037. David Lin's Reform
Secretary Prin couldn't bring himself to laugh at the joke and said worriedly:
"Your Excellency, the CEO of Alfiler Energy has also been arrested. We have no senior talent left to rely on."
"What do you mean we have no senior talent left? It's Madewy's senior talent that's gone."
David Lin wasn't surprised by the oligarchs and elites fleeing. He casually opened a dossier, pointing to the names listed:
"Lin Li, Julie Yomark, Zelim Tang Shua, Cook Doyle, Wang Sijia, Qi Hui—these people only made money under Madewy. Even if I didn't take action, they would've moved against me eventually."
"But how do you know that?"
"The reason is simple."
David Lin said calmly:
"Frost-Plated's resources weren't originally that scarce. They created gender divisions, lowered birth rates, and only accepted highly educated women, excluding men. That's how they maintained control over the upper resources."
"They've already betrayed the free market and the spirit of capitalism, turning into a group of financial landlords and compradors—I studied this issue while in prison. Madewy ruled Frost-Plated for so long that something felt off. After questioning economic criminals, I found out I was right."
"But without the oligarchs, won't the domestic conglomerates collapse?"
"I only eliminated the top leaders. Do you know why?"
David Lin turned, looking at the map on the wall:
"Frost-Plated's problems are deeply rooted. Without eliminating discrimination, the nation cannot continue. After today's events, some people will definitely start questioning our actions—but this will shift the focus away from the suspicious nature of Madewy's death."
For Frost-Plated, this was hardly an issue.
David Lin stood up, gazing at the unchanging cold sun outside the window, and said with a sigh:
"Filby, did you know? Frost-Plated used to have many oceans. The Twin Palaces we're in now were once a fishing island in the old era."
"But every era passes. The heroes who defended the nation in one generation will be seen as enemies of unity in the next."
"But territory doesn't lie, and neither does population."
David Lin extended his hand, tracing Frost-Plated's borders with his fingertip, gradually drawing the colonies into the national boundary.
"Even if we leave history to future generations, they won't learn from it. Leave them weapons, and they might destroy themselves. Even if they inherit vast wealth, they will squander it. But if you leave them land and people—"
David Lin's finger paused over the 'Grante Republic,' and he said calmly:
"—they will understand war, nationhood, and civilization. They will continue to survive and reproduce."
"If Li Aozi taught me anything by going into space, it's that he opened my eyes to a new understanding and perspective of the universe."
"Just think, in the vast universe, with journeys spanning hundreds of thousands of light years. What can you rely on to unite people? Religion? Nation? Culture? Could it possibly be gender? Surely, in space, people won't still be practicing capitalism?"
David Lin chuckled to himself as he spoke:
"The universe is too vast. The only thing we need is survival."
"As long as we survive, with the vastness of the universe, we will always have a chance to find a way out and a new home."
"As long as we survive, with our large population, we will inevitably produce a hundred times, a thousand times, or even ten thousand times more great scientists, capitalists, extraordinary warriors, and leaders than today."
"Nothing is more important than survival. Population is a mine, and territory is a factory. Population plus land equals a mine and factory. Uninhabited land is everywhere in the universe, but people without land are worthless in the universe."
David Lin turned to Prin and the new Frost-Plated bureaucrats he had gathered:
"Now, do you understand?"
"Frankly, I don't fully understand, but I feel like I get a bit of it..."
"Let me make it clearer." David Lin said, "I'm going to do three things. From now on, Frost-Plated's construction and development must align with these three directions."
"Please go ahead!" Prin quickly prepared to take notes.
"First, we plan to completely eliminate gender discrimination within five years." David Lin said, "Whoever incites gender division is undermining the unity of our great motherland."
"But we can't exactly give men special privileges, right..."
"Who said giving someone privileges is the only way to achieve fairness?" David Lin said lightly, "Capitalism has no gender. Everyone is a citizen of the state and a producer for the enterprises."
"Second, and this is the next step: abolish all gender-differentiated privileges, and recall Law IV Agency to the homeland for a complete overhaul."
"Uh, but how do you plan to do that?" a bureaucrat couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency, you're a brilliant general and marshal, a master of warfare, but this is politics..."
"Politics? Politics is doing what benefits the majority."
David Lin smirked.
"But doing this won't unite the voters, and the corporations and middle class won't accept it."
"Whether they accept it or not, this is the trend of the times."
David Lin placed both hands on the table, sweeping his gaze over the crowd:
"History is advancing toward the universe—we in Frost-Plated have already fallen far behind other nations. Li Aozi went into space and reminded us that this planet has been in contact with extraterrestrial civilizations from the very beginning."
"Humans are forgetful. If they don't witness something firsthand, they won't believe it—many people have been locked on the home planet by Calamity and the Entropic Lord for too long, and since they haven't seen sunlight, they dare to say the universe never existed. But in reality, all of you here are the cream of the crop, the elite bureaucrats of society. Don't you see?"
David Lin found it somewhat amusing:
"The rhetoric from the Four Nations and GTB may fool the common people, but when you repeat a lie too long, you start to believe it yourselves—that just shows you have brain damage."
The room fell silent.
David Lin's mockery hit the mark.
Those who had risen to become decision-makers in Frost-Plated's government knew exactly what was going on with Azure Star's current situation.
"The formation of the GTB was a compromise born of the Four Nations' helplessness—we couldn't properly manage a world where extraordinary knowledge was abused. In fact, the extraordinary knowledge we've each secretly unearthed has already caused great conflicts and endless wars. If the global population were to ascend to Beta-level, all existing political systems and nations would collapse!"
David Lin didn't mince words. Every sentence pointed to truths they all knew but were too afraid to admit.
In fact, the Four Nations were terrified of this outcome.
Even with all the problems within the Four Nations, they still represented order.
No matter how bad the order was, it was better than the best chaos. Pure chaos would only lead to barbarism and the destruction of human civilization on Azure Star.
But the current situation was different.
Red Arrow, after stealing extraordinary knowledge, had become the only hegemonic empire able to stand tall during peacetime without a Gamma-level agent. Since then, everyone began secretly controlling parts of extraordinary knowledge.
Li Aozi's ascent into space shattered the previous harmonious political landscape.
GTB, Entropic Lord, Finess Federation...
Li Aozi wasn't an isolated case. In this era, even if it wasn't Li Aozi, there would have been a Zhang Aozi or Chen Aozi—the Four Nations and GTB could no longer maintain the blockade.
Deep down, everyone knew GTB had more efficient ways than hydrogen bombs to launch into space.
So why hadn't they done it?
Once Li Aozi successfully made contact with an alien civilization, with their capabilities, eliminating the Entropic Lord and Calamity wouldn't be difficult.
By then, Li Aozi would undoubtedly become a great hero for Azure Star, and the people of the Four Nations would be deeply grateful to him.
The common people would live peaceful and prosperous lives, but what about the Four Nations?
The Four Nations, or rather, the elites at the top—could they survive in such an environment?
In a universe with widespread Gamma-level civilizations, would the outdated system of the Four Nations really be preserved? Or would they have to start their own reforms?
—What a joke! Have you ever seen anyone willing to reform themselves for the future of all humanity?
The current status of the Four Nations was maintained through their collusion with GTB, much like oligarchs, shutting the door to the universe, depleting the planet's resources, and monopolizing even the sunlight.
Without these advantages, how were the Four Nations any different from the ordinary people living in the Outside World?
To a galactic civilization, they were all insects.
A handful of ants without even a decent number of Gamma-level agents.
A bunch of pillbugs that couldn't even leave their home planet.
A group of maggots, unable to achieve a unified civilization, each acting on their own.