Chapter 639: Academy Nation (Two)
"Yes, ten years, a billion." Behind Ling Qiushui, a man in a long trench coat gazed at her with deep affection.
He was the political science teacher for this campus, and Ling Qiushui's current boyfriend.
After marital relationships were completely abolished by law, no matter how close a man and woman became, "friends" was the furthest their relationship could go.
Although the singlehood rate was high, there were still many who wished to live as a couple. Unofficial couples like them, who were married in all but name, were everywhere.
"With this rate of population growth, can we even sustain them?" The girl, having escaped an era of famine and war, still instinctively reacted with the unforgettable shadow of that past.
She was a transmigrator, but merely one without any advantages.
No cheat-like abilities, no system.
A background as a commoner from an ancient chaotic era offered Ling Qiushui no help whatsoever in modern society.
At most, it allowed her, as a history teacher, to feel a deeper empathy for the events of ancient history, making her lectures all the more vivid and engaging.
"But if the data is correct, wasn't it less than forty years ago that people were starving to death on Earth every single day?"
"Profit. In the past, humans had to control production to ensure product prices remained above costs, thus generating profit. It was the same for food and consumer goods."
"You're saying that, in the past, you'd rather control overall production and let some people starve and freeze, than lower prices?"
"Of course, why would you sell at a loss?"
The two began their uniquely odd form of marital banter.
Unlike ordinary couples, they didn't engage in sweet talk; instead, they preferred to flirt through the peculiar method of political debate.
They never uttered "I love you" in their daily lives. Instead, they'd jump straight into discussions about class struggle and revolutionary camaraderie, even though they hadn't actually "revolutionized" anything themselves.
Yet, these were the bonds that connected this unique couple, one from ancient times and one from modern.
"Tietou Jun!" A shout, spanning half the school field, interrupted the intimate moment of this peculiar couple.
There, standing alone at the school gate, was a man whose head shone so brightly it could rival a lightbulb, desperately waving in their direction.
Meanwhile, the trench-coated man, who had been grandly expounding on economics to his girlfriend, now wore a face that looked like he'd just eaten shit, as he stared at the bald man who had yelled his childhood nickname loud enough for half the school to hear.
He could already imagine what kind of prank they'd pull once the students discovered that their political science teacher, who usually maintained a serious demeanor and loved to bring up class struggle both in and out of lessons, actually had the embarrassing nickname "Tietou".
"Tietou Jun?" Ling Qiushui looked at her boyfriend, puzzled.
"Da Mu Jun, can you please not shout that name in public!!!" The trench-coated man lightly punched the bald man's chest.
Their relationship seemed excellent; they immediately slung arms around each other's shoulders upon meeting.
"Is this 'Sister-in-law'?"
"Of course."
"Qiushui, this is Xi Si Da Mu. We've been friends for decades."
"Tietou Jun, Mr. Da Mu isn't from Earth?" Ling Qiushui said, mimicking Xi Si Da Mu's tone.
At the same time, she looked at Xi Si Da Mu with a strange expression, because her system surprisingly showed no information about him.
According to her configured habits, the system would automatically display simple public information, such as names, for anyone within ten meters of her.
"Hello, Sister-in-law, I am Xi Si Da Mu, the Interstellar Trade Specialist for the Caribbean Cultural Corporation in the Federation's Eastern Nine Regions!" After scrutinizing Ling Qiushui for a moment, the bald man spoke with an earnestness as if he'd been injected with chicken blood.
"You brat, stop making designs on my wife!" The trench-coated man, knowing full well that his friend's professional habit had kicked in, quickly pulled him back to a safe distance.
Ling Qiushui watched the two, feeling bewildered yet impressed.
Xi Si Da Mu was an Interstellar Trade Specialist for the Caribbean Cultural Corporation, tasked this time with escorting the company's film and television works from the past year to Earth.
After completing the handover, he applied for a two-day vacation to visit his old friend on Earth.
"How have you been these past few years?"
"Thanks to Mars, our lives have been much better these past few years," Xi Si Da Mu said with considerable excitement.
After the Federation completely colonized Mars, the continuous influx of wealth from Mars back to the Federation's homeland significantly improved the lives of the Moon's inhabitants.
Although most of this wealth ended up in the pockets of the council members, thanks to the trickle-down effect, almost everyone eventually received a little share.
"I heard the Council is already mobilizing for war. The next target is to attack both Venus and Mercury simultaneously. Because of this wave of development on Mars, many people have struck it rich, and now, from top to bottom, everyone's clamoring for continued expansion."
Xi Si Da Mu withdrew his gaze from "Sister-in-law" and turned to discuss recent events with the trench-coated man.
"You're going to war again?" The trench-coated man, who had lived a peaceful life on the Land of White for over two decades, felt as if war was a distant memory from the last century.
Whether it was the Sea Race or Spirit Beasts, they were all considered "their own people" now, constrained by the system. Even fights required prior registration and approval; otherwise, they were considered violations.
By the time the forms were filled out and approved, most of the anger for a fight had dissipated. What's the point of a battle of wills if the will is gone?
"Only war can bring change! Without change, how can we, the lower class, possibly rise?"
"Da Mu Jun, you're too radical... The number of people who die in battle will always far outweigh those who manage to climb up."
"But it's an opportunity nonetheless, unlike here, where it's so stagnant, with no chance of standing out even in ten thousand years. Life should be as brilliant as a cherry blossom; I'm unwilling to live out my entire life as an ordinary person."
"..."
"Is being 'above others' truly that important?" The trench-coated man still wanted to persuade his friend.
Earth, having taken egalitarianism to the extreme, implemented a uniform allowance system across the entire society. Regardless of one's job—whether sweeping floors or engineering rockets—everyone received the same treatment, the same benefits.
Cells are equal.
Furthermore, the system never cared about work enthusiasm; it only required daily completion of KPI tasks. Doing more was pointless.
The human body doesn't need the heart to pump twice the blood to the brain, nor does it need the stomach and intestines to work 996 overtime to secrete twice the stomach acid. The plan arranged by the body's instinct is the best.
Production exceeding demand was meaningless waste, and absorbing more nutrients than needed would only create fat people.
On Earth, clothing, food, housing, and transportation were all allocated via a rationing system, and wages were entirely pocket money.
In a sense, the system acted as both teacher and parent. Food and lodging were provided by parents, and a bit of pocket money was issued each month for toys.
Just be obedient.
The entire society was made up of disciplined elementary school students.
The Academy Nation, living up to its name.
Comments