First Drag Them Down a Peg
This is a special era, a magical era, where everything turns bad from good, but everything will Nirvana from the ashes.
No one can describe this era in words. People have shed their simple and honest facade and become as mercenary as the villains in novels, yet the pace of social development is much faster than when people were simple and honest.
A new day arrives on time, and the rising sun makes the earth, which has been calm all night, begin to heat up again.
A deliveryman, riding a green bicycle with a basket full of newspapers in the front, speeds along the roads in the community. He always manages to drop the newspapers accurately onto the grass in people's yards without slowing down, while holding the handlebars with one hand.
Of course, this is a scene that can only be seen in Middle Class communities, where everyone has their own independent yard with lush green grass.
A woman dressed in casual clothes and wearing an apron hurried out of the house, picked up a newspaper rolled up on the ground like a short stick, and went back into the room.
She was preparing breakfast for her husband, who would read the day's newspaper while he ate. She had to prepare all of this so that her husband could enjoy a peaceful morning, only then would she be worthy of his tireless efforts for the family.
Twenty minutes later, the man in his pajamas came out of the bedroom. After washing up, he sat down at the dining table and greeted his wife with a smile.
A few years ago, he was still interested in occasionally cooking breakfast with his wife, or even enjoying a different kind of happiness, but now he is not as passionate as before.
His passion is worn down by the stress of daily life and work. These women who don't work can never understand how much pain he suffers from the heavy burden on his shoulders. He has no one to confide in about the immense pressure. Perhaps not disturbing his almost rigid daily routine is the greatest reward for him.
Holding his coffee with milk, he opened the newspaper to the first page, and the headline caught his eye—"Bayer Federation's New Generation of Young Leaders!"
He glanced at the Newspaper Boss; it was a Progressive Party newspaper, so such radical headlines were to be expected.
If this were a Conservative Party newspaper, their headline would probably be "Young People Leading the Way," which would subtly convey the same meaning, but wouldn't be strong enough or impactful.
People used to like this kind of thing, and everything went smoothly. But after experiencing so much, people got tired of it and needed something to stimulate their numb nerves.
Without a doubt, the man saw that young and handsome face that inspired envy.
"He must be someone's illegitimate child..." the jealous man muttered to himself, trying to find some comfort.
His wife happened to walk over with a slice of bread, licked the mayonnaise off her fingers, and casually asked, "Who is it?"
"Who else could it be but Lin Qi?" The man wanted to turn the page, but he held back. "Recently, the news has been reporting on his deeds and what he said. My colleagues are also talking about it. It's as if he suddenly appeared out of nowhere overnight, and the whole world knows about him!"
In this man's mind, the Federal may be his whole world, and this statement doesn't seem to be wrong. This is also the thought of most people in the Federal; the Federal is the world.
The woman glanced quickly at the newspaper. It was another familiar young man; Lin Qi had been appearing on television a lot lately, and she recognized the handsome young man.
"He looks very handsome in this photo!"
"Being handsome doesn't put food on the table!" The man turned the page unhappily. He hadn't finished reading that page yet, but he instinctively disliked his wife praising other men, even if they had no chance of ever interacting.
The woman paused for a moment, then laughed, "But he's very rich..."
The man pursed his lips, unable to refute the point of view, and began to sulk. Just as he felt that his day had been terrible since he woke up, his wife kissed him.
"But in my heart, you are the most handsome one, no one can compare to you!"
These words flowed into the man's heart like a gentle stream, and his frustration vanished simply because of them. "Thank you. Although I know you were just trying to comfort me, I'm still very happy!"
He looked at his wife's face so close to his, then suddenly glanced at the clock. "We still have time..."
This scene unfolded in many families, and Lin Qi's words greatly shocked the entire society: we are stronger than we think!
In fact, when engaging with the International Community, the Federal and Federal people felt a strange sense of confusion and timidity. They always felt that they were not strong enough and their attitude was not firm enough.
They had not experienced the baptism of war, and the previous President Government had failed to take any effective measures on foreign policy. Even some War Bonds could not be redeemed, and the Federal Government at the time was powerless to do anything about it.
They dared not express strong demands, nor dared to use an irresistible tone that seemed like a command to ask others to do so. They could only silently bow their heads and continue negotiating, which saddened all the citizens of the Federal.
A nation's weakness in diplomacy has led to a lack of self-confidence among its people. Even today, with a new president, this lack of self-confidence remains deep within people's hearts.
Until... Lin Qi appeared, and with an unimaginable determination and certainty, he told people that we are stronger than we thought.
This voice from the times inspired some to celebrate, while others thought it might be self-deception. But young people believed it, which is why Lin Qi was hailed as a "Young Leader" by newspapers with radical stances.
He revitalized the stagnant Federal, making people start to look up! It is said that his words even changed some major trends, such as the suspension of the promises made to countries like Gefra to reduce military spending and the number of active-duty soldiers.
Even some retired sergeants who had not yet found jobs were asked to join the militia, and naval veterans in particular were asked to return to the military.
This phenomenon seems to say something, and people have realized something: what they have feared for many years has now become a shackle preventing their resurgence. Only by breaking these shackles can the Federal be reborn.
Walking down the street, in such a difficult time, young people have an unimaginable amount of energy. They talk about war and how to achieve their ideals, which is amazing.
"But it's also very dangerous!" In an office, a Conservative Party MP made what he considered a very apt assessment.
The room was filled with Conservative Party politicians, some capitalists, and representatives of certain individuals; it was just a small meeting.
The member of Congress sitting behind his desk received some Political Donation from Mr. Preton, $50,000. This amount was really not much for a member of Congress; it was just average.
However, he also received a bearer bank certificate from Mr. Preton, with a total of six digits. This money was not subject to Federal Law, and he could dispose of it at will, with little chance of others tracing its origin.
That's why he called these friends to invite them to his office; they wanted to hold Lin Qi back, or rather, to the Radical Faction.
Politicians' only enemies are those who stand on the opposite side. As for external hostile forces, they are not their concern; the military and higher-ups will handle that. Their job is simply to defeat their opponents.
The people in the room, whether sitting or standing, were all watching him. Members of Congress wielded considerable influence within the Federal system; they represented the highest governing body and power of the Federal.
Of course, these powers were distributed among many people, but each of them remains a force to be reckoned with.
The congressman was toying with a very fine pen, which cost a four-figure sum, but he had dozens of such pens. "I've gotten some information through some channels that the pirate Preton Lin Qi mentioned actually has a background with the Gefra Navy. This pirate, Mr. Preton, has actually been providing intelligence to the Gefra Navy and sometimes doing their dirty work."
"Gentlemen, in a sense, Preton's Pirate Group is a pawn of the Gefra Navy on the high seas. If we rashly start a war with Preton Pirate Group, it is very likely to trigger a standoff between the Federal and Gefra's naval forces, or even a war!"
"This is dangerous. We have just pulled the Federal back from the brink of spiraling out of control. What we should be doing now is developing as much as possible, not provoking Gefra's sensitive nerves through a war that we ourselves do not know if we can win."
"We did all this, but we didn't gain much, and it will also cause a rift in our relationship with Gefra."
"We won't do these things, we will still maintain a friendly cooperative relationship with Gefra, and we won't lose anything as a result!"
"I believe everyone already knows how to choose."
The congressman was also taken aback when he learned of this news, of course, it was Mr. Preton who told him directly, which made him realize that the situation had reached a point where he had to intervene.
He did this not for the money, but out of his patriotism, for the sake of the Bayer Federation, which was Federal and could not afford a war it was destined to lose.
Once the Federal's warships are destroyed by "pirates" at sea, the Bayer Federation's international standing will plummet, and it may even be excluded from the ranks of the Victorious Country Allied Powers.
Therefore, no matter what, he must prevent armed conflict between the Federal Navy and the Preton Pirate Group, for the future of the Federal!