The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Night fades and dawn breaks.

As the first rays of dawn pierce the horizon and dispel the gloom that blankets the earth, a new day begins.

The sun will still rise, no matter what happened last night.

Beijing.

Inside Chi Zhengyang's office.

Mr. Qian, Mr. An, Mr. Wei, and Mr. Wu have all arrived.

Instead of their usual formal attire, they were dressed in casual clothes, making final preparations before entering the Wasteland Era.

Old An suddenly put down what he was doing and looked at Old Qian, who was wiping a half-dagger beside him.

"Old Qian, I need to give you a heads-up."

"When you see Comrade Lin Mo later, you'd better control your emotions."

"Don't be so inconsiderate, saying whatever comes to mind."

Old Qian paused in his wiping motion, looked up, and his rugged face was filled with resentment.

"Hey, in your old folks' eyes, am I the kind of person who has no sense of propriety?"

Old An did not answer.

He simply looked around calmly.

Chi Zhengyang subtly adjusted his cuffs.

Old Wei, who always loved to joke, was now looking down and pretending to be intently studying the wood grain on the table.

Meanwhile, the old witch, who was almost invisible in the corner, only opened his eyes briefly before quickly closing them again, as if everything was irrelevant to him.

But silence itself is an attitude.

Professor Qian: "..."

"Hey, what do you mean by this!"

Old Master An also felt that what he had said earlier might have been somewhat inappropriate, so he changed to a more tactful and direct approach.

"Forget it, you might as well not say anything."

"We'll talk about it later. When we mention you, just nod, smile, and say 'Mm'."

"The rest of the time you just stay silent and stand to the side without saying a word."

Professor Qian: "..."

"What exactly do you mean?!"

Old Man An: "You don't want to stand? You can find somewhere to sit."

Old Qian rolled up his sleeves: "Hey, I have such a fiery temper!"

Seeing that Old Qian was getting emotional, Chi Zhengyang patted Old Qian on the shoulder and pressed him back down: "Old An, it's not that serious."

"From what I understand, Comrade Lin Mo is not an unpleasant person to get along with."

Changing the subject, Chi Zhengyang's expression became more serious.

"But Lao Qian, let's not bring up your personal opinions in this setting."

These words offered no comfort whatsoever; they were more like igniting a powder keg.

Mr. Qian immediately slammed his hand on the table and jumped up from his chair.

You give me a sweet treat, then you hit me with a stick, right?

"What's wrong? He didn't do a good job, so I can't even say anything?"

Mr. Qian's voice rose with excitement, sounding particularly loud in the quiet office.

"That kid is too young, short-sighted, and lacks long-term vision!"

"I just don't understand. The situation is already so dire, time is running out, and the spots in 'Wasteland Era' are so scarce. Why waste so many spots on ordinary people?"

"Wouldn't it be better to let all our soldiers go in?"

"Our soldiers, at the very least, have received the most professional training; their physical fitness, mental fortitude, and execution capabilities far surpass those of ordinary people!"

"Let them go in and earn Source Crystals. The efficiency might not increase several times over, but it will definitely be significantly improved, and it will also make it easier for us to unify command and control!"

"Only when our overall strength is enhanced can we better protect the Dragon Kingdom and the hundreds of millions of people behind us. Am I wrong?!"

"Put your hands on your hearts and tell me, was my consideration wrong?"

"And my idea would also be beneficial for that little guy, wouldn't it?"

"Doesn't he also need to increase his sales to upgrade his general store?"

Old Master An picked up his teacup and gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, proceeding slowly and deliberately.

"Why can't I get through to you?"

"This world isn't just black and white. You're so old, how come you're still so single-minded like you were when you were young?"

He put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it hit the table.

Mr. Qian: "What exactly do you mean?"

Old Man An: "I didn't mean anything, I just felt..."

"As long as it's not a major issue of principle, it's good to listen to the opinions of young people on other matters."

"Moreover, young people nowadays have their own ideas, and I don't think there's anything wrong with going along with their ideas."

"In this way, Comrade Lin Mo is happy, we are happy, the people below are happy to earn money while playing games, and we are all happy. Why not do it?"

"Moreover, you can't expect everyone to act according to your ideas, and you need to understand one more thing."

Old Master An's tone suddenly turned somber.

"Comrade Lin Mo is not one of your soldiers, so he doesn't need to take your orders."

Old Qian's chest heaved violently, clearly he was furious, but he managed to suppress his anger and sat back down, still muttering to himself.

"I know my limits! Do I look like the kind of person who can't speak properly?"

Everyone's lips twitched: Isn't that right?

Old Wei smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "I think Old Qian's suggestion is quite good."

"Right? My thinking wasn't wrong, was it?" Old Qian clenched his right fist and pounded his chest twice, giving him a look that said, "You really know me."

Old Master Wei: "But, on the other hand..."

Old Qian rolled his eyes faster than anything else: "I knew you old geezer had no good intentions, you're really wicked!"

"Let me finish," Old Wei said with a wry smile. "It's normal that Comrade Lin Mo doesn't have confidence in us."

"Don't forget, Comrade Lin Mo has experienced the apocalypse and died once, but he is still willing to believe in us. What right do we have to ask for more?"

Qian's idea is indeed excellent, and it is the optimal solution for the current situation, without exception.

Our soldiers are the best, there's no question about that.

But Lin Mo represents hundreds of millions of ordinary people.

Thinking of this, Old Wei couldn't help but sigh. He hadn't experienced that apocalypse himself, and he didn't know what the scene would be like five years from now.

However, even without experiencing it firsthand, he could sense the other person's despair.

Countless monsters appeared around him, and he had no way to protect himself; he was surrounded by enemies.

Comrade Lin Mo may have unconsciously placed himself in the ranks of ordinary people who are not protected by others.

That's why he spoke up to fight for the rights of ordinary people like himself.

No one has the right to deny another person's survival instinct.

As long as the other party's ideas do not harm the public, they can be accepted to a certain extent.

Ultimately, it comes down to the different starting points for both sides.

They were more concerned with future development, while Lin Mo was more concerned with the living environment of ordinary people.

"I will speak tactfully," Old Qian said weakly.

Just then, the old shaman, who had been silent as if in a meditative state, suddenly spoke.

His voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.

"Or maybe we shouldn't let him go at all."

"To avoid wasting a spot."

The air froze instantly.

Chi Zhengyang, Elder An, and Elder Wei exchanged glances.

Then, he nodded heavily in the direction of Elder Wu.

"That's a good option."

Professor Qian: "..."

He froze, feeling utterly pathetic as if the whole world had abandoned him, and his old face instantly flushed red.

"No, I have to go!"

"And I have to go!"