Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 116: Leader

Zhu Sheng gazed at the flooded square, remaining silent for a long time.

“Xia Liang, Ai Xiaoxiao… The Old Fourth, and your subordinates have performed quite well.” The old man diverted the topic. “Looking at this war, they are all your people, right? The Old Fourth, a non-governmental organization, has achieved such influence. I thought it was the work of the Tang family.”

“I intend to reconcile with the synthetic humans.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t let Zhu Sheng steer the conversation. “I hope you are prepared for that.”

“For the sake of Shu Jun? You should know the cost of reconciliation. Y City has just suffered a disaster, the city is destroyed, and people are in panic. In the coming years, the economic situation will only get worse. Reconciliation with the synthetics will inevitably require substantial compensation—manpower for their ongoing treatment, money and resources for their livelihood. Every aspect is difficult to handle.”

Yu Jin felt a surge of anger and was about to speak, but Zhu Sheng’s gaze pierced through him like a knife.

“That is the price humans should pay—is that what you’re saying? Let me tell you with certainty, the main force of the synthetics remains intact. Not to mention them taking advantage of the situation, even if they make reasonable demands, it is enough to cause famine, poverty, and years of suffering for the human side.”

Yu Jin was stunned. Having lived in the settlement for so long, he knew more than anyone the taste of poverty and chaos. Even though he stood on the side of the synthetics, his throat suddenly felt stuffed, rendering him unable to utter a word.

“We failed to control the player system, and that is indeed a cost. When it comes to morality and interests, if it were so easy to choose, Y City wouldn’t have ended up like this.” Zhu Sheng looked back at Zhu Yanchen. “Zhu Yanchen, have you truly thought this through?”

“If something is built on deceit and exploitation, there will inevitably be hidden dangers behind it.” Zhu Yanchen suddenly uttered a phrase that wasn’t quite colloquial, causing Zhu Sheng to be slightly startled.

“You never taught me these things while Big Brother was still alive. If I remember correctly, we rarely spoke.” Despite Zhu Sheng pressing him relentlessly, Zhu Yanchen didn’t show any signs of anger. He was terrifyingly calm. “This is the first thing you’ve taught me since I entered politics.”

“The suppression weapons can quickly disperse the Erosion Swamp. Judging from the current situation, the newly born Sigma doesn’t harbor much hostility towards humans and can also help us evacuate the erosion zones. With proper arrangements, we can quickly regain control of the city’s surrounding lands… After eliminating the erosion zone, most of the work can be handled by machinery. That is the first point.”

“Ai Xiaoxiao has achieved good results in erosion treatment. If Shu Jun, who possesses the ‘Suppression’ ability, is willing to continue cooperating, the cost of healing the synthetics won’t be too high. In a way, synthetics are severely eroded humans. The methods used to treat them can also be applied to treat the settlement residents. That is the second point.”

“Lastly, once the synthetics are rid of the erosion substance within their bodies, their anomalous abilities will also disappear. Even if their DNA has been modified, as long as they can successfully conceive offspring, merging with humans is only a matter of time. Temporary conflict cannot be avoided, but long-term risks will cease to exist.”

Yu Jin listened intently, feeling a sense of being deceived and dissatisfied. When he initially volunteered for the war, it was truly out of righteousness. Who would have thought that Marshal Zhu, as a leader, would have such calculated schemes.

‘Shu Jun couldn’t really be deceived. No wonder Zhu Yanchen wanted Hu Yan to take him away first,’ Yu Jin thought with a wooden expression.

At this moment, Zhu Yanchen had no time to pay attention to Yu Jin’s thoughts. He continued calmly, “Your judgment is correct. In the next few years, even a decade, life for humans will not be easy. But we must break before we can rebuild. We have the power and resources to start anew, and the road ahead is clear… Reconciliation is a more reasonable choice than a desperate attempt to find a temporary solution.”

“You’re quite clear-headed,” Zhu Sheng said indifferently, “but you missed a crucial point—Shu Jun is no longer a synthetic human, is he?”

Zhu Yanchen’s expression briefly faltered.

“Being able to resist monsters like Sigma and command the erosion substance, he appears more like an Erosion Swamp. Even if the synthetic humans lose their abilities, having such a monster standing against us, can humans truly develop peacefully? …After learning the truth, he can set aside his hatred and cooperate with you, showing no mercy toward Luo Duan. This kind of person understands priorities, can endure, and can be said to be the most dangerous opponent.”

With that, he stared intently at Zhu Yanchen. “As his collaborator, you should be more aware—”

“I will watch over him,” Zhu Yanchen said in a low voice. “The suppression weapons also work on him… I will watch over him and ensure that a new war will not break out.”

The old man raised his eyebrows slowly.

“I will continue to act as the new leader until the situation stabilizes.”

“You will step down one day.”

“I trust him.”

“Trust? As a leader, trust is the most—”

“I love him,” Zhu Yanchen interrupted Zhu Sheng.

Zhu Sheng’s expression momentarily froze. In those short seconds, he was no longer the intimidating old man but more like a bewildered father. His hand trembled slightly, almost dropping the cane he held. The guards inside the room had remained silent all along and couldn’t help but shudder at this moment.

“He is my lover, and we have been together for a long time. Shu Jun dares to fight against Sigma with all his might, not because of his profound power, but because he believes in me—believes that I won’t take advantage of the situation or betray his expectations.”

“You… him…”

“Father, you have chosen the path of purely calculating interests, while I want to add something else to the equation. Whether you think it is naive or foolish…”

Zhu Yanchen took a step forward, his expression turning colder.

“According to your rules, I have won. My approach is the most ‘correct’, nothing more.”

“Mm.”

Zhu Sheng remained stunned for a long time, and a profound smile gradually appeared on his face. “I see, I see… I understand your meaning. If I were to lead the three families and persist in not reconciling, you would never compromise, both publicly and privately.”

“Yes.”

Yu Jin finally understood. Ai Xiaoxiao’s research, the Old Fourth’s control over the settlement, the cooperation of the new Sigma, and Shu Jun’s goodwill… Without Zhu Yanchen, all these bargaining chips would disappear. For Y City, the future would only be a mutually destructive war.

And as excellent commanders, Zhu Yanchen and Xia Liang were bound not to participate in the war.

For someone else who only cared about seizing power, regardless of the life and death of the people, such a battle might still be possible.

But that person was Zhu Sheng.

“You’re still too young, my son.” Zhu Sheng chuckled and shook his head, his expression still complex. “After persuading me, you plan to… imprison me and give an account to the people and synthetic humans, right?”

Zhu Yanchen sighed softly.

“At this stage of the player system’s development, I am the person with the greatest responsibility who is still alive, and I am also the culprit behind this situation. This idea is reasonable. As the leader, I failed to control the system and didn’t discover Sigma’s existence in time; indeed, this was a dereliction of duty, but…”

“But?”

Zhu Sheng tightened his grip on the cane in his hand and turned his gaze towards the flooded square. He didn’t directly answer Zhu Yanchen’s question; instead, he waved his hand to the trusted aides and guards in the room. “All of you, leave.”

“Zhu Lao, this…”

“Leave.” Zhu Sheng tapped the floor with the tip of his cane. “That person from the settlement can stay.”

Yu Jin hesitated for a moment but remained in place, feeling at a loss.

“The hatred of synthetic humans is not so easily resolved.” In the spacious room, now with only three people, Zhu Sheng’s voice echoed. “Shu Jun’s people didn’t participate in this war, didn’t personally kill anyone to vent their anger, and Luo Duan’s destruction cannot appease their fury… With Shu Jun’s methods, he might be able to suppress it. But for ordinary people, that hatred is still too dangerous.”

Zhu Yanchen furrowed his brow slowly.

“Imprisoning the person with the greatest responsibility? Letting humans judge themselves? Do you really think they will accept such a thing from the bottom of their hearts? Since you’ve decided to watch over that monster Shu Jun, don’t put too much pressure on him. Choose the best path for humans and choose it beautifully.”

Zhu Sheng walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a pistol.

“The ringleader must pay the price in blood.” His tone remained calm. “If I die, the hatred of the synthetic humans will find another outlet, and the old folks of the three families will give up their illusions. With your abilities, reshuffling the power structure wouldn’t be difficult. Exchanging an old man’s life for this situation is quite a deal.”

However, just as Zhu Sheng pressed the gun against his temple, Zhu Yanchen took a step forward, approaching quickly.

“What’s the matter? Do you still have something to say?”

Zhu Yanchen placed his hand on the gun and slowly pried open Zhu Sheng’s fingers. He snatched the gun away and threw it aside.

Then Zhu Yanchen returned to his original position and drew his own sidearm.

“…You didn’t want your subordinates to see you commit suicide, so you sent them away, right?” Zhu Yanchen’s face remained expressionless.

He raised his arm, aiming the gun steadily at Zhu Sheng.

“Marshal Zhu, hold on! Hold on, hold on! That’s your own father!” Yu Jin became anxious. “What do you mean by this?”

Zhu Sheng remained silent, making no resistance, and even closed his eyes.

“I don’t hate you,” Zhu Yanchen suddenly said. “You were not a qualified father, nor could you become an excellent leader. Even so, you shouldn’t have chosen ‘suicide out of fear’ as your ending.”

The old man opened his eyes, his expression somewhat surprised.

“I respect your judgment. But even though I am young, I am not so young as to refuse to bear any consequences. I ignited this war, and I initiated the revolution. I haven’t become so fragile as to let you shoulder all the weight alone.”

Yu Jin slowly withdrew his hand from Zhu Yanchen’s arm, his eyes slightly reddened. Zhu Yanchen, pale as a statue, held his hand steady.

“With the people from the command center by your side, you should have heard about the source of the Erosion Swamp’s abilities.” Zhu Yanchen took a few deep breaths.  His voice and hand were equally steady, and his tone resembled casual conversation. “Do you know why Shu Jun possesses the ‘Suppression’ ability? I couldn’t sleep at the time, and he just wanted me to sleep better. He is that kind of person. I have never regretted falling in love with him, not even for a second… I’m doing well, father.”

The muscles on Zhu Sheng’s face twitched a few times, showing a rare expression of vulnerability, and a barely noticeable sense of relief appeared in his gaze. He gazed at Zhu Yanchen like that for a while, then closed his eyes again with an expression more relaxed than ever before.

“I will take care of this city. Please rest assured.”

“I will explain everything to Tang Lao.”

“…Goodnight.”

The sound of a gunshot echoed.

During the war, the media didn’t perish, and news spread faster than the wind.

On the day the chaos ended, Zhu Yanchen stormed into Zhu Sheng’s office in the command center and shot his own biological father, who insisted on implementing the player system and finding a substitute for him.

With the former leader dead, this new leader bypassed the handover procedure and took control of the United Government with an extremely firm stance. The three families condemned this crime that occurred in broad daylight, but without Zhu Sheng as the backbone, public sentiment descended into chaos, and the protests failed to gain momentum.

Zhu Yanchen and his subordinates had just saved the entire city, and the dissatisfaction of the people towards the three families was at its peak, making it easy to suppress public opinion. Less than three days after the war ended, Zhu Yanchen announced the post-war development policy.

“To prevent the tragedy from recurring and restore social order as soon as possible, the United Government will engage in negotiations with the synthetic humans.”

The people on the square had just been resettled. This war was nothing short of a natural disaster, and their gazes still held confusion.

“Regarding the beginning and end of this war, I will provide a public explanation in due course.”

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The author has something to say:

Synthetic humans cannot simply coexist peacefully with humans. This story cannot have a fairytale ending. The fact that there was no mutual destruction is the result of a compromise between Shu Jun and Marshal Zhu.

Some friends speculated whether they would retire… It’s true that they can’t retire. The mess on the human side is too big, and others can’t take over. And as the synopsis already mentioned, Marshal Zhu is the highest commander, so how can he retire? XD

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Kinky Thoughts:

It’s easy to hate Zhu Sheng, but in terms of the decisions he had to make, it’s not really black and white. He doesn’t have the almighty Shu Jun by his side. Without Shu Jun, I doubt Zhu Yanchen could make a lesser sacrificial decision. Besides, he wasn’t motivated by power but to maximize humanity’s survival (no matter what the sacrifice or cost is).

If they had made synthetic humans not resemble humans, I think the moral burden behind it would be significantly less. After all, these are considered weapons. But to give weapons sentience and feelings and emotions, well, that comes with a bunch of ethical issues.

In the end he offered himself as a scapegoat to take most of the blame and hate from both humans and synthetics which would allow Zhu Yanchen firmer control of the government, though Zhu Yanchen refused to let him shoulder it all, choosing to kill him himself rather than letting him commit suicide.

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