Chapter 277: Porcupines in Winter
Even though the words in the post were extreme, incoherent, and still held the naive air of a student, which made it clear that it came from a student from the University of Technology or Dragon City University’s machine course, which also made their stance very clever, it also trampled on the Agricultural University students’ delicate sensibilities.
As the Monster University, Agricultural University believed that in the future, Dragon City should focus on biochemical modifications. They had to domesticate and modify more monsters and etherealized plants to blend them even more with human civilization.
Sooner or later, Earthlings would definitely win the Monster War.
But there was no way that Earthlings could kill all monsters.
Even if humans could kill the mighty dragon-type monsters who were more than one hundred meters long, it was impossible for them to kill all of the predators and pests. If they did, it would lead to an incredibly unstable ecosystem, and it would cause a destructive blow to the whole world. Then, it would turn around to deliver a vicious backlash on the puny and frail civilization that transmigrated from Earth.
Besides, Dragon City only occupied one corner of the planet, and they only had measly tens of millions of people.
When they tried to deduce the Other World’s surface area based on the gravity, tides, the planet’s rotation, and orbital revolution, their guess was that it was about the same as Earth or even larger.
Even if the transmigrators killed all of the monsters in Monster Mountain Range, it would be impossible for them to conquer all of the Other World, which was a hundred times larger than the Monster Mountain Range.
Were they supposed to kill all of the local creatures that resembled monsters in the Other World?
That was impossible.
Hence, the stance of the academicians from Agricultural University was to winning against, intimidate, modify, and domesticate the originally stupid and fierce monsters to turn them into loyal va.s.sals like dogs. They should possess a certain degree of intelligence so that they could be used like spirit beasts to conquer all of the Other World.
Agricultural University also relied on this stance to sell the professional equipment it developed to all levels of the industry chain.
The biochemical modification industry chain was linked to countless talented superhumans and their futures as well as millions of citizens and the livelihoods of millions of families behind them.
The best example was Agricultural University’s monster controller course.
Right now, the students in the monster controller course could apply for the monster controller license the moment they had enough credit. Based on their ranks, they could take biochemical fighting beasts of varying grades to walk around the city.
Basic licensed monster controllers could bring biochemical fighting beasts modified from Nightmarish Beasts to the streets.
Intermediate licensed monster controllers could bring biochemical fighting beasts modified from h.e.l.l Beasts to public places.
Advanced licensed monster controllers could theoretically bring biochemical fighting beasts modified from Apocalyptic Beasts in front of normal citizens.
Of course, the monster controller license was very hard to get. There were requirements for a minimum of working years and cultivation realm for advanced licensed monster controllers. Hence, those who could become advanced licensed monster controllers were basically only Deity Realm elites. Thus, even if they subjugated Apocalyptic Beasts, they would not bring them out and parade them in front of the citizens.
But based on the train of thought proposed by the article demanding a limitation on modifying monsters through biochemical means, the monster controllers’ rights would definitely be reduced.
And aside from the monster controller course, the resource course, biochemical course, and etherealized plants course would all be affected as well. They were all links in the industry chain, and if one of them was affected, all of them would be affected.
With just one stone throw, a tsunami could be formed.
Countless academicians from Agricultural University started arguing and criticizing the article.
[Agricultural University is built based on gene modification and biochemical technology. During the dark and b.l.o.o.d.y era, a large number of our pioneers who possessed superior intellect delved deep into the mysteries of genes and awakened supernatural powers. They also managed to master the ability of modifying monsters, which is why we have the current Dragon City. What are these guys thinking of doing? Crippling themselves?]
[Due to one single case of biochemical pets killing people, they want us to get rid of all biochemical modification technology? This is the same as giving up on eating just because you choked once. Besides, we haven’t even discovered the truth behind this isolated case. Even if there is indeed something wrong with Spirit Creations Creatures’ modification technology and they should be locked down, declare bankruptcy, and be locked up in jail, it has nothing to do with the entire industry.]
[Based on the logic of this article, are we saying that runic symbol machines are 100% safe and have never caused any accidents? I don’t think so. With just a casual search, I can find dozens of articles reporting on accidents caused by runic symbols machines, and all of them led to heavy injuries! Are you saying that only when pets kill humans it is considered murder? So, when a runic symbols machines kills a human, it’s not murder?]
[Students, things are very clear now. This isn’t a pure accident or a criminal act. This concerns the future development of Dragon City, and it’s a problem concerning our principles! In the future, is Dragon City going to walk down the path of biochemical modifications or runic symbols machines? This is an ultimate question that all Agricultural University academicians and even all Dragon Citizens must think about properly!
[To me, the answer is clear, and all the academicians of Agricultural University should swear to defend biochemical technology to death. This won’t just concern our future, but Dragon City’s future as well. If we take even one step backwards, in the future, Dragon City might end up being destroyed, and we won’t be able to recover!]
Plenty of students clicked the like b.u.t.ton for the last comment.
Many people used incredibly fierce words to criticize runic symbols technology and found a lot of pictures of accidents caused by runic symbols machines. Those pictures were about the casualties caused by the machines, and they were incredibly b.l.o.o.d.y.
The comments stunned Meng Chao.
He did not expect that the students would be so worked up.
But when he thought about it carefully, he did not find it strange.
After all, if someone destroys a person’s financial means, it is the same as killing their parents. If the Survival Committee were truly affected by public opinion and decided to limit the development of biochemical modification technology so that they could pour a large amount of their resources into runic symbol machine technology, all of the graduates of Agricultural University would have their livelihoods affected.
Based on this angle, the person who wrote the post was definitely even worse than monsters in the hearts of the Agricultural University students. At the very least, the monsters would not kill most of the students’”parents”.
‘Strange. Was there ever such an intense argument regarding the future development of Dragon City in my previous life?’
Meng Chao scratched his head.
He did not think that there was.
But it might be that he just didn’t know about it because he never managed to get into university in his previous life, and at that time, he was focused on practicing his harvesting skills day in and day out. He paid no attention to anything around him.
After all, university students were always filled with vigor and had too much free time in their hands, so they spent their time going online to vent their displeasure.
If he looked at this from another angle, it might also be because they won the northern offense.
In his previous life, Dragon City lost a lot of powerful people, equipment, resources, and hope for the future after they suffered a severe blow during the northern offense. There was no longer any pie left, so how could they fight over it?
At that time, Dragon City basically had a surfboard under its feet, and wherever the surfboard went, they went there. It was already great for them to be able to survive through their struggles. All these strategies about long-term development were just theories.
But in this life, due to Meng Chao, Lin Chuan, Qin Hu, Lu Siya... and even the White Spirit’s hard work, they won the northern offense, and a huge and tasty pie was presented before the people.
Hence, the distribution of the pie naturally became the most important problem.
‘So, the argument between biochemical modification technology and runic symbols machine technology appeared because of me!’ Meng Chao decided to praise himself.
This also led to him remembering a joke.
It was about how humans were porcupines covered in spikes. During winter, to obtain warmth, they would stick closely to each other, and even if they were stabbed by another porcupine’s spikes, they would not mind it.
But when temperature rose slightly, the porcupines would not be able to withstand the pain and would stay far away from each other. They would create great distances between themselves and even regard each other with hostility.
They could share their pain together, but they would not share their riches. Perhaps this was what this phrase meant.
‘After solving one problem, another popped up. Now that the northern offense is over, a new problem showed up. Why is it so hard to have everyone work together, stay on their own path, and develop according to it?’
Meng Chao found himself incredibly perplexed.
Which one was superior? Biochemical modification technology or runic symbols machine technology? This question was too complex and profound, and he was not going to be able to find an answer.
Besides, this sort of argument might be good too. At the very least, it made all the citizens concern themselves with Dragon City’s future, and they would get a basic concept of how they should live and develop after the Monster War. They would not end up like the people in his previous life, where they all stumbled around with muddled heads and were practically led around by the blind.
Meng Chao did not want to partic.i.p.ate in the students’ intense keyboard war.
He was more concerned about the case itself.
He clicked on a few of the victims’ b.l.o.o.d.y pictures and magnified them as much as possible. Then, he used an image enhancement software to increase the resolution. After that, he studied the pictures for a full five minutes.
He thought about it for a while before he called Lu Siya.
“h.e.l.lo?”
The voice on the other side of the phone was lackadaisical, as if its owner was drunk and not fully awake.
Meng Chao was stunned. “It’s me. I’m not bothering you, am I, Big Sis Ya?”
“I know it’s you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have picked up the call,” Lu Siya said lazily. “You don’t know how many people I’ve gone to and how much work I’ve done over the past few days to make sure that the first mining rights will end up in my hands. Thank goodness it’s all settled now. Don’t worry. We saved each other’s lives, and if I have a share in this, you’ll always have a share in it too.”
“Thanks, Big Sis Ya,” Meng Chao said. “But I called today to ask about the abnormal beast research department.”
Lu Siya was silent for a while before she said airily, “Calm down. I want to take revenge for Lin Chuan too, but the only clue we have now is the three holes on the White Spirit’s spine. No matter how capable the abnormal beast research department is, they still need time to slowly investigate this.”
“I know.” Meng Chao hesitated for a while before he said, “I called you today for something unrelated to Big Brother Lin and the White Spirit. I just want to ask whether you know about the case of biochemical pets killing their owners in Blessed Paradise.”
“Yeah, and what of it?” Lu Siya yawned quietly.
“I think that there’s something strange about it. It doesn’t seem like an accident,” Meng Chao said.
“Of course it isn’t,” Lu Siya said. “That’s why it has already been handed over to the Supernatural Tower and the adjudicator court.”
“Is the abnormal beast research department not going to interfere? After all, biochemical pets have a certain degree of intelligence as well, and they can be somewhat considered as abnormal beasts as well, right?”
Lu Siya snickered in spite of herself.
“Listen. I want to solve a major case beautifully as well so that I can be successful in the abnormal beast research department, but the case of the pets killing their owners in Blessed Paradise is not the best choice,” she explained patiently to Meng Chao. “First of all, Spirit Creations Creatures and Heavenly Works Machines are involved in this. The biochemical modification technology organizations and runic symbols machine technology organizations supporting them are also involved. Even if I have Sky Pillar Corporation helping me, there’s no need for me to get involved in this.
“Most importantly, the biochemical pets that normal households keep as pets are not smart enough. There’s still a long way for them to go before they’ll be considered abnormal beasts.
“There are also traces of human acts behind this case. So, it’s highly likely that a superhuman committed a crime. Since this has already been handed to the adjudicator court, without concrete evidence, the research department will not do something exceeding their authority. This concerns the authority given to the two departments according to their jurisdiction, and it’s a very sensitive issue. Do you understand?”
“I know,” Meng Chao said. “But I have proof.”