Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 698 Horse Racing: Gun of Morning Light I
13: 20 PM.
New York, Social and Cultural Committee.

The wind was freezing and gray clouds were pressing down on the city. The icy air of February enveloped the entire city in coldness.

The headquarters of the Social and Cultural Committee stands at the intersection of West 42nd Street and 10th Avenue. This building, which blends modern and classical architectural styles, is like a central pearl in the theater district. The facade of the building is a combination of glass and metal, shining with a low-key and luxurious luster.

The surrounding theaters and cultural institutions seemed a little deserted in the cold winter wind, but the building was still busy, welcoming visitors and officials from all sides.

On the top floor of the building, in a classically decorated director's office, Adelaide Kurd, director of the Social and Cultural Committee, was enjoying a lavish lunch.

His obese body almost filled the entire exquisite mahogany chair, and his face was filled with a typical bureaucratic's greasy smile.

He held out his handkerchief and daintily wiped the corners of his mouth, which were stained by his hearty lunch, with his fingers as thick as sausages.

This graceful move looked ridiculous on him.

The tableware on the obese director's table was arranged meticulously. On the plate was an exquisite foie gras pate with truffle sauce, and the edge of the plate was garnished with tender grilled scallops and fresh white truffles. Next to it was a glass of excellent vintage Bordeaux red wine. The wine glass was crystal clear, and the wine swayed slowly in the glass, exuding a mellow fruity aroma. The dessert was a Michelin-level chocolate lava cake, sprinkled with gold foil on the surface, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and slightly steaming, waiting for the final tasting.

Just as the obese Kurd was enjoying this luxurious lunch, an old telephone in the corner of the office suddenly rang.

The retro shape of the telephone blends in perfectly with the classical decoration of this office, yet it conveys an ominous feeling in this luxurious space.

The fat and big-eared director frowned slightly. A series of specific numbers flashed on the steampunk special channel prompt table. He recalled in his mind the people represented by these numbers.

The Bieber gift from Wandman Newspaper...

This emperor penguin faction reporter who came from Antarctica is one of his own personal writers.

It's really inconsiderate of him to call me at this time. Doesn't he know that I don't like being interrupted while eating?
Although unhappy thoughts flashed through his mind, he still chose to answer the call.

With a click, the fat and big-eared director slowly pressed the answer button with his greasy fingers.

He leaned back in his chair, his fat body sunk deeply into the leather cushion, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

"Bieberli, it's not time to pay the salary yet."

He sneered, his tone was mocking and threatening, "As a political reporter of the Wand Man, you should stop talking to me all the time. The National Security Bureau and the New Alliance are watching..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a rude interruption from the other end of the line.

Kurd's words got stuck in his throat. Before he could react, the other party started to attack him:
"Director, don't mention your little things to me! The riot in the square has gotten out of control. The most important thing is that the man from Hell's Kitchen has appeared! Do you know what that means?"

Then, the person on the other end of the phone directly relayed all the details about the riot in the square to the Fat Director, including the violent suppression of the mind suckers by the Administration's special operator Mole, and the appearance of the lord from Hell's Kitchen at the scene of the suppression.

Finally, the person on the other end of the phone added coldly:
"Also, all my subordinates have applied for special leave this week, so don't contact me again in the future!"

Kurd wanted to say something, but the other party had no patience and hung up the phone directly. A hurried busy tone came from the microphone.

Drop drop ~~
His fat face suddenly became extremely ugly, and the hand holding the phone was shaking slightly.

He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly pressed the microphone in his hand back to its original position. The rough action made the phone make a muffled sound.

"Who does this damn penguin think he's talking to!" Kurd was furious, cursing under his breath, his face flushed red.

"You bastard, you bastard Bieberli! Who do you think facilitated your promotion from Wandsman reporter over the years? Who picked out a piece of trash like you from the godforsaken place of Snow Hill Island in Antarctica and supported you all the way to the position of 'special correspondent'?!"

His eyes were full of anger, and the fat on his face shook as he roared, his voice getting louder and louder.

"Without me! You will never see the beast master that your faction worships in your entire life!!!"

The angry Kurd gripped the chair handles with both hands, feeling that he was being humiliated in public.

While the obese director Adelaide Kurd was still cursing Biberly angrily, the phone rang again, the ringing sound echoing in the office with a harsh sense of urgency.

Kurd glanced irritably at the flashing code on the phone. Unlike the last media harassment, this time the number was a familiar specific channel.

He narrowed his eyes, and his fat fingers reached out for the microphone again. When he grabbed it, a fierce light flashed in his eyes.

"Speak." His tone was cold, like an enraged predator.

A hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone. The voice was cold and mechanical, without any emotional fluctuations, like a well-trained killer giving a routine report:

"Mary Collins is dead. The man who freed Hoofbeats did it."

Kurd's expression froze for a moment, but he didn't interrupt and continued listening.

"Collins was on her way back to her office after attending a press conference on increasing safety for infected contestants when she was assassinated. A member of the Hoofbeats Liberation Unit, disguised as a reporter, approached her and detonated a small explosive device hidden in the camera."

The voice coming from the microphone was still terrifyingly calm:
"Collins was killed on the spot, and her entourage was also seriously injured. As for her security, the two financial beasts [Hearts-J] and [Diamonds-K], for some reason, did not start. Now, Liberation Hoofbeats has publicly stated that Collins is a symbol of using the law to oppress the infected, and that what they did is a just act, vowing to end the vicious cycle of the horse racing system. They also declared on the public big screen that they would completely destroy the entire system. At present, the Kentucky Derby, a triple crown, has been forced to stop."

Kurd's face was extremely gloomy and he listened in silence.

The [Hearts - J] and [Diamonds - K] mentioned by the other party are powerful and terrifying financial beasts in the financial field of the new world. The security failure of the two is not accidental, but an extremely rare abnormal event.

There is obviously more behind this than just the attack of the liberation hooves.

After a moment, he responded coldly:
"understood."

The obese director took a heavy breath, his fingers tightly gripping the telephone receiver, his joints making a faint creaking sound, and his eyes flashing with uncontrollable murderous intent.

It was the calm before the storm. He looked like a ferocious beast about to leap out of a cage and tear apart any prey that stood in his way.

The report from the other end of the phone continued, and this time, Kurd's expression was completely distorted.

"We recently spotted Mikhail himself at the Mobile Ark Hotel, he was with Miss Lydia..."

boom--

Before the other party could finish his words, a loud bang shook the entire office. Kurd's fist slammed down on the table, and the entire exquisite mahogany desk shook and almost broke.

Kurd's face suddenly changed, veins bulged on his thick cheeks, his eyes were like burning flames, and he looked like an enraged beast.

His voice roared, full of hysterical anger:
"No matter what means you use, you must chop that damned infected person into pieces! I want him to disappear completely!"

He was breathing heavily, his anger gushing out, and it seemed that even the person on the other end of the phone line could feel his violent breath.

He gritted his teeth, his tone becoming more ferocious:

"As for Lydia, bring her back to me immediately! Don't worry about her feelings! She actually defied me for those dirty bastards. Does she know what I've done for her?"

"I am her father, she owes me everything! Not me who owes her everything!!!"

The person on the other end of the phone simply responded:
"Yes."

Then, the other party quickly hung up the phone.

The busy tone on the phone echoed in the room again. Adelaide's face was ashen, and the murderous light in her eyes had not yet dissipated.

His breathing was heavy, and his hands were gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his nails almost dug into the wood.

Anger burned in his chest like a flame, almost making him lose his mind.

dong dong dong-

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside the office, interrupting his thoughts.

He was stunned, his eyes fixed on the direction of the door.

Come again! ! !

Damn, what the hell is this day? It never ends, does it?!

Everything that happened today was testing his patience.

Questions came one after another.

Outside the door, the secretary's voice came cautiously with a hint of fear:

"Director, Mr. Abraham of the Administration..."

bang-

Before he finished speaking, Kurd stood up suddenly, his fat body made a dull sound, and the chair was pushed to the ground.

He walked quickly to a full-length mirror in the office, forcibly restrained all his violent emotions, repeatedly adjusted his facial expressions in front of the mirror, and tried to squeeze out an "extremely kind" smile. However, his fat face like a pig made this expression look extremely stiff and funny.

However, he still had to do this. Facing the fourth sword-bearer of heaven, he had to behave properly.

After a moment, he picked up a bottle of elven alchemical perfume on the table.

This perfume is extremely luxurious. It is said in the legends of pirates from all walks of life that a lucky pirate hijacked 10 boxes of this perfume and became a cross-border businessman, thus escaping his mediocre fate.

Of course, this legend is just like a third-rate joke, without any credibility. Its existence is just to highlight the preciousness of perfume.

Maybe this third-rate joke was spread by those elf perfume merchants themselves.

Kurd gently pressed the perfume nozzle, and a fine mist sprayed into the air.

He turned his wrist slowly and sprayed perfume in a very professional way - spraying it precisely on several key parts such as wrists, behind ears, neck, etc. to ensure that the fragrance was evenly spread.

Then he smiled at the mirror, nodded with satisfaction, and then straightened his collar and adjusted the position of his tie.

"Bring out my treasured Silver Moon Wine," he instructed his secretary.

This wine is an extremely rare 'Silver Moon Holy Wine', brewed from a secret vineyard in the New World. The wine is clear and has a mellow taste, and is regarded as a top luxury item for the upper class.

"Yes." The secretary responded, and then hurried away in her high heels.

*
*
13: 30 PM.
The reception room at the Cultural Committee headquarters.

The reception room where Xia Xiu is now is undoubtedly one of the most luxurious places in the entire building.

A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, casting soft light and illuminating the magnificent decorations.

The surrounding walls are covered with works by famous painters from the New York Theater District, and the colors of the paintings are particularly vivid under the light.

In the center of a long marble table was placed a bouquet of the most precious white bracts in the New World, emitting a faint fragrance.

The heavy velvet curtains drape gently, filling the whole room with an elegant and solemn atmosphere.

Xia Xiu sat casually on a leather sofa, with his iconic black top hat and silver cane beside him.

He looked a little lazy, with his left hand casually resting on the armrest of the sofa, his posture extremely relaxed.

He seemed to blend into the luxurious environment around him, but beneath his seemingly relaxed appearance, his thoughts never stopped.

In a place that no one else could see, all sorts of information from the Administration's think tank [Adam] was flowing through the retina of the fourth sword-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven. Data streams kept emerging, and pieces of information flowed into his eyes one after another.

Suddenly, a piece of news caught his attention.

He pointed randomly with his right hand, and the words flashed in his retina:

----

***【Special Report from Edici Federal News】***
February 1591, 2 in the Terran calendar

Title: Race Board Chair Mary Collins assassinated in Washington, D.C. by Hoofbeats Liberation Insurgents

text:

This morning, an assassination that shocked the nation took the life of Mary Collins, chairperson of the Eddie West Federation Racing Regulatory Commission.

The attack took place near downtown, D.C., when Ms. Collins was assassinated on her way back from a press conference in which she briefed the public on plans to increase security measures for infected horse racing.

She is a key figure in the federal horse racing industry. In the New World, before the birth of the Golden Tree, she has been committed to promoting the participation of infected people in horse racing and has helped formulate a number of policies and regulations.

Details of the attack:

The incident occurred at 10:45 a.m., when Ms. Collins and her entourage had just left the venue. An assassin disguised as a reporter mixed into the media team, approached Collins as she walked towards her car, and detonated the explosive device hidden in the camera. The explosion directly caused Collins to die on the spot and several entourage members were seriously injured.

After the attack, the Liberation Hoofbeats organization {related link+} quickly released a statement through underground channels, claiming responsibility for the incident and accusing Collins of being "a tool for exploiting and objectifying infected people."

Collins' influence and controversy:

As chair of the event's governing board, Mary Collins has deep influence in government and business.

Before the birth of the new world, she had already led a number of policies related to the "Uma Musume Event" {related link+}, and actively promoted legislation to enable infected people to participate in national horse racing competitions on a larger scale.

Although Collins has publicly stressed that these events provide equal opportunities for people living with HIV to showcase themselves, her policy has also sparked dissatisfaction among many HIV/AIDS groups, who believe that this is exacerbating the objectification and exploitation of HIV/AIDS.

Liberation Hoofbeats’ statement and government response:

In a statement, Liberation Hoofbeats said Collins' death was a major victory in their fight against the federal government's infected people policy, and they will continue to fight against all powerful institutions and individuals who exploit and oppress infected people.

Ms Collins' death marked the start of a more violent phase for the group.

The federal government of Edise responded urgently to the incident, vowing to intensify its crackdown on the Liberation Hoofbeats and its members.

A spokesperson for the Federal Office said: "This heinous act is a serious challenge to federal security and we will use all means at our disposal to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure such atrocities never happen again."

The government also announced that it would increase security levels for all senior officials and venues related to horse racing, and deploy more security forces to prevent further attacks.

Public reaction:

Mary Collins' assassination sparked widespread panic and outrage across the country.

People who support the government's horse racing policy expressed their condolences, while advocates for the rights of people living with the virus used the incident to call on the government to review its horse racing policy for people living with the virus.

Protests have broken out in several cities, demanding an overhaul of horse racing rules and an end to the objectification of infected people.

The assassination brought new tensions between the federal government and the infected, and brought more public attention to the Liberation Hoofbeats organization and its increasingly violent tactics.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the situation in the Edisi Federation will attract much attention in the coming weeks.

------

Xia Xiu couldn't help but rub his eyebrows, a helpless look appearing on his face.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart:

"It's the prelude to another storm. The conflict between the infected and humans, the conflict between the abnormal community and the government..."

"These contradictions have always been one of Terra's most difficult problems... and every time, there is a sense of impending storm."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if thinking about the next situation.

"This time, we must not allow the situation to develop to the level of the Bodhi Tree Massacre. When necessary, the Administration can only suppress it by treating the symptoms but not the root cause."

squeak--

While Xia Xiu was lost in thought, the door was gently pushed open and a secretary with a curvy figure walked in.

She was wearing a black business suit, with black stockings highlighting her slender legs. She was holding an exquisite silver plate, on which was placed a bottle of uniquely shaped wine - Silver Moon Wine.

The body of the bottle is as smooth as a mirror, emitting a faint silver glow, as if it contains the power of moonlight, and the mouth of the bottle is carved with a complex moon pattern.

The secretary walked gently to Xia Xiu, bowed slightly respectfully, and then opened the cork of the Silver Moon Wine in a proper manner. Immediately, a light and elegant fragrance filled the air.

She poured the wine into a crystal wine glass. The wine flowed slowly, presenting a clear and transparent silver color. The liquid rippled in the glass like moonlight, and tiny silver spots flickered on the surface of the wine.

After pouring the wine, the secretary stood aside, his hands still holding the Silver Moon wine steadily, his eyes lowered, and his movements meticulous.

At the same time, the door was opened again, and a fat, big-eared, ruddy-faced man walked in with a smile on his face.

It was none other than the director of the Social and Cultural Committee, Adelaide Kurd.

He walked towards Xia Xiu with slightly clumsy steps and enthusiasm.

"Sir Abraham, welcome! Your arrival is a great honor to our humble home! I have been looking forward to it for a long time!" The fat Kurd spoke in a loud voice, full of enthusiasm.

He stretched out his right hand in the air, obviously wanting to shake hands with Xia Xiu.

Xia Xiu raised his eyes and glanced at Kurd, then looked at the secretary standing respectfully beside him. In his mind, he already had a clear understanding of the image of this fat and big-eared bureaucrat.

He stood up and shook hands with Kurd with a faint smile. The force of his hand was not strong, and he dealt with it politely. His face maintained a polite and distant expression, and his tone was calm:
"Director Kurd, I came here today just to discuss the political affairs of the New Alliance with you."