In a meeting room, five people were seated.
One of them, a man covered in tattoos and piercings, was the leader of the city's second most powerful gang, which used to control the entire southern region.
The other four individuals included three men in suits who led the West Gang, North Gang, and East Gang.
The last one, a woman dressed in winter attire, held the highest power, being the leader of the city center gang.
As the gang leader of the city center, she had once been the wealthiest, wielding significant influence with affluent individuals and powerful politicians.
However, after the government fell, her power had somewhat diminished. Nevertheless, she remained the most influential due to her strong connections with other major gangs in different cities.
She possessed extensive relationships with prominent figures nationwide—governors, mayors, billionaires, and other gang leaders. Despite not having a large personal following, these alliances catapulted her to the top position.
"Sebastian has arrested my link on Alex kingdom's side!" announced the tattooed leader with a grim expression.
"Damn it!" exclaimed a man with a peculiar hairstyle in frustration.
The man with a peculiar hairstyle was the first one whose doppelganger was found a day ago.
He endures unimaginably terrible nightmares every hour, with no way to escape. The fact that he still stands is shocking.
He said desperately, "We have no other choice! I can't go through it again. They make it worse every time!"
Angella, the leader, sighed and said, "I agree!"
It isn't the first time they've had this debate.
They have met at least five times in just the past day.
Previously, they hoped to find Alex or Sebastian's doppelgangers on this side, but now, they've given up on that idea.
The country is vast; what are the chances that the doppelgangers of those two people are in this city? The odds are not high.
Previously, Angella persuaded them to persevere, but now that seems impossible.
"Anyway, what Sebastian wants is fewer deaths; now, with the void-chasing problem solved, it's much easier to accomplish," says a man in a suit with a scar above his eyebrows. He is the leader of the West Gang, a newcomer who took over after his father's death a year ago.
Angella laughed. "Reducing the death rate is just the start! They will undoubtedly demand much more!" The other three nod bitterly.
Angella ended the meeting, as it was decided that they would surrender.
However, when everyone left, she ordered her central gang to keep secretly looking for Sebastian and Alex's doppelgangers.
...
The capital, in the presidential palace
The President and the Prime Minister were reviewing the recent news.
Despite everything that has happened, the government remains the largest single force.
They control significant parts of the capital and sections of many big cities. However, most of the army is gone.
After that day, many soldiers experienced void chasing and started shooting at their comrades. Those who witnessed this fled and never returned. The police faced a similar fate.
It is the primary reason the government fell so swiftly. Nevertheless, the intelligence service under the President remains mostly intact.
The capital has managed to hold itself together. In fact, since the last month, the government has expanded its reach and now controls most of the capital.
Some gangs are still present on the west side, but they don't dare to make trouble for now.
After the meeting concluded, the dream switched.
...
These days, nothing can remain secret. This, in turn, caused the government and Alex's kingdom to trust each other more.
Sebastian observed the new memories and frowned.
In the meeting of the President and Prime Minister, they planned a big push to regain the lost territory.
They also sought help from the Alex kingdom.
For Alex's kingdom, the peace and stability of the Five Star world is welcome. However, to ask for the resources of the Alex kingdom, they must offer something in return.
So, Sebastian IV went and requested a meeting with Alex III.
After a while, the guards allowed him to enter.
"Your Highness," he bowed.
"Sebas, my loyal, 'almost' friend! What is the matter?" Alex III asked with interest; he was in a good mood.
Sebastian said, "Your Majesty…" and explained the situation.
Alex III thought for a moment and started writing something in code words.
One way to prevent everything from leaking to Five Star is to write code words that the doppelganger on Five Star's side won't understand.
The code language Alex and his trusted ministers write in is top secret; there is no guideline book anywhere; only the most loyal servants know what these symbols mean.
Alex III himself invented this code word language.
Sebastian and a few trusted ministers learned it long ago. Because, in the war with Spikes, Alex himself didn't go to the battlefield. Instead, he sent his orders by letters, and his servants conveyed the information through letters, using these code words.
Information is the most crucial element in wars that can determine winners or losers; Alex III knows this, so he prepared in advance.
Now, this language comes in handy. He can communicate with his trusted people without the people of Five Star knowing everything they say.
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Alex wrote, "Ask them to grant all gangs that surrender amnesty and ensure they won't seek revenge. We want fewer deaths. Also, request a say in appointing future ministers. Ask for access to secret books and their intelligence agencies. The most important thing is a say in appointing future ministers; the rest can be negotiated down on bargaining," said Alex III.
Even though the void chasing is gone, those who don't have links still have a bit of anxiety; there hasn't been much research on it, and nobody knows what the long-term impact is.
For now, he wants to keep the numbers of those with passive anxiety as low as possible.
In negotiations, one must ask for a lot; if one only asks for their true goal, the other side will negotiate it down to nothingness.
But this way, they negotiate down those extras at most, and the core of what Alex's kingdom wants would remain intact.
Sebastian smiled, bowed, and left.
Then, Alex called a guard and ordered him to call Jack.
Jack is his Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After a while, Jack VIII came and bowed.
He is a tall, muscular man with a short beard and hair. He has blond hair and gray eyes and looks sturdy—more like a knight than a Minister of Foreign Affairs.
That's because he used to be Alex III's bodyguard. He was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a few reasons:
1. Alex III trusts him.
2. He knows the code language.
3. His doppelganger on Five Star's side is far away and under control, ensuring that what he learns will not be leaked.
"Your Majesty?" he said.
Without wasting time, Alex said, "Warn all gangs that if they refuse to join us, they will be attacked by the Five Star government and destroyed. The Five Star government will soon take control back; when that happens, I want the true power to be in our hands, not their government!" Alex III said.
It couldn't have been said to Sebastian because his doppelganger is the President of Five Star, so even if Alex III uses code words, Sebastian cannot negotiate and warn other gangs. But Jack can negotiate in secret.
"Consider it done, Your Majesty," Jack bowed with determination.
Alex waved, and Jack left.
He looked at the clock and sighed. It's time for the dream switch.
...
Even if most of the Five Star army is gone, they still have one thing that nobody else has: legitimacy.
They were the actual and legitimately elected prime Minister and President of Five Star. Many local mayors and governors who are now gang leaders will be willing to cooperate.
Soon, the government completely took back the capital. Then, they started strengthening their position in the surrounding cities and cities where they had a presence.
A few big cities, including Saltriver City, joined immediately upon learning of the government's comeback. In just ten days, nearly half of the country was reclaimed.
Most of it was due to mayors and governors joining with the assurance that the central government would not punish or remove them from their positions.
After intense negotiations with Sebastian IV, the President and Prime Minister agreed to two of the conditions of Alex's kingdom.
They agreed to grant amnesty to all who surrendered and let Alex's kingdom have a say in selecting ministers. However, just talking wasn't enough to convince gangs to join.
For Five Star Country, granting amnesty was easier; they may have done it even if Alex hadn't asked.
However, giving Alex kingdom a say in appointing ministers was a big ask.
Still, they agreed after a lot of internal debates.
Democratic elections mean the next government can change all treaties they enter now. So, the central government amended the country's constitution to give insurance to those who surrendered. In the amendment, it was written very clearly that this government and all future governments are bound by agreements, regardless of who is in power.
Crucially, they agreed on giving autonomy to all gangs who join peacefully.
After three weeks, the Five Dragon gang also joined.
Angella used her connections and convinced most other gangs to join as well. In a month, 80% of the country was surrounded, and the country was nearly whole again.
However, this Five Star country was not what it used to be. With this many autonomous regions, less than 10% of the country is under the direct influence of the government.
The remaining 20% refused to join, no matter what.
For now, the central government ignored them and instead started focusing on repairing the immense damage:
1. Firstly, nearly half of the population died or went missing.
2. Most factories are inoperable.
3. Many people's families died.
4. There are many orphans.
5. A lot of people are traumatized, with mental damage and PTSD.
6. The infrastructure of the country is damaged.
7. There are many guns everywhere.
8. Many prisoners escaped from prison.
9. Many murderers are on the streets.
10. The government has no money to fix anything.
11. There is no army or police.
12. The autonomous gangs are refusing to pay taxes.
13. And so on.
There are so many problems that it's absurd.
The country has no money to care about the 20% who haven't surrendered.
So, the President turned to Alex again and requested their help with the problem; it was a desperate attempt to complete unity.
If they take back all their territory, it would be a huge moral boost, a signal that things are returning to what they used to be.
Alex agreed, but Five Star was forced to concede on some matters. They gained the right to use Five Star's intelligence services for 35 years. In addition, they earned more influence in appointing ministers.
In return, Alex promised to convince others to join and prevent those who joined from leaving or rebelling.
For Five Star, it was worth it. After all, Alex Kingdom is in another world, so no matter how much they know, they can't do anything; at least, this is what the prime Minister thought.
With Alex's intervention, the remaining 20% joined in less than a month, and Five Star was united entirely once again.
As a result of deals, ministers would be appointed by a 6-person commission.
The government will appoint two members, one by the opposition and three by Alex Kingdom. The ministry would remain vacant in case of a 3-3 tie.
It means that from another world, Alex Kingdom can completely block Five Star country from appointing ministers.
Soon, Alex Kingdom started thinking about filling the vacant positions.
As a result of a deal, they compromised, and unanimous 6-0 votes chose most ministers.
Alex Kingdom chose the Minister of Defense, while the government chose the Minister of Finance.
The opposition also got to select the Minister of Infrastructure. After all, these are extraordinary times, so nobody thinks of partisan politics; now, it's a time of national unity.
The Minister of Interior was very contentious because it is responsible for choosing the regional governors.
The vote went 3-3.
The Five Star country didn't want to give that much power to Alex Kingdom, and Alex Kingdom refused to compromise, so the position remained vacant.
With the Minister of Interior vacant, the government could not change the autonomous territories.
As a result of the new constitutional amendment, the Minister of Interior couldn't remove any of the regional leaders. However, it could still do a lot.
After a lot of struggle, they finally compromised.
Another position that was blocked was the Minister of Elections. Alex Kingdom proposed letting the Minister of Elections get through if it gets the Minister of Interior.
After a lot of internal struggle, Five Star Country agreed.
With the Minister of Interior, Alex Kingdom could do a lot.
Removing anyone is out of the question. But even without the ability to fire anyone, the Minister could do a lot.
The position is responsible for the effective enforcement of the country's laws. With the ministry, it can send inspectors and fine the cities that refuse to execute laws.
As a result of autonomous provisions in the constitution, the central government lost the power to arrest and fine anyone personally, but civil fines directly on local government and not on persons are still possible.
The local leaders, of course, wouldn't agree with this statement.
They will no doubt argue that autonomy means autonomy and that what the Interior Minister does is unconstitutional.
But where can they sue? The Supreme Court has not been set up yet.
Still, these matters would play out for years to come and may go in any direction.
Whether the central government can fine the local governments is unclear.
It is clear that they cannot 'arrest, remove, fine, or interfere with any leader or official of any autonomous territory that held their position on or before the ratification of this amendment.'
The contentious part is what 'interfere' means.
The amendment itself has no definitions.
The autonomous regions would argue that fining local governments to coerce them to act according to the wishes of the Minister is 'interfering' with them.
The Minister of Interior would argue that the 'interfere' part only applies to 'any leader or official of any autonomous territory,' not the local governments as a whole.
As for which interpretation is correct, only the Supreme Court can say, and their decision will depend on who appoints them.
That would be the judicial appointment commission, which consists of 3 members from the central government, one from autonomous regions, one from Alex kingdom, and one from the opposition, with any tie going to how the Alex kingdom commissioner voted.
Alex Kingdom and Five-star country may disagree on a lot, but they would agree on the need for a more centralized country.
The judges they would appoint would surely think like that.
...
The person Alex nominated as Minister of the Interior, Rob, was appointed 5-1, with one opposition commissioner voting against.