Chapter 218: I Chose Xia Guo

Yang Yi landed with Chris at her newly built shanzhuang.

The shanzhuang was a complex of buildings; only one villa had been completed, while the others were still under daily construction.

“In fact, I’m very satisfied with your performance,” Yang Yi softly caressed his face, her voice gentle: “Keep up your persona—until the day you die…”

A villain who plays a good man his whole life becomes a good man. A performer who plays a role for a lifetime becomes that role.

Yang Yi didn’t care whether he was acting—she only cared what his performance could give her.

She gestured toward the estate with her hand: “Here, this will be your stage. Get familiar with the environment. Starting tomorrow, your role begins in earnest.”

“Is this imprisonment?” Chris gripped her hand.

“You didn’t think my words about kidnapping you when we first met were a joke, did you?” she asked in surprise, then laughed, pointing to the nearby villa: “They built me a villa like an art gallery, so I could house the most magnificent, precious, meaningful artworks in the world. At that moment, I thought—aren’t you exactly that?”

Chris stared at her in silence, his eyes filled with sorrow.

“Don’t disappoint me, darling,” she lightly patted his face, then flew away.

Yang Yi landed directly at Taiye Pond, the political heart of Xia Guo, and said to the secretary of the Central Office who came forward: “Summon everyone for an immediate meeting.”

Minutes later, under the hazy night, numerous government vehicles sped from all directions toward Taiye Pond, heading to this meeting destined to reshape the global order.

Half an hour later, the highest decision-makers, military leaders, Academy of Sciences, and Jueguan Bureau elites gathered in the Grand Assembly Hall.

The atmosphere in the Grand Assembly Hall was extremely heavy; four hours after Yang Yi destroyed thirteen military bases in Akka, everyone already sensed the significance of this meeting.

After the meeting began, Yang Yi first asked the Guojiahangtian Bureau and the Dark Matter Research Institute to report on the progress of the interstellar colonization plan.

President Liu Zhenbang, chief engineer of the interstellar colonization plan, opened his pre-prepared PowerPoint and began his report:

“Ladies and gentlemen, with the support of the cross-dimensional coordinates and spatial jump capability provided by Comrade Yang Yi, humanity has for the first time achieved instantaneous colonization without regard to physical distance. Two extraterrestrial bases have progressed from survival validation to sustained expansion.”

“Our goal is to establish at least five self-sustaining survival bases capable of operating independently for over a century before the demonic god arrives. Currently, the two major bases are stable; the third base’s coordinates are confirmed, and construction will commence shortly.”

“Our core advantage lies in Comrade Yang Yi’s coordinate anchoring and spatial jump capability, which allows us to bypass all conventional spaceflight technologies—energy propulsion, life support, travel time constraints. Transportation costs approach zero; construction speed depends solely on material and personnel deployment.”

Yang Yi sat silently, expressionless, showing no trace of pride.

President Liu Zhenbang did not pause his report: “Currently, 413 scientists and engineers are permanently stationed on Xueyue Star…”

“Our current challenge is building the main base on Xueyue Star. We are preparing to construct a fully enclosed ecological dome with a diameter of two kilometers, simulating Earth’s ecosystem to achieve initial self-cycling of food, water, and oxygen…”

When the image of Xueyue Star’s first fully enclosed ecological dome appeared on the PowerPoint, a low murmur of admiration rose through the hall.

“Huangsha Star has no surface liquid water—its entire surface is desert, with extreme day-night temperature differences ranging from -80°C to 70°C—but underground surveys have detected massive ice layers and geothermal activity.”

“Our goal is to build an underground city, with the main base located 300 meters below the surface, utilizing geothermal energy to extract water from ice layers and establish a stable underground ecosystem…”

“We urgently need more experts in ecology, planetary geology, closed-system engineering, and skilled technicians.”

“In terms of materials, we require research into special alloys, gene bank backups, and large-scale ecological cycling modules…”

“Our greatest risk is that the survival of all bases currently depends entirely on Comrade Yang Yi’s personal abilities and will. We must accelerate research into the nature of spatial coordinates and seek backup solutions.”

“The external risk is that we still do not know whether the demonic god’s harvesting range is limited to the solar system or extends to all human-inhabited regions. Interstellar dispersion is an opportunity—but may merely delay the inevitable.”

After President Liu Zhenbang finished his report, the Grand Assembly Hall erupted into a low buzz as the top leaders of Xia Guo exchanged glances and whispers.

Especially when President Liu mentioned “entirely dependent on Comrade Yang Yi’s personal abilities and will,” many turned to look at Yang Yi, studying her expression.

Yang Yi’s fingertips moved almost imperceptibly; her face remained calm, as if she had already anticipated every word of Liu’s report.

She said coolly: “Next.”

The host promptly invited Professor Wu Qingyuan of the Dark Matter and Jue Energy Research Institute to report on the progress of the mass awakening program.

Professor Wu took the stage: “Through targeted environmental pressure and dark matter coupling factor induction, the global human awakening rate has surpassed the critical threshold and is growing exponentially… but the growth rate carries potential risks…”

“Awakening population ratio: increased from less than 0.6% before the event to approximately 1.7% today, totaling about 31 million awakened individuals, with roughly 26.5 million registered and preliminarily assessed. Our country has three S-class awakened individuals, seventy-six A-class, with B-class and below forming the majority…”

When the PowerPoint displayed the figures “Awakening population: 1.7%, S-class: 3, A-class: 76,” the room fell into absolute silence—only the faint hum of the air conditioning could be heard.

“Our current challenge is that the patterns of S-class awakenings are nearly impossible to predict using existing models…”

“Our key technological breakthrough is confirming the dark matter coupling factor as the essential medium for awakening. We cannot create it—but we can temporarily increase its concentration in localized environments by combining specific fields with the coordinate energy frequency provided by Comrade Yang Yi, raising natural awakening probability by 300–500%. This marks our transition from observing awakening to limited guidance of awakening…”

Yang Yi sat on the podium, silent throughout.

Only after Professor Wu Qingyuan stepped down did Yang Yi slowly scan the entire Grand Assembly Hall. Under her gaze, the hall was so quiet a pin could be heard falling.

“Ladies and gentlemen, above the physical laws of our known world exists a larger ecological rule. We may view the universe as a living organism; the demonic god—or ‘dead star’—functions as its immune and digestive system, periodically eliminating overly active civilization colonies.”

“This cycle is thirty million years—and now it is humanity’s turn…”

Against this threat, humanity’s current political structure—the United Nations, built on sovereignty and competition—is ineffective. It is a game designed to fight over chairs while the house is about to collapse.

“I need a platform—one that prioritizes humanity’s collective interest above all else, and can be effectively executed.”

“Globally, Xia Guo is the only civilization entity with this potential—not because it is the strongest, but because it is the most balanced. Xia Guo’s institutional core contains a genetic preference for collective continuity over individual infinite expansion. Its grassroots organizational capacity, engineering mindset, and long-term strategic resilience form the foundation for executing a civilization-level survival plan.”

“I grew up here, I have benefited from here. I know this system is imperfect—but I have also witnessed its relative effectiveness in restraining humanity’s worst impulses.”

“I will not rule Xia Guo, nor will I become any nation’s weapon. I will be the supervisor and guarantor of the interstellar colonization and mass awakening programs.”

“I will do everything in my power to assist and remove fatal obstacles to the execution of humanity’s survival plan.”

“I give you twenty-four hours for preliminary assessment and strategic mobilization. Then, I require Xia Guo to initiate a motion at the United Nations in the name of humanity, integrating global resources.”

“If any nation obstructs… the current state of Akka is the example.”

“This is not a threat—it is a necessary means to save human civilization.”

“We stand at a crossroads of civilization. One path: clinging to old toys until annihilation. The other: enduring painful transformation to claim a future that is uncertain—but at least exists.”

“I chose Xia Guo. Now, I ask Xia Guo to choose humanity.”