Chapter 9
The New Year’s gift
After the fireworks bloomed, Sheilor and Charming walked down the iron tower, the stairs were so long, but these two people hoped that it could be longer.
Just right in the New Year’s bell, they kept warm to each other, held the hands, really like a pair of lovers that way, wandered on the noisy street of the Coastal state, didn’t think anything, didn’t consider anything.
When they were holding the just baked bread, walked to the front of the big screen on the crossroads of the city downtown, it was just the last minute countdown time of the year sixty-six of the Constitution Calendar. It’s a sea of people on the street corner, the young people had the excitement and supplication expression revealed on the face, all stared at the keep changing numbers on the screen.
Sheilor had a smile, took a look in his arms Charming and said, “have you seen? In fact, most people’s life is so common and rich.” the crowd push and squeeze, the severe winter is forced to retreat, the cheeks of Charming are slightly red, she took off her hat and said, “but you always can’t look at the surface.”
Two people began to silence at the same time in the crowd, leaned close to each other quietly. Come to speak of wonderful, this pair of young man and woman, in front of people, always used to silence, and only when they stay together, then they would have more words and expressions.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven…” along with the number changed on the huge light screen, the people on the street corner square began to count down loudly, the voice is getting louder and louder, neater and neater, and shocked straight to those two moons in the sky.
The number turned to zero finally, the year sixty-six of the Constitution Calendar stepped out its final step just like this, the second hand of the New Year welcomed the cheering of countless people and the ribbons on the square.
“Happy New Year!”
“Happy year sixty-seven!”
People waved the scarves and hats in the hands happily, blew the horns, added some noise for the atmosphere of the New Year. The fellow partners began to embrace each other, those young men even take advantage of the New Year atmosphere, began to bravely hug those girls they don’t know.
Charming held back her laugh, was pulled away from this noisy and “dangerous” area by Sheilor. In some particular moment, a young man shows the possessive and the little jealousy, it would appear very lovely, let the girl feel very sweet in the heart.
But just after that sweet moment, it became the calm and a little disappointment, she looked at Sheilor quietly and said, “my task is failed, and it’s also over, it doesn’t have any meaning to stay in the Pear Garden university any longer. Perhaps the day after tomorrow, I would go back to S2 Region.”
Sheilor silenced, didn’t say anything like waiting for and so on, after this goodbye, didn’t know when they would see again. He also didn’t try to keep her stay, the situation of the four states surrounding the mountains was too critical, she must return to the place where she missed, to fight with those strange people together.
“Be caution.” he lowered his head, put the glove back on her hand, held the hand slightly, and then gave her a New Year’s hug.
Suddenly, his eyes moved from the shoulders to that light screen doubly, because he found out, on the federal TV station, that having the New Year greetings the picture of Jane Sui disappeared, changed on that very familiar news anchor.
At the same time, noticed the change of the light screen was not only Sheilor one person, the people on the street corner square cast the doubtful eyes on the light screen.
That female news anchor looked slightly panic, she said, “now we inter-cut a news our station just received…” after she said this sentence, the good news accomplishment let this female news anchor calmed down immediately, “a come from the reliable source information confirmed…”
The news of the federal TV station often have the inter-cut breaking news and events, but in the special moment of the New Year, having the inter-cut, it must be the very important thing without question. The people on the street corner square all quieted down, looked at the huge light screen with some anxiousness, and listened to the voice of the new female anchor rang in the air.
The voice of the news female anchor was a bit quick, but she had the can’t be masked joy in her eyes, the whole federation watching the news break people, immediately put down their hearts. It doesn’t seem that the President was assassinated, and also not the Empire took the advantage of the federal New Year, launched the invasion brazenly. Then what kind of good news, would let the directors of the federal TV station, made the decision to have the news break in the first time?
“Just half an hour ago, the senator Mr. Palmer of the federal Management Committee flight by the plane, had already landed on the Greening airport of the S2 Region. The Greening airport is the only air channel Greening mountains connected with the outside world, it still under the control of the anti-government armed force. The following is the picture our station just received.”
The people on the street corner square, incredibly looked at the picture on the light screen. A dressed in the gray wind coat tall man, under the protection of several aides and staff, walked down the gangway ladder of a shabby transport plane. And under the plane, several leading figures of the anti-government army, were moving towards him with the solemn expression.
The face of that tall man is somewhat dark, the facial lines are clear like the knife-cut, show the fortitude character of this man, his lips are somewhat thick, it’s the rising political star of the federation in these two years, the having the vast support of the lower and middle classes senator Palmer.
In the news picture on the light screen, senator Palmer that big right hand and the hand of the anti-government Committee leader, held together tightly.
At the same time, the voice-over of the federal TV station news anchor, has been repeating constantly, “we don’t know when the senator Palmer left the Capital District, and went to the Greening mountains military control area, but according to the news wire copy sent from the senator office, the senator Palmer this trip, is after he accepted the invitation of the anti-government committee leader Namsui, come to negotiate the settlement agreement.”
“According to the latest news, both sides have already reached the agreement on the supporting details, in the next twenty-four hours, the anti-government army will be fully out of the four states surrounding the mountains, keep the effective peace zone with the government force.”
“The office of the senator Palmer, had the public appeal, before the settlement agreement is signed, please the government keep the restraint attitude, the also express, the specific provisions of the settlement agreement, will be sent to the Management Committee and the President office… senator Palmer believes, this settlement agreement, would be able to meet the dignity and requirements of all aspects.”
“According to the our reporter stationed in the four states surrounding the mountains, before eight o’clock last night, the anti-government army began the retreat action, but no one expected, this is all for welcoming the sudden visit of the senator Palmer.”
“According to the analyst say, the reason why the office of the senator Palmer could show so confidence in the news wire copy, that’s because Mr. senator has already gained some kind of promise from the anti-government army leader Namsui, the anti-government would have the great concession in the negotiation, and accept the three key conditions which the government puts forward.”
On the corner street square, the quietly listened to the news crowd, finally burst out the applause and cheers at this time, no matter from the news, or from the senator Medellin busy lobby action, the federal people, all guessed the military action in the S2 Region would start soon, the civil war is on the verge of breaking out, this fact let this New Year cover a layer of shadow.
But when the New Year just began, that flight by the transport plane and took the risk to go to the anti-g
overnment army area the senator Palmer, would bring people such a huge surprise, so people couldn’t help to jump for joy.
“The President news spokesman, just made a statement, they welcome the anti-government army in the coming of the New Year, the peace they showed. At the same time, they appreciate the senator Palmer the unremitting efforts for the peace, they appreciate the senator Palmer took the risk to go to the mountains personally. But the news spokesman also said, Mr. President still don’t know the specific contents of this agreement, so he is unable to make the specific evaluation.”
“The Management Committee still keeps silence temporarily, an anonymous liaison officer of one senator office, expressed his doubt for the real intention of the senator Palmer this trip. And he insisted, the negotiation action without the authorized by the President and the Management Committee, is not legal, the legendary settlement agreement, actually doesn’t have the legal effectiveness.”
The people on the corner street square had the extremely harsh boos, at this moment, if the federal Management Committee dare to throw the cold water on this hard-won peace process, only would cause the discontent of all the federal people. That officer didn’t dare to reveal his identity, obviously he doesn’t want the senator he was serving, in the next election, would be abandoned ruthlessly by the angry people.
The news picture on the light screen, changed to the anti-government army retreat picture which the TV station just received, those wearing the dark uniform anti-government army, orderly taking the armored vehicles, along the rugged mountain road, retreated toward the remote mountains and the forest.
Then the voice of the news anchor sounded up again, “the Ministry of National Defense has not had the officially response all along, according to the analyst said, the federal military has been planning the spring offensive for two years, they wouldn’t just because the senator Palmer reached the settlement agreement with the anti-government army by himself, then slow the pace of the preparation for war. The news spokesman of the Department of Defense, with the reason that today is the public holiday, refused the interview of our station…”
When she talked to this point, the expression of the female news anchor was very serious, the voice was paused deliberately, obviously wanted this ridiculous excuse of the Department of Defense, to accept the boos by the whole federal people.
“The logistics deputy director general Young Chad of the Department of Defense, when accepting the interview of our station, said with the private identity, as a loyal federal soldier, he will firmly execute every command of Mr. President and the Management Committee. But he is more willing the mecha and the bombs, dump on the land of the Empire… for the future prospect of this settlement agreement, he is very optimistic.”
“All the variety traces showed, the senator Palmer this risky trip, has already formed the rich fruit. Perhaps the peace will come, and perhaps the civil will not take place…” on the light screen, the female news anchor looks at the camera, said with a smile, “there is no doubt, this is the Constitution Calendar sixty-seven, the senator Palmer gave all the federal people, the best New Year gift.”
Hearing the cheers all around, and the voice shouting senator Palmer, Sheilor held back his cast to the light screen eyes, somewhat couldn’t believe his own eyes, he smiled happily, he looked at Charming by his side and said, “it looks like, you don’t have to go back in a rush.”
Charming incredibly looked at those pictures on the light screen, was surprised and doubtful to say, “how come there was no any message in advance? The senator there also seems to don’t know about it at all.”
Just right at this time, Sheilor’s phone rang, a familiar and didn’t hear for days voice came from the other side of the phone, the voice was full of exhaustion and the light satisfaction, “my work is done, where you are right now, come to have a drink with me.”
On the first day of the New Year, Sheilor hear the voice of Shielding, he was very happy.