Deep Space Wandering Fleet
Chapter 461 - 259: The Flaws of This Society

Chapter 461: Chapter 259: The Flaws of This Society

Ms. Tasia paused, then asked, "If your close friends and family suddenly found out that you were born with memories, how would they view you? Is there anything that could be improved in this matter?"

Faced with this question, Zhang Yuan pondered for a while and said, "For the time being, it is still necessary to keep it a secret. However, if the standards for the return of the Transcendent are relaxed in the future and the number of returnees from the Virtual World increases, it will become more difficult to keep this a secret. This issue can be seen as very significant, as it could destabilize society. However, it could also be seen as minor; the key is how well the public can accept it."

"I think the entire system needs some changes. We need to gradually get the public to accept this situation, and this acceptance might take decades..."

Ms. Tasia nodded, "Do you have any specific suggestions? Regarding your suggestions, we will consider them and provide feedback to the higher-ups."

Zhang Yuan pondered again and said, "From the standpoint of starting life, the whole society should, as much as possible, let returnees and ordinary people stand on the same starting line; this actually isn’t a big problem."

"However, since we are inherently born with memories, and we have experiences and mindsets that far surpass ordinary people, we can easily stand out... Fortunately, there are more vacant positions in the world than the population, so the conflict in this regard is not very pronounced."

"But we still need to explore another system of talent cultivation to accommodate these returnees from the Virtual World..."

"... Publicity is also very important. The return of the Transcendent is currently confidential, but it will have to be revealed one day. To reveal it all at once would be inappropriate, and people would inevitably panic. People need to gradually accept it, requiring an opportune moment."

"Let me give a simple example. Mr. Zhao Qingfeng, a bestselling comic artist adept in cultural creation, is loved by teenagers."

"Those who have not lived through those eras would find it difficult to create such excellent works. This unique aspect of Mr. Zhao Qingfeng’s could be a point for propaganda. Old Zhao is already a famous personality online, with a high level of recognition and a large fan base; finding the right moment to reveal his identity..."

"Then people would realize that returnees from the Extraordinary Test are capable of doing some jobs that others cannot. This realization could gradually reduce the ordinary public’s anxiety towards returnees. After all, fear stems from the unknown; we are merely a bit more experienced, not much else."

"Of course, as for what we were in our previous lives, it is still better not to reveal that. Stories from the past aren’t much helpful."

Ms. Tasia couldn’t help but laugh and nodded earnestly. Mr. Zhao Qingfeng had just been here for a psychological evaluation.

Even though his main profession wasn’t a comic artist, but an Electrical Engineer.

Nevertheless, it was indeed a good idea, creating an idol that the masses can accept, which would gradually reduce ordinary people’s barriers to returnees and foster a positive social atmosphere.

Zhang Yuan continued, "On the other hand, from the perspective of a small family, there is some room for improvement. Ideally... there are some younger siblings that need care, rather than elder siblings taking care of us."

Thinking back to his two older sisters and one older brother who initially took care of Zhang Yuan. But now, as they are approaching their late thirties or almost forty, they still act like children and are instead taken care of by Zhang Yuan, which he found somewhat amusing.

Zhang Yuan said, "In familial relationships, there are the older and the younger, the caregivers and those being cared for. If you find out one day that a younger sibling you’ve been caring for a long time was born with memories, you might feel a bit uncomfortable."

"But if an elder brother who has always taken care of you has inherent memories, you might feel that it isn’t that significant. Because an elder brother is naturally older, what does it matter if he has more experiences? Then, it becomes acceptable."

This was indeed a very important suggestion, and everyone present nodded.

The returned Transcendent, no matter what, would only make up a small portion of the population. In the future, they should all take on roles as elders in small families, rather than the current random matching system.

Ms. Tasia asked, "Would you be able to enjoy this kind of family model?"

Zhang Yuan laughed, "Of course, after living together for so long, there will always be sentiments involved. Those who can’t adapt would lose their own feelings, wouldn’t they? Life is not a game."

A male colleague near Tasia suddenly asked, "Mr. Zhang, I have another question. According to the current social advancement mechanisms, you are promoted faster than ordinary people. So, when all the high levels of civilization are controlled by returnees, could there be even bigger problems?"

"Like the model of social operation being overturned... Could a dictator emerge?"

Zhang Yuan smiled and responded, "It’s not impossible, but the probability is very low... small enough for our society to revert to a feudal era."

"Ms. Tasia, in the Virtual World, we are all individuals with high Civilization Contribution, meaning our positive impacts greatly outweigh the negative. Why would we band together to destroy a better real world?"

"Moreover, everyone has their own ideology and beliefs. If I saw Zhao Qingfeng suddenly wanting to become a local emperor, I’d definitely be the first to oppose him."

Tasia nodded and then asked, "So, what do you think are the current shortcomings of our society?"

Zhang Yuan recalled the conversations he had with John over the years and said, "There are many shortcomings. There is no perfect society; everything is in dynamic change."

"Our society is technology-oriented. When technology progresses, everything is wonderful, and everyone is filled with ideals and willing to strive for them. But what if technological advancement stagnates? Weren’t we in a technological stagnation two hundred years ago? But that generation of elders gradually faded away, and today’s society rarely experiences that kind of pain."

"The current smooth sailing makes the younger generation generally more naive than a small portion of the elite. It’s not really naivety per se but rather ambition and full of confidence, believing that effort will yield results. This is a common psychological factor influenced by the era."

"Although immersive education is carried out in the Virtual World, including the hardships of ancient human life..."

"That impact of this education is still limited."

Zhang Yuan continued, "I believe the biggest current shortcoming of our entire society is that people do not clearly recognize the harsh reality that ’effort does not necessarily lead to success.’ The current prosperity is achieved through the hard efforts of our predecessors, but they have not yet understood this."

"If faced with significant setbacks, they easily fall into self-doubt. Moreover, many people in this pleasant environment have forgotten what kind of biological nature humans truly have."

His voice lowered, he spoke softly, "If a person has never seen a man-eating beast, doesn’t know a real executioner, or hasn’t seen a brutal raider, their convictions are lacking."

Tasia asked, "I understand now, so you mean the whole society lacks sufficient setback education. Do you mean everyone needs to undergo this harsh setback education in the Virtual World?"

"No, no, no," Zhang Yuan shook his head and grinned, "That kind of warfare is too cruel. Not dying in three days and being promoted to a platoon leader is terrifying. It’s genuinely horrifying, and there’s no need to undergo such education... Yet, that is not the real cruelty."

"Then, the real cruelty you mean is..."

"A country, in this war, paid the price of ten million casualties to drive out the executioners from their land, and the humans who fought became heroes. But in less than eighty years, everything collapsed, the heroes died, their descendants gave up fighting, and even sold their ancestors’ combat medals. Moreover, this country even became the largest exporter of prostitutes, and women began selling their bodies for a living..."

"...That is the real cruelty."

"People think they have defeated the raiders, but they haven’t!"

At this point, Zhang Yuan spoke earnestly, "Therefore, we yearn for progress and cannot tolerate any regression!"

"We must progress, progress eternally, and guard against any possible regression from the past at any cost! Our people lack this belief, and that is what I consider the biggest shortcoming."