Chapter 324: Hiding in hiding (6)
Even Chu Hengkong knew about Zan Van Parriman, because he was so famous in the Jingsha city-state.
Born into a prestigious family of the first order, he gained fame for his intelligence at a young age, earning praise from the city's notables for his exceptional brilliance, evoking the spirit of ancient sages. While he lacked the talent for advancement, he was unable to join the Divine Guard. Despite his humble status, he nonetheless volunteered to serve under Jingsha, rising to become a commander of the frontline garrison.
Twenty years ago, at the turn of the battle lines, Jingsha was besieged by an outsider due to a miscalculation of the situation, resulting in devastating casualties. Parriman, with keen judgment, gathered the remaining troops, broke through the siege, and reunited with the main force in the city. This action saved countless lives, and the survivors and their families were filled with gratitude, hailing him as a "hero," and Parriman's fame was instantly etched in his memory.
After the handover, Parriman entered politics as a hero and quickly rose to prominence. His Parriman Doctrine effectively alleviated postwar grief and played a significant role in rebuilding the city-state's spirit. His numerous legislations facilitated the city's postwar economic recovery, earning him widespread support from citizens of all walks of life.
Ten years after the war, Parriman became Speaker of the Thorns House of Lords. Twenty years later, another new bill is gradually being implemented under his promotion.
That is "Bill No. 368" which caused an uproar inside and outside the city-state.
·
"He's a big shot...!" Vander reminded in a low voice.
Generally speaking, most power in the Jingsha city-state rests in the hands of the Divine Guard. However, in Mansa Star Fortress, the situation is different. The First Order Divine Guard acts more like a court and police force, mostly performing supervisory and law enforcement functions. The House of Lords, like the central authority in a conventional political system, holds both legislative and executive powers, and can even directly mobilize the military under special circumstances.
This system of decentralized local autonomy and central authority inevitably concentrated power in the Senate. As Speaker, Parriman held a position akin to that of a "President" or "Head of State," making him the most powerful man in the First Order and even in the Jingsha City-State.
Parriman looked at everyone with a smile, and Chu Hengkong nodded to him: "I have long heard of your great name. Do we need to greet you?"
"Of course not. The city-state's system differs from that of the divine kingdom. Politicians and civil servants merely represent occupations and have nothing to do with social status," Pariman replied. "Although you are not citizens of the city-state, on a social level, you and I are equals... Therefore, the city-state never uses the term 'Sir'. Please feel free to do as you please."
"Let me add that you legally have the right to require others to address you as 'Sir,'" Benintic said. "The seventh amendment to Section 142 of the Civil Decency Act was proposed because the then-Speaker of the House was governing poorly and was being verbally abused on the streets."
"Excuse me, has his situation improved since the bill was passed?"
Benintic replied seriously, "According to records, citizens at the time, because they thought cursing the Speaker was breaking the law, resorted to throwing rotten fruit at him. Hence, the third amendment to Article 13..."
"Thank you, Attorney Benintic. I think we should find an opportunity to amend the Civil Courtesy Act. At least citizens should retain the right to hurl rotten fruit." Pariman held his hands together. "I haven't introduced you yet. This is Benintic, the most outstanding prosecutor in the Supreme Procuratorate of Mansa Star Fort, known as 'Dead Wood.'"
Benintic adjusted his scarf with reserve. Ji Huaisu asked curiously, "Does this mean that Mr. Benintic is impartial in his law enforcement?"
"No, it's because Mr. Benintic is always forgetful and forgetful. He's like an old man despite his young age..."
"So it's this 'dead wood'!"
"No one can be perfect!" Pariman joked. "City Lord Ji met with us a few days ago, and I know why you all came. There are many places worth visiting in Mansa Star Castle, but I didn't expect to see you all in the Great Library."
The Speaker was a humorous person, never arrogant, and his every move was graceful. Even someone as picky as Chu Hengkong found him approachable. However, Li Ke had a gloomy expression, as if she were looking at an enemy.
She squeezed out a few words from between her teeth: "I'm in a hurry, please move aside!"
Pariman did not move, but simply said, "Ms. Li Ke, you have been here many times, and I don't think the result this time will be different."
"But I will still try my best. After all, I am a person who values my reputation, unlike those frauds who claim to be heroes!"
These words were completely offensive, but Parriman did not react at all, and there was no anger on his face.
"I understand that you doubt my title. However, once one enters the public eye, one's destiny is no longer determined by oneself," Pariman said. "The title of politician is the result of collective expectations placed upon an individual. My being called a 'hero' has nothing to do with my own abilities or character; it was simply because the citizens of Thorns longed for a 'hero' at the time."
"Do you want to say that I am a puppet being manipulated?" Li Ke sneered.
"What I'm trying to say is that titles, like the job of a politician, are 'chairs' created by the masses." Parriman stroked his mask. "The masses only choose the image they want to see, and the politician's job is to meet their expectations. If I can't meet these expectations, citizens will naturally choose another 'hero' to sit in the chair... People like me are just sitting in the chair, performing the play. The masses who watch this play are the ones with real power who decide the direction."
"You're so lightly throwing the blame onto over a billion people, making the Speaker sound like a completely innocent person!" Rico angrily retorted, "But now, aren't you the one who's stubbornly pushing forward such a shameful bill? Are you saying this is what the public wants?!"
Parriman tapped the rim of his mask and smiled.
"If my actions are motivated solely by selfish desires, why should citizens support me?"
"you……"
"When bills, policies, customs, and the like emerge, they inherently represent a need within a certain group in society. The more dramatic the impact, the more urgent the underlying need... I imagine your father taught you this, but perhaps his intense emotions clouded your thinking."
Li Ke clenched her fists tightly. For some reason, her emotions suddenly lost control. She swung her fist and hit him: "How dare you mention my—"
Her fist was held by Benintic, and the prosecutor's expression was no different from usual.
"Both the Civil Etiquette Act and the Jingsha Constitution contain additional penalties for attacking those holding important positions, such as the Speaker. I would like to remind you of this."
"I'm sorry, Prosecutor." Chu Hengkong pulled Li Ke aside. "She's young and impulsive, and she can't control her emotions. Please forgive her."
"No, it was me who caused my unhappiness first," Pariman apologized. "Then I'll go ahead. Next time we meet, I hope to have the opportunity to show you the scenery of Mansa Star Castle."
After that, Parriman walked away alone. Benintic walked with him for a few steps, then seemed to remember something and turned around and said, "Excuse me, but could you please confirm everyone's tickets?"
Fander's heart tightened. They had come in through the back door, and there was no stamp on the ticket. However, Chu Hengkong remained calm and took out three tickets from his pocket.
"please."
Benningtik took a quick look and saw a "Pass" stamp in the upper right corner.
"Excuse me."
He handed back the ticket and accompanied the Speaker out of the library. Vander breathed a sigh of relief. "When did you do that?"
"It's not hard for me to steal a stamp from under someone's nose, let alone a sloth."
Chu Hengkong walked into the elevator, pressed the buttons for their respective floors, and the elevator rose rapidly.
"Let's split up. Fander and I will look for the notes, and Huaisu, you assist Li Ke with the investigation."
Ji Huaisu made an OK sign and patted Li Ke: "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm sorry to bother you guys." Li Ke was depressed. "I shouldn't have made things complicated, but I... can't stand that pretentious guy."
"It has something to do with Trek."
Rico didn't respond, and an awkward silence fell in the elevator. The button for the 78th floor flashed, the elevator doors opened, and Rico let out a breath.
“Parriman prospered from the war’s dividends, but someone always had to bear the brunt of the public’s anger,” she said. “My dad was that unlucky guy.”
Chu Hengkong watched them leave, and Fander whispered, "Let's just..."
"Not yet qualified enough."
"Oh, yes." Vander shook his head. "What are the two particles 3 thinking?"
"So wait until I reach point 4."
"Hey, you!"
Chu Hengkong chuckled as he watched the number 257 light up. Behind the door was a pure white corridor, with no decorations, no staff, only doors marked with numbers under the unchanging lights.
Their destination was located at the top floor of the Great Library, deepest in the dusty layer. Chu Hengkong had expected to see tight security, but the place was deserted.
"Your things may have been moved ahead of time."
"I don't believe it." Fander muttered, "The owner's arrangement is not so easy to change."
The house numbers began at 0000 and stretched on, seemingly endlessly. Chu Hengkong realized that the house numbers referred to the year, and behind each door was probably information from that year that needed to be sealed. Perhaps some years contained nothing worth mentioning, so their doors had no handles. Along the way, the vast majority of doors were impenetrable, and only a mere one percent had keyholes. The handles on those doors were all white.
They reached almost the end before they found room Z-2978, a door with a silver handle.
"I'm really a little nervous," said Vander.
Chu Hengkong inserted the key and smoothly opened the door. The moment he opened the door, an ancient air rushed in his face, making him think he had mistakenly entered the library's storage room.
His vision was shrouded in a dark yellow. Everywhere were pages of books, burned, corroded, blurred by water, and the sight of indistinct characters filled the air. The influx of air from outside created a breeze, and the dusty pages of the long-sealed books danced in the wind like a magnificent, decaying rain.
Even Chu Hengkong was stunned by the scene. He raised his hand to brush away the pages of the book and saw a glimpse of silver in the corner of the room. At a glance, he was certain that it was what Fander was looking for, because he was too familiar with it.
That's another big book with silver eyes.
He grabbed the book and turned around. Footsteps were heard in the silent corridor, and the man with a wolf's head appeared at the door.
"Please give me that book," it said.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
