People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Does Rhine Life know any publishers at Columbia Publishing?

Christensen nodded: "I know, many scientific journals collaborate with Rhine Lab. Are you publishing a research paper? I can help you review it..." She paused, then changed her words, "I can have Nasti review it for you."

Reviewing papers is too troublesome; she needs to focus her energy on aerospace.

As for Nastya, although she seemed quite busy, well, Christensen is the boss, after all. The one who loves working the most in the company usually gets the most work.

Ernst was touched by Christensen's straightforwardness, but he didn't really like what she said.

Do I, Cheese Snow Leopard, who looks so innocent, look like someone who could publish those kinds of academic papers?

The person who should contact you with this need is probably Kal'tsit, the cheese lynx who's busy building Rhodes Island's reputation. However, since she hasn't mentioned it yet and isn't thinking of giving Ernst a kickback, Ernst has decided to hold off for a while and tell Kal'tsit about it after this commission is over, so he can get a free favor from her.

Ernst explained, "I'm not talking about highly specialized scientific journals. Are there any publishers that are more geared towards the general public?"

Christensen paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.

She knew little about the "mass-oriented" entertainment publications Ernst mentioned, and her sensitivity to fashion trends was regrettable. She even had the experience of being criticized by Muirsay as "Don't think that just because there are new materials that are good at heat dissipation and insulation, you can openly dress the same way all year round!"

But just because she doesn't understand it doesn't mean she doesn't know anyone who does.

Besides the fashionista Muirsey mentioned earlier, Yara, the head of human resources who acted as a foster mother to Christensen after her parents' death, is another big name in the industry.

Even though the Colombian Lancashire actress has been retired from acting for many years, she still maintains connections with the public.

"What do you want to publish?" Christensen asked curiously, showing a rare interest in something outside the aerospace field.

Ernst made no attempt to hide anything, introducing himself: "Have you read my novel, *The Chronicles of Erzley*?"

Christensen recalled for a moment, then, under Ernst's somewhat expectant gaze, shook her head mercilessly:

No. I've never heard of this book.

No wonder Muirsey asked me how I was doing in Kjerag; your sharp tongue is sure to get you into trouble.

Who taught you this?

Saria, step forward!

Do you two Rhine partners have a problem? Is your combined emotional intelligence higher than the altitude of the Matterhorn?

Whoops, just kidding.

Ernst was somewhat prepared; someone as focused and single-minded as Kristen was unlikely to have read his novel. However, that didn't stop him from writing Ernest's "The Legend of King Arthur" for the upper class.

"I would like to use Rhine Life's channels to publish my new book in Columbia."

"In return, the Shelag government can cover the Chief Minister's daily expenses in Shelag. In addition, I will also personally offer some small compensation."

Christensen nodded. She didn't really care about the small amount of money for daily expenses, but she was somewhat interested in Ernst's personal reward.

The prime minister had given her many surprises, whether it was his bold offer of a clearly uncommon deal in exchange for establishing a research station on the Matterhorn, or his help to Rhine Lab in perfectly resolving the Balrog incident while she was away, and even further enhancing his influence.

Christensen was very clever; she was not unaware that she was actually at a disadvantage in some transactions, but she was willing to accept that disadvantage.

To break through the barrier and escape Terra, she wouldn't even flinch if it meant burning the entire Rhineland to ashes.

So she was very curious about what kind of private reward the prime minister would give her.

“I will have Muirsey contact you then.” A rare smile appeared on her usually indifferent face as she slowly said, “If Muirsey cannot satisfy you, you can also seek Yara’s help. She has extensive connections and experience in this area.”

"So, can you tell me what your [personal gift] is?"

............

On his way back to his own mansion, Ernst was still a little shaken.

Christensen's interest in aerospace is truly remarkable. He had already overestimated it as much as possible, and he had made some preparations, pulling out all the "common sense" he had in his head before he opened his mouth. However, he was still almost rendered speechless by Christensen, who didn't even have this "common sense".

No, it shouldn't be said that he "almost" spoke; he was indeed speechless. It was just that Kristen's exceptionally high emotional intelligence suddenly clicked, and seeing Ernst's troubled expression, she proactively stopped asking questions. Otherwise, if she had asked one more question, Ernst probably would have fallen silent on the spot.

Ernst really did his best. To explain what "stars," "planets," "satellites," "galaxies," and why the stars in the sky twinkle without revealing Earth's location was not as simple as he imagined, as "teaching elementary school science."

Because the person standing opposite her was an all-knowing know-it-all, even more terrifying than a walking encyclopedia of questions.

Especially at the end, facing Christensen's meaningful gaze and the soul-searching question, "Did you also learn this knowledge from Jeragund?", Ernst felt a long-lost feeling of being drenched in sweat.

However, at least it was managed to get by. Since it didn't involve specific parameters or experimental methods, but merely some astronomical knowledge, Ernst wasn't worried that it would affect Christen's space experiments or lead her astray with a single sentence. It seemed that Christen was quite satisfied with the gift.

In the end, this is undoubtedly a win-win situation.

"We've already secured the Columbia distribution channels. As for the Victoria distribution channels, although both Daphne and Lafsini want to help with the publication of this edition of 'Ers,' after careful consideration, we think the Duke of Kester is the better choice."

Firstly, the Duke of Caesar had spoken to Ernst at the banquet, indicating that she would be willing to act as his agent for promotion should a new version of "Ers" be published in the future. If Ernst pretended to have forgotten at this point, he would be offending the Duke of Caesar and wouldn't gain any advantage.

Secondly, if Ernst could maintain a balanced relationship, he didn't want to ruin his relationship with the Duke of Caesar. After all, the Duke of Windermere, whose focus was on military affairs, or the Lafshinny and Abrahina sisters, whose actions were not as open and aboveboard, could not compare.

It's strange, really. It's understandable that Daphne wanted to help him with this, since the two of them had a good relationship and it was just a small favor for the young prince.

But why did Lafsini suddenly join in the fun?

Based on Ernst's interactions with Lafshini, Lafshini should be portrayed as a shy, introverted, but very strong girl. Even if she has some literary talent, she wouldn't necessarily take the initiative to compete with Defiance, would she?

That's strange, what's going on?

Chapter 210 The White-faced Owl's Observation Diary

Ernst did not keep a diary, but Joyce did.

The journey from Colombia to Sheraco was an incredibly wonderful experience for her.

In fact, Joyce was somewhat hesitant and timid when she first received Ernst's notice that she was to serve as the finance minister of Sherag.

Her academic background had little to do with finance, and she knew absolutely nothing about the economics and finance programs offered by Columbia University, where "talented people abound." Yet Ernst persisted, entrusting her with the position and offering her immense encouragement.

“Every college student goes through this stage after entering society. An older colleague I know once told me: To truly become a member of society is not as simple as graduating from college. Only when you can shed your bookishness and realize that you are just a brick, ready to be moved wherever needed, can you truly say that you have graduated from your student days.”

These were Ernst's heartfelt words; the senior colleague he mentioned had once given him an example.

A recent college graduate majoring in accounting joined a foreign company as an accounting intern, full of ambition. He planned to emulate movies and TV dramas like "Anti-Corruption Storm" and "Audit Storm," embarking on a thrilling and inspiring journey as a corporate accountant. However, on his first day of internship training, the first thing he was taught was how to balance the books.

This is still considered good; although ideals and reality are opposite, at least they're still on the same track, just running in the wrong direction. The more common situation is that a student who studied a related major can never find a satisfactory job that matches their expertise after graduation. Everyone is reassigned to positions that companies need, not those they want, and starts their lives from scratch. Until, in the very end, everyone switches to taking the civil service exam.

"Besides, if you really understood economics, I wouldn't have made you the Chancellor of the Exchequer."

The Minister of Finance is never just in charge of finances, just as the Ministry of Revenue in ancient China was never just in charge of money. Controlling the silver meant controlling everyone's lifeline and the very foundation of government operations. Aside from the Ministry of Personnel, which directly influenced personnel changes, the Ministry of Revenue was arguably the most powerful department and the most lucrative position.

Many people who study economics fall into so-called "dogmatism," always thinking about what market, what supply and demand, and how to make more money, but ignoring the most important point: as the central hub of gold and silver circulation and the focal point of contradictions, what you need to do is actually to make the "distribution of spoils more balanced" and maintain the balance and internal stability of various departments.

From this perspective, Joyce the White-faced Owl perfectly fits this description. Her roots are in Columbia, she has no vested interests with anyone in Sherag, and she is under the sole command of Ernst.

Perhaps due to her Originium Syndrome, or simply because of her college student's simple sense of justice and responsibility, she takes her job very seriously. Even now, with the financial department's turnover increasing, she still works like a diligent and error-free AI, completing all her tasks perfectly and on time.

She almost never appears in the spotlight, but she is the unsung hero behind the entire Sherag.

Ernst was very satisfied with her. As for her concerns about her professional level, Ernst was very understanding: "If you feel you're not good enough, then practice more. You'll see how much you've improved over time."

Of course, Miss Joyce didn't want nothing. Besides the salary and bonus that Ernst had arranged for her to be a permanent employee, she was also very diligent in writing her own diary—"Joyce Moore's Scherrag Observations."

"April 14, 1094, sunny, with a light breeze and a comfortable temperature (based on the historical relative temperature of Shelag)."

Joyce's writing style was characterized by meticulously writing the beginning of her diary entries and adding parenthetical annotations to every potentially ambiguous word or sentence.

After thinking for a moment, Joyce added a supplementary sentence after this date:

"Prime Minister Ernst Siwaish returned to Shelag on the sixteenth day."

"Prime Minister Ernst is always traveling around. In just one year, he has visited several countries and interacted with many amazing people."

“Three days ago, Mr. Ernst’s sister, Miss Saint Enya, asked Ernst: The reconstruction of Tukarim also needs someone to take charge, why can’t you stay in Sherag a little longer?”

"She seemed to be condemning her brother as an irresponsible prime minister who was often absent from the country, but I could tell that Miss Enya was worried about Ernst. Recently, there have been several assassination attempts against local nobles in Letania and Victoria, and there are constant rebellions within the Ursus Empire. Miss Enya doesn't want Ernst to continue taking risks. At least in Sherag, where she can see, she will feel more at ease."

"But Prime Minister Ernst was very firm in his refusal."

Joyce paused, putting quotation marks around what she was about to say: “Chaos is the ladder to ascent.”

Ernst did indeed say that peace and stability among the nations of the world are of great benefit to the development of Kjerag. A peaceful and stable international environment ensures that Kjerag's main sources of foreign exchange—tourism and trade—will not experience significant fluctuations.

But this is not absolute.

If simply developing through farming can guarantee that Sherag can escape the fate of being "eliminated" before the next major reshuffle of Terran power, then the radicals led by Ensiodis wouldn't be in such a hurry.

As someone who had studied dialectical materialism, Ernst knew very well that the international situation also needed to be viewed dialectically.

Peace and stability among the land's nations are beneficial. However, some turmoil during peace and stability is also beneficial. After all, given their size, even Theresis realizes that Kazdel cannot compete with the development speed of the land's nations in terms of peaceful development alone. Only when internal turmoil occurs in these nations will their attention be diverted, giving these smaller nations a chance to overtake them.

The advantage of Sherag over Kazdel lies in this: Kazdel, at best, can only "create trouble," walking a tightrope between two cliffs, risking another wave of allied powers and becoming a pawn in their wars to divert domestic conflicts. Sherag, however, avoids this worry. It can be the one to "solve trouble," proposing solutions and appearing as a positive helper to nations facing internal problems, winning favor, gaining benefits, and resolving conflicts. Then, when the next conflict arises, the cycle repeats.

After all, contradictions are a unity of opposites. Although this path is not easy, once you start walking it, it will definitely become a broad and prosperous road that gets wider and wider!

“I could see the disappointment on Miss Enya’s face after hearing Prime Minister Ernst’s explanation. She was just trying to find an excuse to keep Ernst at home a little longer.”

"I think Prime Minister Ernst must have figured it out, but unfortunately he can only pretend he doesn't."

Joyce recalled the conversation she overheard outside Ernst's room, and with her rich imagination, she sketched out the scene.

Miss Enya would never wear a long face in front of Ernst; she was the last person who wanted Ernst to worry. She was always smiling, well, a smile tinged with reproach and helplessness.

"So, you absolutely have to go to Laterano?"

Prime Minister Ernst would nod in eye to eye with Miss Enya, trying to make his expression firm. He always wore this expression in both private and business settings, such as when he had withheld Miss Holheimer's salary for three months a few days earlier for "business reasons."

"Yes."

Miss Enya would continue asking, perhaps with a hint of curiosity and anticipation: "So, who are you planning to go with this time?"

"Defiance and Vina."

Joyce couldn't fathom Ernst's expression. This was the first time Ernst had brought two people with him on such a trip.

Joyce's notes ended there. She first read through her diary for the day before putting a period to the entire entry and closing the notebook.

It wasn't that she didn't want to continue recording; it's just that after saying that, her eavesdropping plan was discovered by the old butler at the Shivaish mansion.

It's a pity we didn't hear Prime Minister Ernst explain why he chose Miss Vina and Miss Deffin.

Joyce pursed her lips with a hint of regret, but she quickly composed herself. A touch of excitement appeared on her usually serious face, which seemed somewhere between expressionless and adorably naive, as she took out another notebook from her desk.

This is a password book that is very popular among students. It has a small combination lock that requires sliding the gears and matching the password to unlock it.

Like the protection offered by Sherrag, this book is simply confidential; its actual effectiveness is negligible.

She skillfully opened the small codebook, which contained a long list of names—her colleagues in the Sherag government and acquaintances she knew in Sherag.

From Ernst's brother Enciodes, to Mr. Jeston, the defense secretary stationed with Defense Minister Actos, to Saint Enya and Miss Al, every name was prominently listed. Following their names was a long list, resembling a categorized table.

This was originally a little secret weapon she prepared after arriving in Sherag to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to remember the names of her colleagues. After receiving Ernst's advice that "if you're bad, practice more," she began to use the people around her as the targets for compiling a list and started to put it into practice.

Uncharacteristically, Joyce licked her lips and found the column for Vina and Daphne, adding a new item after their forms—Visit to Laterano.

"In the blink of an eye, Miss Vina and Prime Minister Ernst have already made so many trips."

Looking at Vina's "far ahead" chart, Joyce exclaimed and drew a preliminary conclusion.

"It's okay to knock on it."

Chapter 211 Ivangelista XI: Fainted from anger by the Dog Duke

Rutland.

To integrate the world into one city, and to build one city into the world. Lateran's ideal is clear: to transform the holy city they depend on for survival into a true paradise on earth.

"But what standard can be considered paradise? Is it paradise without the poor? Is it paradise without discrimination? Is it paradise without hatred, where people treat the elderly and children as they would their own?"

The sacred church stood above him, and the somber evening bells echoed along the corridors, while the white-haired old man now resided in a dimly lit underground space.

Before him, occupying an entire room, the [Law] machine, whose structure, construction, operation, and energy source were all unknown, was shining brightly, as if it were calculating and answering the questions from this [Saint (Chosen One)].

Pope Ivangelist XI waited for a long time, but still received no response from the Law.

"He" is indeed conducting some kind of eternal calculation, and is indeed trying to solve some ancient, unsolved problem. Unfortunately, that problem has nothing to do with Ivangelista XI. Naturally, "He" will not answer it.

King Ivangelista XI seemed to have gotten used to this process.

For him, questioning the law was like the daily prayer of an ordinary Lateran monk—a process of clarifying his faith and questioning his inner self.

So he answered on his own: