager sums of money to those barbarians who eat bloody flesh, and build factories and create jobs for those barbarians, than look down on us who need help!"

"If we don't fight for it and make our voices heard, who knows what our society will become!"

"This is not about fighting for our own rights, it's about all of us, about the Federal!"

Martin stirred up the atmosphere with just a few simple words, using the phrase "eating bloody flesh" to mock the Nagaril People as barbarians. In reality, by now, only a very small minority of people in the Federal were eating rare steaks.

Most people still eat well-done steaks because some parasite and contamination issues have caused serious public health incidents, so people try to cook meat thoroughly rather than rare or medium-rare.

This way of mocking a lower civilization, which seems like a superior civilization, has gained widespread acceptance. People are indignant, saying things and cursing.

Martin looked at his companion with a deep gaze. "Believe me, we haven't done anything wrong!"

His companion didn't try to persuade him further, but simply sat back down with concern.

At 6:45 p. m., some distinguished guests began to enter. Martin stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette and threw it on the ground.

By this time, there were already more than a dozen cigarettes lying on the ground beside him, and the whole room was filled with a strong smell of smoke. His heart was definitely not as relaxed as he appeared.

"Let's get started, brothers, let those old men hear what we're saying!"

The people in the room began to move silently. They didn't shout or roar, but they seemed exceptionally powerful.

Across the street, the mayor of the port city was welcoming some important guests. A large number of media outlets were gathered around the hotel entrance, and the flashing lights made this small area seem like daytime.

The order to establish diplomatic relations with Nagaril came from the Presidential Palace, which is why many high-profile media outlets are here. Regardless of whether they are on the President's side, they are required to report this news truthfully.

This has little to do with the stance of these media organizations. They can still hurl insults at the president and his political ideas, which may seem like deformities to some, after this. But on some things, we need to stand together; that's the rule.

When the Acting Speaker of the Senate arrived, he elevated the reception to at least two levels. It's worth noting that there's no need to involve a politician of the Acting Speaker of the Senate's caliber when receiving a delegation from Small Country like Nagaril.

But his arrival signifies the president's resolve.

Just as the media were snapping photos of the man in the spotlight and raising their hands to ask questions, shouts from across the street brought a brief, deathly silence to the bustling hotel entrance.

A group of ragged workers rushed over, holding signs that read "We need food," "We need jobs," and "Politicians are giving away our money to others." In an instant, the police, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, and a small number of National Security Committee agents in charge of security sprang into action.

The problem is that this is not a private place, nor is it in a remote mountain forest. This is the city center, and there are heavyweight media outlets from all over the country here.

The Acting Speaker of the Senate was under intense scrutiny, immediately left his seat and headed into the hotel upon discovering the problem.

The mayor's subsequent apology only earned him a somewhat indifferent response from the Interim Speaker: "Get this sorted out as soon as possible."

But now that this matter has escalated, it can't be resolved so easily. With so many domestic and international media outlets watching, the Federal is trying to establish a positive image in the International Community. They can't possibly suppress these demonstrators in front of these media outlets.

The police, detectives, and special agents could only keep them from getting too close to storm the hotel; otherwise, they could only stare at them menacingly.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local Police Station have already mobilized more officers to maintain order. They are unsure if there will be any more unexpected incidents, and everyone is on high alert.

The Vice Minister, who was entertaining guests at the hotel, heard the noise outside. The reporters weren't afraid of things getting out of hand; they were more afraid of things getting too small. They were loudly asking questions of the protesting workers, and the noise came in as the hotel doors opened and closed.

Then he saw the Acting Speaker of the Senate and went to greet him, saying, "It is a great honor to have you here..."

The Congress of the Bayer Federation is a very special institution. Before the president's authority reaches its peak, the power of the Congress is significantly higher than that of the incumbent president, especially in the first four years. After four years, when the president's authority reaches its peak, even the Congress has to make concessions when facing the president directly.

The current president is still "dangerous," and Congress clearly has more power, so it's perfectly normal for the Vice Minister to adopt such a humble stance.

However, the Interim Speaker was very displeased. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure, saying, "I hope this isn't a decision I'll regret. You need to sort out the situation outside as soon as possible!"

As he spoke, he casually shook hands with the Vice Minister and walked into the hall with a cold face, leaving the Vice Minister standing there bewildered.

Less than a minute later, his assistant returned from outside with a worried look on his face and whispered something in his ear, which made his expression turn terrifying.

He didn't show a ferocious expression, nor did the muscles in his face twitch. He was no different from any other time, but everyone could sense something terrifying from his face.