Section 107: An Absurd Fantasia

"May I ask," Red Lightning hesitated for half a minute before speaking, "what kind of team do you intend to build?"

Fortunately, he didn't immediately ask how many universal points he could get a share of. "To keep the contractors as a collective alive as much as possible, all the way to the very end."

"How do you view the relatively weaker contractors?"

"In my eyes, there are no weak people, only people placed in the wrong positions."

"How large of a team are you planning to build?"

"I'm not afraid of having many people. The more, the better; the more, the merrier."

"I can help you secure the support of my longtime comrades." Red Lightning didn't press further. "I've managed to survive in the Realm by sheer luck for this long. Even if I'm not powerful enough, when it comes to understanding the Realm, I dare say no one else in Wuzhou can surpass me. If there's anything you want to know, I mostly know it, or can acquire it."

We aren't quite on the same wavelength... Let's see what else he has to say. "Then, if I want to issue a team currency within the Realm, what obstacles would there be?"

Red Lightning was instantly dumbfounded. "Cur... Currency?"

"Yes, isn't the trading tool in the Realm universal points? If my team is established, is there a chance to issue our own currency and make it commonly accepted within the Realm? In doing anything, one must first consider what kind of people will support it and why, and what kind of people will oppose it and why. Then, cooperate with those who should cooperate, guide those who should be guided, and wipe out those who should be wiped out. Assuming I issue currency in the Realm, whose support would I gain, and who would oppose it? Based on your past experience, do you know?"

Red Lightning opened his mouth, completely speechless.

An ordinary person whose mind is shackled... "Aside from this, you can also try looking for other information. Has a child ever been born in the Realm?"

"...I've never seen one."

"If a child were born in the Realm, what kind of person would they be considered? Would the Realm arrange for them to participate in our missions? Our bodies have been digitalized, right? Will children born here be digitalized as well?" Wang Luo posed a series of questions.

"This... it seems nobody has ever studied that," Red Lightning replied.

"I've even considered the possibility of founding a nation within the Realm."

"This... you..."

***

"This guy really lets his imagination run wild."

In the prisoner camp, Lin Feirui took off her headphones and sighed with emotion.

Is it just wild imagination? Why do I get the feeling that he and we are simply not creatures of the same species?

"He calls himself a 'philosophy nerd,'" Ling'er laughed. "Just an ordinary person who likes talking nonsense. Listen to this, he even said he wants to construct ideals, formulate laws, establish a nation, and issue currency based on the Realm."

"Talking nonsense with a straight face must be how you describe his situation. Do you think he's planning to mess with us? Or does he actually think this way?" Lin Feirui suppressed her thoughts and chimed in.

"He also said he wanted to save those forty million people," Ling'er said. "Let's keep listening."

Inside the headphones, Wang Luo's voice continued to come through.

"To forge a group of people into a nation, the first requirement is an ideology that aligns with their living environment and conditions—in other words, shared codes of conduct. Most people are not in a state of thinking most of the time, but rather in an 'unconscious' state. When the actions they take during these times align with the collective tendency, the foundation of governance is born."

"This is very powerful. It has also been widely applied in our original world. The core of many regimes' rule lies in the control over the 'instincts' of human beings as a collective—though they themselves might not even realize it."

"Next, you need vast resources. Is there a simple way to gather people together? Wealth, of course. The various resources obtained on the battlefield can play their true value—large amounts of equipment, skill books, and universal points possess more than enough temptation for contractors who are struggling to survive."

"And right now, my understanding of the Realm is still insufficient. In this regard, I have to rely on experienced people. As for resources, I have a little bit now, and although it's far from enough, starting to consider it at this stage is correct and can prevent going down the wrong path."

"Since it's safe within the Realm, propaganda is of paramount importance. A good reputation is crucial. Even within the Realm, if convenient, it's best to run a comprehensive news media outlet with a television station, a website, and information-disseminating technology permitted by the Realm's conditions."

Red Lightning must be as speechless as we are... He hasn't said anything for a long time.

"Our team rules are also formulated based on this grand objective. Take a look."

The rustling of paper came through the headphones. The two ladies, restricted to merely listening, felt a sudden surge of anxiety.

"What does doubling the punishment mean?" Red Lightning's voice rang out.

Wang Luo replied, "It means members within the team are allowed to make mistakes. For many mistakes, the punishment for the first offense is very light, say, only one hundred universal points. But committing it a second time makes it two hundred; it increases infinitely."

"Understood. What does malicious targeting mean?" Red Lightning asked.

"It means if someone merely threatens you verbally or physically," Wang Luo's voice paused from time to time, "then they won't be punished by the team rules. But if they dare to attack you after threatening you, then the suppression of the team rules against them will be three to ten times the original suppression effect."

"What about the energy threshold?"

"It means... for example, if you and a few subordinates enter a certain scenario together. Suppose your combat power and potential are evaluated at 50, while the scenario difficulty is 100, then you must at least obtain resources equivalent to your capability score from within the scenario to be considered qualified. The more resources you obtain, the higher the team's evaluation of you, and the higher the team rule contribution points you acquire will be. The reverse is also true."

"That's about the same as the Realm's demands," Red Lightning replied. "What about punishment determination?"

"It means jointly determining the values of team rewards and penalties after a scenario ends based on external and internal factors. Look, this isn't complicated. Instead of asking me, you'd better think it through carefully yourself."

Who would bother thinking about this? A mess! Utterly incomprehensible! Bizarre!

I actually lost to a person like this? For a moment, Lin Feirui felt extremely displeased. At that moment, Red Lightning's voice sounded again.

"I'm sorry, I have to admit I don't quite understand what it means. What I can promise is to take care of what's right in front of me. I'll do my best to persuade the team leader and the others in Wuzhou to fight actively or join your team."

"Very well." A rustling of paper sounded. "Even though it hasn't been an hour, your thousand points will be credited to you. Tomorrow I will organize a military review, and then we set out to annihilate the Yellow Scarves. Tell your comrades to be prepared."

Their conversation ended there. Lin Feirui put down the headphones and lay down on her side.

Setting out tomorrow. Despite saying nice things, Red Lightning has practically betrayed us already. He might still come around to put on a show, pretending to consider Wuzhou and everyone else, but in the end, he will definitely turn traitor.

And the enemy, despite harboring many absurd and inexplicable ideas, has won. That fact remains unchanged. Now, there isn't much left for her to do.

Should she keep holding out? Or should she pretend to compromise with him for now? Earn enough universal points and then leave. But would things really be as simple as they appeared?