Empire of Shadows

Interests, in the end, determine everything.

Whether it’s in the Federation, or here, in Rapa.

Pedro’s attention returned from the people riding away on horseback. He looked at the grocery store owner. ”Do you have any more in stock?”

He fumbled in his pocket and took out thirty dollars. ”I also want to buy some wheat flour.”

The grocery store owner patted both sides of his pants, then spread his hands. ”You see, you’re just a little too late. But you don’t have to worry, they will send new grain over on the 15th.”

”You can buy some tree wheat flour, or potatoes?”

”Although the taste is not as good as wheat kernels and wheat flour, at least it can fill your stomach.”

Listening to the owner’s words, Pedro thought about the remaining grain at home and shook his head. ”Then I’ll wait a little longer.”

Then he walked towards the school.

It was only a seven or eight-minute walk from here to the school where he worked. Soon he arrived at the office and shared this matter with his inquisitive colleague.”Someone is buying wheat and wheat flour, and I hear the price they’re giving is quite high.”

His colleague also smiled and said, ”I’ve also encountered it. I also heard that some people are planning to do this business.”

As soon as he said this, the attention of the teachers in the office who had no classes was all focused.

In a poor place, there will always be people who want to earn more money, or rather, people who live in a poor area and are also very poor, are more eager to get success and opportunities than ordinary people in rich countries.

The colleague lowered his voice a little, but it was enough for all the teachers in the office to hear, ”There are many residents on my side of the family. Some of them are now exchanging tree wheat flour for wheat or wheat flour.”

”There are also people who are privately buying wheat. They use Paras to buy, and then exchange it for Federal Sols.”

”If it weren’t for the fact that I have to come to work, I would also want to do this.”

”Some people can earn dozens of dollars (Paras) a day, which is one or two thousand a month. And what they are holding is Federal Sols. This is definitely a high income.”

The words ”high income” had attracted more attention from the teachers. Although they were high-level intellectuals, for this country, they also had vulgar desires.

Who wouldn’t want to live a good life?

After chatting about the food situation for a while, they began to talk about another new thing.

Yesterday, the principal had already notified them, saying that people from the Federation would come over to play a movie for free, mainly to promote the social and cultural situation of the Federation.

This matter was promoted by the Yalan League, and was in the content of the negotiations between the Yalan League and the Federation. And it was said that there would be more opportunities to play movies for free in the future.

Many people in Rapa had never seen a movie, not even the simple, hand-cranked kind. Only those who lived in the capital, Zhuolan, might have had a little chance to watch a movie.

Including Pedro, he was also very much looking forward to it. He had heard of movies, and had also seen some pictures of movies in the newspapers, but he himself had never really seen a movie.

Not only the teachers, but also the students in the school were very much looking forward to it.

At a little after nine, a few foreigners, accompanied by the principal, had entered the office. After the two morning classes, it was the main class.

They had come in just before the main class was about to start.

”These are the gentlemen from the Federation-Yalan Cultural Exchange Promotion Association. The movie that the school is playing this time is also being played by them for us.”

”Just now, this Mr. Jack told me that besides playing a movie, there is another matter.”

The principal turned to look at the ”Mr. Jack” beside him, who clearly had the highest status. ”Mr. Jack hopes that our students, after watching the movie, can write a review.”

”The top ten students who write the best will get a reward of two dollars, Federal Sols.”

Originally, the teachers had not had much of a reaction. Two Paras was just enough to buy a little over a pound of wheat. It was attractive, but not very.

But when they heard that it was two Federal Sols, even they themselves were attracted.

A teacher couldn’t help but ask, ”Can we also write?”

This question made the principal stunned for a moment, but soon, Mr. Jack’s laughter had brought him back to his senses. ”Of course you can.”

”How about this? For the three best reviews written by the teachers, we will give a reward of ten dollars, still in Federal Sols.”

Pedro’s breath had even paused for a moment. Ten Federal Sols was already equivalent to more than twenty days’ salary.

He glanced at the fountain pen on his desk. He vaguely remembered that he seemed to have written an essay in junior high school and had won an award.

The cheers of the teachers had also made a smile appear on the principal’s face. Then he announced, ”Take the students to the auditorium.”

”It’s all set up over there. We can start playing the movie in a moment.”

”Everyone has to go!”

At the principal’s request, Pedro had soon arrived at his own classroom. Looking at the students with their faces full of expectation, a smile also appeared on his face.

Humans are creatures full of a desire to explore, which is why humanity has, in the evolution of nature, reached the top of the food chain.

At this very moment, his mood was the same as these students. He first wanted to see what those movies were like.

He raised his eyebrows, which made his eyes widen a lot. ”You should have already known that the school is going to play a movie...”

The students in the class couldn’t help but cheer. The usual pressure was making them a little breathless.

The cost of their families supporting them to study was really not cheap. The poorer and more backward a place, the higher the price of obtaining knowledge.

If they couldn’t get into the Jede National University, it would be a heavy blow to them and their families.

The pressure that had accumulated in their daily lives had suddenly found a way to be vented. Pedro did not correct their behavior.

After they had cheered for a while, he finally raised his hand and pressed down. ”Now, to the auditorium. I hope you can line up properly.”

Soon, the students from one class after another had left their classrooms and had come to the auditorium.

This high school had only a little over four hundred students in total. An auditorium was enough to hold all of them.

Pedro had noticed that the principal had actually brought his family. This had made him a little annoyed. If he had known earlier, he would have brought his family too.

He found a place to sit down. Mr. Jack was standing on the podium, briefly explaining the matter of the Federation and the Yalan League jointly promoting cultural exchanges.

He had even said that he would select ten outstanding students from them, as exchange students to go and live in the Federation for a period of time.

As soon as this news came out, even Pedro was stunned. Only the principal was sitting there with a smile on his face. This was clearly a surprise!

Compared to this surprise, the reward of two dollars for each of them for a review seemed not so surprising.

As the lights dimmed, the movie officially began.

A propaganda film with a political agenda, in fact.

The picture began with a volleyball that was hit into the air. A sports meeting in a school, a volleyball game. There were two protagonists, both high school students. This would make the students here feel more immersed.

They, full of curiosity, began to be immersed in the well-written story, and to feel all the good things about the federal society!

When they saw the clean and tidy campus, the city full of high-rise buildings, the cars that were flowing on the streets, and the pedestrians on the side of the road who were wearing beautiful clothes, every student’s eyes were filled with a deep curiosity and a longing for the Federation!

The word ”metropolis,” for the first time, had appeared in their minds so vividly. This was a metropolis!

Watching the rich food of the male and female protagonists every day, watching their rich after-school activities, the hobbies they had cultivated, their communication, and even their romance.

Feeling their longing for a better life in the future, it was as if a beautiful future was also beckoning to the students here.

The rich and colorful life had made the students yearn for it and be intoxicated by it. They wished they could become the male and female protagonists in the movie, to enjoy that beautiful life.

The movie was not long, less than an hour, fifty-five minutes.

In the last ten minutes or so, it was to introduce some of the specific situations of the federal society, with data, with pictures.

They had mentioned the penetration rate of education, and the income level of the people.

When the students had heard that the working class could at least get a salary of forty Federal Sols, a look of disbelief had appeared on everyone’s face!

This was an income of nearly three thousand Paras. Even Pedro, a high-level intellectual who enjoyed a high salary, could not get such a high salary, not even half of it!

But in the Federation, this was just the income of the working class!

The movie had mentioned the huge development of the Federation in recent years, had mentioned the tallest building in the world, had mentioned the fastest completed building. The city scenery of New Golden City had made everyone fascinated by it!

At the very end of the film, the male and female protagonists, and some of the people who had appeared on the scene, were looking at the camera with a brilliant smile, and were shouting together—

”The Federation welcomes you!”

The film ended here. The lights in the auditorium lit up, but the people were still immersed in the beautiful life of the Federation.

Pedro’s emotions had been up and down for a long while before they had stopped.

He looked at the federal people who were sitting by the principal’s side. At this time, he also had a lot of doubts in his heart.

Soon, that Mr. Jack and his entourage had come onto the podium. They had gotten a few chairs and were sitting there, saying that they would have a casual chat with everyone.

Pedro also couldn’t help but raise his hand. Because he was a teacher, Mr. Jack had pointed at him. ”This teacher, what do you want to ask?”

Pedro stood up. He straightened his washed-out white clothes. ”I want to ask... do all the people of the Federation have a job?”

Mr. Jack nodded. ”Actually, now the number of jobs in the Federation is much more than the people who are willing to work.”

”In other words, as long as you are willing to work, you can find a job that is suitable for you.”

”And now the basic salary in the Federation has also had a general increase. Most of them are between 45 and 48.”

”The Federation also has a complete social welfare security system. We will provide free treatment for people who have no money to see a doctor, and will distribute winter clothing to the poor in the winter, and will also provide them with free food.”

”We will also...”

Everyone was immersed in the beautiful longing for the Federation. At this time, a thought had appeared in the hearts of most people—

In this life, I must go to the Federation once!