People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

“I think that even if we reach a resolution on it now, the agreement will still be torn up and reconstructed when we really realize what’s behind the door.”

"At that time, we will also face many competitors, such as the Agors?"

He leaned back in his chair and spread his hands:

"So, let's talk about something practical instead."

Witt also took a deep breath.

Indeed, that's true, but he overlooked that point. Even disregarding the so-called "free trade" and "sustainable exploitation" touted by this uniquely Colombian nation, they still have other threats to address.

For example, the Agorians.

Agor is too powerful; their current balance and communication with Agor is merely tied to Ernst, a fragile link.

Just because the Agors are easy to talk to now doesn't mean they'll always be. If the Stargate's interests become truly beyond imagination, not only will the agreements they've reached become worthless, but wouldn't the Agors also interfere?

Let's hope that when that time comes, their own internal affairs will fall into chaos because of a preliminary agreement, giving the Agors an opportunity to sow discord and defeat them one by one.

Moreover, thinking about it this way, it's true that the small nation of Zero should be given a larger share. After all, they might not be of much help during exploration, but they would definitely be invaluable in war.

Even if they look down on these small countries, at least they shouldn't push these countries to the other side, right? What they are doing now is sowing the seeds for the future.

Whether a cause is good or bad depends entirely on the present moment.

Even if he didn't care about the monk, he had to give Ernst face as a link. So what if he ate less? Besides, didn't the Tin Man and the President of Colombia both seem confident they could make a fortune?

Moreover, Witt grasped the deeper meaning in the Tin Man's words, and he pressed further:

"What does the President know?"

The tin man waved his hand mysteriously:

"The President knows nothing."

"The President simply remembered what Secretary-General Ernst had said at the time: as a permanent member of the Security Council, when making decisions, we should think more about this land."

"I believe that you all understand this point."

The new allocation plan was finally officially approved by vote a day later.

This document, titled the "Terragate Exploration and Development Agreement," was given a more familiar name upon its adoption—the "Black Hole Protocol."

Thanks to the extraordinary "fairness principle" in the Black Hole Protocol, more countries that were not originally very interested in exploring the ice fields—such as Kazimir and Syracuse—have begun to try to learn about it.

Ultimately, this will be the first unprecedented joint operation in Terra's history. To ensure that the results are not concealed or misused, the Terra Exploration Association, a subsidiary of the World Summit, will become the actual manager of this operation.

Chapter 1067 If you can't catch him, then let me do the fourth!

Columbia, Grand Hotel Cicel.

Crystal chandeliers cast dappled light across the dome, and waiters carried champagne glasses through the crowd. Ernst's knuckles tapped unconsciously on his glass, the ice ball inside having melted into translucent crystal. His gaze swept over the neon advertising screen floating outside the banquet hall—a 3D projection of "Grand Hotel Cicel" was playing popular Colombian electronic music on a loop, the upbeat notes subtly overlapping with the strings playing inside.

"You really should try this snow mountain beast ribs."

Wilson's silver fork pierced precisely into the basil leaf on the edge of the plate.

"To present this dish in its most authentic form, scientists at Tremont spent three months deciphering the traditional spice blends of Kjerag. From the ingredients to the seasonings, this dish tastes exactly like the one from your hometown!"

He took a sip of red wine, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the words he hadn't finished, and raised his glass to Ernst:

"Of course, no matter what, it still can't compare to the spiritual energy that the wind blowing through the cedars of Mount Kalan adds to this delicious dish."

Ernst glanced down at the small piece of rib on the table, the one that must have come from some champion pack animal racer, and shook his head with a smile:

“Mr. Wilson, you’re so kind. I’m already very happy to be able to eat the food of my hometown in a foreign land.”

"But I didn't see Mr. Ernst looking happy at all."

Wilson wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and looked at Ernst with a hint of pity in his eyes.

He meant no harm, but the thought of what Ernst had been going through all this time sent chills down his spine.

I really don't know how this young man managed to get through it.

Wilson had always thought that this prime minister from a small town like Sherag was just someone who could write a few articles and had some unusual literary talent and insight. Who would have thought that he would rise to his current position? Even the President has a high regard for him!

Wilson still remembered the excitement in the voices of the three when he received the telegram from Mark Max. That President was always stern and unsmiling, as cold as a machine; who had ever seen him speak in that tone?

Wilson really thought he had received a scam call.

But in any case, Wilson was a competent politician. Since President Mark Max had given the order, he was responsible for passing it down. He had to make sure Ernst had a good time at this grand banquet in Tremont.

But his current preoccupied appearance doesn't seem like he's happy at all.

What is Mr. Ernst worried about?

Wilson looked confused.

Do you think you haven't done enough?

Ernst hadn't expected him to ask so bluntly. After hesitating for a moment, he didn't answer the question but instead sighed softly:

“Mr. Wilson, this is not a problem that can be solved by whether we do it well or not.”

"Imagine you're facing a problem that, even if you give it your all and make no wrong choices, you might still struggle to solve it. What would you do?"

"Sherragh is facing this kind of problem?"

Wilson's confusion deepened.

In his mind, Sherag's current status is already among the highest in this land.

Even Laterano, disregarding popular religious beliefs, wielded far less influence at the official level than Sherag. It was only after the emergence of the [Heavenly Network] that Laterano finally gained some recognition and regained its precarious standing.

Under these circumstances, it's hard to imagine that Sherag would face such a difficult problem.

But after thinking about it carefully, Wilson realized that it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

Status is status, but power is power. When everyone is seated at the table, following the "rules of civilization," status can naturally be used as leverage in negotiations. But what if someone were to overturn the table?

Even disregarding the colossal deity of Sherag, the Sky Mothership of Colombia alone, the Survivor, is enough to destroy Sherag's current political and cultural center, Tukarim.

Colombia never claims to be the strongest in Terra.

Wilson pursed his lips, perhaps to avoid getting himself into trouble, or perhaps simply to follow some traditional political conventions. He didn't directly ask Ernst what "problem" he was facing, but instead slowly said:

"Columbia will stand by your side."

"I would personally do that too."

Ernst paused slightly as he cut the ribs of the pack animal, a look of surprise in his eyes.

"The former is His Excellency the President's order."

"The latter is my personal opinion."

Wilson continued,

"I was almost ousted from my position as vice president two years ago."

“That Jackson was so aggressive. If it weren’t for your help and the speech you provided, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.”

"You might not realize it, but when I was young, I always wanted to be a cowboy in the frontier. We cowboys are very loyal to our friends. I can't make any promises on behalf of Columbia, but personally, as long as I'm still sitting in this chair, I will never forget this kindness."

He sat upright, as if comforting Ernst, or stating a fact:

“I believe there are many people who share my thoughts. From Victoria to Iberia, there are probably far more people willing to help you than you think.”

"Putting everything else aside, there are those Satikaz people. I'm not trying to discredit them, but if you need help and they refuse to provide it, then such a heartless and ungrateful nation can never truly be accepted by Terra. No matter how high Kazdelnia flies, it will eventually be dragged back to the ground."

"Even though international politics prioritizes interests, human interactions have always been imbued with a sense of human warmth. I really like these six words from Yan State."

"Besides, you've never ignored our interests, have you?"

Ernst opened his mouth slightly.

Admittedly, these words have no legal effect whatsoever. In such an informal setting, Wilson's words cannot even be considered a promise, and even if they were exposed, they would not cause much of a stir, since Ernst did not even bring a recording device to collect evidence.

But it must be said that these words can indeed touch one's heart a little.

Strictly speaking, even adding Colombia would be a drop in the ocean in the face of a crisis of the "Observer" level, but whether it can be done and whether it is done are two different things.

Ernst's concern was never about "not changing enough," but rather that after all his efforts, he discovered that the Terrans themselves had no intention of changing at all.

One horse cannot pull the train of the times. If the entire land of Terra adopts a passive and conservative attitude, then no matter how hard Ernst tries, this civilization is doomed.

Just like saving someone who is about to jump off a building, if someone is determined to die and doesn't want to live at all, you can save them once, but you can't save them forever.

Because what he wanted to end was not his life, but his suffering.

"If Mr. Ernst wishes, he might as well submit the issue to the International Summit and let everyone discuss it together. If there are no problems with the platform for solving problems, then what is the point of its existence?"

Wilson said, chewing on his ribs.

Ernst nodded politely.

Should we just say it directly? If we do, then Terra will be entering an Age of Panic.

But Wilson's words did have some merit; he should indeed share some information with a select group of people he could trust.

After all, even Dr. Nine's plan required the cooperation of the Terrans. Whether it was using Agor's power to find the location of the [Deep Blue Tree] laboratory, or reaching an agreement with Laterano to borrow the computing power of [Heaven's Pivot] for calculations, all of these required discussion with the Terrans and their cooperation.

Some might say, these things originally belonged to prehistoric civilizations, so what's wrong with forcibly taking them back?

That makes sense, but the fact is that the PhD himself does not have the ability to directly "forcefully take action and snatch" a weapon.

He's incredibly weak; he's one of the few people in Terra whose fighting strength is below Ernst's, and his actual fighting power might not even be as good as a goose.

However, if Precys, who has this ability, were to take action, the entire [Panku] project would take a completely different turn.

Moreover, Precys clearly has no intention of providing assistance to the Doctor. She has made it clear that she respects the Doctor's attempt and acknowledges the feasibility of the Doctor's plan, so she will remain silent and wait for the Doctor to fail or for "Treasure" to make a decision ahead of time.

Remaining silent is clearly not a way of offering help.

Therefore, if the method of violent enforcement is ruled out, peaceful negotiation for recovery is the best option.

This was also the hope of the doctor and Ernst themselves.

Neither of them wanted a direct conflict with the Terra civilization. Rather, the reason the Doctor proposed this new plan was to simultaneously satisfy his own and Ernst's wishes and preserve the Terra civilization.

If we were to create conflict with the Terra civilization because of our plans, or even cover the land with Originium, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

So, in the end, it was the PhD, a science student and scientist, who proposed and implemented the plan, but the preliminary preparations had to be done by Ernst, a politician and a liberal arts student.

The perfect combination of arts and sciences is unmatched!

Ernst muttered to himself, and then he also thought about where to start with the plan.

From simple to difficult, among the several prerequisites, which one is the simplest to achieve?

It's not about finding the Deep Blue Tree, nor borrowing the Heavenly Pivot, but about DWDB—the continuation of civilization!

Within that small black crown lies the true technological essence of ancient civilizations, but few possess the ability and courage to delve deep into the continuation of civilizations to bring out those "forbidden knowledge."

All the Demon Kings throughout history have been like this. After reading about the survival of civilization, some went mad, some died, and some simply abandoned their posts!

Ertara has had countless opportunities to falter in the past, but now we only have one chance to revive!

If you can't catch him.

Then let me do it!

Let's begin the Sanrang Project!

Chapter 1068 "Different Paths, Same Destination" is a Luxurious Phrases

Shalag, a border town inhabited by Sarkaz, Rhodes Island.

Rhodes Island did not accompany Ernst to Columbia this time; Amiya and her elite operators remained in Seraphim.

This was the first time she had managed the entire Rhodes Island all by herself without the Doctor or Dr. Kal'tsit.

Oh, and there's also Miss Kroos.

Rhodes Island is anchored in a small town built by the Sarkaz outside Kjerag. Building such a town in the wilderness is extremely dangerous; sandstorms, strong winds, and natural disasters can destroy such a vulnerable settlement in an instant.

But since the establishment of this "Little Kazdel", it has never experienced any natural disasters.

The Sarkaz who gathered here knew the reason perfectly well. They built a small temple in the very center of the town and enshrined a statue of Jeragand inside.

To prevent the statue from being an inaccurate representation of the deity and thus disrespectful, it was even purchased from Tukarim for several thousand Sheragfrans.

Over time, the incense offerings here have remained quite good.

Rhodes Island occasionally holds free clinics here, distributing inhibitors to the Sarkaz infected with Oripathy. During this process, Amiya gradually becomes acquainted with the Kazdelnia officials who regularly visit this settlement.

Besides Ines and Mr. Hadley, whom I already knew, there was also Ms. Nasty, Mr. Fremont who looked very stern, Ms. Ramallian, Logos' mother, and Mr. Eye, the high priest who always wore a mysterious eye mask.