A is in StarCraft, just disembarked from the Zerg Prince spaceship.

********************

......

Sevisma sobbed for a long time.

His rapid breathing gradually calmed down.

Speaker Vika then released him, straightening her cuffs and hem until everything was impeccable: "Have you vented now?"

Sevisma managed a weak "...um."

"You will attend General Kelly's inauguration ceremony tomorrow."

"What?! You want me to give that bitch—"

Speaker Invika made no comment on his rude remarks, but calmly repeated: "You must attend the signing ceremony and Kelle's inauguration tomorrow. Then, smile and applaud."

"You want me to applaud him?" Sevisma's voice suddenly rose.

"I just want you to live," Speaker Invika said calmly. "How many eyes are watching us right now? How many people in the council are waiting to find something on me?"

"Whether we can make a comeback in the future is a matter for the future. Right now, our most important task is to survive."

"But this time is different... Brother!" Sevisma's fingers shattered the wine glass, shards of glass piercing her palm without her noticing. "They tore down the declaration, abolished the code, all my power is gone, I have to endure the stares and scorn of those lowly people when I walk down the street... And now I have to applaud the culprits who caused all this!"

Suddenly, the council president, Vika, grabbed his brother's bleeding hand with such force that Sevisma winced and looked up in pain.

"Sevisma, look at me." Speaker Invika's gaze was like ice, making Sevisma tremble.

"Our Fire Ant family, the Serenopsis lineage, has experienced four civilization upgrades and two interstellar wars. You think this is the first time we've acted like dogs?"

He ripped open his collar, revealing a gruesome scar below his collarbone: "Let's not talk about the distant past, just the recent past. When my female father and your female father, the heads of the red and black fire ant clans, died at the same time, how did we survive?"

Sevisma's breathing stopped.

He couldn't breathe.

The power struggles among female insects have always been brutal.

How did they survive?

It was my brother who went to be someone else's dog.

Helpless and powerless, seize every opportunity you can and discard everything unnecessary.

Later, they seized the position of family head, gaining more power and resources, and eventually reached their current status.

Speaker Invika released his hand and took out a pocket watch from the inside pocket of his suit.

When the watch cover is opened, a photograph is revealed, frozen inside crystal, showing two immature female insect offspring standing in front of the family cemetery.

One was taller, the other shorter; one had red hair, the other had dark skin. Young Sevisma clutched tightly at her brother's clothes.

"The night our parents died at the same time, you asked me what to do." Speaker Invika closed the lid. "My answer is still valid: live on, do everything you can to live on."

The sound of rain outside grew louder, and the raindrops tapped on the stained glass, refracting the holographic celebration outside the window into blurry spots of light.

...In fact, the thing his older brother should have gotten rid of most as he grew up was his useless, young younger brother, but his older brother never let go of his hand that was pulling him.

He was so well protected by his brother that he couldn't bear any hardship.

Sevisma's shoulders finally relaxed little by little.

It was as if something had vanished from him.

"Brother, about Kelly's inauguration ceremony..." He started sobbing again, but mustered his courage to face it, "What kind of speech do I need to prepare?"

Speaker Invika looked at him and finally revealed a very faint smile.

Speaker Invica's lips curled slightly as he pulled out a document: "Cry it all out today. No crying during the ceremony, you must smile. Your three congratulatory remarks to General Kelly must be sincere, dignified, and appropriate. When signing the document abolishing male insect privileges, apologize to the public, saying that these phenomena are due to your negligence and dereliction of duty. Remember, especially praise the Crown Prince's wise decision, which has given the Empire and the Xiongbao Association a brighter future."

Sevisma remained silent for a long time, then suddenly chuckled: "...That sounds like sarcasm."

"That's politics."

Speaker Invika rose again to straighten his coat, giving Sevisma one last look before leaving: "Change your clothes. You reek of alcohol. If you can't even maintain a presentable appearance, no one will support you. The first ironclad rule for politicians is to always dress decently, no matter the time or place."

At the top of the stairs, the butler stood with his head bowed, holding the formal attire for the ceremony in his hands.

Sevisma stared at the gold-trimmed dress.

The uniform of the president of the Xiongbao Association, which once symbolized supreme power, now looks like a garbage bag placed over a trash can on the roadside.

It is something that people want to avoid at all costs.

"Get a good night's sleep tonight and make sure you look presentable." Speaker Invika turned and walked towards the door. "I'll come to pick you up tomorrow."

......

*************

......

The next day.

At dawn, the central square of Liernia was already packed with citizens.

Their hair and clothes were covered in dew in the morning mist, but they didn't care and just looked at the voting screen in the square.

As the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and projected onto the large screen, the crowd began to stir.

Millions of people flocked in from all directions—

They stepped over the colorful ribbons from last night's celebration, over the torn-up laws of male lord privilege, and finally stopped spontaneously at the warning line.

They were all waiting for the vote results.

The sound of cannon salutes could be heard in the distance.

The crowd suddenly fell silent.

General Kelley appeared on the podium.

He was wearing a new general officer's uniform, and the golden eagle wings that symbolized the major general of the Third Army Corps were no longer on his shoulders, but instead had a new scale shoulder insignia that no one had ever seen before.

He smiled at the citizens and waved quietly.

Then the Grand Justice, the Parliament, the Xiongbao Association, the Crown Prince's adjutant... appeared on the stage one by one.

The Supreme Court justices announced the results of the referendum to repeal the Privileges Act.

With over 60% of the population participating in the vote, over 90% in favor, and 54% of the entire empire's citizens in favor, the vote has ended early.

The holographic seal slammed onto the virtual scroll with a loud "boom!" and the once-revered articles of the "Privileges of the Ruler Law" vanished one by one.

The citizens erupted in cheers.

The president of the Xiongbao Association signed the confirmation document for abolishing the Xiongzhu Privileges Act in full view of everyone.

His cursive signature was much smaller than usual, and the handwriting trembled, like a curled-up worm.

Speaker Invika secretly pressed down on his brother's trembling arm.

The chairman of the Xiongan New Area Protection Association apologized to the citizens and reflected on his dereliction of duty.

The Crown Prince's political adjutant, acting on behalf of the Crown Prince, issued the appointment document: "Effective today, a regulatory body will be added to Xiongbao, with General Kailai as its chairman."

General Kelly smiled and shook hands with the trembling president of the Xiongbao Association.

He will inevitably become the Crown Prince's new blade, hanging over the neck of the Xiongbao Association's chairman.

From this day forward, the Xiongbao Association, one of the three major powers controlling the Imperial Male Insects, has officially collapsed.

......

The Crown Prince's progress in saving the empire is at 50%.