Chapter 653: This Has Nothing to Do with Right or Wrong; It's Just Their Choice

Chapter 653: This Has Nothing to Do with Right or Wrong, It Is Simply Their Choice

In the Free State of Brugge.

Inside a television studio, House, dressed in a suit and tie, sat behind a long table. He stacked a thick pile of news scripts and began broadcasting the day’s news program live.

“Dear viewers, welcome to House’s Daily Observation. I am your most beloved Mr. House.”

“Just last night, the savages of Clearspring City shamelessly detained six law-abiding merchants from the Free State of Brugge! Without a doubt, this is blatant banditry... Look, they claim to be enemies of the plunderers, but what difference is there between their actions and those of the plunderers?”

“Just as they once plundered the wealth of the residents of Boulder City, now they have stretched their greedy claws toward us, the honest and simple folk.”

“Unfortunately, we have not established diplomatic relations with them. Poor Mr. Cinderson can only pay the price for his carelessness... They should be more cautious in choosing their trading partners. Doing business with scoundrels never ends well.”

“Now, a brief news update: Our esteemed Mayor Odo has stated that, at the request of the Chief of the Great Rift, we will attempt to cooperate with the Alliance on matters related to mutant slime... What?!”

Staring at the news script in his hands, House, who had been reciting mechanically just a moment ago, suddenly widened his eyes and nearly fell off his chair.

Cooperate with the Alliance?

Are you kidding?!

...

Mr. House’s program was not popular in the Free State of Brugge. Among countless similar shows, its ratings barely ranked.

Most citizens disliked both their mayor and this man’s sycophantic, pedantic tone. Thus, his program was only moderately popular among the inner-city nobles of Boulder City who had fled to the Free State.

Sometimes, players from the Alliance would watch his show for laughs, occasionally clipping segments to share on the official forums.

But amusingly, only today, House’s reaction in the program was strikingly consistent with the vast majority of Free State citizens who had accidentally tuned in.

Whether intentional or not, the Alliance had repeatedly thwarted the Free State’s schemes. The authorities’ propaganda had painted the Alliance as a sworn enemy “hindering their escape from the Great Rift’s rule,” a scoundrel obstructing their companies from doing business in the Sunset Province.

And now, they were supposed to cooperate with these “scoundrels”!

Are you kidding!

At the press conference site.

Facing a forest of microphones thrust toward him, Odo knew he couldn’t explain himself to his supporters. He could only steel himself and speak.

“...The Great Rift’s opinion is as such. I understand your dissatisfaction, but I have no other choice.”

Upon hearing his explanation, the conference hall erupted in uproar. People’s emotions spiraled out of control.

A man with a press badge pushed through the crowd, trying to charge the podium, but was stopped by a security guard in an exoskeleton.

Glaring at the spineless mayor, the man shouted at him.

“Mr. Odo, do you know that just a few hours ago, Alliance soldiers detained our merchants?!”

Odo looked helplessly at the furious young man.

“I know—”

“You don’t know!” The man angrily interrupted him, shoving against the guard restraining him. “You’re like a lapdog chasing after the Great Rift! I’m ashamed of you!”

Before he could finish, the guard had already twisted his arms behind his back and handcuffed him. Amid cheers and applause from the crowd, he was led away like a hero.

Fearing being pelted with water bottles, the guard dared not rough him up.

Watching the increasingly agitated press conference, Odo sighed inwardly but patiently explained to these fools.

“...Whether it succeeds or not, we must try to talk with the Alliance. Otherwise, electricity bills will go up again next year.”

“Or let me put it another way: You don’t want the fridge door ad to go from 30 seconds to 45 seconds starting next year, do you?”

That was something he made up on the spot. Whether it would come true, no one knew.

After all, the Chief hadn’t told him exactly how much energy prices would rise, nor how much of the cost the business owners would pass on to those little leeks.

While Odo was struggling to fend off the citizens’ reproaches, Sigma, sitting in the top-floor office of the Firestone Group building, stared gloomily out the floor-to-ceiling window at the prosperous district below and the barrenness etched against the skyline.

Just yesterday, he had received an envoy from the Torch Church, but the Great Rift’s directive had completely upended his plans.

Though the Free State was effectively controlled by the Firestone Group, even so, he couldn’t openly defy the Great Rift’s orders.

He knew well:

Though the Great Rift settlement was far less prosperous than the Free State, the gap in military force between them was an insurmountable chasm.

But at this moment, what truly concerned him was something else—

“...Rumor has it that the Alliance administrator has met with representatives from both the Institute and the Corporation, and a delegation from the Legion is also on its way to Dawnbreak City.”

Standing before his desk, his trusted subordinate Xavier spoke respectfully.

Sigma withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Xavier.

“The Institute?”

Xavier nodded solemnly.

“Yes... And I hear the Institute’s contact with the Alliance predates the Corporation’s.”

Seeing Sigma’s furrowed brow, Xavier paused before continuing.

“Also a rumor: I’ve heard... the Alliance is planning to establish a cross-regional cooperative organization dedicated to solving the mutant slime hive problem plaguing the wasteland.”

“Given their technology for manipulating slime fruiting bodies, I suspect they intend to use this opportunity to expand their influence outward.”

This speculation was indeed reasonable.

If the Alliance truly had the ability to control mutant slime behavior, then the territories they governed would effectively become their de facto jurisdictions.

Building military bases on Institute and Corporation land.

They really dared to dream.

Sigma sneered inwardly, but he didn’t let his guard down.

Those ancient survivor factions had an extraordinary obsession with mutant slime—after all, those creatures had once destroyed their world.

This set them apart from most wasteland survivors.

If the Alliance forged closer ties with the Institute and the Corporation, the Free State’s living space would shrink even further.

Not only that.

What if the Great Rift was also won over by the Alliance? Then that old fool might suddenly lose his mind and say, “Boulder City has joined the Alliance; you should join them too.” That would truly be the breaking point!

He didn’t want to hand over years of painstaking effort just because of someone’s casual remark!

Just then, the phone on his desk rang.

Guessing who was calling, Sigma touched his wristwatch, and soon a pale blue beam rose from the desk.

Standing in the holographic beam was none other than Odo, who had been at the Free State authorities’ press conference just minutes ago.

“I’m sorry to disturb you at this time, Mr. Sigma. I’m sure you’ve heard: The Chief of the Great Rift wants us to cooperate with the Alliance on mutant slime issues... As before, they used energy as leverage, and I had no choice but to agree.”

Looking at the respectful Mayor Odo, Sigma spoke in a relaxed tone.

“Your choice is correct. There’s no need for us to stand against the Great Rift.”

Seeing Sigma’s understanding, Odo breathed a sigh of relief and continued.

“Then what is your opinion?”

Sigma closed his eyes and pondered for a long while, then opened them and slowly spoke.

"I have no objections. You go ahead and follow the Chief's instructions, approaching the Alliance in the name of the Free State's official authority."

Though the Firestone Group's several contacts with the Alliance had ended unpleasantly, the Free State had never engaged in formal diplomatic contact with the Alliance in an official capacity.

Odo hesitated slightly before asking.

"Is this... really alright?"

Sigma said succinctly.

"Showing a positive attitude toward matters the Chief cares about isn't a bad thing. Besides, by contacting them, we can keep tabs on their movements. If they refuse to cooperate, it doesn't matter—at least we've done what we should."

"What about our citizens? There's no shortage of opposition voices," Odo said cautiously.

The Free State's mayoral candidate was nominated by the Great Rift, but ultimately elected by the citizens. After the press conference just now, he had already lost a large number of supporters. If he appeared too cooperative, his approval rating would drop further.

His opponents had even begun clamoring to initiate impeachment proceedings to oust him.

Knowing what Odo was worried about, Sigma remained unconcerned and merely said lightly.

"Don't worry about that. I'll help you persuade the opposition."

Though it was just a casual promise, upon hearing these words, Odo, who had been tense, immediately broke into a relieved smile.

"With your word, I'm at ease!"

Anyone in this settlement knew that the true master of the Free State was Mr. Sigma.

The Firestone Group not only controlled the most profitable businesses in the entire Free State but also directly or indirectly managed over 90% of the settlement's media.

As long as this gentleman stepped in, he had no need to worry about any opposition—they would obediently shut their mouths on their own...

...

While the various sectors of Brugge Free State society were in an uproar over the "Cindison Case" and "Odo the Mayor, the Great Rift's Puppet," the "Industrial Zone Arson Case" being tried in Dawn City also drew widespread attention from all walks of life in the Alliance.

The trial began at noon.

The audience seats in the Dawn City courthouse were packed, with people standing even in the aisles of the last row—a crowd of diverse backgrounds.

Originally, the proceedings wouldn't have moved so quickly, but due to the defendant's decisive confession and the clear chain of evidence, the trial was brought forward under pressure from various parties.

At this moment, a young man in his early twenties stood in the defendant's box. His face was resolute, his posture upright—he didn't look like a criminal, and it was obvious he had a military background.

And indeed, that was the case.

His name was Sun Yong, a soldier of the First Corps, enlisted during the war in the Falling Xia Province last year. His reason for joining the army was simple: to follow in the footsteps of that revered figure.

Most soldiers of the First Corps were like this.

They generally lacked high education, being either slaves rescued by the Alliance from raiders or refugees sheltered by the Refugee House.

He regarded the Administrator as something more important than life and honor. So when he heard someone dared to insult his beloved leader, anger clouded his judgment.

Now, calming down and thinking it over, he realized he shouldn't have been so impulsive.

No matter the reason, he shouldn't have vented his anger on those he was meant to protect.

He had not only targeted the wrong person.

But had nearly caused even graver consequences...

Looking at the young man in the defendant's box, the judge felt a pang of reluctance but still dutifully performed his role.

"Do you understand the mistake you've made?"

Sun Yong nodded.

"I do."

The defendant had confessed.

Now came the sentencing.

The judge sighed and continued.

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Sun Yong shook his head.

"No."

The lawyer sitting at the defense table kept signaling him with his eyes, trying to remind him to say something to seek leniency, but Sun Yong didn't even look that way.

A mistake was a mistake.

He didn't want to excuse his crime; he was willing to accept the judgment of the law.

Seeing that the defendant had nothing more to add, the judge prepared to announce the verdict.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the audience.

"Your Honor, I'd like to say a few words on behalf of my soldier..."

Wrench, who had originally intended to stay silent, couldn't hold back and spoke up. But as he stood, a stern rebuke came from not far away.

"Commander of the First Corps, mind where you're standing. This is a court of the Alliance, not your barracks! No one can speak for the defendant except his defense lawyer."

Wrench immediately turned to the source of the voice, seeing it was Old Charlie, also standing in the audience.

Facing Wrench's bewildered and indignant gaze, Old Charlie calmly met his eyes without a frown.

Others might be intimidated by Wrench's status and keep quiet, but Old Charlie wasn't afraid of him.

"Damn it—bah! I didn't mean it that way! I'm standing here as a citizen... I'm a citizen of the Alliance too. What's wrong with me expressing my opinion?!"

Seeing Wrench argue with a gruff voice, Old Charlie continued expressionlessly.

"You're a citizen of the Alliance, and so am I! My stance is clear: no one may interfere with the dignity of the law."

Just as Wrench was scratching his head in frustration, unable to out-argue the old man, the young man in the defendant's box suddenly spoke.

"Commander, I've realized my mistake. I've betrayed the trust of the Administrator and everyone else... I deserve to be punished by the law. Please don't plead for me anymore."

Shifting his gaze from the dumbfounded Wrench, Old Charlie looked at the young man in the defendant's box and nodded approvingly.

This kid understood reason.

Though he had taken a wrong turn, with proper reform inside, he could still become a pillar of society when he came out.

Murmurs rippled through the courtroom.

Just then, another voice that made him frown arose.

"Wait, please, Your Honor. I am the victim... Though I have no official status, I believe I should be allowed to say a few words!"

A well-dressed middle-aged man rose from the crowded audience and walked to the aisle.

Seeing that the court bailiffs maintaining order did not stop him, he smiled and continued.

"To be honest, that night really scared me. Especially when I saw the warehouse on fire, I seemed to see your bravery on the battlefield in those flames."

Sun Yong blushed and said awkwardly.

"I'm sorry..."

"No, actually, the one who should apologize... is me."

Wang Tu sighed and turned to look at the crowd seated in the audience gallery.

“I am the director of the Tujia Printing Factory. I deeply regret betraying your trust. I failed to carefully inspect the newspapers sent out from the warehouse, allowing some inexplicable things to slip in among them, leaving you all without papers to read today and forcing you to come here to pass the time... Later, I thought long and hard, and realized this actually poses a huge safety hazard.”

“For just a few dozen coins, three sheets of paper filled with lies could circulate at newsstands across the entire city. Thank goodness they were only paper, not bombs or something else.”

Watching the murmuring crowd, he paused and continued.

“I reflected all night long. Over the past year, I’ve been single-mindedly focused on how to boost the factory’s productivity, how to improve efficiency, cut costs, and make more money... yet I kept overlooking the most unignorable issue: my factory is not a mere machine. It is part of this society. Its obligations should not be limited to production alone, but also include the social responsibility that inherently belongs to it.”

“Thank you for making me realize this. Before an even bigger trouble could brew, this lesson hasn’t been a bad deal for me... Besides, insurance has compensated me for the financial losses. From now on, I will add an extra inspection step in the inbound and outbound processes to ensure a similar situation never happens again.”

“Moreover, I don’t think this is solely my problem. I’m just a man running a printing factory. I can carefully verify every order, but you can’t expect me to check whether every order tells the truth or lies. At the very least, we should have a media rating agency, so that good people who speak the truth receive higher ratings! If no representative is willing to draft this proposal, I will do it myself. If I am elected as a representative, this will be my first proposal!”

Applause rang out from the audience gallery.

Looking at his supporters, Wang Tu smiled and nodded, then turned to face the judge and spoke earnestly.

“Your Honor, I know there’s no possibility of settlement in a public prosecution case, but could I ask you, considering that we all bear an inescapable responsibility and that we have all recognized the problem, to appropriately reduce his criminal liability... After all, this fire caused no casualties—it only burned some paper.”

“I don’t think this is just my own thought. If, due to my oversight, a young man who should have shed his blood for a greater cause ends up sacrificing his youth, while I bear no responsibility at all... this guilt will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Even more fervent applause erupted on the scene.

His words had at least swayed a portion of the crowd. Even the business owners who had originally insisted on a harsh sentence couldn’t help but soften their stance.

A harsh sentence alone meant nothing.

This wasn’t the Middle Ages, where gallows were needed to intimidate criminals. Besides, on the wasteland, who among them was truly afraid of death?

If the rules weren’t improved, the things they worried about would happen again and again, and the conflicts hidden beneath the surface would grow ever sharper. And this was only the beginning.

“Well said!” Wrench clapped and cheered enthusiastically, his hands red from the applause.

That guy could spin a tale far better than he could!

What a talent!

Old Charlie did not clap, and his expression remained unchanged. But as he looked at the printing factory director, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

He didn’t know if the man was playing political opportunism.

But at least just now, with just a few words, that fellow had won the goodwill of soldiers, citizens, and various other strata without offending other business owners.

“Order! Order!”

The judge struck his gavel twice. Once the commotion in the room subsided, he fixed his gaze on the man standing before the bench and continued.

“Under the existing law, I should not adopt your suggestion.”

Wang Tu’s face showed regret.

Indeed.

All he could do was plead for leniency.

But at that moment, the judge paused and then went on.

“However, I must admit that there are many details in this case that cannot be ignored—details not covered by our current legal provisions.”

With that, he turned his gaze to the packed audience gallery.

“If I recall correctly, legislation is the work of the Representative Assembly. There should be representatives among you. I would like to hear your opinions.”

No sooner had his words fallen than a cacophony of voices erupted from the audience.

Some shouted for acquittal, some for a reduced sentence, and some for converting the prison term into community service... The chaotic scene resembled a marketplace more than a courtroom.

Wrench, in particular, shouted the loudest, his face flushed with excitement.

Old Charlie, his forehead dark with exasperation, looked at this rough fellow but couldn’t say much. After all, the Alliance’s law granted judges a certain degree of discretionary power in sentencing. If the judge allowed the audience to speak, legally speaking, his actions were reasonable.

Though in theory, a judge should not be influenced by public opinion, in practice, how could they remain entirely unaffected?

The Alliance’s laws were formulated by the Representative Assembly, and representatives were born from the citizens. Those provisions themselves were projections of the citizens’ will.

Watching the noisy audience, the judge had to strike his gavel again and spoke loudly to those below the bench.

“Acquittal is impossible!”

“But I also agree that the defendant’s criminal liability should be appropriately reduced... considering the voluntary forgiveness of the injured party, the absence of casualties, and the defendant’s good attitude in admitting guilt.”

Looking at the cheering audience, Sun Yong’s face was filled with astonishment.

And when his eyes met Wang Tu’s smiling face, a sense of guilt arose in him, and he shamefully lowered his gaze.

At that moment, that guilt in his heart ran far deeper than it had the night before, after he had calmed down.

If that man had been even slightly arrogant, or had cursed him out, or even thrown something at him, he would have felt a little better.

But that man was actually just like him—both yearned for the Alliance to become greater and better. His self-righteous justice had not punished any evildoer deserving of punishment; it had only harmed a fellow citizen...

Standing amid the cheering crowd, looking at Wrench, who was raising his eyebrows at him, Old Charlie sighed, not knowing what to say. He shook his head and turned to walk out of the courtroom.

He had anticipated that Wrench would come here and had prepared to play the heavy hand to uphold the dignity of the law, but he never expected an unknown nobody to intervene.

He had nothing to say about such an outcome.

After leaving the courthouse, Old Charlie relayed the entire scene to Chu Guang via VM and hesitantly shared his thoughts.

“I don’t know if this is right.”

Looking at the somewhat troubled Old Charlie, Chu Guang, who had just reached a cooperation agreement with the enterprise, smiled cheerfully and said.

“It has nothing to do with right or wrong. This is merely their choice.”

Seeing Chu Guang’s smile, Old Charlie misinterpreted his meaning and hesitated before asking.

“May I understand that... you are satisfied with this outcome?”

Chu Guang smiled and said.

“I wouldn’t say satisfied, but I am indeed gratified. Of course, this has nothing to do with the verdict itself... Do you remember? The earliest rules on this land were the terms I wrote on the VM. The content was just three short sentences: no killing, no robbery, no theft.”

Old Charlie nodded.

“Of course I remember. It wasn’t really that long ago.”

Chu Guang continued in a relaxed tone.

“Yes, not long at all. And now those terms have become something too thick to fit in a book. They have begun to propose solutions to the problems we face, actively taking on more social responsibility... I quite agree with what that small businessman said: this is not a bad deal. With just a small fire, we have bought social progress and avoided bigger troubles in the future.”

“I am gratified that it didn’t take them long to realize that only self-disciplined people can attain true freedom.”

He knew very well that the all-powerful philosopher-king depicted in Plato’s *Republic* could never exist. But too many survivors in the Alliance harbored unrealistic fantasies about him. Fortunately, he was clear-headed about himself—he knew he was just an ordinary human.

All along, he had been guiding the residents of the Alliance to solve problems on their own.

Whether it was selecting representatives from various industries and later from different social strata, or having players initiate proposals on the forum, these were things he had been doing.

Even if some proposals were immature, what did it matter?

There were some problems for which he himself had no better solution.

Someone would propose, someone would refine, and things would gradually get better.

Old Charlie let out a bitter laugh and said.

“Maybe my mindset hasn’t changed yet... Perhaps I really should retire.”

Looking at the self-deprecating old man on the screen, Chu Guang said with a smile.

"You don't have to force yourself to change; conservative voices are equally indispensable."