The Ultimate War Of The Apocalypse
Chapter 544 - 537 Different National Conditions

Chapter 544: Chapter 537 Different National Conditions

Ram, I guess, counts as one of America’s elite now...

But what does it mean to be considered one of America’s elite?

"What are you saying? What does it mean to be considered an elite?"

Looking at Gao Yuan’s puzzled expression, Ram sighed and said, "Before the apocalypse, I had about thirty thousand employees, I was friends with many senators, I provided campaign funds to about twenty congressmen, I offered services that couldn’t be exposed to the public for many people, I provided funds for many, I solved problems for many."

With a wave of his hand, Ram continued in a low voice, "Morgan transferred a large portion of his resources to me, so my ties with the American oil interest groups are not just close; our interests are intertwined. Then, because of the nature of my work, my relationship with the military-industrial complex is also very good. Um, Little Egg had to transfer a large fortune from Wall Street to me for safekeeping because of identity issues, so I have a close relationship with Wall Street. Hey, now you know the difference between a bigwig of the underworld and a disposable white glove, right?"

It really was a different realm, an entirely different realm; there was just no way to communicate this.

When Gao Yuan had no reply to offer, Ram said with a look of regret, "I was lucky; a lot of resources fell into my lap. After no one wanted to mess with me and no one dared, I became one of the elite. I was no longer expendable, something to be hidden away."

So this was the difference between a mercenary and a bigwig. Now Gao Yuan understood the weight of the three titans of the underworld. It wasn’t about how much money they had, but how much invisible power they controlled.

Ram was feeling particularly reflective as he said softly, "Big Ivan’s status was fought for with America, he holds a trump card. Justin’s status comes from over a century of accumulation by the Cicero Family, whereas I, I’m just lucky."

Ram didn’t go into how his luck came about; he waved his hand and said, "Today I’m feeling nostalgic, reminiscing about the past, but it’s all meaningless now. Aliens have arrived; nothing matters anymore."

Gao Yuan said earnestly, "If we manage to drive the aliens away, then everything will have meaning again."

Ram shook his head and said, "If there are no people left, what meaning is there..."

Gao Yuan spread his hands and said, "Maybe you could start a new era? Like building an empire? Thinking about it is exciting. It doesn’t matter whether the times create the heroes or heroes create the times; the point is you’ve arrived in this era, so you are the hero."

Looking at Gao Yuan, Rabbit couldn’t help but laugh and say, "That’s well said; I couldn’t have expressed it like that, haha, interesting. Brother Yang, we thought we had lost all our life’s goals, but now here’s a new one, right?"

Ram waved his hand and said, "I’m not Nate; I don’t have the ambition or desire to build a nation, as if things aren’t troublesome enough as it is. Right now, I’m thinking about the situation in America, let’s analyze it—where does America’s advantage lie, and how can it impact the global situation?"

Rabbit, puzzled, said, "What does this have to do with us?"

"Of course it’s related, and it’s a big deal."

Ram thought for a moment and said, "First of all, as long as America is still resisting, the Serpent People won’t concentrate all their strength on Shenzhou or Europa. If Shenzhou and Europa are still resisting, the Serpent People won’t focus on us here. So how long America can hold on is of great influence."

Gao Yuan whispered, "But didn’t you just say that America is in chaos and the Government has lost its function?"

Ram nodded and said, "That’s true, but the problem is that America’s civilian firepower is too strong. Even without large-scale shelters, there are definitely a lot of scattered survivors. Moreover, let’s look at it from another angle. Shenzhou’s approach is large-scale shelters, but this also gives the Serpent People a clear target, making it easier to concentrate their forces for an attack. America, on the other hand, has scattered but numerous individual survivors. Which one do you think is harder to deal with?"

Gao Yuan had thought about these issues and didn’t hesitate to say, "From the national level, Shenzhou is organized, with a sufficient population base, enough scientific research, and production capabilities. From what I’ve seen on my journey here, no other country has this ability, so the country that can lead the whole Earth against the Serpent People can only be Shenzhou, and it has to be Shenzhou."

Ram nodded and said, "Then let me talk about America. I’m familiar with America, and during disasters or world war level conflicts, its solidarity is also very strong. It’s not a country that falls apart at the first hit. But the problem is, in recent years, America has changed. There’s serious infighting at the government level, extreme opposition sentiments at the grassroots level, class solidification, and the pathways for upward mobility are gradually being sealed off, which has also caused the country to suffer from the malaise of a great power. And America’s traditional governance can’t solve this problem, so, from the national level, once a disaster beyond its capabilities strikes, the American Government loses its function. But this doesn’t mean that the grassroots resistance of the American people is lost."

After taking a breath, Ram said with a grave expression, "The roots of the Americans are still there, so although America has gone through a lot of turmoil, the foundation is still there. The gun culture is actually secondary. I’m not too optimistic about the performance of African Americans in the apocalypse, but those low-income whites in America, their individual or family-based survival ability in the apocalypse, is much stronger than Shenzhou. If you expand that to the scale of a community, the survival ability of low-income whites in America is still much stronger than Shenzhou. Let me give you a rough example: under the attack of the Serpent People, if there’s no guidance and management by the Government, the survival rate of the Americans would be about three to four-tenths, while Shenzhou People would do well to have a tenth."

Gao Yuan agreed with Ram’s assessment, and thought about the speed and strength of the zombies. If they had no guns and could only use kitchen knives and clubs to fight against zombies, there would hardly be any chance of survival. In this respect, nearly universal gun ownership by the Americans would give them a great advantage.

"That’s about right, but Shenzhou has the Government in charge, eh? Both the grassroots mobilization ability and execution are very good. When I left, the survival rate of shelters, including remote rural areas, was about three-tenths, and it’s only going to be higher, not lower."

Ram nodded and said, "Yeah, so different national conditions lead to different survival models. Now, I estimate that the survival rate of Americans should be over twenty percent. Given America’s size, the Serpent People can’t resolve America quickly, which means that although the American Government has performed poorly, they might hold out as long as Shenzhou, or even longer."

At this point, Ram’s spirit perked up and said, "Receiving this information today is very significant. If the Serpent People haven’t been able to deal with the most scattered Europa by now, then Shenzhou and America will definitely last longer. So, based on the current situation, we should have half a year’s time, maybe even a year is possible."

Connecting in conversation with a survivor thousands of miles away allowed Ram to analyze how much longer America could hold on, and then, how much longer they themselves could hold on. This was very important.

As for Gao Yuan, the conversation with Ram had broadened his perspective immensely. If it were not for the apocalypse, he probably would never have heard Ram say these things in his lifetime.