"Speaker, isn’t today’s meeting starting yet?" In the spacious council chamber, a big-bearded man with brown hair looked up at the old Speaker standing behind the podium and asked hoarsely, "The captors have left, the captured have left, what is the first item on the agenda for today?" Because of the big-bearded man’s words, the somewhat empty chamber fell into a slight agitation, with all the council members raising their eyes to look at the old Speaker. The old Speaker sighed, gazed at the big-bearded man, and switched on the electronic paper book in front of him, "The first item on today’s agenda is," He paused for a moment and then said hoarsely, "Mayor Lin En’s speech on the bill he is promoting." At the moment his words were spoken, the previously noisy chamber instantly fell silent. Council members sitting below exchanged glances, falling into silence. "If he’s going to speech on the bill, to campaign for his bill, he should be here by now," In the end, it was the big-bearded man who broke the silence, "The meeting has already started, does he disrespect us, or does he feel that the council is no longer necessary?" "The first agenda item starts fifteen minutes after the meeting begins; before that is free reading time," Someone in the crowd retorted, "There are still three minutes left. What’s the rush?" The big-bearded man heard the retort, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to look up at the old Speaker. Time ticked by second after second, and someone raised their wristwatch, silently watching the numbers flow on it. The entire hall fell into a sort of deafening quietude, accompanied by the advancing seconds toward ’fifteen’. In this dim silence, it seemed as though rapid heartbeats were undulating, resounding in everyone’s ears. Some in the crowd lifted their heads to look at the large doors at the front, which were firmly closed without a sign of opening. However, just as people’s gazes were about to move away in disappointment, the sound of heavy doors slowly opening echoed behind everyone. In that moment, everyone seated seemed to realize something, turned their heads, and looked toward the rear of the council chamber. There were two large doors in the council chamber, one to the side-front, which is currently used, and the other, to the exact rear, which was the original door when the hall was first built. But that door had hardly ever been used since the building was erected. Because it was a copper-alloy double door, four meters wide, six meters high, weighing nearly eighty tons. Soon after these doors were built, the council additionally created a smaller door at the front and installed an electric power assistance device, serving as the new entrance. No one ever thought that this oldest and heaviest door would one day be pushed open. Accompanied by the roaring sounds of the door scraping the ground, a little dust sprinkled down from the ancient doorway, slowly opening a crevice. Bright light from the somewhat dim hall outside shot through, and an elderly man in a gray suit stepped onto the lit pathway, appearing before everyone. All the council members stared dumbfounded at the slowly opening council door, at the old man standing in the light, holding a golden cane. A little gurgle came through the dust-filled air, the sound of someone swallowing saliva. "I hope I’m not late." He Ao glanced around at the council members with a smile, walked down the path of light, and came to the front of the podium. The old Speaker, originally standing at the podium, glanced at him and then slowly stepped aside to give way to him. The majority in the council belongs to Lin En’s Ruling Alliance, and theoretically, the Speaker is the party leader or the nominated leader of the majority. However, the current old Speaker was part of the conservative faction within Lin En’s Ruling Alliance. Mayor Lin En sought to absorb the conservative faction within the Alliance by appointing a councilor from their ranks to this position; he was not one of Lin En’s people, but neither was he against Lin En. "Arresting people with great fanfare, does Mayor Lin En have any criticisms of the city council?" And almost the moment He Ao stood behind the lectern, Big Beard, sitting at the front, asked outright. His question pulled everyone back from the shock they had just experienced and at the same time, they all looked up at He Ao. "Yes, strictly speaking," He Ao smiled at Big Beard in front of him and spoke calmly, "I have criticisms of the entire Yilan City, not just the City Government or the city council, but everything about Yilan City as it is now." When he said this, everyone was slightly taken aback, including Big Beard who had asked the question, appearing somewhat distracted. Then He Ao didn’t wait for their response but looked up at them and calmly asked, "Don’t all of you sitting here have any criticisms of everything that is happening in Yilan City now?" His gaze swept over all the councilors below, "Among those present, many are from Wick District and Evis District, and I believe that I need not reintroduce in detail the kind of life led by most of the people in South City, North City, and Yilan City to you." He gently gripped his cane and propped himself up, "I believe those sitting here are all morally noble, none of you accept any ’funding’ from the Consortium, and you practice your lofty will by adhering to the oaths you swore when taking office, "You have worked tirelessly for the people, and the people must also see your noble qualities, hence, you can sit here as council members, but I have to ask, "To all of you present, is this really the Yilan City that you want? "Beyond the Consortium’s spectacular skyscrapers, the slums stretch unbroken, with the homeless knocking shoulders against each other. "The seriously ill have no money to buy medicine or receive treatment, hard-working individuals don’t earn enough to feed themselves, those disabled on the job are eventually kicked out, left destitute on the streets, and those who die in factories not only fail to receive compensation, they might not even find their complete remains. "Hunger, poverty, debt, and oppression torment nearly every person in Yilan." He Ao raised his head, looking at everyone, "We now stand in the highest hall of power in Yilan City, and the people of Yilan, while entrusting power to us, have also entrusted us with their future and hope. "Over a long period, the Consortium has controlled the city council and the City Government through a series of means. We have had no chance to do anything, no chance to change anything. "But now, history has given the people of Yilan an opportunity, and it has given us one as well. "The total break with the Consortium is also the beginning of freeing ourselves from it all. They wish to extinguish the flames of rebellion but the more brutal their backlash and suppression, the more fiercely the raging fire will burn." The golden cane thudded on the ground, and Elderly’s calm and clear voice echoed in everyone’s ears, "Our warriors are fighting on the front lines, using flames and blood to defeat the Consortium’s armies, and the City Defense Army stands united like never before beside us. "Our people have torn off the shackles from their bodies, supporting us with an unprecedented attitude. "Our allies have brought us food and raw materials, enabling us to sustain this battle. "I know that there are still worries in your hearts, and you still harbor doubts about whether we can defeat the Consortium, but I have to ask, "Have you ever imagined, one day, that we could change everything bad about this city? "Have you ever imagined, one day, that the laws we pass will allow every Yilan person to afford medical care, housing, and food? "Have you ever imagined, one day, that we could go back to our hometowns and say to those who voted for us, ’We have never let you down’?" In the crowd below, some took a deep breath, some clenched their hands tightly. And the Elderly seemed not to notice all this, still supporting himself with his cane, his calm voice resonating in the empty hall, "In the past, that was just a fantasy, but now, history has handed the opportunity to us. "Ladies and gentlemen, the battle has begun, and before we achieve our ultimate victory, the people of Yilan will never lay down their weapons. "And I firmly believe that victory will ultimately belong to those of us united as one." The Elderly lifted his cane and offered a slight salute to everyone sitting, "This is my explanation of all the bills today, thank you." He Ao then lifted his cane, stepped down from the podium, walked through the crowd below, and entered the light behind the massive open doors. The entire legislature hall fell into a brief silence until the Elderly Speaker returned to the lectern and gently tapped on the table, "The first bill, ’Yilan City Medical Security Law,’ is one many of you are already familiar with. The latest version of the bill has also been sent to your electronic Paper Books. Now we will begin the discussion, and after the discussion, we will vote." The crowd was slightly awakened by the voice of the Elderly Speaker. Some looked up at the lectern, seemingly recalling the recent speech, while others took a deep breath, bowed their heads, and began flipping through their electronic Paper Books. After an indeterminate amount of time, Big Beard in the front row turned his head back and looked toward the MPs sitting on his side. Yilan Morning News Building "What are these? These stories haven’t been verified at all; why would you broadcast them?" The short-haired reporter angrily slammed the documents in her hand onto the table in front of the man in the white suit, "Yilan Evening News relies on being timely, efficient, and truthful to earn our viewers’ trust. Broadcasting these fake...unverified news stories could ruin the entire program!" The man in the white suit smiled as he looked at the short-haired reporter before him, "You’re no longer the chief planner for Yilan Evening News. I understand it may feel demeaning for you to supervise field reporters now. Don’t worry, we’ll still go through the necessary process. Give it another year or two, and I assure you, the position of News Center Director will definitely be yours." "But that’s my life’s work!" The short-haired reporter looked at the man in the white suit, placing her hand on the desk, a hint of redness in her eyes, "Step by step, I took two years to build up the program from nothing to something. It was hard-earned to make it a popular show and to gain a loyal audience." She took a deep breath, "This morning, long-standing viewers even called my work phone to berate me." "It’s okay, let’s do this," The man in the white suit looked at Shannina, pondering for a moment, "I’ll get them to set up another work number for you. Just discard the old one." "That’s not what I mean," Shannina raised her hand. "Then what do you mean?" The man in the white suit looked at her, his expression gradually cooling, "Do you want the consortium to issue an apology? I can tell you explicitly that yesterday’s news was broadcast on my instruction. Are you suggesting that I should apologize too?" Shannina lifted her hand. Finally, she lowered her head. "Shannina, I think I’ve been too nice to you. On what grounds do you burst into my office and lash out at me? Look at your work ID. You’re competent, so what? Just because you have some ability, you think you’re above everyone else? Do you know how many people want to get into the Yilan Morning News but can’t? Do you think you owe your current success to?" The man in the white suit watched the short-haired reporter indifferently, tossing the documents back into her lap, "If you’re unsatisfied with your current position or don’t want to do it, there are plenty of others who do." Shannina hastily clutched the documents in her arms. She lifted her head, about to say something. At that moment, however, the door to the office was suddenly slammed open. A woman with brown wavy curls charged into the office. She looked up at Shannina, standing there, and paused for a split second before stepping forward and pushing past Shannina. She handed the tablet computer she was holding, to the man in the white suit frantically, "President, White Jasmine Palace just made a statement. The City Government will open special food distribution points and sell grain without restriction, urging citizens not to panic." The man in the white suit initially felt irritated when the curly-haired woman burst in, but upon hearing the news, his face changed instantly, and he looked toward the tablet in the woman’s hands, "Where does the City Government get the grain from? Mosanto Grain Industry couldn’t possibly cooperate with the City Government, could they?" Then he seemed to realize something, reaching out to tap on the tablet interface, "Mayor Lin En, that old coot, probably only activated a few points to hoodwink people." A dense array of red markers then appeared before him, their reddish glow connecting to form a light that illuminated his cheeks, making him look somewhat lifeless. His complexion instantly darkened, and he looked toward the woman with the curly waves, "Fine, I got it, your news came very timely." The woman with the curly waves seized the moment to continue with a worried and frowning face, "There were already a lot of people gathered downstairs this morning, holding banners saying our evening news is fake news, demanding an apology, and even calling to scold us. I don’t dare to enter or exit through the main door anymore." "Nothing but troublemakers," The man in the white suit fished out a white cigarette, "Contact security for me, have the guards drive them away. You’ve worked hard this time—double this quarter’s performance reward." "Yes, thank you, Chief!" The woman’s face instantly brightened with joy. Clutching her tablet, she swayed her body a bit and glanced sideways with a smile at Shannina, who was looking down at her wristband, "Then I’ll get back to the overtime." The man in the white suit, holding his cigarette, waved his hand dismissively. The woman with the curly waves grinned at Shannina again before turning to exit the office, carefully closing the door behind her. Shannina looked up at the woman’s retreating back, then bowed her head, turning off the recruitment page for Ino Media on her wristband. "Mayor Lin En is indeed not easy to deal with. I need to contact Kopes about this," The man in the white suit put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it, lifted his wristband, and was about to make a call when he seemed to suddenly remember Shannina was still standing there. So he put down his wristband, keeping the cigarette in his mouth, raised his head, and looked at Shannina, "Have you made up your mind?" A rich cloud of smoke wafted upward from the burning end of the cigarette straight into Shannina’s face, causing her to cough lightly. "I guess you can’t say much," The man in the white suit, still with the cigarette in his mouth, "Considering the quite a bit of performance you actually did work hard for, I’m reluctantly willing to forgive your insolence today. Here’s the deal, you’ll lose this quarter’s performance bonus, and your salary will be at the minimum wage," He looked up at Shannina, allowing the smoke to drift across her resolute face, with a slight smile on his lips, "Of course, if your apology is sincere..." Shannina calmly placed the document in her hands onto the desk. The man in the white suit was taken aback. Shannina glanced at the man in the white suit who seemed to be stunned by her words, reached out to pluck the cigarette from his mouth, and extinguished it in the nearby ashtray, enunciating clearly, "I! Quit! You can find whoever you want to replace me." Immediately after, Shannina removed her work badge, slammed it onto the table, and took a deep breath. At that moment, she seemed to breathe fresh air for the first time, standing up straight naturally, her entire being as if freed from shackles, turning to walk out of the office. "Shannina, do you even know what you’re saying?" Finally snapping back to reality, the man in the white suit watched her departing figure with anger in his eyes, "Do you have any idea how many people are dying to get into Yilan Morning News?" The short-haired reporter, who was just about to step out of the door, casually replied without turning back, "What does that have to do with me?" The office door was forcefully shut behind her, leaving the man in the white suit staring blankly.