Please don't question multi-week players

Chapter 194. The Gray Transitional Society
Jiang Jianxin clicked on the news and glanced at the publisher.

Sure enough, the words "Journalist" were prominently displayed above.

She curled one corner of her lip in amusement and glanced at Xia Qizhen beside her, saying:

"So quickly... new news has already come out?"

Xia Qizhen could understand the hidden meaning in her words.

The strategist wiped the rain from his cheeks and said calmly and naturally:
"This is all thanks to the journalist's extraordinary abilities."

Jiang Jianxin stared at her, his eyes sharp, and said:
"I'm a little curious—is the journalist one of your alter egos? How come you always report on things happening at sea so promptly?"

Xia Qizhen chuckled softly upon hearing this, but his eyes remained calm and unreadable.
"If that's the case, it would be my honor—the journalist's far-reaching methods are beyond the reach of a lowly strategist like myself."

This assessment slightly surprised Jiang Jianxin. She re-examined the news on her phone, then suddenly changed the subject:
"Elder Xia, why beat around the bush? The news of Song Jun's treatment spread so quickly, you must have been behind it all, didn't you?"

Surprisingly, Xia Qizhen did not shirk his responsibility.

She glanced at the screen and said frankly, "I provide the information, and you, Mr. Journalist, help me reach the top of the trending searches. It's a win-win situation."

Jiang Jianxin put away her phone; her voice was exceptionally clear through the rain:
"Song Jun has only been in Haidu for a few days, and her position is not yet stable. You've already put her in the eye of the storm... Aren't you afraid of a backlash from public opinion?"

The sound of rain grew heavier, making the silence between the two all the more meaningful.

After a long pause, Xia Qizhen suddenly chuckled, his gaze piercing through the rain, his voice low and resolute:
"Her ultimate goal is the Song family, why should she need to establish herself in Haidu? As for why we're in such a hurry to push her up there..."

She paused, raindrops sliding down her cheek, the light flickering in her glasses as they were wiped dry.

"If we don't raise it now, it will be too late when the world falls into complete chaos."

The downpour intensified suddenly, the sound of rain pounding between the two like drumbeats, as if echoing the weight of those words.

Jiang Jianxin frowned and repeated:
"Has the world completely descended into chaos?"

Xia Qizhen raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, but his eyes were unfathomable.

She turned her head away, pressed her lips together, and remained silent.

Jiang Jianxin, impatient with the convoluted tactics of the Light faction, flipped her wrist—

"Zheng!"

A flash of cold light appeared, and the long sword was already pressed against Xia Qizhen's neck. The blade reflected the raindrops, its coldness intimidating.

"Elder Xia, stop being so mysterious, why don't you just explain it clearly?"

Xia Qizhen was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting her to draw her sword directly.

But on second thought, people in the war camp have always been like this, so it makes sense.

She calmly extended two fingers, gently pressing them against the sword, her smile undiminished:
"Why the rush, sir? I was going to tell you anyway, after all... it's not exactly a secret."

Jiang Jianxin sheathed his sword, and Xia Qizhen put his hands behind his back. His face was still a little pale, but his eyes had regained their clarity, showing the composure of a wise man.

"Didn't you notice?"

She spoke slowly.

"Although the apocalypse began with an energy explosion in Pegasus City, in essence... it was the merging of two completely different societies."

She squinted slightly, the rain blurring into a chaotic blur behind her.

"People from two different worlds have completely different ideas, perceptions, and rules. How could forcibly merging them not cause a huge upheaval?"

She held up one finger and said:

“I understand that you are a reclusive expert who has been living in ordinary society. After half a year in the Talent Society, you must have noticed the huge differences between the two societies.”

Jiang Jianxin was slightly taken aback, recalling the discussion he had had with Zhang Qiuyue earlier.

As Xia Qizhen said, ordinary society and gifted society are different social forms.

In addition to differences in gender perception, their political and economic systems and people's living conditions are also completely different.

In ordinary society, the legal system forms an impregnable fortress. Government agencies function like cogs in a machine, public security organs maintain order, the procuratorate supervises the judiciary, and the economic market remains stable under state regulation. Here, the principle of "equality for all under justice" is upheld, and ordinary people can obtain basic living security as long as they behave themselves and abide by the law.

Although social resources such as education, healthcare, and employment exist across social classes, at least a superficially fair distribution mechanism is maintained.

The so-called "merit-based, absolute equality" society, while lacking discrimination and oppression between men and women, also has its own cruel nature.

There is no government, no laws, only the Rose Group that monopolizes transportation, Black Eyes Pharmaceutical that controls the lifeline of medical care, Dream Pavilion that monopolizes manufacturing, and a television station that manipulates public opinion.

Here, the law of the jungle prevails, and for the weak, even breathing is a luxury. The starving corpses of the slums are carelessly discarded in the garbage dump, becoming nourishment for the lowest rung of the social hierarchy.

Jiang Jianxin looked at the rain curtain in front of him and thought of Sang Xiaoxiao's live broadcast room.

Simply by creating a feeling of fullness and ensuring that one doesn't starve, she can attract over ten million online viewers, and even reach hundreds of millions of views.

If Sang Xiaoxiao were placed in an ordinary society, she might be a popular food vlogger, but she would definitely not have the popularity she has in this extraordinary society.

At the time, Jiang Jianxin was only moved by Sang Xiaoxiao's great and selfless spirit of saving the world, but he did not consider the deep-seated social issues involved.

When the most basic need of "not starving to death" can become a popular live-streaming topic, this society is already terminally ill.

Through the rain, Xia Qizhen's voice carried a cold, clear-headed quality:
"In ordinary society, geniuses need a stage built by ordinary people. Here, ordinary people are just the stepping stones for geniuses."

Seeing Jiang Jianxin deep in thought, she slowly continued:
"The gifted have been domesticated for too long, and have long forgotten what it feels like to rebel. But what about those ordinary people who once basked in the sunlight of equality? They've been reduced to ants overnight..."

She suddenly chuckled softly:
"If it were you, after ten years of hard study and years of ups and downs in society, you would lose everything in a single day and be trampled on by others, treated worse than pigs and dogs. Would you be willing to accept that?"

Jiang Jianxin looked at Xia Qizhen, and she suddenly understood what this wise strategist wanted to say.

"what do you mean……"

Xia Qizhen's lips curved into a meaningful smile. Facing the torrential rain pouring down outside the tent, she slowly spread her arms, as if to embrace the storm that was about to sweep across the world:
"Look, these accumulating social contradictions are like dark clouds before a storm."

Her voice sounded exceptionally clear amidst the rain.

"Just one spark is all it takes to engulf the world in flames."

Jiang Jianxin saw Xia Qizhen turn around, his eyes flashing with an all-knowing light:

"Do you think the disaster in Tianma City is the beginning of the apocalypse?"

Jiang Jianxin nodded subconsciously.

Xia Qizhen laughed loudly:

“Go and look through the Peace Forum when the outbreak first occurred in Tianma City. Apart from the foolish War Alliance posting a long announcement saying that the end of the world is coming, none of the major forces in the Light Faction said that it is now an apocalyptic society.”

Jiang Jianxin's pupils suddenly contracted.

Xia Qizhen gently shook his head:
"The forces of war are so stupid. How could an apocalyptic society just appear so easily?"

Under Jiang Jianxin's gradually enlightened yet incredulous gaze, Xia Qizhen revealed the truth that had been concealing the world:

"This is not an apocalyptic society at all; it is just a gray area where ordinary society and gifted society are gradually merging."

Her voice was soft:
"Childbirth involves labor pains; the true apocalyptic society hasn't been born yet."

The sound of rain suddenly intensified, as if echoing her words.

"It lacks a grand war that spans the entire world, a war where blood stains every inch of land, where wails echo in every corner, that newborn monster... that brand-new post-apocalyptic society—"

"Only then will it truly descend to earth."

With this chapter, the entire worldview of the Talent Society is complete. In fact, even without writing about the social system, just focusing on Jiang Jianxin's personal growth could be written as a novel. However, if you want this world to have a sense of realism and weight, you still need to integrate it into a complete social system to create a sense of awe.

I noticed that some readers in the comments section are quite young and might not understand these passages. If you really can't understand them, that's okay; you can just skip them.

The reason I insist on refining the worldview is because I see many readers with social experience reading it. A more refined worldview will make it more comfortable for adult readers to enjoy the reading experience.

I'm not actually a social science researcher, so I'm not very good at writing about these social systems. I can only deduce the general outline of a society where strength reigns supreme, but at least it's not a mindless wish-fulfillment story anymore; this is a thought-provoking wish-fulfillment story.

If any social science writers find any irrationalities in society, please forgive me; this is the limit of what a science and engineering writer can write about society. ⊙﹏⊙

The slow pace of the story these past few days is because we're building up momentum for this chapter; after this chapter, the story will unfold much faster.