Chapter 498 Rubber Stamp
Tulsi held the steering wheel, leaned slightly, and walked intently through the darkening streets in the evening. His natural fox ears swayed gently, catching every whisper of the city, and his tail swayed faintly behind the seat, resonating in harmony with the rhythm of the Chrysler Crossfire Roadster. In the car, Xia Xiu was leaning on the passenger seat, with the silver cane in his hand lying across his knees. His golden eyes were quietly observing the changing scenery around him through the car window.
As the sports car rolls into Hell's Kitchen, this historic neighborhood wakes up at dusk and the neon lights begin to light up one by one.
In Manhattan at dusk, the sky is dyed a gentle golden purple by the sunset.
Tours drove the Chrysler Crossfire convertible and drove slowly on the road to Hell's Kitchen. On both sides of the street, the old masonry buildings were warm and ancient in the afterglow, and the windows reflected twinkling lights. Flashing points of light.
"Welcome to Hell's Kitchen, where normality has been replaced by abnormality, and the laws of the junction expand outward through the gaps in various spaces. These laws are mostly dilapidated and full of chaos. They make dead things come alive and living things become insane. ——Here, buildings, portraits, sculptures...these art objects are all endowed with terrifying active characteristics."
The fox-eared boy in the driver's seat began to introduce it to the fourth sword holder of the Kingdom of Heaven. The strategic area assigned to the Administration by the New Alliance.
On the streets, it is no longer just humans who come and go.
In this world full of magical realism, vampires wearing various fashions, giants of different heights, and scaly creatures with long tails together constitute the daily life of Hell's Kitchen. As they chat in cafes or haggle at roadside stalls, their languages are diverse and complex, but they all find resonance here.
The sky overhead is a continuous display of wonder.
Sometimes it's a transparent whale swimming slowly in the clouds, its huge silhouette projected on the street, or it's like a swarm of pterosaurs flying past from a fairy tale, drawing elegant trajectories in the sky.
At sunset, the sky becomes a flowing canvas, painted with the sun's afterglow and the silhouettes of flying creatures.
In a corner of Hell's Kitchen, there may be a door that leads directly to another dimension. If passers-by accidentally break in, they may get lost in the forest of another world. And in niches that may seem inconspicuous to ordinary people, there may be hidden entrances to secret underground markets, where magic potions, forbidden relics and containers for capturing starlight are sold.
“Every brick and stone and every wall in Hell’s Kitchen may be alive. Buildings are no longer static havens, but entities with their own consciousness. Tall buildings sometimes bend Twisting, like dancing under the command of silent music. Their windows are so permeable that you can sometimes see them blinking, like eyes observing the busy life on the street."
Xia Xiu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked at the streets of Hell's Kitchen. As Turs said, he could sense the unusual tide of EVE in Hell's Kitchen.
The so-called architectural activation is more like an abnormal phenomenon caused by the vibration of the reality structure. This phenomenon usually occurs during supernatural wars and is related to reality reconstruction events.
EVE tides can cause disruption and destruction to paranormal things that operate based on thaumaturgic theory. In some extreme cases, EVE tides can interfere with the affected things at a conceptual level, causing them to acquire supernormal properties.
This strong and short-lived EVE tide is called an EVE particle shock, and it is a major real-life threat.
Interestingly, Hell's Kitchen is stuck in a phase conflict between the New World City and the Junction.
Phase conflict is a collision between two reality structures, resulting in the EVE tidal phenomenon in a specific area. This specific area often has a huge benefit - its biggest benefit is that it can form something similar to the Three Waves Orchid-like paranormal enclave.
Xia Xiu observed for a while and came to a conclusion about the current situation of the administration.
“The current situation of the Administration is indeed not optimistic. One of the so-called New League Three Giants looks more like a rubber stamp.”
The so-called rubber stamp often refers to A person or institution that has great legal power but very little actual power. It is only used to carry out its duties. It has no main power but must be established to maintain the legitimacy of the process.
A rubber stamp will almost never veto, or may not veto certain proposals that are required to be approved
"Rubber stamp? A very appropriate political metaphor." Tours first faced this unfamiliar term He was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and nodded in agreement.
"Hell's Kitchen has really big problems now. I've seen quite a lot of them just now."
As the sports car slowly moved forward on the streets of Hell's Kitchen, Xia Xiu looked at it carefully. Every corner of this unique community.
His eyes are sharp and full of insight, and he seems to be able to see through the hustle and bustle on the surface to see the true situation hidden deep in the neighborhood.
He noticed the garbage piled up on the roadside, the pungent smell emitted by the wind, and the broken public facilities covered by graffiti, all of which hinted at the challenges of municipal management here.
Xia Xiu's nose twitched slightly. He could feel the smell of dust and chemicals mixed in the air. This excessive air pollution was not in line with such a vibrant community.
He could even see pedestrians scurrying along the sidewalks, exuding germ-laden pollution.
His spirituality continued to wander in the city, and he noticed that the accumulated water in the drainage ditch was producing a peculiar smell, and strange noises came from the sewer cover on the street corner from time to time, as if something was ready to move deep down.
Overhead, there are intricate wires hanging from telephone poles, some of which are exposed, posing terrible safety risks.
“The municipal problems here are too big and cannot be ignored. I just looked at the basic regulations of the New Alliance on the road and found that the Edici government assigned Hell’s Kitchen to the management authority. And the local administrative officials were abolished. This seems to be a sign of respect for our heaven, but in fact it is just superfluous nonsense.
Abolish all administrative systems and mix up such a multi-ethnic place. The autonomous region has given us complete freedom, which is an unabashed attempt to disgust us.”
Turs, who was driving the car, heard this and shrugged helplessly and replied:
“I also know that the large and stable administrative system is responsible for the key to the operation of the city and the quality of life of residents. These issues fall within the responsibilities of municipal or local governments, including infrastructure, public services, urban planning, environmental protection, traffic management, public safety and financial management.
Now the Authority is Hell's Kitchen. It’s a city government in name only, and you’ve seen the scene just now: the aliens on the streets who don’t care about the appearance of the city, the abnormal creatures roaming freely in the sky, and the alien doors that can be seen everywhere.
We are all aware of these problems, but they are difficult to manage. These complicated problems have become a huge mess - if we continue to cut things off, we will still be dealing with them.” ”
Xia Xiu tapped his cane with his index finger and said in a deep voice:
"The organizational reform of the Administration, the New Alliance's power retaking and the subsequent policy of expanding political influence - these must all be put later.
< br>Now that I have officially taken office as the head of the administration headquarters stationed in the Edici Federation, I must take care of all the issues within my jurisdiction, especially the municipal issues in Hell’s Kitchen.”
The Fourth Kingdom of Heaven. The man holding the sword clearly stated in one sentence the problems that the administration must deal with now, as well as the focus of his next work.
“The current top priority is to restructure Hell’s Kitchen’s administrative system. The new administrative system must have the Administration as its core.”
"How long do you expect the construction to take?" When Tours asked this question, his hands paused on the steering wheel, and the Chrysler Crossfire convertible also slowly stopped.
The scene ahead is like a scene torn from another world: a bridge can no longer bear its own weight. Collapsed concrete blocks and twisted steel bars are scattered haphazardly on the road, blocking the bridge. Just heavy traffic.
On the ruins of this accident, two medium-sized white dragons were fighting.
They each occupy a space five feet square, and their roars are full of wildness and fury, deafening.
What exhales from the dragon mouths of these mysterious creatures is not fire, but icy cold air, making the surrounding air seem to condense. There were obvious damages on their scales, as if they had just experienced a fierce battle, but this did not suppress their high-spirited instinct.
The residents of Hell's Kitchen seem to have become accustomed to such scenes. They keep a safe distance, take detours, or watch from a distance, with a hint of surprise but also calmness in their expressions.
Some daring aliens gathered not far away, making all kinds of noises and heckling the two white dragons with limited intelligence. They were looking for excitement in this sudden street show. .
Xia Xiu squinted his eyes slightly and stared at the giant white dragon in front of him that was biting a piece at both ends. At the same time, he answered Turs' question just now:
"The five that have been announced to the outside world" The annual plan is the core of all reserve decision-makers in the future. In addition to the work of the Authority, my schedule is also about the establishment of Ivy League colleges, so I hope to finalize the leadership of the Authority in Hell's Kitchen within three months, and Build a complete and supporting local administrative system."
"Three months... is a bit too late," Tours said.
The decisions made above are often related to the future fate of these workers.
Three months to solve and build Hell's Kitchen is indeed a bit too late in terms of time.
He would not be skeptical about Hugh Abraham's military power, but his management ability and administrative ability were all yet to be determined and unknown. "Time does not wait for us, we must race against time." Xia Xiu exhaled, "My work for a long time will be centered around the expansion of construction work. Although the competition to complete the golden ring is called the Ivy War. But This war is more of a war of creators than a war of violence.”
Although force occupies a part of the so-called Ivy War, construction and creation are the main ones. Ivy Key.
Creation is always harder than destruction. Whoever can fight can win the fruits of victory in the Ivy War.
“What we need to do now is to let everyone in the outside world understand that Hell’s Kitchen is a special administrative district affiliated with the Kingdom of Heaven - here, the Administration is the boss.”
A sudden wave of The chill broke the original calm in the car.
This feeling is different from ordinary cold. It carries an indescribable force of deterrence, as if it can directly touch the depths of the soul, making people shudder.
The fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven suddenly exudes this terrifying aura that cannot be ignored. His face was still as calm as water, but the air around him seemed to be condensed, and time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Sitting in the driver's seat, the fox-eared boy's hair suddenly stood up. His crisis sense was triggered again, and for a moment, he felt a bone-chilling chill.
He instinctively turned his body sideways and turned his eyes to Xia Xiu, wanting to observe him.
Just when he turned his head, his eyes caught a glimpse of a purple-gold figure behind the blond young man.
“Buzz——”
A low and strong voice suddenly sounded, as if it was a call from another dimension.
The sound of this sound signaled that everything in the surrounding world was about to undergo earth-shaking changes.
[Crown Blessing·Time Slot——]
『Time Slot·Time Distortion Pause——》
[Sisyphus] Appeared from nothingness, in an instant , the hustle and bustle of Hell's Kitchen is replaced by a surreal stillness.
The surrounding colors quickly faded and turned into monotonous gray and white. Only [Sisyphus] and Xia Xiu still retained their original bright colors.
Tours still kept turning his head to look at Xia Xiu, his expression frozen at that moment, as if time had been deliberately pressed on the pause button.
The blond young man stared at the white dragon standing still in front of him with indifferent and cold eyes.
Behind him, an "8" shaped Möbius strip suddenly appeared at the feet of [Sisyphus].
With the distortion of the Möbius strip, [Sisyphus] appeared in front of the two white dragons who were stopped at a speed that exceeded common sense.
It raised its fists high, and ripples of air formed around the fists. The ripples were the focus of power and a distortion of the surrounding space.
At the moment when time stopped, the two white dragons were fixed in place. Their figures appeared lifelike in the gray-white world, as if they were carefully carved sculptures.
At this moment, time seems to have lost its meaning to them. Their powerful bodies and unclosed mouths are frozen in this moment, quietly waiting for the coming storm.
[Sisyphus] is particularly active in this static world. He raises his fists high, turning into afterimages every time he swings, pouring unimaginable power onto the two white dragons.
Bang, bang, bang——
Every punch landed was accompanied by a power beyond common sense. Their scales appeared fragile under this power, as if they were easy to blow in autumn. Broken dead leaves.
The impact of this force caused cracks in the white dragon's solid shell, and the internal structure was constantly under unbearable pressure.
During this process, cracks appeared on their bodies. These cracks stood out in the gray world, like rifts in the deep sea, hinting at the impending collapse.
First their scales were dented and flesh and blood flew out, then their bones shattered and terrifying blood foam poured outwards.
The sound of "bang bang bang" echoed in the gray world. In less than three seconds, hundreds of huge bloody holes appeared on the white dragon's body, and an extra one appeared on their skulls. A chilling huge space, with blood beads suspended in the gray space.
Those blood beads suspended in the air seemed to be liberated souls, slowly floating in the gray space.
After crushing the two white dragons that were influencing the municipal government, the Möbius strip under [Sisyphus]'s feet flashed away, and he appeared behind Xia Xiu again.
Time begins to return to normal.
In the sports car, Tours kept turning his head just now. For some reason, his heart felt beating rapidly at that moment. When his eyes caught the flashing purple-gold incarnation, , he felt as if he was silent.
However, this silence did not last long. It was quickly broken by the sound coming from the front - it was a roar like the heavy rain falling, followed by the screams of passers-by. The screams were full of horror, fear and disbelief.
Dong dong dong dong——
"Ah——"
"Ugh, this... broken bone, damn, why did it get into my mouth, uh——"
"The clothes I just bought!!!"
Tulsi subconsciously cast his gaze forward. The two originally mighty white dragons were inexplicably covered with dense potholes at this moment, as if they were suddenly penetrated by invisible force.
They are like fountains at the moment, splashing out their "enthusiasm".
The blood rain poured down and splashed mercilessly around. It was a scene that transcended the laws of nature and was full of surreal and terrifying beauty.
A large cloud of blood mist filled the air, drifting in the wind, and the broken bone fragments were like seeds scattered into the fields, falling on the foreigners who were watching and making noise just now.
These alien races are all without exception at this moment. Some of them look frightened, as if they have been cast under a restraining spell; some are dumbfounded, looking at the sad scene in front of them at a loss; they are a little angry and crazy. He yelled at Bailong's body.
"Tulsi, I like order." The blond young man looked at the sad dragon corpse nonchalantly, "Hell's Kitchen is too chaotic."
He turned back to look at Tuls.
"Take me a detour to the headquarters of the Administration. I have seen all the scenery that I should see. The scenery here is really unflattering. The quality of the surrounding air reminds me of the first person who died in my hands." [Master] - The air quality here is the same as the initial impression he gave me, seriously affecting the health of others."
"I understand." Turs looked at the two white lines of death. Long, then drove away from here according to the instructions of the blond young man.
Xia Xiu, on the other hand, gave [Adam] a new instruction in his mind.
"Adam, ask Intelligence Officer Pansy Jane to prepare a debriefing report. After I arrive at the headquarters, I need to know the basic context of all relevant forces in Hell's Kitchen."
[Instruction has been issued Issue it! ]
(End of this chapter)