Chapter Sixty-Five: The World Conference (Part One)

“Isn’t it…?” Guo Zhenghua was momentarily stunned. “Even you managed to return safely. The mission you mentioned shouldn’t be that hard to accomplish, right?”

Hearing this, Guo Lang was completely taken aback. Was there ever a father who disparaged his son so? So you’re saying that those hundred thousand people are all more capable than your own child?

“What did I say that was wrong?” Guo Zhenghua stroked his alluring chin, his face full of confusion.

Wrong? Guo Lang rolled his eyes. “First of all, that mission has a very high mortality rate. If you check those game pods, you’ll see: if the outside display is gray, it means the previous player has died, and that pod is now vacant!”

Guo Zhenghua’s pupils contracted, his face turning pale. His memory had always been sharp; earlier today, when he was tallying the game pods gathered from each region at headquarters, he observed them closely. Except for two pods that showed different colors, the rest were all gray. This had made him pay special attention to those two pods with unique lights. Now, hearing his son’s explanation, out of nearly a thousand game pods checked this morning, only two were still active?

Thinking about that number, Guo Zhenghua felt his mouth go dry. He was somewhat stunned. “The probability is that low?”

“What did you think?” Guo Lang said smugly. “Now you see how outstanding your son is?”

If that was the case, then the people who managed to return were even more valuable. The few represent the rare, and since ancient times rarity has been prized above all else—it has always been so!

Wait! Suddenly, Guo Zhenghua noticed something important and asked urgently, “You just said the gray pods are vacant, right?” He realized something critical.

Guo Lang smiled. Sure enough, his father was a detective—his mind turned quickly, noticing this so fast.

“Yes!” Guo Lang replied with a smile.

“Those… those game pods, they aren’t single-use items?” Guo Zhenghua asked, somewhat stammering.

“Of course not!” Guo Lang revealed what the Federation had only determined nearly a year later. “These game pods can be reused indefinitely. In other words, anyone can use one to become a follower of a certain faction.”

Guo Zhenghua’s eyes lit up. This truly was extraordinary news.

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The island of Westra lies at the very heart of the planet, hailed by all as the jewel of the world. Countless illustrious civilizations once considered occupying it the pinnacle of honor, and now, the Federal Grand Council’s headquarters are set here.

After the global outbreak of the Alpha Incident, the current leader of the Ruixin District—also the Secretary General of this session’s Federal Grand Council—convened a world conference, inviting the political leaders of the Federation’s twelve main districts and the heads of the military to attend.

The Federation has existed for seventy years, now the largest international organization in the world, with a tightly knit structure and immense authority. Its main districts are: in the North, the Northern Europe District, the Aden District, the Northern Austria District; in the South, the South China District, the Garden Star District, the South Africa District; in the East, the Red Sun District, the Central Asia District, the Eastern Europe District; and in the West, the Western Europe District, the Ruixin District, and the Western Rome District.

These are nations with profound global influence. The alliance formed by these twelve countries now guides nearly every step of the world.

The current Secretary General of the Federal Grand Council is Flora Sivil, the leader of the Ruixin District. She is a renowned political figure, descended from the ancient Flora family of Ruixin. Her life story is legendary: at twenty-five, she became the secretary to a state governor, rising year by year until, at thirty-one, she was already running for national leader. Ruixin District is not as powerful as Central Asia or Northern Europe among the twelve, and even weaker than smaller territories like the Red Sun District. Yet she relied solely on her own skill to become Secretary General. This position is no mere figurehead—any national leader who attains it will see Federation resources directed toward their country, can openly leverage trade laws for national benefit, has the authority to hold any Federation leader accountable, and can even influence that country’s elections. The power is immense.

The Federation’s founding slogan was integration. Though rivalries persist beneath the surface, everyone abides by the rules, at least outwardly. For this woman to reach such heights, she must possess extraordinary political acumen.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Sivil, now over forty, stood atop the highest platform. She wore a tailored suit, her face bare of makeup, the marks of age clearly visible, yet her inherent charm remained undiminished. In the Flora family, famed for their beauty, she was only average, but the longer you watched her, the more her commanding presence would captivate you.

“Your intelligence departments should have already provided detailed reports on this incident, so I won’t repeat the facts. You must realize the gravity of the situation. Without exaggeration, this is an event capable of changing the world. Mishandling it could easily ignite the fuse of global destruction.”

“Madam Secretary General, aren’t your words a bit too dramatic?” The speaker was Prime Minister Anger of the Red Sun District, a man over seventy, yet still exuding vigor and commanding attention.

“These people may possess some special abilities, but they are not beyond control. According to my observations, they cannot withstand concentrated fire from heavy weaponry. If surrounded by the army, they have no means to resist.”

“It seems, Mr. Anger, that you haven’t done your homework!” Sivil’s expression was cold; she gave no courtesy to the eldest leader present. “Let me elaborate on the seriousness of the situation for all of you.”

First, I’ve compiled videos sent from several districts. Let’s start with a case from the Eastern Europe District.” She opened a video and continued, “This case involves an administrative city mobilizing military personnel to hunt down a young man. An entire regiment participated, along with heavy tanks and armored vehicles. But watch!” She played the footage: the man in question stood nearly three meters tall, his eyes blood-red, virtually ignoring gunfire from the military, slaughtering nearly a hundred soldiers with his bare hands, and in a corridor, he dismantled a gray tank unaided.

Everyone’s eyes narrowed—the scene was shockingly violent.

Sivil closed the video and went on, “There are many such cases. In our district, a young woman seemed to possess some supernatural power; when the army attempted to suppress her, she forcibly altered the landscape, raising countless spikes from the ground. These were later confirmed to be earth and stone, but extremely fine and explosively powerful. With this ability, she massacred three of our special forces companies.” Though ultimately, she was taken out by a sniper.

Sivil paused, then smiled. “Perhaps Mr. Anger is correct—if you’re willing to pay the price, direct confrontation can kill them. However, these people were ordinary citizens, living scattered throughout cities. Will you mobilize an entire regiment every time?”

Anger’s face darkened as he retorted, “Establishing authority first is best. Once order is enforced, appropriate policies can be implemented. That’s much more advantageous!”

“Establish authority?” Sivil sneered. “You still haven’t grasped the situation. Do you really believe we have the right to enforce authority? Let me remind you: what is the most destructive weapon today? Not tanks, planes, or your special forces—nuclear weapons and all manner of long-range missiles. So let’s consider: who holds the launch codes for these missiles?”

Everyone’s pupils contracted sharply. In most districts, such weapons are jointly controlled by the military and political leadership. For long-range missiles, several senior military officers must authorize with fingerprints and passwords. For nuclear weapons, both senior military and political leaders must jointly authorize. Is this arrangement secure? Normally, yes. The idea of terrorists stealing nuclear codes is mere fantasy. But if these superpowered individuals are involved, it might not be fiction anymore.

How can you defend against such threats? Stay in bunkers constantly, guarded by thousands of soldiers?

Suddenly, everyone realized the terrifying nature of the problem. Even the usually domineering Anger fell silent. The danger posed by these people far exceeded imagination—they simply hadn’t fully considered it yet. Once they did, the issue would become catastrophic.

“Madam Secretary General, what do you propose we do?” The speaker was Mr. Liang, leader of the Central Asia District, another veteran of the Federation. Sivil held him in high regard—a truly respectable elder. She nodded slightly in salute. “First, we must clarify Alpha Corporation’s intentions. According to my observations, those who have abruptly returned are very scattered, without any sign of organization. I propose boldly: although Alpha Corporation created these so-called game pods, they cannot control the so-called players.”