Resurrection Empire

Chapter 1304 - 495: The Power of Culture (2)

Ren Zhong stood up and waved his hand with a smile, "No rush, let’s have a drink of water to moisten our throats and take a break first."

He quickly walked over to the water dispenser, took out a disposable recyclable ceramic cup, and looked back at Xiao Xingyue, "What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?"

Xiao Xingyue was taken aback, then said grumpily, "I’m here, anxious as can be, and you’re still in the mood for leisure. You have intelligent assistant robots but still make tea yourself. Forget it, give me coffee, thanks."

Ren Zhong responded with a hum and just focused on making coffee.

Several minutes later, Xiao Xingyue looked down at the ceramic cup, and discovered a latte art design on top of the coffee.

"What kind of bird is this? It looks quite unique."

Ren Zhong: "A swan, I think it quite matches your temperament."

"Swan? What’s that? How come I’ve never heard of it on Source Star? Is it a specialty from another planet in the Empire?"

Ren Zhong shrugged, "Maybe. Actually, I wanted to find you, but you came to me first. You’re here to talk about how some people’s thoughts are wavering, right? After all, the fleet has already reached the Nanxiang Star Cluster, and some people’s ancestral families are here. The fleet’s current situation isn’t good, and the planet we got is one like South Nine C. For a foreseeable long time, we’ll all have to endure hard days. It’s been sixty years, those who were benefactors have endured hardship with us for so long, that’s already commendable, we shouldn’t ask for more. Forcing these people to stay violates human nature and gives others a chance to plant insiders among us."

Xiao Xingyue was stunned for a moment, then somewhat awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear, and said, "Looks like I was worried for nothing, I thought it was a big problem, but you had it all figured out. Have you been secretly spying on everyone through the ’net’?"

Ren Zhong pointed to her coffee, "It’s getting cold, drink it while it’s hot."

As Xiao Xingyue sipped her coffee, Ren Zhong continued, "I respect privacy a lot, I’ve never used the ’net’ to spy on anyone. It’s actually not that mysterious, as long as you grasp the patterns, you can naturally understand human nature. Unlike your specialization, Xiao Xingyue, your psychology focuses more on specific individuals. I usually don’t think that deeply and prefer to observe from afar, seeing the changes in group ideologies. Human nature seems complex, but in reality, it follows patterns."

"Individuals have their will, and groups have their thought patterns. The descendants of the Nine Major Groups have been forced to get along well with us during the journey, and we cooperated sincerely. The Nine Major Groups have produced truly remarkable individuals like Ma Wei’an. Within the fleet, Ma Wei’an is considered outstanding among the mainstream. But when observing a different group, it’s a different story. In their group, Ma Wei’an is the minority, not the mainstream."

"The biggest difference between them and us lies in the viscount families behind them. Although these viscount families do not compare to my status, they have been operating in the Nanxiang Star Cluster for many years, with rich assets and financial prowess. With the genetic lineage of those families, it’s natural for them to have options for allegiance. It’s human nature, nothing to blame."

Xiao Xingyue put down her coffee cup, still refusing to concede, "But you’re an Earl, obviously, the potential of following you is greater, the ceiling is higher."

Ren Zhong shook his head, "Potential is ultimately unfulfilled. Whether potential can truly convert to power remains uncertain. Moreover, I’ve already made a mortal enemy with the Nanxiang Marquis even before arriving. My potential might only ever remain on paper. Besides, even though there’s cryogenic sleep, if they want to enjoy power under me, they must achieve something significant and accompany me with their limited lives to start a business on South Nine C. Entrepreneurship has always been challenging. Why wouldn’t they choose to return to their original clans early and enjoy secured happiness instead?"

"So are you just going to let them leave?" Xiao Xingyue blinked her eyes, expressing disbelief, "If that’s your plan, you shouldn’t have opened up knowledge to them, right?"

Ren Zhong laughed heartily, "Of course, I can’t put a knife to their throats and forbid them from leaving. Their freedom of movement is protected by the Empire’s laws. However, it’s not that easy to let people slip from my grasp. Xiao Xingyue, your biggest dream has always been to become a journalist, right?"