My Body Is Not My Own

Chapter 7 1.07 A Body Beyond One's Control

While lying in the hospital room, Wei Keng confirmed the status of the system's consciousness link after descending to this plane and gathered information about his teammates.

As for the teammates who came with him this time, they were divided among four planes, with only two traversers per plane.

Currently, Wei Keng was grouped with Ke Feijia, who had descended in Jiankang, a southern economic center.

From the perspective of this plane, a few months ago, he, as the project supervisor for the group, had voluntarily experimented with the C-Meson Energy Project, which could also be called the 'Seclusion Qi Cultivation' project. He had been dormant in this plane for two years. Now, the him in this world had just awakened.

The reality was: while dormant in this plane, his main consciousness had returned to the Main World to confirm whether the newcomers were suitable for the mission in this plane.

Ke Feijia was now the supervisor of this cutting-edge technology project. Previously, he had been the secretary to a member of the cabinet and possessed extraordinary connections within Shenzhou. He had now abandoned politics for research. On one hand, the Main World was paying considerable attention to this "C-Meson" project. On the other hand, Shenzhou's high-level officials also recognized the importance of "C-Meson," so Ke Feijia was sent here as a reliable individual. This meant Wei Keng wouldn't face many difficulties in this plane. The technical and difficult tasks would be handled by the experienced traversers.

Ten hours later, Wei Keng, his body fully recovered, left the private medical center.

Outside the medical center, a Shenzhou sedan of the xiangfang type was parked, flanked by rows of guards without firearms. This treatment left Wei Keng unsure where to place his feet. A capable and beautiful lady bowed to Wei Keng, "Young Master Wei, I, Qin Hongyue, am honored to receive you."

Wei Keng was a bit flustered, "How should I greet you? Uh, bowing, for men, is the left palm over the right fist?" He then realized he had grown up in a cultural desert.

This day, Wei Keng had not yet had time to return to the Xijing headquarters.

This itinerary was clearly a deliberate delay. Wei Keng could imagine the people in the group scrambling against time to deal with the loose ends from this period.

In the evening, Wei Keng temporarily resided at the guesthouse set up by Xianyangzi's department.

After Wei Keng finished washing up, he looked at the large bed and took a deep breath.

The beds here were not the Simmons thick-padded spring beds from Wei Keng's time, but Nanmu Chuihua Pillar Step Beds.

These were often seen in the bridal chamber scenes of historical dramas, with wooden pillars around and a carved wooden canopy above, resembling a small wooden house. The bed frame, where the bride and groom often sat together, had a circular entrance structure from top to bottom.

The Eight-Step Bed was even more elaborate, standing three meters high. Because it required eight steps to reach the bed from the entrance, it was called an Eight-Step Bed. Since the Song Dynasty, this item had been an absolute exclusive for the wealthy. The Jin Ping Mei contained such a passage: when Ximen Qing married his third wife, Meng Yulou, the matchmaker introduced her by saying: "This Meng Yulou is a widow, she has some money, and she owns two Nanjing Eight-Step Beds."

Although productivity in 21st-century Shenzhou developed rapidly, and merchants added luxury concepts to items like watches and cars, the status of the Eight-Step Bed had not diminished in the slightest. Furthermore, this item had kept pace with the times and incorporated high technology. It was no longer just a bed but integrated household automation like air conditioning, desk lamps, refrigerators, and massage devices, along with automatic dust removal and fragrance spraying functions.

Of course, what made Wei Keng gasp was not just the bed, but the beauty sitting at the far end behind the bed's gauze curtains.

Seeing Wei Keng, Qin Hongyue smiled slightly, removed her hairpin, and her dark tresses cascaded down. Then, this young-looking older sister said, "Young Master, I am here to serve you for the night."

Wei Keng was momentarily lost in thought.

The warmth and softness of a beautiful woman were the most corrosive to a hero's bones. Most men in the 21st century, who considered themselves straight, could resist, but that was because they never encountered such situations.

When a maiden becomes gentle and seeps into you like water, all notions of male self-control, morality, and integrity are cast aside.

Wei Keng immediately retreated, returning to the dressing room. He looked at himself in the mirror, turned on the gold-plated faucet, splashed water on his face, and then wiped the water droplets away.

He needed to regain his composure in this room; he had lost control upon arrival and needed to readjust.

Returning to the room, he continued to face the 'red powder skeleton'.

Wei Keng struggled for a long time before managing to say, "Um, are you a maiden?" -- This was a stupid question only asked in the 21st century. Wei Keng thought to himself: "When faced with benefits that are too hard to refuse but must be refused, I have to find fault to convince myself."

Qin Hongyue smiled and said, "Young Master, please rest assured, your status ensures exclusive arrangements. This servant is naturally a pure virgin."

Wei Keng reached out and covered his stiff, twitching cheek.

After several rounds of internal struggle, Wei Keng gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, you can go."

The woman's body trembled slightly, then she turned and asked, "Young Master, tonight is unforgettable."

Wei Keng took a deep breath, finally suppressing the impulse in his heart, and said, "Today, I'm very tired. You go out. If you don't go out, then I'll have to go out and sleep."

Qin Hongyue observed Wei Keng's hesitant yet ultimately determined expression, a playful smile touching her lips. "Young Master is truly interesting. Then, goodnight." With that, she stood up and gracefully left the room.

Watching the door close, Wei Keng turned around, lost in thought, and not paying attention, bumped his head on the doorframe of the bed, raising a lump.

With a long sigh, he took out paper and pen, looking at the dense self-planning he had made. After a while, he put it aside, wrapped himself in the quilt, and slept.

In a room three floors away, Qin Hongyue opened a screen and reported the situation to her master.

The person on the screen asked, "What, refused?"

Qin Hongyue replied, "Yes, but he was somewhat shaken. We can try Plan B again."

Qin Hongyue was conversing with the head of the third branch of the Luoshui Group's Wei Family. Wei Keng's father had branched out in this world, but Wei Keng and Wei Qiang's status as legitimate sons was unshakeable within the patriarchal system.

The head of the third branch said, "No need to try again. Just follow him."

Nine hours later, it was already the next morning.

Wei Keng woke up. His body had been frozen in this world for over thirty years, and he was still in his teenage years.

Wei Keng yawned and looked at the sunlight outside the window, saying with feigned resentment but actual regret, "Couldn't you have come to my bed at night? If you want to play with excitement, you should see it through to the end."

A few seconds later, "Pah, pah, calm down, calm down."

The impure-minded Wei Keng began to rinse his mouth and wash his face, waiting for his passion to subside.

Setting off again, Wei Keng found the person in charge of the itinerary and issued a strict order in a very stern tone: "Yesterday's delay was unacceptable. We must return to our destination today, no matter what."

After such an emphasis, Wei Keng felt that today's journey was much smoother. The accompanying motorcycles and road closures were simplified.

Outside the Domestic Water-Repelling Golden-Eye Van, the real scenery revealed more of the local life.

On the streets of Xijing, there were many idle young men, and they could always be seen gathered around the Speech Platform.

On the Speech Platform, the councilors spittle-flying expounded on the 'Gongyang School', which is the great xx theory from the Gongyang Commentary!

Buddhism often says: "Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha instantly; the sea of suffering is boundless, turn back and you are on the shore." Taoism also advocates mutual assistance and harmony. But the Gongyang School: National hatred! Let alone across nine generations, it must be avenged across a hundred generations!

In Wei Keng's Main World era, Confucianism was already quite moderate. Hearing this doctrine now, Wei Keng couldn't help but feel a chill.

Sensing Wei Keng's gaze constantly fixed on the Speech Gatherers outside the window, Qin Hongyue said, "Young Master, do not listen to the words of these commoners. These gatherings are merely for a day's meal."

With that, she pointed to the scene where the speakers were distributing food coupons after their speeches.

These speech events were actually arranged by people within the Political Affairs Council of the city.

Currently, the refugee rate in Shenzhou is very high, with large numbers of strong and vigorous individuals gathering. Therefore, the government sent people for relief. During the relief efforts, speakers were also arranged to deliver national policies while distributing grain. "Speakers" were equipped similarly to "lecturers" in the army and are common in Shenzhou's official relief organizations.

An old saying goes, "It is more important to prevent the people's mouths than to dam a river." Since it cannot be blocked, it must be channeled. The Zhuxia people have been experts in water management since the beginning.

As for who Shenzhou's enemies are now? Externally, there are many.

Currently, Shenyang and Shenzhou are still allies, and Luo Shui Company's main industry is the aviation department. Shenyang's Xijia Mech Research Center has already developed the Sky Dog Mech. This fighter jet will be mass-produced for the Imperial Air Force in the future. However, major mech media outlets like the Nanyang Morning Post in Shenzhou have already begun hyping it up, demanding an end to military aid to Shenyang. This? Well, it's not without reason. Shenyang is an obedient child, like Arthas and Jaina. They have built many wartime bases on the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, on the northern Shuoyuan, the Krasna Aerospace Agency has applied its gravity isolation system to the military field, and the Kirov Heavy Airship has also been successfully developed. Although its maneuverability is lacking, its heavy armor and the bombardment capabilities of its heavy cruise missiles pose a significant threat to northern Shenzhou.

Europa and New Rome are currently Shenzhou's largest trading partners. However, these blond devils, after occupying the gold-rich Yanzhou Continent (Africa), are also coveting the interests in the Persian Gulf, which Shenzhou protects.

Therefore, viewed with a harsh eye, they are all enemies. But constantly emphasizing these external enemies is actually a way to cover up internal problems.

The Gongyang School's doctrines, which have suddenly become popular in Shenzhou, are viewed differently by various strata of society.

The first group consists of small merchants traveling across the country. They believe this is the gathering of public opinion by the "clear stream," meaning that aspiring scholars are trying to increase their exposure through these public activities.

The second group comprises the few scholars in the country who have accepted banned publications like 'Commerce Theory'. They recognize this as Cao Gong's tactic of "borrowing a head to use" to sway public opinion.

The third group is Shenzhou's establishment. They know that the suffering of the common people has reached a certain point. Although distributing food benefits can prevent most people from storming the Dao Prefecture in despair, it cannot quell the restless hearts of the Wuxia who have nothing to do. In this era, newspapers and radio have long been popularized, and even flip phones exist, increasing the channels for adult males to acquire knowledge and information. Traditional appeasement methods have become ineffective. They must be given the illusion of becoming a swan, so for those in high positions in the Imperial Court, guiding them and letting them run around in the streets is a way to channel their heroic spirit and prevent major upheaval.

The fourth group consists of those who hold great power in governance. For these noble families who truly rule the world, population is a resource, and if it cannot be used, it becomes a hot potato. In the imperial era, the population explosion led to the collapse of agricultural production, and the resulting refugees could shake the foundations of a dynasty.

However, three hundred years ago, during the Little Ice Age, Shenzhou successfully utilized its manpower, far exceeding that of Europa, to launch a second wave of great expansion. The immigrants from Min Yue and the Central Plains during the Great Yan Dynasty formed a highly advanced Xiangzu Model compared to the local indigenous populations of Nanyang, seizing land, water, and forests, cultivating fields, building forts, and constructing roads and bridges. That era opened up eight prefectures in Nanyang for Shenzhou, providing the initial resources for Shenzhou's industrial revolution.

In the year 2201 of the Qin Tong Calendar, when Shenzhou faced another economic crisis, this model was once again employed. From the invasion of Myanmar to southern India, six million people were migrated within thirty years, undermining European rule in South Asia. A railway was opened from Shudi into Southeast Asia and then into South Asia, and twenty million people were migrated, completely assimilating the local population and transforming the entire South Asian subcontinent into a new land of abundance.

Of course, Shenzhou completely annexed the entirety of Tianzhu, leaving no dregs behind. This civilization-crushing advance terrified all of Europa. Ambitious individuals in Europa felt that if they did not form a Holy Alliance, in another few hundred years, the East would crush the Western countries one by one, leading to a global struggle for hegemony, with European nations uniting to fight Shenzhou.

External expansion can be successful a few times by relying on sheer size. However, as time goes on, people will definitely guard against you.

King of Qin's unification of the Six Harmonies was the accumulation of several generations of wise rulers, finally achieved in one decisive victory during the era of Qin Shi Huang. If the Qin state had delayed for another one or two hundred years after conquering Han, and the various states had enough time to reflect and develop new systems while being beaten, Qin would not have been able to push forward.

Now Shenzhou is like a historical cycle, with an oversupply of manpower once again. Domestically, the population generally only has elementary education, unable to keep up with the manufacturing of the emerging High-Tech Workshops. These uncultured commoners, if unable to find a sense of existence in social production, can only find some meaning in Triad Gangs. Therefore, the "I uphold Zhuxia Values Martial Prowess" that these street marketing accounts and politicians boast about can always attract a crowd.

Wei Keng: "Emotionally, I agree with the first layer of analysis because I hate moral blackmail, using righteousness to coerce people, and even the shamelessness of using a few minor characters to establish authority.

The education I received allows me to understand the concerns of the second layer; this vast empire indeed needs change.

But my actions can only be at the third layer. The populace is in an uproar like a tangled mess, with chaotic party struggles, each with their own agenda. If we want unity, there is only one path: to defeat enemies externally. And my position~"

Wei Keng looked at the twenty-million-worth limited edition van beneath him, sighed, and said, "I'm sitting in the fourth layer."

Wei Keng, with his hand on Qin Hongyue's jade leg, feeling its smoothness and firm muscle, thought to himself, "If I sit too long, then I will only be in the fourth layer."

Wei Keng suddenly thought of the system's monitoring mechanism, withdrew his hand, coughed at the female attendant beside him, whose face had turned red all the way to her collarbone, and pretended to be a gentleman: "Just now, that, my hand was not intentional."