052. Elf Island
The guards of Elf Island check the cells every ten minutes. Each prisoner is held in a separate cell, and every few days, their rooms are changed to prevent the prisoners from organizing a large-scale escape.
All the enemies opposing the President, as well as the most heinous transcendent criminals, are imprisoned here. For over a century, no one has ever successfully escaped. Helicopters frequently patrol the skies, and during prisoner labor and recreation time, the stationed air force flies bomb-laden fighter jets at low altitude, delivering terrifying auditory and visual impacts to the prisoners.
However, more direct intimidation than the air force comes from the wardens here.
All wardens are selected by the agents of Law III. They are absolutely loyal to the Frost-Plated Republic and the President. They do not accept any form of bribery, have undergone chemical surgery to erase personal emotions, and each possesses Alpha-tier strength. The warden himself is a Gamma-tier powerhouse—'Zero Point' Frost.
Of course, many of the political prisoners held here have vast influence and wealth, so President Mai Dewei does not dare to settle scores with them all at once.
A warden clad in the most advanced exoskeleton armor approached Cell 92, knocked on the door, and delivered a newspaper inside:
"Cell 092, David Lin, the book you requested has arrived."
"Thank you."
David Lin's voice was gentle, and his appearance was that of a well-proportioned, dignified middle-aged man. If judged solely by his face, he didn't seem like a soldier but rather a singer trained in bel canto. Even during his imprisonment, he maintained the habit of reading and studying, always keeping up with political news.
He took the newspaper, sat by the bed, and his gold-green eyes scanned it up and down. His reading ability was strong; with a glance, he quickly gained a clear and objective understanding of the international situation.
"The Red Arrow Empire's interest rate hike period has arrived. Fortunately, the Frost-Plated Republic still has some foreign exchange reserves, but why freeze prices? Could it be that Mai Dewei plans to act against the colonies, depleting their resources in the short term to stabilize domestic sentiment?"
"Internal conflicts in the Kingdom of Tianhuan have intensified and must be diverted through war. Their goal is to use Triangle Town as a springboard to launch an attack on the Frost-Plated Republic. A war between the two nations is only a matter of time."
"Three of the four countries have announced recognition of the Granter Republic... Grand Duke Gamos was killed by Li Aozi."
David Lin put down the newspaper and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
There had been many significant international events recently, but he could clearly see that behind all these events, there was always the shadow of one man.
"Li Aozi, why is it always this Li Aozi?"
David Lin had some understanding of the Abyss Humanitarian matters. Domestic reports on Li Aozi were limited, merely condemning him as a national traitor.
David Lin thought otherwise.
The Abyss Humanitarian experiments were certainly not carried out to satisfy the health and prosperity of the citizens but were purely a twisted product of Mai Dewei's delusion of a 'female nation.' Only women possessing Omega Energy would undoubtedly increase law enforcement difficulties and would further deepen the antagonism among citizens, harming national productivity and society in every way.
Abyss Humanitarian was never humane; he knew this from the start, but being imprisoned, he was powerless. Li Aozi's ability to remove this cancer was, of course, a good thing.
At that time, however, he merely thought of Li Aozi as a young man with reckless courage.
But now, David Lin had a deeper appreciation for Li Aozi.
Helping Grant achieve independence, what does that mean?
Grant is the granary of the Frost-Plated Republic. It is surrounded by the Republic's satellite states, allies, and colonies, with no industrial base of its own.
There is no doubt that this time the interests of the Frost-Plated Republic have been severely damaged. As a pure-blooded citizen of the Republic, David Lin could not possibly be pleased with this result.
However, this did not prevent him from admiring Li Aozi as a person.
An ordinary person with a vocational school education, decisively leaving his homeland to develop abroad, and then turning around to liberate the oppressed and strike at the anti-human organizations—if such actions do not qualify someone as a hero, then David Lin would estimate that there have been very few heroes in the history of Azure Star.
"Li Aozi, this kid is truly extraordinary." David Lin thought, feeling a moment of sadness: "The talents cultivated by our country either become pillars of other nations, or parasites, or, like Li Aozi, flee the homeland. If the Twin Queens were alive to see what the Frost-Plated Republic has become, they would surely be deeply saddened."
Even before Mai Dewei came to power, at least a hundred years ago, the Republic had already become like this.
The women, originally endowed with meanings of progress, inclusivity, and benevolence, suddenly became symbols for politicians to win votes. They continually clamored for better rights and higher status for women, using the media to portray men as inherently guilty. By the time of Mai Dewei's rule, this reached its peak.
In David Lin's view, this completely betrayed the Republic's founding belief that 'women are the embodiment of courage and wisdom.'
The likes of Mai Dewei have not only failed to progress but have instead reapplied the oppression of women in patriarchal societies onto men. That's all.
David Lin couldn't understand why, even though both men and women bleed and sacrifice on the battlefield, men, who suffer more casualties and are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, return home only to be repeatedly humiliated.
The Frost-Plated Republic has always promoted independent and self-reliant women, which is certainly good. David Lin is very willing to work with patient and meticulous women. But why does there have to be a distinction between high and low, noble and base when everyone is a laborer?
But if the Republic's society could truly guarantee women's rights, then why does Law IV need to exist?
If Law IV is really effective, then why hasn't domestic violence stopped?
If the Republic's women are truly independent, then why do marriage and family still exist?
If women's status is so high, then why are there still women among the poor in the relief stations?
"Our country is not a female-friendly nation; it's a nation friendly to a few women and a very few elite men. This is not a healthy country."
This was David Lin's conclusion.
In terms of personality, David Lin is a very simple and gentle person. Although he has killed many Tianhuan enemies, he always views his countrymen through a lens of simplicity and kindness. This is because, having been raised by the military since childhood without parents, he regards the nation as his direct parental figure.
David Lin firmly believes that the citizens of the Republic are always the best, the kindest, and that everyone deserves better education and living standards. As a staunch nationalist, David Lin even hesitates to oppose President Mai Dewei, who was directly responsible for his imprisonment.
After all, she is also a daughter of the Republic, and should, in all matters, consider the nation and the interests of its citizens.
In prison, he repeatedly read some philosophical books, including those on Mai Dewei's advocacy of women's economy, hoping to understand her. He believed that since Mai Dewei was elected by the people, she must at least represent the hopes of a portion of the citizens.
However, after he fully understood Mai Dewei's policies and thoughts, he completely abandoned this illusion.
Mai Dewei is a madwoman.
David Lin couldn't possibly consider someone who could brazenly state in her autobiography: "It doesn't matter how many men die; there are plenty of men in the outer regions and colonies who want to come."—to say such inhumane words, she was no different from a terrorist.
Yes, it doesn't matter how many men die, but what about boys? Male infants? The elderly? Are they not human?
If all the men in the country died, allowing men from outside or even foreign countries to freely breed with the women of the Republic—how is this different from being colonized by foreigners after a defeat?
Does Mai Dewei think that just because they are foreign men, it's acceptable?
Mai Dewei has gone insane. In her eyes, there are no nations, no countries, only men and women. Only by eliminating men can women save themselves.
Maybe in the future, when technology advances, this kind of thinking could be understood, but in this era, on this planet?
On Azure Star, where people can't even see the sun, let alone reach space.
David Lin had completely lost the last bit of sympathy for Mai Dewei. To Mai Dewei, the Republic was not her homeland, but merely a tool for realizing her female world.
This was something David Lin could not tolerate; he could not tolerate anyone using the nation he loved as a tool and weapon.
"At this point, there is only one way to save our beautiful country, and that is through battle."
David Lin's gaze fell on the photo of Li Aozi on the front page:
"Li Aozi, though I am reluctant to see you take the colonies, if you can overthrow Mai Dewei, we might really need you."