Chapter 283: Let's rant first.

[Brexit deadline: 5 days to go!]
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in London.
"Is the news accurate? Has the EU really agreed to an extension?"
The atmosphere at the Prime Minister's residence was heavy.
Prime Minister Theresa May's weariness was almost palpable.
"Yes, Your Excellency. We have received a firm commitment,"
a trusted aide reported,
"But as you know, those EU bureaucrats also care about their image; they have to put on a show in front of public opinion, to put on a good performance.
So, they intend to drag it out until the very last minute, the second-to-last day, before officially announcing the extension."
Theresa May let out a long sigh of relief, but her furrowed brow remained.
The Brexit referendum, the sword of Damocles hanging over the entire British Empire, had been waving for two whole years.
The aftershocks of that nationwide euphoria not only ousted her predecessor but also pushed her onto this scorching volcano.
She had vowed to resolve all the problems within a year.
But now, two years have passed, and she remains mired in the mire, unable to move.
Public opinion at home is in an uproar, practically ready to devour her alive.
"Those bastards in the opposition, and those media outlets that thrive on chaos!" Theresa couldn't help but curse.
"They all want to tear me apart, drink my blood!
If I hadn't dragged the negotiations out until now, if they had actually made it a 'hard Brexit,' this country would have been turned upside down!"
No one wanted to end this damned Brexit farce more than she did.
But the problem is, even if the referendum decides to leave, it's not as simple as just walking away.
"Hard Brexit"—a term that sends chills down your spine just hearing it.
What is a hard Brexit?
Simply put, it's a complete break, no agreement whatsoever, with the British Empire severing all ties with the EU.
The consequences would be catastrophic.
If Britain backs down, will its EU allies be happy?
They'll retaliate with a barrage of tariffs, severing all existing trade, logistics, and financial networks overnight.
That's not Brexit; that's economic self-destruction!
Therefore, even though Theresa May came to power on popular support, she wouldn't dare to act like a bulldozer.
If she were to follow the populist clamor for a "hard Brexit," the losses Britain would suffer would be enough to set the entire country back fifty years.
"Those fools in the opposition, they clearly know the stakes, but they're all blinded by power..."
Of course they know.
The opposition knows, and the media knows, that a hard Brexit leads to an abyss of no return.
Yet they persisted, relentlessly attacking the Prime Minister and the ruling party with the most vicious words, with only one goal:
to bring her down, to destroy the ruling party, and then seize power for themselves.
Hasn't this been the nature of politics worldwide throughout history?
Regardless of whether the ruling party is doing good or bad, the opposition party will criticize first.
It seems to be an instinct ingrained in the DNA of politicians.
"But regardless, Your Excellency, this time an agreement must be finalized.
The EU has issued an ultimatum; this is the final extension."
"You mean, if this fails, I'll have to pursue a 'hard Brexit'?"
Theresa's eyes sharpened.
"We all understand your grievances," her aide sighed.
"The opposition and the media call you a 'lackey of the EU,' but we know you are the one truly responsible for Britain's future.
But... the truth doesn't matter.
What matters is what the people believe."
The opposition and the media were labeling her, portraying her as a traitor who sold out the country's interests.
But what could she do?
Doing what they said would be opening the gates to hell.
The irony is, she was precisely cleaning up the mess, trying to pull the entire country back from the brink.
“Even if I reach an agreement, they’ll find another angle to nitpick, saying I betrayed national interests, right?”
“Yes, they’ll say you’ve humiliated the country.”
“What if I really stick to my guns and go for a ‘hard Brexit’?”
“Then you might become the most infamous prime minister in the history of the British Empire.”
“Damn it—” Theresa cursed bitterly, slumping into her chair.
“If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have taken this damned position…”
From the moment the Brexit referendum passed, the next prime minister’s seat was destined to be a holy grail filled with poison.
And she, knowing it was poison, still picked it up herself; she had no one to blame but herself.
“Moreover, France bears a large responsibility for the delay in these negotiations.
Although the situation has eased somewhat now, the previous demonstrations in France were so intense that the French representatives couldn’t even sit down at the negotiating table.”
In the EU family, Britain, France, and Germany are the troika.
Now that Britain wants to go it alone, France and Germany should logically take the lead.
However, France, as one of the core members, is in turmoil due to internal unrest. President Kmaron is overwhelmed and has no time to deal with Britain's problems.
This directly led to the stagnation of negotiations.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties, knowing the inside story, still unleashed all their attacks on Prime Minister Theresa May.
"Now they can come, right?"
"Yes. President Kmaron has raised the white flag and surrendered to the foreign capital that was pressuring them from behind.
With his announcement of the withdrawal of the 'digital tax,' the protests that had been fueling the fire naturally subsided."
This whole thing is a bit strange.
“Wait, you mean the protests in France are being manipulated by foreign capital?”
“It can't be said they directly organized them… but it's a fact that they amplified the scale of the demonstrations through social media.
The French government believes this is a despicable tactic employed by certain multinational corporations to force them to withdraw their ‘digital tax.’”
Theresa May suddenly understood.
She knew it! That arrogant President Cheryl had suddenly become cowardly.
He'd been stabbed in the back, and he couldn't withstand the blow.
“The French are really pathetic; a few companies can turn the government of a sovereign nation upside down.”
“Your Excellency, this matter cannot be taken lightly,” another aide interjected solemnly.
“This proves one thing: whoever controls social media can manipulate public opinion and incite the masses.
This matter must be taken very seriously!”
“Indeed, Your Excellency the Prime Minister,” the former aide added,
“What we need to be especially wary of is the real core behind this French riot:
an Eastern capital firm called ‘Fanghuan’!”