That voice. Urgent. Shaking me.
"Prime Minister! Mr. Prime Minister! You have to wake up!"
I opened my eyes.
Hm? What's going on? Who is this guy?
The words didn't even have a chance to leave my mouth. A wave of memories—not my own—crashed into my brain. A flood. I gripped my head, trying not to scream. A few minutes felt like an eternity. Slowly, the chaos subsided. I pieced together the fragments of information.
The man beside me… my assistant. His name was Rottington.
The date was September 26, 2024.
My first day in office.
And the strangest reality of all… I glanced at the mirror across the room. That face… it was the face of an Asian man. But the identity in this head, the passport lying on that desk… British.
I snorted internally. Damn it. Transmigration is bad enough, but now I'm thrown into a foreign country. And as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, no less.
Complaining was useless. There was a press conference I had to attend. My first press conference as the new prime minister.
A soft knock came at my door. Rottington. I gave him permission to enter, and he strode in with long, confident steps.
"Mr. Prime Minister, your press conference will begin at 2:30 PM this afternoon. You must be on time. You also need to prepare your speech," he said in a flat, professional tone.
"Also, should I press a suit for you?"
"Yes, please. Get the clothes ready, too. Make sure security at the venue is properly arranged. This afternoon, I'm going to give a speech that will shake the world!"
A speech… Who can't do that? Worst case, I'll just look up one of Churchill's speeches online.
…
At 12:40 PM, after lunch, Rottington reminded me. "Mr. Prime Minister, it's time to leave."
I went into the changing room. Shortly after, I emerged.
Outside, the scene was surreal. A sea of police cars stretched out before my eyes. In the center of it all, the most striking vehicle was a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI. A car worth tens of millions.
I sat in the back seat of the prime minister's official car. A countless number of police escorts cleared the way ahead.
The deafening roar of sirens and the stares of citizens on the roadside seemed to announce my arrival.
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived.
The entrance was swarmed by a sea of reporters and police. Many journalists pushed forward, shouting questions. The police rushed to maintain order, forming a human barricade to escort me into the Parliament building.
In the middle of that crowd, as the flash of cameras blinded me, a cold voice sounded inside my head.
Ding! The system has been activated.
I froze for a second.
Reward for Master: Oratory skills equivalent to Churchill's.
A faint smirk played on my lips. Here we go.
…
At 2:00 PM, the press conference officially began.
A reporter named Jason Brown stood up. His eyes were sharp, piercing, as if he wanted to skin me alive in front of the whole country. "Honorable Prime Minister, what are your views on the current state of our domestic economic development?"
I looked him straight in the eye. "Right now, the overall economic situation in the United Kingdom cannot be described as optimistic. GDP growth is far more sluggish than in previous years."
Brown wasn't satisfied. He pressed further. "Then, in your opinion, how do you intend to fix this sluggish economy and slow GDP growth?"
His breathing was slightly ragged, as if he'd been holding all this in for a long time. "Furthermore, our domestic inflation is at a 20-year high. The basic needs of the people can't even be guaranteed. How will you solve this problem, Mr. Prime Minister?"
He paused, letting his words hang in the air. "Several prime ministers before you promised to change our living conditions and economic situation, but it was all just empty talk. Why does the Crown's government prefer to increase aid to Ukraine rather than use that money to develop Britain's domestic economy?"
"And right now, there are large-scale riots in our country, having already spread to 39 cities. The previous administration always chose violent suppression. How will you stop them?"
"Finally, Mr. Prime Minister, one more question. In your opinion, should aid to Ukraine continue to be increased, reduced, or stopped altogether?"
He sat down. "My questions are finished, Mr. Prime Minister. Please answer."
Those questions… he wasn't playing around. Every word was a dagger aimed directly at the heart of this rotten government.
After Brown finished, the other reporters began to look at me with gazes full of doubt. I could feel it. The pressure in the room was immense.
I cleared my throat softly. "Mr. Brown, I fully understand your concerns about the unguaranteed living conditions of the British people."
I paused, looking at every face in the front row.
"But right now, the economy of the United Kingdom is on the brink of collapse."
"To fix the worsening domestic inflation, I have decided to sign the UK-China Deep Economic Development cooperation agreement with Beijing."
"I will increase the trade volume with China. I will import basic necessities in large quantities from China to guarantee the livelihood of the British people."
"And to show my seriousness, within one month, I will personally visit China."
I moved on to the next question. "Regarding Mr. Brown's question… why we choose to increase aid to Ukraine rather than channel it into Britain's domestic economic development."
"On this matter, I express my deepest regret."
"The negligence of previous administrations may have caused the British people to lose trust in the government."
I leaned forward, toward the microphone.
"Today, I am going to announce a major piece of news. The Crown's government will halt all aid to Ukraine!"
I emphasized every word. "That includes logistics, military funds, and weaponry. The UK will no longer provide a single thing!"
Silence.
A deafening silence. I could feel the collective breath of the entire room being held. Even the camera flashes stopped for a moment. The UK was the first country to spearhead that aid. Now, its own leader was pulling out. The other smaller nations would surely follow suit, stopping their aid. The entire strategy of the United States in Europe would be thrown into disarray.
There's definitely going to be blowback.
Trade with America would plummet. The UK's domestic economy would certainly take a major hit. I glanced at some of the government officials sitting in the front row. Their faces were pale. They clearly disagreed, but in the middle of a press conference, they could only swallow it. They would attack me later in the Cabinet meeting.
I smiled faintly. "Is there a problem? Just say it. Let's discuss it. You all sitting there must be thinking this will damage our credibility and our relationship with America. That maybe Britain's domestic economy will be affected by America. Am I right?"
I looked at them one by one. "But don't forget, we are not a weak nation. It doesn't mean that without America, British trade will be ruined. No."
"This is why I said earlier that I would establish good relations with China. China's trade volume has always been number one on Earth. If we develop our economy deeply with China, then the UK's domestic economy will experience an unprecedented increase."
"Stop the war, switch to total economic development. We need reform! This issue can't be resolved in a single moment. After I discuss it with the Cabinet in two days, I will formulate a more concrete plan."
"Alright, next question. Currently, there are severe riots in 39 cities across the United Kingdom. Major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and London are also in turmoil. The rioters even dared to surround 10 Downing Street!"
"I consider this a disgrace. For this, I will not use any form of compromise or peaceful means to stop these rioters!"
"Because I understand one thing: only a fist can silence those who oppose you. If we restore their benefits now, what happens when the country truly runs out of money? The benefits can't be paid, and the riots will start again, right? That's just a temporary fix, not a solution to the root problem!"
"Previous administrations gave out too many benefits. They made the people think that after getting used to a comfortable life, they couldn't live a hard one!"
"Just because benefits aren't being paid, they can start a riot. What if the country's economy completely collapses? Will they just go and rob the national treasury?"
"For this, I will issue an order: all police and military police in the UK will crack down on the riots in full force! There will be no mercy. Existing benefits will be cut by 50%. If necessary, use violent means to suppress them. Anyone involved in looting stores or injuring police officers will be thrown in prison!"
"As for those who ask me to be more lenient, I don't understand when you people will ever learn! The UK's domestic economic situation is already dire. If we still have to provide such large benefits, who is going to pay for all the government's expenses?"
"I don't understand what the previous administrations were doing!"
"Just to become prime minister, they made empty promises to get votes. But we all know, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom is chosen by the people. The previous party leaders, for the sake of becoming prime minister, went back on their word and agreed to the people's unreasonable demands, like raising benefits, salaries, and facilities."
"They promised to make the people's lives better. They agreed to everything, but they didn't think about the consequences!"
"As I said earlier, the UK's GDP growth over the last 20 years has been extremely sluggish. Last year, GDP growth was only 2.6%! Among the world's developed capitalist nations, we are at the bottom!"
"Why? There are many reasons. First, the benefits given to the people far exceed the standard they should! Second, domestic riots and immigration have always been long-term problems plaguing the government, not to mention Northern Ireland's contempt for the government, as well as Scotland and Wales being ready to secede at any time. This means the government not only has to spend money on them but also can't deploy the military to suppress them, leading to losses on both sides and preventing the economy from developing together! For this situation, at the next press conference, I will announce a concrete operational plan!"
"Third, ever-increasing military aid. The UK can no longer afford a war of attrition, on top of all the wars we've joined with the United States, like the Gulf War, the Iraq War, the Syrian War, and so on!"
"This has left the UK with absolutely no time to stop and develop its economy. That's why the Kingdom's economic growth is so sluggish now. GDP has even fallen to sixth place in the world, an absolute disgrace!"
"For all this, I have nothing to offer but my words, my sweat, and my own blood."
Suddenly, another reporter stood up. "Honorable Prime Minister, don't you think that if you suppress the rioters with violence, you will be ousted from power just like several other prime ministers?"
I let out a small laugh, filled with scorn. "Prime Minister? This position isn't that important to me. I became prime minister for only one reason: development, development, and more development!"
"As for worrying about being ousted, I don't care. If I'm out, I'm out. I believe the arc of history has brought me together with all of you. That means even God doesn't want the UK to continue its decline! It's destiny, isn't it?" I tried to lighten the mood with a bit of humor.
Then, my tone turned serious.
"The United Kingdom has only this one chance to develop. History and time will not give the Kingdom another chance. If we advance, we will prosper. If not, we will continue to decline, until we finally fracture into four countries!"
"That is why I have decided to pursue full-scale economic development. And not just the urban economy, but also achieving the integration of city and countryside! So that the UK develops comprehensively from the top down."
"Furthermore, the urban area of London will be expanded by approximately 1,000 square kilometers. To promote economic development in the north of England, I have decided to develop key economic hub cities in the UK like Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool northward, as close as possible to Edinburgh."
"Only in this way can we effectively promote the comprehensive development of the UK's domestic economy, and the gap between the north and south will be reduced."
"And to better promote economic development, I have decided to designate five megacities in the UK—London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Edinburgh—as special economic zones."
"All major economic development must be centered in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham. Any priority resources must be given to these five cities first."
"Only then can these five megacities better drive the domestic economic development of the Empire."
"Furthermore, all resources must be centered in London. Although London's comprehensive power is still number two in the world, it has lost its glory as the world's foremost mega-city."
"Our economic target is to rebuild London into the city with the most advanced economy, the most wealth, the most prosperous trade, and the highest standard of living in the entire world."
"Perhaps everyone here, and even people on the internet, thinks London has declined, that the UK has declined. So today, I will take an extra five minutes to introduce the London of today to you."
"London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is a leading global city. It is also one of the world's richest cities, with the most advanced economy, most prosperous trade, and highest standard of living. London is also a global financial center. It's no exaggeration to say that London is the only city in the world that can compete with the world's number one city, New York!"
"London's urban area is 1,577 square kilometers, with a permanent population of over 9 million people. The total GDP generated this year was 617.915 billion pounds, with a per capita GDP of 4.9 million US dollars, placing it at the forefront of the world in various global economic data."
"Furthermore, London influences the entire world in politics, economy, culture, education, technology, finance, trade, sports, media, and fashion. London is the top of the three giants of world financial centers—London, New York, Hong Kong—and is the number one financial center in the world. London controls 45% of global foreign exchange transactions and the pricing rights for major commodities like gold, silver, and crude oil. It is also the world's largest banking, insurance, futures, and shipping center."
"Alright, that's the brief introduction. Today's press conference ends here. In one week, after I have discussed matters with the Members of Parliament, I will hold another press conference."
"Goodbye, everyone. I look forward to our next meeting."
After I announced the end of the press conference, thunderous applause instantly erupted throughout the hall. The reporters below the stage and the public outside the building were moved by my speech. They sincerely believed from the bottom of their hearts that I would lead them out of the darkness.
But others were not happy.
The officials of the United Kingdom's government and the senior members of Parliament.
The United States ambassador who had come to congratulate me on my inauguration.
They all showed serious dissatisfaction with my press conference. But to save face, they couldn't criticize me directly on the spot. They could only let the Cabinet put pressure on me.
Under the escort of the British police, I walked out of the press conference hall, heading straight for the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI. Amidst the police guard and sirens roaring throughout the city, I was escorted to 10 Downing Street.
…
Back in my office, I eagerly opened the system in my head. "System, what do you do?"
You may call me the Prime Minister System, Master. Broadly speaking, my function is to give you tasks. If you complete them, I will give you rewards. The rewards given are things that can increase your country's comprehensive strength. Currently, Master, you have four tasks.
I see.
I nodded.