Chapter 1005: Chapter 1005

Shannina walked straight out the door and hurried into the corridor, turning into a large office. She pulled a folded yellow plastic box from under a small desk and began to pack her things.

"Yo, isn’t this our big-shot journalist Shannina?"

A woman with curly waves came over, holding a cup of black coffee, and looked at Shannina with a grin, "What happened? Got chewed out by the chief editor? Why are you packing up?"

She swirled the coffee in her hand and continued with a laugh, "You see, what’s the use of being capable? No matter how good your performance or high your evaluations, in the end, you’re just setting up the show for me to take over—and I get much more bonus than you."

Hearing her words, Shannina’s movements briefly paused, but she said nothing and continued to pack.

"You used to always outperform me in the assessments, didn’t you? But the final result is that I’m about to become the head of the news center," the woman bent down, glanced at the box of Shannina, barely concealing her smile, "while you, are here packing up."

Shannina let out a slight sigh, put the last item in the box, looked at the black coffee in the woman’s hand, and then at the woman, "You know? No matter how big a piece one digs out of a dung pit, it’s still shit."

Stunned by Shannina’s words, the woman paused, then realized what was said, and looked at Shannina’s retreating back as she picked up the box and left, "Who are you calling a shit-eater?"

But by then, Shannina had already gone into the elevator.

Listening to the hysterical screams outside the elevator, Shannina watched the doors slowly close and took a long breath.

She looked down at the box in her hands.

She spent most of her time out in the field, so she didn’t have much at the company.

Then she looked up, seeing her reflection in the shiny, silver elevator doors.

Exhaustion and a bit of relief seemed to linger on her capable and energetic cheeks.

Next month’s mortgage payment was going to be a problem.

No matter, better put it up for sale. It’s too big for one person to live in anyway, and having crossed Yilan Morning News, it was time to leave the city.

Caught in her thoughts, the elevator reached the ground floor.

And as the doors opened, Shannina was slightly taken aback.

A group of people in police uniforms stood in the lobby, while the security personnel that normally guarded the lobby were squatting with their heads in their hands.

And at the moment, several police officers were waiting for the elevator.

"Hello, I’m from the City Police Station,"

Seeing Shannina in the elevator, the leading young officer raised his hand, showing his badge, then quickly asked, "Are you an employee of Yilan Morning News?"

"I was just a moment ago,"

Shannina was a bit confused but quickly caught on and answered softly, "I’ve just resigned."

The young officer showed an electronic arrest warrant, "This is an arrest warrant. We suspect Yilan Morning News of colluding with the Consortium to subvert the City Government and plotting rebellion. Do you know where the president’s office is?"

"It’s this elevator up, top floor,"

Shannina stepped out of the elevator and pointed, "Out of the elevator there’s a corridor, straight down to the most luxurious office at the end; he’s still inside right now."

The young officer seemed surprised at how well Shannina knew this, but he waved his hand, leading the other officers into the elevator. "Move fast, we need him alive."

Shannina looked back at the officers entering the elevator, shrugged her shoulders, and a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Just then, her wristband vibrated—a new email.

The sender was asking for her phone number, signed Ini.

She hesitated for a moment before sending her phone number.

Then shortly after, a phone call came through.

"Is that you, Shannina?"

After the call connected, a somewhat nervous voice immediately came through.

And alongside this voice were some announcements like "Don’t snatch," "There’s enough for everyone," "Food is supplied in unlimited quantities, you can get it anytime," and "Please queue in an orderly manner."

"Mmm, Ini, what’s the matter?"

Shannina was likewise puzzled by the call from Ini.

"It’s , we have a situation here..."

The voice on the other end of the line paused, "It might conflict with your work at the Yilan Morning News."

"It’s fine, you tell me, I’ve already resigned."

Shannina casually responded.

Ini on the other end was clearly startled, and then, her tone went up slightly, "Well, we have a job over here, Senior, would you be interested?"

"So what do you mean by this, Lin En? Do you want to forcibly control other cities to restore trade routes? Are you planning to split the Federation?"

The woman with ponytailed curly hair, dressed in a black figure-hugging skirt suit, bowed her head as she looked at the projection of the blonde before her, "Are you threatening the President?"

"We have no desire to threaten Mister President,"

The blonde woman’s gaze penetrated the projection, looking at the woman in the small suit before her, "It’s the starving people of Yilan expressing their opinions. If the Federation cannot let our people live, then we must find our own ways to survive."

"That’s not good, Daisy,"

The woman in the small suit leaned back into her chair, took a deep breath and looked at the projection before her, "You have to understand our difficulties, the Federation’s established procedures must be followed, we can’t change them just for you."

"We certainly understand you, and so does Mr. Lin En, as well as everyone at the Yilan City Government,"

The blonde woman spoke slowly, "But the people of Yilan will fight for their chance to survive on their own. The Yilan people joined the Federation and pay significant taxes each year to live more safely, not to be starved to death."

"You should know the price of resisting the Federation,"

The woman in the small suit took another deep breath, "Once you break the rules, the Federal Army will also mobilize."

"Mr. Lin En just delivered a speech in the parliament, making our stance clear,"

The blonde woman said softly through the projection,

"’The people of Yilan have taken up arms, and they will fight until the moment of victory,’ The Federal Central Army is certainly powerful, but the Yiwis Space System’s Mercenary Corps is not weak either. If we have proven ourselves once, then we can do so again."

"You’re all mad! You’ve all gone mad!"

The woman in the small suit pushed her hands down on the desk and angrily said, "Doesn’t the Federation have enough people die each year from starvation, freezing, or illness? What’s wrong if a few more die?"

"What if it were your own family who were starving?"

The blonde woman asked calmly.

The woman in the small suit slammed her hand on the table and said definitively.

"If they never starve, then one day they will be killed by those who are on the verge of starvation."

The blonde woman said calmly once more.

"You’re all insane! You, Lin En, everyone in Yilan City, have gone mad! You must be contaminated by the Evil God!"

The woman in the small suit leaned forward, staring intently at the blonde opposite her, suppressing the anger in her voice.

"You can think whatever you like, but by tomorrow at the latest, we need an answer. Yilan has an old proverb, ’Justice is never absent.’ If no one will administer justice for us, then we will do it ourselves,"

The blonde woman said serenely, "We all know that the same procedures can be completed in one day or dragged out for a month."

Immediately, the telecommunication was disconnected.

"Madmen! A bunch of madmen!"

The lady in the small business suit angrily grabbed the projection equipment on the desk and smashed it on the floor.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of it falling to pieces, she took several deep breaths to calm her emotions and then picked up a golden old-fashioned telephone from the corner of the desk,

"Connect me to His Excellency the President, it’s urgent."

Yilan City · White Jasmine Palace

The slowly falling sunlight filtered through the ancient colored glass windows, spreading across the quiet reception room.

"When Ini comes over later, have her sit on the left side,"

Shannina said to the two young girls in front of her, "I will handle the lighting and directing, and Liz, you prepare the teleprompter."

Ini rubbed her fingers together, nodding gently.

"How... how does this teleprompter work?"

Liz asked cautiously, holding the black box in her hands.

"It’s directly connected to the smart contacts that Ini was just wearing; it will project the text into her field of view. You just need to control this device and send the corresponding prompts to Ini,"

Shannina explained softly, "But don’t be too far away; just sit next to the camera."

Liz nodded, still a bit confused.

Then she looked at the box in her hands, unconsciously fiddling with it.

Shannina watched the two nervous young girls, smiled slightly, and said, "It’s alright, don’t worry. It’s normal to be nervous. If you really don’t know how to proceed, just ask the questions, and that’s it. Mr. Lin En has a strong presence, and besides, with him looking after you, he shouldn’t let you face a lull in the conversation."

Ini nodded, somewhat understanding, then she looked up hesitantly and asked cautiously, "Or should you do it, senior...?"

"Don’t lose your nerve now,"

Shannina said with a smile, "The interview was promised to you by Mr. Lin En, not me. Besides, there’s always a first time for everything; you need to be brave and face it,"

She gave Ini a thumbs-up, "Take your first step as a news host! You can do it!"

Ini nodded emphatically, lifted her fist, and waved it, "I can do it!"

Then she looked down again and went back to studying her script, while Liz turned around to tinker with the teleprompter and began to practice with Ini.

Watching the two girls who were still a bit tense, Shannina lightly touched her hair.

These two young leaders still seemed a bit green and needed her to worry about a lot of things.

But, it was unexpectedly much more relaxing than working at the Yilan Morning News.

A slight smile appeared on Shannina’s lips, and then she took a deep breath and lifted her arm to check the time on her bracelet.

"Everyone, get your spirits up,"

she said to the surrounding staff, "Mr. Lin En will be here any minute!"

The prepared lights were turned on one by one, and the cameras placed around the room were quickly adjusted and focused.

Spotting her ’colleagues’ in action, Shannina breathed a slight sigh of relief; these people were pulled together temporarily, relying on her previous connections. If everything went without a hitch, some would be willing to stay in this brand-new small news outlet.

Slowly, the team was coming together.

Rubbing her hands slightly and staring at the closed door, a faint sense of tension began to spread in the heart of the short-haired reporter; she seemed to have not felt this way in a long while.

"The Yilan City Employee Protection Bill, voting has concluded,"

The elderly Speaker glanced at the screen on the podium in front of him, placed the bill in his hand onto a stack of towering papers to the side, then picked up the remaining document before him,

"The next item on the agenda, the last bill for today, ’Yilan Anti-Conglomerate Monopoly Bill,’ the main content of this bill comprises two aspects,

"One is to increase support for small and local businesses, to enforce a compulsory local production quota for goods in key domains, breaking the consortium’s monopoly in most industries.

"Two is for the City Government to establish companies under its jurisdiction, to operate the industries owned by the City Government, and to make appropriate investments within the civil domain, curbing the Consortium Alliance’s monopolistic practices and ensuring people’s livelihoods.

"The detailed content of the bill has already been sent to your terminals, and we will now begin the discussion."

The council members below bowed their heads, opened the document on the electronic Paper Book in front of them, and started reading.

"By investing in and establishing enterprises to enter the domain of civil affairs,"

An assembly member sitting next to Big Beard slowly began to speak, "Extending the City Government’s reach into the realm of the people’s livelihood, does Mr. Lin En think he’s not meddling enough? Does he want to become the King of Yilan City?"

"If the City Government doesn’t take the lead in Yilan City, then who shall?"

Another assembly member from the opposite side immediately retorted, "Leave it to Yiwis Space System, Kopace Mining, and Mosanto Grain Industry? Aren’t they already the ’Kings’ of Yilan City? They can blockade trade routes at the drop of a hat, shut down food production, and watch as the Yilan people starve, all the while profiteering.

"No matter how strong the City Government is, it’s still the Government of Yilan people, but is the Consortium the Yilan people’s Consortium? Do they care about the lives of the Yilan people?

"We can regulate the City Government, but can we regulate the Consortium? Or perhaps, you feel more comfortable being the dog of a Consortium than being your own master?"

The previous speaker stood up in a swoosh.

"Who the hell is afraid of you?"

The rebutting assembly member also stood up, rolling up his sleeves.

The Elderly Speaker up at the podium pounded the table, "Regulation six of the meeting, rational discourse, no brawling is allowed."

Big Beard glanced at the assembly member by his side then looked at those seated around him, "Let’s discuss this."

Sound waves of fluctuating discussions filled the Council Hall.

He Ao slowly pushed open the door to the parlor and then paused slightly.

He scanned the room, filled with dense rows of professional equipment, and then his gaze landed on the somewhat nervous Ini seated on the couch.

This indeed exceeded his expectations, as he had thought Ini might just come with a camera.

The team in front of him was definitely professional, one you couldn’t get just by having money. It required contacts in the industry and a professional to supervise.

He Ao’s eyes swept over everyone present; quickly, he spotted the short-haired reporter in front of the camera.

At that moment, the short-haired reporter also realized that He Ao was watching her.

She paused for a moment then nervously raised her hand to carefully greet He Ao.

In response, He Ao offered her a gentle nod and a smile, placing his hand at his waist, subtly giving her a thumbs-up.

Upon seeing the Elderly man’s gesture, the previously tense Shannina paused again.

Her gaze fixed on He Ao, with the tension in her muscles gradually easing.

Feeling Shannina relax, He Ao shifted his attention, looked toward Ini who was under the lights, and walked straight over.