In the faraway Holy City …
An impromptu meeting was in progress.
Ma Dong, who had been promoted to the Chief Financial Officer of the Holy City as the Chairman of the Star Stone Company, many people from the Patriarch Society, and the leaders of the various large families in the Holy City gathered together.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the conference room was rather tense and tense.
The Holy City's finances had been very tight recently. The taxes from the Star Alliance had reached the limit that the Earth civilization could bear. They had been able to cope with the taxes in the past two years because of their long accumulation, but this year …
"It has only been three years since we joined the Star Alliance, but the Holy City's finances have reached the point where they cannot make ends meet!" Patriarch Cullen stared at Ma Dong. As a member of the Patriarch Society, one of the most powerful Sacred Teachers in the Holy City, and the patriarch of one of the most ancient families in the Holy City, Hebre Cullen had always been the leader of such meetings. At that moment, his expression was stern. "Joining the Star Alliance has not brought us leaps and bounds. On the contrary, the heavy taxes have caused us to be riddled with scars. Is this the result that everyone wants?"
"I suggest that we reduce all the Star Alliance welfare options that we can choose from, including the applications for immigrants every year, the distribution of citizenship, and so on. This is a relatively large burden for us! Most importantly, we will not gain anything from this! "
"This time, I second Cullen's suggestion. Most low-leveled civilizations need a relatively long buffer period to join the Star Alliance." The person who spoke was another highly respected Patriarch. He was known for his fairness in the Holy City, but even he seconded the suggestion. This represented the opinion of the majority. "The foundation of the Earth civilization is still too little. If we want to develop in the Star Alliance, we cannot become fat with just one bite. If we try all sorts of methods, we will only be dragged down by too many things in the end. We should focus our energy on the development of the Holy City and the Earth and use our resources in this area. For us, joining the Star Alliance will bring us more benefits. For now, we can only exchange some information and knowledge. If we make good use of this, I think that it is enough for the current Earth."
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
Voices of agreement filled the surroundings. Aunt Shea and Wang Zhanfeng furrowed their brows.
Only a portion of the Star Alliance's taxes were mandatory, but a considerable portion could be chosen by the various civilizations themselves. For example, maintaining the number of immigrants to the Land every year, maintaining the number of applications for citizenship, and so on. The price for these was rather high. After all, the Land was only so big, and all the civilizations in the Fifth Dimension wanted to go there. Did the Star Alliance really think that the 100 quotas that the Earth received every year were free? The Holy City's investment in this area was almost equivalent to the annual tax revenue of a level-4 civilization.
Back then, the Patriarch Society had gritted their teeth and insisted on spending this amount every year because they wanted to take a shortcut. They hoped that the training in the Land could help the Earth nurture some super experts. However, the results were obviously not good. Other than Wang Zhong, who had been given vague information some time ago, everyone else was either a slave or a laborer. It was difficult for them to even survive, let alone stand out. This was equivalent to paying a huge price for a meaningless investment. In addition, the burden on the Holy City was getting heavier by the day. Reducing this part of the expenditure had long been on the agenda, and there was a lot of support for it.
"I disagree." Ma Dong stood up. "If we do not enter the Land in the divine territory and only maintain our identity in the Star Alliance, it seems like we can reduce a large amount of expenditure, but in reality, we are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs! This will only delay our plan to integrate into the Star Alliance indefinitely. Furthermore, once we announce that we are giving up on the investment of immigrants, it is equivalent to cutting off the path of all previous immigrants! As Earthlings, they will immediately lose their legal identities in the divine territory and the Land. Are they going to die?! "
"Ma Dong, watch your words! Those who are going to the divine territory and the Land are the most outstanding talents among the Earthlings. Many of them are the juniors and children of everyone here. No one wishes for them to die! "a Patriarch berated." But are we going to drag the entire civilization down with us just because of this? Be decisive and make this decision. I believe that everyone here will feel much more uncomfortable than you, a fellow who is making a rocket! "
Ma Dong's own situation was rather controversial. More accurately speaking, his actions had always been the focus of debate, and there were probably many people who wanted to kill him.
"I don't mean that. As the current financial supervisor of the Holy City, I just want to say that we can still hold on, at least for a few more years." Ma Dong was no longer the little fatty from Tianjing who would drown his sorrows in alcohol. Faced with the difficulties and anger of many Sacred Teachers, he simply said calmly, "We should not change our established strategic guidelines because of a momentary difficulty. Furthermore, we cannot break the path of our brothers and sisters in the divine territory! I am willing to donate all the assets of the Kassadin Family … "
"Heh heh, donate?" Hebre Karon laughed coldly. "The Kassadin Family is very rich, but is it enough to pay the taxes of the Star Alliance for a year? Even if it is enough, what about the next year? What about the year after that? "
"Difficulties are only temporary. This is what our entire civilization is facing. If everyone here can also be generous …"
"Are you joking? You want everyone to pay the price of all their assets for a completely hopeless path to death? You are crazy, but you want everyone to be crazy with you! "
"Ma Dong, don't think too much!"
There was an uproar in the conference room. He wanted all the bosses to pay from their own pockets just to send their children to the divine territory to be enslaved and bullied by others?
"It is not a completely hopeless path! Has everyone forgotten about Wang Zhong? Half a year ago, he had already established himself in the Heavenly Treasures Street. We have to believe in him … "
"Ma Dong, are you joking?" There was a flash of light in Hebre Karon's eyes. It would have been fine if they had not mentioned Wang Zhong, but when Wang Zhong was mentioned, Hebre was simply filled with rage. "What do you mean by establishing himself in the Heavenly Treasures Street? Back then, when he sent a message, we almost believed him, but what happened in the end? He was just lucky to be under the command of a Void Core from the goblin race. Isn't he still destined to be enslaved? Do you really think that this is because of his abilities? "
The Holy City's control over the Star Alliance's intelligence was very weak. Other than occasionally understanding some situations through the Starship Company, it was very difficult to contact them even once in a year and a half. This could not be helped. After all, the Earth did not have the qualifications to establish a formal communication channel, nor did it have a transmission field that belonged to the Earth.
Everyone's understanding of Wang Zhong was only limited to when he had just established himself in the Heavenly Treasures Street. At that time, Wang Zhong had sent a message to the Patriarch Society. Furthermore, as Lao Wang did not want Earthlings to think that they could do whatever they wanted in the Heavenly Treasures Street, the message was very vague. Furthermore, some humans had the habit of being two-faced and liked to speculate on their own.
"Let me tell you what Wang Zhong's situation is!" He coldly said, "The genius of the Karon Family, Wales Karon, went to the Heavenly Treasures Street to seek shelter from Wang Zhong because he listened to his boastful rumors. Guess what happened in the end? Just because of a small matter, he was handed over to the Machinery race and sent to the Heavenly River Sandpit to do manual labor! "
There was an uproar all around.
"I don't believe it." Wang Zhanfeng finally spoke. His voice was unusually cold, and unlike Ma Dong, who could only argue for what was right, a powerful Sacred Teacher aura filled the air. Hebre wanted to lead the Patriarch Society to reform, and he had no objections. The current financial problem was indeed a hurdle that the Holy City could not overcome. However, Wang Zhanfeng understood his adopted son rather well when he said this about Wang Zhong. Sacrificing his own clansmen to please others? He would not believe it even if he was beaten to death. "Hebre, show me the evidence. You can't speak carelessly here!"
"That's right. Hebre, you can't speak carelessly. Can you contact the Heavenly Treasures Street? Where did you obtain this information? Furthermore, why didn't you mention it before? "
"There's no need to doubt it. I heard this from the Bower Planet when I traded with them not long ago. If you need it, I can provide a recording from that time." Hebre Karon coldly said, "Back then, I did not publicize this matter for the sake of the overall situation. It's not that the children of the Karon Family are unwilling to make sacrifices for their race, but since we are talking about this today and it involves the future of the race, I have no choice but to mention it!"
"I think that Wang Zhong's message back then was completely fabricated. What can he do in the Heavenly Treasures Street? He just wanted to trick many of his people into going there and make use of them! Heh heh, he did not protect his own people. Instead, he used his own people to fulfill his own reputation and used the life and death of his own people to curry favor with other civilizations as a stepping stone for him to climb higher. You actually dare to ask us to believe such a person? Why should we believe him? Today, he dared to sacrifice one of his own people to curry favor with other races. In the future, he will dare to harm his entire race for his own sake! "
"Is there really such a thing?"
"Hebre is not a person who speaks carelessly."
"How could Wang Zhong dare to do this?!"
"If that's the case, I suggest that we immediately stop all help for the immigrants in the divine territory and immediately stop all efforts in terms of immigration!"
The conference room was instantly in an uproar. Wang Zhanfeng and Shirley's expressions were very ugly. They did not believe that Wang Zhong would do such a thing, but since Hebre spoke with certainty, it was probably true. Perhaps there were some hidden secrets, but at least on the surface, the truth could not be hidden. Recently, there were many objections to stopping the immigration plan. Only the two of them and Ma Dong persisted. Initially, there was still a considerable number of people in the Patriarch Society who remained neutral. But now, looking at the furious crowd in the conference room, it would be difficult for the three of them to control the overall situation no matter how much they tried to stop it.
Just as everyone was excited, there was an urgent knock on the door outside the conference room.
The bosses who were wantonly expressing their opinions furrowed their eyebrows. Who dared to knock on the door of the conference room at this time?
Everyone fell silent. The door was pushed open, and an ordinary messenger from the Patriarch Society ran in. There was a look of disbelief and pleasant surprise on his face. He had completely forgotten that he did not have the qualifications to interrupt the meeting of the many bosses present.
Just as Hebre was about to berate him, he heard the messenger hurriedly say, "Sirs, the Star Alliance has a new order! The Earth civilization has been promoted by half a level and will enjoy the treatment of a quasi-level-5 civilization! The tax rate will be reduced by 10% every year. The information authority will be upgraded to quasi-level-5, and the transaction authority will be upgraded to quasi-level-5. The 100 immigration expenses will all be waived! "
The originally noisy conference room instantly fell silent.
Civilization upgrade? The tax rate would be reduced, the information authority and transaction authority would be upgraded, and the immigration expenses would all be waived?!
What, what was going on?
Everyone was dumbfounded. Everyone had been arguing about the immigration expenses, but now, everything had been waived. What was the point of arguing about it?
If a level-4 civilization wanted to have the authority to migrate 100 people every year, they would have to pay a high fee. Meanwhile, level-5 civilizations could enjoy this benefit for free. Of course, if they wanted to send 200 or 300 people every year, they would have to pay an additional fee for the excess.
As for the increase in information and transaction authority, this was what the Earth civilization urgently needed! What was the purpose of joining the Star Alliance? Wasn't it to enjoy the public information authority of level-4 civilizations and the fair transaction authority with other civilizations? The Earthlings could directly learn most of the technology from level-4 civilizations, as well as some simple cultivation techniques that were publicly available. This had allowed the Earthlings' technology and cultivation to rapidly improve in a short three years. Now, level-5 authority would be directly released. There would be more advanced technology and more cultivation methods. This simply meant that the entire civilization would immediately leap forward!
Furthermore, the reduction of the tax rate, especially the increase in transaction authority, would allow the Earth to have more initiative and say when trading with other civilizations. The speed at which they earned resources would be a hundred or even a thousand times faster than it was now! The current financial problems would be solved in an instant!
However, had the Star Alliance suddenly gone crazy? Had they upgraded the Earth's civilization level for no reason? The Patriarch Society had not even applied for this! Furthermore, why? With the Earth civilization's current position at the bottom in the Star Alliance, upgrading their civilization level was something that they did not even dare to dream about!
If they did not know that the messenger did not dare to lie, no one would believe such absurd words.
Everyone was dumbfounded as they looked at the messenger and could not say anything. They then heard him continue to say, "The appointment was directly issued from the Heavenly Gates! It's Wang Zhong. Lord Dhomiguer from the Mizobudapi World said that it was Wang Zhong. A genius has appeared among the humans and has obtained the approval of the superintendent of the Heavenly Shell race. We have hope! "
Wang Zhong? Heavenly Gates? Superintendent?!
No matter how blocked the information from the Earth civilization was, at least everyone knew about sensitive terms like the Heavenly Gates, the Heavenly Shell race, and the superintendent.
After a short few seconds of silence, gasps could be heard in the conference room. These bigwigs, who usually did not panic even if the sky collapsed, lost their composure. Ma Dong fiercely clenched his fists, but a cold smile appeared on his face.
Everyone here is clear that there is only one choice in front of us. Either we succeed or we perish. At this time, there are still people who will hold us back. Lord Hebre, let's return to the question just now. How did that piece of trash from your family almost destroy the reputation of the Earthlings that Wang Zhong and the others had built up with great difficulty …? "Ma Dong fiercely clenched his fists, but there was a cold smile on his face.
Was logic really important?
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
