While Chu Guang was chatting happily with his little player, an old man who had lived for more than two hundred years was not idle either.
To be precise, the juniors who visited this "humble house" didn't want him to be idle.
Seeing Abu Saik leave from the side of the Great Rift Valley Chief, Shava immediately rushed forward without stopping and intercepted the old man who was about to turn around and leave.
He put on a friendly smile on his face and said in a respectful tone.
"Dear Chief Sir, I am Shava, captain of the Mammoth Nation's Stormtroopers. Please allow me to extend my most sincere greetings to you on behalf of Lacy and the survivors of the Mammoth Nation! Our commander originally planned to visit you in person, but
The Southern Army was still struggling to its death, and the battle situation on the front line was still stalemate. He really couldn't leave, so he sent me over."
The old man looked at the young man in front of him, smiled kindly and nodded.
"Hello, Shava, I'm old. I have to guess to understand the ideas you young people come up with, but this stormtrooper... I really can't guess. What kind of organization is this? Can it be possible?
Tell it to me, an old man."
Shava said with a smile.
"It's just a title. Back then, we followed Lasi on his expedition to the northwest. Whenever there was a war, we would charge forward, so we got the name of the stormtroopers. Later, the war became less intense, and the young officers of the Mammoth Kingdom also grew up, and we also started from the front line.
Moved to the rear...but this designation has remained until now. You can understand it as the Guards of the legion and the Guards regiment of the alliance."
The old man nodded suddenly.
"Oh, you're talking about that kid Lei Ze, then I know who you are... Hey, your burden is too heavy, and I feel bad just looking at it. Otherwise, you can resign, and I will keep you safe for a year.
, how about going to the alliance and becoming a security captain after the storm calms down?"
The turn was so sharp that Shava almost stopped and coughed dryly.
"Uh, this...I really haven't thought about it..."
The alliance obviously has no shortage of him as a security captain, and his family has taken root in Mammoth City. He has never thought of moving to an unfamiliar place in the alliance.
The old man said with a smile.
"Think about it! I have a problem. When I see talented young people, I can't help but fall in love with them. Then I can't control my own hands and want to reach out and grab them. Oh, what a pity.
…”
Shava didn't know what he was regretting, but he still pretended to be frightened and said modestly.
"You're flattering me. There are many people who are more talented than me... I'm nothing."
"You're so humble, you're so humble," the old man shook his head, and suddenly he seemed to have thought of something, and said, "Well, when Absek visited me earlier, I gave him a question, and now I'm here too
Let’s test how you do.”
Shava looked at him blankly, not knowing what kind of medicine the old man was selling in his gourd, but he still said cautiously.
"Please enlighten me."
The old man smiled, showed his withered fingers, and counted his sheep again.
"I have four generals, A, B, C and D. A said there were ten thousand sheep on the grassland, B said there were a thousand sheep on the grassland, and C said that what they said was wrong, but I couldn't remember how many there were. I only saw a lot of sheep.
After crossing the river, Ding said that one of them was lying... Guess what is right?"
Shava said without hesitation.
"D! Suppose A is right, then B is also right. If neither of them is right, C must be wrong, then D is right. On the other hand, if A and B are both wrong -"
"Stop, stop, stop, you don't need to analyze so much, you've got me involved," the old man waved his hand, looking at the young men analyzing on the left and right, "You are a smart person, and Ding is also a smart person, there is no doubt about it." A said
There are ten thousand sheep, who can guarantee that he is right? Neither B, B, nor D have testified, and if the count is missed and it is actually nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, then he will have a big problem."
"In comparison, B is much smarter than him. Someone saw ten thousand, and he said there were one thousand, which left him an escape route of nine thousand. If he had to choose one from A and B.
, then B must be the one who survives."
After a pause, the old man looked at the confused Shawar and said with a smile.
"But he is still not smart enough. When did I say I would only kill one person? At this time, C was much smarter. Not only did he draw a clear line between A and B, he also actively expressed his stance. Haha... If I didn't
If I regret it, he can survive, but if one day I regret killing the wrong person, then he will be miserable."
"Looking at it this way, Ding is much smarter. There is a person who is lying. It does not say who is lying or who is telling the truth. The liar can be anyone, even himself. Don't worry about me in the future.
Whoever he wants to kill, he can point to the dead person and say, 'That's him', and then stand on my team. And even if I regret it after killing A, B, and C, he can also intercede with me, dirty his hands, and take the initiative to wear it.'
I lied' hat."
"As I get older and have a kind heart, maybe I can let him off with a laugh? You see, you have to be confused when it's time to be confused."
Shava looked at the old man dumbfounded.
When you asked this question, you said you wanted to kill someone?
Although he guessed correctly.
However, the old man saw through his thoughts and said with a meaningful smile.
"You are still too young. I didn't say I wanted to kill people. When did I say I wanted to kill them? This murdering job...isn't it just you who do it for me?"
Shawar was stunned for a moment, and suddenly a tingling sensation crept up the back of his head.
He is obviously the one who solves the problem, but he is still solving the problem. How come he becomes the "E" behind "A, B, C, and D"?
A knife seemed to be placed on his neck. He swallowed unconsciously and forced a stiff smile from his face.
"Old man...you are joking, we -"
"I know, I know, every family has its own scriptures that are difficult to recite. Don't worry, you haven't reached that point yet," the old man smiled and raised his hand, not embarrassing the young man in front of him, "and you and the Imperial Guard are actually
It's not exactly the same, let alone the Alliance. As for Lacy... I don't know him, but I know him when I see you."
"Others always tell me that he is the spokesperson chosen by the alliance, but I never think so, because you Borneo people like to choose smart people. For example, Abu Saik is very smart. If I touch him, he will do everything.
understood."
"Your Lacy is not bad either. If one person and one vote go up, he will be the winner in the end. Don't be angry when I say this. Your mouth is very tough, but your body is actually very honest. Look at yourself."
.”
"..." Shava was speechless for a moment. He had not yet recovered from the fear he had experienced before, and he had no idea what the old man wanted to say.
Maybe he wasn't talking to himself originally, but to Lacy behind him.
The old man looked at him meaningfully.
"You are all smart people, but sometimes smart people are not as good as honest fools, because the latter will not attribute their failure to superficial explanations such as not being smart enough, while the former always do things they think they are smart.
If you think about my words again, am I asking you the question 'Who is the good guy and who is the bad guy'? What I am asking you is obviously - what is right."
"It doesn't matter to me who is telling the truth or lying, A, B, B, D, D. 'There are sheep' is the answer you should give me, but instead you went to find the smart person in the question for me... You
Look at you, don’t say I can’t help you, even if the professor comes back it will be useless.”
Shava looked at the old man in bewilderment, nodded in understanding, and carefully wrote down every word he said, preparing to bring this information to Lacy.
This old man has lived for a long time and has seen all kinds of birds. It is difficult for him not to pay attention to them.
Maybe Lacy can understand what he doesn't understand.
However, at this moment, the old man changed the topic again and stopped what he was saying.
He turned around, no longer looking at Shawar, and just sighed to himself.
"...But, as everyone speaks louder than others, the problems you have to face are much more difficult than those in Abseq."
"Some sheep eat meat, some sheep eat grass, and some sheep can eat soil, and they all learn to bleat... It's difficult, it's really difficult, and I, an old guy like me, don't know how to solve it."
Leaving behind something that seemed like a riddle, he walked away shaking his head under Shava's blank gaze.
…
Winter has entered the Great Rift Valley early, and the Mammoth State at the foot of the Dzobar Mountains is gradually experiencing the coldness of winter.
Subtropical regions also have winter.
The monsoon wind blowing through the Petra Fortress is like a refrigeration air conditioner, taking away the temperature of Mammoth City, making people shrink their necks and put their hands in their pockets.
But compared with the winter two centuries ago, this bit of coldness is nothing. Moreover, it gets cold when the wind blows, and warms up again when the sun comes out.
People walked down the street with their cotton-padded clothes open, their faces filled with rosy light.
A year ago at this time, many people were still shivering in the cold wind, but now they are so well off that they don't even need to fasten their buttons.
Not only that, there are also more concrete houses in Mammoth City. The drafty shacks on both sides of the street are no longer visible, replaced by rows of cement houses painted with red and white paint.
Mammoth State produced so much anti-rust paint that the parts it couldn't sell were simply painted on the walls.
The busiest place on the street is no longer the recruitment site, but the supermarket shelves filled with products.
The retail industry in the South China Sea Alliance is very developed, even a little more developed than that of the Alliance.
As local workers poured into the southern seas, they also brought back some of the latter's way of life.
The coalition's conservatives could be forgiven for being jealous.
Their development speed is indeed too fast...even if they have actually more or less enjoyed the economic dividends of Mammoth Country's rapid development.
Even many houses in Settlement No. 1 were built by construction workers from the Mammoth Kingdom.
The lively street market is only a part of the prosperity, and even more lively is the docks of Mammoth City.
The pier was crowded with people who were looking forward to it, as well as overseas workers returning by ship.
They have been working hard in a foreign country for a whole year, and now their hard work has finally paid off.
The ruins in the southern seas have been cleaned up, and the islanders have repaid them with more than just verbal thanks.
Funds from the southern sea not only helped them rebuild their homes, but also helped them purchase some properties of their own.
Starting next year, they may no longer have to travel across the ocean to work, but can find a job with a decent income right at their doorstep.
Of course, Mammoth City's industries are still being upgraded, and jobs at home are definitely not as lucrative as jobs overseas.
Thinking of his child who was about to go to college, his father, who was still in good health, gritted his teeth and decided to go to Nanyang again.
There are also some young people who don't want to let down their childhood sweethearts who have been waiting so hard for them, so they decide to start a family and have a baby before going off to work.
Objectively speaking, Lacy has done some good things, or in other words, done some human affairs.
He gave people who had no choice a choice.
In comparison, the Yue Clan resistance organizations that line the hills are really unbearable. Either they are begging to complain to the Alliance, or they are ranking based on seniority to determine who is closer to the Alliance and who is worthy of whom.
Not worthy.
No wonder Lacy looks down on them and even treats them like clowns.
As long as these ferras are still around, he wants to be the emperor, and the survivors of the Mammoth Kingdom will support him and actively put the crown on his head.
After all, it is better to let someone be the emperor than to let a group of monkeys sit in the temple.
Not to mention that he has already taken a step back, retaining his "conservative" character, giving enough face to the "progressives", and only hanging the title of commander-in-chief on his head.
It is precisely because of this that although Niyang scolded him from time to time, he was still merciful.
Until now, the anthology of "Red Earth" has frequently borrowed the "medical records" of the old dynasty to point out the "genealogy" of the new government, but it has not touched on Lacy's own shortcomings.
Although Lacy was often annoyed by him, he kept his original promise and did not let the stormtroopers come to attack him, nor did he close the "Daily Survivor" and Mammoth University.
Nowadays, Mammoth University is in full swing. It occasionally invites teachers from Camp 101 as guests, and even exports some outstanding teachers to the Port of Golden Gallen. Lacy does have a share of the credit for this.
But this alone is not enough.
Niyang has always had a dream.
General Rowell's descendants erected 1,000 pillars, so he will use the money "stolen" from the Duke of Galawa to build 1,000 universities on this land!
Only in this way can the power deep in the soul of the Borneo people be truly awakened.
Books always come to an end.
He thought about it for a long time and wrote a few lines on the last page, which was regarded as the "preface" of the opening chapter L.
"...In that year of ice and snow, with no light from the sun or the moon, General Lowell made extraordinary achievements. Whether they are praiseworthy or not can only be left to future generations to comment. Perhaps his men were really stunned by the "great victory"
My mind has been deceived by the monster, and I just want to die with him because I can't live a happy life. Maybe there are so many unavoidable difficulties in the ice and snow."
"I was fortunate enough to have been to Camp Lowell, but the gatekeeper there told me that although the wall was the original wall, the buildings, stone paths, and iron cages inside were all cultural relics from the 'Moon King' period. Lowell
You might have to look for cultural relics from that period in the Governor-General's Palace of Duke Nihak."
"It's a pity there isn't one there either."
"I checked all the ancient books I could find, but there were only a few lines and fragments about that story. The old man of the Yue clan might know something. He only said that the Moon King was a good person, but he kept secret about the origin of the red soil, and then said that the Moon King was a good person.
The king was confused for a moment, and it was a farmer who had harmed them all."
"I don't know if they are telling the truth. I don't even know the name of the farmer. I just lament that I am like a mayfly. I can only stand at the lower reaches of the Yongliu River and look up at the old scene that has long been buried on the top of Zhuobar Mountain."
"Later I returned to White Elephant City, and somehow I remembered L, the young man who was also buried in the red soil. I didn't understand why I was so obsessed with him, until I looked at my feet.
The people and the red-earth eaters were buried in—"
Niyang suddenly coughed and subconsciously raised his arm to cover his mouth.
He moved his arm away and saw a touch of red on his sleeve.
"It's getting dryer and drier these days..."
He muttered to himself, but then an idea suddenly occurred to him, and he concentrated on writing the word "red soil" on the paper.
"How similar the fates are! My feet are stepping on the dirt, stepping on his bones, stepping on Rowell's bones. He seems to be reaching out to grab my ankles and hold my throat. I
I was shocked to realize that I had been chasing him for half my life, searching for the exit of history in confusion, but I didn’t expect that he had never left me—"
"He is every me."
After scribbling the last stroke, Niyang stood up with a heavy breath, walked to the table aside to get a pot of tea, and poured it for himself.
These days, he has been working hard on the joint school running and only sleeps for four or five hours every day, relying on this tea to stay alive.
Especially when he was in Tiandu before, he suffered a serious illness. Fortunately, it was not a "killing drug", but he survived at least in the end.
But since then, his health has not been as good as before.
After taking a sip of hot tea to moisten his throat, Niyang felt a little sweaty and his thoughts were sorted out a little.
Thinking about it carefully, this ending is still a bit hasty and not as thrilling as the opening prologue. Such a bland ending is not worthy of this magnificent journey, and Mr. Mouse's readers probably won't buy it as much as before.
In fact, let alone the readers, he himself felt that something was missing.
But think about it, the preface is L’s story, but the end is about Lowell.
After all, he had really seen L, and had seen him many times, but there was a gap of two centuries between Rowell and him. He had really never seen him. No matter how he wrote, he was just looking at things in the fog and tracing through the window.
.
"It's a bit difficult for me to understand that he is every Borneo. Would it be more straightforward to say that he is every Borneo? But it's too absolute to say so... Anyway, this can be considered a clue."
With this thought in mind, Niyang put the tea cup down, but felt his throat was a little itchy, so he picked up the tissue on the tray and coughed.
However, when he moved the tissue away from his mouth, his heart beat hard.
Blood……
The scarlet color made him a little dizzy for a moment. Maybe he couldn't delay it any longer and should take the time to see a doctor.
At this moment, the office door opened, and a professor hurriedly walked in holding a newspaper.
Seeing the tissue in Niyang's hand, he was stunned for a moment and quickly asked with concern.
"Sir, what are you..."
"I'm not in the way," Niyang wiped his mouth, calmly threw the tissue into the wastebasket, and then turned his attention to the professor, "What on earth happened to make you so anxious that you came in without knocking on the door?"
This person teaches history at Mammoth University and is also the editor of the Mammoth City edition of "Daily Survivor".
The professor glanced at the wastebasket, then at the newspaper in his hand, and with one last grit, he stuffed the newspaper into Niyang's hand.
"Read this newspaper!"
Niyang took the newspaper and read it, frowning slightly.
The name of this newspaper is "Jia Guo Tian Xia Bao". The name is grand but unknown, at least he has never seen it. It should be created by some small newspaper.
Due to Lacy and his agreement to allow private newspapers to run, after the "Daily Survivor" entered Mammoth City, many newspapers, large and small, sprung up in the city, and they all occupied a certain market share.
.
Not allowing the "Daily Survivor" to become the dominant one can be regarded as the result of Lacy's tacit approval.
Niyang never thought about monopolizing the media industry. His main focus was on running schools. Naturally, he was happy to see the survivors of Mammoth City actively running newspapers.
This is equivalent to everyone uniting and finishing the unfinished work for him.
However, what he didn't expect was that these people were so outstanding and even dug up news that the "Daily Survivor" didn't dig up -
[Breaking news! Oral reports from those who witnessed it! The truth buried in the Tasang River Dam!]
He hurriedly read the news from cover to cover, then his eyes widened, and his hands holding the newspaper couldn't help but tremble.
The article quoted a source who claimed that it was not the then imperial governor Bamut who blew up the Tasan River dam, but Lacy who planned it!
This is not only to defeat the Imperial City Defense Army, which is several times larger than the Yue Clan Resistance Army, but also to pave the way for future disaster relief in the city and for sending landless refugees to work overseas!
If the derivation process is based on the results, there seems to be nothing wrong with what is said in the report.
The floods in the Tasang River did help Lassi a lot, including land annexation issues, labor dispatch issues, and even humanitarian aid from alliances and companies...almost all problems came with the flood.
Solved easily.
But to say that Lacy, who was standing by the river at that time, could think that far away, it was really not possible.
At that time, Mammoth City and the Moon Clan Resistance Army had not even been separated yet. It was only later that the hundreds of thousands of troops gathered by Bamut were defeated...
Niyang took a deep breath and calmed down.
"The entire article in the newspaper quoted the oral statements of people familiar with the situation, without a single conclusive evidence. Regardless of whether the content of the report is accurate or not, this is irresponsible reporting!"
"The new dam has been built, so what evidence can there be?" The professor sighed and said earnestly, "And let's not get rid of the truth. It's not just this newspaper, there are several...
Soon newspapers all over the city will come out and talk about this. If we don’t take a stand, I’m afraid we will lose people’s trust! Do you know what people outside say, they say we are Lacy’s dogs!”
It was time for them to make a choice whether to offend the Lacy authorities or the survivors of Mammoth City.
However, Niyang's eyes widened and he said angrily.
"What do you mean, don't care about this! You tell me who is responsible for running a newspaper and don't care about this? When reporting news, you must seek truth from facts and not make nonsense. How did I teach you before! If it is really Lacy's order, I will personally send an article to rebuke him!
But what if it’s not the case? You and I have become someone else’s gun!”
If Borneo wants to fight a civil war, it will inevitably launch a public opinion offensive!
And this "Jia Guo Tian Xia Bao" might have been created by the Federation of Tiandu!
He had noticed before that someone was making small moves under his nose.
But after all, it was not in the name of "Daily Survivor", and they had nothing to do with it.
Perhaps they should follow the example of the alliance and set up an industry committee to assess the credibility of the news media, but it seems too late to do this now.
These careerists plan to use the dam of the Tasan River to concoct an excuse for war, so that a disaster that has already happened once will sweep more innocent people...
No matter who is behind this, he must stop these guys!
He clenched his fists, folded the newspaper and stuffed it into his pocket, then hurriedly took off the coat hanging by the door.
Looking at his actions, the professor hurriedly asked.
"What are you trying to do?"
Niyang said without hesitation.
"Go to the front line and ask Lacy for details!"
The professor looked at him blankly and said dumbfounded.
"My ancestor... you are still running to the front line at this time?! You should go to Dawn City for treatment as soon as possible. You have been suffering from lung problems for a long time. You really can't delay it any longer."
Niyang shook his head and rejected his kindness, put his coat on his body and buttoned it up.
"This illness waxes and wanes, and it won't matter if it is delayed for a while, but the matter of the Borneo people cannot be delayed! I must go to the front line first to find out what happened at that time! If it was really him who bombed, did he know?
Knowing what happened, there is still another hidden agenda..."
It was a battle in which a small number defeated a large number. Lacy was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers. From the standpoint of the governor at the time, it seemed that there was really no need to blow up the dam.
However, this is just speculation after all.
Just like the chapter about Rowell in "Red Clay", it is just his speculation from beginning to end. Even the alliance has not discovered the truth with 100% fidelity.
But there was one thing about that newspaper that really touched his heart.
Niyang had been confused about Governor Bamut's confession before, and now he was even more suspicious after seeing the report.
This is just like fungi that can only freeze into ice at minus 30 degrees, and no matter how strong their vitality is, they can only go dormant. After all, red soil is not an intelligent life form with complex functions like mutant slime mold. It is just a decomposer in nature. It is impossible to transform what is not there
Nutrition materializes out of thin air.
Fixing carbon and nitrogen, and then converting solar energy and organic matter into nutrients needed by organisms... This requires the joint efforts of all animals, plants and microorganisms throughout Borneo.
What kind of miracle would it take to turn frozen soil into nutrients in those bleak years?
It's not appropriate to say that red clay is a nutritious ointment for farting after taking off your pants, but he did think so in his heart.
This is also the biggest controversy in the Alliance academic community over this period of history.
A group of scholars led by Ms. Han Mingyue believe that the development and promotion of red clay were in two stages. The former was completed by General Rowell, and the latter was the work of the "Moon King" who unified Borneo Province.
However, this speculation is obviously detrimental to the tragic Yue people, or it is politically incorrect.
This seems to rationalize the Xilan Empire's persecution of the Yue people - even if Ms. Han Mingyue herself does not have this idea, the alliance's research institutions do not need to pay attention to public opinion.
However, her research does not represent authority.
Some scholars also believe that the spread of red soil is a spontaneous behavior under the "slave economy", and the natural demand of the landlord class for "lowering the cost of living for slaves" is the real incentive for the spread of red soil.
This is a study that ignores human factors and is conducted entirely from a macro perspective.
No matter which guess it is, it is possible. All the people who have experienced that period of history are dead. The Moon King has long crushed this history to ashes, although the Moon King is gone in the end.
Somewhere in the dark, Niyang suddenly had an intuition in his heart——
Perhaps it is precisely because of their disrespect for history that they have caused suffering again and again.
It was this deep intuition that strengthened his belief that he must find Lacy.
They must have a frank talk!
And this is the only way to keep everyone alive!
Seeing that Niyang refused to stop and seek medical treatment, the professor begged and said.
"Why don't you and I find some local doctors? I heard they know some folk remedies and they might be able to cure your disease."
Niyang shook his head and rejected him again.
"Those people are all liars, intentionally or unintentionally. You just have to believe them and believe them yourself. There is no need to persuade me."
The professor smiled bitterly when he heard this, but stopped trying to persuade him and just prayed silently in his heart.
They have a lot of unfinished work, and they are reaching the most critical moment.