On the streets of Orin, a man in a trench coat and a top hat is walking aimlessly on the street.

He didn't walk fast, and the leather boots on his feet looked like they had been worn for a long time - the right heel was a big piece off.

It seems that because of the wear of the heel, his whole body will swing from side to side a little when he walks. As his body swayed, a crisp sound of metal colliding would come directly from his right waist.

It was as if there was a big string of wrenches and keys and something like that.

It's just that this movement did not attract the attention of others. This is Orin, the place with the highest density of great technicians and engineers in the entire Empire. People who seem to be inseparable from gears and bolts for eating and sleeping are almost everywhere in Orin, and it's not so strange to have a long string of wrenches hanging on them.

Strangely, it's his dress.

The weather in Olin is as usual, mild and pleasant. The sun of Oron is not as rough or weak as the colony, and the mild sun is just right to spread on the planet where man was born.

In such weather, people wearing trench coats, high hats and high-top leather boots look a little unusual.

The unusual windbreaker wandered for a while, and then slowly walked under the eaves of a newsstand open on the side of the road. He lowered his head with some difficulty, and then took off his top hat from his head. His sweat-drenched blonde hair clung to his head, and he looked like he was wearing a rough hat made of blonde wool.

"A copy of Olin Entertainment Weekly." In a low, hoarse voice, he said the name of the publication he needed to buy, and then placed two penny coins on the metal counter, which had been polished and glowed by the arms and sleeves of countless Olympian gentlemen and ladies.

The stall owner was looking at a newspaper and, hearing the request, stretched out his big furry hand and felt for two coins on the counter. Then he stared intently at the newspaper, took out a copy of "Olin Entertainment Weekly" from his side and handed it over.

"You know, it's getting rarer and rarer to be a gentleman of Olin who is willing to read the newspaper seriously." The stall owner continued to look at the newspaper, speaking in a tone as if he were talking lightly about the weather, rather than criticizing his customers' habit of buying publications. It's just a bunch of opera singers, a bunch of clowns and bullshit poets, what they're eating today, and how many expensive exotic leather goods they're buying...... Even they took on a couple of beautiful female students from the accounting school in one day! ”

"That's great." The trench coat customer did not react to the stall owner's criticism, and even said with some joy, "My soul lacks such a poison to redeem it now - it has been boring for too long." ”

In the astonished and even disdainful gaze of the stall owner, the trench-coat customer whistled lightly and left the newsstand, tucked the weekly under his arm, and slowly walked into the café by the side of the road.

Coffee is a drink that has only become popular in Oilon in recent years. Unlike Olin's native tea, coffee is a new variety of Olin's native plants that have been bred in other colonies. When the fruit is plucked from the coffee tree, the seeds are dug up, and then fermented and roasted, and a small black bean with a strange aroma is obtained.

The beans are ground and boiled in water, mixed with milk and sugar, and people get a drink similar to tea leaves and surrogate tea. Its price is cheaper than tea, and the taste is more fragrant than that of surrogate tea. Very popular in Oilon.

Most of the coffee shops on the street also serve fast food, and a simple bacon, toast and baked beans with eggs make for a hearty and quick meal. This meal is perfect with a cheap pick-me-up cup of coffee.

The trench coat found a seat and sat down, humming a little song, slowly flipping through the magazine in his hand. Soon, he looked at a page of the magazine and stopped flipping through the pages.

"Mr. Schultz, is it still the same today?" The beautiful hostess walked briskly, she brought her coffee pot close to the windbreaker's cup, and asked in a low voice, "Three pieces of sugar, half a cup of milk?" ”

After waiting for a while, the waitress could not wait for an answer from the old customer who often appeared in the store. She looked cautiously at the magazine in Mr. Schultz's hand, and then became even more confused.

It was a series of small frivolous news stories and the occasional dubious-looking advertisement.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to continue enjoying coffee today." Mr. Schultz closed the magazine in front of him, picked up his coffee cup, and drank the slightly cold drink inside. Then, he stood up and said to the hostess, "I still have a deposit at the counter, right?" ”

"And ...... Two gold pounds, four shillings and seven pence. The hostess said, "Do you need to withdraw the money?" ”

"No need." Schultz put his top hat back on his head, then smiled and said to the hostess, "I probably won't be here again, the money in the account...... It's all counted as a tip for you. ”

Such a generous gift surprised the hostess, and she subconsciously asked, "Where are you going?" ”

"Oh, I'm going home." Schultz put on his trench coat, a brown woollen trench coat that covered the gleaming wrench around his waist. He seemed to be in a really good mood and even sang a little song.

Oh, I'm going home, back to where I was born.

Oh, I'm going home and looking at the towering trees.

It's my home, the beginning and the end of my journey.

There's a her, and I wish I could kiss her on the cheek again.

Oh, I'm going home, the damn journey is coming to an end.

Oh, I'm going home, I'm going home......

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"Your Excellency, Mr. Schultz has arrived." About a mile outside the Olin Palace, in the residence of Grand Duke Hall, the Imperial Treasurer, a servant in a well-dressed tuxedo walked into the study and said into the smoky room, "He is waiting for your reception in the reception room. ”

"I don't have any other visitors here, let him in." Grand Duke Hall waved the pipe in his hand, which looked like a policeman directing traffic in the thick morning fog of an industrial area, "By the way, tell Lady Anne to cook some Newsar-style dishes tonight." I remember the pork knuckle she made before tasted great. ”

A few minutes later, Schultz entered the room with the sound of metal clanging from his waist, and he took off his top hat and knelt down on one knee with difficulty to Grand Duke Hall, "I am called, Your Excellency. ”

"May you be in good health." Grand Duke Hall put down the pipe in his hand, stood up very enthusiastically, walked to the sofa next to Schultz and sat down, "Please sit down." ”

Schultz slowly stood up from the ground, then walked to the couch behind him and sat down. He leaned forward slightly, and took the lead in speaking, "Your Excellency, the plan in Newsar has not yet reached the stage where it can be implemented immediately. ”

"The allies are out of control." Archduke Hall did not react directly to Scholz's words. He just said in a deep voice, "We are disconnected from the twelve lines of communication of the alliance at the same time, whether it is the archon or the head of the major military city-states...... Even the slave traders were cut off from us. ”

Schultz's expression suddenly became gloomy.

"His Majesty the Emperor is already aware of this." Grand Duke Hall said solemnly, "According to Your Majesty's royal will, I have been ordered to start the El Salvador plan. ”

Schultz stood up from the couch, "Please give me the activation instructions." His expression was extremely serious, as if he was going through a difficult battle.

"This is your command." Grand Duke Hall took out a sealed letter from his body and handed it over, "It will take time for the coordination of various departments, and the start time is set in a month." ”

Schultz ignored Archduke Hall's words, and he carefully examined the outer cover of the letter, even so seriously that it was almost rude, and made sure that all the secret marks on the three corners were correct, and Schultz opened the letter.

There were also three secret notes on the inside of the letter, and after confirming that they were also correct, Schultz began to look at the contents.

Soon, he frowned.

"Your Excellency, this plan ......," he put down the letter in his hand and continued after a moment's hesitation, "Newsar's strength is still too weak, and it may not be the best option to use them. ”

"They are weak now, but they have the most potential." Archduke Hall shook his head and said, "Four hundred years ago, His Majesty Justinian chose the Archduke of El Salvador for the Empire. At that time, the Grand Duke was loyal to the empire, and at the same time the strength was the most powerful among the pioneer nobles. The result? His descendants betrayed the covenant of the Grand Duke of El Salvador and His Majesty Justinian. ”

"If Newsal were to act as a rebel, they probably wouldn't have made any agreement with His Majesty in the first place." Schultz did not seem satisfied with Archduke Hall's explanation, and he respectfully "fought for," saying, "Lafayette, though he exhibited some peculiar political views, did not look like a man who could organize against the Imperial Order." ”

"Lafayette...... Archduke Hall's expression looked a little nostalgic, "that lad is indeed too mild-mannered to be used as a leader in the rebellion against the Empire." ”

Schultz's expression softened slightly, but Archduke Hall's order completely froze his just relieved expression on his face.

"Then kill it." Grand Duke Hall waved his hand, as if it was just a fly that was about to be killed. "The Speaker of the House of Commons can also be killed together - what is the use of women?"

"Then ......," Schultz's expression changed many times before he lowered his head and asked, "who should be used as the new rebel Salvador?" ”

"Duchamp is good. That commander of the garrison navy. Grand Duke Hall took a cigarette from the cigarette case on the table, lit it, and stretched comfortably into the sofa, a puff of smoke spewed out as he moved.

"His son, who is also the chief private secretary to the Speaker of the Parliament, and with him as his successor, the Empire should be able to reap a more formidable enemy than the Alliance after a few decades of calm." Grand Duke Hall waved the cigarette in his hand, "A huge empire needs to have a strong foreign enemy in order for all departments and institutions to always serve the interests of the empire. But this enemy can never really threaten the Empire, nor can it have the slightest chance of living in peace with the Empire......"

...... "Otherwise, the institutions within the empire will have the idea of making peace with the enemy." Schultz continued, nodding his head and asking, "In other words, in the next few hundred years, the Empire intends to coexist with an enemy with whom it is impossible to form a tacit agreement from beginning to end?" ”

"Anyway, it will be destroyed in the end, and if it is weak enough, it will not be able to pose any threat to the empire in a short period of time." Grand Duke Hall nodded with satisfaction, "The Admiralty's special operations plan will be officially implemented in a month, and the Freedom Alliance will be history within a year." This dead beast will bring peace and prosperity to the empire for more than fifty years—and in fifty years, Duchamp's new empire will probably finally be ...... his son."

"Dussand." Schultz added the name to the Grand Duke.

"Dussand." Grand Duke Hall smiled comfortably, he nodded and said, "In his hands, become the new enemy of the Empire." ”

"Baron Duchamp belongs to the Belford family......"

"Dispose of it together. A ducal family, what's there to worry about? The Grand Duke of Hall waved his hand, "But Belford ......" The Archduke's expression was a little strange, and he interrupted the conversation with Schultz and called his accountant.

"Yes, Your Excellency." The accountant, having heard the Grand Duke's inquiry, quickly replied, "Mr. Winsall has sent you a 10% stake in the Belford Automobile Factory. ”

The Grand Duke's expression changed slightly, and after he was silent for a while, he spread his hands to Schultz, "Your plan at that time has already achieved some results. ”

Schultz bowed his head and replied, "At first, it was just to add a little chance of success." ”

"Leave this manufacturing plant to them...... Leave Newsar to them. The Grand Duke took another puff of his cigarette, "You can postpone the action arrangement a little longer, and wait for this quarter's dividend to be issued before you do it." ”

"This will give them more reserves and confidence to succeed." Schultz nodded, "That'...... Do you want to strengthen the garrison navy in Newsal? Duchamp's control of the navy is not bad, but the head of the heraldic management office may need to change his position. ”

"People who are too capable are a burden at times like these." The general public informed Schultz that he decides for himself, "Give you enough authorization level, you can decide these things yourself." ”

Schultz stood up and saluted, but he hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had bothered him the most.

"What if...... What if the Empire is defeated in a battle with a new enemy, or even defeated in the end? ”

Grand Duke Hall snuffed out his cigarette on the arm of his couch. The bright cigarette butt burns a black dot on the top cowhide.

"Then let's meet the glorious death." The Grand Duke said in a deep voice, "If you can't defeat the enemy you have created, it means that there is no need for the empire to continue to exist. ”

"Threats aren't just about looking scary. It must really, really, be a sharp blade over the heads of every imperial aristocracy and bureaucracy. The cold light shines on people, and it is extremely sharp. "Only in this way can a vast empire work towards the same goal, and they can always maintain loyalty and respect for His Majesty the Emperor." ”

"It's not that the empire needs an enemy, it's that the empire must have an enemy." Archduke Hall stood up, looked at the huge portrait of His Highness Justinian in his study with his hands behind his back, and said, "Without enemies, the empire would fall apart in a few decades." And a powerful enemy, capable of maintaining the health of an entire empire for hundreds of years. ”

Schultz had no more doubts, he bowed his head and said, "For the health of the empire!" ”

"For the sake of health." Grand Duke Hall smiled, "For the sake of the health of the Empire." ”