Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 197 - 021. No News in a Small Country (Part 1)

Chapter 197: 021. No News in a Small Country (Part 1)

At the age of twenty-six, Barnum Ziegrin finished his day’s work and took a company car back home.

Though called home, this suite room 409 at Happy Four Seasons Hotel at 67 Sipeya Avenue only housed him alone.

Being an expatriate officer for GTB, he was quite satisfied with the residence arranged for him by the duchy. He opened the window to view the Duke’s Mansion and the symbol of power for the entire Grante Duchy—the ’Sulut Palace’.

Frost Plated People favored white and blue, painting their Twin Palaces white, while the Grante Duchy traditionally worshipped the volcano that nurtured them, hence their state palaces were painted in a passionately vivid vermilion.

To be honest, not that Barnum didn’t love his homeland, but red simply looked more grand and vibrant than white. He greatly enjoyed returning home from work every day, opening the balcony’s floor-to-ceiling windows, sitting in the chair, with a breeze warmer than Frost Plated’s, and watching the changing of the Duke’s guards.

Opposite his window in another apartment lived a very kind man with a large beard and dead pale skin, clearly of Outer World lineage. Barnum knew he also enjoyed watching the guard change, but couldn’t remember the exact times, needing to take out his camera and telescope every few hours to watch.

This country, rich in coffee and grains, was blessed with golden soil from the planet, abundant geothermal energy allowed him the luxury of hot springs, a more powerful artificial sun, and delicious sugar that he couldn’t have hoped for in Frost Plated.

It had already been six months since he was sent on this business trip. Just by throwing a sugar cube in his coffee and waiting for the hotel waiter to bring over cod, pork stew, and salad, he already felt less homesick.

The clock’s hands, like swords, cut through everything before six o’clock, and as usual, he sat on the balcony chair to begin watching the Duke’s guard change.

However, he had been waiting quite a while and had not yet seen the stalwart guards typically present.

"That’s really odd," Barnum thought, puzzled.

He glanced at his watch to confirm the time was correct, then started to play with his personal terminal to check the news.

"At the GTB summit, Sky Ring Country’s diplomatic representatives presented compelling evidence again, suggesting that Mingji Humanity’s involvement in anti-humanity experiments could indeed be real. Frost Plated’s spokesperson stated, ’Not aware of this matter... Let it be, as sovereign states have been mudslinging at each other for days.’"

"Red Arrow Empire hikes interest rates again, Derby’s exchange rate against Galun drops below 9.8, inflation continues, Frost Plated might enforce strict price controls—crazy, if they freeze prices now, factories would simply shut down."

"Zhengxu immigration qualifications have been raised again, this year only 100,000 green cards issued... Ah, it’s even harder now."

As a graduate of a prestigious university, Barnum had rather average ambitions. Having lost his parents early and being unmarried, he just wanted to earn enough money to leave Frost Plated, that dreadful place, and live in a high welfare country like Zhengxu.

Nobody liked Frost Plated; women thought it too terrifying, fearing discrimination if they had sons, and men found it bitterly unbearable, without even a chance to complain.

Actually, thinking about it, the Grante Duchy wasn’t so bad either, but being a colony, the quality of its people was mixed. Barnum hoped his future children could still access better educational resources. Whether or not they would stand out was secondary; ideally, they should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

In that case, migrating to Zhengxu would be best—peaceful, comfortable, no wars.

But Barnum realized that the aforementioned conditions might also exist in Grante...

Could it really be that he would settle in a colony?

Truth be told, Barnum had been here for half a year now and had grown quite fond of the enthusiastic people. His main task as a GTB employee was to provide energy loans.

For a country like Grante that wasn’t short on energy, business was actually quite relaxed, with nothing to do but stroll around the streets and alleys.

Over time, he had developed some affection for this place.

Just as Barnum’s thoughts were drifting, his colleague Zhao Sen’an called him.

"Hello, it’s me."

"Yo, Barnum, did you graduate from Twin Star University?" Zhao Sen’an asked casually with a trace of curiosity.

"Yes, just graduated this year. What’s the issue?" Barnum wondered.

"Economics and management department?"

"It’s pretty obvious," Barnum said, lost for words. If he wasn’t going to work at GTB after studying finance, where else could he find a better place?

"That’s right," Zhao Sen’an excitedly said, "You have a sophomore girl named Li Huixi, do you know her?"

"I have a bit of an impression, quite beautiful, with a slender waist and long legs. At our social gathering, a friend encouraged me to ask her to dance, but she dismissed me for coming from a poor family," Barnum casually remarked.

"You call that a bit of an impression? I think you’re holding a grudge!" Zhao Sen’an teased.

"Not at all, I don’t care about that anymore. One must be magnanimous," Barnum replied dismissively, sipping his coffee casually.

"Li Huixi got into trouble and was detained."

"Good riddance!" Barnum slapped the table and eagerly asked, "What did she get in trouble for? She is still a sophomore, could it be economic crime?"

"Indeed, it’s related, Barnum. Do you know about the recent popular ’Li Aozi meme’?"

"I don’t watch those kinds of videos," Barnum stated righteously.

"You don’t watch them? Then how do you know Li Aozi’s speech was posted on the Snake Clear website!" Zhao Sen’an said contemptuously, "Let me tell you the truth, a friend from Third Rule told me—Li Huixi is Li Aozi’s biological sister, that’s why they detained her, planning to use her to coerce Li Aozi to surrender."

"Isn’t that too despicable..." Barnum frowned, "Using a criminal’s family as hostages, fundamentally there’s no difference from the criminals themselves."

"Li Aozi has long ceased to be a criminal. He killed over a hundred employees of Mingji Humanity, and the people of the Outer World hailed him as a hero," Zhao Sen’an quipped, "This guy has tarnished our reputation as Frost Plated People and even sold secrets to other countries; his family deserves to be implicated."

"I never said Frost Plated was right," Barnum countered, "Although Mingji Humanity may be at fault, the fact that Li Aozi slaughtered unarmed civilians is also true, and the Frost Plated Government conducting anti-human experiments is even more against common sense."

"Someone has to take the fall; it just can’t be us," Zhao Sen’an smiled, then seriously added, "If Frost Plated faces international sanctions, the samurai of Sky Ring might take this opportunity to wage war against us, and I plan to bring my family over from Frost Plated."

"To Grante? Not a bad idea; it’s safe here."

"Yes, we ordinary people should just honestly move to the colonies and the countryside. The soldiers of Sky Ring don’t show mercy when they kill."

Zhao Sen’an said worriedly:

"My wife still controls my three savings cards. Last year, we borrowed 3 million Derby and just bought a school district house in Twin Star City. Little Na just started elementary school. If war breaks out, and a missile hits our house, where will I go to cry..."

"It won’t happen," Barnum comforted him, "Only a nuclear bomb could break through the air defenses of the capital. Think positively, thousands of families around you won’t have school district homes anymore, no need to worry about kids being overly competitive."

"The way you say it, it almost sounds like something a person would say."

Just then, Barnum suddenly saw a white cloth, about eight feet long, fluttering down from the sky over Sulut Palace, as graceful and natural as a butterfly.

Cloth?

But as he focused, he realized it wasn’t just a piece of cloth. A large number of graceful white strips cascaded down through the air, heading straight for the Duke’s Mansion.

"Barnum?"

"Old Zhao," Barnum’s forehead broke out in cold sweat. He wiped it with his hand and whispered, "You better have your wife stay at home for now."

"What?"

The next moment, those white strips transformed into humanoid figures just above the ground. Assaulters in gliding suits shattered the windows and burst into the Duke’s Mansion.

Bang! Da-da-da-da-da-da!

Suddenly, gunfire erupted. Explosions occurred one after another, instantly disrupting the previously tranquil urban area. Following this, police and military armored vehicles moved onto the streets. Barnum watched as the usually kind and gentle big-bearded man across from his apartment opened his windows, picked up a missile launcher, aimed at the armored vehicles below, and pulled the trigger.