Chapter 356: Value
He chose no one with extraordinary power within their bodies; he purely observed the world from the perspective of ordinary people. These tiny "eyes," like dandelions, drifted everywhere, occasionally attaching themselves to someone.
There was an old man selling pancakes at a roadside stall, a boss playing on his phone behind a convenience store counter, young people rushing past on their way to work, vendors haggling over a few coins with customers in the wet market, and kids glued to the internet all day at home.
To Bai Mo, they seemed to live in an entirely different world. Unlike the few whose destinies were utterly transformed by the emergence of spirit qi, most ordinary people actually gained no benefits, instead suffering one indirect blow after another.
The sudden appearance of the Sea Race severely challenged humanity's long-held dominance on Earth. The loss of support from oceanic trade further exacerbated the economy, which had already been heavily battered by nuclear bombs and tsunamis, leading to countless ordinary people losing their jobs.
Economic stagnation naturally led to a surge in crime. Even the Huaxia Federation, renowned for its excellent public order, experienced numerous large and small disturbances.
From the initial Ability Users who wreaked havoc after awakening their powers and required official suppression, to the Tianqing Rebellion that tore down half of Tianqing City in a struggle over political power, ambitious schemers were always lurking, eager to manipulate the populace.
After the domestic situation stabilized, conflicts arose with the One-Wheel Cult, which controlled Maysuo. This ultimately ended with the Huaxia Federation dispatching troops to purge cultists attempting to stir up trouble within its borders, but rogue elements still managed to cause considerable unrest across various regions.
However, the contradictions were far from resolved. Several years later, the Apple Tree Event directly led to the deaths of millions, while indirectly creating countless refugees.
The eventual fate of these people also posed a massive problem.
Of course, after the riots, a new period of stability ensued. The underlying reason was quite cruel: simply put, enough people had died, leaving more living space and social resources for others, temporarily easing the various contradictions.
Following the young man who was hurrying to catch the subway, Bai Mo browsed through his day as if watching a movie.
Waking up at 6:30 AM, leaving for work at 7:00 AM, starting a busy day at 8:30 AM, constantly making and receiving calls, sending and receiving emails, working on PPTs at the computer... until lunch. After lunch, he continued the same work, finally leaving the company exhausted at 7:00 PM after overtime.
It was the daily routine of a perfectly ordinary office worker. Through snippets of conversation, Bai Mo learned that his day's work earned him about two hundred and fifty yuan, barely enough to sustain life in a first-tier city like Tianzhong City, with only a small amount left after rent and food.
“What a truly despairing society. Such a waste.” He hadn't bothered with money for nearly a decade, as the budget of the Contribution Point system had never run out.
Watching this young man, who might have to spend most of his life just to afford a home of his own, Bai Mo felt as if they lived in completely different worlds.
The privileged upper echelons had ample time and energy to contemplate any issue they desired, but the vast majority of ordinary people were already expending all their effort just to maintain a decent livelihood.
After a busy day, they craved various forms of entertainment to relax. Thus, light entertainment flourished; how could people, already physically and mentally exhausted, possibly have the inclination to think, learn, and improve themselves?
Only a select few with terrifying self-control could adhere to their path, continuing to study with weary bodies, little by little trying to change their destiny.
However, the disparity between the two sides was already immense from the very beginning. Unless one possessed astonishing talent and persevered with great determination, catching up to the upper echelons remained extremely difficult.
It was precisely this enormous difference that kept the lower class perpetually low, while the upper class grew increasingly powerful with time.
“The value of intelligent beings lies in their ability to think. Placing them in such a position is a tremendous waste. Purely from a utility perspective, turning them into 'brains in a vat,' into machines that only solve problems, would be far more efficient than their current state.”
“But technically, it's not quite possible yet. The simulation fidelity of the Virtual Reality System is still too far from making everyone unable to distinguish reality from illusion.” After this thought, Bai Mo even seriously considered the related possibilities.
The stronger one's power, the higher one's perception. Not to mention fifth-tier and fourth-tier superhumans, even third-tier individuals could, to a certain extent, distinguish the Virtual Reality System from the real world. His idea was not yet feasible.
“Does this count as a layout designed to maintain an eternal class system?” Bai Mo, accustomed to leaning towards conspiracy theories, suddenly had another thought. “Using arduous work to crush the ambition of most people, minimizing social mobility as much as possible.”
...
By observing the lives of more people, new ideas continuously emerged, and Bai Mo, growing increasingly self-centered and radical, gradually refined his plans.
“Li Bida, when did you advance to the Fifth Tier?! Why betray me?!” In the Imperial Palace of Bei Ba, the capital of Ethiopia, Black Emperor Ga'nan, who had reigned for over a decade, relying on his power to suppress an entire nation, painfully questioned the man before him in strangely accented Huayu.
This black-haired, yellow-skinned Huaxia man, Li Bida, was Ga'nan's right-hand man in governing the country, enjoying his deep trust all along, yet he never expected the other party to plot against him.
“Where there was no loyalty, how can there be betrayal!” Li Bida replied expressionlessly.
“Eight years! I spent a full eight years, and finally succeeded! You wait, I will surely get my revenge!” He felt the immense power radiating from the Imperial Seal in his hand, tears welling in his eyes.
“What exactly are you doing?!” Ga'nan, severely wounded by the ambush, discovered that his remaining power seemed to be continuously absorbed by the strange stone in the other party's hand. Before long, he would completely vanish from this world.
Li Bida paid no heed to the dying man, merely silently completing his final task. Under the Imperial Seal's powerful suction, the heavily injured Ga'nan lost even the strength to resist, allowing the other to do as he pleased.
What he saw in the end seemed to be himself transforming into a strange long snake, being sucked into the stone...
“From today onwards, I am the founding sovereign of this Destiny Dynasty...” Li Bida, holding the Imperial Seal engraved with the eight characters “Received Mandate from Heaven, Longevity and Prosperity,” examined it with satisfaction.
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