The sun was blazing, and the weather began to heat up. Temperatures around thirty degrees ushered Nagariel into summer mode.

However, this summer is much better than previous years because it won't be as smelly!

Nagariel used to be filled with a suffocating stench, but as cities start to improve sanitation, the entire Nagariel is quickly becoming sanitary.

It's sanitary, not clean. There might still be areas that aren't very clean, but it's much better than before. Most importantly, the sanitation issues have been effectively resolved.

There are no piles of garbage and bacteria-laden sewage, and since last autumn until now, the country has seen fewer sudden medical incidents.

Everything is changing, all happening during the process when the United Development Company started helping Nagariel to achieve industrialization and common prosperity, which has indeed given the locals mixed feelings.

Not long ago, people hated and loathed these foreigners, but now they don't feel so anymore. They don't know how to express their inner feelings, perhaps this is the change of times.

If sanitation is a visible change, then there's an invisible change rapidly occurring, having profound impacts on the nation—literacy campaign!

Literacy classes are free, but before joining, one must sign a contract with the literacy class. Any adult, healthy, and capable worker in Nagariel can receive free literacy education.

At the same time, they must sign an agreement. The agreement's content is that if they complete the basic education of the literacy class and achieve above-passing results in the final cultural exam, they will receive a job.

The contract stipulates that two-thirds of the recipient's first-year income belongs to the literacy school, the second year is half, and the third year is one-third. After that, the literacy school won't charge any fees.

This... seems somewhat incredible, even a bit laughable. Foreigners come to Nagariel to help people become literate and even offer them jobs?

Now, the most sought-after thing is a chance to work for foreigners because they genuinely pay people salaries, not offset with something else, nor do they default, but genuinely pay salaries without delays, acting according to contracts.

This also makes people willing to work for foreigners, as they can earn more money to spend on exquisite foreign goods, which they never dared to dream of before.

Some people have achieved a certain degree of financial freedom, engaging in high-skilled technical work, earning double or even several times more wages than others. Some ordinary people have bought televisions, once exclusive to the privileged and ruling class, in installments, starting to watch foreign TV programs!

All of this revolves around one word—"work." If you delve into this word, it comes with a prerequisite condition—to "work" for foreigners.

People can now learn knowledge for free and acquire jobs, which led to literacy classes across regions bursting with popularity shortly after their initial neglect.

Foreigners value the spirit of contract and are willing to abide by various agreements. This has been the impression of all Nagariel residents towards Federation people over the past six months.

As long as they follow the contractual requirements, foreigners won't withhold their wages or arbitrarily fire them. They now heavily believe in the power of contracts.

After signing contracts, almost all literacy classes were filled. After more than two months of basic literacy education, some people have already reached the level of normal reading and writing, nearing graduation.

This situation has also led to a thriving industry in Nagariel—various newspapers and publications.

The more Nagariel people gain literacy skills, the larger the market for newspapers and publications. Coupled with people's impulse to access and utilize newly acquired knowledge, newspaper offices began appearing everywhere, bringing a new wave to the entire country.

Newspapers were no longer exclusive to the upper class; more people started engaging with them.

This morning, a Nagariel resident who completed most literacy courses received the newspaper for the new day. The teachers at school told them that reading newspapers significantly enhances their cultural abilities.

So everyone subscribed to a newspaper—money deducted from their future salaries.

Back in his room, as soon as he opened the rolled-up newspaper, he was attracted by the headline on the front page.

He slowly read it, and his expression turned serious. This headline elicited a very special emotion within him, titled "Who Is Hurting Us?"

The timing of this article was very clever, right when the public intellect was awakening, and foreign culture was flooding into Nagariel—the period of the strongest clash between old and new cultures, internal and external ideologies.

People long oppressed by power hadn't yet formulated national pride. Populism wasn't rising; it was still vaguely growing.

This was the period when people were most receptive to foreign ideas, relatively neutral and easily persuaded.

The content of the report broadly asked a question—why is Nagariel developing so rapidly now? Before Federation people came, the entire Nagariel hadn't seen such dramatic changes in years, decades, or centuries. Why such swift development?

This is also a normal phenomenon—questions people ask during societal confusion while self-reflecting.

If it's just questioning without providing answers, it's relatively mild, but it gives an answer.

This report elaborates in detail why Nagariel society failed to develop over decades or centuries—the ruling class is the reason.

The ruling class doesn't need this nation, this society, this race to develop because societal and racial development would pose uncontrollable risks to the ruling class.

If people's internal self-awareness awakens, if nationalism and national collective consciousness awaken, it spells disaster for the ruling class.

Their ruling power will face challenges. They would rather let the nation, the society stay stagnant for decades, even hundreds of years, far behind other countries, to stabilize their power.

Nearly the entire core of the article continuously raises reflective questions while pointing fingers at the ruling class, aiming at the core conflict—power.

The young man's expression holding the newspaper grew increasingly serious, even gloomy.

In fact, he and many others had similar thoughts—why is Nagariel so backward? What has hindered its development? They once had a glorious civilization; why did they become a small country inferior to even third-rate powers when entering the new era?

Now, these questions perhaps received some answers—all due to the rulers' greed and selfishness!

The youth was especially angry, and many more in Nagariel shared his anger, with emotions needing to be vented.

This wave had just begun to rise when some new content emerged, completely igniting the crowd.

It was the news for the next day, with the newspaper's front-page headline being "What Is Being Done?"

The newspaper page was split in half—one side showed regular Nagariel people facing harsh living conditions, diseases, poverty. They were essentially similar to every ordinary Nagariel resident, facing similar issues, been through similar problems.

But on the other side were members of the Nagariel royalty living their lives.

They resided in luxurious palaces, consuming exquisite food, with dozens serving the royal members daily, living blissfully every day.

If it was just this, it might not matter too much, but the newspaper also included many pictures of royal members enjoying overseas. Looking at these images, people's rage reached its peak!

Gruesome stories from society's bottom and pictures reeking of power desire and wealth sweetness formed a stark contrast.

Never before had people felt such animosity towards their royalty, and this also had to do with Nagariel's ruling structure.

A Province and Provincial Governor is the highest administrative officer in each region, and they don't obey the Central Government's rule. Each one is a local Emperor, leading to much less respect for royalty than outsiders might imagine.

Neglect from local governments accelerated these issues, and masses waved newspapers, spreading everything they knew throughout the society.

Some started discussing personal experiences, the despair they'd been through, which became necessary elements for fueling a brewing storm!

"Your Majesty, there are many demonstrators outside the Royal Palace. They are quite unstable emotionally. Should we disperse them?"

The old King stood high, watching the angry crowd gathered outside the Royal Palace gates, faintly hearing their furious roars, seemingly questioning him.

Listening to the servant's report, he sighed deeply and shook his head, "No need. It's not the right time to provoke them, and I believe they won't do anything extreme."

"Even if there are some things we didn't handle well, we are ultimately the symbol of this nation. Until knowledge and freedom muddle their minds to the extent of storming the Royal Palace to make a point!"

"Let them vent for a while. Later, we'll issue a statement."

"Just like every time when faced with issues, people ultimately will trust us!"

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