In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 185 External Expansion
Nanling District, located within the Inner Third Ring Road, is the area where the Daozheng Bureau building is situated, and is also the center of the entire Cangwu and even the entire southern region.

The Nankaido Cangwu Castle Cadre Academy is located here. The main building is a six-story gray-white building with an eight-meter-high marble gate at the entrance, guarded by sentries.

After showing his ID card and registering, Lu Zhao obtained an access pass and was taken to the dormitory by the college staff. It was a 30-square-meter single room with a private bathroom.

The cadre academy, though called a school, is actually attended by officials, with senior officials required to attend the training every four years.

Their treatment is naturally different from that of students. Many people can be called "classmate" in the college, but outside they have to be called "leader".

The receptionist explained the college rules to Lu Zhao.

Aside from not being allowed to skip classes, there are no other restrictions.

The course content was not the typical lecture format where a professor on stage delivers a lecture and students in the audience listen.

Instead, it leans towards seminars, with each class typically focusing on a core topic, such as "The Federation's Exploration of a New Era Society After the Great Cataclysm," "Analysis of the Current Situation," and "Interpretation of the Federation's Primary and Secondary Contradictions."

"Hot water is available 24 hours a day. If you need to access the wide area information server, you can apply to the college. This is the course schedule. You only need to attend about one class per day, and there are field trips every week."

"There's also the issue of meals; your daily meal allowance is 120 yuan."

Do you have any other questions?

Lu Zhao said, "No, thank you."

"You're welcome. If you have any other questions, you can contact us via the phone in the room."

The receptionist turned and left.

At that moment, the door across the hall opened, and a man with grayish-white eyes, who appeared to be blind, appeared.

He tilted his head to the side, his pupils unfocused, and he didn't even look at Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao inexplicably sensed a kind of spying, not a mental probe, but more like a subtle fluctuation, like a vibration.

Its force is so great that it can only make the hairs on the body tremble slightly.

At the first stage of perfection, one visualizes the five senses, which together constitute the divine consciousness.

After gaining divine sense, he was able to perceive many subtle movements that were previously difficult to detect.

For example, if an ant is walking on the ground, it would be overlooked by mental detection in the past, but divine sense will not.

When mental energy extends outwards, it's like the body hairs spreading into the air; any slight fluctuation will affect those hairs.

What sequence of Five Elements supernatural powers could cause the ground to tremble slightly?
Its strength is at the second tier.

The blind man seemed to sense Lu Zhao's presence and asked, "Is this the new comrade?"

Lu Zhao extended his hand and said, "Hello, my name is Lu Zhao."

"I've long admired your name. I am Zhou Wanhua."

Zhou Wanhua shook hands with him and said, "I listened to your lecture, and I have been giving you a two-day course in class recently."

As they were talking, they seemed to hear some noise in the hallway, and the dormitory door on the right opened.

A woman with messy hair, dark circles under her eyes, and a pretty face appeared.

Her gaze immediately fell on Lu Zhao, and she took the initiative to step forward and extend her hand, saying, "Big star, can we get to know each other? My name is Gu Yun."

"Hello."

Lu Zhao then shook hands with the other party.

As he clasped his hands together, he felt an unusual heat; this person's body temperature seemed to be very high.

The Five Elements Fire-type Supernatural Powers?
But it doesn't seem like it; supernatural powers can influence a person's personality to some extent.

For example, Lu Zhao has some obsessive-compulsive disorder, while Lin Zhiyan can search souls and is much more lively in expressing various emotions, readily showing joy and anger.

This person looks very down, with heavy dark circles under their eyes.

The possibility of physical supernatural powers can be ruled out.

His strength is at the second tier, but he should be close to the third tier.

Gu Yun was a head shorter than Lu Zhao. She tilted her head back and said, "Comrade Lu is more handsome in person than on TV."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"I've heard your name at school; strictly speaking, we were in the same grade."

"My social circle at school was very small."

Lu Zhao searched his mind and found someone with the same name as the other person.

Gu Yun, a graduate of the 80 class of Imperial Capital Academy, ranked first in her grade for four consecutive years.

That was all he could think about; he knew nothing else.

The Imperial Capital University is very large, and there are huge differences between each department. If you don't actively participate in social activities, it's difficult to get to know people from other departments.

Lu Zhao recognized the name because the other person had always been the top student in the grade.

As for what kind of supernatural power it is, that's a matter of personal privacy, and the school generally doesn't disclose that information.

Gu Yun commented, "Hmm... he's colder than I imagined, but it's normal that you don't know me. I was basically in the lab during my time at school."

Pointing fingers at someone in front of them is a sign of poor emotional intelligence.

Lu Zhao thought to himself that he was complaining, but he didn't say anything.

"What are you doing here?"

A loud voice came from afar, and a 1.9-meter-tall man with a square face walked over.

"Hey? Isn't this Lu Zhao from TV? Hello, my name is Shen Sanzheng."

"Hello."

Lu Zhao shook hands with them all, showing neither the arrogance nor the enthusiasm they had imagined.

Like a bowl of plain water, neither salty nor bland, neither hot nor cold.

Contrary to his appearance.

After everyone introduced themselves and chatted for a while, it was lunchtime, so they went to the cafeteria together for a meal and then returned to their dormitories.

During this time, when he met other classmates, he would also introduce Lu Zhao.

There is social interaction, but not much.

After walking around, I had met almost all thirteen students in the class, including many who graduated from Beijing University of Technology.

They can be roughly divided into three categories: those like Lu Zhao who came from the military, those who climbed up from the administrative departments, and those with a scientific research background.

Lu Zhao and Shen San were both from the military; one was from the border defense and the other from the Chishui Army.

Zhou Wanhua and Gu Yun both have scientific research backgrounds; they worked at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shentong Academy before coming to Cangwu.

Among them, Shen Sanzheng is the oldest at 31, Zhou Wanhua is 29, and Gu Yun and Lu Zhao are the same age.

Three fifty in the afternoon.

"Brother Lu, it's time to go to class."

Shen Sanzheng's loud voice could be heard throughout the entire floor. Lu Zhao opened the door, and the others came out one after another.

Gu Yun yawned and said, "Uncle Shen, your voice sounds like you're in a battle. This isn't the military; we don't need to be so punctual. Besides, class doesn't start for another ten minutes. What's the rush?"

Shen Sanzheng said solemnly, "Without rules, there can be no order. We suffer no loss if we arrive a minute early, but we break the rules if we arrive a minute late."

Lu Zhao nodded slightly in agreement: "Being late might result in a demerit, there's no need to create trouble for yourself."

Outnumbered, Gu Yun had no choice but to submit to the majority.

Zhou Wanhua stood to the side holding a cane for the blind, simply maintaining a smile.

The four of them walked toward the classroom. The dormitory and the teaching building were not far apart, and it only took them five minutes to reach the designated classroom.

It's more like a meeting room than a classroom, equipped with a projector, circular tables, and group layouts.

Thirteen people arrived one after another, ranging in age from their twenties to their sixties, with the highest-ranking among them being a prefectural-level official.

Previously, he held an important leadership position in Yulin County, but has now been promoted and transferred to Cangwu.

But here everyone is equal, and it is intentionally arranged so that everyone comes from different systems and factions, and there is no subordinate relationship.

For example, Lu Zhao, a county official, was only in charge of border defense. He was going to join the special counter-terrorism unit later. Even if he were a high-ranking federal official, it wouldn't make a difference.

A small platform for free speech, allowing key elites from different fields of the Federation to express their opinions and engage in discussions on issues in federal society.

Abbreviation: Keyboard politics. The only difference is that they are not just keyboard warriors; those who graduate from here have the potential to become high-ranking officials and implement their own ideas.

About a minute later, an elderly professor with white hair arrived late.

His aura was very weak, less than the second level.

However, in academia, the level of life development is generally not used to determine one's status; many federal university scholars only have three levels.

The old professor glanced at Lu Zhao and said with a smile, "We have a new comrade arriving today, who is also the main subject of our discussion these past two days."

"Comrade Lu Zhao, please stand up for a moment."

Lu Zhao stood up and said, "Here."

The old professor asked, "We've been discussing your speech for the past two days, and now that you're here, could you help us comment on who best represents what you wanted to express?"

Lu Zhaodao said, "What I'm saying is all about the current federal system; there's nothing more to say."

The old professor maintained his smile and said, "It seems our new student doesn't enjoy discussion, so let's just move on from this topic."

As he spoke, he turned around and wrote a line on the whiteboard.

On the collapse of states during cataclysmic events.

"The Great Cataclysm began in 3230, but human society began to collapse five years earlier. That is, in 3225, do you know which sovereign state was the first to collapse?"

Gu Yun replied, "Our neighbor in the north."

The professor said, "That's wrong. It's a small country called Worso in the southern continent."

Gu Yun retorted: "When discussing national political systems, academia generally refers to the five major countries, excluding other smaller countries. Can the constituent states of a federation be considered countries? In general, they can only listen to the hegemons of nearby regions."

One federation, one northern empire, and three kingdoms of the western continent.

The professor paused for a moment, then agreed, "That's true, but that's not our focus today. What we're going to discuss is why the Federation can continue to exist while other countries no longer exist."

Another line was written on the whiteboard.

Different countries have different choices regarding roads.

The professor took out a stack of documents and distributed them to everyone, saying, "At the beginning of this year, a document was no longer classified. From this document, we can learn that the cataclysm did not happen overnight. Five years before the cataclysm, various countries had already noticed it, but for various reasons, they did not take it seriously and regarded it as a kind of cyclical increase."

"Then it continued to accumulate, and in 3229, the year before the Great Cataclysm, it was discovered that the Ancient God Circle had begun to expand uncontrollably."

Gu Yun asked, "Professor, doesn't our federation have any measures either?"

"No," the professor shook his head and said, "However, we have a long history of experience in managing the Yellow River and various ancient god circles, and according to the existing mechanisms, our efforts are greater than those of any other country. Therefore, we have time to react, and only the three countries of the Western Continent can hold out in other regions."

"But the solutions they adopted inevitably led to the disintegration of the country."

The professor wrote another line.

The feudal system of city-states.

Not every inch of a country's territory can be utilized. China's land utilization rate is approximately 60%, and even lower if forestry is excluded.

However, important oil fields, mineral resources, and plains cannot be abandoned.

For example, in Nankaido, the outer islands can be abandoned, and Nankai West is not that important. Only the alluvial plain of the Ooe River is valuable in Nankai East.

Based on this calculation, if a city-state system were adopted, a city called Nanhai would emerge to govern this region.

Furthermore, due to the invasion of the ancient god circle, which created a certain degree of physical barrier, they gradually developed their own army, finances, and laws.

Even though the state still existed in name, it had been effectively dispersed into city-states.

The advantage of doing this is that we no longer need to devote most of our resources to fighting against the ancient gods, and instead can start fighting among ourselves to compete for valuable territories.

As Lu Zhao looked at the documents in his hand, he gradually returned to the year 3230, the era when human civilization had completely fallen from its position as the world's dominant power.

Over the next five days, they traveled from the Sultanate Islands to the Indochina Peninsula, from the Persian Empire to the countries of the Western Continent.

Guided by the old professor's confidential documents, Lu Zhao and others learned many secrets unknown to the outside world.

Beyond the Central Plains, many regions still bear traces of human activity, and the city-states formed from the disintegration of powerful nations before the Great Cataclysm still retain modern military armies.

At the same time, we have maintained contact with the federal government.

The professor asked, "Lu Zhao, if you were to return to the year 3230, and become the King of Siam in the Indochina Peninsula, with the Federation granting you maximum autonomy, what would you do, setting aside your existing stances and emotions?"

"Should we stay put, defend our city-state, or flee to the Central Plains?"

Without hesitation, Lu Zhao replied, "I will choose to resist to the greatest extent possible and build city-states to preserve the flame."

"It seems that our classmate Lu Zhao is a pragmatist."

The professor did not say whether it was right or wrong, nor was there any grading.

He looked at Shen Sanzheng, who had already stood up without needing to be asked.

"No matter where we are, I think we should launch a counterattack against the Ancient God Circle and wipe them out before they become fully powerful!"

The professor nodded and then asked the blind man, Zhou Wanhua, a question.

Zhou Wanhua said, "I think it depends on the situation. Even if I had to do it all over again, I would still stick to the original plan. At least it's not bad now."

The professor asked, "Gu Yun, if you were the Japanese royal family, what would you do?"

Gu Yun replied, "I would commit suicide. I don't want to be a hybrid born from inbreeding."

"...We should now transcend emotions and act without bias."

"Professor, historically they did commit suicide, or rather, were forced to commit suicide. There are rumors that a group of young military officers led a hundred million royals to their deaths. Professor, do you really think that emperors and kings have the power to determine the direction of a country?"

Gu Yun continued to argue sophistry as always, and always liked to point out the weaknesses and flaws of each country.

“We are conducting a simulation, not playing house. Every nation has its own fundamental character and ideology. If you insist on fighting to the end, are the people truly willing to share your hardships?”

After observing for five days, Lu Zhao had roughly figured out the inclinations of these people.

Shen Sanzheng came from a military background and acted decisively, but he also had a tendency to favor quick victories.

However, this cannot be confirmed; it could simply be a case of bravery. Many frontline commanders are like this, focusing only on specific objectives.

Zhou Wanhua always said it depended on the situation, while Gu Yun was simply a contrarian.

For those who are older, the answers are mostly formulaic.

Always obey federal orders and follow the commands of superiors, etc.

These words are not wrong, but they do not fit the main point of the lesson.

Lu Zhao vaguely understood the purpose of the cadre academy's courses; it was a kind of alternative patriotic education.

Using numerous data and examples, and through continuous argumentation, we demonstrate that the existing system is already the best achievement of human society.

Other regions have also staged protests, but all have failed and disintegrated for various reasons. Maintaining the existing system and institutions is the only way forward.

The federal government cannot afford to miss out on the high ground of public opinion.

Lu Zhao could tell from the teaching content that the conservative establishment was in the majority.

"This project has been successfully completed today, and I believe everyone has their own answers."

The old professor took out another document and smiled, "I hope everyone will take a good look at this next one when they get back. This is no longer a simulation, but the Federation's first attempt in ten years."

After the materials were distributed, Lu Zhao took them out of the leather bag, and the first thing he saw was "Strategic Planning for Central and Southern China".

A few minutes later, surprised and doubtful voices echoed throughout the classroom.

This document is long, yet concise, stating only one thing.

Starting this year, the federal government will launch a plan that mainly involves recovering the Indochina Peninsula and expanding arable land.

The Federation is about to take action against the Water Beast Cave.

This is a classified plan, but the cadre academy is at a high enough level to know about it.

The professor said, "Tomorrow we will be going to Tuen Mun Island for on-site research for this project. We will meet at eight o'clock in the morning, so please remember to get up early."

After class, Lu Zhao called Secretary Liu to confirm and received an affirmative answer.

The relocation of industries inland was an internal reform, while the strategic management of Central and Southern China was an external change.

After a decade of silence, it's time for the Federation to seek a breakthrough.

If the industrial relocation is successful, Nankaido will establish a massive military group, much like the Chishui Army of Nanchudo, extending its reach into the Indochina Peninsula.

(End of this chapter)