dmims Page 117
Page 117
Thank you all for your support! It's hard to believe I've actually written 500,000 words, and I'll be writing many more 500,000-word sums—anyway!
(Clenches fist) I wish everyone success in achieving their goals step by step. Let's cheer each other on!
Volume 2: Fireworks at Lungmen: Chapter 228 (Main Story) Hoshiguma: Have illegal activities in the Lower City become so rampant?
Hoshiguma hadn't expected Yunyi to suddenly burst out with such exaggerated enthusiasm.
She looked down at Yun Yi in surprise, a thoughtful look unconsciously appearing in her golden eyes. So Yun Yi liked... a reasonable and legal reward?
"A rare hobby," Hoshiguma thought to herself.
Many people enjoy legitimate rewards, but very few consider them a hobby.
This is similar to the fact that while people like their salary, many don't actually like their job.
Hoshiguma's surprised expression did not affect Yunyi. She swaggered into the hotel lobby, controlling the invisible Nirvana.
There seemed to be more people here than you could roughly see from the outside; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as shoulder to shoulder.
And for some unknown reason, people from all walks of life, from all sorts of sects, would occasionally clash and squeeze each other when they gathered together, but Yun Yi didn't see any conflicts arising.
The Nirvana hovered above the crowd, unreachable and unseen by anyone. Its red-glowing eyes slowly scanned the unusual people below, following Yun Yi's will.
The voices of people, whether loud, calm, or dejected, converged into a wave of sound in the lobby, all of which were captured by the Nirvana horn, which Yunyi had specially tuned.
The AI aboard the Nirvana then diligently filtered out the useful conversations.
"The final fighting tournament! Tch, what a gimmick, but I'm really going to eat it all up! Hurry up and bring it on! I'm going to have a real fight!"
"What's wrong with you? Shut your noisy mouth. I don't want to be in the spotlight with you."
……
"Hey? Dude, you're involved in the auction too?! How come so many people have received the news? Is it really the last one?"
"Hmm? Sis, your information channels aren't very good. How about you buy information from me in the future? To show my sincerity, I'll just tell you the information about this auction directly—actually, the organizers have offended an unknown big shot and are already preparing to run away. This new auction and the old underground fighting are combined to get rid of all the accumulated goods at once."
……
"What a grand display... It seems the news is true. *The gods of the Ursus minorities*, please bless me to victory, to the very end—brother, don't let go, don't stray too far from me."
"elder brother……"
As the child's choked sobs faded, the two people in the cockpit of the Nirvana understood the situation.
Or rather, this time the person behind the hotel made no attempt to hide their intentions, just wanting to make one last big profit.
So here's the question: even if the hotel announced the two-in-one event, and the news was indeed attractive to many people, how were these people able to gather together in such a short time?
The confusion in Yunyi's eyes was almost overflowing.
Hoshiguma's expression was serious. Based on previous information, she was certain that the auctions and fighting tournaments people were talking about were most likely illegal.
Which force dares to bring so many people together for an illegal assembly?
The two men's questions went unanswered. The most urgent task was not to find out the truth, but to destroy this gathering that would break up countless families and clean up this hotel filled with sin.
Hoshiguma and Yunyi, who shared similar thoughts, met in mid-air and saw a shared anger and calmness in each other's eyes, causing them to freeze in surprise.
Hoshiguma was the first to react. She immediately raised her hannya and gestured, "Little Yunyi, take me to draw attention. Please go and find evidence—if you encounter the leader on the way, just grab him. This is no longer an ordinary illegal activity; we must strike hard!"
“Okay,” Yun Yi agreed without further ado, then looked at the bustling lobby that showed no signs of slowing down and asked, “Little Star Bear, where do you want to attract attention?”
"The place where everyone will eventually gather." Hoshiguma gripped the Hannya tightly, his gaze resolute. "Place me on the beam directly above the auction house or the fighting arena, and I will enter at the right time."
“The auction and the fighting arena should be in the same place,” Yun Yi, who had been to the hotel’s underground space, reminded him. “Furthermore, I’m not sure about this renovation, but the last one had a very high auction venue, maybe ten or even dozens of meters high. Are you sure it’s okay?”
"Haha, don't worry, this height is fine." Hoshiguma smiled confidently.
She held up a half-person-high, imposing Prajna in her hand, her golden eyes gleaming with a coldness that wasn't directed at Yun Yi, but at the person behind the hotel. "Some leaders like to personally take the lead when creating important gimmicks. I'm on standby up there to keep an eye on things so we don't miss out on the big fish."
The big fish being alerted and escaping beforehand is not something Hoshiguma wants to see.
Seeing Hoshiguma's resolute attitude, Yunyi respected the professional's judgment, turned to look at the external projection, and controlled the Nirvana to follow the direction of the crowd. "I understand. Wait a moment. I remember that the underground space can only be reached by going through a fairly long elevator shaft."
"No rush. As long as the auction or the fighting tournament hasn't officially started, we'll have enough time." Hoshiguma looked up at the endless stream of people and gently reassured Yun Yi.
Yun Yi nodded silently, his gaze fixed on the crowd at the foot of the Nirvana.
With people guiding them on both sides, the flow of people moved forward at a good speed, and no stampedes or accidents occurred. Before long, the Nirvana successfully arrived at the familiar corridor with the elevator leading to the underground space.
But what was unexpected, yet reasonable, was that the spacious elevator had been renovated into a behemoth even larger than a truck bed.
People poured into its massive mouth like sardines. Once it was full, the heavy, lead-gray doors slowly closed from both sides. Then, the entire elevator car roared and descended vertically, revealing a pitch-black gap that resembled a feeding abyss.
A small group of brightly dressed people showed obvious disgust at the overcrowded elevator, and were then led by a waiter to a smaller but more exquisite elevator next to them.
Yun Yi glanced at it and lost interest, shifting his gaze back to the gap, preparing to have the Nirvana go directly down to the underground space from there.
Hoshiguma's gaze lingered on that group of people, a sharp, cold glint flashing in her golden eyes.
Are these people among the backers? No wonder...
Under Yunyi's control, the Nirvana flew into the gap, which was an elevator shaft that had been hastily modified. The exquisite elevator that Hoshiguma could see disappeared into the distance.
She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then turned to look at Yun Yi. "Yun Yi, what do you think about the corrupt officials in the government?"
Hoshiguma's question came out of nowhere and was somewhat sudden, and it was this suddenness that made Yunyi realize the reason.
She bluntly asked, "Have you seen any corrupt officials in the Lungmen government?"
“Yes.” Hoshiguma nodded honestly, her expression complicated. “They need to be cleaned up, but not now… I’d like to know your thoughts.”
Volume 2: Fireworks at Lungmen: Chapter 229 (Intersection of Thoughts) Hoshiguma: Although the method is immature, it seems to have a systematic approach?
Yunyi loathed these kinds of people so much that she had no desire to talk about them, but since it was the honest Hoshiguma who asked her, Yunyi reluctantly spent some brain cells to think about it.
He then said in a detached tone, "My opinion? Personally speaking, these parasites should be wiped out. Every second they live is a waste of resources and talent, and a desecration of the victims."
"However, the fact that they have been able to continue to exist without being purged shows that these parasites have actually achieved a balance between the development and waste of social resources," Yun Yi said, his eyelids drooping listlessly.
It's clear that she said these things simply to maintain the objectivity of her statements, rather than because she genuinely thought they were useless. "If there isn't someone with superior abilities in all aspects to take over, they shouldn't be hastily eliminated, even for the sake of social stability."
Hoshiguma placed her fingertip to her lips, a complex light flashing deep within her golden eyes. "So, you also believe that the parasites cannot be touched before a successor is found?"
As she spoke, her gaze gently swept across Yun Yi's delicate face, carefully observing her expression.
"Huh?" Yun Yi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "How could that be? Isn't that condoning the evil of parasites?"
She looked up at Hoshiguma. Yunyi couldn't discern the emotions in Hoshiguma's eyes at that moment, but intuitively, he could tell that her mood had shifted from low to serious because of her words.
Hoshiguma's golden eyes were fixed on Yun Yi as if they had locked onto its prey. "You mean...?"
—Hoshiguma cares a lot about government corrupt officials, or rather, she cares a great deal about how to deal with them.
Yun Yi seemed to understand something, and at the same time, he became a little curious. Why was she so concerned? Could it be that Hoshiguma or someone Hoshiguma cared about had been harmed by parasites in the past? Or was it just that she was simply kind-hearted?
But you can't ask this question directly, that would be too hurtful.
Moreover, compared to his current superficial curiosity, Yunyi should obviously respond to Xingxiong's serious "consultation" more promptly.
With this in mind, Yun Yi, showing basic respect for Hoshiguma, turned around to face her directly, her expression becoming serious. This made her already imposing golden eyes appear even more majestic—though she herself was unaware of this.
Yun Yi maintained his solemnity and took a moment to organize his thoughts.
Hoshiguma looked at Yun Yi, who seemed even more serious than her for a moment, and a sliver of hope rose in her heart as she waited patiently.
She had observed this question for a long time and naturally had her own answer, but that did not prevent her from drawing on the experience of another land to make her answer more complete.
Just before the Nirvana was about to follow the large elevator car to the underground space, Yun Yi, with the utmost seriousness, looked at Hoshiguma and said, "Little Hoshiguma, if you really want to get rid of the parasites, then I can tell you with certainty—whether you kill them, trap them, or sweep them away, it will be useless. A major characteristic of parasites is that they are endless and never-ending."
“Yes, I understand. After all, they stem from the desires that humans cannot sever.” Hoshiguma nodded in agreement without any surprise. As a demon who could think, observe, and empathize, she had long had a clear understanding of this since joining the Guard Bureau.
Therefore, she never thought about eliminating the termites—was that even possible? Probably not.
With such a clear understanding, Hoshiguma only cares about...
She lowered her gaze to meet Yun Yi's eyes, which were shining with a faint light. "I just want to know, if we encounter parasites, how can we deal with them harmlessly and prevent more people from being harmed?"
Simply killing them would only have a temporary effect, Hoshiguma, who had experienced it firsthand, certainly thought. So what other methods were there?
Yun Yi nodded. Her use of a well-known opening was not to belittle Hoshiguma, but to suggest that Hoshiguma, who had lived for so many years and entered the system, couldn't even understand this simple point.
Instead, he wanted to further clarify Hoshiguma's fundamental desire to ask about the parasite issue without triggering bad memories or hurting the other party.
Is it harmless disposal after an individual finds it? This is slightly simpler than the government's overall anti-corruption campaign, but only by a tiny bit.
With a goal in mind, Yun Yi's thinking speed increased considerably. Almost as soon as Hoshiguma finished speaking, he stretched out his index finger and shook it, "Little Hoshiguma, the standards for 'parasites' vary from place to place. In Lungmen, we'll just call them Lungmen parasites, okay?"
“Yes, please.” Hoshiguma replied curtly, her eyes slightly urging him on.
Yun Yi coughed. It's only natural to talk politics and keep people in suspense—well, doing this when people are anxious is indeed a bit much.
She touched the tip of her nose sheepishly and quickly got to the point, "The common problem with parasites is that their personal desires override the public interest. The parasites in Longmen are no exception. The harm they cause is usually based on this. At this point, it is necessary to distinguish the severity of the harm."
“For minor offenses, I personally think that ideological education and reasonable compensation to the victims are sufficient, but this cannot be proposed by individuals like us. It requires the intervention of the Lungmen government,” Yun Yi scratched his head in distress. “For minor offenses like this, Xiao Xingxiong, you can collect clues and hand them over to Wei Yanwu so that he can intervene from the higher levels to avoid causing deeper conflict.”
“For minor offenses, Lungmen has relatively comprehensive measures in place.” Hoshiguma pursed her lips. If Lungmen were so corrupt that it couldn’t even deal with minor cases of corruption, she wouldn’t have been willing to join in the first place.
"I see..." Yun Yi felt that his understanding of Longmen had become clearer.
Lungmen truly lives up to its title of "international city." Apart from the inexplicable arrest of her and the hotel and its backers that have managed to remain so arrogant for some unknown reason, the overall policies seem to be quite sound, far removed from the chaotic image of Terra that Yun Yi had imagined.
That's true. Development requires a basic order. The fact that Terra can develop so many strange technologies, even if some of them are gifts from the old civilization, shows that Terra is not as chaotic as she imagined.
After correcting his unrealistic fantasies, Yun Yi exhaled and sorted out his thoughts, continuing, "Then let's get straight to the serious cases. As an individual, in my previous life, I was capable enough to have a relatively successful process for dealing with these heinous internal parasites."
"The first step is to collect evidence and submit it to the relevant departments. In Lungmen, this should be the Guard Bureau or the superior unit of the parties involved." Yun Yi said, resting his chin on his hand as he thought. "It doesn't matter if we fail, because the other party is so bold. There is a high probability that they have someone above them. Another possibility is that the superiors think the other party is easy to use."
“It’s easy to use…” Hoshiguma recalled the gangs she had encountered in the slums before.
Some powerful figures will not abandon their subordinates even if they know that their men have harmed their brothers. When she stood up for someone she knew and asked why, she had heard similar or the same answers.
But, "Why?"
Volume 2, Chapter 230 (Main Story Micro-Post): Yun Yi: Hehehe, cute little chick~
Hoshiguma asked Yunyi the same question she had asked those dismissive big shots: "There are so many capable people. They could easily replace them with someone of similar ability who would have a greater positive impact on the gang, the government, and society."
"Why not replace it?" The moment the question left her lips, Hoshiguma already knew the answer. She couldn't understand it, but she could deduce the reason through logic.
It's simply a matter of not caring.
“Because I don’t care that much,” Yun Yi’s assertion echoed Hoshiguma’s thoughts.
Hoshiguma's eyes widened slightly, her dark gold eyes reflecting the disgust on Yun Yi's face and his slightly parted lips. "Talented people are indeed emerging all the time, but it takes a lot of time, energy and resources to train them to a level that you can handle."
“Therefore, if those in power don’t care so much about the lives of others, then they have no reason to expend more effort to replace someone who is capable enough.” Yun Yi’s cold voice echoed on the disc platform.
The content wasn't particularly profound, but it aligned with Hoshiguma's long-held, powerless conjecture.
Hoshiguma sighed, "I knew it."
Seeing that her mood was getting lower and lower, Yun Yi patted Hoshiguma's gloved hand that was holding the handle of the Hannya and comforted her, "This is normal. In the land where the order was relatively well-established and management was easier, people like this were extremely rare."
"Based on Terra's most fundamental principle of equality for all—I mean, equality for all regardless of race, whether infected or not." Yun Yi explained carefully to avoid any ambiguity.
She then concluded, "If this kind of equality is not widely recognized, then neglecting the underprivileged is probably even more common..."
Yun Yi touched his lips, thought for a moment, and added, "Of course, there will be those who pay attention to it too."
“You’re right.” Hoshiguma went through the intelligence on various countries in her mind. Just as Yun Yi had guessed, governments that focused on the grassroots level were… very few.
“Look, even the most basic requirements haven’t been met here. Without the fertile ground of equality, how can we expect to cultivate a large number of politicians who align with our ideas and focus on the grassroots?” Yun Yi tapped Hoshiguma’s hand through his black gloves. “Don’t overthink it. Instead of worrying about whether those political creatures who aren’t even human are human, let’s think about how to bring them down completely.”
Hoshiguma's ears, hidden by her green hair, turned slightly red. She hesitated for a moment but still didn't tell Yunyi. Although her gloves were thick, she could still feel the back of her hand through the gloves.
She tried her best to ignore the soft, fleeting, and persistent light touch on the back of her hand, focusing on listening to Yun Yi's soothing voice.
“At worst, you can ask 002 to add a thought liberation module to the terminal, and through ideological movements, make more people recognize the equality of all people, thereby cultivating politicians who suit your tastes.” Yun Yi turned to look at 002 by the bench.
002 immediately and cooperatively pulled out a standee from an unknown location, on which was scrawled in a crooked hand: "No problem! Leave it to me!" Then it turned the standee over, revealing another line of equally childlike but irregular text: "Other modules are also welcome to be customized!"
Before Hoshiguma could respond with a smile in her eyes, 001, who had somehow gotten onto Yun Yi's shoulder, let out a protesting cry, "Chirp!" Cunning!
"Chirp chirp." Normal work, not cunning. 002 calmly retorted.
001 immediately gave 002 a sullen look, then turned around, raised its fluffy wings, and rubbed against Yun Yi's face, acting cute, "Chirp chirp!" 001 wants a new mission too, 001 wants a new mission too!
"Okay, okay, I'll definitely give 001 a new task." The fluffy touch made Yun Yi instantly give in.