Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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Let alone something as big as rebelling and making revolution, they might argue for days and then give up if they wanted to unify their actions like those medicine sellers.

How to put it, these people are like the young students who first emerged in the modern era of Ronan's original timeline. Although they were all dissatisfied, they each had their own opinions and disagreed with each other. They also lacked a plan or program. While some of them were enthusiastic, most of them shouted slogans loudly, but when it came to action, they cowered. Only those who dared to fight and struggle were truly disorganized and undisciplined.

Anyway, these people are incapable of getting anything done.

Some of them went to buy medicine with the intention of arming a group of civilians, leading them to cause trouble, and then drawing the attention of the authorities to them. They hoped to use this opportunity to express their insightful opinions and change the country.

Ronan put down his coffee cup and looked at Alice. "You look a lot like you when you were around ten years old."

“I wasn’t this naive when I was ten or so,” Alice firmly denied. “Really? Then how come you’re hanging out with them and seem to be having a good time?” Ronan teased.

Alice glared at Ronan with disgust, her tone becoming serious and earnest. "Many of them think it's fashionable and interesting, and they're still sticking with it because they feel they'd lose face if they backed down. However, there are also a few who are serious and genuinely want to change the status quo of this country, even if it means betraying their origins and paying a heavy price. This is a rare and admirable thing."

Ronan scooped off a piece of cheesecake with his fork and put it to his mouth. "They're just a bunch of young people being used. What's even more pathetic is that those who are using them probably don't expect them to actually play any role. They just see them as a casual pawn."

"For those at the top, if they want to bring about change, the main focus should be on local areas and within the military."

"And those drug sellers whose identities are still unclear are mainly people close to the higher-ups, not the young people in the book club."

Ronan's few words revealed the pathetic state of these students and young people; the chess players didn't take them seriously at all.

"Then what do we do?" Zhao Yingqi asked.

Ronan devoured the cake. "I'll say it again: those two drugs, if they were even remotely effective, even with significant side effects, couldn't have been created by some random eccentric on a whim. It must have been the work of a large organization. Perhaps this organization distributed them to a bunch of idiots who then messed around with them, but more likely, it was intentional. On one hand, it was to test the effects of the drugs, and on the other hand, it was to create some chaos for Ross, preventing them from deciding on their course of action against Ukraine in the short term."

"Who would do such a thing?" Madam Zhao asked.

“There’s no one else but France,” Alice said. “France would prefer Poland to control Ukraine.”

"Weren't we allies in the last great war?" Madam Zhao asked again.

Zhao Yingqi began, "They became allies because decades ago, Suleiman joined Seris's camp. Now, decades later, Suleiman hasn't risen to power, and he can't even suppress the ridiculous Persian Republic established by Manar and Mushir. The former enemy is no longer viable, while the ally is trying to grow stronger, so this ally becomes the new enemy. Although Wieland's relationship with France is currently very poor, it doesn't prevent us from reaching an agreement on targeting Ross."

“What happens to the country of Ross is none of our business,” Ronan said. “The focus should be on this potion. Don’t you think it touches on the very essence of magic?”

Zhao Yingqi was somewhat puzzled by Ronan's words. "Isn't this a good thing? Haven't you always hoped that someone would research this and eventually find a way to solve this doomsday crisis?"

The introduction of finance created agricultural capitalism, which in turn spurred industry, leading to the birth of true capitalism. This resulted in a huge increase in productivity, a continuous rise in population, the dissemination of talent and technology, the dilution of privileged classes, the balancing of the distribution of violence, and a more equitable society.

All of this actually shortened the cycle of order and chaos and intensified the war.

In the past, when violence was controlled by only a few people and agricultural levels were relatively low, the cycles of order and chaos were actually quite long.

But Ronan didn't care about that.

He used everything he had to push society to a higher level of development, simply hoping that there would be more people who didn't have to directly participate in production, who would think about and explore the world, discover the fatal problem of the apocalyptic crisis, and then solve it.

“Yes, that’s what I think,” Ronan replied. “But I’ve found, no, I should say I have a feeling, that I’m going a little astray.”

Developed agriculture, rapidly growing industry, and advancing military technology.

Artificial talents, the transplantation of magical artifacts, and these potions that stimulate and suppress their development.

Everything seems to indicate that a solidified ruling class combining capital and violence is taking shape, like a sky-covering curtain gradually enveloping the entire world.

Is everything better than before? That might be true in Ronan's original timeline, but not necessarily here.

In the past, it was "fair" that extraordinary talents appeared in one person almost randomly, and the children of extraordinary individuals were unlikely to be extraordinary individuals themselves.

Although there are various methods such as adoption, marriage, and fostering to build a family, far too many extraordinary individuals lack enthusiasm for the next generation.

Power and capital can alienate a person, and superhuman power can do even more. It grants a lifespan far longer than helping others and allows one to maintain a healthy, youthful state for an extended period. Superhumans do not need to support themselves in old age, and their offspring cannot inherit the source of their power, wealth, and privileges—the superhuman power that is closely related to spirit and knowledge. On the contrary, trying to cultivate a decent offspring is a completely disproportionate investment of resources and effort.

The extraordinary are indifferent.

Many extraordinary individuals prefer one of their disciples to their own children.

What all of this actually brings about is "fairness".

Nowadays, more people can have talents, but society has become less fair.

When that day comes, will the corrupt and decadent upper class expect such a group of people to explore and unravel the mysteries of the world? The lower class, unable to resist, will simply lie down, drift through life in a daze, and become a stagnant pool, with no hope to be found.

The humans from the world that Kate Pierre, Lavigne, and Wen Jin originally came from were elites who didn't want to fall into depravity, leading the still-vibrant lower classes to prosperity after society became like this.

But what Ronan has to solve in this world is the inevitable end of the world, and how to manage it.

"Let's do an experiment first and see how these two drugs work." Ronan's eyes turned fierce as he spoke.

Chapter 1090: The Experiment Results Are Very Cyberpunk; Ross Is Already a Powder Keg.

Ronan and his group were proficient in both artificial talent bestowal and magical artifact transplantation techniques, but apart from the three members of the technical team, the others were rather rough in their craft.

It's roughly at the level of either succeeding or killing someone.

As for how to use the medication, there are instructions. Just use a large syringe like a veterinarian's to inject the medication directly.

Moros brought three people with him.

A gambling addict, he looked quite young, with a timid and hesitant demeanor. Moros said this person was very special, having participated in many special gambling games set up for ordinary people. He had won several times in adversity, but unfortunately, he was a god when things were going well and a gambler when things were going well, and he was still penniless. Now, in order to save a girl entrusted to him by a friend, he was willing to participate in this experiment.

Whether this is true or not is hard to say, after all, the words of a gambling addict are not very credible.

The one-armed old beggar was not actually a beggar, but an ascetic, just a mortal.

The Rus' people held ascetics in high esteem, but this did not include ascetics who were merely mortals.

The one-armed old ascetic, who looked like a beggar, came voluntarily, believing it to be a test given by God.

But is that really the case?

He learned of the existence of this potion by chance and came to conduct experiments on it, believing it to be a test from God.

There was also a middle-aged man.

He was an ordinary middle-aged man. The greatest helplessness of middle age is that his whole family depends on him, yet they look down on him. He was just that kind of person. He came into this world with the thought that he had to either save his family or die.

Saving your family, wanting to die? Not necessarily.

All three of them had a resolute air about them, but none of them seemed quite real. However, Ronan didn't care about any of that. He was just conducting an experiment. Even if people died, it wouldn't matter. It was enough for him to see the efficacy and side effects of the two drugs.

The first challenge is to endow artificial talents.

Nowadays, everything is done through legitimate channels using professional equipment, which is efficient and stable, but expensive, and it's not something you can just buy. Ronan doesn't have any equipment available, so they can only use the old-fashioned magic array. Nowadays, only underground forces use this relatively low-tech, hundred-year-old method. Don't be fooled by its cheap price; it's actually more expensive and less stable.

It can only be said that the underground forces spend more, earn less, and face greater risks. When it comes to robbing money, it's still the officials and capitalists who are in charge.

The first hurdle was overcome by the one-armed old monk.

Clearly, getting old is no good.

The second step involves granting a talent and then using a boosting potion to directly elevate the person to the level of a novice mage. While the potion is still in effect, a magical artifact is transplanted.

The gambling addict has sent it. It's obvious that his capacity and willpower are still somewhat lacking. The stimulant wasn't ineffective; rather, its effect was too extreme.

Only the middle-aged people persevered and succeeded.

Having had his magical artifacts implanted, he is now at the first-tier level.

But soon, the middle-aged man showed signs of going berserk. He was given a suppressant, which brought him back to normal.

After the experiment ended, Ronan and his group had no interest in paying attention to the other party and left directly. "What do you guys think?" Ronan asked the others.

“Ronan, if you don’t know either, asking us won’t help,” Ambrina said.

“Exactly,” Zhao Yingqi agreed.

Madam Zhao remained silent. She had been acting as the chief assistant all along, and now she was exhausted.

"I have no idea," Alice said indifferently.

Apart from Canaan, who specializes in magical artifacts, Falek, who can see the soul's magical base, and Fisse, who has a deep understanding of the human body, everyone else is only mediocre in this regard. At this moment, the person with the highest level of skill is Ronan himself.

"To give a definitive judgment, we need the three of them to come, but unfortunately they are currently in the New World, so I can only offer some guesses..."

Ronan guessed that the stimulating potion was something that made the magic base, or soul, extremely sensitive. This thing could allow people who had just obtained their talents to quickly surpass the threshold of becoming true superhumans and enter the realm of novice mages, while also providing a convenient condition for transplantation.

However, this is not without its costs. It will deplete one's potential, and once this potion is used, it must be used again for the next transplant of magical artifacts. Each use will deplete one's potential again, and after a few uses, one's strength will no longer be able to improve naturally and will have to rely on transplanting magical artifacts.

However, the more magical artifacts one carries, the more prone one is to mental problems, which necessitates the use of suppressant drugs.

However, once magic is used a certain number of times, another dose of this suppressant is needed. Furthermore, the more magical devices a person has transplanted, the more potions they need to use magic excessively and then stabilize their magic again.

Until the suppressant can no longer hold them back, they either go completely insane or die.

Nowadays, formal education and technology are controlled by the powerful and wealthy, and the lower classes have no choice but to rely on this if they are unwilling to accept this.

But this thing is ultimately a path to death.

The steampunk era was filled with the flavor of cyberpunk.

“It seems necessary to find out who’s behind these drug dealers,” Alice said, her eyes already filled with anger.

"Should we arrest them directly?" Zhao Yingqi asked.

"I'm afraid there's just a middleman behind this group of drug dealers," Madam Zhao said. Just as Ronan said, this medicine couldn't have been made by some ordinary person on a whim. It must have been made by a large organization, or even a country. Such a powerful force couldn't possibly have direct contact with this group of drug dealers.

To put it bluntly, this group of drug dealers is nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game; they don't even deserve to be held by the player.

Ronan pondered for a moment and made a decision, "Let's keep an eye on them first. In any case, something big is bound to happen in Ross soon. If no one comes to light, it won't be too late to arrest them and interrogate them."

An emperor with no interest in politics, the thirteen dukes embroiled in internal strife, a pro-revolutionary rebel party, naive and passionate youths who are indulged, drug dealers supported by foreign forces, various opposing superhuman forces within the capital, and local forces stirring up trouble in different regions.

Although the previous violence has been quelled, it has not brought peace to Ross. Instead, it has exposed the powder keg, making it ready to explode at the slightest spark.

Ambrina sat in a chair and said, "You might as well come and stay with me at Ajata's manor. Something's definitely going to happen there."

It's true that she wanted to protect the descendant of her third sister, who resembled her in her youth, but more importantly, no matter what happens to Rose next, the center of the storm will inevitably be the Thirteenth Duke, not anywhere else.

They were all moved into Ajata's house together, which made it easier to obtain information from higher-ups and also facilitated timely intervention if anything happened.

"I think it's okay, but am I a guy? Is that alright?"

Ronan said.

“What’s the big deal? You’re staying with me, and the guest room is far from where she lives,” Ambrina said.

Ronan nodded. "That's good."

All we need to do now is wait and see; it's impossible for things to go smoothly.

Chapter 1091 Nothing Changed, the Black Hand from Seris Just Can't Stay Still

More than half a month has passed, and it's the end of August, the hottest time of the year, which is also the time when it's about to cool down.

Within the gardens of Shiva Manor, countless flowers, no less beautiful than those of the North, bloom in vibrant colors, each unique yet harmoniously arranged by its owner. This small, picturesque scene, far from grand, is a miracle born from the relentless progress of science, technology, and magic amidst the turbulent tides of history, through blood and fire.

"The summer days, made more leisurely by flowers, were born of blood and fire, but were also destined to be destroyed by blood and fire."

Ronan said casually.

"I didn't expect you to have some literary talent," Alice teased from the side.

“Ha, if I hadn’t thought I wouldn’t be able to find a job with a humanities degree, I would never have gone to study engineering,” Ronan said.

Alice didn't believe it at all. "You're just talking nonsense. You're someone who didn't even finish elementary school."

“Didn’t I say that I’m from another world?” Ronan said.

Ronan is special. This fact was revealed very early on, when he came into contact with things about otherworldly beings, specifically in the ruins once inhabited by the Sea Flute people. By the time Ronan entered the Celestial Realm, witnessed the truth of this world, and told his women about it, this fact was no longer a secret to them.

“Well, according to Kate, your past life was probably a false memory,” Alice said.

Ronan forked a small strawberry from the cream cake and held it to Alice's lips. "Tch, I still think it's more likely that I'm a member of the Creator God's race."

Alice ate the strawberry Ronan fed her in one bite. "You've never changed when it comes to your arrogance."

Ronan shoveled the remaining cream and jam off the fork Alice had just touched, saying, "My dear little Alice, you haven't changed at all in your love of discussing literature with those idiots while criticizing society."

At this moment, Zhao Yingqi suddenly appeared and came over, saying, "I also want Ronan to feed me."

Ronan forked a piece of cake, and Zhao Yingqi ate it with an exaggerated and cute expression. Ronan looked at her and asked, "Have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"

Although he was waiting for the situation to change, Ronan had not completely given up on the group of drug dealers.

“Yes, there is some unexpected information.” Zhao Yingqi said, sitting down. “The people behind this group of drug dealers are several people from the Kazakh Khanate, and these people are most likely the Seres people.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Ronan's face. He wasn't surprised that the Seres could do such a thing, but rather that he couldn't quite understand their purpose.

Forty years ago, after Rus' lost to the Seres on the eastern front, the various scattered tribes in the Ural Mountains and eastern Siberia, as well as the Kazakh Khanate in the south, which had once been allied with Rus' but had now become Seres' lackeys, were all being constantly infiltrated by the Seres' influence. With their help, it was easy for the Seres to cause trouble in Rus'.

But why cause trouble?

Seris has no way of establishing rule in those places, and Ross is already an enemy of the West. If Seris's decision-makers aren't brain-dead, even if they don't support Ross, they shouldn't be making things difficult for Ross at this time. After all, Seris's top emperor is the increasingly arrogant Western duo, the Republic of Wieland and the Republic of Fas, which are much stronger than England and France in Ronan's original timeline.

"Perhaps it's the work of one of Seris's large state-owned enterprises," Mrs. Zhao said.

Although Seris does not have companies like G&A that have a huge influence on society as a whole, its state-owned enterprises are completely different from those in Ronan's original timeline.