"Councilor Hou, there's a huge commotion down there."
Inside the highest meeting room of the Central Federation, meetings were held almost every day during the days Wang Ye was away, because the news of the New World giving up its position had been leaked.
In fact, if the news had been blocked immediately, the residents wouldn't have been in such a terrible situation all at once. But the first batch of young men sent to the Northern Wasteland were not simple fry.
They were all seasoned veterans from other virtual worlds. If it weren't for the Disintegration Program controlling them, perhaps several more Zhang Zhengyuan would have emerged from here. But even with that kind of suppression, that group still possessed power that the Federation's higher-ups had to be wary of.
The New World is extremely dangerous. Almost everyone who went there signed a contract and had the right to contact their families. This requirement is reasonable; after all, if this requirement isn't met, it would be bad to be suspected of sending them as cannon fodder. Not many people cared about this at the time, but who could have imagined that Chen Qing would pull such a stunt?
The current state of discord is truly unexpected.
"The more noise, the better," the middle-aged man, referred to as Councilor Hou, smiled slightly. "If it's too calm and there's no commotion, then there might be bigger problems."
"But... the situation down here is so chaotic, if we don't appease them, things could get really messy." A group of councilors all seemed a little anxious.
The Federation does have Disintegration Program, but this large-scale outbreak, not caused by a single person's insubordination, is difficult to suppress directly. After all, they are in the wrong. If it is forcibly suppressed, not only will the Federation's internal strength be greatly weakened, but it will also be a major blow to the future expectations of the common people, which is not conducive to long-term rule.
In recent years, the authorities have been promoting grassroots talents like Xu Min, using him to tell their subordinates that as long as they work hard and have enough talent, even if they are born into a disadvantaged background, they will eventually achieve success in the Data City full of miracles.
These myths have a strong inspirational effect, but once the masses discover that the so-called rising star is just a slightly better watchdog, it could cause many people at the bottom to completely collapse. If their already exploited lives are further depleted of hope, it is not impossible for internal strife to occur.
Such things have actually happened quite a few times in the Western Federation over the years, and there have even been regime changes.
"I didn't say we wouldn't appease them," the middle-aged man surnamed Hou said with a smile. "How could we not go through the motions in this situation? Even Chen Qing tries to divide us, so why can't we divide them?"
"Oh?" The assembled members of parliament and politicians were all seasoned veterans; their eyes lit up instantly at the mere mention of it.
Yes, Chen Qing used such tactics to divide them. Don't they think they can just form factions against each other?
"Most of these guys came from the demonic path in the virtual world back then. Which one of them is stubborn? Would they really rebel against us for some bullshit collective interest? As long as we give them some benefits, they will naturally split up from within."
"First, publicly criticize those aristocratic scions who abused their power. But since they have already been reincarnated, the punishment will be postponed. If they cannot atone for their crimes through meritorious service, they will naturally be punished more severely. At least give them a way out. As for the reincarnation quotas, just give up a few. Under this general trend, do you think we aristocratic scions don't understand the big picture?"
Many councilors nodded in agreement, their expressions noticeably more relaxed than before.
At the parliamentary table, only one elderly man, who looked quite old, at least seventy or eighty years old, had a furrowed brow.
Is it really that simple?
This man surnamed Hou is the Laosan of the second generation of the Hou Family. Originally, his two older brothers should have inherited the power of the Hou Family. However, one of his brothers was tacitly sacrificed after the Southwestern Technology Zone incident broke out, while the other was immediately sent by the family to the New World to seize resources.
The political legacy of the Data City went to this guy who was previously unknown.
It must be said that while this kid wasn't exactly a complete incompetent fool, he certainly underestimated his subordinates.
Moreover, judging from the expressions of the surrounding councilors, they all seemed to share this view. Suddenly, he wondered if it was really a good thing for the major families to focus all their attention on the New World.
Data City is the foundation, but in order to achieve immortality and acquire enough power more quickly, families have sent their original direct heirs there. Many family heads have personally participated, such as Elder Hou.
In his view, letting such a group of children control the rear was an extremely poor decision!
These youngsters lack experience and only possess some cleverness. For example, the argument made by the Laosan of the Hou Family seems reasonable, but he doesn't actually think it's a good one. The premise of pulling one faction against another is that those outstanding grassroots youths are too short-sighted!
For the sake of short-term gains, they turn around and continue to act as their lackeys, losing the hearts and minds of the people.
Don't underestimate the power of these grassroots youths sticking together for mutual support. It's precisely because of their unity that the government has recently had to compromise, relinquishing many military and parliamentary positions to give them ample status. Would they have received such treatment if they were acting alone?
Children like Xu Min understood this principle long ago; otherwise, they wouldn't have stood up for their subordinates in the first place.
Would someone really betray those who follow them for a better reincarnation?
If they were truly so two-faced, would they have achieved their current status?
To put it bluntly, whether it's Hou Laosan or the young councilors at the conference table, they are all too arrogant and don't take their subordinates seriously.
This made him feel very uneasy.
--
"Brother Min, won't making such a scene alert the enemy?"
Outside the convention hall, one of Xu Min's confidants approached and whispered, "This plan was so risky, what if the higher-ups find out?"
"It's precisely because it's risky that we need to divert attention. If we don't make a sound, the higher-ups will be even more suspicious." Xu Min whispered, "Has everything been arranged for that Flying Star Mark?"
Flying Star are similar to the power of spatial teleportation. As long as they are marked, one can travel to a designated location at any time using the so-called technique!
They had seen Wang Ye demonstrate this ability before, and discovered that no matter how tight the partition was, or how many layers of encryption were used to create an independent data space, as long as the other party could mark that mark, they could get in!
But thinking about it, it makes sense. The other party was able to travel directly from the virtual world to the Data City using the mark left by Chen Qing. Such an incredible effect, and the key point is that the higher-ups haven't even noticed yet!
Then came the divination results from the Mr. Heavenly Secrets, indicating when things would be inauspicious and when they would be auspicious. His predictions were never wrong. With such a combination, what couldn't they accomplish?
However, the thought that players might also possess this ability in the future filled him with excitement!
The Demon World is a new arena where many players have gained new lives and powers. It is also the key for them to break free from the shackles of mortals and the limitations of data life. On that arena, he absolutely must not be controlled again. If he cannot turn things around this time, then he may only be able to be a dog for generations to come!
"Don't worry, Laoda, everything's been arranged. But whether it works out depends on Mr. Wang. Even if we get to those places, finding out the exact location of the Disintegration Program won't be easy."
"Well, I'll do my best." Xu Min closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Just then, a notification suddenly appeared on the system, clearly indicating that someone above the conference center wanted to invite him for a private meeting.
Upon hearing the intelligent invitation, Xu Min's lips curled into a smile.
Anyone with a brain can figure out what those arrogant councilors are up to—it's nothing more than trying to divide one faction and attack the other.
If Elder Hou and the others were still in the center of the council, they would never have come up with such a terrible idea.
Fortunately, the older generation's desires were too strong, and they couldn't wait any longer, rushing towards that world. According to the divination by Mr. Heavenly Secrets, this meeting was a very auspicious one, and it seems to be another accurate divination.
It's good that the Central Federation, which has been corrupt for hundreds of thousands of years, really needs a change!!!
I had originally planned to resume working late into the night these past few days, but I've been feeling unwell lately. Mofang body isn't as robust as a young person's, so my recovery is slower, and I feel dizzy all the time. I'll resume working late into the night as soon as I feel better. Thank you all for your support.