Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 398: Pioneers of the future(2)

Overnight, Tangning became a big slave owner in the southern United States with three large plantations and hundreds of black slaves who could be driven at will.

Tangning was very satisfied with the result of such a time-travel, but then he sadly discovered that he could only enjoy three years of such a good life, because three years later would be the “Civil War”, what should he do after this?

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Briar had always harbored a crush in her heart. However, with her status as the official nanny of the Meyer family, she knew her chances were close to zero. After all, there were many other eligible women out there and it was not in her place to cross this line.All it took was one crucial call from home and she found herself signing a contract she never dreamed was possible.The man she had pinned after for years, Logan Meyer, needed a trophy wife, an accessory to hang on his arm, and a mother to his three kids. And as the nanny his children were used to seeing, Briar happened to fit the bill.She needed the money to save a relative. But more than that, this was an opportunity for her to reach the forbidden fruit she could only see but not touch for years.However, when the secrets of her past, which she wished to have forgotten and had locked in Pandora’s Box over twelve years ago, threaten to come out. The kind that would shatter the image she had painstakingly forged, thwart everything that she had worked hard for all these years and send her to prison for the rest of her life, forcing her to part with the man she dearly loves.To stop her adversaries from destroying everything that she had dreamt of since she was a child, Briar would be forced to make choices. Choices that would change her life forever.Even if it means shedding all pretenses and revealing her true self.

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

That day, my head was struck by an unknown object, and after I woke up, I realized that I’m able to, through titles, understand a person’s truest side.