(Universe safety disclaimer: everything in this chapter is a reasonable fictional scenario devised to fit the plot of an imaginary setting. It is not intended to promote any harmful ideas. The language and events serve only to advance the story and have no connection to reality. Reviewers, please go easy on me.)
With his hands behind his back and oversized sunglasses on his face, Xi Yan strolled along the broad sidewalk.
A group of fully armed Guards followed behind him, all wearing black Powered Armor and reflective goggles, looking utterly ferocious.
He looked like a mob boss out on the town.
For safety, Xi Yan wore a layer of advanced soft ballistic armor beneath his Marshal's uniform. Now he wouldn't have to worry about having his chest opened up.
Though he still risked having his mind blown-literally.
There were elderly people out walking and children playing nearby. Xi Yan had issued no restrictions against approaching the Administration Building.
One little boy was clearly timid. When he saw Xi Yan striding toward him with a group of soldiers, he froze in terror.
Xi Yan lowered his head, peered at the child through the gap above his sunglasses, then waved a hand. "Someone, give him a lollipop!"
"Marshal, we don't have any on us," Yu Shuo said awkwardly.
"I do." Xi Yan grinned and pulled a classic strawberry-flavored lollipop from his pocket.
He had stolen it from the Secretary of State's office that morning.
Beta had reported that their young comrade Ailiveer liked hiding snacks in her office. Before heading out, he had enabled auto-loot, wandered through her office, and emerged with a pocketful of snacks as though nothing had happened.
"Kid, don't stand there scared stiff. Have something sweet and calm down."
Wearing what he considered a friendly smile, Xi Yan offered the child the lollipop.
Instead, the child burst into frightened tears, turned, and ran, sobbing as he sprinted in the opposite direction. His friends started crying too, until an entire pack of little brats fled in tears.
"Fuck! Am I that scary?" Xi Yan clicked his tongue, unwrapped the lollipop, and popped it into his mouth, smacking his lips.
Beside him, his personal Guard captain Yu Shuo struggled to keep a straight face.
Xi Yan had completely failed to realize that, after starting a civil war and wiping out the entire rebel faction, his whole demeanor had changed.
He had gone from an innocent, adorable, sunny young man to an ambitious, aloof, sinister Grand Marshal who killed without blinking.
Who wouldn't be scared of him?
"Good morning, young Marshal. You too, young comrade Yu Shuo."
An old man in a worn military uniform remained perfectly composed as he greeted Xi Yan and Yu Shuo on the broad sidewalk.
Yu Shuo glanced over, straightened, and saluted. "Good morning, sir." Then he lowered his voice. "He served under the Former Marshal. He lives around here now that he's retired."
The Former Marshal had treated his own people extremely well. These veterans who had once served under him could all live in the heart of the capital's Central District.
Every morning and evening, old men in worn military uniforms could be seen taking walks and playing chess.
"Good morning, sir." Xi Yan nodded and saluted too.
The old man inclined his head. A sudden sharp gleam flashed through his cloudy eyes, meeting Xi Yan's instinctively cold gaze.
"Young Marshal, your eyes are exactly like Marshal Xi Lie's. So alike!" The old man suddenly laughed. "You did well last night. On behalf of us veterans, thank you!"
"It was my duty," Xi Yan replied modestly.
"What about me? What about me?" Beta piped up.
"Yes, yes, Lord Beta too. You may be an AI, but you've contributed plenty over the years," the old man said with a smile.
The veteran shook out his old uniform, looking more pleased with Xi Yan by the moment.
"Entrusting the Empire to the young Marshal was absolutely the right decision. Do you have important business to attend to? Then this old man won't keep you."
"Right. See you later." Xi Yan offered a practiced reply and continued walking.
"That old gentleman was once the Empire's finest spacecraft pilot. Even without an intelligent operating system assisting him, he could pilot a spacecraft through a battlefield with incredible agility all by himself," Yu Shuo said admiringly.
Xi Yan abruptly stopped, his gaze growing darker. "Sounds impressive. So, according to you, all these veterans have special talents?"
"Yes," Yu Shuo answered unsuspectingly. "Legendary pilots, legendary weapons operators, legendary ship mechanics... most veterans who've survived to this day possess exceptional skills."
"Then don't let them sit around. Have them report to Military Headquarters," Xi Yan said casually. "The Empire still needs them. Make them instructors."
"Understood. I'll arrange it now," Beta replied.
As Xi Yan pondered related matters with sinister intent, they arrived near the Empire's Capitol Building.
More and more officials passed by, all coming to attend that morning's Empire Work Conference.
Upon entering the Capitol Building's first floor, a large crowd of staff hurried to greet Xi Yan. The benevolent Marshal nodded to each of them before heading straight for the Grand Conference Room.
The Empire Work Conference would be held there.
Aside from the Empire's most junior institutional staff, all senior officials were required to attend.
Xi Yan was just about to kick the conference room doors open with a grand flourish when he heard a noisy commotion inside.
"They're discussing what you did last night. Some of them are very afraid of you," Beta explained.
"So I still haven't done enough. Got it."
Xi Yan gently pushed the door open, slipped through the gap, and leaned against the wall with his cap pulled low.
Drawing on his extensive experience arguing online, Xi Yan quickly picked out the important part amid all the pointless chatter.
"I think the Marshal still has too much power. This is outright dictatorship."
"Hasn't our Empire always been a militaristic empire under the Marshal's dictatorship? Why didn't you say anything during all those years the old Marshal ruled?"
"That was different! Well... look at what he did last night! It was madness. He actually started a civil war and bombed the entire Central Grand Hotel. I shudder to imagine what he might do in the future..."
"Isn't that because you owned shares in the Central Grand Hotel, and you had dealings with the rebels?"
"That... that isn't important. In any case, we absolutely cannot let a radical like him rule the Empire!"
"What's wrong with being a radical? Why don't you go back to the feudal era and become a court minister?"
"..."
Xi Yan listened to the entire conversation. Though somewhat angry, he also felt a little gratified.
Besides those dissatisfied with him, he had supporters too. Now those were truly loyal officials of the Empire.
"Beta, thoroughly investigate these damned opposition members."
"No need. I already investigated them in advance. Here's the list." Beta's efficiency remained reassuring.
Xi Yan stopped hiding and swaggered up onto the stage, taking his place at the lectern.
He also spotted the man who had been criticizing him: an official with a bulging belly. The moment the man saw him take the stage, he shut his mouth, cold sweat immediately beading on his forehead.
The man who had consistently argued against that official was tall and thin. He gave Xi Yan a resolute salute.
Who was right, who was wrong, and who was on his side-wasn't it all obvious now?
"Ahem. Quiet, please, everyone. I'll say a few words."
Xi Yan adjusted the microphone, braced both hands on the lectern, and cleared his throat.
The room quickly fell silent.
"Actually, I'd like to admit to a mistake here."
A strange smile crossed Xi Yan's face as he removed the lollipop from his mouth and temporarily held it between his fingers.
"Last night, in my impulsiveness, I abandoned our hard-won peace, brazenly clashed with the rebels, and bombed the hotel despite the pleas of those involved, causing tremendous casualties. I must admit my mistake to you all. I'm sorry."
Several generals behind him, along with Yu Shuo, immediately widened their eyes, unable to believe what they had heard.
This guy actually apologizes? No. Something was wrong here. Very, very wrong!
Xi Yan wore an expression of profound sorrow. "My stubborn insistence on having my way caused large numbers of innocent casualties. For that, I am deeply sorry."
"Therefore, I believe this was terribly wrong. So I'd like to establish a Council to oversee my power."
What?!
When Xi Yan said this, the generals behind him who knew him well, along with the young Secretary of State, were stunned.
Was this still the same arrogant, domineering Marshal Xi Yan?
Why was the Marshal overthrowing himself?
But Xi Yan's acting was spectacular. He appeared utterly remorseful and resolute.
"As for establishing a Council to coordinate authority and achieve democracy, although this is quite a departure, it is indeed necessary. All of you present are senior officials of the Empire. Let's put it to a vote."
"Of course, you'll have five minutes to think it over," Xi Yan added with a beaming smile.
The room immediately erupted into noisy discussion.
The Empire's senior officials began debating.
If the Marshal's dictatorship became a Council Marshal System, the Council would have considerable influence over the Marshal's decisions, making a Council seat a guaranteed cushy job. Put that way, this Marshal was actually pretty nice!
A parliamentary system-those who knew, knew. It was an absolute blessing for capitalists and politicians.
But some officials thought differently. They were diehard Marshal loyalists. If dictatorship gave way to democratic voting, the entire country would no longer be the country it had been!
That wouldn't do. They couldn't accept it!
The Marshal's authority had to remain supreme!
"Ready? Let's vote by a show of hands. Raise your hand if you support establishing a Council."
Xi Yan smiled.
Immediately, just under half the attendees raised their hands.
"Yes, they're pretty much all on the list," Beta said after a quick scan. "Marshal, start killing."
"Oh, we can't kill them. That's far too inhumane," Xi Yan said with a smile.
"Ahem. Everyone's voted, right? Though it seems our Council supporters are still in the minority."
Xi Yan's gaze turned icy.
"But don't panic, because I'll resolve your differences."
Xi Yan waved a hand. With a bang, the conference room doors were kicked open, and fully armed Army soldiers rushed inside.
The crowd briefly descended into chaos, then fell silent under the soldiers' dark gun barrels.
"Restrain everyone who raised their hand."
Xi Yan finally bared his fangs, speaking with a savage grin.
"Wait, Marshal! You can't do this!"
The officials who had just cheerfully raised their hands to vote quickly changed their expressions.
Then a mass of soldiers surged forward and pinned them to the floor.
Meanwhile, the diehard Marshal loyalists who had opposed them beamed with delight.
Now that was more like it. This was Marshal Xi Yan!
Xi Yan looked at the Empire's parasites pinned to the floor and considered for a moment.
"Send them to the Generator District. Downgrade their citizen rights to 'Raw Material Tier.'"
"No! Please, no!" The restrained officials screamed themselves hoarse before being swiftly dragged away. Silence engulfed the room. Everyone understood Xi Yan's euphemism, and their faces went pale.
"My friends, I'm not joking."
Xi Yan straightened his Marshal's cap and addressed those around him coldly. "Please get your attitudes straight. I am the Marshal. Your only role is to obey your sovereign's commands."
The surrounding officials were silent as frightened mice.
"Oh, right." Xi Yan turned toward Ailiveer, the Secretary of State and head of the Secretariat, behind him. "Have the Secretariat draft a decree abolishing the death penalty system. Replace it with downgrading their citizen rights to 'Food Tier' or 'Raw Material Tier.'"
In other words, the classic options of plugging them into the power grid or turning them into canned food, though Xi Yan's phrasing was clearly much more humane.
Physics technology tree, particle physics technology: [Bio- Reactor].
One of the few technologies the Interstellar Human Military Junta had researched itself.
It could convert organic matter into electricity, and one or two Bio- Reactor buildings also existed in the Cybrex Alpha colony.
It had originally been intended to recycle surplus grain from agricultural districts into electricity, but Xi Yan had now found a new use for it.
"How about this? Let's simply abolish all prisons and send the prisoners straight to the Bio- Reactors to generate electricity. There's food there anyway, so just give them enough to keep their vital signs going. We can produce power and manage criminals at the same time."
Xi Yan had a sudden inspiration.
Seriously, are you the devil?!
The officials present, including Yu Shuo and Ailiveer, stared at him in horror. How could a body at thirty-seven degrees utter words this cold?
"Anyway, that's how it is. Please remember that."
"Also, let me emphasize a few points:
1. If I have done nothing wrong, that proves I am a perfect warrior.
2. If I have done something wrong, a flawed warrior is still a warrior.
3. If my enemies have done something wrong, that proves all enemies are flies.
4. If my enemies have done nothing wrong, even the most perfect fly is still a fly.
5. The more my enemies oppose me, the more it proves I am right.
6. If even my enemies support me, that proves even more strongly that I am right.
7. The more my friends support me, the more it proves I am right.
8. If a friend opposes me, that means they are also my enemy.
9. If a bystander supports me, that means they are my friend.
10. If a bystander opposes me, that means they are my enemy.
11. If enemies, friends, and bystanders all remain silent, that means what I have done is so right that it leaves them speechless. (Troll face.)
Do you understand?!"
"That's all. Let's begin the meeting."
Xi Yan switched to a gentle smile and addressed the meeting's chair, Secretary of State Ailiveer.
"Yes... Lord Marshal."
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