Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 699 Horse Racing: Gun of Morning Light II
Kurd's round face was immediately filled with smiles, and his cheeks looked even more shiny because of the excessive smile. He rubbed his hands together, looking extremely attentive, and said eagerly:

"Mr. Abraham, it is my great honor that you can come here! Don't worry, all the matters you mentioned, no matter how big or small, I, Kurd, will personally supervise and never let you worry! The government affairs of the New Alliance, especially the coordination with the Honkai Administration, have always been the focus of my Cultural Committee. I have always emphasized that the seamless connection between culture and government affairs can better promote the development of all parties."

Kurd continued to talk:

“Our Cultural Committee has also been committed to maintaining cultural exchanges among ethnic groups and coordinating various conflicts of interest. Especially when it comes to border affairs, we will of course fully support the work of the Administration!
You see, the strength of the Administration's law enforcement in the New World is obvious to all. Our Cultural Committee has always cooperated with it. Not only did we not obstruct it, but we also vigorously promoted the Administration's great achievements through various channels. Look, which media outlet has not praised the Honkai Administration to the sky?"

He kept talking, with the usual glibness of a bureaucrat, and every word he said demonstrated his unparalleled "loyalty" and "efficiency".

"Of course, the horse racing business you mentioned is also a reflection of our Cultural Committee's efforts to balance the interests of all parties. When it comes to the implementation of the policies of the New Alliance and the Kingdom of Heaven, we have always followed the will of the Kingdom of Heaven and are led by the Administration. We have no other ideas."

The fourth sword-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven tilted his head slightly, listening to Kurd's long speech, with a warm and brilliant smile flashing in his eyes.

His golden eyes shone with a different kind of luster, and his gaze seemed to penetrate Kurd's hypocritical smile.

When Kurd finally stopped his endless official language, Xia Xiu spoke slowly, with a hint of sarcasm in his calm voice:
"Really? I didn't expect your Cultural Committee to be so supportive of the Administration's work. Unfortunately, that's not what I heard."

The smile on Kurd's face froze.

"I heard that the Cultural Committee interfered too much in the logistics review of the border area. Not only did they enrich themselves, they also privately raised a supernatural force to make profits in secret."

“Not to mention, you guys have been making the job of horse racing more difficult.”

The fat and big-eared director Kurd was embarrassed for a moment. The corner of his mouth twitched and the panic in his eyes almost overflowed, but he soon regained his smile, his face still full of flattery, and said to Xia Xiu:

"Ahahaha, sir, which bastard are you talking about who dares to gossip in front of you?! These rumor-mongers are simply shameless! Scum with ulterior motives, I promise you that I will never tolerate such nonsense!

The Honkai Administration is the cornerstone of the New Alliance. How could our Cultural Committee possibly hinder it? It's all those villains who spread rumors and maliciously slandered us!"

He had a big smile on his face and tried his best to shirk responsibility in his words.

After Xia Xiu finished listening, he showed an indecisive expression on his face, and raised the corner of his mouth slightly. Then, he slowly spoke:
"Director Kurd, there's no need to say more polite words."

The blond young man narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the director in front of him:
"I didn't come here today to listen to your nonsense."

"I'm here for the New Era Racecourse race affairs. I'm here on behalf of John K. Hanks, the senior representative of the Deasy government, the president of the Second Federal Reserve Bank, the prime minister of the New Alliance Economic Adjustment Committee, and the arbitrator of the mediation court."

As he spoke, Xia Xiu still had that warm and bright smile on his face, as if he was just chatting casually, but with every word that came out of his mouth, the atmosphere in the whole room condensed, and the air around him began to become sticky and oppressive. The invisible pressure was like a mountain, looming over the director.

Kurd faced this terrifying aura, cold sweat slid down his fat cheeks, and he subconsciously touched the [Financial Beast] card in his pocket.

As a senior official of the Federation and a member of a financial institution, he carries with him five [Financial Beast] cards out of the fifty-four cards of the Federation.

Although his proficiency in controlling these evil beast cards was very poor, these five cards were enough to make him confident in front of ordinary people.

However, facing the Fourth Sword Bearer of Heaven, these cards are simply a joke.

But just knowing this, he still subconsciously tightly grasped the cards in his pocket, his fingertips turned white and his palms were wet with cold sweat.

Xia Xiu glanced at his movements, but didn't pay much attention to them. His eyes were still focused. He stretched out his right hand and raised three fingers:

"I came here this time to do only three things - fairness, fairness, and..."

"fair!"

The golden eyes of the fourth sword-wielder of Heaven pierced into Kurd's eyes like a sharp blade. His smile was still bright, but the threat and coldness hidden in it made Kurd tremble all over.

"I have seen government documents from the Social and Cultural Committee, so I know what you, or the groups behind you, are doing - whether it is a policy of cultural segregation or internal exploitation."

Kurd felt a chill spreading down his spine, his fingers were trembling slightly, his fat body tensed up involuntarily, and the smile on his face looked stiff.

He wanted to open his mouth to explain, but found his throat was dry and he couldn't utter a word.

And Xia Xiu's words were still echoing in his ears:

“I didn’t care before, but now, all your department’s policies must be stopped immediately - especially the reporting department under your department, stop demonizing reporting and stop adding explosives to the powder keg.

At the same time, the so-called cultural isolation zone for people with odd-toed equines should be lifted, the review mechanism for cultural festivals and traditional activities of people with the disease should be lifted, and the licensing and review system for cultural activities of people with the disease should be lifted.

If you can't do that, then I'll let you experience the Authority's own 'fairness'."

Director Kurd felt an unprecedented humiliation and anger. This humiliation slowly fermented in his heart, burning his remaining pride like a corrosive agent.

His fat face was filled with smiles, but his heart was like a wild beast on the verge of exploding.

The humiliation mixed with hatred made him almost breathless, but under the golden eyes of the fourth sword-wielder of the Kingdom of Heaven, he did not dare to show any abnormality.

He could only force out a smile, suppressing his inner shame, and whispered:

"Of course, of course, everything will be done according to your instructions, without any delay."

Xia Xiu stood up, stretched out his hand, raised the wine glass, and took a sip of Silver Moon wine, as if he didn't notice the turbulent emotions in the heart of the director of the Social and Cultural Committee in front of him.

This wine is good, I can get a few bottles later. He praised it in his heart.

Then, Xia Xiu picked up his hat and silver cane, lowered his eyes slightly, and smiled calmly:

"I hope that the unblocking notice will be released today. Regarding the unblocking within the country, it's all green light. I don't want to hear any excuses - you guys are better than anyone else at blocking and unblocking things."

After that, he told the director that he was busy and had to leave first.

Then, the director could only see the back of the fourth sword-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven as he turned around and walked out of the room without hesitation.

*
*
When Xia Xiu's figure completely disappeared outside the door, only the director's gloomy face and the secretary's frightened figure were left in the room.

The whole space seemed to be shrouded in low pressure, and the suffocating silence was disturbing.

Sudden.

boom--

A loud noise broke the silence, and the director slapped the bottle of extremely precious Silver Moon Wine to the ground. The bottle shattered instantly, the wine splashed everywhere, and the glass fragments flew across the secretary's thigh, leaving several bright red cuts. Although the pain spread throughout her body, the secretary dared only stand there trembling, not daring to say a word.

The fat and big-eared director showed a flash of anger on his face, gritted his teeth and whispered:

"You heard everything just now. Do what he said, immediately. Send a warning to those departments and tell them to behave themselves. Tell them that the Wild Dogs have their eyes on them, and if they dare to act recklessly again, they will be courting death."

He sneered and added, "Didn't those guys always think that the Administration is a wild dog outside the bureau? Now let them know that this dog is no joke."

The secretary nodded immediately and responded with a slight tremor, "Yes, Director." Then he quickly left the room.

After the secretary left, the director walked to the quaint telephone with a tired look on his face, stretched out his hand and dialed a few numbers, and the call was quickly connected.

"exist."

A hoarse response came from the other side, and he spoke coldly:
"Put a stop to the matter regarding Mikhail and the infected for now. The biggest 'wild dog' has already set its sights on us. Tell all your men to behave themselves... No, wait, we can't stop talking about Mikhail completely yet."

A hint of coldness flashed across the director's eyes, and he continued:

"Although that monster has a big appetite, if we cut off half, or even three quarters, of our hard work over the years, it should be able to feed him temporarily. Judging from his style of doing things, you should understand that he is a thorough 'political animal' just like Atlas and Titan of the Federation."

"Don't be too anxious. Let's see the situation first. Shut down the Blood Network first. Don't let the wild dogs get a whiff of it. If you can't cover it up, scrap it. You also need to be careful with the Blood Branches. A guy like Mikhail was able to create a violent organization of the scale of Liberation Hoofbeats, so they must be behind it."

"Hmm... Let's leave it like this for now."

After giving all the instructions, Kurd hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, fatigue surging over his body like a tide.

His eyes were dull and all his strength was drained away at that moment.

He unconsciously reached out and stroked an old photo on the table.

It was a photo of him and a little girl - in the photo, he was wearing casual clothes, with a long-lost smile on his face, and he held the girl high with both hands, and the girl's face was also filled with an innocent and bright smile.

His fingertips gently slid across the edge of the slightly yellowed photo; the cold touch took away his last bit of warmth.

Kurd looked at the bright smile in the photo, but inexplicably felt an irresistible sense of heaviness in his heart, and a kind of depressing cloud shrouded his heart.

That carefree smile formed a sharp contrast with his current mood, making him feel an indescribable loss.

Thinking of the unquestionable golden eyes of the fourth sword-wielder of the Kingdom of Heaven and the lingering threat just now, Kurd felt that he was trapped in a net that could collapse at any time and he could not escape.

Looking at the innocent smile of the girl in the photo again, Kurd suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest - the emotion that had long been erased by politics seemed to surge out from the deepest part of his heart again.

But then he quickly closed his eyes, suppressed the surging waves of emotions, and took a deep breath.

"This is just a temporary difficulty, Kurd. It has always been like this."

*
*
04:15 PM. Weather/cloudy.
North Manhattan, New York City.

The weather was gloomy, drizzling rain was falling, and the gray clouds seemed to blend in with the depressing atmosphere shrouding the ground.

The northern part of Manhattan, New York City, was once an old industrial area, but after large-scale urban transformation, it has now become a high-tech entertainment and sports center in New York City.

Under the rain, the city's splendor and desolation present a sharp contrast. In the city's green space, a modern stadium rises from the ground, with avant-garde shape and smooth lines.

The New York High Tech Park next to the stadium has become a landmark building in the city with its futuristic design.

Bright neon lights and floating holographic projections add endless vitality and a sense of technology to the area, and rain slides down the surface of the giant buildings.

However, behind this luxurious stadium, there is another forgotten world hidden.

Unlike the prosperous green space, that area is surrounded by high walls, becoming a hidden isolation zone in the city.

The buildings within the quarantine zone form an extreme contrast with the magnificent architecture of the stadium and high-tech park.

Dilapidated residential buildings, makeshift sheds and abandoned factory buildings are scattered around.

Each building looked bleak, with cracks and peeling paint on the brick walls and broken windows that revealed the darkness inside.

These buildings have no modern facilities, the electricity and water supply systems are often interrupted, and the corridors are filled with stagnant water and the smell of mold.

In the small rooms, the infected people are barely squeezed together, and the living area of ​​each family is extremely limited.

The houses are simple, cold in winter and hot in summer. Rainwater drips through the broken roof onto the ground, forming icy water stains. One can even see plastic sheets swaying in the wind on the ground, acting as substitutes for broken windows.

And right between the quarantine area and the luxurious stadium, a huge steampunk-style zeppelin airship slowly passed through the air.

The hull of the airship is covered with complex copper pipes and gear structures, exuding a sense of beauty that is a blend of mechanics and classicism.

These steampunk airships are equipped with a device that is completely contradictory to their style - a large virtual projector.

They cast huge virtual projections in the air, which appeared in the dark gap between the isolation area and the stadium.

Several huge fonts flashed on the projection:
[Break through the limits and witness the unyielding will——]

Then, the scene switched to the stadium, where the contestants were fighting hard on the difficult track.

Every obstacle overcome and every shout is presented as an epic heroic feat through magical special effects, accompanied by heart-stirring background music, the picture flashes with brilliance, creating endless grandeur and heroism.

The glorious scene in the stadium was transmitted to every corner of the quarantine area through virtual projection, but the quarantined people could only look up at the untouchable picture through the dilapidated windows.

The rain slid down their hair and cheeks, reflecting the glory in the virtual world. The lives of the infected were still difficult, as if all this had nothing to do with them.

This is not the hub, this is the real world - the gap in status that the infected experience in the hub and in the real world is worse than anyone can imagine.

In the Level I quarantine area.

A drizzle of rain fell from the gray sky, gently hitting the plastic roof of the old awning, making a slight rustling sound.

Rainwater dripped along the eaves, gathered into small streams, and flowed slowly along the ground.

Lina curled up in the corner of the awning, holding an exquisite card tightly in her hand.

Printed on the card was a horse and a girl with horse ears and a bright smile, through which one could vaguely make out a few lines of words: [Silvermoon Hoof Alicia].

This is one of the horse girls that Lina admires the most.

She raised her head and looked through the gap in the awning at the Zeppelin airship floating slowly not far away.

The airship's huge projection screen flickered in the gray sky, projecting the ongoing Uma Musume competition.

Lina stared intently at the projection screen, and several children around her who were about her age were also watching intently, with a hint of desire and envy in everyone's eyes.

They are all infected with perissodactyly like Lina, a group of children excluded from the world.

On the projection screen, the horse racing ladies were running hard and galloping along the complex track.

The children watched the game with bated breath.

Lina did the same. She exerted a little force and clenched the card in her hand. The thin piece of paper carried all her hopes and fantasies.

If you ask her why she likes watching the game?

She had fantasized more than once that she could run on the track like Silver Moon Hoof, facing the wind and sunshine, and becoming the focus of the whole audience.

But reality is not as glittering as the horse racing ladies on the screen.

Lina looked down at her pony ears and gently touched the ears that were always laughed at in school and always asked to be hidden in the market.

She remembered her mother's advice - "Keep a low profile, people outside don't understand us." - Her mother always asked her to wear a big hat to cover her ears, but Lina didn't like that hat because she thought her ears were cute and they made her feel special.

“Why can’t we be like them?”

Lina asked herself this question more than once. She looked at the horse racing girls on the screen, those girls who were loved and cheered by the whole world, they had ears like her and even tails.

But why can they become heroes while I can only watch the game under this shabby awning?
Not long ago, Lina naively believed that children like her who were infected with perissodactyly were just different, as different as Silver Moon Lightning, and were worthy of admiration.

However, as she grew older, she gradually realized that the outside world did not accept their "differences".

Every time she walked into the classroom, she could feel her classmates' curious and distant gazes, as well as their whispered giggles and cold rejections.

She never played with the other children, they were unwilling to sit with her, and even deliberately stayed away from her during breaks.

She tried to join their games, but was always gently rejected:

"You can't play with us, your ears are too weird."

The words confused her, but she didn't quite understand why.

Sometimes, Lina would think of the Persian Hoof Festival that her mother had told her about. It was a festival for them, the "infected people."

It was a festival for the infected horses. Everyone wore bright clothes, celebrated with each other, and even sang and danced in the streets.

However, the Persian Hoof Festival was banned for several years.

She had been looking forward to this year's Persian Hoof Festival, but when she asked her mother when she could celebrate again, her mother's answer disappointed her: "Not this year, they won't let us do it."

Her mother told her that the outside world didn't like their holiday and thought it was too "weird".

Lina didn't understand why "they" didn't let everyone celebrate their own holiday together.

She thinks Persian Hoof Festival is joyful, so why don’t others like it?
Lina once asked her mother why, they were just different from other people, but her mother's answer was always the same: "People outside don't understand us."

"Why don't they understand?" Lina asked herself softly, looking at the flickering projection on the Zeppelin with confused eyes.

She had too many doubts and confusions in her heart. The world seemed like a closed door to her. A faint light shone through the crack of the door, but she could never push it open.

She loves her ears and thinks they are cute, even often imitating the pony's trot in front of the mirror.

But whenever she ran around freely at home, her mother’s expression became serious: “You can do that at home, but not outside, remember?”

As time goes by, Lina begins to realize that the outside world does not welcome people like her.

She had asked her mother countless times at home: "Why are we different from others? Can I go to the park and make friends with other children like them?"

Every time, her mother would gently tell her:
"Because we are special, you have to learn to protect yourself and don't let others hurt you."

However, this gentle protection confused Lina. She didn't understand why she was hurt and why the world was so different just because she had horse ears.

She looked out the window, longing to play with other children, but afraid of being rejected again.

She has too many questions about the world, but not enough answers.

For example, she likes Uma Musume.

Because of them, those classmates who had not communicated with her in the past began to surround her, ask her questions, and were willing to make friends with her.

But my father hates it very much, even disgusted by it.

He didn't allow himself to watch the games, and sternly told himself that he must never become like them when he grew up, and he didn't allow himself to collect those Uma Musume cards...

The only time Lina could remember her father scolding her was because she had a huge collection of horse racing cards.

Those cards...were all burned by my father.

She cried bitterly and even cursed at her father: "You are the most annoying and incompetent father in the world!!!"

She still remembers the look in her father's eyes at that time.

Numbness, helplessness, pain, and...unspeakable heartache and sorrow.

(End of this chapter)