Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

by <unknown>

  "We all know that the Imperium of True Human Beings has a citizenship system, too. To become a citizen of the Imperium, you have to be an Immortal Cultivator with certain strength. You even need to help the Imperium conquer new territory, enslave weaker peoples, and accumulate bloody military credits with the blood of the weak so that you can redeem the 'contribution points' for the citizenship of different levels.

  "Of course, the federation is different from the Imperium. I'm told that your citizenship and your contribution points are deeply associated with a game called 'Civilization'. It is a pity that we have no access to the official releases of 'Civilization' on Firefly and in the Dragon Snake Space Zone. What is it all about?"

  "You will see it with your own eyes soon enough. Our 'Citizen Center' is also the 'Civilization Game Center'. It is not just a simple game but also the bedrock on which the Star Glory Federation was founded and the best weapon for us to resist the Imperium of True Human Beings and the Alliance of the Holy Covenant!"

  Ling Xiaole's eyes were glittering, and her pride was flowing like a flood. The tip of her tail turned silver, too. "For the people beyond the federation, 'Civilization' may be only a simulation game, but for the people of the federation, it is not a game but a lifestyle. No. It is a way of living that concerns every one of us.

  "We can even say that there are two Star Glory Federations. One of them exists in the universe for real with a material body, while the other one is a 'virtual federation' that exists in crystal processors and light circuits, which rages, dies, and rises again time and time again. When the real federation and the virtual federation overlap, that will be the 'mega' federation. Only the Star Glory Federation in such a state can expect to challenge the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance with only seven Sectors!"

  Li Yao grew more and more interested. "We learned a thing or two about 'Civilization' on Firefly. It does not seem as magical as you claim."

  "How is it comparable?" Ling Xiaole said. "The key is not the game itself but the database that contains all the information of almost a hundred billion people in the seven Sectors of the Star Glory Federation and the corresponding links. The entire database and the links will never be open to outsiders. What the outside world can touch is merely a dull, monotonous game instead of an erratic and unbelievably real virtual world.

  "Only the new worlds that are completely melded with the federation will be connected to the links of 'Civilization' and included in the database so that the entire virtual world will be open to the local people.

  "If, one day, Firefly officially becomes part of the federation, the people onboard will naturally sense the magnificence of 'Civilization'. Of course, Special Representative Lin, you have the privilege to enjoy it in advance now."

  Li Yao and Heiye Lan looked at each other. Heiye Lan asked in great confusion, "How can a game help you resist the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance?"

  "As I said, it is more than a game; it is… a brand-new way of living and wisdom sharing for mankind," Ling Xiaole said carefully. "Ever since the New Federation was founded a hundred years ago, the people of the federation have been thinking about one question. How can the potential of the ordinary people be best utilized so that the ordinary people's numerical advantage can be transformed into a strong force on par with, if not above, the Cultivators?

  "The Imperium of True Human Beings takes ordinary people as 'hominoids', nothing more than livestock and pets. The Alliance of the Holy Covenant regards all human beings as 'tools'. Of course, the federation is different from them. Ordinary people are also the owners of the country and the masters of their own fate!

  "But we are not purely idealists. In terms of physical strength, retention, computational ability, combat ability, and many other aspects, ordinary people cannot compete with Cultivators as individuals, which is a fact that we do not deny.

  "Therefore, the core of the question, and the core of the Star Glory Federation's competitiveness, is how to concentrate the ordinary people's strength in the highest efficiency!

  "The game 'Civilization' is the federation's answer to that question.

  "Display all the problems that the federation faces during its development, as well as the lessons of the rise and decline of other Sectors in the form of a game, and invite the majority of the hundred billion civilians to release the sparks of their mind. They are not required to give the right solution because even the most bizarre mistakes that they make in the game have their own value.

  "As a result, through the special network that is 'Civilization', the brains of a hundred billion people are connected. The sparks of their thinking congregate into a brilliant ocean. The change in quantity leads to a change in quality. Eventually, the most optimal strategy is found. Also, both ordinary people and Cultivators can try to understand the philosophical concepts such as society, war, continuity of civilization, and so on. They can learn to understand the dilemmas and the idea that everyone is responsible for their country. In the end, they will grow into warriors who fight for themselves, for their patriots, and for the future of humanity!

  "Although the federation has a population of a hundred billion, every individual matters, be they Cultivators or ordinary people. Everyone's effort may change the federation and the future of mankind. This is what 'Civilization' tells us!"

  Chapter 1650: The Eighth Sector |

  Glancing at Li Yao, Heiye Lan bit her lips and said, "You can achieve everything you said with only a game?"

  "We don't know whether or not we can achieve it," Ling Xiaole said, "but we will work hard to make it happen. Also, after a hundred years of development, 'Civilization' has long grown from the maddest design in the beginning into a virtual platform that covers every aspect of the society. It is now a new Sector made of crystal processors, light circuits, data, and telepathic thoughts.

  "The people of the federation live in seven different Sectors in reality. We may be hundreds if not thousands of lightyears away from each other. Our customs and living environments are vastly different. It is quite difficult for us to be called one people and one civilization.

  "However, in the virtual world, even people living on two different sides of the federation can still hug each other without obstacle. They can share their experiences with each other, pass on their wisdom, and eventually view the universe in the same way.

  "Therefore, many believe that 'Civilization' is the federation's actual territory, and the virtual platform is the most important eighth Sector for the federation!"

  Heiye Lan looked at Li Yao again. Seeing no objection, she continued asking, "Then, how does the world of 'Civilization' run? Is anybody free to participate?"

  "Of course. The world of 'Civilization' is divided into many levels. All the people of the federation can, and must, take part at the bottom level." Ling Xiaole smiled. "Every person in the federation will get in touch with 'Civilization' when they are in elementary school. Of course, it is still a real game at that time. We have inputted a lot of knowledge about nature, mathematics, and other disciplines into the game so that the teaching sessions can be conducted in a more interesting way.

  "Have you ever heard of 'applied problems'? Does the mathematic education on Firefly involve 'applied problems'? If so, you may consider 'Civilization' at this time to be an all-encompassing and ever-changing applied problem.

  "In the virtual world, the kids learn the fundamental information about the seven Sectors of the federation. They learn to distinguish between the basic minerals on the various resource planets. They will understand the gravity and oxygen difference between different planets. They will also be able to calculate the path programming to jump from the Uranian Ring Sector to the Heaven's Origin Sector in the 'fastest mode' and in the 'most energy-conserving mode'.

  "As they slowly grow up and their brain matures, the content added to 'Civilization' becomes more and more complicated. The grandiose narration and the trivia around them is included.

  "The children can manage the
entire country as the 'Speaker of the Federation'. They can also lead the most magnificent fleet of the federation to battle as the 'commander of the Burning Prairie Fleet'. Of course, the more grandiose the narration is, the more blurred the granularity and the less real it will be. If they want to be more delicate and professional, they can be the owner of a certain mine on a resource planet, the captain of a certain small carrier, or the mayor of a town on a planet that is yet to be developed, so that they can manage all the affairs in their tiny territory.

  "In those cases, we retrieve the data of real mines, carriers, and towns from our database for them, including problems that they are going to face. The keys to all the problems lie in the knowledge of the various disciplines that they have learned.

  "From elementary school to junior high to senior high, the children of the federation have always been educated in such a way. Then, when they finally turn into adults, they will already be raised into basically qualified citizens of the federation who have a basic understanding of society and the world, and they will enter the world of the real 'Civilization'."

  "I have another question." Heiye Lan frowned deeply. "If it is just a game, it is destined to be unreal and not of much significance in guidance. If authenticity and educational purposes are what you pursue, the game will definitely not be interesting and attractive enough. Maintaining the normal functions of the smallest starship is enough to overwhelm even an adult Cultivator, what with dealing with all the data and contingencies. Are the children really into such a game, or has the federal government employed a certain compulsory approach to force the children to play the boring game?"

  "How is it possible!" Ling Xiaole widened her eyes. "The federation worships freedom. How can the government use any compulsory approaches? Besides, no compulsion is required at all. 'Civilization' is a non-optional subject in the College Entrance Examination in the federation, and it takes up more than fifty percent of the total score. There are even cram schools for the game 'Civilization' on every street. Parents all take their children to those places, begging for their children to become game experts!"

  "…" Li Yao.

  "…" Heiye Lan.

  "After the children finish all the basic lessons and pass the corresponding tests, they earn the right to enter the real world of 'Civilization'. Different from the game, they encounter more compatriots that exist in reality than NPCs generated by the crystal processors. Everybody is like a butterfly on the other side of the ocean, and they can raise a storm by simply flapping their wings.

  "The governments of all levels often publicize a lot of content regarding public decisions on the virtual platform, inviting everybody to play the game in different roles as 'decision-makers' and 'decision-takers'. The issues can be great crises such as the invasion of the expedition army of the Imperium or insignificant trivia such as a certain public affair in their community.

  "For example, if the local government of the Uranian Ring Sector intends to build a new fully-enclosed vacuum rail here, there will be a lot of points that require consideration. The distribution of the route, the location of the stations, whether or not it will affect people, whether or not anybody will be forced to move, the influence on house prices nearby, and even the future influence on the population in decades to come. It is not a bad idea to invite the specialists whose spiritual roots have been awakened to devise plans in the traditional way, but wouldn't it be even better if the specialists have the first-hand data and even the 'voice' of the local residents during the calculation?

  "In such a case, the local government can issue a quest named 'Rail Construction Simulation' in 'Civilization' and invite the residents nearby, or the experts who are adept at quests of such a type according to their profile, to accomplish it."

  "Does it work?" Heiye Lan said coldly. "The deployment of rails and stations is the most professional problem. How can regular outsiders expect to solve it?"

  "We do not need them to resolve the problem; we only need them to constantly make mistakes and express what is on their mind while they do so," Ling Xiaole said. "Even the best horse sometimes stumbles. Of course, the general game players are not as good as specialists. But at the very least, they can make thousands of different mistakes, which will save the specialists a lot of time and inform them of what the local people living in the area need and worry about so that a rail that satisfies everyone will be built in the end.

  "More importantly, if some residents living nearby are affected by the rail or forced to move, it will be easier for the contractor to communicate with them when they are involved in the construction of the rail in advance and foresee the concreate benefits that the rail will bring to the local area after it is built!

  "This is one of the most insignificant aspects, but the federation is made of billions of such insignificant aspects. Through the release and participation of one quest after another, we make use of the wisdom of ordinary people and listen to their voices as much as possible so that the final decision will satisfy more people!

  "Of course, the specialists are most important, but on the other hand, in the hundred thousand years of mankind, did the great emperors and big shots in every dynasty ever consider themselves not to be real 'specialists'? Yet, under their government, the dynasties, nations, and civilizations fell apart in the end anyway!

  "Let's take the Imperium of True Human Beings for example. However brilliant and magnificent their emperor is, even if he is in the Divinity Transformation Stage or even higher, can his wisdom and computational ability be higher than the combined wisdom and computational ability of a hundred billion people?"

  Heiye Lan almost choked, blushing.

  Li Yao chuckled and said, "You do have a point, Miss Ling. But on second thought, if the effect you describe is to be achieved, it must be guaranteed that most of the people in the federation spend a lot of time and effort in 'Civilization', which is relatively boring and monotonous. It is equivalent to advanced 'free labor'.

  "I know human beings to be selfish animals. What do you use to ensure that everybody volunteers to waste their previous time on it? Or in other words, it should have a rather thorough incentive system, shouldn't it?"

  "Of course. As I said just now, 'Civilization' is connected to the daily life of everyone in the federation," Ling Xiaole said. "There's no need to mention the College Entrance Examination, in which the expertise in the game directly decides the future of a student. Also, the win rate, contribution points, gaming times, and other elements are bound to an individual for their entire life. They have a lot to do when it comes to job interviews, business activities, and even love and marriage."

  Li Yao was slightly dazed. "It even has a lot to do with marriage?"

  "Of course. Just think about it." Ling Xiaole smiled. "The win rate and completion rate of the quests represent one's wisdom and decision-making abilities. The gaming time and history indicate one's personality. If someone has been doing the boring tasks that happen to be related to everyone's life, just like 'Rail Construction Simulation' that I described just now, even if their completion rate is not high, it at least suggests that they are passionate about public welfare, right?

  "Therefore, when big corporations browse through resumes, they will know the abilities of the applicants when it comes to fixing practical problems from a few clips of game footage that the applicants attach. When a girl decides to get married with her love, it is also necessary for her to check his game record. It is often possible to infer his character from the type of quests that he has chosen. If the guy is only concerned about himself and never worries about the problems that the community he's in is faced with, can she expect him to be a really responsible husband?"

  Chapter 1651: Grand Unification |

  Li Yao and Heiye Lan looked at each other. Even he was deeply awed by the 'gaming society' of the New Federation. "So, you can barely live your life in the federation today if you do not participate in the game 'Civilization' carefully, correct?"

&nbs
p; "I wouldn't go that far," Ling Xiaole said. "However, it will indeed give you many advantages if you have accumulated a lot of contribution points and gaming time. Other than what I said just now, the greatest benefit for common folk is the tax rate. Playing 'Civilization' can reduce your tax.

  "Star Glory Federation is a country with high taxes. It can't be helped. The New Federation has only developed for a hundred years. Many planets in the seven Sectors are still being built from scratch. The investment into infrastructure has to be increased. Also, the threat of the expedition army of the Imperium forces us to keep a regular army that is almost too huge. The military expenses every year are astronomical.

  "Therefore, the life of common folk in the New Federation is far from carefree. The basic tax is sometimes more than fifty percent of the total income.

  "However, generally speaking, nobody pays so much tax. Their taxes will be cut through the various quests they accomplish in 'Civilization'. The better they play 'Civilization', the lower their tax rate will be. Also, virtual contests are held in almost every place every year, and the champions are sometimes even the privilege of zero tax!"

  Li Yao felt stunned. "Playing the game can reduce your tax?"

  "Allow me to repeat myself again—this is not a simple game but a fully-simulated, grand-unified platform founded with cloud data and light circuits in space," Ling Xiaole said carefully. "Any decision made in 'Civilization' can be considered as the player's intellectual property, which may be of great help to propel our entire civilization!