Chapter 698 Horse Racing·Gun of Morning Light I
13:20PM.
New York, Social and Cultural Committee.
The cold wind is biting, gray clouds are pressing over the city, and the cold breath of February shrouds the whole city in chill.
The headquarters building of the Social and Cultural Council stands at the intersection of West 42nd Street and 10th Avenue. This building, which blends modern and classical architectural styles, is like the central pearl of the theater district. The building's facade is made of glass and metal, shining with a low-key and luxurious luster.
The surrounding theaters and cultural institutions seemed a little deserted in the cold winter wind, but the building was still busy, welcoming visitors and officials from all walks of life.
On the top floor of this building, in a classically decorated director's office, Adelaide Kurd, director of the Social and Cultural Committee, was enjoying a luxurious lunch.
His fat body almost occupied the exquisite mahogany chair, with a greasy smile of a typical bureaucrat on his face.
He stretched out his handkerchief and gracefully wiped the corners of his mouth stained by the sumptuous lunch, his fingers as thick as sausages.
This elegant move appeared on him and looked extremely funny.
The tableware on the fat director's table was meticulously arranged, and the plate presented was a delicate foie gras with truffle sauce, dotted with tender seared scallops and fresh white truffles; Drinking a glass of excellent vintage Bordeaux red wine, the glass is crystal clear, the wine is slowly swaying in the glass, exuding a mellow fruit aroma; the dessert is a Michelin-level chocolate lava cake, sprinkled with gold foil on the surface, burnt on the outside and soft on the inside. Slightly steaming, waiting for the final taste.
While the obese Kurd was immersed in this luxurious lunch, an ancient telephone in the corner of the office suddenly rang.
The retro shape of the telephone blends seamlessly with the classical decoration of this office, but it conveys an ominous feeling in this luxurious space.
The fat director frowned slightly. A series of specific numbers flashed on the steampunk-style special channel prompt list. He recalled in his mind the people behind this series of numbers.
Bieber from Wandman Newspaper...
This reporter from the Emperor Penguin faction who came from Antarctica is one of his favorite pen holders.
The call came at this time. I really didn’t have the foresight. Doesn’t he know that I don’t like to be interrupted while dining?
Although unpleasant thoughts flashed through his heart, he still chose to answer.
With a click, the fat-headed director's greasy fingers slowly pressed the answer button.
He leaned back on the chair, his fat body sinking deeply into the leather chair cushion, with a hint of impatience in his eyes.
"Bibley, it's not time to pay wages yet."
A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, with a mocking and faint threat in his tone, "As a political reporter of the wand man, don't always follow me when you have nothing to do. While I was on the phone, people from Guoan and Xinmeng were watching..."
Before he finished speaking, there was a rude interruption from the other end of the phone.
Kurd's words were stuck in his throat, and before he could react, the other party had already begun to type:
"Director, don't mention your trivial matter to me! The riot in the square has gotten out of control. The most important thing is that the man from Hell’s Kitchen has appeared! Do you know what that means?”
Then, the other end of the phone directly told the Fat Director all the information about the riots in the square, including the violent suppression of the mind suckers by the special agent Mole of the Administration, and the appearance of the adult from Hell's Kitchen at the scene of the suppression.
Finally, the other end of the phone continued to add coldly:
"In addition, all my people have applied for special leave this week. Please don't contact me again in the future!"< br>
Kurd wanted to say something else, but the other party had no patience and hung up the phone directly. A rapid busy tone came from the phone.
Didi didi~~
His fat face suddenly became extremely ugly, and the hand holding the phone trembled slightly.
He was stunned for a moment, and then slammed the microphone in his hand back to its original position. The rough movement made the phone make a muffled sound.
"Who does this damn penguin think he is talking to!" Kurd was furious and cursed in a low voice, his face turning red.
“You bastard, you bastard Biberly! Who do you think has facilitated your promotion from a wand reporter to a reporter over the years?! Who put you, a bird from the Antarctic Snow Hill Island, He brought you out of this stupid place and supported you all the way to the position of 'special correspondent'!"
His eyes were full of anger, and the fat on his face kept shaking as he roared, and his voice became louder and louder. Come bigger.
"Without me! You will never see the beast master worshiped by your faction for the rest of your life!!!"
The angry Kurd firmly grasped the chair handle with both hands, feeling that he had been humiliated in public.
While the obese director Adelaide Kurd was still cursing Biberly angrily, the phone rang rapidly again. The ringing echoed through the office with a piercing urgency.
Kurd glanced at the flashing code on the phone irritably. This time it was different from the last media harassment. The number was a familiar specific channel.
He squinted his eyes, and his fat fingers reached for the microphone again, and when he grabbed it, a fierce light flashed in his eyes.
"Say." His tone was cold, like an enraged predator.
A hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone. The voice was cold, mechanical, without any emotion, like a well-trained killer making a routine report:
"Mary Collins is dead. "It was done by the people who liberated the sound of hoofs."
Kurd's expression stiffened for a moment, but he did not interrupt and continued to listen.
“Collins was assassinated on her way back to her office after attending a press conference on enhancing security for infected people participating in competitions. Members of Liberation Hooves disguised themselves as journalists, approached her and detonated the hidden Small explosive device inside the camera ”
The voice coming from the microphone was still terrifyingly calm:
"Collins was killed on the spot, and the entourage was also seriously injured. As for her security - [Heart-J] and [Diamond-K] This financial beast has not been launched for some reason. Now, the Liberation Hoof has made a public statement, saying that Collins is a symbol of using the law to oppress the infected, and what they did is an act of justice, vowing to end the vicious cycle of the horse racing system. . They also announced through the public big screen that they would completely destroy the entire system. At present, the Kentucky Derby of the Triple Crown has been forced to stop."
Kurd's face was extremely gloomy, and he listened in silence. .
The [Heart-J] and [Diamond-K] mentioned by the other party are powerful and terrifying financial beasts in the financial field of the new world. The security failure of the two is not an accident, but an extremely rare abnormal event. .
Behind this, there is obviously more than just the attack of Liberation Hooves.
After a moment, he responded coldly:
"Got it."
The obese director took a heavy breath, clutched the phone receiver tightly with his fingers, and his joints made a faint creaking sound. , eyes flashing with irrepressible murderous intent.
It was the calm before the storm. He looked like a ferocious beast about to jump out of the cage and bite all the prey in front of him.
The report on the other end of the phone continued, and this report completely made Kurd’s expression distorted.
"We recently found Mikhail himself at the Mobile Ark Hotel. He was with Miss Lydia..."
Bang——
Before the other party finished speaking, there was a loud bang. The sound shook the entire office. Kurd's fist hit the table hard, and the entire exquisite mahogany desk shook and almost cracked.
Kurd's face changed suddenly, veins popped out on his plump cheeks, his eyes were like burning flames, and the whole person looked like an enraged beast at the moment.
His voice roared, full of hysterical anger:
"No matter what method you use, cut that damn infected person into pieces! I want him to disappear completely!"
He was breathing heavily, and the anger in his heart surged out, and it seemed that he could not even The person on the other end of the line could feel his violent aura.
He gritted his teeth and his tone became more fierce:
"As for Lydia, bring it back to me right away! Don't worry about her feelings! She actually defied me for those dirty bastards, she Do you know everything I have done for her?”
“I am her father, she owes me everything!”
The person on the other end of the phone simply responded:
“Yes.”
Then, the person on the other end quickly hung up the phone.
The busy tone on the phone echoed in the room again. Adelaide's face was livid, and the fierce light in his eyes remained.
He was breathing heavily, holding the edge of the table with both hands, his nails almost digging into the wood.
Anger burned in his chest like a ball of fire, burning him almost to the point of losing his mind.
Dong dong dong——
At this moment, there was a knock on the door outside the office, interrupting his thoughts.
He was startled, his eyes fixed on the direction of the door.
Again! ! !
Damn it, what a fucking day it is today, it’s endless, isn’t it? ?
Everything that happened today challenged his patience.
The questions come one after another.
Outside the door, the secretary's voice came cautiously with some fear:
"Director, Mr. Abraham from the Administration..."
Bang——
Before he finished speaking, Kurd suddenly stood up, his fat body made a muffled sound, and the chairs were pushed to the ground.
He walked quickly to a full-length mirror in the office, forcibly restrained all his violent emotions, adjusted his facial expression repeatedly in front of the mirror, and tried to squeeze out an "extremely kind" smile. However, his fat, pig-like face made this expression look strangely stiff and comical.
However, it is just like this, he still has to act like this. Facing the fourth sword holder in heaven, he must behave appropriately.
After a while, he picked up a bottle of elven alchemy perfume on the table.
This perfume is extremely luxurious. It is said that in the legends of pirates in various worlds, a lucky pirate became a cross-border businessman after hijacking 10 boxes of this perfume, and got rid of his mediocre fate.
Of course, this legend is just like a third-rate joke, without any credibility. It only exists to highlight the preciousness of perfume.
Maybe this third-rate joke was spread by the elf perfume merchants themselves.
Kurd gently pressed the perfume nozzle, and a fine mist sprayed into the air.
He slowly turned his wrist and used a very professional way to spray perfume - spraying it accurately on several key parts such as the wrists, behind the ears, and the neck to ensure that the fragrance spreads evenly.
Then he smiled slightly in the mirror, nodded with satisfaction, then straightened his collar and adjusted the position of his tie.
"Take out my treasured Silver Moon Wine." He ordered his secretary.
This wine is an extremely rare 'Silver Moon Holy Wine', brewed from a secret vineyard in the New World. The wine is clear and has a mellow taste. It is regarded as a top luxury product in the upper class.
"Yes." The secretary responded, and then hurriedly left the place on high heels.
*
*
13:30PM.
The reception room of the Cultural Committee Headquarters.
The reception room where Xia Xiu is now is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious places in the entire building.
A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and soft light shines down, reflecting the magnificent decoration.
The surrounding walls are covered with works by famous painters in the New York Theater District. The colors of the oil paintings appear particularly vivid under the light.
A bouquet of the most precious white wattle flowers in the New World is placed in the center of a long marble table, exuding a faint fragrance.
The heavy curtains with velvet texture drooped gently, and the whole room was filled with an elegant and solemn atmosphere.
Xia Xiu sat casually on a leather sofa, with his iconic black hat and silver cane beside him.
He looked a little lazy, his left hand resting casually on the arm of the sofa, his posture extremely relaxed.
The whole person seems to be integrated with the surrounding luxurious environment, but under his seemingly loose appearance, his thoughts never stop.
In a place invisible to others, various information from the think tank [Adam] of the Authority is flowing in the retina of the fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven. The data flow is constantly emerging, and the information is imported into him one after another. in the eyes.
Suddenly, a message caught his attention.
He pointed casually with his right hand, and the words in his retina flashed out:
————
***[Special Report on Edici Federation News]***
February 2, 1591 in the Terra Calendar
Title: Tournament Supervision Commission Chairman Mary Collins was assassinated in Washington, D.C., by the Taliban Riots
Text:
This morning, an assassination that shocked the nation claimed the life of Mary Collins, chairperson of the Edissi Federal Race Supervisory Committee.
The attack occurred near the center of the capital, District of Columbia. Ms. Collins was assassinated on her way back from a press conference to brief the public on plans to strengthen safety measures for horse races involving infected people.
She is a key figure in the federal horse racing industry. In the New World, before the birth of the [Golden Tree], she has been committed to promoting infected people to participate in horse racing and helped formulate a number of policies and regulations.
Details of the attack:
The incident occurred at 10:45 in the morning, just after Ms. Collins and her accompanying team left the venue. An assassin disguised as a reporter infiltrated the media ranks, approached Collins as he walked to the vehicle, and detonated an explosive device hidden in the camera. The explosion directly resulted in Collins' death on the spot and several members of his entourage were seriously injured.
After the attack, Liberation Hoofs {related link+} quickly issued a statement through underground channels, claiming responsibility for the incident and accusing Collins of being "a tool to exploit and objectify infected people."
Collins Influence and Controversy:
As Chair of the Tournament Stewardship Committee, Mary Collins has deep influence in government and business.
Before the birth of the new world, she had already led a number of policies related to the "horse racing girl event" {related link+}, and actively promoted legislation to enable infected people to participate in national horse racing on a larger scale. Contest.
Although Collins has publicly emphasized that these events provide equal opportunities for HIV-positive people to showcase themselves, her policy has also aroused dissatisfaction among many HIV-positive people’s groups, who believe that it exacerbates the objectification and exploitation of HIV-positive people.
Liberation Hooves' statement and government response:
Liberation Hooves said in a statement that Collins' death was a major victory for them against the federal government's policy on infected people, and they will continue to fight against all powers that use and oppress infected people. Institutions and individuals.
Ms Collins' death marked a more violent phase for the group.
The federal government of Edici issued an urgent response to this incident, vowing to intensify its crackdown on Liberation Hooves and its members.
A spokesman for the federal office said: "This heinous act is a serious challenge to federal security. We will use all means to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that such atrocities never happen again."
The government also announced that it would raise the level of security prevention and control for all senior officials and event venues related to horse racing events, and deploy more security forces to prevent further attacks.
Public Reaction:
The assassination of Mary Collins sparked widespread panic and outrage across the country.
People who support the government’s horse racing policy expressed their condolences, while advocates for the rights of infected people used this incident to call on the government to review the horse racing policy for infected people.
A number of protests have broken out in several cities, demanding an overhaul of horse racing rules and an end to the objectification of infected people.
The assassination brought a new wave of tension between the federal government and the infected, and heightened public attention to the Taliban and its increasingly violent tactics.
The incident investigation continues, and the situation in the Edici Federation will be closely watched in the coming weeks.
——————
Xia Xiu couldn’t help but rub his eyebrows, with a helpless look on his face.
I couldn’t help but sigh:
"It is the prelude to another storm, the contradiction between infected people and humans, the contradiction between the abnormal community and the government..."
"These contradictions have always been Terra's most difficult dilemma... One, and every time it feels like a storm is coming."
He squinted his eyes slightly, seeming to be thinking about the next situation.
“This time, we must not allow the situation to develop to the point of the Bodhi Tree Massacre. When necessary, the Administration can only suppress it by treating the symptoms rather than the root cause.”
Zhik ——
While Xia Xiu was meditating, the door was gently pushed open, and a secretary with a curvy figure walked in.
She was wearing black business attire and black stockings that highlighted her slender legs. She was holding a delicate silver plate with a bottle of uniquely shaped wine - Silver Moon Wine.
The body of the bottle is as smooth as a mirror, glowing with a faint silver light, as if it contains the power of moonlight, and the mouth of the bottle is engraved with complex moon patterns.
The secretary walked gently in front of Xia Xiu, bowed slightly respectfully, and then uncorked the bottle of Silver Moon Wine in an orderly manner, and an elegant aroma suddenly filled the air.
She poured the wine into a glass made of crystal. The wine flowed slowly, showing a clear and translucent silver color. The liquid rippled in the glass like moonlight, and tiny silver light spots fell on the surface of the wine. flashing.
After pouring the wine, the secretary stood aside, still holding the Silver Moon wine firmly with both hands, his eyes lowered and his movements meticulous.
At the same time, the door was opened again, and a fat man with big ears and rosy face walked in with a smile on his face.
It is none other than the director of the Social and Cultural Committee, Adelaide Kurd.
He walked towards Xia Xiu enthusiastically with slightly clumsy steps.
"Your Excellency Abraham, welcome! Your arrival really makes us shine! I have been looking forward to it for a long time!" The fat Kurd's voice was loud and full of enthusiasm.
He stretched out his right hand widely and placed it in mid-air, obviously wanting to shake hands with Xia Xiu.
Xia Xiu raised his eyes and glanced at Kurd, and then at the secretary standing respectfully beside him. He already had a clear picture of this fat-headed and big-eared bureaucrat.
He stood up, with a faint smile, and shook hands with Kurd. The strength in his hand was not strong, and he handled the matter politely. He maintained a polite and distant look on his face, and his tone was calm:< br>
"Director Kurd, I came here specially today just to discuss the political affairs of the New Alliance with you."