Inflated Ambitions, the "Chariot" That Couldn't Stop!

According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

From the most basic physiological, safety, and social needs, to higher-level needs like respect and self-actualization.

Throughout a person's life, they tirelessly pursue these five things and dedicate their lives to them.

Su Mo had assumed that all the people of the lowlands had overcome the most basic physiological hurdles and were climbing towards higher levels.

But after construction began.

He realized he was wrong.

Physiological needs can never be satisfied, and this hurdle can never be overcome.

As long as they are alive, everyone's enthusiasm for this need is terrifyingly high! Starting from 1 p. m. after the tree man was sent away, as the villagers who went out to clean up the Salt Flats returned one after another, the 5,000 square meters of land in front of Iron Stone Mountain began to change rapidly.

In civilized times, building a sturdy house is very simple.

Generally, the process involves first using a highly effective herbicide to clear the area, ensuring that no plants grow under the house and damage the foundation during this process.

Next, a level is used to lay out the lines to ensure that the land is at a consistent height and to prevent damage caused by the left side being higher than the right side.

After the land was leveled, concrete and bricks were brought in and piled up to form the foundation.

Then, slowly build the entire house from the bottom up.

This method saves time and effort; even if you build a courtyard yourself, the process won't take too long.

Unfortunately, in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, where limestone is unavailable and even cement cannot be produced, everything must be kept simple.

Even so, with the wisdom of their ancestors and through collective efforts, the villagers came up with many good solutions.

The first round involved leveling the land and removing visible pebbles and grass roots. More than a thousand people completed the task successfully in just over an hour.

The second time, the King Kong (a type of rotary tiller) came in, and together with the Rotary Tiller, efficiently turned over all the soil, exposing the gravel and plant roots underneath.

This time, many small grass roots and stones were brought out, and even if the rest remained lurking in the corners, they wouldn't amount to much.

And this third time is the delightful "pressing"! It doesn't matter at all if there's no construction machinery Road Roller.

Find several Big Stone, break them open with a fine Stone Pickaxe, and then slowly shape them into flat cylinders.

Using the earth tiger's carrying capacity, the cylinder was pulled.

Although this method cannot achieve the level of a real Road Roller, it is effective when the soil is soft after a heavy rain.

It had a remarkable effect, achieving a success rate of around 60%! After just a few rounds, the land visibly began to level out.

Standing atop the high slope of the refuge, Su Mo perceived this change even more intensely.

In the distance, the waterlogged ground undulates and curves.

Nearby, however, lies a smooth road surface that exudes the fragrant scent of earth.

Everywhere you look, you see villagers walking on it with smiles on their faces, bending over and using their own body weight to tread the earth!

From 2 PM to 4 PM, everyone worked non-stop for those two hours.

But what's amazing is that throughout the entire process, not a single person complained of being tired or suffering.

Everyone showed immense enthusiasm for their home and livelihood! "Ha, Virtual Reality equipment is truly a double-edged sword; misuse can cause backlash that's difficult to recover from for months or even years."

"But if used properly, it can have a miraculous effect, just like it has now!"

Standing on the same high slope, Lü Kuan, who was controlling the robot, sighed deeply.

The use of Virtual Reality in both positive and negative directions has exceeded the expectations that developers had for this device.

Externally, virtual reality devices can be used to deceive and mislead the other party into a dead end.

Internally, reality equipment can simulate training and even simulate future scenarios, inspiring people to have "desire".

In the Virtual Reality, the people only lived in the simulated village for two hours, yet such a huge change in their enthusiasm was generated.

Work efficiency is at its maximum.

I dare not imagine what amazing changes will occur when we innovate new technologies and reach new milestones in the future.

"No, Lü Kuan, the village is only a small part of the stimulus; what truly causes this change is..."

"It's that sense of accomplishment from somewhere!"

Lü Kuan was taken aback. "A sense of accomplishment?"

"Yes, look there, what changes have you noticed in him!"

Pointing to one of the villagers who had previously played one of the Five Star Lords, Su Mo sighed with emotion.

You may plant flowers with care, but they may not bloom; you may plant willows without intention, and they may thrive.

In the morning, Su Mo was still worried about how to quickly meet everyone's needs and improve work efficiency.

But by the afternoon, after these people had shown off, they had inadvertently succeeded.

"His eyes seem to have changed. If before he was merely trying to survive, then now..."

"He wants to become stronger?"

Su Mo nodded slightly. "It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Once you've experienced being a powerful person, returning to your original, ordinary life will create an immense sense of disconnect."

"In our universe, on Earth, in China, there was once a TV program called 'Exchange Your Life,' which was basically about children from mountain villages and children from cities exchanging lives."

"As expected, the children from the mountain villages will strive to improve themselves and set goals after returning from the city, while the children from the city will also turn over a new leaf and change themselves."

Lü Kuan was taken aback. "Isn't that great? We've all achieved our goals!"

"No!"

Gathering his gaze, Su Mo swept it down over the villagers who were diligently pressing down the ground, and shook his head as if with regret.

"That's how things were at first, but after a while, the city kids will revert to their old ways, and the rural kids will face reality and quickly become despondent."

"Once you've gotten this momentum going, you can't let it go. Once you let it go, you'll need ten times, a hundred times, more stimulation to get it back up!"

"In the past, the low-lying areas could be shut down at will. Back then, no one had any ambitions; they just wanted to live a peaceful life in this place."

"But now, the low-lying area has truly become a war chariot that can only move forward. Once it stops, you and I on this chariot may be able to save ourselves, but what about everyone else?"

Many ordinary people believe they have no ambition throughout their lives.

This is simply due to the limitations of their platform and understanding.

Even ordinary rural children who participated in the Exchange Your Life were able to develop an ambition to change themselves and become superior people after returning home.

Not to mention these "elites" who are already considered to be at the upper-middle level in human society.

The wasteland is not the old world controlled by capital, where ordinary people can hardly climb the social ladder in their entire lives.

Here, the rules have changed drastically.

If you have enough "ambition", your life can change.

"So, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

You've confused me!

Unlike Su Deben, who was a shrewd individual, Lü Kuan, as a scientific researcher, had some knowledge of psychology, but when it came to application, he was still somewhat theoretical.

Seeing Su Mo shake his head and sigh one moment, and then secretly clench his fist in excitement the next, he was a little stunned.

"It's a good thing, at least for now, as long as I, the one in control of the steering wheel, can still hold it firmly."

"Our development speed will increase five to ten times compared to before!"

A hint of confidence flashed in his eyes as Su Mo looked at Chen Shen, who was walking up from the side with a smile, and he also smiled slightly.

The history of China throughout the ages has fully demonstrated this.

To govern the country, one needs subordinates who are law-abiding, able to control their desires, and focused on the future.

But to conquer the world, what's needed is for everyone to be ambitious, brave, and resolute, without the slightest hesitation. Even if you know that there is an abyss ahead, you must move forward decisively.

Su Mo didn't mention the impending zombie crisis.

But he believes that three months from now, with everyone's joint efforts, a steel fortress will rise from the low-lying area!

At that time, the struggle on this New Continent will truly begin! "Chief, we've had a great harvest today! Fan Ye and the others gave us so much; it's more than enough to feed us for half a month!"

"Oh? There are so many?"

On the way back, Su Mo had already given a preliminary explanation of the different grades of rice leaves in the carriage.

Ordinary Dark Red Rice Leaf cannot provide the trace elements needed by living organisms, and can only sustain humans for two days of light activity.

Based on the current activity level in the low-lying area, at least 30,000 tickets would be needed to supply everyone for half a month.

There's a huge difference between them!

"Chief, didn't you say that eating too much rice leaves is like eating potatoes, and it will make you weak? How can we dare to eat this stuff!"

"So I gave it a try, and to my surprise, the big grain eaters in our territory could eat it without any problems, and they ate it with great relish!"

He pointed to the group of Coolie Lizard and sheep leisurely sunbathing below.

Pointing to the yaks helping the villagers pull their carts, Chen Shen's face lit up with even more joy.

"The lowest grade of Dark Red Rice Leaf, a total of 4200 pieces."

"Light Red Rice Leaf, 420 pieces."

"Dark Yellow Rice Leaf, 80 pieces."

"And 10 pieces of the highest grade, Light Yellow Rice Leaf!"

"We'll keep the pale yellow and dark yellow ones as backups, and give the less valuable pale red and dark red ones to the lizards. According to Polly, lizards don't care about trace elements. They can survive for four or five years even if they eat rocks. Eating this kind of easily digestible energy substance is more nutritious than eating meat!"

The Coolie Lizard is hardworking and never complains.

Similarly, they eat a lot. In order to reproduce well in the future, each lizard has recently been fed a meal equivalent to eight people.

Based on a population of thirty-six lizards, they would need to eat the food of 288 people every day.

Over time, the accumulated expenses over a month are enough to make anyone feel the pinch!

But now, three Dark Red Rice Leaf can provide a lizard with its daily intake.

4200 tablets are enough to last for 120 days.

With the addition of Light Red Rice Leaf, this period of time can eventually be maintained for a full five months.

Five months later, the second and even third batches of rice leaves produced in the depression will be able to make up for the shortfall Heavenly Garment Without Seams!

"Very good. Since this stuff is harmless to lizards and even very beneficial, let's feed them as much as possible every day."

"If we can get the next batch of rice leaves, perhaps the breeding plan can begin!"

Let's do the math.

Su Mo immediately realized what was happening, and a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.

This is the best "carrier" that can hybridize into different species and attributes, if not for food shortages within the territory and size limitations.

As early as the day it was acquired, Su Mo would begin to think of ways to improve and optimize its breeding.

However, it's not too late now; there's plenty of time for everything.

"These tree people are a real treasure; they've made us a fortune just from their one visit."

"Since we're already doing this, let's go all the way. When we visit, I'll take a group there and pull off another heist, making a good profit!"

As Marx said in Das Kapital, people become bold when there is a suitable profit.

With a 50% profit, people dare to take risks; with a 100% profit, people dare to trample on all human laws.

With a 300% profit margin, people dare to commit any crime, even risking the gallows! Now, the profits brought by the Tree Man are so great that even 3000% wouldn't be enough to stop them!

Faced with profits many times greater than expected, even a calm and Chen Shen's eyes reddened after uttering those words.

"This is too risky. What if we get caught, what if our Virtual Reality equipment fails us again?"

"No, we still have to do it."

Upon hearing Su Mo interrupt Lü Kuan's "cautious" speech, both of them simultaneously raised their heads and looked into Su Mo's eyes.

Unfortunately, in Su Mo's eyes, they saw neither excitement nor fervor in the face of high profits.

Yes, but only utter calmness.

Just like back then, when we waved and shouted "Fire!" in front of the Kobold Castle.

After confirming it several times, Chen Shen seemed to have a guess in his mind, but still shook his head in disbelief.

"Chief, you wouldn't be..."

"That's right. When we go to their territory, I'll go with you. To maximize our benefits and ensure our safety, we can't rely on you alone."

Whoosh! The seemingly ordinary words exploded in their hearts like a thunderclap.

Despite Su Mo's outward demeanor, there was not a trace of a gambler.

But just like an ancient emperor becoming an assassin and personally infiltrating the enemy camp, this outrageous act instantly infuriated the two of them.

"Director, you can't do that! Putting aside the risks of you going there, what if the Underground Shelter collapses if you leave? How are we supposed to develop now!"

"Su Mo, it's precisely at such crucial moments that we mustn't act impulsively. Think about it, our Virtual Reality equipment was used so successfully just now. These returning tree people will definitely become an important tool for us to break through. At this point, even if you don't go, we still have a very high probability of success."

"On the contrary, if they find out and discover that you went there, the consequences of which are absolutely unbearable for us!"

Compared to Chen Shen, Lü Kuan's statement was more realistic.

Having witnessed generations of humans perish in the wilderness, losing their bodies and becoming nothing more than brains lying in boxes.

He understands risk control better than anyone else.

In other words, in Lü Kuan's mind, even if all the people in the low-lying area were gone, as long as Su Mo was there, "hope" could still be gathered there.

However, if Su Mo makes a mistake and gets trapped or even dies, this huge depression will collapse within a few days.

"Don't try to persuade me, I'm already prepared."

"Besides, this game restricts me from going; if I want to go, I can only use..."

He pointed to the data cable extending from the robot's buttocks and connecting to the Brain Box, then made a gesture of spreading it outwards.

Chen Shen was still a little confused, but Lü Kuan suddenly realized what was happening.

Subconsciously, he wanted to say directly that the difficulty of modifying the technology of consciousness uploading was no less than that of modifying Virtual Reality.

But suddenly, after realizing that Su Mo had completed gene extraction and adaptation in just ten minutes.

He was stunned.