The Alliance Building, the office area of ​​the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is busy at the moment.

  This has been the case lately.

  As the representatives of enterprises, colleges, and legions gathered in Dawn City, more and more small and medium-sized settlements that smelled the opportunity to collect wool sent envoys to the alliance.

  Of course there are people who come here with sincerity, but there are also many fake ones, and there are even predators who pretend to be normal settlements and come to collect wool.

   There was a case not long ago.

  The survivor settlement registered in the abandoned urban area two hundred kilometers away is actually a raider farm that traffics people and money.

The merchants of the Free State saw the numerous business opportunities of the messengers in Dawn City, bought off the manager of the predator farm, set up a camouflaged radio station for sending and receiving signals, and packaged the settlement as a kind-hearted little White Rabbit, and used this to deceive the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' signal location detection and call-back verification procedures, and obtained the agency authorization of the base in the area.

  The merchant was betting that the alliance would not be able to spare so much energy, and went to the scene to confirm the survivors' settlement applications one by one.

   In this way, he can obtain the "diplomatic immunity" in the alliance as a diplomat, and represent a thousand-person survivor community to grab benefits from various forces.

   It has to be said that he accurately judged the working ability of the alliance's foreign affairs department.

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Alliance does not have the ability to investigate the situation of settlements offline, but there is still a special group of "players" in the Alliance.

   Obviously, he underestimated the players' enthusiasm for exploring new maps and settlements.

   Several players parachuted into that area that day, and immediately submitted a report offline through the official website after discovering that there was a discrepancy between the actual local situation and the mission description.

  Although the local area is far beyond the scope of the alliance's law enforcement, the guards will not be dispatched because of this, but the semi-official refugee home will issue a mission to clear the looters' camp based on the player's feedback and offer a reward for the rescue of the hostages.

   So far, the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is over, and then it is the work of the various corps of the alliance.

   It is said that the Silver Corps took over the follow-up mission, and the whole battle lasted only half an hour before it was over.

   The players who captured the Marauders' camp found the radio station that interacted with the Alliance Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the stronghold, and brought it back to Dawn City along with the prisoners captured in the battle.

   There were all the witnesses and evidence, and finally the merchant from the Free State was approved for arrest on charges of fraud, and became the second Free State merchant arrested by the Alliance after Hindisson.

  Faced with overwhelming evidence, even Free State Foreign Minister Norregg, who participated in the Cohesion Conference in the Alliance, couldn't say anything. He could only pinch his nose and admit the loss.

  Since that incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Alliance has strengthened the review procedures for the settlements of survivors from areas other than River Valley Province, and the workload of various departments has more than doubled.

  As usual, Cheng Yan, the foreign minister of the Alliance, sat in his office reviewing documents.

  At this time, his deputy came in with a letter and put the envelope on his desk.

  Cheng Yan stopped the pen in his hand to take a look, raised his eyebrows and cast a questioning look at him.

"This is?"

   "Protest from Xilan Empire."

  Looking at Cheng Yan with a surprised expression on his face, the Deputy Foreign Minister made a helpless expression, took out a crumpled newspaper from the file bag and put it next to the letter.

   "...caused by this newspaper."

  Cheng Yan didn't go to open the letter, but picked up the newspaper and took a look, only to see that the photo on the headline was the one that had been making a lot of noise recently.

   "…Goblin Observer?"

  The deputy foreign minister nodded.

   "Yes... But it has nothing to do with the headlines, but with the news on page 2, you can tell at a glance."

   "Let me see."

  After leaving this sentence, Cheng Yan immediately turned to the second page.

  Different from Survivor Daily, Goblin Observer is an unofficial private "entertainment newspaper" run by residents of the shelter.

After the Sindison case, the Union Congress voted to pass the Media Qualification Review Act, and the industry committee formulated detailed regulatory rules, but it only required that news on current affairs should not be fabricated and subjective, and news reviews must cite reliable sources news only.

Although some people suggested to the managers that the alliance authorities should review the qualifications of the media, the managers did not give a nod to this matter. Instead, they followed the principle of "experts handle affairs and the public supervises" as before, and handed over the management power to the The industry committee is composed of industry experts, and the supervision power is handed over to the representative meeting representing the public opinion and voice of the alliance.

   In other words, the foreign affairs department of the alliance cannot do anything to this newspaper in terms of procedures. Even if they want to do something, they have to go through the representative meeting or the manager...

   Pressing the center of his eyebrows with his index finger, Cheng Yan looked at the deputy standing aside and asked in an uncertain tone.

   "Are they protesting that we have taken in Lunar refugees?"

  The deputy foreign minister said with a sigh.

"No... what they protested was that we called those Moon Clan people 'refugees', and then they said some fables about the sun-laden cow. To be honest, I didn't understand it very well. In short, they asked us to use sinners or sinners. Call those people derogatory terms and drive them out for the sake of the Empire."

  Cheng Yan couldn't help but twitched the corners of his mouth.

   "Okay, another deer **** with big horns."

  The deputy foreign minister gave him a helpless look.

   "I told the guy that we respect their beliefs, but also ask them to respect that we are atheists... But the guy's attitude was very tough, and he even threatened us to fight us at the slime mold research community meeting."

  Cheng Yan looked at him in astonishment.

   "What does this... have to do with slime mold?"

  The deputy foreign minister shrugged his shoulders and complained in a low voice.

   "God knows...Damn it, I feel like the Willant people are behind the tricks, I know those big noses have no good intentions to pull these cerebral palsy into the sticky body!"

   "It can't be said that, Borneo Province is also part of this land, and any progressive voice is worth encouraging...even if some survivors' progress is not so obvious."

  Cheng Yan coughed, looked at his deputy and continued to ask.

   "The important thing now is to solve the problem...Is that all they want?"

  The deputy foreign minister hesitated for a moment, but he still spoke truthfully.

   "They're also calling in the managers."

  Cheng Yan was stunned for a moment, thinking he had heard it wrong, so he asked again uncertainly.

   "Summoned??"

   Are these guys awake?

  The deputy foreign minister said with a displeased expression.

   "Yeah...they thought we were wrong first."

  Cheng Yan's expression gradually became serious.

   "Is this proposed by the Duke of Galava?"

  Deputy Foreign Minister: "I'm not sure. It was his entourage, a guy named Niyang, who sent us the written appeal."

  Cheng Yan pondered for a moment, then spoke.

   "If anyone can meet with the manager for such a boring reason, our manager doesn't have to do other things... I happen to be free tomorrow afternoon, so I'll meet the ambassador of the Xilan Empire."

  The Xilan Empire can no longer be regarded as a small and medium-sized survivor force, and at least it occupies an entire administrative division of the pre-war era.

  Even though the other party's request sounded outrageous—even a little unreasonable, Cheng Yan felt that it was necessary to listen.

  Maybe there is some misunderstanding.

  As managers always say, misunderstanding is due to lack of communication, and many problems can be solved through communication.

  The slime mold research community is an organization established following this principle.

  If the survivors of all parties in the wasteland can put aside those long-standing disputes and cooperate on issues related to the common destiny of mankind, at least on some issues, this land will hopefully usher in a new era.

  For the sake of the future of human civilization, he felt that it was necessary for him to have a face-to-face conversation with this ambassador who came from afar...

  …

  The next day, Cheng Yan summoned Duke Galava, and set the meeting place at Conference Hall 2 of the Union Building.

  With a straight and elongated face, Duke Galava walked into the conference hall.

  He did not take his seat immediately, but looked around the circular conference table, only to see that the person sitting in front of the conference table was just a foreign minister, and the look on his brows suddenly took on a hint of arrogance and laziness.

  At the meeting of the viscoelastic body, the person who met with him was also the administrator of the alliance.

  What is a foreign minister?

   Also deserve to sit at a table with him?

  However, considering diplomatic etiquette, Duke Galava patiently walked to the conference table and sat down, nodding his index finger on the table.

   "Where's your manager? Have him come talk to me."

   Facing the Duke of Galava who showed an aggressive attitude as soon as he came up, Cheng Yan just stared at him intently, and said neither humble nor humble.

"Our manager has a tight schedule recently, and it is difficult to arrange a private meeting with you in a short period of time. But he told me to do the host's etiquette and take care of the emotions of the foreign guests. The same is true for me to listen to your worries— "

   "This is not an annoyance," interrupted him rudely, Duke Galava narrowed his eyes, and said in a threatening tone, "I repeat, you are trying to provoke the anger of the empire."

  Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Cheng Yan decided to ignore his rudeness for the time being, and continued patiently.

   "I came here to solve the problem...then the first thing I want to know is, what is the conflict between you and those Moon Clan people?"

   As he spoke, he flipped through the notes on the table, picked up a pen and got ready to record.

  However, as soon as his words fell, the angry protest of Duke Galava sounded in the conference room.

   "They are sinners!"

   "Reason?"

   "Sacred Niu—"

   "Enough, Mr. Galawa, you know we don't want to hear that!"

  Cheng Yan, who couldn't bear it anymore, finally couldn't help interrupting this guy's nonsense.

  Looking at the astonished Duke Galava, he raised his volume and continued.

"We want to know where your grievances come from, like... did they kill someone, or have committed crimes like theft, robbery, human trafficking before. You can think of this as a hearing, and we will hear both of you at the same time. The opinion of the other party, and strive to promote a result that satisfies both of you, if it can help you reconcile, it would be the best... What do you think?"

  Duke Galava stared at him blankly, as if looking at a strange and exotic beast.

  …Reconciliation?

  He suspected that he had heard wrong.

   With noble blood flowing in his veins, why should he reconcile with those lowly guys who are only worthy of kissing his toes.

  The Empire was merciful enough not to behead them, but to keep them in shacks.

   It's those guys who don't know what to do, who fled shamelessly from Borneo province, and cleverly excused their dirty blood, pretending to be poor innocents.

   How does this make survivors elsewhere see the Empire!

  Seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, Cheng Yan seriously reminded him.

   "Mr. Duke Galava?"

   Duke Galava suddenly calmed down and leaned back on the chair.

   Just when Cheng Yan thought that he was finally going to have a good communication, he put his right leg on the knee of his left leg, and dropped a word coldly.

"that's not important."

  Cheng Yan looked at him in astonishment, and was stunned for a while.

   Not important?

   "Then... what's important?"

   "Your Majesty said they are criminals, and they are. That is not only the will of His Majesty, but also the will of the God of the Sun. What do I need to explain to you?"

  Duke Galava raised his head slightly, raised his chin, looked at the foreign minister of the alliance sitting across the conference table with his nostrils, and continued speaking unceremoniously.

   "This is our own business, not yours!"

   Confirm that this guy is not joking, but really thinks so.

  Cheng Yan collected himself, glanced left and right at the secretary who was taking the minutes of the meeting, then put down the pen in his hand, and closed the notebook smoothly.

  There is no need to do this anymore.

  Seeing his actions, the other staff who made meeting minutes did the same, closing the notes on the table one after another.

  It seems that not only they think, but even Mr. Foreign Minister thinks this is a waste of time.

   Galava frowned slightly, not sure what these people meant, but felt that the situation was a bit different from what he had imagined.

  Before getting up from the conference table, Cheng Yan cleared his throat, sat upright and looked at him, and asked again solemnly.

   "Then... Duke Galava, I want to hear your appeal again."

   Galava frowned.

   "...what appeal."

  Cheng Yan: "About what you want us to do."

   Galava said without hesitation.

   "Immediately expel those criminals! And apologize to the Xilan Empire in the newspaper!"

  He made some concessions.

   It seems unrealistic for the emperor of the alliance to apologize to himself, but it should be possible to apologize in the newspaper.

  In his opinion, he has given enough steps.

  Cheng Yan nodded to show that he heard it.

  Seeing him nodding, Galava had a happy smile on his face, and leaned back on the chair leisurely.

   “It’s a lot easier to communicate, as we should have done from the beginning.”

   I didn't expect the alliance to talk more easily than expected.

  He just pressed a little harder, and these guys succumbed.

  It seems that he still thinks highly of these people, maybe he can be tougher next time.

"I think so too. We should communicate in this easy-to-understand way from the very beginning," Cheng Yan said blankly, looking at the smug Duke Galava, "so... this What's the matter with us?"

  The smile gradually froze on his face, and Galava stared at him dumbfounded.

"What did you say?"

  Looking at the astonished Duke Galava, Cheng Yan stopped hesitating, got up from the conference table, and conveniently put the untouched notebook under his elbow.

   "You have said it all, this is your own business, let us stay out of our business."

   "So what does this have to do with us?"

   Galava: "???"

  What is this called?

  What does it have to do with you?

  He opened his mouth, just about to reprimand, but couldn't think of how to refute for a while.

   Ignoring the stunned expression on this guy's face, Cheng Yan walked out of the conference room without looking back.

   "Wait, wait a minute—"

   Duke Galava stood up and reached out to stop him, but no one paid attention to him.

  Seeing that the foreign minister had left, everyone sitting at the conference table also got up and left the conference room.

   In a blink of an eye, he was the only one left in the huge room, standing dumbfounded in front of the conference table.

  Looking at the rickety and half-open door, Galava withdrew his trembling fist and roared angrily facing the empty meeting room.

   "You...will regret it!"

  The roar echoed in the conference room, but no one paid attention to him, and no one even heard him.

  Can't find anything to throw on the table, Duke Galava punched the table hard, and kicked the leg of the table with the tip of his shoe in bewilderment.

   Enduring the pain in his toes, he chewed up his anger and swallowed it into his stomach.

Wait, then.

  This humiliation—

  He will return it a hundredfold!

  …

  After the meeting, Cheng Yan calmed down and went to the manager's office, found Chu Guang and reported his meeting with the ambassador of the Xilan Empire, and reviewed his mistakes in work.

   "...sorry, Mr. Administrator, I messed up this thing."

   After reading the meeting minutes in his hand, Chu Guang didn't say anything after listening to his statement, but simply commented.

   "Don't blame yourself, you just did what was within the scope of your duties, at least in my opinion you didn't mess up anything."

   If you have to say something, you shouldn't talk to that guy from the beginning.

  For example, he himself, in the symposium on cohesion-related agendas, didn’t pay much attention to the trash who talked without nutrition.

   Originally thinking that he would be criticized by the manager, Cheng Yan was stunned, hesitated for a moment and said.

   "But... you said that as much as possible, problems should be resolved through communication."

  Chu Guang said patiently.

"I did say that, so we will communicate with all creatures that can understand human language, even slime molds, but there is nothing we can do if we can't understand human language. We must change the way of communication. You have to be clear, Not everyone is communicative. And it’s them refusing to have a conversation with us, not you refusing them.”

   Cheng Yan thought for a long time after hearing the words, and said respectfully.

   "The subordinate understands!"

   Seeing that he seemed to really understand, Chu Guang nodded in approval.

  He had heard about the situation of the Xilan Empire, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

Those people are essentially just followers of the Willanters. Like most survivor settlements, they don't have an urgent interest in solving the threat of mutant slime molds. In exchange for the benefits of other realms in the hands of the ancient survivors.

   Which is really okay, after all, cohesion bodies are made for this.

   Obviously, the Legion promised some benefits to the Xilan Empire, whether it was military support or economic benefits.

  So whether the Alliance offends them or not, they will stand with the Legion.

   This kind of vassal who has already stood in the team has no value in attracting, even if they can't reach an agreement, it doesn't matter.

  As for their so-called threat, Chu Guang didn't take it seriously.

   Even the Legion didn't dare to mention military threats, let alone these followers. He didn't think these guys really had the courage to take revenge.

  Retaliation of any kind.

   Putting the meeting minutes aside, Chu Guang looked at Cheng Yan and continued to ask.

   "Anything else?"

  Cheng Yan nodded and said immediately.

   "There is one more thing you need to decide. The Hump Kingdom has proposed that we can set up an embassy in Silver Moon Bay."

   Chu Guang asked doubtfully.

   "Didn't we have an embassy with them long ago?"

   Outside the alliance, the embassy is not only a dialogue channel for the alliance to communicate with other forces, but also a save point for players.

  Especially for forces without military bases, the embassy is almost the only official save point besides the player’s own save point.

"That's right, but the ambassador of the Hump Kingdom said... We have more active people in Silvermoon Bay than in Camel City, and he wants us to at least set up a dispute resolution office for those people for the sake of those Alliance citizens But I feel...the reason that really prompted them to make this appeal may be related to the recent military activities of the Xilan Empire in the Yinyue Bay area."

  Hearing these words, Chu Guang frowned, and turned his gaze to the map hanging on the office wall.

   After pondering for a moment, he spoke.

   "This can be arranged."

   Ignoring the Haiya Province controlled by the Church of the Torch, Silver Moon Bay is the closest seaport to the alliance, which is of great importance both in terms of strategic and economic significance.

  Although the alliance does not directly control this port, its economic interests in this area are not weaker than those in the Kingdom of Lions or the Kingdom of Honey Badgers.

  In order to prevent some blind guys from making small moves, it is better for him to make some appropriate gestures.

   "Yes." Probably guessing what Chu Guang meant, Cheng Yan nodded understandingly, and turned around to leave.

   Watching the foreign minister leave, Chu Guang looked at the map hanging on the wall again.

  I saw a railway line along the edge of the Zhabal Mountains, passing through the battlefield where the Skeleton Corps once fought, and reaching the Petra Fortress, the throat of the mountains.

   Soon the railway will pass through there, entering the fertile No. 4 oasis and the port of Yinyue Bay, and connecting with the sea route leading to the Baiyue Strait.

  At first, the Hump Kingdom was wary of the Alliance Railway, fearing that what happened in Boulder City would happen again in Oasis No. 4.

   However, the military pressure from the southwest forced the nobles and merchants of the Hump Kingdom to move closer to the alliance and seek closer cooperation in exchange for security protection.

  Chu Guang actually didn't really dislike this shit-stirring stick extending from the southwest.

   Although this **** stick is annoying, but compared to the actual harm, it is more ridiculous to him, not even comparable to the group of rats in the north.

   Besides, these guys sent some gifts to the alliance.

  Besides, it is a visible gift…