Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 256 The Argument Between the Three (Eighth Update)
Johnny placed one foot on the chair, his silver prosthetic leg gleaming coldly under the light.

"Rules? Order?" He smirked. "Isn't that just a collar put on everyone by the corporate dogs? True freedom? It's street vendors not having to worry about what others think, it's workers daring to bang their fists on the table at their bosses, it's everyone being the master of their own turf!"

He looked around the conference room, his gaze finally settling on Lai Xuan.

“You people who are high and mighty have no idea what kind of lives those below are living. They don’t need anyone to tell them what to do; they just need to reclaim what is rightfully theirs—the confidence to speak, the freedom to choose, and the dignity to live like human beings!”

Takashi Arasaka calmly responded: "Unregulated freedom will eventually lead to the survival of the fittest. Japan's postwar reconstruction experience proves that a stable social structure is the cornerstone of development. Only when everyone understands their responsibilities can the whole society function efficiently."

"Efficient?" Johnny slammed his fist on the table. "Just for your so-called efficiency, you're going to silence all dissenting voices? Force everyone into the same mold? What the hell makes you any different from those bastards from Arasaka?"

Lai Xuan took a deep breath and interjected, "What I've seen during my week at the distribution point is more complicated than you've described. The elderly do need a stable ration, but the young people crave more possibilities."

Perhaps...we could, while ensuring basic survival, provide different options for different people?

“Choice?” Johnny sneered. “Under corporate rule, the poor never have a choice. It’s either be a dog or die. What I want is to completely rewrite that rule—so that street sweepers and office workers can both stand tall and speak with dignity!”

Arasaka shook his head slightly: "Idealism won't fill an empty stomach. Without a sound management system, the equality you pursue will only lead to chaos. Looking back at the history of Night City, every so-called 'liberation movement' has ultimately turned into a new tyranny."

“That’s because they’ve only changed the name, not the substance!” Johnny stood up excitedly. “What we want isn’t a change of masters, but a complete overthrow of this system that divides people into different classes! We want janitors and CEOs to be on equal footing, and street kids to have the same voice as company executives!”

Lai Xuan seemed thoughtful: "Perhaps... we don't have to completely negate everything that exists. We can proceed step by step, starting with pilot programs at the community level. Let residents decide how public spaces should be planned, and let workers participate in the formulation of work systems. This will maintain overall stability while leaving room for change."

Johnny was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned: "You know what? What I hate most is your lukewarm reforms. But..." He took off his sunglasses, revealing a sharp look in his eyes, "If it really allows the people at the bottom to have their voices heard, I'd like to see what kind of storm it can stir up."

Arasaka nodded slightly: "Limited autonomy can be piloted in non-core areas. However, a sound oversight mechanism must be established to ensure that it does not affect the overall operation of society."

Chen Yu's projection remained still, observing this clash of ideas.

The collision of these three ideas gradually outlines a possible future: perhaps a new path can be found between order and freedom.

A brief silence fell over the meeting room, like the calm before a storm.

Everyone is digesting the sparks of thought that just ignited during the exchange.

Lai Xuan slowly raised his head, his gaze becoming profound: "Johnny, you advocate for janitors and CEOs to be on equal footing. But during my week at the grassroots level, I saw not only oppression, but also the heavy burden of responsibility."

When a person struggles to even have enough to eat tomorrow, their first concern isn't the right to speak, but the right to survive.

He turned to Arasaka Kei: "Brother, your order does provide a guarantee of survival, but have you ever thought about how long this order can last when a person's channels for expressing dissatisfaction are blocked?"

At the distribution point, I saw the resentment in the eyes of the young people; it wasn't just a desire for food, but a yearning for dignity.

Johnny scoffed, but this time he didn't immediately retort. He stroked his silver prosthetic arm thoughtfully: "You're right, when people are hungry, their first thought is to fill their stomachs. But the problem is, in a corporate system, the poor can only ever think about filling their stomachs; they never have the chance to think about higher-level needs. What I want to break is this damned cycle!"

"And then what?" Arasaka asked calmly. "Fifty years ago, the nuclear bomb shattered the old order, and then what? Did a new order automatically descend? Or do you expect an ideal world to spring up naturally from the ruins?"

His voice remained calm, but carried a deeper meaning: "Japan was able to recover quickly after the war precisely because we understood that a new order must be established immediately after destruction."

“But whose order is that?” Johnny looked up sharply. “It’s an order imposed from the top down! I want an order that grows from the bottom up! An order that allows each community to find its own way of life, that lets workers decide their own work pace, that lets students participate in curriculum design…”

Lai Xuan suddenly interjected, his eyes gleaming with a new light: "Perhaps we are all limited by an either-or mindset. Why can't we take a two-pronged approach? While ensuring a macro-level order that guarantees basic survival, can we allow for autonomy at the micro-level?"
Let different communities try different management models, and let time prove which approach is more suitable for Night City.

For the first time, Arasaka Kei showed a thoughtful expression: "Your suggestion reminds me of the Sankin-kotai system during the Tokugawa era. Under a unified central government, each domain enjoyed considerable autonomy, which ensured overall stability while preserving local characteristics."

"Stop fucking looking for answers in history books!" Johnny interrupted impatiently. "We're creating something entirely new! Not some old relic dug out of the dustbin of history!" But he quickly changed the subject, "However... having different places try different approaches is a good idea."

"Let the Corporation District continue its experiment with order, and let the Watson District try true autonomy. Let's see who wins the hearts and minds of the people in the end."

Lai Hsuan continued, "The key lies in the transition mechanism. We cannot overturn everything that exists overnight, but we can design a gradual reform plan."

For example, start with the use of community public budgets, allowing residents to participate directly in decision-making; then pilot worker committees in the workplace, but initially only grant them advisory power rather than decision-making power…

"The right to make suggestions?" Johnny scoffed. "That's just giving slaves an opportunity to complain!"

“But this is a necessary first step!” Lai Xuan insisted. “We must first teach people how to use their rights before gradually expanding their scope. Otherwise, sudden freedom will only lead to chaos and will inevitably call for the return of brute force. History has taught us this lesson far too many times.”

Arasaka nodded slightly: "This viewpoint aligns with the objective laws of development. We can design a tiered empowerment system, gradually delegating management authority based on the preparedness level of each region. At the same time, we should establish a comprehensive supervision and evaluation mechanism."

Johnny remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly: "I still think this is too slow... but," he took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of sharp and clear eyes, "maybe this time I'm willing to see how far a moderate reform can go. But I must warn you—" his voice suddenly became firm, "if this turns into another scam for the company, my guitar is ready to play the music of rebellion once again."

Lai Xuan gave a wry smile: "This is the kind of checks and balances mechanism we need to establish. We need to give reforms enough time to show their effects, while also preserving channels for supervision and correction."

Perhaps true democracy lies not in choosing a particular system, but in always maintaining the possibility of changing the system.

Arasaka Kei's gaze shifted between the two men before finally settling on Raiyuki: "Your thinking is beginning to reveal an astonishing depth. Perhaps that's why the Sage arranged this meeting—to show us that there truly is a third path beyond destruction and order."

At the unseen observation point, the Sage's records continue.

This clash of ideas has transcended a simple ideological confrontation and has begun to outline a three-dimensional, multi-faceted picture of social governance.

Three different philosophies collide and merge here, giving birth to unprecedented possibilities.

(End of this chapter)