June 11, 2101.
Under the empire, about one-third of Europe was in flames of war.
This area of the earth may be home to the most militant group of people in the human world. From the several Crusades under the pretext of religion in the late Middle Ages, to the thirty-year anti-Habsburg melee that also evolved from a religious struggle in the seventeenth century, to Global colonial expansion and the scramble for colonies in the late nineteenth century.
The gene of plunder is deeply planted in this land. No matter how loudly the arguments of "spreading religion" or "granting civilization" are sung, after peeling off the hypocritical illusion, the invasion of distant colonies and the internal disputes of European princes , in the final analysis, its motivations are nothing more than political conflicts and territorial division.
In Germany during World War II, there was a man who took things to the extreme. I think his ambition may have been to unify the earth, but he failed and was nailed to the cross called justice. He will always be reviled by the world, regarded as a beast and a tyrant, and became a victim when the victor writes history. Looking back, he wasn't that different. The expansion of the British Empire once reached a quarter of the earth; France once dominated all of Europe during the time of Louis XIV; history cycles through killings and conflicts, and war is the most powerful force that promotes the advancement of the times.
And war must have its dark side. Stories like "Gone with the Wind" are very far away from ordinary people, so far away that they don't even need to imagine. The pain suffered by the people and the fragility of life are the most real and terrifying aspects of war.
Humans are very terrifying animals, sinful creatures. When they take up arms and gain strength, they will engage in bestial behavior that goes far beyond their instinctive needs. Burning, looting, whipping, rape, massacre... If they are undisciplined soldiers, they are basically the same as bandits. Even a well-trained regular army may not be able to prevent these things from happening.
War makes people crazy. In that environment, humanity will be wiped out, civilization will be trampled on, and life will wither. Once war comes, the most pitiful people will always be the people, and many of them are forced to take up arms. They will inflict their own misfortune and hatred on their enemies a thousand times.
Someone once said something like this: People are not wrong, it is the war that is wrong. But I feel that there is nothing wrong with war, it is the people who are wrong. Even if robots and humans go to war one day, it will never be more cruel than the battle between humans.
The gears of time are turning, and human history and civilization are also progressing. By the 22nd century, the impact of war on civilians has gradually faded. In the period after the unification of the empire, with the collective decline of religion, the unified planning policy of the planet's population, etc., the concepts of racial and ethnic differences have basically disappeared in people's minds after a hundred years. The development of science and technology has also made the opportunities for close combat between soldiers extremely rare.
Nowadays, no one would do the massacre of civilians. No matter which team's commander issued such an order, 90% of them would be considered mentally ill or mentally abnormal, and the possibility of mutiny would be high. However, it is inevitable that people will be affected when they are on the battlefield.
… …
In mid-June, the European battlefield was in full swing.
A few months ago, Iron Commandment sent troops to Guanzhi County and Red Lion County at the same time. At this stage, it has basically stabilized control over the media and military and political offices in the two counties, and has taken over local security management responsibilities and administrative powers.
Oak County, located in the north of Red Lion County, and the two cities of Tarbes and Bayonne in the south were also in danger and became the forefront of the entire European battlefield during this period.
On the other front, the main force of Crown County of Steel Commandment is locked in a stalemate with Crystal County's HL European Headquarters Army. The strong strength of Crystal County HL also protects Oak County's eastern front from the side. Not to be breached.
It can be said that at this moment, the eyes of the entire Europe, and even the world, are looking at the two small cities in the southwest of Oak County. Once it is breached, the south of Oak County will soon be controlled by Steel Command, and then their two forces from Red Lion County and Crown County can merge in the southeast of Oak County. The empire would have to transfer troops from all over Europe to the northern parts of Crystal County and Oak County for defense. The battlefield for the frontal confrontation between the two armies would expand and the battle line would be very long.
At that time, the scale of this war will escalate and its nature will change. What started as a mutiny by a rebel group within two European counties developed into a large-scale war between two military forces throughout Western Europe.
Previously in Africa, the Yanwu Alliance had captured three or four small counties. South Africa became a real occupied area for the empire, and the largest Dragon County in Asia included the southern part of Shuangying County. , also under the attack of the Allied Forces with White Lightning as the main force and the Iron Discipline, it gradually became difficult to control.
If the fighting in Europe escalates, it will undoubtedly evolve into a full-scale war on a world scale. If the war faced by the empire ends in failure, then even if the remaining power of the empire can sit on the final line of defense of Tiandu, the planet will likely return to an era of multinational separatism. Considering the people's The collective desire is that the first country to perish will be the empire.
There are also people among the empire's top leaders who have noticed the changes in the current situation, but unfortunately, their voices have not yet become mainstream. In the imperial court, there are too many people who are prudent and wise in protecting themselves. There are still many people who deceive themselves and others, thinking that the rebellions in various places will be quelled in a few months at most, and there is no need to bother at all.
The nobles and royal families everywhere seemed to have too much confidence in the empire. Even the dignitaries in Red Lion County and Guanzhi County just left these two counties as soon as possible after the war began and fled to Other counties continued their original lives. As for those who were unfortunately arrested, they naturally could not escape the "trial" of the Iron Commandments, and of course most of them ended in the death penalty. Fortunately, these days there are no massacres and implicated nine clans, nor are the female relatives of noble families sent to prostitution, or the youngest sons arrested and exiled.
This is a kind of progress, a manifestation of the political maturity of the resistance organization. Whether it is the Yanwu Alliance, the Freedom Front, or the Iron Discipline, as long as it is a successful prince, it is very sensitive to its own image among the people. Even though many of the things they did during the period of covert operations were similar to terrorists, during the occupation period, administration must be strict and there must not be any signs of corruption similar to the empire.
This kind of approach by the resistance organization is a dangerous signal. In the past, there was a guy who claimed to be the second son of God. He organized a team and after acquiring a little bit of land, he robbed nearly a hundred of his wives alone. There was also a guy who was not much better than him and successfully entered the capital. One day, after the emperor engaged in banditry, he burned down the palace before running away. People like this are not terrible, and based on their standards, they are not enough to dominate the world.
But today's resistance organizations have learned a lot from the experience of their predecessors in all aspects of military and political affairs. This is not just a bunch of stupid people grabbing money, food, and women, but an organized, disciplined and programmatic way to win over people's hearts, seize territory, and compete with others. The empire resisted. From this point alone, even if there is only one force making trouble, it is enough to attract attention, not to mention that there are many such organizations around the world.
It can be seen that the current empire is indeed on the verge of death, as Tianyi said, and the blood has penetrated into the bone marrow. What can a tea fairy and a drunken prince do
… …
In this troubled autumn, Tianyi came to Europe.
Taking the fake ID made by Zuo Dao and the tens of thousands of dollars obtained from the accountant, he bought a ticket from Macau to Kabul, and then transferred from there to Paris in the north of Oak County.
Even though the southern part of Oak County has become a battlefield, it is still the beautiful flower city, fashionable, romantic, flashy, expensive...
Walking on the street, there is still a peaceful scene in front of me.
But Tianyi seemed to be unlucky. When he walked out of the airport, it was raining.
He didn't have an umbrella or even luggage. The taxi drivers at the door all gave a wide berth to this suspicious-looking man in black who was soaked in the rain.
After searching for a long time, he managed to get into a car, but what came to him was: "Hey! Man! Look, you've wet the seat in the back!"
More than half an hour later, Tianyi arrived in front of a relatively ordinary hotel in the city.
Along the way, Tianyi kept thinking about whether to kill the driver and drive the car to the wilderness to dispose of the body. Then he only needed to find a place to disguise the license plate, and he would be able to act as a taxi driver the next day. Wandered around the city.
But looking at the wedding ring on the driver's finger and the childishly made ornaments on his windshield, Tianyi understood that this guy had a wife, children, and a family, so Tianyi gave up. He knew that letting this bastard Living is the real torture.
"No need to look for it." Tianyi gave him a big ticket, stepped out of the car, slammed the taxi door, and hurriedly got under the awning in front of the hotel.
"Thanks, man." The driver turned around and thanked him, stepped on the accelerator and left.
Tianyi whispered in a low voice: "You can just go and die..."
After walking a few steps forward, the doorman who greeted guests at the door opened the door for Tianyi: "Do you have any luggage that you would like me to help you with, sir?"
"Look..." Tianyi was wet from head to toe, and his hands were empty.
A few minutes later, he came to the front desk and opened a pretty good suite. Then the doorman took Tianyi into the elevator and walked all the way to the room.
After opening the door for him, he said: "If you have any instructions, pick up the intercom and dial 1 to get through to the front desk."
"oh."
"There is an additional charge for drinks and snacks in the freezer, and there is an additional charge for on-demand 'special' TV programs. If you want to make an outside call, please dial 0. Of course, there is an additional charge."
"oh."
"If you need me to buy something for you, you can make a list..."
"Take this." Tianyi stuffed a big bill into his hand: "Shut up and get out."
The little brother immediately stopped being wordy and said with a smile: "Welcome to the Dolphin Hotel, I wish you a happy stay."
Before he finished speaking, Tianyi slammed the door with one hand and said to the door panel: "You can just go and die..."