Chapter 17: Rule by Doing Nothing
The "new era" is like a weight pressing on everyone's heart.
Director Liu took a deep breath. These words had taken up too much of his energy. He held on tight and looked at everyone expectantly, but no one dared to speak. Everyone looked at Mayor Zhao who was sitting in the main seat, considering his attitude.
Director Liu's words are comparable to the Industrial Revolution, the Cambrian period, and even the Big Bang.
Seeing that no one said anything, Director Liu emphasized again:
"Hey directors, we've all worked our way up through thick and thin. Do you understand the timeliness?"
"City Mayor!!"
"The emergence of the Daoxian Sutra represents danger, but also opportunity."
"Ordinary people who possess power are very likely to develop evil intentions, ranging from fighting at the very least to robbery and murder at the worst. The opportunity lies with us. If we can seize this power beforehand and use it for our own benefit, we can better manage Shangcheng, the north, and the entire Xia Kingdom... This may be the most important turning point in the tumbling wheel of history."
"If we don't seize this opportunity when we go to the city, will there be another chance in the future?"
What economy, people's livelihood, market... can compare with evolution?
Everyone fell into deep thought for a moment.
Zhang Huaiyi looked at the scene on the screen and saw the protagonist breathing, and his heart was shocked like waves.
The truth is far different from what Zhang Huaiyi imagined. It is neither religion nor ghost rumors, but the real... cultivation of immortality.
Can humans actually cultivate immortality?
Zhang Huaiyi's first thought about this was timidity and suspicion.
There is no free lunch in the world and there is no such thing as a free lunch. These two sentences are engraved in the hearts of the people of Xia.
But on second thought, Zhang Huaiyi has seen too many people who are afraid to take a falling pie or eat a free lunch .
This is such an attractive thing, the opportunity to cultivate immortality is right in front of you, really... should I back down because of my cowardice?
Zhang Huaiyi's thoughts were in a mess. He wanted to think carefully, but he didn't have the time.
"Director Liu, what you said was very interesting, but you also concealed a lot."
This time, it was Director Chen, who had argued with Zhang Huaiyi in the elevator, who asked:
"Could it be that this set of training has no side effects at all?"
"Of course."
Director Liu said calmly, but his face was full of righteousness:
"That is because cultivation is extremely difficult. Not everyone can endure it. This also represents the principle of natural selection and survival of the fittest."
"Just because it's difficult or painful, should we not try? These are just processes. As long as the result is right, we should persevere!"
Every word Director Liu said was so insightful that Zhang Huaiyi couldn't find any fault with it. If it was just about pain, it really wasn't a particularly big price to pay.
Zhang Huaiyi spoke up. Although he was the youngest in the room, he showed no signs of stage fright:
"Director Liu, how do you know... this path ultimately leads to evolution? What if it leads to the abyss, to death? No one knows whether this set of skills is a trap or an opportunity."
Zhang Huaiyi said so, but he was still not very confident about this so-called "immortal method".
" Hahaha , what Secretary Zhang said is indeed right."
Director Liu laughed heartily, then looked at everyone with a confident look.
"Of course, I'm not asking everyone to give it a try. We just need some people to try it and see where this path leads. Isn't that enough?"
"We have to take this step. Everything we do carries risks. Are we going to remain complacent and end up like the Xia Party, relying on their past successes and only making meaningless changes?!"
"City Chief Zhao, there's no point in talking any more. Please tell me what you think!"
Zhang Huaiyi had a lot to say but his words were blocked. Director Liu was even more shrewd and knew how to pass the blame to the city chief. However, Zhang Huaiyi, who raised this issue, seemed to be unambitious and complacent.
The meeting room was tense, but everyone knew that the final say still lay in the hands of Mayor Zhao.
Mayor Zhao crossed his hands in front of his chest, rocked his chair back and forth, and closed his eyes slightly. The deep breaths he took from time to time reflected the amount of thought he was putting in. Zhang Huaiyi rubbed his palms and felt a little nervous.
After a long while, Mayor Zhao finally spoke.
"I see."
Mayor Zhao opened his eyes. When he spoke about business, there was no trace of a smile on his face. Instead, he looked serious and intimidated.
"Everyone has a point. Cultivation... this is bound to be a groundbreaking event. As far as I know, no city has reported this issue yet."
"Even if we're not number one, we're one of the first cities to come into contact with Daoxian. Perhaps this is also a kind of destiny."
Hearing this, Zhang Huaiyi sighed, crossed his hands, and rubbed his index fingers together, while the mayor continued speaking.
"As Director Liu said, people are now all exposed to cultivation practices. If we blindly suppress them, it will only plunge society into instability and make it even harder to control. And if our people don't practice, it will also be difficult to control those who secretly practice. This is a real problem."
“If we blindly promote it, we might make the mistake of taking too big a step. If we make a mistake, it will be a gamble on everyone’s lives.”
"Then we might as well just... continue as we are now."
"We are neither suppressing nor stopping them. In line with the changing times, we can also allow some internal personnel to undergo training on a voluntary basis."
Is it ruling by doing nothing?
"Our city is known for its openness and leadership."
"We are taking risks and taking the first step for the people!"
"The mayor is righteous!"
Everyone agreed, and although Zhang Huaiyi sighed in his heart, he still expressed his agreement.
Although these words neither support nor oppose, the subconscious meaning of the words is still support for participating in cultivation.
To be honest, Zhang Huaiyi could not find any reason to refute. Shangcheng was a city famous for its advancedness and openness. It welcomed the outside world every day. Today there were Taoist immortals, tomorrow there were Buddhist immortals, and the day after tomorrow there were Christian immortals. All of these were possible. If everything was banned, it would not be Shangcheng anymore.
At this point, don't make such an inconsiderate rebuttal.
"Since the mayor has asked everyone to make their own choices, I respect everyone's opinions."
Director Liu immediately took over and said:
"I have already made a copy of the Daoxian Sutra and am distributing it to everyone now. If you want to practice, please study it carefully. If not, then we can go our separate ways."
A scripture with a blue cover was called into Zhang Huaiyi's hand. Zhang Huaiyi smiled slightly and put the scripture in his pocket.
"Thank you very much, Director Liu."
"You're welcome, Huaiyi."
Director Liu glanced at Zhang Huaiyi suddenly, then quickly turned his gaze away.
Zhang Huaiyi was stunned and looked at Director Liu's back, feeling a little strange.
There is also a creepy sense of oppression.
may be……
It’s the effect of cultivation.
