(Cosmic safety disclaimer: everything in this chapter is a reasonable fictional scenario devised to advance the plot within an imaginary setting. It is not intended to spread any harmful ideology. All language and events serve only to advance the story and have no connection to reality. Dear reviewers, please go easy on me.)
Even after entering the interstellar age and possessing technology more advanced than in any previous era of human history, even after abandoning everything on Earth to live on a new planet, equality between people, class divisions, exploitation, and the gap between rich and poor remained problems that could never be resolved.
The bourgeoisie would never relinquish their interests.
When Former Marshal Xi Lie arrived with the first colonists, this Ring World segment was piled high with garbage and abandoned structures of unknown purpose left over from the ancient era. In game terms, its habitability would have been no higher than 50%.
So the people threw themselves into repairing and rebuilding the Ring World segment. After twenty years of effort, they finally made the enormous segment habitable.
Conditions had been perilous back then, leaving no time whatsoever to regulate private capital or the unchecked growth of the bourgeoisie. With the Former Marshal leaving them to their own devices, the bourgeoisie rapidly grew in strength.
They controlled most of society's resources and ruthlessly exploited workers at the bottom, while the imperial authorities colluded with them-until Xi Yan took power.
Fortunately, Xi Yan began with one tremendous advantage.
Military superiority. The Instructor had famously stressed the importance of military power.
After eliminating the Shoigu-Gerasimov military faction, which had not been loyal to him, Xi Yan held supreme military and political authority, allowing him to shake things up without hesitation.
Shoigu and the others had been well-known figures in his previous life, but in this world they had become villains. Xi Yan found that rather poignant.
Orbital bombardment from three corvettes could intimidate the Ring World, and three million Army troops could easily take control of its government. What, exactly, did Xi Yan have to fear?
While the propaganda machine frantically fashioned a righteous image for Xi Yan, General Veronica acted swiftly as well, coordinating with Prigozhin to deploy troops near every city in the Ring World segment.
Prigozhin finally received enough ammunition. Tears of joy.
After the reforms, Military Headquarters operated under strict secrecy. Outsiders knew nothing of its movements, and all troops obeyed only the Marshal's orders. Even the three generals derived their authority from Xi Yan.
With the military as his trump card, Xi Yan confidently began preparing a major operation to eliminate the bourgeoisie.
It was then that Xi Yan noticed the communication platform commonly used by imperial citizens: the forum.
Using his official account, Xi Yan began interacting with the public on the forum to build momentum.
{Marshal Xi Yan: Hey, hey, heyyy!}
{Mysterious Doings Man Tuan Zang: The Marshal's first post! Snagging the second comment!}
{Iron Purifier's overseas envoy: +3, adding a suburban county.}
He had barely published his first post before enthusiastic netizens flocked over to take a look.
Xi Yan immediately lost his composure. It was already 2200, yet the way everyone posted and replied was still so familiar!
And what the hell were those usernames? Where had these Naruto fanatics and Iron Purifier fans come from?
Within half an hour of posting, Xi Yan received a flood of greetings and replies.
{Marshal Xi Yan: Reformist here, no ∠ jokes.}
{Mysterious Doings Man Tuan Zang: I heard that calves born in a sheep pen all grow up to act like sheep. The Marshal was born on the forum, yet lost his taste for ∠ jokes. Forgot the rest.}
{Martian: You said it all. What am I supposed to say?}
Xi Yan couldn't help tearing up.
Those words were so familiar. Tieba culture had endured for years, surviving the establishment of the United Nations of Earth, its subsequent split, and the military-political rebellion of the star people. It had never died out online. This was cultural inheritance!
{Iron Purifier's overseas envoy: The Marshal finally posted. Can I get a digital autograph?}
{Marshal Xi Yan: Sun Xiaochuan258 (smirking emoji)}
{Marshal Xi Yan: Here's the thing. I have a li'l plan and want to make some reforms, so I came to ask what you think.}
{Iron Purifier's overseas envoy: I support it!}
{Cuteism fox: The Marshal hasn't even said anything yet.}
{Mysterious Doings Man Tuan Zang: What do you know? We all saw the Marshal kill all those corrupt officials. Whatever happens, he certainly won't hurt us! (sinister emoji)}
{Marshal Xi Yan: I want to put everything under public ownership.}
{Cuteism fox: I oppose it!}
{Mysterious Doings Man Tuan Zang: I support-wait, no, I oppose it!}
{Iron Purifier's overseas envoy: I can barely fucking survive, and you want public ownership?}
{Marshal Xi Yan: Easy, easy. Public ownership, but food, housing, consumer goods, social services, jobs, and schooling will all be provided free. How does that sound?}
{...}
{Cuteism fox: I support it! When does it start?}
{Giant Hard Company official: I oppose it!}
{Hengxiao Group official: I oppose it!}
{Iron Purifier's overseas envoy: You bastards only come out barking when your own interests are involved, huh? If you ask me, public ownership is exactly what we need!}
{...}
The short version: after Xi Yan expressed his desire to introduce public ownership reforms, large numbers of netizens voiced opposition. Once he announced that resources and social services would all be provided free, public opinion reversed in an instant.
Then official accounts belonging to numerous companies and conglomerates were the first to object, followed by a flood of paid trolls voicing opposition.
They were all low-level accounts, newly created with empty profiles.
{Marshal Xi Yan: Turing test: public ownership, miHoYo, Genshin, monkey, men... (a huge pile of keywords)}
{Netizen114514: Not fun!}
{Netizen1919810: I oppose it!}
{Marshal Xi Yan: Lol, why are you bots still running an old version?}
With years of experience online, Xi Yan quickly identified the many bot accounts hidden among the netizens.
After a round of investigation, Xi Yan confirmed that most ordinary people sincerely supported public ownership. As expected, the big companies and capitalists vehemently opposed it, even deploying large numbers of digital life forms to argue with him.
Did they really think Military Headquarters' cybersecurity staff were just there to collect paychecks?
Xi Yan ignored them and turned to chatting happily with netizens from his office.
"Chatting with people online is much more fun. Shame their old aggression didn't get passed down. Why is this generation so mild-mannered?-Ha, someone's flaming me! Time to uphold the internet's spirit of mutual abuse and flame him back!"
Beaming, Xi Yan held his Wristband and exchanged friendly insults with the netizen.
The other person appeared to be a bleeding heart who couldn't stand Xi Yan's sweeping purge of parasites, furiously denouncing him as a tyrant and murderer.
So Xi Yan viciously insulted his family, then piled abuse on his life and beliefs. Drawing on his experience of online arguments in his previous life, he soon tore the man to shreds.
The details would not be shown. In short: "I've never lost a flame war!"
The netizens also discovered that their newly appointed Marshal was highly entertaining and loved memes and antics. Great numbers of people looking for laughs gathered together, forming an unprecedented force of unity. Any dissent was drowned out by their revelry.
On the internet of 2200, everything had changed, yet nothing seemed to have changed at all.
Just then, Veronica and Prigozhin sent messages reporting that all troops had assembled and were ready to seize control of the major urban districts at any moment.
Very good. Wait for my orders.
Xi Yan typed his reply: gather the information and make absolutely certain you wipe out the entire bourgeoisie at the first opportunity.
The Empire's future belonged to all its citizens. These capitalists had no right to meddle in it.
After a pause, Xi Yan added: confiscate their property and take everyone involved to the Generator District. Anyone who dares resist is to be stripped of citizenship on the spot. Dispose of every detectable living organism-even shake their eggs until the yolks break!
The bodies must be shelled with artillery to ensure not even scraps remain.
Make absolutely, absolutely certain nothing connected to them is left behind!
If he was going to do this, he would see it through to the bitter end!
A plot where some child survived and came back for revenge later... absolutely not!
Xi Yan stressed it over and over: do not harbor any unnecessary sentiment! For the countless citizens at the bottom, for the stability of the Empire, do what must be done!
{Veronica: (voice message) Yes. I guarantee none will remain!}
{Prigozhin: All right, I'll do my best not to go soft.}
{Xi Yan: Tell our soldiers that everything they are doing is righteous and great! If any of them are unwilling, don't force them.}
{Xi Yan: Oh, and investigate as thoroughly as you can. Anyone under your command who has ties to the purge targets should be transferred away first, then secretly executed.}
If discontent arose within my own army, I'd be finished.
Damn it. In a few hundred years, I'm taking psionics ascension and getting the thought imprint!
Xi Yan closed the communication interface and stared at the forum, which was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, his gaze complicated.
He had to ensure nothing could go wrong and eliminate the entire bourgeoisie without leaving any future threats behind!
Only then could the great new system operate unhindered.
When our Empire spans countless star systems, you will understand: population and resources are merely numbers. For the Empire as a whole, there is nothing that cannot be sacrificed.
For the common people who have suffered oppression through countless years, we must eliminate these exploiters!
Xi Yan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his deep eyes held no emotion whatsoever.
Just then, the voice of his Secretary of State, Ailiveer, came from outside the door.
Before you continue