Chapter 905: Chapter 905: The Ability to Self-Correct
Letting the Vellante people build their own homes is a compromise, after all, the authorities of No. 1 Settlement can’t magically create a new district capable of accommodating five thousand people out of thin air.
Especially since No. 1 Settlement itself is hosting Wasteland Wanderers from the Eastern Provinces, the expansion rate of the settlement and the population growth have just achieved a fragile balance, and no one wants to break it.
Moreover, these immigrants themselves bring in a lot of funds and manpower.
The workforce needs jobs, and the funds need proper allocation, with a bit of resource allocation both demands can be met.
Hank has found such an opportunity, satisfying the demands of all parties.
The authorities of No. 1 Settlement only need to provide a planning blueprint to get a new district of high growth for free. The construction sites of the new district not only stimulate the local economy but also resolve more issues brought by the continuous integration of the Vellante people in the future.
With the Dinar as collateral, the banks of the Alliance would also be happy to provide loans.
After all, using foreign exchange of real gold and sterling silver as collateral is much more reliable than using an IOU or stocks.
Although the Poluo people are nitpicking on the word "home" and excessively claiming it is a conspiracy of soft colonization by the Vellante people, not many people are actually buying it.
After all, just in terms of numbers, the Poluo people running to the Alliance far outnumber the Vellante people.
First came the Moon people, and then the residents of Jingga Lun Port, these guys have been running since the West Winds period.
In a sense, they actually are beneficiaries of the Alliance’s constitution.
Wanting to destroy the bridge after crossing the river, such people aren’t liked wherever they go.
In fact, after calming down, some Poluo people also realized that their reasons for protesting were untenable.
They tried to garner sympathy from others with racial narratives, but the survivors from the Eastern Provinces didn’t buy it.
The Alliance supported the war in the Poluo Province not because of their bloodline or hatred towards the Vellante people, but because of the similar class position—they too are survivors suffering in the Wasteland.
Back then, they themselves suffered humiliation because of racial issues and fled to the Alliance seeking shelter, now attacking their class brothers with racist reasons is unreasonable in both emotion and logic.
Especially using such extreme means...
By noon, the crowd protesting at the City Hall entrance had mostly dispersed, but there were still a hundred or so stubborn guys holding their ground.
The settlement’s guards cordoned off the area around them.
Although there were several instances of pushing, there was no escalation into conflict.
In comparison to the Wasteland Wanderers from the Eastern Provinces, the survivors from the Poluo Province are actually less aggressive, and their temperament is relatively gentle.
As for being stubborn, that’s another matter entirely.
The majority of the Poluo people only care about reason when it benefits them, while they view the dual nature of logic as an adversary, even though such actions have caused them endless suffering over the past two centuries.
Standing outside the cordon, looking at the old man holding the Mammoth national flag, the young guard couldn’t help but purse his lips.
"If they like Laxi so much, why don’t they go back? Now is precisely when Laxi needs them the most."
The older colleague standing beside him grinned, teasingly saying.
"Haha, I’d bet you One Silver Coin that if he really went to Laxi’s territory, he’d be tamer than in our jails."
The young guard couldn’t help but laugh, but he was met with a glare from the old man hoisting the Mammoth national flag.
"What are you laughing at! I paid my taxes!"
The young guard laughed and said.
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, if you feel that anyone around here hasn’t paid taxes, please be sure to let me know."
The old man’s face turned white with anger.
The colleague standing beside him quickly gave the young guard a pull, casting him a warning look, indicating not to cause trouble.
The guard shrugged helplessly and turned back to the vehicle.
At this moment, the mayor, who had not appeared, finally seemed unable to withstand the pressure and finally sent out his secretary.
Perhaps seeing the dawn of victory, the shouted protests of those hundred or so Poluo people grew louder, and their emotions became more agitated.
The mayor’s secretary, thrown in to face the storm, was overwhelmed, taking the megaphone from the City Hall staff, he shouted toward those hundred or so Poluo people chanting slogans.
"Ahem... Friends from the Poluo Province, please calm down, no matter what demands you have, this is merely an administrative agency, not a legislative or judicial agency, nor is it the estate of a duke. We must adhere to the same laws as you. If you feel receiving those Vellante people violates the Alliance’s laws, or if our laws have any issues, you should take it to the representative council or court—"
His words were interrupted by a chorus of voices.
Truth be told, having never been on the frontline, it was his first time seeing such brave Poluo people, as the old man holding the Mammoth flag, red-faced and straining his neck, shouted at him.
"Is this a legal issue?"
"Then what issue do you say it is—"
His words were interrupted again, the young man following closely behind the old man shouted at him.
"Exactly! Law is just the baseline! It doesn’t mean it’s right!"
"Exactly! This law is unreasonable, why should the Vellante people share in our labor achievements!"
"And they’re from the Southern Legion! Who knows if there are any Centurions or Ten Thousand Leaders mixed in!"
The sound rose and fell, echoing at the entrance of the city hall. Those protesting Poluo people seemed determined to turn the cement ground into a muddy mess, waiting for someone to stir it up.
The mayor’s secretary was dumbfounded.
However, he had seen the world, and his mind quickly turned around.
"That’s right, the law is just the bottom line. We should hold ourselves to higher moral standards in daily life... Yet can you trust someone without even a bottom line to have moral standards above that?"
Perhaps because the players were reasonable, he instinctively wanted to rely on reasoning to persuade these emotionally charged Poluo people.
However, he did not realize that trying to reason with the Poluo people was itself a mistaken decision.
Never has any Poluo person become emperor by persuading with reason; without exception, they achieved their goals through methods like deceiving, stealing, and robbing.
"I want to see the Manager!"
"We can’t discuss with you!"
"That’s right! Let us see the Manager!"
The unruly shouts rendered all well-organized explanations as jokes. The secretary, who was still trying to use reason, finally understood why his superior was unwilling to come out and face these folks, and why the representatives pretended not to see them.
What they want is not order, but something else.
He finally gave up, yelling in despair.
"Fine! Go ahead! If you don’t go, I look down on you! Go buy your ticket and visit your esteemed Mr. Manager in the City of Dawn! You can tell him personally, esteemed Mr. Manager, you are wasting your efforts... No one is stopping you!"
The guards watching the scene from behind the barriers looked at each other.
"I suddenly start to feel a bit sympathetic towards that mayor..."
"You’re not the only one."
It’s worth mentioning, the guards bureau is not a subordinate department of the city hall. The No.1 Settlement follows the same pattern as the City of Dawn in this aspect.
As long as the situation doesn’t escalate into a violent conflict, they will not intervene. If they obey orders from the city hall or some powerful "big shot" to disperse the crowd who haven’t taken further action, they might instead incur punishment from the Guards Corps.
The protesting Poluo people clearly understood this point too, so they didn’t block the entrance or occupy the road, merely shouted under the mayor’s office window.
By noon, Gu Ning arrived near the city hall after traveling from the port area, meeting another regional representative of the representatives’ assembly not far from the entrance.
His name was Su Ka, and from his identification card and appearance alone, even the Poluo people couldn’t tell he was a Moon people.
However, Gu Ning, who attended the regional assembly together, knew his identity, and also knew he sent a quarter of his monthly salary to the United Federation in Jin Galun Port (not the one in Absek).
Perhaps due to past sufferings, these Moon people are much more united than the "Snake, Rat, Insect, Bird" in Poluo Province.
Gu Ning lightly adjusted his collar, stopped beside him, smiled gently and said.
"Aren’t you going to speak for them?"
Su Ka remained silent for a moment, sighed and said.
"Mr. Gu, can you understand that kind of love-hate feeling?"
Gu Ning saw the complexity and dilemma in his eyes but said nothing more, merely smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Leave it to me."
Watching Gu Ning walk forward silently, Su Ka shook his head, finally couldn’t bear to keep looking, turned and left.
Having sat together in meetings, how could he not know what was hidden behind that guy’s smile?
He was certain, what that guy planned to do might be good for the Alliance, but not necessarily beneficial for his compatriots.
But he no longer had the ability to stop it and wasn’t even sure whether he should stop it.
After all, he was already of the Alliance...
It’s worth mentioning, within the Alliance, there have always been radical and conservative factions corresponding to left and right. Although these forces are objectively still young and rarely engage in public debates, their existence is undeniable.
For instance, Mr. Gu is a typical conservative.
They have no dispute with the radicals on the issue of "accepting survivors suffering in the Wasteland," as it was one of the earliest provisions of the constitution.
However, they have entirely different views on specific issues like "what kind of survivors are worth accepting," "who can unite," and "will uniting those who shouldn’t be united shake the foundation of the Alliance."
Another noteworthy fact is, within the Alliance, there’s not as much dislike for the Vellante people as the Poluo and Vellante people themselves imagine.
After all, represented by Vanus, a long time ago the Vellante people fought alongside the River Valley Province survivors, opposing the Army and its puppets.
Others witnessed their efforts.
Residents of the refuge don’t engage in racial narratives, in their view, survivors on this planet are residues of the United Human era for two centuries— even those Vellante created by the technology department use human DNA templates and biotechnological achievements of human civilization.
Moreover, the Army’s record isn’t clean, nor is the Empire’s particularly noble.
Not to mention the deeds of Witch Gu, even the nations in Poluo Province that have distanced themselves from him have been involved in "public assassination in diplomatic occasions," "exploitation of overseas laborers," "smuggling of contraband," etc., a series of appalling operations.
Many sympathize with them, many believe they deserve their fate.
And precisely because of this, trying to win the Alliance public’s "favor" by playing the victim role is very difficult, attempting to use this "favor" to challenge the Alliance’s constitution is even more dangerous.
Su Ka actually sees it very clearly.
Compared to the "South Vellante People" who tuck their tails between their legs, and those Weilante people who distance themselves from the Southern Legion, those gathered at the city hall entrance are actually doing something dangerous.
The more they emphasize their bloodlines and the tragic fate attached to them, attempting to hijack those progressive voices to betray their original purpose, the more they will awaken the backlash of conservative voices within the Alliance—
[We’ve helped you enough, that’s enough.]
The Conservative faction will definitely exploit the topic.
And he is already too late to stop it...
Watching the representatives arrive, the mayor’s secretary, who was downstairs calming the emotions of the Poluo people, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You finally came."
Gu Ning, who rushed to the scene, didn’t waste words, counted the heads present, and then pulled the secretary aside.
"Help me order 120 boxed meals for them, plus mineral water. I’ll cover the cost... Don’t order anything too expensive, the budget is just 200 silver coins, as long as they’re filling."
Thinking this guy was here to resolve the situation, the secretary looked at him strangely.
"Sending them food? If I were them, I could mess around here until evening!"
Gu Ning said concisely.
"When people are hungry, they can’t listen to anything. Letting them mess around until evening is better than having them come back tomorrow... Don’t forget to order a serving for me too, I haven’t had a bite to eat since morning."
The mayor’s secretary looked at him with a strange expression twice but ultimately didn’t say anything, and turned back to the city hall.
Not long after, 121 boxed meals were really delivered, one meat and two vegetables—not luxurious, but not shabby either.
The Poluo people were just hungry, and their voices hoarse from shouting, did not refuse the food and water provided by the representative.
Gu Ning personally handed out the meals to the protesters present and sat down to eat with them.
Perhaps moved by his down-to-earth gesture, all of the Poluo people treated him like a family member they could talk to freely.
As for their praises, Gu Ning merely smiled humbly, quietly ate until he was 70% full, and then waited for everyone to finish eating.
This was not a show.
Or to put it more precisely, at least the hospitality part was not.
At most, it was ’first polite, then confrontational.’
Finally, it was lunchtime, and more residents working nearby gradually appeared on the street. Most were survivors from the Eastern Provinces, as well as Weilante people from the Eastern Legion, who mostly came with a mindset of watching the spectacle.
Seeing more people gathering around, the Poluo people, having eaten their fill, wiped their hands, picked up the signs on the ground, and prepared to strike while the iron was hot.
It was just at this moment, Gu Ning spoke in a gentle tone.
"Friends, I haven’t asked you what your demands are. Now please tell me, only when I know your demands can I solve the problems for you."
"We don’t like the Weilante people."
"Make them get out of the Alliance!"
"Speaking of which, aren’t they originally a created problem? Why can’t we erase these big-nosed people from this world?"
Looking at these agitated people, Gu Ning smiled amicably, took the loudspeaker from the mayor’s secretary.
"Dislike...that’s a very good reason, I have many things I dislike too, like things that are too sweet or too salty. However, more than these things, what I dislike even more are those who think the whole world revolves around them."
"Such people are like babies with heads too big to fit in a stroller, wishing for this person to die today and that person tomorrow, wanting to satisfy their appetites by overturning everything to start anew. It’s far better to sew up their foul mouths... I mean, since all these problems are created by these things, why can’t those who should die be them?"
The scene was silent.
Including the mayor’s secretary with the loudspeaker, stunned with mouth agape.
However, not everyone wore expressions of surprise.
For example, the young guy sitting in the police car earlier couldn’t help but clap twice in excitement...away from everyone’s line of sight.
Recovering Poluo people understood he was blaming with satire and cursed at him vigorously.
"What the hell do you mean?!"
"It’s outrageous... Clearly, those big-nosed ones should be blamed, yet it’s our fault now?!"
"You betrayed the Alliance!!"
The curses were harsh one after the other, but perhaps it was the food, or maybe they felt short-handed after the meal, their shouting lacked force.
Faced with the overwhelming curses, Gu Ning pretended to hear nothing, and instead spoke to more people standing behind them, continuing in an even higher volume.
"I am always loyal to the Alliance, no one loves the Alliance more than I do, and those fleeing with tails between their legs have even less right to judge me."
"Additionally, I’m not targeting anyone, I’m just talking about the kind of people I dislike. If there’s an opportunity, I truly wish to build a large colony ship and send those lunatics to a separate planet."
"They could stay together, using their old tricks they’re best at, slaughtering themselves merrily on that planet, mating with what they want to mate with, licking whichever toe they want to lick, just like animals do all day long, as long as they stay out of our sight!"
Never before had anyone seen a representative speak so down-to-earth, people watching the scene cheered, whistled.
A cyborg player interjected with a smile to stir the pot.
"I support you. I guess you’re talking about the Army!"
Gu Ning pointed at him and continued along his line.
"You’re right, the Army lacks nothing more than those who constantly want to shit on others. Especially those Ten Thousand Leaders, they start wars with lies, either passively or actively joining in, smearing their ugly desires with the blood of their compatriots, then use their Marshals and claims of loyalty as a shield! Such hypocrites aren’t worthy of mentioning loyalty, and aren’t fit to be loyal and courageous Vellante people. Am I right?"
The crowd erupted in applause.
The young men clapping were indeed Vellante people.
Excitement shone on their faces, as this guy spoke the words they most wanted to say but were embarrassed to express.
Today’s Army is no longer the Legion that fought for the Vellante people’s fate back in the day, but a monster that drinks blood and devours flesh.
Maybe other Vellante people have different opinions.
But at least those standing here came because they’ve had enough of those lies.
"You’re right!"
"Damn the Southern Legion! Damn Teil!"
"These cannibals are the real traitors who betrayed the Vellante people!"
The Poluo people standing behind the isolation line were speechless for a moment.
It’s not that they were at a loss for words, just suddenly "disarmed", caught off guard by the unexpected change.
Gu Ning took a faint glance at the quelled protesters and once again turned to the increasingly loud applause from the streets, raising the megaphone and continued.
"Very well, and congratulations to you, you’ve truly joined our cause, sincerely wanting to end the Wasteland Era, and willing to devote your life to freeing suffering survivors... It is our honor to be able to help idealistic people like you."
"As for those who curse me, I won’t ask what you’re here for, but didn’t you read the Alliance’s constitution before coming here? Since you’re unwilling to follow our rules, then why come here? Why not go back to your Empire, or find a cooler place in the Wasteland to stay?"
"Is it because neither the Empire nor the Wasteland indulges you? Or because the River Valley people seem easy to talk to, the Jinchuan people appear gracious and gentle? We strive to find common ground while accepting your differences, but have you ever considered integrating with us for even a moment?"
"Our esteemed Manager has given you too many opportunities, if you think we’ve broken any law, you can sue that law-breaking bastard. If you think the problem lies with the law, bring your opinion to the representative conference. If you think it’s an issue with law enforcement, then go find the Guards Corps!"
"Yet you insist on using the most intense and most irritating means, demanding us to compromise our own principles for your feelings... Do you hate the Army, or hate yourself for not having the ability to be the Army?"
"Remember, I’m talking about those who curse me, who wish me dead, not targeting any normal Poluo person."
"The Alliance is for all survivors, not your wishing machine. Oh, I almost forgot to say, the second most hated people in my life are those queue-jumping rule-breakers!"
Applause and whistles echoed at the city hall entrance, even a few younger guards near the isolation line couldn’t resist clapping.
Protesters at the city hall entrance felt increasingly ashamed, ultimately glaring at Gu Ning and leaving one after another.
The old man carrying the Mammoth flag uttered a fierce remark as he passed by him.
"I hate you... My children and I will never cast our votes for you."
Gu Ning returned the megaphone to the mayor’s secretary, looking at him and said.
"Then leave it to the one you love most, I’m not One Silver Coin, I’m just myself, how could I please everyone."
He paused here, then smiled wickedly.
"But old man, I must remind you, if one day you meet someone who always pleases you, be careful with your wallet. Only a swindler can fulfill everyone’s needs, even if those needs are contradictory."
The old man didn’t wait for him to finish, realizing threats were futile, left in a huff.
Gu Ning smiled as he watched the last protester leave, his face regaining its courteous demeanor.
In fact, he had always been polite, even when the megaphone’s volume was slightly high.
Sitting in a distant sedan, Su Ka sighed, rubbing the identity card in his hand with his forefinger, finally stuffing it back into his pocket.
"Where did it go wrong."
He couldn’t quite grasp it, painfully resting his forehead against his clasped hands.
His presentiment grew stronger.
His kinsmen are winning a war.
Yet gradually losing another...
Elsewhere, a rumbling train passed through Mafu Town’s station platform, carrying countless hopeful passengers toward the boundless wasteland.
On the train, Chu Guang cast his gaze towards the distant rolling mountains.
That is Ten Peaks Mountain.
Where the Sticky Community Allied forces converge in Brocade River Province.
It marks the first cooperation between the Army, Academy, and enterprises in a century and a half, also the turning point in the war between Survivor Forces and Apocalypse Powers.
Chu Guang’s face bore a nostalgic smile.
"Ahead is Weifu City."