Chapter 2966: Still Not Settled?
Minister Ji's expression stiffened for a moment, then he fell silent. After a few seconds, he said, "I understand."
Xu Huo went to the room that had been prepared for him earlier.
The 014 District was about to undergo integration. Although the "National Resources" instance had been deliberately brought in by the Eerie Sound Knights with ulterior motives, it perfectly matched the current situation in Country X—district integration was essentially a war for discourse between local zone players and outer zone players, and between local zone players and local ordinary people.
Before evolution, the real power in the districts was held by ordinary people. The 014 District had transitioned relatively smoothly when the evolution outbreak occurred, without too much chaos. During that period, the majority who held power and occupied the largest population still had the final say. But after complete integration into the game, this structure was about to change.
Regardless of the costs required to defend against the risks brought by outsiders or interactions with other districts, players were the absolute mainstay. Without players, a district simply couldn't survive.
Perhaps the country could have continued operating under its previous established model before, but from now on, that model would be gone forever. Players who had previously suffered setbacks in their rise or had been hiding behind the scenes supporting their own people would now have to step onto the stage. This was the time for power distribution.
In fact, the capital city being drawn into the instance was a mixed blessing. It was inevitable for ordinary people to withdraw from the political stage. However, ordinary people weren't just ordinary people—they also had vast networks of relationships behind them, and players who supported them. With differences in strength came conflicts. Now that everyone was trapped in the instance, they could only sit down and negotiate. Otherwise, before the district integration could be fully completed, internal player wars might erupt.
Xu Huo wasn't interested in the power struggles among the upper echelons. The instance involved too many people; one or a few individuals couldn't completely change the situation. It required cooperation from everyone.
Only after the structure of the government's upper levels changed could the instance's situation be further observed. If it met the game's requirements, perhaps this transition would go smoothly, and the instance would end quickly.
Back in the same meeting room, besides the elderly people who had originally sat at the table, along with their trusted confidants and players, there were now more people added. These people might have previously belonged to minor factions or weren't even part of the government at all. They either represented themselves and the forces behind them, or they were substituting for others in the negotiations. In short, these people were now firmly established as important figures who would step onto the stage in the future.
The capital city side was relatively stable. The massive family system ensured that most of the government's upper echelons retained their voice. But in other cities, and even in most parts of Country X, government officials had lost their authority in front of players and could be overthrown at any moment.
In this integration war, the living space of ordinary people would inevitably be further squeezed. Players who had been tempered through trials would seize the initiative.
However, Country X was different. With Xu Huo as the stabilizing anchor, no one dared to truly overturn the table and break relations. Even without this instance, the appearance of the instance only advanced this power struggle.
In fact, there were many examples of players controlling districts. Ordinary people had reached a point where they had to step back. For most players, the ones they needed to communicate with were their own kind; ordinary people had already been excluded.
But the former government officials, who also represented ordinary people, still wanted to fight for some power for them.
The country's upper echelons couldn't be entirely composed of players. First, players needed to enter and exit instances regularly and could die at any time, easily disrupting work. Second, players stood too high; over time, they might overlook the ordinary people below them. This was a subtle change that might not be apparent in the short term, but over a long period, reversing it would come at a huge cost.
Minister Ji, as an ordinary person and the head of the Special Defense Department, was the first to be sidelined in this negotiation. But he wasn't completely out. Nie Xuan and Team Leader Ming supported him to a certain extent. In the end, the other factions took a step back. Minister Ji could serve as a substitute to fulfill the work duties of the minister. After all, as an ordinary person, he naturally couldn't stand from a player's perspective. In the future, if an emergency arose, would the players who fought tooth and nail to survive have to sacrifice their lives for ordinary people?
"Players are more valuable than ordinary people." When Zong Lanzi spoke these words in the contentious meeting room, the entire room fell silent for a moment. Then, the elderly man from the military district slammed the table and stood up. "I was making contributions to the country before you were even born, and now you dare to talk about value in front of us!"
Zong Lanzi was very young, at most just over thirty. As his name suggested, he was as refined as orchids and jade trees. His composed demeanor indicated his distinguished family background. He said methodically, "I have no intention of arguing with anyone, but this is a fact. I only ask one question: If all the existing players in the country were to exchange their lives one-for-one to save ordinary people, would anyone here be willing?"
In the suffocating silence, Nie Xuan said, "The situation you describe doesn't exist and doesn't need to be considered. Today's negotiation only addresses practical issues. Unnecessary hypotheticals don't need to be discussed."
Zong Lanzi chuckled lightly. "Isn't this a practical issue? As long as districts rely on players to maintain operations, policies and privileges will inevitably favor players. There is, of course, a precedent of relying on weapons—the Platinum Eye."
Even though the 014 District was facing major upheaval, players still knew that the Platinum Eye had run into trouble, attacked by a Super Player. It was still unknown whether the city had been saved. That place was famous throughout the game for manufacturing advanced weapons, yet it was almost wiped out by a single player!
"I'm not saying these words to force everyone to compromise, but to ask everyone to view this matter from the perspective of the 014 District's future. The district government will most likely be established in our country. Players rely on the district for support, and the district relies on players for protection. The stronger the players, the safer the district. What's wrong with resources and policies favoring players?"
Precisely because this was something everyone in the room knew deep down, they could sit down and negotiate instead of breaking relations. But Zong Lanzi's dangerous remarks once again made the former government officials realize that players must be kept in check.
Yet tragically, keeping them in check still required relying on players.
"Go and invite Mr. Xu over," the elderly man at the head of the table instructed the person beside him.
When they heard that Xu Huo was being summoned, the players who had joined the meeting later, including Zong Lanzi, all straightened up slightly. When footsteps were heard from outside, the players who had been sitting all stood up.
It wasn't just because Xu Huo was strong, but also because he was now the hero of the 014 District, having single-handedly resisted outer zone players. No one was unconvinced!
Xu Huo swept his gaze across the meeting room. "Still not settled?"