Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 131 The Trolley Problem
Max got up early, put on his thick trainee police uniform, hurriedly said goodbye to his mother Jenna who was also about to go out, and hurried to his new workplace - the Pioneer Territory Police Department.

In the spacious conference room on the first floor of the building, many trainee police officers who had arrived earlier than him were already sitting at the long conference table on standby. Max looked around and sat down in the empty seat next to Yurio with ease.

The first batch of trainee police officers recruited by the National Police Department consisted of about fifty people, half of whom were retired soldiers with disabilities due to injuries, and a few were unlucky people like him who were born with congenital deformities or became disabled due to accidents.

However, they all had one thing in common: they were all refugees from the northern wilderness of humble origins, and none of them were civilians who had fled from the southern countries.

All of Mr. Asdalen's previous promises were fulfilled. Under the personal supervision of Lord Harvey, all the disabled people underwent incredible limb reconstruction surgery. Except for a small number of severely disabled people who still needed a period of recuperation, the others adapted to the new metal limbs in a short period of time and quickly returned to their apprenticeship positions.

Therefore, the overall image of this police force looks quite intimidating. Most of them are equipped with thick metal arms that look terrifyingly powerful, or mechanical prosthetic legs with smooth lines and strong appearance.

Max also noticed that a former veteran had even had his blind eye modified and was fitted with a crystal eyeball that emitted a dangerous crimson light like Mr. Asdalen's.

It is said that his new artificial eye has special effects. Even in the dark night, he can see normally as in the daytime, and his vision is far beyond that of ordinary people.

This made Max, who had already adapted to the powerful functions of the mechanical legs, extremely envious, and he wished he could also be equipped with a pair of the same night vision eyes.

After a while, Mr. Asdalen walked into the conference room carrying a thick stack of paper documents, and everyone who was originally talking in low voices immediately fell silent.

Yurio immediately stood up, took the information from him, and quickly distributed it to everyone.

Today is their theoretical assessment day for work, which is also an important reference indicator for determining whether they can continue to work in the police department after completing the first phase of training.

Max, who had studied in literacy night school for nearly a year, naturally had no worries about not being able to understand the test paper. However, after getting this thin piece of paper, he was dumbfounded like most people.

He could understand every word and sentence above, but when they were put together to form the test questions, he just froze there with his pen in hand - what kind of weird questions were these?

For example, [You are a patrol soldier and encounter a gangster holding ten civilians hostage in a house. He threatens you to hand over his enemy and then kill him right in front of him. If he doesn't, he will set the house on fire, killing them along with them.] It's known that the gangster's enemy isn't the real criminal, but rather a personal grudge. Should you kill the enemy and save the ten civilians, or refuse the gangster's request and watch the innocent people perish in the flames? What would your choice be? Please briefly explain your reasons.]

This problem was simply confusing. Both sides were innocent civilians of the territory, and no one should sacrifice their precious life for the crazy behavior of a gangster. Although considering the difference in the number of people, killing one person in exchange for the lives of ten people might be the most appropriate choice, he always felt that if he really encountered such a situation, he probably would not be able to do it.

Is choosing to let an innocent person die in place of others the only correct answer?

The questions on the entire test paper were all similar multiple-choice questions. Max's hand holding the pen was trembling slightly, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead. Was this really not done on purpose to make things difficult for them?
He stole a glance over his shoulder at Yurio, who was also answering questions while sitting next to him. He was the future Chief Superintendent of the National Police Department, chosen by Lord Harvey. He would take over the reins of the department from Mr. Asdalen. He wanted to see how this former military officer would handle these challenges. But just as he turned around, he saw Yurio looking back at him, his gaze filled with confusion and a plea for help...

……

The training ground for trainee police officers is located in a small fenced-off playground behind the police station. After completing the difficult theoretical assessment in the morning, most of them looked a little depressed and gathered together listlessly, waiting for the outdoor training after lunch.

Yurio blew the whistle to assemble the team, and everyone gathered their spirits and completed the formation. Asdalen, standing nearby, finally spoke: "After this morning's assessment, those of you who barely met the requirements will become official reserve police officers from today on."

Max then discovered that out of the original team of nearly forty trainees, only less than twenty-five were left. Most of them were veterans who had undergone limb reconstructive surgery. Only he and another young man were civilians of ordinary backgrounds.

It seems that the outrageous exam this morning was not just a joke for them, it would really eliminate some people.

"For the next two weeks, you will all live in the officers' quarters behind the police headquarters and receive specialized training. Just like the theoretical assessment, those who pass will be retained, while those who fail will be eliminated. Your temporary captain, Yurio, and I will personally oversee this special training. Do you understand?"

Yurio then stood up, spoke briefly, and then began to arrange dormitory allocation for everyone.

Max took off his dark grey uniform that he hadn't worn for a week and put on a brand new one of the same style that had just been issued to him. He immediately felt a lot warmer all over.

The style is exactly the same, but the new one is made of thick leather with a cotton lining inside. It has the warmth and wear resistance of leather without losing the softness of cotton. This uniform alone would probably be worth half a month's internship salary for Max if it were sold in a convenience store.

He also keenly discovered an interesting phenomenon: the uniforms of soldiers and officers in the army are dark black, the uniforms of officials in the city hall are dark blue, and the uniforms in the police department become dark gray. Although the styles and shapes of the three are basically similar, the colors are consciously distinguished.

Max naturally liked the police uniform he was wearing more. Although the color was not as eye-catching as the others, the shoulders, collar and cuffs were embroidered with silver silk striped lace, which looked very eye-catching and fit him very well. He looked very energetic when wearing it, and he couldn't help but hold his chest higher when walking.

"Yes, this improved police uniform looks more suitable for you." Asdalen looked at everyone who had finished their dormitory assignments and uniform changes and smiled with satisfaction. "There will be no additional training sessions today. After dinner in the cafeteria, you can move around a bit freely, but you must gather for roll call before lights out."

"Tomorrow, your next phase of training will officially begin. I hope you are all ready to face the challenge..."

(End of this chapter)