Clown.

Over the past few months, these two words have been accompanied by Hogg-Foster, and the reputation of the Foster family has been shaken like never before by the hype of the reformist media, led by the Lagus Foundation, and the subsequent misdecisions, including the burial of the bones of the six-star rescuer, have led to criticism from his conservative colleagues.

Even his position in the family was shaken by this, and the younger generation thought that he had ruined the reputation of the Foster family, and on various occasions euphemistically expressed the hope that he would take the initiative to retire and not make the scene too ugly in the end.

The recent fall of the Iris Consortium has only exacerbated Hogg's anxiety.

He felt compelled to emphasize one thing to everyone - he, Hogg Foster, was not a clown!

Those are all ways for the hostile faction to stigmatize him, and the fuse that has led them to this point is the hateful "enthusiastic citizen" who is extremely hateful.

Hogg-Forster hates the "zealous citizens" even more than the reformists who oppose them everywhere, and all the failures they have experienced in the past few months have been directly or indirectly related to the "zealous citizens".

The main reason why he has been reluctant to retire is that he has a strong premonition that once he loses the power in his hands, everything that happens to the "zealous citizens" and the 17th district will become an eternal mystery, and it is likely that he will not know the true face of the Foster family's enemies until he dies of old age.

There was also a great deal of disagreement within the family on this issue.

Many thought he was a fool of himself, and that he did not want to provoke another dangerous element in a situation where a full-scale war could break out at any time between the conservatives and the reformists, and the speaker seemed to have a calm attitude on this issue - whenever he tried to investigate the "zealous citizens" through the power of the council, he would be opposed by the reformists and the chairman.

But now, the Speaker is dead.

The Secretary-General was also assassinated by an unknown person in his office, and the death was exactly the same as that of Chai Ke, Dominus, and the eyeliner he planted, which is undoubtedly an important clue to the murderer.

"Mr. Hogg, please come in."

He didn't know how long he waited in the imposing lounge, until it was already quiet outside, and the sweet-looking secretary came in to inform him.

Hogg subconsciously glanced at the time of his watch.

23:49。

For those in District 1, this is far from the time to rest, and overtime is the norm in their lives.

"Jock."

As soon as he entered, he showed great enthusiasm for his old friend, who was known as Jock and was one of his few remaining friends.

Hogg opened his arms to his good brother as he usually did, but this time, although the other man was smiling, he quietly stretched out his right hand, refused to hug him, and shook hands politely instead.

This made the atmosphere in the office a little awkward for a while, and Hogg-Foster seemed to feel something, and shook hands instead, and the smile that came from the heart quickly turned into a hypocritical smirk, and he said, "Congratulations on becoming a member of the High Council." ”

"Let's be straight, why did you think you came to me so late?"

"I saw the news of the killing of the Secretary-General at home, and I was deeply saddened."

"The Secretary-General is a capable man, and we didn't expect to lose him at such a time."

"But the living man must bear his will and move forward...... I've studied the statutes of the High Council, and according to the rules I need three people to be my introducers, Jock, we've known each other for so many years, you should know what I'm capable of. ”

Becoming a member of the High Council will be the beginning of his transfer.

Hogg was fully awake when he was on the plane, and he imagined that after filling the vacancy left by the Secretary-General, he would use the clues in his hands to lead the High Council to find out the real culprit of the Secretary-General's assassination step by step, which is an unforgivable capital crime in the coalition government.

In this way, he not only avenged the revenge of the Seventeenth District, but also showed enough strength at the beginning of the High Council.

And now he had a strong premonition.

From him, Hogg-Foster made a comeback, and there were only three referrals left.

His good brother Jock will definitely help him at such a critical time......

"Hogg, about this."

However, what Hogg didn't expect was that his good brother Jock actually showed an embarrassed expression on this little favor, and the other party said, "Hogg, I don't think you can handle the high-intensity work of the High Council in your current state, you have worked hard for most of your life, and it is time to rest for a while." ”

"Rest...... Rest!? ”

Hogg never expected his good brother to say such a thing, and he was a little incoherent for a while.

What's the difference between walking down the street and being slapped in the face and acting like nothing happened?

If he can even swallow this breath, not to mention the ** of the Ragus Foundation, even the colleagues of other families are afraid that they will look down on him.

"Jock, you know how they've denigrated me over the past few months!"

Hogg said sternly.

"I know, but you have to know that the problem of barren bones has caused many people to complain about you."

"them, a bunch of cowards, I only need three referrals so that I can enter the High Council smoothly, Jock, you just need to nod, and the other two recommend me to figure it out myself!"

"I'm sorry, I can't help you."

Hogg's eyes widened for a few seconds before he noticed that after a polite handshake, Jock quietly retreated behind his desk, making the conversation look like he was talking about business.

After a long absence, Jock never immediately put down his work as before, and warmly invited him out for a drink, and the two chatted together until the middle of the night.

He now needs these spiritual comforts from his friends to get him through this unprecedented low point in his life.

But now, he was not sure that the person in front of him who he had known for decades could still be called friends.

The two looked at each other like this, until ten seconds later, Hogg suddenly laughed, "Jock, you're joking with me, right, I admit that I was almost scared by you, take out the recommendation spot, I haven't seen you for so long, I invite you to have a drink." ”

In his imagination, Jock should tacitly laugh with him, and then find a place to sit down as he used to, leaving all the unhappiness and depression behind.

But this time, Jock wasn't smiling.

He looked aloof, without even a false smirk on his face, and just watched Hogg's smile stiffen and eventually evolve into an even more suffocating silence.

Clown.

These two words came to Hogg's mind again.

And compared to the denigration from rival factions, the rejection from former friends is the most chilling.

It made him feel as if an invisible knife had pierced him in the heart.

Jock's tone was as cold as ever, in fact, except for the smirk at the beginning, he had always maintained a cold expression towards Hogg, "Hogg, in your current state, you can't adapt to the high-intensity work of the High Council. ”

"Jock, are you serious?"

Hogg was almost out of breath from a friend's backstabbing, and according to his idea on the plane, he should have found a quiet place to sit with Jock and show them all he had about the "Eager Citizen".

"Hogg, I have one more meeting ahead, so I won't keep you."

Jock's answer not only proves that he is serious, but also euphemistically expresses that he does not want to waste his time on Hogg.

Jock ...... Councillor Jock. ”

Hogg stared at Jock, who had sat back at his desk, who had already fixed his eyes on the computer screen, treating him as if it were air.

"You'll regret it."

Aside from that, Hogg couldn't think of what he should say for a moment.

What made him even more confused was that if even Jock rejected him, then the remaining places would be even more fantastic.

But Jock didn't seem to take his words to heart, he didn't even look at Hogg again, Hogg clenched his teeth, and walked out of Jogg's office with vain steps, the side effects of alcohol seemed to come at this moment, and the orderly order in the office made Hogg a little panicked for a while, making him want to leave this environment as soon as possible.

He began to have tinnitus, and the movement of his mind slowed down by half a beat under the effect of tinnitus.

Three recommended places,

Two other colleagues to visit,

As well as revenge on the "zealous citizens".

All his plans on the plane were left behind him at this moment, and at this moment, there was only one thing left in his mind.

He needed wine, lots and lots of wine.

Enough to make people forget everything to help him get through this low point in his life.

I don't know if it's an illusion, Hogg's hazy vision seems to see a young man in a suit and leather shoes pass by him.

At the suggestion of the secretary, the young man walked into Jock's office with his head held high, and at that passing moment, he found that the young man in the suit and leather shoes was exactly the same as the image he had made up for as an "enthusiastic citizen".

Hogg instinctively turned back, but could only see the other man's back, and was quickly blocked by the closed door in his office.

The atmosphere of conversation in the office was passed to him even through a door.

Hogg vaguely heard the words "High Council" and "Recommended Places", and for a moment, he wanted to turn around and break through the door to question Jock or scold him.

But then, he realized what he needed more now.

What he needed wasn't too far, taking the elevator back to the first floor and walking up again less than five hundred meters.

There was a bar there, and he and Jock used to go there.

Hogg quickened his pace, fleeing from the place that terrified him.

Hopefully, the bar is still open.