Chapter 73 - Hot-Blooded Universities (1/2)
There was only half a month to go before the official implementation of the “Honor Decree”, and Zhong Yan has decided to return to the Capital before then. In the days he spent packing his luggage, both real-life society and the virtual community was in a mess. Every entrance of Lebor’s borders had long lines of private spacecrafts waiting to enter. The Navi Military Command had to double the troops in Lebor to prevent any problems from rising up in this mess.
Naturally, when the voices of opposition emerges in the implementation of new laws, there are going to be supporters as well. Only this time, the only people who can truly support the new law were all people who either held rights or those who could find benefit in the decree. Otherwise, they would be the extremely conservative who have their mind set on the AI. Unfortunately, the number of these groups were not large. Zhong Yan found that he barely needed to put any effort to control the public’s opinion.
From the second day on, protests began to start in various places. On the third day, the Supreme Institution finally spoke up. They announced on their homepage that the Federation’s Supreme Institution will never allow their graduates only two choices of only accepting their proposals, or going to jail. With immediate effect, all faculty and students will go on strike. The day of the “Honor Decree’s” implementation will be the day they announced their official merger with the Navi System.
This was definitely a serious threat. It caused a great uproar as soon as it was issued. However, no matter how resounding the Supreme Institution’s name was, it was still just one school. But in the following minutes, the top universities in each star system issued similar noticed. It did not take very long for more than half of the top 100 universities within the Federation to issue strikes and statements about leaving the Capital government’s jurisdiction.
The entire world was broiling in chaos. Mankind has kept peace and prosperity going on for so long that there was no need to mentioning anyone currently living having not experienced such turbulence in the past, they had never even heard of such happenings. Not even from their own seniors. These were things they would only hear their teachers mention in history class when they talked about the distant wars in ancient history. Everyone thought that it was such a faraway thing, and only ever related to their coming exams.
Intron walked down the hallways of the Supreme Council’s main building in a hurry.
In these past two days, everyone in the Supreme Council had been flooded with work. However, the atmosphere was strange. The new “Honor Decree” announced by “Butterfly” turned the Supreme Council into a target for public criticism, and two of the Twelve had also clarified their stance on the “Honor Decree”, even going as far as issuing blatant accusations against the AI. There was no need to mention the people, even the members within the council working inside this building couldn’t help secretly whispering to each other, and watching the scene unfold with their own different opinions.
“Councilor Gines, heading off?”
Just as Intron was about to leave through the front door, he bumped into Bard Pearson and his two bodyguards who had just returned to the council house from outside. He was already seventy this year but he still looked hale and hearty. He had a humble-looking square face, but his small slanted eyes added a bit of fierceness to it.
“Councilor Zhong Yan is away and his no.1 assistant seems rather free. You’re getting off this early?” Pearson had on a shallow smile as he spoke and the way he said that hinted at his superiority complex, which felt very unpleasant.
Normally, when you’re only dealing with paperwork, you’d rarely have to come around personally to hand in the documents. What’s more, with the recent addition of the frequent protests, everyone was busy working overtime or going to meetings. Ths building would constantly be brightly lit even though the nights. Moreover, it’s a sunny afternoon right now, so there was practically nobody in the lobby.
“Of course I’m free,” Intron said matter-of-factly. “Isn’t everyone on overtime working on the ‘Honor Decree’? Sir Zhong has already issued a statement that he has nothing to do with this new law. I’m his assistant, so how would I have any overtime?”
To think that this bespectacled young man with short curls could face Pearson without any fear. It is truly as they say, young calves fear no tigers. Even Pearson’s two bodyguards couldn’t help but throw a glance at him.
Pearson had only seen him as Zhong Yan’s assistant prior to this and wanted to take a jab at him, but he never expected to get a comeback from this youngster who had graduated just a few years ago, and so calmly at that. However, if he were to bicker with this blonde brat right in front of the council house with his standing, that would be too unsightly. He observed Intron fiercely for a moment before spitting out the words “You’ve really learned from Councilor Zhong Yan” and left proudly with his men.
Intron rolled his eyes at him and walked out of the council house.
While on the road, his terminal suddenly rang. He cut off the connection until he reached home before connecting the shielding device to his terminal. Then, he dialed back the number that could not be displayed.
Intron had just greeted him with “Sir Zhong” when the other side cut straight to the point. “Who told them to leave the Capital’s jurisdiction? Didn’t our lecturer get the plans from the store?”
“He did. The lecturer brought up your plans as his own, but…” Intron knew Zhong Yan was going to ask him this. He was put into a difficult position, but he still had to explain. “They, the professors, the student union, and the leaders and student leaders have all thought that your plan was too…prudent.”
“Too prudent?” Zhong Yan scoffed. “We have to be prudent if we want to keep our skins! They want to transfer over to Navi just as soon as the ‘Honor Decree’ is implemented? I’ll give them props for having that idea! Let’s not mention the other schools, even the Institution Star alone is separated 6 entire star systems away from Navi! How are they going to handle things if the Capital wouldn’t compromise no matter what? Do they really think that the Capital’s attitude will be the same as they are towards Lebor who’s just at the border of Navi? Who is the current Student Council President in the Supreme Institution? He can’t even think about the consequences of his actions, how did he become…”
Zhong Yan rarely ever spoke in such a harsh tone. Intron knew that he was only worried that if the Supreme Council takes the lead in these radical protests, that the Capital will only try to use even more radical tactics against them. Therefore, he had prepared a sufficiently smooth plan ahead of time that made sure they could easily pull out whenever they needed to. But these hot-blooded youngsters wouldn’t look quite so far ahead as Zhong Yan did. For them, they were struggling for themselves, their school, and the freedom and dignity of all of humanity. They will regret none of this even in death. This is the passion and spirit of youth.
Intron had been working for Zhong Yan for nearly two years. He understood Zhong Yan’s concerns very well, but he was also a young man who had just left school for just a few years and devoted himself to the resistance movement. So, he could fully understand why the students made this decision. He could only listen to Zhong Yan’s rare bout of yelling with a bitter smile on his face. But before Zhong Yan could finish, he heard the voice of another man with a deeper voice interrupt him. “Just talk business if you have to. What are you tearing up their Student Council President for?”