Guan Tong wanted to know whether the authorities actually had a clear plan or direction.
From the large-scale demolitions and shelter construction across various regions in the early days of the Apocalypse Rules, to the later declaration that the nation had entered Wartime Status and the comprehensive implementation of rationing, those had at least been consistent, continuous policies.
But after that, Guan Tong had not reached any conclusion about which direction they intended to take next, even after observing them for so long.
At a glance, the North Star Official seemed to be planning to follow the Solloma Empire's path of isolation: looking after only its own citizens and doing everything possible to ensure their survival.
That might also have been one reason the authorities had dispatched large numbers of armed personnel beyond the cities during the Eighth Rule to conduct sweeping crackdowns on violent groups and the Provider Organization.
But if they had truly decided on that path, their earlier public condemnation of Guan Tong was rather strange—because if they had chosen isolation, what did it matter how other nations, especially smaller ones, viewed them?
A year into the Apocalypse Rules Era, the former international order had already undergone earth-shaking changes.
All those so-called "alliances," "allies," and "international cooperative organizations" had become dysfunctional and ineffective.
Even the Tianshui Star Council, once the largest international cooperative organization, now existed in name only, let alone all the others.
In other words, in Guan Tong's view, if the authorities intended to pursue an isolated survival strategy, there was no need to concern themselves with the situation in other countries.
He even somewhat extremely believed that under such circumstances, "diplomacy" itself no longer had much reason to exist and could be drastically cut back altogether.
But if they did not intend to isolate