In the political capital of x nation, the effects of the civil war could still be seen, with the destroyed building still scattered throughout the city, yet it’s inhabitants seem to pay it no mind, seemingly carrying about their affairs with an atmosphere full of vibrant energy.

Countless construction workers appear to be scattered all around the city, with buildings constantly rising up, occasionally, they would receive a friendly gesture to which they respond with a brilliant smile.

Within a standard house, much like the other thousands of houses being built, ontop a metal table made of average built, stands two frames containing newspaper from two different years, one from seven years ago, and the other from three years ago.

The older begins with a headline regarding a missing heir to a global corporation, it’s content containing.

“Heir to multi-billion-dollar corporation missing.

Li Ming, heir to the vast fortunes of the Li corporations has disappeared on August 15, his father, the current chairman confirmed.

He was last seen on the Li private island before the disappearance took place, six days after his 29th birthday.

His father was first to break the news: “Today, the world lost a pioneer, and I, am a missing son. He always was full of kindness, and has always remained filial and an incredibly a generous person”.

The Li corporation’s private attorney further confirmed on social media: “My client Li Ming officially been recognised as a missing individual, with his fate unknown. Despite his vast fortunes, he never had the air of arrogance many others in similar position around him carries. He was the most down to earth client I had the opportunity to work under, people like him are rarely seen in the business world”.

Li Ming, the son of the current chairman of the Li corporation, with a history spanning back to the 19th century. First entered the business world at the age of 15, where he had started his own branch of the corporation, eventually coming to match the profit of the main branch.

Located around the globe, with an estimated net worth of 46.2 billion dollars, it has numerous branches around every corner of the world.

His was most recognised by his countless amount of charity organisations, praised by many of his employees said he was “never afraid to get his hands dirty”, the vast majority of which had also endorsed him for his generous pay and humane treatment of his workers.

His younger brother, later on in a public speech, commented: “My brother had never mistreated anyone, he treated those under him with compassion and constantly donated to numerous charity campaigns, if heaven exists, it is truly blind”.

At the bottom of the newspaper, a lean man wearing a well-tailored suit could be seen, but his face was blurred out.

The newer of the newspaper from three years ago seems to have no correlation with the topic of a missing billionaire, instead, describing a new government that had come to power reading.

“After Decades of Civil War, x Nation Enters a Period of Stability

In the historical capital of x, millions flood the street before dawn, as massive flags of their new national flag were flung around numerous public buildings.

A new period of stability that has not been seen in six decades of a constant period of civil war. After the abrupt entry of a fourth side three years ago, did a new era of peace and disarmament shine over the war-torn nation.

Numerous of those who turned up to struggle quickly became overcome with emotion, reminisced of their mothers, fathers, siblings and children lost in the six decades-long conflicts.

“I couldn’t stop smiling”, said a doctor, who lost his father, mother, and 4 siblings during the war.

By noon, the main square, where the new constitution would be read aloud had been completely packed. Thousands of soldiers, which had built the nation through extensive guerilla warfare, stand, surrounding the governmental office.

The constant could of joyous laughter from the crowd could be heard, but a long moment of silence dawn upon the crowd as columns of military vehicles came after another, each containing an important minister, when the first of the vehicles passes through the crowd of a round of cheers could be heard as the vehicles continued, each was met with countless flowers and roaring cheers.

The last of those vehicles, which contains the new leader of the country, who had ignited the introduction of the fourth party in a four-year-long conflict received the loudest burst of cheers as it entered the governmental building.

From the beginning of the 1950s, a long period of political turmoil began as soon as the newly independent nation which had escaped from its colonial yoke, primally due to the enforcement of a class system by their colonial masters.

The x people, which consist of the majority of the nation, were under the administration of the y people, which were originally speculated to have come from European descent and therefore genetically superior, leaving a rift to grow between the two races.

A full-scale civil war blew up at the beginning of the 1960s between the two ethnicities, led by a group of disenfranchised x people, the conflict further escalated in 1980s as the third side from a neighbouring nation entered, having receiving equipment and training from the Li corporation who were sponsoring their brutal dictator. Engaging in indiscriminate bombing, along with multiple cases of its militias engaging of massacre or enslavement of the native civilians of x nations regardless of sides.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Finally, in the late 2000s, a fourth force entered the conflict, originating from a small village. It came to defeat the other three forces through the use of guerilla warfare, through the establishment of numerous bases behind the lines of their enemies, managed to defeat their far more powerful foes, as it continues to gain territories around the rural areas, a number of cities had surrendered, ultimately, it’s forces had encircled the political capital, which was then occupied by y people. They had no choice but to sign an unconditional surrender.

At 18:25, the new constitution was officially proclaimed.

A few minutes later, the old flag, used back during the colonial era, was lowered, and the new flag was raised, the mass responded were a thundering cheer.”

The article abruptly ends, with a number at the bottom to directing to another page.

A sound of a sliding door could be heard as a man wearing a Zhongshan suit could be seen, his face in the reflection shows a face that is neither handsome, yet could not be described ugly, but somehow carries a friendly air to it that would make anyone lower their guards. His body shape could not be seen through the suit, yet he appears to be unbelievably tall. The most unique feature that could separate him from any other would be the Peking mask attached to his belt, made of porcelain, it shows vibrant expressions, this man was, Li Ming, the missing heir.

Grabbing nothing more than a pair of keys and wallet from his table, he ensures the suit was well fitted and left through the main door, not stopping to lock it, it was a custom that developed during these three years. When he first came to power in the country, anyone that could afford mercenaries would use them to protect their properties, much less lock their doors. Yet now, only a few houses even have locks anymore, as thievery became almost non-existent under the extensive employment programs.

Walking down the newly built road, he took a few turns before reaching a bus station, where he saw a sea of young workers awaiting to for the next bus that will bring them to their work. As he approached the station arrived, the bus had arrived, stepping on the newly built public transport, he sat down on a free spot. After noticing an elderly woman, he took the liberties to let her take the chair he was sitting on, after receiving her thanks, he remained standing .

“Can you believe that this road was constructed half a month ago? I remember having to walk hours down a gravel road to retrieve water, yet now the water comes from our taps, the roads are made of concrete and public transport covers the whole city, it’s just a shame that the rural areas can’t experience the same privilege as us”, a young lady near the front of the bus professed her amazement to the person next to her.

“It’s not the case anymore”, spoke the young men next to her,” my cousin who lives in the countryside just went to his first day at school, before this, he was working in a coal mine until it had been shut down due to safety regulations under the new government, when I visited him during the weekends, I was surprised at how dedicated he was reading a book he had borrowed from the library”.

A slight smile appeared on Li Mings face and remained until the bus had reached the governmental office, where he stepped out of the bus. Next to the building was a supermarket, perhaps it should not be called one, as necessary goods such as rice, wheat, corn, and potatoes were freely handed out, while foods more difficult to produce, such as meat, were rationed. This is a result of the increase in agriculture after a long period of nationalisation, where smaller farms were consolidated into much larger ones in order to increase productivity, along with the increase in mechanisation of these farms, the decades of famine that had plagued the nation had ended, and basic food is granted freely to all citizens.

Entering the governmental building, the guards professionally saluted Li Ming, to which he responded back with his own salute. Inwardly sighing to himself, he reminisced, it had been only seven years prior when he had first abandoned his vast fortunes to lead the efforts in liberating this country. He had first started in a small mountain village, there, only the village elder had any semblance of literacy, he had to painstakingly educate in reading and writing, and equip them with salvaged weapons, only through sheer strategy and luck had he manage to win the civil war.

Walking through the front gate, he notices the still growing trees, newly planted in the garden, during the civil war, the capital was bombed extensively, with nearly all high rising buildings levelled to a single floor, naturally, the governmental office wasn’t spared, nearly half of it was destroyed once in a raging fire, furthermore, little fund was given to the reconstruction of the governmental office, numerous schools, hospitals and houses were built before the nation had the luxury to allocate funds to repair the building.

Off the corner of his eyes, he notices a small stain of blood that had come from the countless officials that were executed once his forces had occupied the capital, the smell of iron that should have long disappeared still remains fresh in his mind, affirming to himself that they had killed countless innocent civilians and would continue their crimes if they remain alive, he continued to the main hall.

Hanging on the walls of the main hall are bronze plates containing the names of officials, yet some names had been removed as a result of their corruption. Due to the limited amount of literacy in his first years in office, he had to rely on the old officials during the previous regime to govern the new nation, unsurprisingly, many of them had reactionary interests and had actively opposed the government, fortunately, nowadays, a new wave of young politicians had replaced them, while those with charges of corruption are performing hard labour.

Approaching the balcony facing the main square, he removes the mask from his hip, ensuring it was fitted on his face, pausing for a moment, he recalled the events that had transpire on his birthday in the year of his disappearance, when his father had planned to hand over to him the entirety of the Li corporation, and gave instructions to him to extend the war in x nation, during those days, he had become progressively more disgusted with the treatment of workers by his fellow colleagues, yet assured himself that he could be different, yet receiving his father, whom he had respected till then’s cruel instruction was a woke up call. That day, he affirmed to himself it was impossible to stop human greed for money.

He pats his clothes clean of dust and prepares to address the nation.

The head of government of x nation had always remained a mystery, having only appeared three times in public, once during the proclamation of the new constitution, and twice during the anniversary of the new constitution, and had always worn a mask.

Standing on the balcony, he resides over a sea of people, preparing to address the nation regarding his future plans, it was however interrupted. In his chest, he felt a strong force hitting his chest, before he had fallen down, he notices a man holding a rifle. Behind his cold mask, he smiled self deprecatingly as he saw the assassin’s uniform.

It was the standardised uniform used by his branch of the Li corporation.

The porcelain mask on his face fell before Li Ming collapsed onto the square where he had proclaimed the nation’s independence three years prior.

In a large manor, full of servants, houses a small cabinet seemingly out of place with the rest of the manor, within it lays a soon to be a mother and her single servant. After a long struggle, the mother saw her new child, yet instead of a motherly smile, a face full of shock appeared on her face.

The master of the household originally had not intended to attend to the birth of his new child, yet upon the whisper of a servant, quickly rushed off.