Under One Person, Engage in Black Technology

Chapter 174 Thoughts
Speaking of those temporary workers, the way they presented themselves would probably seem strange to most ordinary people...

To elaborate further, while none of them could be called ugly, they all possessed an extraordinary air about them. Coupled with their countless complaints over the past few days, their menacing aura was palpable, making it clear at a glance that they were not to be trifled with.

Let alone Village Chief Ma, even ordinary villagers with a bit of "eyesight" could tell that this group of "temporary workers" dressed like tourists were definitely not friendly.

Village Chief Ma Xianhong isn't exactly known for his meekness; if he only cared about himself and his group of talented individuals...

If Zhang Chulan dared to threaten him like this without any rhyme or reason, he would probably just pick up the 'bead' from the [Black Armor] and put it on his person, ready to start a fight.

But now...

This village is his career, embodying the dreams of "education for all" and "seizing opportunities for life".

Whether you call it a paradise or a utopia, he really didn't want the village he had painstakingly built to suffer any avoidable damage, nor did he want the villagers to be frightened.

Compared to his solitary view of "everyone for me," Village Chief Ma is more like an old hen with reservations when facing an eagle.

It's no wonder that in cultivation stories and myths, those who want to become immortals must cast off the shackles of the mortal world and cultivate an iron heart.

If everyone were like Lao Ma, finding so many 'weaknesses' to exploit, how could they possibly live a carefree life?

Weaknesses have existed since ancient times, and have always been this way. If you have too many or too heavy concerns, you will be very passive when others act unscrupulously.

A month ago, when Wang was being treated unfairly, he was utterly helpless. Now, Ma Xianhong is showing similar signs, but...

That's not quite right, or rather, not quite accurate.

At least, if a real fight breaks out, Lao Ma still has his top talents as his 'trump card' to contend with the 'temporary workers' on the other side.

With ample resources, one's mind naturally remains calm and composed. Having something to rely on, the old horse naturally exudes confidence and composure.

Therefore, when faced with Zhang Chulan's suggestion to "have a talk," Ma Xianhong naturally chose to "give it a try" with a lukewarm expression.

He still didn't want to suffer a 'lose-lose' situation.

my country's rural areas have a long-standing, simple yet interesting tradition: gossip and idle news spread incredibly fast.

The news of the "all-knowing" people entering the village, though it initially happened not far from the village entrance, spread throughout the entire village in less than ten minutes.

The village elders, uncles, aunts, and other villagers all seemed to be the most knowledgeable people, explaining the 'truth' to the other bewildered villagers.

But the 'truth' is shrouded in mystery. Even Lao Ma and Zhang Chulan couldn't figure it out, so how could the elderly folks possibly know? They can only talk nonsense and make things up on the spot.

Ultimately, after several rounds of ideological evolution, an extremely absurd answer emerged—these "all-knowing" individuals were all foreign spies.

Seeing that the rumors in the village were getting more and more outrageous, even involving "enemy agents", the guys from Na Du Tong were taken aback at first, and quickly reined in their arrogance, explaining their identity as "tourists" to the onlookers.

This was a last resort; they could see that some villagers were about to call the police, and that was unacceptable.
The company's actions this time were dishonorable. If it were dozens of kilometers away, and the town's police station had been called over, they probably would have let the villagers have their way with them and arrested these troublemakers who had come from afar.
At that very moment, an invisible drone flew from the east end of the village back to the west end and silently disappeared into the air.

The one who could control such a drone and make it disappear into thin air was naturally Liu Ke—a "junior cadre" whose identity was registered under the name of "Where Can You Go?", but who had been "recuperating" in Biyou Village for quite some time.

In the temporary house arranged by Lao Ma, Liu Ke first used some Qi to project some items, and then lay down on the big bed.

It has to be said that compared to camping tents, air mattresses, and sleeping bags, beds are much more comfortable. He only slightly changed his position before sinking into them and relaxing.

"Did you arrive this quickly? Did you march at breakneck speed?"

After glancing at the image that [Black Wall] had tidied up, Liu Ke couldn't help but sigh, scratched his head, and then asked a question.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Yushan's reply echoed in his mind: "The location of the operation was originally in Liupanshui, how long could it take to get here? It's only a two or three-hour journey."

What she said made sense, and Liu Ke could only raise an eyebrow helplessly and reply, "Yes, that's true, it should be..."

"Hey, I should have expected this a long time ago. How could the company forget about Chen Duo? After all, she can be considered a 'traitor,' which is a perfect excuse."

After saying that, he shook his head expressionlessly, as if he were one of those "office workers who, on a weekday in Beijing, take a bus for more than two hours to reach a subway station on the outskirts, and are then squeezed onto the subway by the crowd," with a face full of helplessness and dissatisfaction.

After a moment of awkwardness, Liu Ke frowned again and asked Gao Yushan, "By the way, I wanted to ask something else..."

"Is that really what the company said? I can understand Chen Duo's principles of action, but to label Biyou Village as a cult? Just like that... to destroy and dismantle it directly?"

"I know that Na Du Tong will eventually clash with Bi You Village, but isn't this a bit too blunt and one-size-fits-all approach?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yushan on the other end of the line only gave a few dry laughs before saying, "Anyway... that's the order my dad received. If you think that order is a bit excessive..."

"Actually, this is Na Du Tong's consistent style, and it's not targeting Biyou Village."

"Didn't you go to Wujiagou back then? Although it was Quanxing who manipulated it, wasn't the reason for the crackdown just because they maliciously spread martial arts techniques?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ke couldn't help but retort, saying, "Regarding the incident at Wujiagou... putting aside the fact that Quanxing used a diversionary tactic, the main reason the company arrested them was because they had become involved with Shen Chong's Qi Loan, right?"

"No matter how advanced their cultivation becomes, in the end they exist only to add to Shen Chong's 'gains,' so what's the difference between them and livestock?"

At this point, Gao Yushan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "What you're saying seems to make sense..."

"However, this time it is indeed too special. Biyou Village is not following the path of opening up avenues and teaching disciples, but is directly 'producing' superhumans in batches. Perhaps this is what angered the board of directors?"

"The population red line, the company recognizes that anyway. Although this village isn't currently operating its furnaces day and night to create superhumans, they certainly have the capability."

After saying that, Gao Yushan paused again, her tone somewhat reproachful, and said, "Speaking of which, don't you have a black wall? Why do you need to ask me what orders the company gives? Why don't you just check the internal telecommunications transmission system?"

After being told this, Liu Ke could only laugh awkwardly a few times and then fall silent.

He pondered, pursing his lips. Feeling a bit thirsty, he unconsciously tore off a small piece of skin, rolled it around his tongue, and put it in his mouth.

After a while, he spat the piece of skin on the ground and said, "I don't know how you are, but... it's been quite a while since I developed those extraordinary 'hacker' skills."

"In short, in this era, for those who don't deliberately take 'physical' precautions, information is something I can take at will." Hearing his words, Gao Yushan hummed in agreement, preparing to be an excellent 'listener'. She didn't ask Liu Ke where this 'ability' came from, because she knew he had something to say.

Liu Ke paused for a moment and said, "This ability is indeed powerful, even excessive."

"But I don't really like using it."

"Because, even earlier, I learned a truth: 'The more you know, the more you suffer.'"

"People are actually quite presentable when they're dressed, but once they're undressed, who doesn't have some 'gloomy' thoughts and desires to vent?"

"You're the same, aren't you? To those of us with such abilities, it's as if everyone is 'naked' in front of us."

"Indeed, some innocent hearts can be seen and bring 'positive energy' because of this. But... more often than not, 'I am surrounded by darkness!'"

At this point, Liu Ke chuckled awkwardly twice, then said, "Like now, even though I know the company has made this decision, but..."

"If I were to look it up myself again, I would still subconsciously resist, resist the urge to [find out] it."

“Procrastination, ostrich mentality, or even 'avoiding seeking medical help' are all acceptable, it’s like…”

"If you're unsure, you can relax for a little longer."

Hearing his words, Gao Yushan was silent for a while before saying, "Actually, for you now, everything in the world of supernatural beings isn't such a big deal."

"Chairman Zhao, he has a high level of 'conscience,' at least that's what he says. If you disagree with the company's approach, then just talk to him directly."

But before she could finish speaking, Liu Ke interrupted her, saying, "Yes, you're right. It's a bit annoying, but it's not a big deal."

"only……"

"'Just say the word,' 'Just give me a call'... Uh, to be honest, this kind of solution is quite annoying to me, and I don't want to choose this method to solve things."

“I’m not like Xu Sanduo, whose hometown was wiped out by Gao Cheng and Yuan Lang. I’m not at the point where I have to make a phone call for help over something like this.”

"The method I want to use to resolve the incident, although it makes things a bit more complicated for me, is comfortable to use."

Liu Ke's words were cryptic and contained a lame joke, leaving Gao Yushan somewhat confused. So she simply asked, "Then what exactly do you want?"

Liu Ke raised an eyebrow and said directly, "It's nothing, just do it your way, let's start by doing things officially."

"Regarding Chen Duo's matter, I really can't say who is right and who is wrong. Let Lao Ma and the company discuss it. At worst, the two sides can just fight it out. That's the rule of the game."

"If the company wins, we'll take Chen Duo back for questioning; if Lao Ma wins, we'll keep Chen Duo in the village."

"But what if it's something else?"

------

"【Divine Strategist】Ma Benzai? My grandfather's sworn brother? Your...great-grandfather?"

With Zhang Chulan's question, the conversation between the 'company' representative and the village chief of Biyou Village began.

The two chatted idly, first establishing a connection with the Thirty-Six Thieves and claiming kinship, with 'True Man of the Jade Lotus' declaring himself Old Ma's god-uncle.

Thanks to Zhang Chulan's glib tongue, the two exchanged more than ten pleasantries back and forth. Regardless of whether they were sincere or not, their relationship eventually grew closer.

But no matter how many kind words you say, the true colors will eventually be revealed.

"Tell me, your purpose for entering the village."

Upon hearing Old Ma's question, Zhang Chulan didn't mince words and said directly, "It's simple, Chen Duo! As long as you don't interfere, we'll take her away ourselves!"

Old Ma, who believed in "education for all," was not about to compromise upon hearing the "predictable" purpose. He simply asked in return, "Zhang Chulan, would you abandon your companions?"

Zhang Chulan replied, "She killed someone from the company."

This formulaic response naturally drew a cold laugh from Ma Xianhong, who replied, "He broke the law, didn't he? Call the police! Let the law punish him, and let everyone understand the cause and effect of the matter."

It's really hard to say what will happen with Chen Duo.

You're saying she killed someone? Yes, she did.

But her daily task is to kill. As a "blank slate" "tool", you can't blame all the karma on her "weapon", can you? Even if she turns against the "sword-wielder" and the "sword-wielding ghost".

On the contrary, the company, unable to control Chen Duo, turned her into a dagger to cut through thorns and brambles, and even thought of ending her life at any time—when she lost control.

In summary, wouldn't you say the company was right? Absolutely right! They truly considered the big picture, made the best use of their talent, and put 'Chen Duo' on the right track.

However, while the company may be "right," it is unethical. To put it more bluntly, the company is inhumane, and its actions violate public order and good morals.

If Chen Duo's case were truly brought up and exposed online, even without the intervention of Western "white left" trolls, ordinary people in China would find it unbearable.

After all, even AIDS patients can live openly and honestly on this planet. Chen Duo's lethality and infectivity are probably not as great as that of an AIDS patient who has been promiscuous.

As Ma Xianhong, seemingly embracing the truth, stood on the side of 'reason' like Changshu Arno's senior brother 'Maiko,' continuously spewing verbal attacks, Zhang Chulan naturally had nothing to say.

But he won't be persuaded.

After all, even if Ma Xianhong is right, a 'good person', or a 'saint'.

As long as he doesn't compromise, we must defeat him; that's the purpose of the company sending them here.

(End of this chapter)