Chapter 191: Four Great Alliance Region, Great Revitalization Plan!

The strong wind blew at Qin Shi's hair before his forehead, and he reached out to poke Kang Yun'er's shoulder as she rode the motorcycle.

Because they were moving fast, her voice was not continuous, sounding broken and intermittent.

"Want to hug my waist? It's fine, I don't mind, Little Brother."

Another self-righteous woman like Teacher Lin.

Qin Shi's mouth twitched, and he said quietly:

"Neither of us is wearing a helmet; we'll get points deducted later."

Tch!

Tires screeched against the ground as Kang Yun'er braked hard, stopping the red motorcycle.

She turned her head and stared at Qin Shi with a strange look.

"You really are a law-abiding model student."

She then took out two helmets.

By common sense, even if Kang Yun'er rode at top speed and then lost control and flipped, Qin Shi, whose Qi Life Force was extremely close to the Hundred Point Threshold, wouldn't be hurt even a bit.

"The teacher taught well. An individual's will should not override social rules."

Qin Shi spouted positive energy; this sentence was something Lao Liang had told him.

But there was a second half.

But if seeking justice has no recourse, one must decisively use violent means to make one's voice heard by the upper layer.

Kang Yun'er found the Qin Shi in the back seat hard to read; he looked young, with a hint of immaturity between his brows, yet his words and actions seemed unusually mature and steady.

This was completely different from the youth geniuses and Martial Prodigies she had interviewed.

Those people more or less carried a bit of recklessness and wantonness, or an aura of great power and influence.

As for Qin Classmate, he seemed too gentle, too ordinary.

"Hard to grab a news hook! The public prefers 'star figures' with personality!"

Kang Yun'er muttered to herself, deciding to observe Qin Shi closely.

She simply didn't believe it—she, a great Editor-in-Chief, had interviewed Planetary Governors, War Group Rising Stars, Martial Prodigies, and never failed.

How could she not handle a high school student!

The motorcycle drove past rows of tall buildings and arrived at the low houses of Dangyang East Suburbs.

From a flat, wide main road, it became a Yellow Earth Road with weeds growing on both sides; abandoned factories were everywhere, and messy wires connected to lonely poles, like a barren forest where lush plants could not grow.

"Didn't the Education Committee assign you a Talent Apartment in the Tai'an Metropolitan Area? With your results as Top of the Hundred Strong Competition, giving you an entire independent villa wouldn't be excessive; why are you still returning to Old Factory Street?"

Kang Yun'er slowed down gradually, raised her eyebrows, and suspected Qin Shi was putting on an act.

Outlook Weekly belonged to Tomorrow Group, a legitimate subsidiary of a Media Giant.

Since its founding, it had always upheld the principles of pursuing truth and maintaining fairness.

In an era where gossip tabloids and marketing hotspots filled the field of vision, Outlook Weekly was indeed one of the few news strongholds that remained objective and neutral.

They had the most investigative reporters and war correspondents in the industry, often going to dangerous areas to gather information and guarantee sources.

"Today is the anniversary of my parents' deaths; my eldest sister and younger sister should return to Old Factory Street to pay respects."

Qin Shi's tone was flat, revealing little emotion.

Kang Yun'er fell silent; she had looked into the other's family background.

His parents were originally factory workers, then suffered the Layoff Wave, and both died in that Military Factory Explosion.

This was also the reason Kang Yun'er gave up interviewing Zhou Yuanchen and hoped to dig deeper into Qin Shi.

As the Editor-in-Chief of Outlook Weekly, she used her sharp intuition to believe that the latter possessed more potential for public recognition.

Because Qin Shi's existence was originally a microcosm of the vast majority of worker children in Hengzhou.

"Hengzhou is a resource-heavy administrative star region. In the ancient era of the Empire, Hengzhou once saw a grand Reclamation Movement. History books say: land is vast, people benefit and multiply. Back then warlords held power, and many refugees unable to endure the Empire's heavy taxes boarded smugglers' ships and came here."

Kang Yun'er's red motorcycle passed through the Stone Gate Archway, and the puttering engine sound attracted gazes.

"But after the Empire completely collapsed and fell apart, plus the war with the Star Gods, the Four Great Alliance Region of Hengzhou, Yuan Prefecture, Liao Prefecture, and Meng Prefecture fell, until the Nine Marshals launched the Great Expedition to retake it, forging the Borderlands defense line."

Hengzhou's minerals, Liao Prefecture's energy, and Meng Prefecture and Yuan Prefecture's animal husbandry and machinery industry are all cornerstones of the New Republic.

Qin Shi nodded slightly; Hengzhou had indeed been glorious for a time, both a land of Old Martial Arts and one of the earliest Administrative New Stars to develop.

"Pity, on one hand because Hengzhou's Star God is being gestated again, causing energy to be blockaded and unable to continue rapid development; on the other hand, Dongxia's policy tilt toward the Bei Dou Xing Yu has also caused the so-called Four Great Alliance Region's forward steps to stagnate."

Of course, the most crucial point is that for the Four Great Alliance Region to become the primary defense line against Dongxia's territory beyond, to some extent, they are an incomparably huge Outpost Base.

As they entered the streets of Old Factory Street, Kang Yun'er pushed the motorcycle while walking forward.

She turned her head and looked at Qin Shi:

"The Great Expedition is nearing its end; within Dongxia, voices calling for a truce have never stopped. The Nine Marshals have slept for thousands of years, and many believe that the Iron People's Calamity caused by the Gear Emperor, and the complete victory in the Star God War, can bring a perfect end to this overly long Great Expedition."

Therefore, the Imperial Capital side is considering launching the 'Revitalize the Borderlands' plan. Opening Hengzhou's blockade is the first step; afterward, War Groups will be stationed, more ground base cities will be built, and then a large population will be introduced for a second round of reclamation and construction."

Qin Shi never expected that this Editor-in-Chief Kang not only analyzed clearly but also grasped deeper news and spoke frankly to him.

"Why is Ms. Kang telling me these things?"

He was somewhat puzzled.

Kang Yun'er said with a serious expression:

"It cannot be denied that Dongxia is a huge regime, a war machine that makes the Galaxy fear, a young giant regrown from past flesh and blood.

But that does not mean all the people only identify as Dongxia Citizens; they often draw camps by region, and even use this to distinguish ranks and statuses.

If the great plan to Revitalize the Borderlands is launched, Hengzhou will be hit first. The entire Four Great Alliance Region has been silent for thousands of years; legends born and raised here who reach the highest places are truly too few compared to the Ancient Era and Turbulent Era."

Qin Shi fell silent.

Back then in the Dongxia Empire, Hengzhou was also a place where strong people emerged in droves with fierce customs, especially during the warlord era, when several powerful existences famous in history appeared!

But after being retaken by the Great Expedition, declining for a long time is also an undisputed fact.

"I'm telling you this because I'm willing to wait a month, and also to explain why I want to conduct this exclusive interview."

"You can become Hengzhou's Supernova, and even more so the Four Alliances Region's Martial Prodigy! Use your experience, use your future, to speak for the border defense line that seems to have been forgotten by the New Dongxia people!"

"Let their voices reach Haizhou, reach the Imperial Capital, resound through the Galaxy... This is what I hope for. My interview draft with you is at most a spark, but how brightly it burns in the end depends on the accumulation of firewood."

Qin Shi fell even more silent.

He detected a trace of fanaticism in Kang Yun'er's words.

"Ms. Kang, I... don't seem like the kind of idol seed who could spark a star-chasing craze in the Four Alliances Region either."

Qin Shi said hesitantly.

"You can be."

The corner of Kang Yun'er's mouth curled up.

"And I have a premonition that you're very suitable for this mission."

"Rest assured, I, Kang Yun'er, will absolutely uphold the professional ethics of a journalist, seeking truth from facts in everything."

"In the coming days, I will track and report on you in all aspects, dig into you, explore you..."

Qin Shi's face twitched. This Editor-in-Chief Kang, who looked spirited and heroic in bearing, sounded like a female pervert saying this.

"If the Taian Metropolitan Area thinks it's suitable, I have no objection."

Qin Shi shrugged. His past life had been plain as water, with nothing worth mentioning.

No matter how Kang Yun'er dug, she couldn't dig up any black history.

While the two of them talked, they had already stepped onto Bao Gong Street.

Even after experiencing several upheavals, the neighbors still lived lives not much different from before.

Only the old men cooling off had changed from white tank tops and slippers to long sleeves and long pants, and the old-fashioned radios had been replaced, no longer making a zzz sound.

The mottled alleys on both sides had been painted over once, the old houses renovated, and the overall appearance was much better than before.

Most importantly, the previously messy and clustered shantytown had been demolished and rebuilt, replaced with bright and spacious new houses.

"The Old Factory Street Renovation Project is progressing quite well."

Qin Shi nodded.

Arriving at Bao Gong Street, someone finally recognized him.

"Xiao Shi? Is it Xiao Shi?!"

"I think it looks like him! He seems a bit taller!"

"Hurry and call Xiao out to see if it's her little brother!"

"I remember Xiao Shi was very promising. Last time he came back in a high official's car..."

"That's right. Bringing his sisters to live in the metropolitan area, Xiao Shi is so capable!"

The neighbors were enthusiastic. Old Factory Street and the Taian Metropolitan Area seemed like two separate worlds.

Over there, people discussed the Nanhuang Dojo Disciple, the Top of the Hundred Strong Competition, the Four Great National Universities' enrollment.

While here, Qin Shi was Qin Xiao's little brother, a good kid who studied hard, the most promising worker's child.

The above identities seemed more important, more obvious.

"Xiao, come out quick! Your little brother Xiao Shi is back! And he brought a big girl!"

Along with the warm-hearted neighbors' shouts to relay the news, Qin Xiao, who was washing vegetables, didn't even wipe her hands before hurriedly stepping out of the alley. She looked up and saw Qin Shi in the crowd.

"I heard Zhou Ning say your studies are heavy and you still have to be busy participating in some competition, so I didn't let Xiao Lan call you."

Qin Xiao glanced at Editor-in-Chief Kang beside Qin Shi. The confident and radiant face made her pull back her hand and wipe the water traces with her clothes hem.

"Big Sis, every year on this day, we're supposed to spend it together, right?"

Qin Shi walked over smiling and introduced:

"This is a reporter from the TV station. You can call her Ms. Kang. Let's go back inside and chat."

Qin Xiao nodded, pondering what exactly the relationship was between her little brother and the imposing Kang Yun'er.

Although dating before the College Entrance Exam is a flood and ferocious beast to parents.

But according to Zhou Ning, Xiao Shi's grades rank first in Xin Yi High School, a sure bet for Qiguang Heng University.

He shouldn't be delayed in his studies.

On the contrary, with this family condition, who knows if the girl might find it too shabby and look down on Xiao Shi?

Qin Xiao's thoughts were a mess, but she said:

"That job you found for me before is much more leisurely than before. It's just sitting in the office too long, staring at incoming and outgoing goods every day, getting paid this much, I feel it's not suitable."

Qin Shi laughed hehe and said:

"Doing logistics, counting warehouse inventory, then bookkeeping — it's very important. All of this needs reliable people. Sis, didn't I also sign you up for a night school? Once you learn to operate the console, you can become a workshop cadre. Old Factory Street is going to rebuild the plant, there will definitely be a large recruitment of middle layer staff."

Qin Xiao's eyes shone bright. The spiritual field imprint that worker's children cannot erase is the recognition of labor, and the yearning to hold an iron rice bowl.

Hearing her little brother speak like this, Qin Xiao had more thoughts in her heart. She pulled Qin Shi's hand across the new house threshold and said softly:

"There's a lot I don't understand, letting Xiao Lan teach me slowly. A workshop cadre's salary is stable, I'll accumulate some money for you..."

She glanced at Kang Yun'er and said:

"Going to university costs a lot. I have to save a sum for you."

Qin Shi shook his head and said:

"Your little brother gets scholarships, there's no place to use money."

He had never told his family that just the Education Committee's assistance fund and the Martial Association's sponsorship quota, front and back, accumulated to nearly twenty billion. Especially after getting the Top of the Hundred Strong Competition, if willing to cooperate with a big company, the signing fee would be an astronomical figure.

It wasn't deliberate concealment. But for his big sister who grew up in Old Factory Street and dropped out of school early to labor, these things were too dreamlike. Even if explained clearly, big sis would still have a feeling of unease. She couldn't even imagine what twenty billion East Xia Currency placed before her would look like.

"That won't do either. What if... you get a girlfriend."

Qin Xiao muttered softly.

"Big Sis, you've misunderstood. Miss Kang is here to interview me. I got first place in that competition, and the Urban Circle is preparing to launch a publicity campaign, so they sent her over."

Qin Shi said with a smile.

"Is that so? I feel Teacher Lin who came before was more suitable. She's strangely nice, speaks gently too, it's just that her family condition is too superior. I heard Aunt Zhou say, that car she drives costs several million..."

While greeting Kang Yun'er to come in and sit down, Qin Xiao pulled Qin Shi along chattering away, just like a worrying old mother.

"Bro! How come you're back!"

Qin Lan came out from the inner room, and upon seeing Qin Shi, exclaimed in pleasant surprise.

She knew more information, and was relatively clear on the inside story.

"It's been a month since the Top Hundred Competition ended and I haven't seen you. Zhou Ning said you performed excellently, and had the Center City teachers keep you to continue studying? He even said you're going to enter the Four Great National Universities!"

Qin Lan's tone was cheerful, circling around Qin Shi, then glanced at Kang Yun'er, and suddenly said excitedly:

"Outlook Weekly! You're Kang Yun'er? Your column, I often watch..."

Kang Yun'er tilted her head and smiled:

"Thanks for the support, didn't expect to run into a fan here."

Qin Lan, like a little fangirl meeting her idol, chattered away:

"Lots of classmates in our class subscribe to your exclusive column, the teacher even took several of your reports and passed them around for everyone to read!"

Kang Yun'er looked at the noisy Qin Lan with a headache expression, and softly said as if to Qin Shi:

"Then you'll soon be able to see the manuscript about your big brother on the front page of the Weekly."

Qin Shi took the lead before the youngest Qin Lan could let out a sharp scream, turning to big sister Qin Xiao:

"I'm going to visit Lao Liang first, there's something I have to personally hand over to him! You guys eat first later, don't wait for me!"

Finished speaking, he vanished out the door in a puff of smoke.

Three women make a drama, he really didn't want to stay here and let his ears suffer torture.

"Xiao Lan, can you tell me about your big brother?"

Seeing Qin Shi leave, Kang Yun'er's eyes suddenly turned sharp, habitually pulling out her fountain pen and notebook.

She deeply believed, the more ordinary the background, the more it can give birth to a legend that shocks the masses.

He Lanchan clearly died young, yet was never suppressed by the still-living Qi Wuxiang. Why is that?

Because the latter's success makes people feel it's only natural;

While the former's rise is more like a wonderful story full of ups and downs, filled with lingering aftertaste and room for exploration, making people unable to forget for a long time.

(Chapter End)