"It is an honor to welcome this day here with all of you. I believe the passion of football can give our citizens the will to strive, and the spirit of football can inspire our nation to pursue greater development and a brighter future!"
Amid enthusiastic cheers and applause, John Rotini, the Vien Empire's new prime minister, concluded his speech. Accompanied by a purple-haired man, he left the field and entered a premium members' box.
Today was the opening match of the new Vien First Division season, and a great many fans had come to Wenli Stadium.
Once inside the box, his purple-haired companion helped Rotini take off his formal jacket. Rotini put ice in two glasses of wine, taking one himself and handing the other to the purple-haired man beside him.
"Mr. Oni, do you like football?"
The purple-haired Oni replied, "No, I don't."
Rotini shrugged. "Neither do I."
But football was the most popular sport in Vienne, and even politicians chose to seize the occasion for some exposure.
Although Rotini had defeated his rival in the election, his new government still faced tremendous trouble.
Abroad, a wave of resistance was gradually rising in the colonies. Late-industrializing nations, dissatisfied that the Vien Empire had seized so many sources of raw materials and markets ahead of them, were encouraging and financing it behind the scenes;
at home, factions were tearing apart, and even his own party was showing signs of division.
An attendant officer brought over the latest intelligence report. Rotini opened it, read it, then handed it to Oni beside him.
The opposition was contacting forces within his own party, preparing to propose Rotini's impeachment.
Of course, the proposal was a pretext. Their aim was to force Rotini to resign of his own accord.
Rotini drained his glass of