Chapter 908
Chapter 908 - 894: The Youth
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10 min read
Lu Ping’an’s identity in the local area was actually quite special.
From the beginning, he was simply a "tool," an object that lacked human rights but was handy to use, a "quasi-weapon."
This was the treatment Xia Qin had fought for him to secure. Without this guarantor, following the rules and systems in place, he would most likely have been treated as a "high-threat item" and gone straight to destruction.
He needed to prove his competence and growth potential to demonstrate that he was worth the risk for the Bureau of Anomaly Management to provide a risk guarantee for his "survival."
He needed to demonstrate his loyalty and stability in response to those doubts....
At that time, the psychologists at the Bureau would probably take Lu Ping’an’s behavior, speech, and others’ sensory reports weekly to determine whether he was safe, whether he was on the right path.
But what concerned these psychologists even more was probably the act of "surveillance" and "assessment" itself.
An individual, when their life is threatened, naturally harbors negative emotions. This is why it’s best for watchers to be beautiful... ahem, individuals unlikely to cause antipathy (non-threatening, kin, friends).
A minor, or at least someone with the mentality of one, living with negative emotions over a long period, under the scrutiny of many pairs of eyes and enduring pressure beyond their years, would naturally develop a twisted personality.
Therefore, it is hard to say whether many "high-threat seeds" ultimately became antisocial due to their inherent talents and power or because they were "doubted as potential threats" since childhood.
But Lu Ping’an was different... Not only was he an adult, but he was also one who had experienced life and death, joy and sorrow, genuine emotions, and harsh betrayals.
It’s not that he could endure it better; rather, he could "understand"..... His reason told him that these actions were not personal attacks against him.
He knew that high-threat individuals (nuclear weapons) needed to be monitored and did not feel it was "unfair" or that he was being "specially targeted"; he did not trigger that sensitive and fragile teenage empathy with thoughts like "Why only me," "I am special," "My power as a king!" or "I am born above the blue sky" and such.
Of course, all this is predicated on harmless "surveillance." If any real harm were done, not to mention if his own family were injured, even just "malicious intelligence leaks" leading to "cyberbullying" or "public opinion pressuring Lu Ping’an’s family" would immediately switch him back to another line of thought, another behavioral pattern.... Psychological assessment is actually quite necessary; he has always been quite dangerous, even if he tries his best to pretend he is harmless.
A true predator is often lazy in its daily life. When not hungry, prey can strut right in front of them, but when they decide to move, it’s often without warning and without mercy.
"... After the Sophist incident, your monitored residency was actually canceled, and no one from above has ever rushed me for your behavioral or psychological reports,"
This matter was a watershed moment. Even if the Bureau of Anomaly Management did not fully understand the ins and outs of the situation, they knew enough... They were aware that Lu Ping’an had chosen his stance and that having a mature and complete "normal person" personality and mentality was enough for them.
The subsequent awards and heavy rewards even treated him as one of their own.... Unlike the brainless and arrogant officials in many novels and stories, the elite bureaucrats in reality understood a principle well: "You have to treat others as your own before they can really become one of your own."
The kind that starts with several rounds of capability tests and loyalty tests is probably those who really think they have too many people on their side, or rather, too few enemies.
The developments that followed were natural. The better Lu Ping’an performed, the more he proved the correctness of this investment. Gradually, he became someone with a "promising future".... And after the end of the Green Planet campaign, the situation changed again.
In a desperate situation, he stood up and led a disorganized group to win a battle that was originally unwinnable.
This is not an exaggeration. This was the only conclusion reached by professionals after countless retrospections...
"If Lu Ping’an hadn’t stood up before the situation deteriorated to the limit, taken the pressure to rebuild the communication network and War system, the survival rate would not exceed 3%, let alone securing such a great victory over an entire world."
Thus, it meant that in addition to his personal combat power, he also concealed "strategic vision" and "leadership ability."
These seemingly minor details are extremely important for an individual... It means that he has the potential to be absorbed into the decision-making circles without worrying about recruiting a general who charges forward yelling "victory" using their status and position.
That’s why he was given the title of "Municipal Councilor" which could be significant or minor..... Perhaps some people wanted to see what he would do after getting this position, whether he really had brains, or was just a pure War machine.
At least, it would reveal the "Three Views" that have always been hidden beneath the iceberg based on his decision-making and the bills he proposed.
Only after confirming his cognitive abilities and Three Views would it be possible to entrust him with responsibilities like "Conductor" and "Commander," otherwise, it would be disastrous for the other "soldiers."
"At least Quasi-rule level potential, probable God-level seed, master of the Trading Land in the Virtual Divine Kingdom, inclined towards ’trade,’ ’equality,’ and ’non-violence’ in his rules and Three Views...."
One reality after another, new intelligence contributed to a growing excitement, but also naturally increased the stakes.
Among them, the heaviest piece of intelligence was always "attaining Rule-level is expected, and even higher levels are possible."
Every new era has its rules, but regardless of the era, "hard currency" has always been a show of fists and military force.
Without going too far back, take for instance the recent tragedy: if any of the afflicted cities had housed a Rule-level guard, would the incident have occurred?
Could they have killed a Rule-level being? If so, why not simply target someone easier? The presence of a single Rule-level individual would have been sufficient to make them reconsider their plan and targets.
Moreover, it is very difficult to truly kill someone at the Rule-level... They would have had to consider the possibility of becoming the sworn enemy of a Rule-level being and then being hunted to the ends of the Earth until the World Apocalypse.
It is no secret Changping City is so detested, because in the past years, it has "enticed away" most potential Rule-level seeds from the towns across Changping State.
If among the victims, someone blamed, "It’s all because Changping City did nothing, and also took our XX from back in the day," it would not be surprising at all... This rift has always existed.
It wasn’t until recently that Lu Ping’an learned, not every State managed affairs as unscrupulously as Changping, some maintained quite cordial relationships with other cities, achieving mutual benefit.
At the very least, the patrol teams composed of elites would regularly inspect and clean up unstable elements within the State, forging good relations with the locals in the process.
However, the conduct of Changping City—draining resources without contributing—ensured it would not become the leader of Changping State in this New Era... Especially after this massacre, at least a dozen cities had written a joint letter demanding the replacement of the capital city of Changping State.
This time, it seemed not just a matter of outcry. Judging from the feedback from various parties, the cities were serious, and the petitions reached the highest levels. The response from above indicated that change might genuinely be possible.
This seemed somewhat unjust, a case of being the scapegoat, but it wasn’t altogether undeserved... After all, it’s quite possible that the Blood Feast took place at your house because Changping City had left Changping State disunited and weak.
It’s a historical issue, a build-up of grievances that no amount of promises or bait presented by the current Changping can alleviate this deep-rooted hatred and distrust, let alone that it has nothing to offer.
And what of a superior without the trust of their subordinates? A self-serving superior? It might have been tolerable in the old days, but in the booming New Era, it has become a clear obstruction to the development of Changping State. Even if it does not fall from its horse this time, losing its crown is only a matter of time.
But I digress. Back to the main point, under the current grand trend, Lu Ping’an, who is assessed as "highly likely to enter Rule-level," "probably has normal values, at least outwardly," and "possesses judgment and wisdom to stand out when critical," has become even more precious.
"Lu Ping’an? Rule-level at the very least, and it’ll probably take just a few years," said Kun Ba, a Rule-level who had recently broken through, evaluating his own "comrade." This was actually a very important chip in the game, cementing the value placed on Lu Ping’an’s future worth betting on.
𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Whether he is away or in the Foreign Domain doesn’t matter, what matters is having someone like him, so others will think twice about the consequences before acting against the Ancient City... After all, in this day and age, it’s not only the Blood Feast that preys on the weak—the Big Cat of the past did too, in a sense.
If you check the rate of major incidents, you’ll find staggeringly high numbers in remote urban areas and third- or fourth-tier cities. Reality is not a tokusatsu film; there’s no need for minor monsters to antagonize big cities like Tokyo or New York. If population is also a resource, then smaller, remote cities with low defenses are clearly more "cost-effective."
It was also the decision-makers of the Ancient City, victims of that calamity, who increasingly lacked a sense of security and were ever more convinced that in the New Era, everything is illusory except for "combat power," which is real. This belief led to what others viewed as a frenzy of "super rebellion" and "Great Leap Forward-style development."
Merits, stance, ability, potential – these elevated Lu Ping’an’s score, even surpassing most at the pinnacle of Decree-level, reaching the "must-retain" first tier.
Naturally, this brought him more respect and "constraints."
Municipal Councilor, Captain of the Development Zone’s Special Service Team, honorary citizen... These layers of awards and superior treatment are encouraging, but they are also shackles.
They even wished for something to happen between Lu Ping’an and Xia Qin, hoping he would form deeper ties with the city and become its future dependable "Conductor."
This may be the greatest similarity and the greatest difference between the New and the Old Era... The so-called talent competition was previously more about the right to survive, but now it has expanded to include the right to develop.
"You’re inviting me to liaise with foreign guests?"
Unbeknownst to him, Lu Ping’an and his team had already become the face of the Ancient City’s external relations.
— End of Chapter 908 —