Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 534

His wife couldn't help but glance at Ronan a few more times, thinking to herself, "Is this what a superhuman is like?"

After a long while, the two finally answered and explained the situation.

It turns out that King Antoine III had given a speech earlier, and that every afternoon thereafter he would go to the palace balcony facing the square to give a speech explaining some things.

Those people who were rushing along just now had lunch and went to the city center square to reserve a spot to listen to the King's speech.

The couple were just ordinary people; there was no need for them to join in the fun, and they couldn't possibly get in anyway.

"I see," Ronan nodded, then took out a silver coin and gave it to the husband of the passerby couple. "Thank you both."

The two were overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

Ronan waved goodbye casually and took Madam Zhao with him to the city. According to the couple, the king's speech was not a simple speech, but a report and announcement, so it was very necessary to listen to it.

When Ronan and Madam Zhao leisurely arrived at the city center, there were no seats left. Those who had eaten lunch earlier and rushed over could only barely get seats on the outskirts. Those at the front were either the powerful and wealthy who were guaranteed seats, or the extraordinary individuals who had arrived early to reserve seats and had lunch in the square. "It seems we still need to find a way to get seats," Ronan said. This was not difficult for him; he had money and power.

Chapter 1241 The Value of United Front Work, Setting the Stage, I've Read It to Death

On the surface, the entire square has only two high points: one is a tall building in the middle of the government buildings on the west side, and the other is the palace gate tower on the east side, which is closer to the Danube River. There are no low-rise buildings around either of them.

But in reality, there are other high points.

Those were pine trees specially transplanted to line both sides of the wide road in front of the palace. All of these pine trees were around fifteen meters tall. Standing at the top of a tree, even without anyone around, one could hear the speeches coming from the balcony of the palace gate tower. This special position at the top of the pine trees belonged to high-ranking extraordinary individuals who were not considered nobles, and it was full; every single tree had someone on it.

Ronan took off with Madam Zhao, using the levitation shield as a seat, and sat down next to an unfamiliar superhuman.

The other party didn't mind. Firstly, they were all extraordinary individuals, belonging to the same social class who loved each other. Secondly, Madam Zhao was clearly an Easterner, and it wouldn't be good to have an unpleasant encounter with a foreigner at this time.

After waiting for almost an hour, King Antoine III finally appeared on the podium.

After a few simple greetings, the speech began.

"Artificial superhumans are the foundation of the nation, the pillars that support its entire strength. Without you, nothing the nation can offer... Now, most of our pillars have gained abilities far surpassing those of the past. This is your personal fortune, and even more so, the nation's fortune..."

At the start of his speech, Antoine III lavishly praised the artificial superhumans.

What he said wasn't wrong. Artificial superhumans, as the "middle class," are senior technicians, middle managers in enterprises, leaders of lower-level government units, and grassroots military officers. They are indeed the foundation of a country.

However, at the same time, they are also the most helpless class, sandwiched between the upper and lower classes. This helplessness lies in the fact that they are easy to fall and difficult to rise, like a small boat going against the current.

Ironically, their group is the most diverse in composition, making it impossible for them to form a cohesive unit and strive together. Therefore, the upper echelons sometimes fear the powerless, passive lower classes, but not them. Despite possessing considerable power, they are less valuable for political maneuvering than the ant-like lower classes, yet they thoroughly enjoy the flattery from above—a truly pathetic situation.

At that moment, Ronan thought of Marx.

No matter how much he disagrees with Confucius and Ma Zixi, as someone who grew up under the red flag, his way of thinking is inevitably influenced by the distorted Confucius and the modified Ma Zixi.

In his early critiques of Hegel, Marx focused on criticizing the heroic view of history and proposed the people's view of history. In reality, the "people" he referred to were the citizens, and the "middle class" were the citizens.

But what the "people" were like in the past and later is well known.

"...However, our good fortune is not something that other countries or other nations can accept. I believe everyone understands who I am talking about."

"...Now is the first time in over a hundred years that we have the opportunity to reclaim the past, and it is also the most dangerous moment in over a hundred years. Although we cannot see what is happening outside, it should be surrounded by high-ranking mages from different countries."

"After the lockdown is lifted, they will soon find out what happened here and what kind of power you have gained. Imagine if you were them, what would you do?"

At this point, Antoine III paused abruptly, giving the audience in the square ample time to think.

This problem is actually not difficult.

For artificially gifted individuals who are generally intellectuals, the conclusion can be drawn quickly.

When outsiders saw this group of people in Austria who had gained the ability to become ghosts, their first reaction was to threaten them to hand over all related technologies; their second reaction was to do everything in their power to suppress them; and their third reaction was to identify an evil group and eliminate it.

"Very good. It seems that you all understand that both the country and you yourselves have reached the most critical moment. We are about to face unprecedented pressure, and it will not be resolved by compromise."

In just a few words, the entire community of artificial superhumans in Austria has essentially become "public enemy number one," and there is no other way but to fight back.

This is not because the king's rhetoric was particularly effective.

Rather, it was a fact that the ghost disease caused a large-scale infection without any prior consultation.

Fear, regret, submission? It's all too late.

In the entire square, most of the artificial superhumans were already in high spirits. If the king were to shout a few slogans at this moment, it would ignite everything, and this group would launch a war like madmen.

"However, it is very regrettable that there are still some among us who want to compromise."

"However, you can rest assured that I will try my best to persuade them."

Instantly, another uproar erupted.

Even at this point, to still compromise—what else is that but treason? Not only is he betraying his country, but he's clearly planning to betray them too. Shouldn't this kind of person die?

The question is, who are these people?

These people still need the king to persuade them; the answer is already quite obvious.

Some people in the front row looked grim. Some hadn't expected it, some had a premonition, but none had imagined that the king would publicly turn his anger on them like this.

At that moment, Ronan in the tree smiled.

"It turns out that the king intends to use these people who have gained the ability to become ghosts to purge the internal opposition."

Ronan muttered to himself.

That's quite normal. Ultimately, those naturally gifted superhumans and those artificially created superhumans don't share the same, and can even be said to be opposed, stance on launching wars against other countries.

On one hand, they haven't gained the ability to become ghosts, so they aren't public enemies and have no reason to fight against them. On the other hand, the artificial superhumans have gained the power to become ghosts, giving them the ability to challenge them, and they wish these artificial superhumans would die.

"Isn't this king also a natural superhuman?" Lady Zhao asked Ronan.

Ronan looked at Madam Zhao and explained, "Other natural superhumans cannot be used by him in challenging the old order of the entire Western Continent. On the contrary, these artificial superhumans who have obtained ghost-like powers will stand on his side and will firmly support him at least until the rise of Austria."

"Sigh." Madam Zhao sighed.

She had always hated struggle, especially the so-called struggle for ideals, and now she hated it even more, because her son had harmed many people for the sake of his ideals and ultimately died.

"Let's go, the rest is just nonsense, there's no need to listen anymore." Ronan gestured for Madam Zhao to leave.

"Huh?" Madam Zhao asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry, the king won't name names in this setting. That would be a complete falling out, a violation of the rules, and would provoke a confrontation from the entire natural superhuman community, including those who are with him now. They would all resent it. Next, he will just have people spread rumors in secret, identify a small group of traitors, and then have these artificial superhumans destroy them. On the surface, he, the king, hasn't done anything wrong."

"Afterwards, he could even pick out the bad guys from among the artificial superhumans and kill them to appease the people." Ronan had long since read the king's mind.

Chapter 1242 Too Many Good People, Not Enough Bad People to Go; Finally, an Old Friend Arrives.

Subsequent developments unfolded exactly as Ronan had predicted.

First, rumors spread, and some high-ranking officials, wealthy people, well-known magicians, and even a few military figures were accused of being traitors. Moreover, these claims were all well-founded and presented in a seemingly plausible manner.

These high-ranking figures are people that ordinary people, and even many middle-class people, would never normally come into contact with. Let alone any dirt on them, they might not even know their names. With just a little thought, one would know that the rumors were deliberately fabricated by someone with ulterior motives. But at this moment, who has time to think? Just charge in.

These "traitors" were destroyed faster than Ronan had predicted.

Clearly, it was led by someone who was very knowledgeable about these people's situation and was also very professional.

If those artificial superhumans acted spontaneously, setting aside everything else, it would take at least a few days to form an organization. Even after forming an organization, there wouldn't be enough intelligence to accurately locate those people. Even if they knew their locations, without a professionally trained leader, they wouldn't be able to achieve this level of efficiency.

"It's been planned for a long time."

Ronan couldn't help but sigh.

But then the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

The reason is quite funny: there are too many "good people" and too few "bad people".

Vienna has tens of thousands of patriotic "good people," but these few bad ones are simply not enough.

The situation changed in an instant; the bad guys weren't just a few, but an organized group of traitors. Everyone connected to these "bad guys"—relatives, friends, partners, and subordinates—was also a bad guy.

Even so, the number of "bad guys" is still not enough.

There's no other way; we have to expand it further.

Who are the targets of this amplification? Of course, it's those hateful natural superhumans.

Moreover, in just one day, the campaign to purge traitors began to affect ordinary people.

"Even the expansion was manipulated."

Ronan's judgment.

The reason for this judgment is the same as before: it happened too fast. Even if someone deliberately guided it, and even if a ghost-like person is easily driven to madness, it shouldn't happen so quickly.

"Next, it's time to set things right."

Ronan's secret passage.

This is inevitable. The ruling group led by Antoine III and the masterminds behind the scenes could not possibly allow Vienna to lose its order, as that would not benefit them at all.

The rectification of the situation brought them great benefits.

On the one hand, timely rescue of some people and exoneration of others can draw those naturally gifted individuals who were originally trying to remain neutral to their side.

On the other hand, by eliminating the troublemakers among the current group of artificial superhumans and then pardoning the majority, authority can be established immediately among these groups, preparing for the subsequent control over them.

"The real must-see is finally here." Ronan stood at the hotel window, holding a glass of red wine, looking like he was watching a show.

Madam Zhao asked, "Why do you say that?"

“These superhumans with ghost-like abilities are now organized in groups. To eliminate their temporary leaders, a comprehensive crackdown must be carried out first. The king and his group of behind-the-scenes manipulators also have an army composed of artificial superhumans who have also obtained ghost-like abilities. This army is not superior in number, so how can they suppress the others?”

Madam Zhao was still somewhat puzzled. "The ghostly superhumans can deal with their own kind, and the army's teamwork capabilities far surpass theirs. Is it really impossible to suppress them?"

“It’s doable, but what about time? The king’s initial promise of ten days wasn’t without reason. If it exceeds ten days, chaos will truly ensue, and time is running out,” Ronan explained. “Moreover, suppressing such matters requires achieving a deterrent effect. I’m certain that the army possesses special weapons specifically designed to counter the ghosts. Only in this way can they swiftly suppress these troublemakers, forcing them to submit and refrain from further misbehavior.” “I see,” Madam Zhao finally understood.

Ultimately, these artificial superhumans causing trouble have become extremely arrogant, believing they are in charge. We must subdue them and make them realize they are far from being in control before order can be restored.

“Let’s go, it’s time to rescue them,” Ronan said. “The king and the mastermind’s plan is nearing its end. In any case, they will take action against Lavana and the others next. We’ll rescue them, and then try to steal some of those weapons to take back to Canaan for their research and deciphering.” Why had Ronan waited so many days? This was exactly what he was waiting for.

When the time comes, the army will definitely have to disperse into small teams to suppress the "patriotic traitors" entrenched in different areas, while Ronan and his gang will take the opportunity to rob some things and run away.

In the afternoon, the army began to move out.

Upon realizing this, Ronan immediately took action with Madam Zhao.

Ronan was too fast, and Madam Zhao also possessed the ability to stop time. The guards outside and inside the prison were practically invisible to them. Without the guards noticing, Ronan and Madam Zhao arrived at the cell where Lavana and the other two were located.

Unsurprisingly, there's an unavoidable gatekeeper here, a seventh-tier individual.

Therefore, the only option is to persuade them, starting with reason, and if reason fails, then resorting to physical methods.

Ronan and Mrs. Zhao appeared openly before the old man. He had a head of white hair, was meticulously styled, and stood tall like a young man. A red rose was embroidered on the breast pocket of his suit jacket. He held a cigar in one hand and a book in the other. A glass of brandy was placed on a high stool next to him. He was the epitome of a sophisticated and dapper gentleman.

He was also the former president of Imperial University. His presence here served two purposes: to prevent Lavana and the others from escaping directly, and to prevent Ryan and Lisa from causing trouble.

The old gentleman had calmly put down his book, extinguished his cigar, and didn't even get up, but when he looked up at Ronan, his expression suddenly changed. "You..." "Do we know each other?" Ronan asked, puzzled.

The old gentleman stood up and said in Chinese, "I know you. My name is Erwin von Schulz."

Ronan couldn't remember.

Madam Zhao suddenly remembered, "You are Xiao Ai?"

"Yes." A fleeting hint of emotion crossed the old man's face.

More than a hundred years ago, he was just a child. His father, a nobleman from the north, died in the war. He and his mother fled here to seek refuge with relatives. On the way, they encountered soldiers and bandits, and by chance, they met Ronan and his group who were traveling here at the time. After that, he stayed with Ronan and his group for a while, and Luo Chenghao taught him a lot.

"Oh, it's you." Ronan remembered too. Because he had been asleep for a hundred years, the events of a hundred years ago were not that long ago to him.

"Is the teacher alright?" Erwin asked.

Madam Zhao hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and answered, "Dead." "Sigh." Erwin sighed, "When you get old, you just get sleepy. I need to go to sleep for a while." After saying that, he walked to the side, opened and closed the door, as if he had never seen Ronan and the other person from beginning to end.

Ronan smiled, walked straight up, opened the door and entered Lavana and the others' cell. "Girls, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Chapter 1243 A Decisive Strike is Needed: An Unexpected Encounter, Turn-Based Equipment Ratio

Although the only decent guard was an old friend who recognized Ronan and left on his own, the situation wasn't exactly urgent. However, Ronan and his companions weren't so careless as to linger there, so they quickly left the prison.

The prison is located in eastern Vienna, which is divided in two by the Danube River. Ronan and his party plan to fly across the river where there is no bridge or ferry, and then head to the place that is under the control of the "rebels".

In just a few days, Vienna underwent a dramatic change. Many artificial superhumans who had gained the ability to become ghosts discovered that some of the mid-level natural superhumans who used to easily defeat them were no longer their match. In fact, as long as they organized and gathered together, some high-level superhumans could only flee in disarray when facing them.

Given all this, shouldn't they consider taking charge? Although the king is a good person, and although all of this was bestowed upon him, democracy is definitely a good thing for the country. At worst, they can't follow the example of their neighbor and let the king retain his throne. Wouldn't it be better for the king to peacefully become a symbol in the future?

Of course, people have different ideas.

At this moment, the artificial superhumans who had suddenly gained power and felt that apart from the top few superhumans in Vienna, no one else could do anything to them, had split into three major factions and a number of smaller factions.

The three major factions are the constitutionalists, the royalists, and the republicans.

The constitutionalists are more conservative; they simply ascended to power and made the king a symbol.