Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 256 EU-00093X
Germania, 22:00.

Only two desk lamps were still lit in the huge room.

The window was ajar, and the wind blew in from the other end of the street, bringing a slight chill.

"As you know, the pilot was immediately taken into custody after landing."

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Carl, with his head down, spoke in a disjointed manner.

Two printed drafts were laid out in front of him, the margins of which were covered with hasty annotations.

The man on the left didn't reply, but simply picked up the cup of coffee that had long since gone cold and took a few sips.

His name is Mason Morris, and he is from the U.S. Embassy.

Of course, that might not be his real name—you can glimpse it from the subtle Asian features in his face.

But nobody at this newspaper office cares about any of that.

"What happens after that?"

Morris asked, his tone casual as if he were gossiping.

"The Imperial Security Bureau's Special Operations Division intervened, and their response was swift."

Karl blinked, a look of sympathy on his face.

"After all, this is a particularly serious case."

"I heard the scene was horrific."

"There are almost no survivors."

Upon hearing this, Morris simply hummed in response and offered no further comment.

In the eastern administrative district, more than a dozen people die every week.

They were either resistance fighters, collaborators, or occasionally civilians.

This was likely a successful operation by some organization.

It's inspiring, but it doesn't yet meet the criteria for "valuable intelligence."

However, Carl had no intention of stopping there.

He carefully looked around to make sure the floor was safe before bending down to signal the man to come closer.

Morris found it amusing to see him do this, but he did as he was told.

But if you ask me—

Karl lowered his voice, his words revealing a barely suppressed excitement.

"—This is no ordinary matter; Elena found out about it from her friend."

She said there was an internal report that mentioned that "a large unidentified structural object had appeared at the scene."

"Large?"

"It is at least ten meters long, and it is said to have a highly complex outer shell and exhibit unknown technical features."

"The key is"

Karl took a deep breath before continuing:

"The thing suddenly appeared in the open space and disappeared two or three seconds later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Morris's pupils contracted sharply, and his breathing became erratic.

Carl saw it.

Fortunately, he didn't think much of it, assuming the man was just shocked by the news.

"Don't even mention you, it sounds like science fiction to me too."

Carl chuckled to himself, "Maybe it really is just a rumor."

"Elena always likes things that are based on hearsay."

"But what do you think that thing might be?" he asked with great interest.

“I can’t guess either.” Maurice tried his best to control his expression.

"But there are always people who like to portray military mistakes as science fiction," he said.

“That’s pretty much what I answered her.” Carl touched his nose.

"But hearing the phrase 'it disappeared into thin air after it fell' did send chills down my spine."

Morris nodded in agreement, his expression gentle and his posture steady.

But the turbulent waves surging in my heart did not diminish in the slightest.

My neck started to feel tight, as if some kind of irregular electric current was running through my skin.

So, after a moment's hesitation, he changed the subject.

"Do we still have a few paragraphs left to revise from that interview?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, and these last ones too."

Carl realized what was happening and quickly turned two pages. His finger landed on a section with the subheading "Cultural Identity":
"What did you say back then? 'The cultural structure of the empire does not constitute oppression,' is that your original quote?"

Morris looked down and said, “What I meant at the time was that external expansion does not necessarily equate to the coercive indoctrination of imperialism.”

He paused for a moment before saying, "You could change it to 'The projection of power structures does not always depend on the explicit forms of ideology.'"

Carl picked up his pen and quickly jotted down a few notes in the blank space.

"The rhythm of your whole passage was a bit too slow."

"The opening is a bit long. We can insert a few sentences about 'structural conflict' in the first half to provide a contrasting logic and highlight the subjective argument later on."

His speaking speed gradually increased, clearly indicating that he had entered a professional rhythm.

Morris stared intently at the slightly curled corner of the paper, his mind racing.

In an instant, the Latin letters printed with ink twisted, deformed, and then came together again.

Finally, the screen focused on a few familiar lines of text.

[World Code: EU-00093X]

[Task activated]

[Penalty for failure: death]

An unidentified object that appeared suddenly.

Could it be the work of other mission participants?
Or is it just a coincidence?

Karl was still speaking, his voice seemingly coming from a distant place.

"Of course, your statement that 'civilizations do not necessarily decline during environmental changes' is good, but I suggest adding a couple more sentences with a slightly metaphysical flavor, otherwise it's too analytical."

Morris's gaze fell on the constantly ticking countdown.

If the other side is indeed as suspected, its target is clearly the Imperial military.

In other words, they are not enemies along the path.

If a connection can be established, it is highly likely that a relationship of partial cooperation or mutual benefit will be formed.

Of course, this will be a bold attempt.

But he couldn't bear the cost of missing out on recognizing each other.

After all, this mission was so arduous, and the consequences of its failure were something he could hardly bear.

Morris suddenly felt a tightness in his chest from the tension.

He took another sip of coffee before gesturing for Karl to pause his analysis.

"I think we could add two more sentences here."

Karl paused for two seconds before asking, "Where?"

“Here.” Morris’s expression remained perfectly straight. “I think it’s necessary to add a quote.”

"See Chapter 93X of file number EU-000 for details, where related concepts were mentioned."

Carl narrowed his eyes. "Does this sound really need to be included in an interview?"

“We academics prefer to be rigorous,” Morris said.

Carl sighed: "You Americans are such a hassle."

Morris remained silent, simply watching the numbers slowly fall onto the paper.

He wasn't sure if the person actually existed.

Even if it exists, will people be able to see this newspaper? Will there be a response? And in what form will it appear?
There are no answers to any of these questions.

But he could no longer wait patiently for the right time.

because--

"Oh, right!"

Carl's voice was smug.

"There's been progress on the matter you asked me to inquire about."

"Now you can finally give them an explanation, right?"

Morris frowned. "So soon? Your safety should be the priority."

“Don’t worry, it’s not exactly a secret,” Carl shook his head. “It’ll probably be in the newspapers soon.”

"You Americans are right."

“Asia is about to undergo tremendous changes.”

"Yes, the Japanese delegation has arrived."

　I'm back from the brink of death! Hopefully, I won't have to travel far again until the end of the year.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)