Minister Ji's expression stiffened for a moment. Then he fell silent, and only after several seconds did he say, "I understand."
Xu Huo went to the room that had been prepared for him earlier.
District 014 was about to undergo a fusion. Although the National Resources Dungeon had been brought in with ulterior motives by the Ghastly Sound Knights, it happened to fit Country X's current situation perfectly. Sub-district fusion was already a war for influence: between local Players and Outer District Players, and between local Players and ordinary people in their own district.
Before Evolution, ordinary people had held all the real power. And when Evolution erupted in District 014, the transition had been relatively smooth, without major unrest. At the time, those who held power and made up the vast majority of the population still had the final say. But once the district was fully integrated into the game, that balance was bound to change.
Whether it was the cost of resisting the risks brought by outsiders or of making contact with other sub-districts, Players were unquestionably the central force. Without Players, a sub-district simply couldn't survive.
Perhaps the country could still operate according to its established systems for a while, but from now on, those systems would be gone for good. Players who had once risen only to be thwarted, or who had stayed behind the scenes supporting their own people, would have to step into the open. This was the moment when power would be divided.
In fact, Capital City being caught up in a Dungeon was a mixed blessing. Ordinary people were bound to leave the political stage, but they were more than just ordinary people: they had extensive Networks of Relationships behind them, and Players who supported them. Where there were differences in strength,