Northern Third District, Deep Snow Sky Lake.
The deep blue lake on the ground reflected the flowing clouds in the sky like a mirror, and a small boat slowly sailed across the water, leaving a rippling trail.
Near the helm, the roaring engine sound was continuous, the turned-up spray ford white foam, floating on the water's surface, two n leaned against the railing and talked.
"The hidden base's location is just ahead, Qiao Long," said the lean and dark young man, flipping through his clipboard as he spoke casually.
"Oh, it seems to be at the bottom of the lake, you've told now," replied Qiao Long, who was wearing a black T-shirt, leaning against the ship's steel plate, feeling a bit hot on his back, but for him, this temperature was like lukewarm water.
"You've been in the organization for two years, and given your recent rit, everyone thinks you're trustworthy, which is why we brought you to the hidden base this ti," the lean and dark young man said, closing the checked clipboard and hanging it on the wall nearby, propping himself up against the railing to relax and enjoy the scenery.
"The wind here is really comfortable," Qiao Long also looked up at the sky.
"Yes, it is comfortable," replied the lean and dark young man, his voice slightly distracted.
"Because this is the last rcy before the rainy season," he stood up and looked at the azure sky above.
"Is the rainy season troubleso?" Qiao Long inquired, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his waistband, offering one to the lean and dark young man.
"I don't smoke, and the rainy season is indeed troubleso," he sighed.
"During the rainy season, you can't go out fishing because the rain is highly corrosive, and the fish still living in the lake have adapted to dive and hibernate during this period."
"Even if so fish surface, they will quickly die from the rain's corrosion, and the catch wouldn't be sellable due to toxin levels exceeding standards."
"There aren't many mountains to offer shelter in the Northern Third District, so the rain always cos quickly and unexpectedly. The buildings on the ground are easily corroded and damaged, and must be painted every year with special anti-corrosive paint, which is not cheap."
"Then why don't people live underground?" Qiao Long removed the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling a smoke ring.
"Underground won't do either. The Northern Third District doesn't have the favorable geological conditions like the Northern Seventh District where you were born. The soil layer here is sandy, the structure is loose, plus there are many saline-alkali waterlogged areas, unsuitable for underground construction."
"The only thing worth ntioning is the large lake here, allowing fishing for most of the year after the rainy season ends, and light exposure is a small advantage, I suppose. There are quite a few solar power stations built here, making electricity a bit cheaper." In the Interstellar Era, electricity is a relatively cheap resource and doesn't bring much economic benefit.
"I grew up in the underground city of the Northern Seventh District and hardly saw the sun a few tis a year. Although underground life is unaffected by toxic rain, it's also quite dull, like a huge cage," Qiao Long said with a hint of reminiscence.
"That's quite nice, actually, especially safe, not having to worry about external changes, like a fortified bastion," the lean and dark young man said enviously.
"It may seem great to you, but I didn't always feel that way. I just felt the hardship of life for those living in the lower levels," Qiao Long's words trailed off as he smoked leisurely.
"Life in the lower levels is tough everywhere. Fishing on the lake, though you get to see the sun and the scenery, you'd get tired of it after a month," the lean and dark young man opined.
"True," Qiao Long said no more and just silently smoked.
Both n looked at the water foam trailing behind the boat and the sky, silent for a long while before the lean and dark young man spoke again.
"Why did you decide to join us? With your abilities, you could do well anywhere."
"Do well anywhere... Actually, there's nowhere to go, just the Federation and its shadowy corners," Qiao Long lanted.
"There's not that much choice. The Federation's investigative agencies, along with super AI, make it too easy to find soone. This kind of power and inevitability, though it protects many people, is also extrely oppressive, and even I have to be careful to avoid detection."
"I didn't think too much when joining the organization, I just wanted to survive, to live a little better," Qiao Long flicked the finished cigarette, watching the butt fly into the air, spin, and then drop into the lake.
"Well, you're really out of luck, then. Our organization isn't so peaceful retirent paradise; on the contrary, every step is a dance on the edge of extre danger," the lean and dark young man said with a skew smile.
"Since I asked you, I should share why I joined the organization too," he said.
"It's true, I have so disdain for the upper class of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, those people who only care about profits and disregard the plight of those below, but that emotion, ultimately, is just the griping of a young person. What really drove to join the organization was because I have a sister."
"She isn't as dumb as ; she's been smart from a young age and always dreamt of going to the big city to study and read."
"I wanted to see her wishes fulfilled, to watch her take flight, to leave this barren and backward place, not to repeat the life of our parents' generation."
"That's a lovely wish," Qiao Long responded simply.
"But there are those in the organization with very pure motives; I've always admired them," the lean and dark young man shook his head.
"For instance, the commander, he looks sowhat old now. When he was young, he was a rising star in the military and was promoted to 'Major' quite early. However, because of his straightforward personality, his subsequent promotions didn't go so smoothly. Only when he was about to retire was he granted the rank of 'Lieutenant Colonel.'"
"Even so, that's a pretty high rank. After retirent, he could enjoy quite a lot of subsidies and benefits."
"Yet the old man still took the risk and slowly gathered a group of people, creating an organization."
"Why did he do that?" Qiao Long rarely felt curious.
"'To teach those guys a lesson!' That's what the commander said. He had been part of the military's upper echelons and knew so of the inside details of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain."
"So, he hates Saint Yingo that much?" Qiao Long asked.
"Yes, without Saint Yingo, the Crystal Star Domain wouldn't have been stagnant for so long," said the lean young man, shaking his head.
"Okay, I don't know if the environnt of Jade Skirt can recover without Saint Yingo, but at least, the likelihood would be much greater."
"In such a situation, they capitalized on managing the corroded environnt, selling protective materials, special anti-rain paint, various isolation and purification devices, and so on, earning a sizable profit. Naturally, they wouldn't want the rain to stop."
"When it's raining, everyone cries, but the umbrella seller cracks a smile."
"These guys make their money far too comfortably, too unconscionably," the lean young man said, expressing the commander's thoughts. "It's irritating and painful. They must be taught a lesson, to make them feel the pain and the sting, to spur them to stop such behaviors."
"A grand idea," Qiao Long answered slowly.
"Judging by your tone, you don't seem to agree much," the lean young man turned around.
"It's not that I don't agree, I just think that kind of thing is too hard to accomplish." Qiao Long was not the hot-blooded young man before him; he understood all too well the violent ans at the disposal of the upper echelons and the harshness of reality.
Previously, the organization operated covertly in the shadows, rely earning so profit without showing itself. This model carried a low risk and was acceptable to everyone, but if they were to switch to open resistance, he didn't believe many people held such purely lofty ideals.
The lower one is on the social ladder, the more likely short-term benefits can sway them, because they truly lack and long for such things.
The wealthy can more easily stick to matters that promise long-term benefits, not because they are inherently noble and superior, but simply because they have more resources at their disposal. They do not need to worry overly and can comfortably wait for their benefits to materialize. They also have the power to ensure these benefits do materialize.
If the resistance were to succeed, the entire Jade Skirt would benefit. If the environnt were to improve, the inco of the residents in the northern regions would increase substantially, and they would live a happier life,
Such a concept is wonderful, but also very distant, making ordinary people feel it's out of reach, far less tangible than the imdiate and concrete offer of 100,000 Federation Coins laid out before their eyes.
The commander has a generous federal retirent stipend, allowing him to pursue ideals without concern for profit. But many mbers of the organization still have to worry about making a living. Trying to convince these people to chase purely lofty ideals is a luxury and a difficult thing to do.
Listening to Qiao Long's asured views, the lean young man's emotions gradually settled.
"You're right, you're absolutely right. It's just too hard," he admitted, knowing all too well that his organization was far from being a force capable of changing the Star Domain's situation.
But what other choice did they have? Hoping that those guys would develop a conscience and stop on their own was nearly impossible. Even if one stopped, others would quickly take their place to maintain the status quo.
Because maintaining the status quo ant profiting massively.
The two's conversation once again fell into silence until the small boat gradually arrived at the center of the lake and slowed to a halt.
"We're here," the lean young man stepped forward to adjust the coordinates in the boat's control room and temporarily brought the boat to a stop.
"Co on in," he called out to Qiao Long to co aboard, then opened a hatch at the bottom of the boat. Lake water imdiately flooded in but then settled down, probably because the boat's sides bore the weight of the hull.
"Enter the water here and keep going down. Soone will et you," the lean young man pointed to the rippling hatchway at the bottom of the boat.
After hearing this, Qiao Long jumped down, first standing on the edge to test and feel it out, then dove in.
His ears were filled with the sounds of bubbling water. Underwater, Qiao Long glanced once at the small square hatch above. The lean young man waved at him, as if saying sothing.
After that, Qiao Long turned and sank, moving toward the pitch-black lakebed below. Although he could not see into the dark lake waters ahead, since the lean young man said so, there should be an underwater base, and soone was supposed to et him. If it was simply a matter of mistrust and wanting to kill him, there was no need for such a hassle; there had been too many opportunities during the journey.
Watching Qiao Long disappear into the depths, the lean young man paused for a short while, heard a voice through the earpiece, and then closed and sealed the hatch.
"Though you don't believe we can succeed, Mr. Qiao Long, you still jumped in without hesitation,"
"Just like the commander said, people always do so irrational things; they are so dazzling, yet so foolish."
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