Calum MacDonald, during a university lecture, used academic language to analyze the "governance structure roots of the Delhi disaster," linking it with the "long-term neglect of Scotland by London, leading to infrastructure backwardness," suggesting a complete failure of the "old centralized model."

"They are using this crisis to frantically shape the narrative of 'Scotland=future, England=past.' It's very effective," Graham summarized, his voice tinged with helplessness, "and... quite effective. We've monitored that public opinion within Scotland, especially among young people and urban middle classes, has shown a noticeable increase in support for the 'Autonomous Kingdom' following the Delhi incident. Even in some areas of northern England, similar discussions have emerged."

"And there's this."

Graham operated something and played a phone recording, a conversation between McTavish and a subordinate:

Subordinate: "There's been a big reaction to the Delhi incident over in London. I've heard the Prime Minister can barely hold on."

McTavish sneered: "Can't hold on? This is just the beginning. When they were stealing their own gold, they didn't expect the creditors would show up with the ledger, did they? Tell our people in London to 'appropriately' leak a word to a few compliant newspapers, just say 'I've heard some countries' gold reserves have had some mysterious turnovers recently.' The rest, let the gents in London figure out for themselves."

The recording ended.

The room's temperature plummeted.

"The Golden Document..." the Prime Minister murmured, the last bit of color draining from his face. Delhi was the external humiliation, the Golden Document was the internal cancer. Now, the external humiliation was detonating, and the internal cancer cells were about to spread.

"They've obtained conclusive evidence."

Graham confirmed in a low voice, "Provided by the Mexicans. Once made public, it's not just about the British Pound; it's the collapse of the entire government's credibility, the Royal Family's trust, and even the very foundations of the country. A hundred times more serious than the Delhi affair."

A deathly silence. Only the low hum of the ventilation system.

After what seemed like a century, the Prime Minister finally asked, as if using all his strength, "What about the 'English Congress'?"

"The Hyde Park gatherings are still ongoing, but the format has changed," reported the intelligence officer responsible for domestic security. "They're no longer just sitting and chanting slogans. They've started organizing 'community mutual aid associations,' in cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, to mimic... uh, to some extent mimic the kind of 'grassroots governance' promoted by Mexico and Scotland, setting up food cooperatives, volunteer patrols, and even coordinating waste management. Police reports indicate that some community residents are bypassing local city halls and going directly to 'Congress' volunteers for problem-solving. The authority of local councils is being eroded."

"They're digging up our roots," the Prime Minister closed his eyes, "in a peaceful, gradual way. We can't even find a reason to suppress it."

"Moreover," the intelligence officer added, "Sarah Kent's recent speeches have frequently cited comparisons between the Delhi incident and the Mexican Olympics, emphasizing that the 'ineffective old system' not only harms foreign athletes but also damages the everyday citizens of our country. She calls for a 'thorough constitutional restructuring beginning from the local level' in England. The response... is significant."

The Minister of Internal Affairs' voice trembled: "Can we... secretly arrest a few key figures? Like that Sarah Kent? Use some other charges?"

"On what charges?"

The Prime Minister retorted, eyes still closed, "For 'organizing community cleanups'? Or 'making comparisons in speeches too vividly'?"

Almost laughed out loud.

"Prime Minister..." the Foreign Minister Crabben cautiously spoke, "perhaps we can take the initiative to contact Sarah Kent? Engage in... dialogue? See what their demands really are? Maybe some sort of... compromise could be reached?"

"Compromise?"

The Minister of Defense Portillo was like a cat whose tail got stepped on, "Compromise with those who want to overthrow the system? What would that make us? A surrender government?"

"Then do you have a better solution?!" Crabben was also angry, the long-suppressed emotions exploding, "Deploy the military onto the streets? Like Northern Ireland? Look at what armed forces we have now! Low morale, budget cuts, and we constantly have to be on guard against Scotland! Not to mention the moment shots are fired, what would the United States and Europe react? They'll announce sanctions immediately! We wouldn't even have foreign currency to buy food by then!"

The argument was about to erupt.

"Enough."

The Prime Minister finally opened his eyes, revealing nothing, just an abyssal fatigue and void.

"Contact her." He told Crabben, "Secretly. Arrange a... neutral location. You go personally. Hear them out, see what they want." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Prime Minister!" Portillo and a few other hardliners were shocked and angry.

"And then," the Prime Minister ignored them, continuing in that hollow tone, "prepare to initiate the final parliamentary procedures for the '1997 Scotland Autonomous Kingdom Bill.' Agree to all of McTavish's previous demands... including full sovereignty over the North Sea Oil Field, including the arrangement for early payment of that three billion compensation — even if we know that money might be gone. Give it to them, as long as they're willing to keep silent about the Golden Document... at least temporarily silent."

He paused, as if the upcoming words would consume the last bit of his political life:

"At the same time, draft a... 'Kingdom Future Relationship White Paper' proposal. The content can be a bit radical. Explore the possibility of reconstructing the United Kingdom's political framework, under the premise of 'recognizing maximum autonomy for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.' It could even mention the 'vision for establishing an elected parliament in the England Region.'