Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 170 Silver Mine
Even before the cataclysm, some people were terrified of the talk of the superhuman, seemingly believing that the exploitation of ordinary people by superhumans was an inevitable event.

In reality, however, the extraordinary individuals have always been part of the people. They are not the opposite side. Whether a person exploits others or works for the benefit of others is never determined by whether that person possesses any extraordinary abilities, but by which class that person belongs to.

Whether one is close or not depends on social class; this is an age-old truth.

What drives changes in social structure is not a decree issued by a particular person or organization, but rather the development of productive forces.

When the benefits that extraordinary individuals gain from exploiting ordinary people using their superpowers cannot outweigh the benefits they gain from a simple act of self-deception, then the act of exploitation loses its basis.

Yes, both private ownership and exploitation require a specific material basis, and extremely powerful superhumans have reached a level where they can break this material basis.

Su Xun, who had truly reached the ninth rank, was optimistic about the future. He knew very well that humanity's enemies would not come from within for a very long time. In fact, if this race could nurture a true tenth rank, they might even have a glimpse into the ultimate form of society.

Of course, this does not mean that everyone can just sit and wait for that day to come. The development of productivity can solve many problems, but it may not be able to solve all problems.

Even if the final outcome is inevitable, the road to that inevitable outcome is just as long and tortuous.

Su Xun exchanged glances with everyone in the conference room, and everyone there realized that this was the mission history had entrusted to them.

At this historical stage, maintaining the basic structure of this society and shaping a suitable ideology remains extremely important.

Just like the ideology that the East has upheld since the dawn of civilization, it still profoundly influences countless people even after the Great Cataclysm, and can even cause the extraordinary individuals participating in the meeting to deviate from their own interests.

The superstructure is determined by the economic base, but once it is formed, it possesses considerable independence and counter-effect, and will strive to maintain the existing order. What Su Xun and others need to do now is to make themselves a 'superstructure' that is beneficial to society and the people.

If successful, history will naturally generate momentum, and given the lifespan of extraordinary individuals, this momentum could likely last for an extremely long time.

All of this was no easy task. After the meeting, everyone left and contacted the high-ranking officers of their respective corps via communication devices for heated discussions.

In the following days, various seminars, expanded meetings, and other conferences awaited them, with the entire conference filled with these endless smaller meetings.

However, for Su Xun, there are still many immediate problems that need to be solved.

After daybreak, he found Qin Chang.

During this period, Qin Chang returned to his old profession, personally organizing a large number of engineers to repair walls and pave roads everywhere, and rebuild heating and power supply systems.

This is partly due to the unique circumstances of our country. People in the East feel uneasy if they don't engage in infrastructure construction for a day. Similar work is among the top priorities in all military units. However, thanks to the more complete industrial chain in the Tai-Mongolia region, the construction progress here is even faster.

How's the construction progress lately?

"Very good." Qin Chang's face showed joy: "Those with physical enhancement abilities and those with affinity for earth and metal elements have played a very important role, and even ordinary superhumans have quite strong work capabilities."

"Now, the first phase of the city wall has been completely completed, and the direct railway to Haiqu, Licheng, Binhai and other nearby cities has also been basically completed."

"Within the base city, the heating systems in the main residential areas have been repaired and are expected to be operational the day after tomorrow."

"The power supply system has been put into use, and basically every household can have electricity at all times... However, the power grid is still relatively fragile at present, and it is also difficult to maintain."

Su Xun nodded: "The research institute also has a special team working on solving the electricity problem. They are developing technology to convert spiritual energy into electricity, and more people are putting their energy into the practical application of spiritual energy in life. Perhaps in the future, we can get rid of electricity and directly put spiritual energy into production and daily life." "If that day really comes, that would be wonderful."

Qin Chang couldn't help but imagine the scene Su Xun described. Humanity's current application of spiritual power is still rather superficial.

After discussing these matters, Su Xun then told him about the difficulties Xu Huan had encountered.

"We can leave the task of hunting high-level mutated plants to the Hunter Association. The main tasks of the Legion's active-duty troops are to defend against sea monsters, maintain order, and carry out engineering construction."

"But in terms of insulation... the requirements for scale and specifications over there are probably quite high, and ordinary greenhouses may not be able to meet the needs. Can you calculate whether you have the capacity to solve this?"

Qin Chang pulled out the report and calculated for a moment, then nodded and said, "No problem, we can send a batch of militia over. With superhumans present, we should be able to finish the battle within half a month."

"Half a month is still a bit long. This project is of great significance." Su Xun thought for a moment, then clapped his hands: "Here's what we'll do, Lin Hai and Xu Zhao are here, right? After these meetings are over, grab them and bring them over to help!"

"Is this...appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it? Especially these two kids, they're at the fourth level of body enhancement, just use them, they're guaranteed to be useful, you won't even need a crane."

Su Xun's expression was amused, while Lin Hai and Xu Zhao, who had just finished communicating with their superiors, were unaware that they were about to embark on a miserable life of toil.

"Perfect timing. In the upcoming reforms, we high-level superhumans must set an example and promote the spirit of 'five togethers': eating, living, discussing, working, and studying together."

"If you see any suitable jobs later, you can give them to me and I'll take a look. But I'm quite busy, so you'll have to confirm the time with Jiang Yi."

"Okay, I understand."

Qin Chang nodded in agreement, and then brought up another matter.

"The Haiqu area has recently been taking stock of its mineral resources. They discovered that the ore produced by a silver mine seems to have naturally good spiritual energy conduction properties. However, this silver mine has recently been occupied by a fourth-tier mutated dog. This mutated dog refuses to communicate and has shown strong aggression."

"Since they don't want to damage the mine, the locals in Haiqu don't have a good way to deal with this mutated dog, so they want to ask the sentries from the animal institute to handle the matter."

Su Xun should have the right to know about the deployment of fourth-tier superhumans or mutated beasts within the legion. A sentinel with powerful abilities would not have much pressure in dealing with a wild mutated beast of the same tier, but Su Xun fell into thought upon hearing about this.

“Natural mithril?” he asked. “Where is this silver mine located?”

"It's some distance from the Haiqu safety zone, in Qibaoshan."

"Okay, I'll go take a look myself."

With the transportation lines basically open, for Su Xun, traveling from Xinfu to Haiqu is now practically like walking to his own doorstep. Qin Chang didn't ask him any questions about his decision, since Su Xun must have his reasons for doing so.

Picking up the documents Qin Chang handed over, Su Xun turned to Jiang Yi and asked her to readjust her plans and schedule.

This trip is just to check the situation; it won't take long, so we can go and come back quickly.

(End of this chapter)