Chapter 603 - Long Time No See, Father... (Part 2)
"This place really looks like a fantasy world when you compare it to the life outside these walls." Chen He couldn't help but comment as he looked outside the window from inside the big military vehicle.
"Indeed." Zhong De nodded in agreement.
Even Wu Yijun felt a bit conflicted as she said in a low voice, "This is completely different from what we are used to seeing."
While the privileged area of the Transcendent faction led by Bai Zemin was the most luxurious area of the entire base for obvious reasons as the privileged were rightfully enjoying a better life compared to the non-privileged since, unlike the latter, the first ones had contributed to the base and mankind in general to a great degree, that difference was not colossal as it was in the establishment of the China Renaissance.
Here, not only were the buildings more luxurious but there were countless armed troops patrolling the area. The residents had clubs where they could go to have fun and forget about the terror of the outside world, they had fields to play sports without worrying about anything but hanging out, they were even separated from the rest by high walls as if to make it clear that they were different from the others.
Bai Zemin did not comment anything and after a simple look to the outside, he closed his eyes as if he was resting after a long journey. However, under the blue eyes of a certain someone, that movement revealed more information than a thousand words.
"Well, it's only natural that certain people can enjoy benefits that others can't." Wu Keqian said calmly as he slowly explained, "You are all people who despite being young were forced to mature a lot and I am sure that on your way here you met several other human camps. As is the case with all races in the world, mankind also has to have its own classifications."
"Classifications?" Zhong De frowned and muttered under his breath, clearly not liking that word too much.
"Right, classifications." Wu Keqian nodded in earnest and said serenely, "Young Zhong, if you put a lion and a lamb in the same den, what do you think will happen?"
"... The lion will either eat the lamb alive or be responsible for its death before eating it." Zhong De replied with an unreadable expression.
"That's right." Wu Keqian nodded and finished, "It is the same with humans. To prevent the weaker ones from being bullied by the stronger ones, it is best to separate them to avoid trouble. In the past society, there were privileged people who even if they killed in broad daylight could avoid countless problems, not to mention this world we live in where a life is worth less than a piece of dry bread. Without those walls, the privileged could kill and rape whenever they wanted and it would be very hard to control them.... I can't just punish those who helped me in some way or another to get where I am, it would be frowned upon."
Wu Keqian's words made a lot of logic and sense. If one were to look at the history books not only of China but of the whole world, one would definitely not find anything bad to speak of the current power regime; at the end of the day, history was written by the victor. However, one needed to sit and think for just a minute to realize that some of those who were part of the conquering team surely once committed some "crime".
If Wu Keqian were to punish with imprisonment or even death the son of one of his trusted generals or a powerful soul evolver just because that son beat a wanderer to death would not only attract the animosity and anger of an ally who could give him no end of problems but would also cause many of his allies to waver as to whether or not they should continue supporting him.
Even as a Second Order existence, Wu Keqian was clearer than anyone that he was not invincible. A few helicopter gunships could send him on a one-way trip to hell if he failed to get out of the target blast zone in due time, not to mention fighter jets and the like that possessed missiles with heat-based tracking technology.
However...
"But, father..." Wu Yijun looked at her father hesitantly and after a few seconds of silence she remarked quietly, "The world is already the way it is, won't it be wrong to divide mankind more than it already is instead of trying to unite them all?"
"... Child, what more wouldn't I want?" Wu Keqian sighed and caressed his daughter's face as he said regretfully, "But humans aren't that easy to control... Unless I became a dictator willing to slaughter anyone who doesn't follow the rules left and right, there will always be one who will break the rules. At least, by dividing them this way the broken rules won't take lives... You will understand in the future."
The interior of the vehicle became silent after Wu Keqian said those words.
That slightly awkward silence lasted for almost two whole minutes before the mother of Wu Yijun suddenly asked, "Little Brother Bai, if it were you what would you do?"
The eyes of everyone immediately focused on Sun Ling. Wu Keqian looked at her with surprise in his eyes while the group that came from the north together with Bai Zemin gawked at her; especially Wu Yijun, she didn't understand why her mother would ask such a question.
Bai Zemin calmly opened his eyes and met the black eyes of the beautiful woman whose appearance was youthful but whose aura exuded maturity. He did not lose his composure and asked back, "Before I answer that question, may I know the reason why you ask that of me, Aunt Sun?"
Sun Ling smiled beautifully and said in a mischievous voice, "Oh, it's because these two ladies in front of me have been looking at you sideways all this time as if they wanted to see your reaction to that conversation that happened just now and after taking a better look I realized that it wasn't just them but the six of them.... You must be the leader of this group right? Although I am curious as to how such a thing happened since apparently, you are not the strongest of the seven."
Previously, Bai Zemin had managed with the guidance of Lilith to release some of his Soul Power such that his level seemed to be around level 36-38. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't a big deal either, and even though it was only for an instant that change in his aura naturally didn't go unnoticed by Sun Ling and Wu Keqian. Therefore, he was not surprised by the words that the mother of Wu Yijun just said.
Bai Zemin looked at Wu Yijun and Shangguan Bing Xue for a second and noticed that indeed the two women had lowered their heads in embarrassment. But he didn't blame them, after all, Sun Ling had probably also been involved in politics for many years so it was normal that a couple of young people who had only been getting real experience in scheming for two and a half months couldn't compete against her.
"Aunt Sun, sometimes, being strong doesn't mean leading.... Strength is good, but it won't always be the strongest who will be the victor." Bai Zemin shook his head, tactically accepting that he was the leader of this group since there was no need to hide it anyway.
Regardless of whether it was Wu Keqian or Sun Ling, they were both shocked by the words that Bai Zemin said.
Sun Ling looked him up and down for several seconds before saying with admiration in her voice, "It's really impressive that such a young person can say those words from the bottom of his heart. I have seen more than a few young soul evolvers get devoured by beasts or zombies weaker than them after being surrounded or after making a bad move that sealed their fates."
Seeing Bai Zemin silent, she didn't let him slip away and quickly pursued, "So, about my previous question. What would you do if you were the leader of this place? To divide or not to divide?"
"What your daughter said earlier are my thoughts on that." Bai Zemin pointed out calmly.
Sun Ling looked at Wu Yijun before turning her eyes to Bai Zemin and asking even more confused than before: "If you don't divide the bad fruits from the good ones, eventually they will all rot. You're clearly a smart young man so I'm sure you know this too, don't you?"
"If a fruit in the drawer rots, all we have to do is throw that fruit away." Bai Zemin chuckled and said not so jokingly, "Aunt Sun, rotten fruits are not eaten by humans, are they? What's the harm in throwing them away for animals to have instead of letting them affect those fruits that are good for human food."
The little mouth of Sun Ling opened slightly and although she wanted to refute what she had just heard she soon realized that the unusual analogy that the young man in front of her made was both too detailed with respect to the current situation and even more correct.
Separate good fruits from the bad ones? Why was it necessary to separate? Who was going to eat the bad fruits? Since no one would eat them, then wasn't it just better to throw them away instead of leaving them there taking up part of another precious drawer that could welcome more good fruits?
"Instead of slaughtering to experiment whether the rest will become more obedient, I prefer to separate. It won't be easy, I understand that... But I think it's the best way. If we look at the past, there was no shortage of leaders who tried to rule with a stone hand, but in the end, they all ended up failing and dying not long after. The history of our China is the best proof of that." Wu Keqian sighed and shook his head, "While your words may sound correct and indeed make a lot of sense, we are humans, not fruits."
Bai Zemin chuckled and said in a cheerful voice, "Of course, I was just answering the question from Aunt Sun, that's all. Oh well, I guess I wouldn't make a good ruler which is normal. After all, I was only born into an ordinary and simple family."
Even though Bai Zemin said that Sun Ling seemed to want to say something, but after some hesitation, she seemed to regret it so she finally said nothing.
Instead, a slightly cold and somewhat regretful voice sounded inside the vehicle.
"Uncle Wu, humans are also neither lions nor lambs."
Everyone automatically looked at Shangguan Bing Xue, who after saying those words seemed to have lost her interest in the topic as her eyes focused on the scenery outside with a bored expression on her face.
What she was pointing out with those words was that if the analogy made by Bai Zemin was not correct for comparing humans to fruits, then the analogy Wu Keqian had used where he compared humans to lions and lambs was also misguided.
While Wu Keqian was frowning and deep in thought as he realized that he might indeed be wrong in certain areas, Bai Zemin only smiled slightly and closed his eyes once again as he folded his arms.
"It looks like there is at least a possible path." The voice of Lilith sounded in the mind of Bai Zemin. She sounded quite happy as she said softly, "This man Wu Keqian, it seems that at least he is not full of himself and seems to be open to new ide- Uh?"
Bai Zemin opened his eyes slightly when he heard the surprised little exclamation from Lilith. However, all he heard next was a light chuckle that also contained some relief.
"Fortunately... The destiny seems to be on your side, little brother Zemin."
Lilith didn't explain, neither did she say too much apart from those few words. However, a bright and pure smile slowly formed on the face of Bai Zemin as he rested his back on the back of the seat and looked at the outside world.
"... That's good... Thank heavens..."
Bai Zemin's lips parted and a voice as low as the buzzing of an insect in the distance came out of his mouth, preventing anyone inside the military vehicle to hear it.
Realizing that Bai Zemin had already figured out on his own what her mysterious words meant, Lilith now did not have to hide anything for fear of breaking the rules of the Soul Record. Then, she smiled from the bottom of her heart as she said in a soft and tender voice:
"I can already feel two people with your bloodline inside this establishment. Congratulations, Bai Zemin. At the very least, both of your parents are alive."
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