Sun Minjie narrowed his eyes and stared at Shi Aotian for a long while before speaking slowly, word by word:
"'Dire straits' naturally refers to the Palu slaves' lives of suffering under exploitation."
"Exploitation?" As though hearing the term for the first time, Shi Aotian's eyes filled with surprise and curiosity. "Though Palu slaves bear the name of slaves, they seem never to have been 'exploited,' have they?"
"They all trade their labor equally for everything they need to live."
"I even have people protect their safety, preventing them from accidentally dying to the surging monster tide when Rifts erupt."
"How could such a harmonious situation be called 'exploitation'?"
"But they're forced into it!" Xu Xiao could not help frowning as she spoke. "These Palu are born as slaves. They have no chance at all to change their own fate."
"To survive, they can only keep working and laboring for you."
"Most of the value they produce ends up in your pockets."
"How is that not exploitation?!"
Shi Aotian seemed to have analyzed Xu Xiao's personality long ago. Hearing her speech so steeped in saintly compassion, he showed little surprise.
He merely replied calmly:
"This world has always been like this. In truth, no one has much of a choice."
"This Shi boldly asks Lord God's Chosen a question: when you first opened your Data Panel and awakened your Talent Abilities, if what you had obtained had been Bronze Rank or lower..."
"Do you think you would still have had the chance to become God's Chosen?"
Xu Xiao was stumped at once, unsure how to respond.
Shi Aotian had no intention of waiting for her answer and continued on his own:
"The principle is the same."
"The Palu are born as Palu slaves because their own strength simply does not