EDEH Chapter 74.2

Huo Yanji seemed completely unconcerned, saying coldly: “Let them vote. It won’t affect the final result.”

 

Zhang Min seemed to want to say something else, but ultimately followed orders: “Yes.”

 

After hanging up, Huo Yanji stood up, opened the window and looked outside. Below was a sea of people, with noisy voices rising.

 

The entire city was paying attention to this matter. Although the main city’s monthly casualties usually exceeded seven thousand, these people were victims of “Dawn No. 2.”

 

Didn’t Huo Yanji say he opposed the Dawn Plan? Then he should show his attitude.

 

Huo Yanji couldn’t hear the voices below clearly, but Sang Jue could occasionally catch one or two loud, harsh remarks.

 

“Why do ordinary people mostly smell bad, but military officers have some fragrance, at least they don’t stink.”

 

Huo Yanji gazed out the window: “Unlike the political districts and councils, even an ordinary second lieutenant in the military has earned their rank through countless life-and-death trials, fighting with blades and blood. Their spirit of sacrifice has been carved into their bones, without any water content, so it’s naturally difficult for bad people to appear.”

 

Sang Jue said: “Then everyone should become soldiers.”

 

Huo Yanji turned to look at him, seeming thoughtful.

 

In the past, to ensure the quantity of ‘seeds’ of pure human genes, the Supreme Council prohibited the military from recruiting ordinary people. Ordinary people who wanted to join the military had to become supervisors first.

 

“Beep beep—”

 

Huo Yanji answered without even looking, saying: “Found it?”

 

The caller was Saiya, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time. He said: “Found it. According to what you said, the rifts that were explored and equipped with elevators a hundred years ago are only numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 11, and 12. I circled the central areas of these rifts, eliminated qualifying blocks one by one, and finally found city ruins hidden in a forest.”

 

Since Saiya’s return, Huo Yanji had already begun tracking the missing people.

 

Since they were ‘sacrifices’ to be sent to various rifts, for convenience, they would definitely be placed at a base that was close to all rifts but not too far away.

 

Given the rebels’ cautious nature, they definitely wouldn’t place them in their own camp. Seven thousand-plus people wasn’t a small number, so small places wouldn’t work. Moreover, the council needed rebels to help inject chips into these people before starting, so the base was most likely in a city ruin that could meet surgical conditions.

 

Most importantly, since surgery was required, the council would need to export large quantities of chips and medical resources. Even if they weren’t sent directly to the base, they would be handed over to rebels somewhere.

 

Huo Yanji had never given up guarding against the council, so he had people both inside and outside the underground city. By investigating where each medical resource team sent out from the underground city in recent months had gone, it wouldn’t be too difficult to find, just requiring a lot of time and effort.

 

But the lockdown period had bought considerable time.

 

Huo Yanji said: “Hold position for now, wait for support.”

 

Saiya said: “Yes.”

 

Sang Jue was somewhat puzzled: “Why don’t you announce the news that the missing people have been found?”

 

Huo Yanji looked at the chaotic city: “Because I need them to briefly focus their attention on me.”

 

…

 

For two consecutive days, Huo Yanji made no statement and didn’t even show his face. The cursing in the city grew worse, and more and more people came to vote in the square.

 

The voting tool was an old machine, usually used to gather public opinion when major decisions arose. They were located throughout the city – residents just had to swipe their cards to express their opinions.

 

On the morning of the third day, Huo Yanji finally prepared to leave the office.

 

He put on his gloves, and before leaving, pinched the base of Sang Jue’s tail. The little evil dragon immediately jumped sensitively into his arms, buried his head, and complained muffledly: “You can’t keep pinching me, it’ll break.”

 

Huo Yanji curved his lips: “But you don’t resist.”

 

“…” Hmph, Sang Jue retracted his tail for the first time.

 

These past few days, more unpleasant words had appeared in the city. Sang Jue thought Huo Yanji would be sad, so he had been completely compliant, letting him play with anything, anywhere.

 

He was about to be played to pieces.

 

Huo Yanji put Sang Jue down and glanced at the time: “I’m going out.”

 

Sang Jue pursed his lips: “Can’t I go watch your ‘battle of words with the crowd’?”

 

Huo Yanji corrected his mispronunciation: “Battle of words with scholars.”

 

“…Oh.”

 

“No.” Huo Yanji said flatly: “Looking at you, I can’t become heavy-hearted.”

 

“?” Sang Jue asked two questions in succession: “Why do you need to be heavy-hearted… why can’t you become heavy-hearted when looking at me?”

 

Huo Yanji didn’t answer, stroking Sang Jue’s tail: “Pack up your gems and clothes. We won’t be staying here tonight.”

 

*

 

Everyone knew Huo Yanji was at the Supervision Center, and without his deliberate crowd control, the place was packed.

 

“What’s wrong with this Huo Yanji? Over seven thousand lives! It’s been days and he still hasn’t said a word.”

 

“Says he’s devoted to the people, who believes that…”

 

“Only ordinary people can be sacrificed, of course those related to big shots can’t… their lives are so precious.”

 

…

 

Suddenly someone shouted: “The Supreme Executive is coming out!!”

 

Huo Yanji was as usual, in military uniform, with an indifferent expression and a sharp aura as always.

 

Actually, if one paid attention, they would notice that Huo Yanji had never worn the Supreme Executive’s uniform in all these years, not even once.

 

A reporter called out: “Regarding the trade offered by the rebels – exchanging your lover for over seven thousand residents’ lives – have you made a decision?”

 

The clamor gradually stopped, and all the bobbing heads looked at him, waiting for his answer.

 

Not just here, but also the crowds gathered under TV screens at other buildings throughout the streets, and the residents who had stayed home from the beginning, never expressing opinions, just watching this farce from their windows.

 

TVs throughout the city were broadcasting this scene. In the camera, Huo Yanji said coldly: “I refuse this trade.”

 

The crowd erupted in uproar, immediately followed by curses – every nasty word imaginable.

 

After they finished cursing and grew tired, Huo Yanji slowly parted his lips, with no emotional fluctuation, saying: “Refusing the trade has nothing to do with who he is to me.”

 

“No matter what the rebels—” Huo Yanji paused. Labeling a former friend as a rebel wasn’t easy.

 

He continued calmly: “No matter whose life the rebels want to exchange for those seven thousand-plus lives, I could never agree. Whether they want an ordinary person or a deviant, whether a low-level deviant or high-level deviant, regardless of their status, this trade can never be completed.”

 

“—Everyone seems to have forgotten that since ancient times, human lives cannot be traded.”

 

Humans have always been proud, placing their own lives above everything else. Everything could be treated as a resource for trade, but never human lives.

 

The cursing quieted down somewhat, but some people still turned a deaf ear.

 

Huo Yanji said flatly: “I am first a general of the main city, and only secondly Huo Yanji. Sang Jue is the same – he is first a resident of the city, and only secondly someone with a relationship to me. My duty is to protect every person in the city, regardless of their identity.”

 

Unlike those passionate speeches with gorgeous rhetoric, Huo Yanji had no intention of stirring up any emotions, his tone extremely indifferent.

 

“Today I forcibly exchange one life for seven thousand people. Tomorrow the rebels will follow suit, naming you, him, your friends, partners, whose family members – should I agree to that too?”

 

Huo Yanji spoke sharply to the camera: “We should never make deals with rebels. I hope everyone understands this.”

 

The ugly curses finally dispersed. At least the crowd directly facing Huo Yanji in front of the Supervision Center no longer spoke, though some still showed disdain, they remained silent.

 

Some people are like this – if everyone around them stays silent, they too will shut up.

 

Huo Yanji said: “The rebels want civilization to perish, and you who compromise with them are treating everything you’ve sacrificed for Dawn, everything our predecessors sacrificed, as a joke.”

 

A deviant couldn’t help but sarcastically say: “What Dawn? The Dawn you tricked us into building with our lives?!”

 

“The Dawn Plan has troubled me for many years.” Huo Yanji looked at that deviant and said slowly: “Since I accidentally learned about it, over these past ten-plus years I’ve thought countless times about revealing it regardless of consequences. But what’s done is done – the result of rashly exposing lies would be everyone sinking into the water together. Just like today – division, turmoil, the glimmer extinguished, civilization falling.”

 

“It’s wrong, undeniably so.” Huo Yanji didn’t hide his thoughts, saying flatly: “But sometimes I wonder – without the Dawn Plan, would we exist today?”

 

The people whose emotions had calmed fell silent.

 

Most of them were born in the underground city and had seen countless films of when humans first emerged from underground after the Meteor Season ended. That was the real apocalypse – the surface covered with grotesque, terrifying creatures, not an inch of ground for humans to stand on.

 

The predecessors were fearful and confused, unable to resist monster attacks, wailing across the land, cries endless in their ears, the whole world gray without a trace of light.

 

Though unwilling to admit it, everyone understood that Huo Yanji was right.

 

Without the Dawn Plan, they couldn’t have driven away the monsters, built walls and buildings, or gained their current shelter.

 

“But wrong is wrong.” Huo Yanji said slowly: “I think everyone’s anger is the same as mine was initially – the council treats deviants as sacrifices while trying to erase deviants’ existence from future history books—”

 

“Exactly!!” Before he could finish, someone immediately shouted angrily: “Are we afraid of death? You’re the ones who are despicable and filthy!”

 

“From choosing evolution there was a 5% death rate, and even if evolution succeeded, there was a 50% chance of disorder within thirty years. If I was afraid of death, I wouldn’t have chosen to become a deviant back then! But this damn Dawn Plan turned our passion into a joke!!”

 

…

 

Residents spoke their minds with righteous indignation. This time there was less mindless rage, more grief and indignation. Both sorrowful and helpless.

 

“I understand nothing can compensate for what was owed to deviants, so I can only do my best.” Huo Yanji said: “Therefore, today is my last time speaking to you as Supreme Executive.”

 

The originally restless crowd suddenly quieted. Everyone in the city put down what they were doing, listening and watching Huo Yanji’s cold face on TV, whispering among themselves.

 

“I hereby announce in my capacity as Supreme Executive,” Huo Yanji looked down at the time, “—the Supervisor Organization is dissolved as of 8:45 AM on January 27th, Year 326.”

 

“From now on, you are all free. No more curfews, no more ‘executioners’ who shoot infected people.”

 

“Deviants willing to stay in the main city will receive appropriate compensation and can engage in regular occupations like ordinary people, except for medical and food-related work. Whether to continue the previous life on the knife’s edge or stay in the city for retirement is entirely up to each individual. Deviants wanting to leave the main city will receive assistance as much as possible, but will lose their resident status from then on.”

 

“Monthly contamination index checks for deviants will continue, but are no longer mandatory. Everything is voluntary. You can choose a more dignified release as before, or ignore everything and harm your former friends and family in disorder and chaos, then be shot dead.”

 

“I will completely withdraw from the Supreme Executive position. Other supervisors will form separate teams to collect resources in the wilderness, ensuring city resource supply as much as possible. Additionally, a new organization will be formed to maintain city order, recruiting from all city residents.”

 

The ones who least wanted the Supervisor Organization dissolved were ordinary people. They were anxious and uneasy, but didn’t know what to say.

 

Some rational deviants calmed down and began whispering among themselves.

 

“But this doesn’t mean ‘supervisors’ will disappear.” Huo Yanji’s gaze swept over everyone, saying calmly: “From now on, each of you could be a ‘supervisor.’ Infected people will always exist, and the blade that kills infected compatriots will be equally placed in everyone’s hands.”

 

“Killing will no longer be my responsibility or that of supervisors, but everyone’s responsibility.”

 

“The infamy that only we bore before will be shared by all. The guilt that only belonged to supervisors – I hope that in the future, none of you here will have the chance to bear it.”

 

The crowd was silent as death. No one had expected this turn of events today, and for a moment they didn’t know how to react.

 

There were many supervisors, supervision officers, and executives maintaining order around them.

 

They had already known about the dissolution in advance, but still their eyes reddened when they heard Huo Yanji’s words.

 

From the moment they became supervisors, they had prepared to bear infamy for life until death.

 

No matter how many bullets they’d fired, they never got used to the “splurt” sound of bullets penetrating skulls.

 

Those weren’t enemies, weren’t monsters – they were their former companions, friends, comrades.

 

They had never thought that one day they could lay down the burden of guilt.

 

Finally, Huo Yanji promised: “I will continue to fight for the future as a survivor general.”

 

In this era, everyone was wronged – no one could be completely at ease.

 

They were all chess pieces of history, only for a brighter tomorrow.

 

**

---