Choosing Suirenshi, Not Haotian
Inside the meeting room of the Exchange Group Supernatural Tale Countermeasures Bureau, after two hours of discussion and summarization, everyone dissected and analyzed every word of the conversation, even digging into the underlying meanings of the words through reading comprehension, and finally came to some conclusions.
However, this is only what the other party might want to express; how much of it is true and how much is false still needs further discussion and confirmation.
So, after the basic interpretation, the Exchange Group members did not rest at all. They immediately called the main leaders of the other groups to the meeting for a second round of discussion and analysis.
One by one, the group leaders took their seats. Only then did Old Wang stand up, and while controlling his personal terminal to send the discussion content and previous call records to the tablets in front of them, he began to speak:
"The first round of negotiations went fairly well; the other party did not show any substantial resistance. We also gained a lot of information through this dialogue, but!"
At this point, Old Wang's voice rose slightly:
Whether this information is truly accurate is for us to judge for ourselves. This is merely a public release of the exchange, not a dissemination of scientific truth.
"We understand, please begin." The head of the Investigation Group nodded slightly. Lin Wenxue, who was acting as a middleman, was a member of their Investigation Group, so he knew more than the other teams.
Seeing that someone was there to support him, Old Wang immediately continued:
"First, there's our biggest question from before: where did those captured Weird Tale go? And according to the codename [Instructor], they're dead."
"Dead?" This expected yet unexpected answer caused many to show strange expressions on their faces. They picked up their tablets, and then the Interrogation Group members spoke:
"Extremely short lifespan? But those who disappear are often tormented for half a year or even longer, while the Low-level Supernatural Tale we capture can only be active for three to five days on average before disappearing, and the High-level Supernatural Tale often even shorter."
"This involves several subsequent issues," Old Wang explained, pointing with a laser pointer to the projection screen behind him.
"According to them, they need to evolve to increase their lifespan. However, based on current intelligence, the vast majority of the Spiritual Possessor are captured in an organized manner. This likely means that only a very small number of evolved individuals benefit, while the rest are merely short-lived expendable resources like worker ants and soldier ants."
"Everything else can be explained, but the skills they possess cannot be mastered in just a few days," the Tactical Operations Group leader shook his head and said.
"Furthermore, most of the Weird Tale so far show signs of age, but from the time of capture until the time of disappearance, there were no signs of aging. How can this be explained?"
"They didn't answer that question, but I have some records from over thirty years ago." Old Wang switched the projector to some scanned documents containing descriptions of the Infinite City.
"Back then, the attitude towards Weird Tale in Infinite City wasn't as hostile as it is now. We also obtained some information about that world from some people who had returned from hiding. One noteworthy point is that almost no one had any memories of children. Considering the issue of lifespan, we have reason to suspect that the population of that world did not increase through childbirth."
As the meeting continued, most of the content had been conveyed, and what remained was the final question, the one Feng Xue posed last.
"What kind of Weird Tale can truly bring peace of mind?"
"Gods." Suddenly, a faint voice came from the corner of the conference room, the least noticeable spot where almost no one had spoken throughout the meeting.
The people sitting there had signs that read "Archive Group" in front of them.
The Archive Group is a relatively unknown organization within the Bureau of Weird Tale, and its main tasks are organizing files and records.
However, because the Weird Tale have become increasingly homogenized in recent years, the Archive Group has very few files to manage. It's like a library with only a hundred or so books. You can easily find what you're looking for by flipping through the catalog. Compared to other groups, this department is more of a "welfare department" to house those involved in Weird Tale but who have little Combat Power.
Therefore, everyone was somewhat unfamiliar with this department, which usually only handled document organization. However, upon hearing the other party's guess, they couldn't help but start to think about it.
"Xiao Qian, it's good that you have an idea. Tell me about it." Old Wang gave the speaker an encouraging smile. The woman, who looked to be in her late twenties and seemed a bit socially awkward, stood up somewhat awkwardly and then said, slightly hesitantly:
"According to existing documents, Weird Tale already existed before the Infinite City. Besides the Weird Tale culture of the Eastern Kingdom, the most famous were the worship of various indigenous gods and totem gods, such as the Feathered Serpent God of the Aztec. If it weren't for Iberia, the Feathered Serpent God would probably still exist with the Aztec today."
The head of the Archive Group, nicknamed "Xiao Qian," initially stuttered a bit, but as she got to the point, her speech became fluent, even a little fast.
However, upon hearing her statement, the head of the Inspection Group shook his head and said:
"That sounds reasonable, but Feathered Serpent God is still dead. Not just Feathered Serpent God, but Amun-Ra, Andr, Zeus... they're all dead."
"That's because those countries perished! If one could become a god of a powerful nation, one could live and die with the nation. The codename [Instructor] might be aiming for that; he wants to become a god of the Yan Kingdom." The Investigation Group leader stroked his short beard, while the Tactical Operations Group leader frowned.
"But we don't need a god, and the people don't need a god."
In other countries, such a statement might have been met with fierce criticism from religious organizations, but in this country where various conflicting religions can be brought together for a congress, it is perfectly acceptable.
But at that moment, Xiao Qian spoke up again:
"I think what [the instructors] want to become is probably not a god."
"Uh..." The head of the Investigation Group Investigation Group had spoken up for Xiao Qian, but he didn't expect Xiao Qian to overturn his conclusion. However, seeing Old Wang's expression, he quietly waited for Xiao Qian to continue.
At this moment, Xiao Qian seemed to have gone to the other extreme of tension, speaking at a speed that left no time for anyone to think:
"The belief in gods may change, fade, or disappear with the passage of time, the rise and fall of dynasties, and the advancement of technology, but history and civilization will not! He aspires to be the Source of Martial Arts, not a god of martial arts, probably because he wants to integrate the element of [Martial] into our civilization. He doesn't want to be the supreme ruler of heaven and Haotian, but rather the legendary Suirenshi fire by drilling wood."
Will the Tag disappear if I do something that doesn't conform to its Tag?
This is a unique rule of the Infinite City Tag. Because in Infinite City, the Tag is [lent] to Nothingness by Infinite City, so naturally, Infinite City has the right to take it back. Infinite City is like a company. If it gives you the position of senior engineer, then you are a senior engineer. If it fires you, then you are nothing.
Tag recognized by real people is something you actually possess. It's like obtaining a senior engineer certificate with sufficient value (sufficient credibility and high recognition). No matter where you work, you are a senior engineer. This status won't change because you resign or change positions. Even if you stay at home and don't work, you are still a senior engineer.