Extraordinary pedigree

Gun of the Morning II

Kurd's round face was immediately filled with a smile, and his cheeks became even more shiny due to the excessive smile. He rubbed his hands, looking extremely attentive, and said in an eager voice:

"Sir Abraham, it is a great honor for me to have you here! Don't worry, I, Kurd, will personally supervise all the matters you mentioned, no matter how big or small, and will never let you worry about it! The government affairs of the New Alliance, especially those related to Honkai Impact The coordination work of the Administration has always been the focus of my Cultural Committee. I have always emphasized that the seamless connection between culture and government affairs can better promote the development of all parties.”

Kurd then continued:

“Our Cultural Committee has also been committed to maintaining cultural exchanges among all ethnic groups and coordinating various conflicts of interest. Especially when it comes to border area affairs, of course we fully support the work of the Administration!

You see, the strength of law enforcement by the Authority in the New World is obvious to all. Our Cultural Committee has always cooperated. Not only did it not obstruct, but we vigorously publicized the great achievements of the Authority through various channels. Look, which media has not taken advantage of Honkai Management? The game is held in high esteem? "

He kept talking, with the usual glibness of bureaucrats, and every word he said showed his extreme "loyalty" and "efficiency."

"Of course, the horse racing business you mentioned is also a manifestation of our Cultural Committee's efforts to balance the interests of all parties. When it comes to the implementation of policies of the New Alliance and the Kingdom of Heaven, we have always followed the will of the Kingdom of Heaven, and headed by the Administration Bureau, we will never No other ideas.”

The fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven tilted his head slightly, listening to Kurd's tirade, a warm and bright smile flashed in his eyes.

His golden eyes had a different kind of luster, and his gaze seemed to penetrate Kurd's hypocritical smile.

When Kurd finally stopped talking incessantly, Xia Xiu spoke slowly, with a hint of teasing in his calm voice:

"Really? I didn't expect your Cultural Committee to be so supportive of the work of the Administration. Unfortunately, that's not what I heard."

The smile on Kurd's face froze.

"I heard that the Cultural Committee interfered too much in the logistics review of the border area. Not only did it line their own pockets, they also raised an extraordinary army privately and made profits secretly."

"Not to mention, you have been making the horse racing industry more difficult to work with."

There was a moment of embarrassment on the face of the fat director Kurd. The corners of his mouth twitched, and the panic in his eyes almost overflowed, but he soon returned to his smile, and his face was still full of flattery. Xia Xiu said:

"Ahaha, Your Excellency, which bastard are you talking about who dares to gossip in front of you?! These rumors are simply shameless! Scum with ulterior motives, I promise you that I will never tolerate such nonsense!

The Honkai Authority is the cornerstone of the New Alliance, how can we, the Cultural Committee, obstruct it? It's all those villains who spread random rumors and malicious slander! "

He was smiling all over his face and tried his best to avoid any responsibility in his words.

After Xia Xiu finished listening, he had a noncommittal look on his face and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. Then, he spoke slowly:

"Director Kurd, there is no need to say more about the situation."

The blond young man narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the director in front of him:

"I didn't come here today to listen to your clichés."

“The reason why I am here is because of the racing matters at the New Era Racecourse, which are subject to arbitration by senior representatives of the Dusi government, the president of the Second Federal Reserve Bank, and the Prime Minister and Mediation Court of the New Alliance Economic Adjustment Council. Commissioned by John K. Hanks."

As he spoke, Xia Xiu still had his warm and bright smile on his face, as if he was chatting casually, but with every word coming out of his mouth, the atmosphere in the whole room condensed, and the surrounding air It began to become sticky and oppressive, and that invisible pressure was like a mountain, shrouding the director's body.

Kurd faced this terrifying aura, cold sweat slid down his fat cheeks, and he subconsciously touched the [Financial Beast] card in his pocket.

As a senior official of the Federation and a member of a financial institution, he carries five [Financial Beast] cards among the fifty-four Federation cards.

Although his proficiency in controlling these evil beast cards is very poor, these five cards are enough to make him confident in front of ordinary people.

However, facing the fourth sword holder in heaven, these cards are simply a joke.

But he just knew that he still subconsciously held the card in his pocket tightly, his fingertips turned white, and his palms were already wet with cold sweat.

Xia Xiu glanced at his movements and didn't pay too much attention. His eyes were still focused. He stretched out his right hand and raised three fingers:

"I came here just to do three things - fairness, equity, and..."

"fair!"

The golden eyes of the fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven pierced Kurd's eyes like sharp knives at this moment. His smile was still bright, but the threat and coldness hidden in it shocked Kurd's whole body.

"I've seen government documents from the Social and Cultural Council, so I know what you, or the group behind you, are doing - whether it's cultural isolation policies or internal exploitation."

Kurd felt a chill spreading down his spine, his fingers were trembling slightly, his fat body tightened involuntarily, and the smile on his face seemed stiff.

He wanted to open his mouth to defend, but found that his throat was dry and he couldn't say a word at all.

And Xia Xiu's words were still echoing in his ears:

"I didn't care before, but now, all your department's policies are immediately stopped by me - especially the reporting department under your department. Stop demonizing reports and stop adding explosives to the powder keg.

At the same time, we need to unravel the so-called cultural isolation zone for people with strange hoofs, untie the review mechanism for cultural festivals and customary activities of infected people, and untie the licensing review system for cultural activities of infected people.

If you can't do it, then I'll let you experience the Authority's own 'fairness'. "

Director Kurd felt an unprecedented humiliation and anger. This humiliation slowly fermented in his heart, burning his remaining pride like a corrosive.

His fat face was full of smiles, but his heart was like a beast on the verge of breaking out.

The humiliation mixed with hatred made him almost breathless, but under the golden eyes of the fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven, he did not dare to show anything strange.

He could only force out a smile, suppress the shame in his heart, and agree in a low voice:

"Definitely, definitely, everything will be done according to your instructions, without any delay."

Xia Xiu stood up, stretched out his hand to raise the wine glass, and took a sip of Silver Moon Wine, seemingly not noticing the inner turmoil of the director of the Social and Cultural Committee in front of him.

This wine is good, I may buy a few bottles in the future. He praised a few words in his heart.

Afterwards, Xia Xiu picked up his top hat and silver cane, lowered his eyes slightly, and said with a calm smile:

"I hope that the unblocking announcement will be issued within today. Regarding the lifting of the domestic blockade, the green light is all the way. I don't want to hear any excuses - you are more slippery than anyone else in the blockade and unblocking."

After that, he told the director that he was busy with work and wanted to leave first.

Immediately, the director could only see the back of the fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven who turned around and walked out of the room without hesitation.

*

*

When Xia Xiu's figure completely disappeared outside the door, only the director's gloomy face and the secretary's anxious figure were left in the room.

The entire space seemed to be enveloped by low air pressure, and the suffocating silence was disturbing.

Sudden.

Bang--

A loud noise broke the dead silence. The director slammed the precious bottle of Silver Moon wine to the ground with a slap. The bottle shattered instantly, the wine splashed everywhere, and the glass fragments flew across the secretary's thigh, leaving several streaks. Bright red mouth. Although the pain spread throughout his body, the secretary only dared to stand trembling, not daring to say a word.

The fat director showed a flash of anger on his face, gritted his teeth and ordered in a low voice:

"You just heard it. Do what he said and implement it immediately. Send a warning to those departments and ask them to be honest. Tell them that the 'wild dogs' have targeted them. If they dare to act recklessly again, they will be in danger. Looking for a dead end."

He sneered and continued to add: "Don't those guys always think that the Administration is a wild dog on the outside? Let them know now that this dog is no joke."

The secretary nodded immediately and responded with a hint of trembling: "Yes, Director." Then he quickly left the room.

After the secretary left, the director walked to the quaint telephone with a tired look on his face, stretched out his hand and dialed a few numbers, and the call was quickly connected.

"exist."

A hoarse response came from the other side, and he spoke coldly:

"About Mikhail and those infected people, let's stop for now - the biggest 'wild dog' has already set its sights on us. Ask your men to be honest... No, wait, The matter about Mikhail cannot be completely stopped.”

A hint of coldness flashed in the director's eyes and he continued:

"Although that monster has a big appetite, cutting off half or even three-quarters of our hard work over the years should be able to feed him temporarily. Looking at his behavior, you should understand that he and the Federation's Atla Like the giants, they are both political animals through and through. "

"Don't be too anxious, let's look at the situation first. Shut down the Blood Network first, and don't let wild dogs pick up the scent, not even the slightest bit. If you can't cover it up, scrap it for me. You should also pay attention to the people in the Blood Branch. If a guy like Mikhail can create a violent society on the scale of Liberation Hooves, they are definitely behind it.”

"Well..., let's leave it like this for now."

After giving all the instructions, Kurd hung up the phone and slumped back in his chair, exhaustion flooding his body like a tide.

His eyes were dim and dull, and all his strength was drained away at this moment.

He unconsciously reached out and touched an old photo on the table.

It was a photo of him and a little girl - in the photo, he was wearing casual clothes, with a long-lost smile on his face, holding the girl high with his hands, and the girl's face was also filled with an innocent and bright smile.

His fingertips lightly traced the slightly yellowed edge of the photo. The touch was cold, taking away the last trace of warmth from him.

Kurd looked at the bright smile in the photo, but he felt an uncontrollable heaviness in his heart, and some kind of depressive cloud enveloped his heart.

That carefree smile formed a sharp contrast with his current state of mind, making him feel an indescribable loss.

Thinking of the undoubted golden eyes of the fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven and the lingering intimidation just now, Kurd felt that he was in a net that could collapse at any time and could not escape.

Taking another look at the innocent smile of the girl in the photo, Kurd suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest - the emotion that had long been wiped out by politics seemed to well up from the deepest part of his heart.

But then, he quickly closed his eyes, suppressed the surging emotions, and took a deep breath.

"This is just a temporary difficulty, Kurd, isn't it always like this along the way?"

*

*

04:15 PM. Weather/overcast.

New York City, Manhattan's North Side.

The weather was gloomy, with drizzle falling, and the gray clouds seemed to merge with the oppressive atmosphere hanging on the ground.

The northern section of Manhattan in New York City was once an old industrial area, but after large-scale urban transformation, it has now become a high-tech entertainment and sports center in New York City.

Under the rain, the splendor and desolation of the city presented a sharp contrast.

In the urban green space, a modern stadium with avant-garde shape and smooth lines has risen.

The New York High-Tech Park next to the stadium has become a landmark building in the city with its futuristic design.

Bright neon lights and floating holographic projections add endless vitality and a sense of technology to this area, and rainwater slides down the surface of the giant building.

However, behind this luxurious arena, there is another forgotten world.

Different from the prosperity of the green space, that area is tightly surrounded by high walls and has become a dark and isolated area in the city.

The buildings in the quarantine area are in extreme contrast with the ornate architecture of the stadium and high-tech park.

Residential buildings in disrepair, temporary shacks, and abandoned factory buildings are scattered here and there.

Each building looked bleak, with cracks and peeling paint on the brick walls, and broken windows that revealed the gloom inside.

These buildings do not have modern facilities, the power supply and water supply systems are often interrupted, and the corridors are filled with stagnant water and a musty smell.

In the small room, the infected people were barely crowded together, and the living area of ​​each family was extremely limited.

The house is simple, cold in winter and hot in summer. Rainwater drips through the damaged roof, forming cold water stains on the ground. Plastic sheets can even be seen swinging in the wind on the ground, acting as substitutes for broken windows.

And right between the quarantine area and the luxurious arena, a huge steampunk-style zeppelin slowly sailed through the sky.

The outer shell of the airship is covered with complex copper pipes and gear structures, enveloping it with a mechanical and classical aesthetic.

These steampunk airships are equipped with a device that is contradictory to their style - large virtual projectors.

They cast huge virtual projections in the sky that staggered across the shadowy void between the isolation area and the playing field.

Several huge fonts flashed on the projection:

[Break through the limits and witness the unyielding will——]

Then, the scene switched to the competition field, where the contestants were fighting hard on the difficult track.

Every obstacle crossed and every cry made is presented as an epic heroic feat through thaumaturgic special effects. Accompanied by the shocking background music, the picture sparkles with brilliance, creating endless magnificence and heroism.

The glorious scene in the stadium was spread to every corner of the quarantine area through virtual projection. However, these quarantined people could only look up at the untouchable picture through the dilapidated windows.

The rain slid down their hair and cheeks, reflecting the glory in the virtual world. The infected people's lives were still difficult, as if it had nothing to do with them.

This is not the hub, this is the real world - the status gap experienced by infected people between the hub and the real world is worse than anyone imagined.

Within the Level I quarantine area.

A soft drizzle fell from the gray sky, gently hitting the plastic roof of the old awning, making a subtle rustling sound.

The rainwater dripped along the eaves of the shed and gathered into small streams, flowing slowly along the ground.

Lina huddled in the corner of the awning, holding a delicate card tightly in her hand.

Printed on the card is a horse and a girl with horse ears with a bright smile, from which a few lines of words can be vaguely seen - [Silver Moon Hoof·Alicia].

This is one of the racehorse girls that Lena admires the most.

She raised her head and looked through the gap in the awning at the Zeppelin floating slowly not far away.

The blimp's giant projection cloth shimmered in the gray sky, projecting the ongoing horse girl competition.

Lina's eyes were fixed on the projection screen, and several children around her were also watching intently, with a trace of desire and envy shining in everyone's eyes.

They are all infected with strange hoof disease like Lena, a group of children who are excluded from the world.

On the projection screen, racehorse girls are running hard, speeding along the complicated track.

The kids watched the game with bated breath.

Lina was the same. She squeezed the card in her hand with a little force. The thin piece of paper carried all her hopes and fantasies.

If you ask her why she likes to watch games?

She had imagined more than once that she could be like Silver Moon Hooves, running on the track, facing the wind and sunshine, and becoming the focus of the audience.

But reality doesn't shine as brightly as the racehorse chicks on the silver screen.

Lina looked down at her horse ears, and gently touched her fingers on the pair of ears that were always laughed at in school and always asked to be hidden in the market.

She remembered her mother's advice - "Be low-key, people outside don't understand us." - Her mother always asked her to wear a wide hat to cover her ears, but Lena didn't like that hat because she She thinks her ears are cute and they make her feel special.

"Why can't we be like them?"

Lina asked herself more than once. She looked at the horse racing girls on the screen, those girls who were loved and cheered by the whole world, their ears were the same as hers, and they even had tails.

But why could they become heroes, while she could only hide under this shabby awning to watch the game?

Not long ago, Lina naively thought that children like her who were infected with odd-toed feet were just different, and the difference like Silver Moon Lightning could be admired.

However, as she grew older, she gradually realized that the outside world did not accept their "differences".

Every time she walked into the classroom, she could feel the curiosity and alienated eyes of her classmates, as well as those whispered snickers and indifferent rejections.

She never played with other children. They were unwilling to sit with her, and even deliberately stayed away from her during breaks.

She tried to join their games, but was always softly rejected:

"You can't play with us, your ears are too strange."

These words confused her, but she didn't fully understand why.

Sometimes, Lina would think of the Persian Hoof Festival her mother told her about. It was a festival for the "infected people".

It was a festival for the infected people of the horse race. Everyone wore bright clothes, celebrated each other, and even sang and danced in the streets.

However, the Persian Hoof Festival has been banned for several years.

She had been looking forward to this year's Persian Hoof Festival, but when she asked her mother when she could celebrate again, her mother's answer disappointed her: "Not this year, they don't let us do it."

Her mother told her that the outside world didn't like their festival and thought it was too "weird".

Lina didn't understand why "they" didn't let everyone celebrate their festival together.

She felt that the Persian Hoof Festival was very happy, so why didn't others like it?

Lina once asked her mother why, they were just a little different from others, but her mother's answer was always the same: "People outside don't understand us."

"Why don't they understand?" Lina asked herself softly, looking at the flickering projection on the Zeppelin airship with a confused look.

She had too many doubts and puzzles in her heart. The world seemed to her like a closed door, with a faint light coming through the crack, but she could never push it open.

She liked her ears and thought they were cute. She even often imitated the pony running in front of the mirror.

But whenever she ran freely at home, her mother's expression became serious: "You can run at home, but not outside. Remember?"

As time went by, Lina began to gradually realize that the outside world did not welcome people like her.

She had asked her mother countless times at home: "Why are we different from others? Can I go to the park and make friends with other children like them?"

Every time, her mother would tell her gently:

"Because we are special, you have to learn to protect yourself and don't let others hurt you."

However, this gentle protection confused Lina. She didn't understand why she was hurt, why the world became so different just because she had horse ears.

She looked out the window, eager to play with other children, but afraid of being rejected again.

She had too many questions about the world, but not enough answers.

For example, she liked horse racing girls.

Because of them, those classmates who used to not communicate with her began to surround her, asking her questions and becoming willing to make friends with her.

But her father hated her very much, even disgusted her.

He did not allow her to watch the game, and sternly told her that she must not become a person like them when she grows up, and did not allow herself to collect those Uma Musume cards...

Lina remembered that the only time her father scolded her was because she collected a lot of horse racing cards.

Those cards... were all burned by her father.

She cried bitterly because of this, and even scolded her father: "You are the most annoying and incompetent father in the world!!!"

She still remembers the look in her father's eyes at that time.

Numbness, helplessness, pain, and... unspeakable heartache and sorrow.