Chapter 293: National Cultivation Craze

While Ye Qin was exploring the universe, the Great Xia Cultivation 749 Bureau was not idle; a new round of measures and means quickly appeared, and under Hua Tiancheng's guidance, the Great Xia official department released another piece of news.

【In view of the declining physical fitness of citizens in the information age, relevant departments visited various places to study traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts, joined forces with many expert professors, and compiled the following teaching material to strengthen the body and consolidate the foundation.】

【This teaching material is open to the Great Xia public and encourages practice; the official will soon launch a dedicated check‑in APP on major websites, where uploading daily practice videos can earn nationwide promotion and massive rewards.】

【According to relevant department regulations, this teaching material will soon be compiled into the nine‑year compulsory education and become a mandatory subject for the middle‑school and college entrance exams.】

【This regulation aims to value citizens' physical fitness; all local civil servants nationwide should set an example, take the lead, vigorously promote it, and use it as part of month‑end and year‑end performance evaluations and award assessments.】

Below these announcements is recorded the most basic cultivation technique, the first layer, coming from the Longyuan Mountain Range.

It is also a cultivation technique selected by the Great Xia Cultivation 749 Bureau after screening—low threshold, very easy to learn, with dense records filling the entire document, and all kinds of matters and experiences fully annotated on it.

They naturally could not call it a foundational cultivation technique, so they invented such a name for promotion; the document does not contain the full technique, only a part of it.

Practicing it will subtly change one's body, unlike those 100 genius students who, if they directly grasped it, would experience comparatively larger changes, so as not to cause panic among the public.

After all, it is not yet time for full disclosure.

In fact, such health‑strengthening cultivation techniques already existed in Great Xia, for example the Eight Section Brocade and the Five Animal Play; scientific research shows that long‑term practice of these indeed benefits the body.

But the Longyuan Mountain Range claims that the effect of this cultivation method is ten times, even a hundred times, that of those exercises!

Great Xia has a huge population; if everyone practiced cultivation, the resulting effect can be easily imagined.

Moreover, this technique lays a solid foundation for them; with this prerequisite, learning other techniques later will be much easier.

The Great Xia Cultivation 749 Bureau can be said to have put in great effort, yet countless people were left stunned by it.

"Has the government gone crazy lately? It keeps issuing strange notices and measures."

"How can this be included in the college entrance exam, and even as a mandatory subject? It must be a joke."

"The Eight Section Brocade and Five Animal Play were popular for a while before; I never expected the government to personally get involved this time."

"I swear, it's even tied to month‑end and year‑end performance reviews—how am I, a perpetual office slave who never exercises, supposed to cope? Looks like my year‑end bonus is going down the drain."

"Have you downloaded that APP? It feels really hard—harder than the Eight Section Brocade; even looking at the pictures, I can't understand it, and the first time I felt completely uncoordinated."

"Actually it's not bad, except that doing a set leaves me exhausted—I'm already worn out like a dog, and having to be evaluated every day, I can already imagine my future days of suffering."

"We civil servants within the system have been given strict demands; it's made me want to quit—it's just too hard, not something humans should do."

"Brother, perseverance is victory! Actually the government is also thinking of our health; change your perspective—exercising is not bad, and there are rewards to be earned."

Countless netizens ranted wildly online; some thought the method was not bad, while others believed the government was just looking for something to do.

But regardless of their thoughts, facing the government's first such vigorous promotion—one could say they spared no expense—many people downloaded it out of curiosity.

Furthermore, under the government's operation, they hired many online commentators, some celebrity internet personalities, and countless big Vs, who all began promoting and demonstrating this set of cultivation techniques on major platforms.

Especially some fitness‑oriented bloggers, who not only gained platform benefits but also wildly drove traffic, with their presence appearing in almost every day's hot recommendations.

Major platforms push such content every day, which can be described as dazzling and overwhelming.

#Shock! A beautiful woman alone at home late at night is actually doing this! #

#Latest edition of the health preservation teaching material, detailed explanation—come exercise with Xiao Yangzi! #

#About how I lost ten catties of fat after practicing the latest edition of the health preservation teaching material for a few days. #

#Health preservation and training without conflict—how contemporary frail college students evolve into muscular hunks! #

#Wuhu takeoff! Liu GengHong's boys and girls, everyone get moving and say goodbye to your body fat! #

Such promotion can be said to be unprecedented, spreading across the land—only when the state takes action does such a phenomenon occur, and it could even be recorded in history.

Under such intensive promotion, the download volume of the official document quickly surpassed hundreds of millions and continues to grow wildly.

And in squares and parks throughout Great Xia, a craze for the latest health preservation teaching material suddenly sprang up.

At any time and place, many middle‑aged and elderly women can be seen, accompanied by strong‑rhythm music, twisting their bodies and forming a spectacular sight.

To promote these more quickly and guide nationwide cultivation, Hua Tiancheng also ordered local leaders to bring their subordinates to parks everywhere to exercise, playing the role of lead sheep.

If the previous actions merely surprised the whole net, this order alone can be said to have caused an uproar across the entire network.

Officials and civil servants nationwide were completely stunned.

Except for mid‑ and high‑level leaders in first‑tier cities who knew the news, other civil servants had no idea what practicing the health preservation method entailed.

But faced with orders from above, they had no choice, after all, you can't twist your arm against your thigh.

If they didn't want to lose their jobs, they had to practice, and moreover do it in public under everyone's gaze—one can imagine how much courage and mental preparation this requires.

Thus, extraordinary scenes appeared all over Great Xia.

One could see some urban officials bringing their staff members to the park to practice the health preservation technique.

Their movements were skilled and as pure as fire, showing that they had put in effort behind the scenes.

After all, they have to check in every day, and superiors will periodically inspect; any slight deviation will result in deducted performance and pay, and serious cases may lead to demotion.

Under these circumstances, not being skilled would be strange.

More than a dozen middle‑aged people here move with vigorous vigor, directly pressing the square‑dancing aunties nearby so they can't lift their heads.

One cannot deny that the effect is still good; many people around were drawn over to clap and cheer.

Such orders indeed also stirred the public's enthusiasm for cultivation.

Even Hua Tiancheng, Qi Hai, Zhao En and other top officials of the major regions all recorded videos and uploaded them online.

Under the drive of countless leaders, celebrities, and well‑known bloggers, almost the whole of Great Xia was swept up in a craze for the health preservation method.

"Well, I think this is also a good thing—after all, it strengthens the body and comes with rewards."

"My child, after finishing homework each day, used to just play games or watch TV; now practicing this health preservation method gives them something to do."

"My child is the same—children today really lack exercise, and this nationwide fitness plan is truly excellent."

At first people were still unaccustomed, but after gradually getting used to it they saw the benefits of the health preservation technique.

Regardless, the Great Xia health preservation method spread amid laughter and joy, with countless people practicing it according to the guide, and their physical fitness continually improving.

The emergence of the health preservation method not only was included in the elementary, middle, and high school examinations, but also prompted countless officials nationwide to take the lead and practice it.

Humans inherently have a herd instinct; under such environmental influence, there is no doubt that the entire populace has joined in.

In a short time, countless people in Greater Xia were mobilized, stirring great enthusiasm.

National fitness cultivation!

At this time, the people of Greater Xia didn't know what use all this had; they just followed the trend and exercised, simultaneously promoting relations between different social classes—it could be said to kill two birds with one stone.

Greater Xia's abnormal situation naturally attracted countless attention.

Even many foreign countries noticed all this, some puzzled.

What on earth is Greater Xia doing?

Previously, they used precious non-renewable resources such as rare earths, exporting them without limit to exchange for grain, steel, and fuel.

Now they actually have the heads of major regions go dance in the square?

Foreign countries lack Greater Xia's long‑standing culture, so they naturally don't understand health practices like the Eight‑Section Brocade and Five Animal Frolics, let alone comprehend them.

In their eyes, Greater Xia's actions are no different from dancing.

They even suspect that the Greater Xia High Officials have collectively gone mad?

Faced with this, many foreign media, such as Miguo and Shenzhao Guo, naturally won't miss the chance to disparage Greater Xia, after all they have long liked to proclaim Greater Xia's backwardness.

"Civilization's lag, suspected strange health problems spreading in Greater Xia, square dance prevalent."

"For our own health, not adopting scientific methods but instead dancing in the square, it's simply too backward; our A San Country would absolutely never have such a thing, because our food is clean and hygienic."

"This is exactly something only barbarians would do; the Greater Xia people are undergoing reverse evolution, I suspect they'll soon revert to the cave‑man series."

"Greater Xia can't even afford tea‑leaf eggs; a hundred years ago men still wore braids—what can you expect them to develop into?"

"I'm dying laughing—what move is this? Dancing looks terrible too; is Greater Xia's brain ruined from eating gutter oil?"

Faced with these countries' mockery, countless people in Greater Xia are resentful; they simply scale walls and online angrily retort those trolls—it can be said to be a battle of tongues among heroes.

"We can't afford tea‑leaf eggs? Ah, yes yes yes, you're right—you barbarian dogs, eat a couple more bites of kimchi, your cerebellum will atrophy and your lower body will be paralyzed."

"Miguo pig, you guys eat hamburgers and fried chicken all day, haven't you burst yet? Our Greater Xia's several‑thousand‑year culture, what do you know! Dare to point fingers here—if you have the ability, we'll send you straight up to heaven shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the sun."

"Our A San Country is indeed bacteria‑ridden yet hygienic; drinking a mouthful of Henghe River water, countless bacteria germs take up residence in the belly, merely making people drop dead on the spot."

Regarding these happenings abroad, netizens fought fiercely; the Greater Xia‑related high officials, however, remained unmoved and had no intention to explain.

Because they know it's still far from the time to reveal the truth; if they did now, it would only bring infinite panic and turmoil, causing social unrest.

Just how severe the mockery of these foreign countries is; later, when they end up crying, once the truth surfaces, everyone will praise Greater Xia's foresight.

Greater Xia Cultivation Bureau.

In the huge office hall, it's extremely simple, with no extra decorations; aside from a few desks and chairs, there are only piles of documents stacked like small hills.

These documents haven't been reviewed yet; obviously they were just sent up recently, dated no more than two or three days, piled here and there, some even over a meter high.

At the desk, Hua Tiancheng rubs his temples, looking at those documents, his expression somewhat helpless: "Just a few days and the documents have piled up into a mountain again."

After finishing the affairs of Wu Du Cultivation Academy, Hua Tiancheng hurried back to the Cultivation Bureau; his schedule was packed.

After all, they don't have much time left; countless matters need coordination through the Correction Bureau, such as building training halls, gathering materials, observing various things, budgeting funds, and emergency contingency plans.

One matter after another, over ninety percent are related to heavenly and earthly calamity issues, all of which have gathered in the Greater Xia Cultivation Bureau.

Looking at these unprocessed documents, Hua Tiancheng wishes he could use one minute as two.

Beside him, a man looked at his weary expression and thoughtfully brought over a cup of coffee, saying:

"Chief, you've been busy this long—take a rest first; you've just returned from Wu Du Cultivation Academy, even an iron‑clad body couldn't take it."

The man is about forty or fifty; he originally served as the General Secretary of Greater Xia's Southwest Region, having worked with Hua Tiancheng for over ten years, handling countless matters.

Now he has become the General Secretary of the Greater Xia Cultivation Bureau, likewise assisting Hua Tiancheng in handling numerous affairs.

The documents piled before him are even more than those on Hua Tiancheng's desk; countless documents need to be screened by him, then handed to Hua Tiancheng for final approval.

After just a few days of work, his worn‑out look makes him seem ten years older; his eyes, like Hua Tiancheng's, are topped with huge dark circles.

Hua Tiancheng took a sip of coffee to refresh himself; the fatigue in his expression lessened slightly, he gave a wry laugh and said: "Now where is there time for us to rest?"

"How's the situation outside now? Has the training plan gotten on track?"

Upon Hua Tiancheng's inquiry, the man quickly replied: "Chief, according to reports and news from all over the country, the nationwide cultivation craze has been set in motion."

He took out a document and handed it to Hua Tiancheng.

"You released it under the banner of health‑preserving arts, and letting officials, big Vs, and stars take the lead—this method is extremely useful, with no one doubting."

"Now Greater Xia has over seventy percent of people starting to train; the only uncertainty is how long this training craze can last."

Hua Tiancheng showed relief, as long as this craze can continue for one or two months, as long as this craze can continue for one or two months, the people's physical quality should be able to get a decent improvement.

"Issue the order: let officials nationwide continue to lead training; officials of rank Zhengke level and above, civil servants must at least every three days go to a square or park to check in and upload a video."

"Let dedicated personnel handle the review; the military aspect must not be neglected either."

The middle‑aged man nodded, recorded the numerous orders, and said: "Yes, sir."

"How is our country's disaster reserve situation progressing?"

"Our country's original reserves of soybeans, wheat, rice, etc., amounted to about two hundred million tons; after exchanging precious resources, the reserve quantity has multiplied severalfold, now reaching nearly two billion tons."

"Our country has already built nearly 6,000 grain storages nationwide, covering all prefecture‑level cities and 13 densely populated areas."

"Moreover, these grain storages are all located in aboveground safe zones, with excellent insulation; even if temperatures later plummet, factoring in losses, they are sufficient for the populace's expenses for over two years."

Hearing this, Hua Tiancheng lifted his head from the documents and asked: "How many tons?"

"Nearly two billion tons."

Hua Tiancheng slammed the table excitedly, rose to his feet, and said: "Not bad—this was done very well; I never imagined we could exchange for so much grain."

"Heavenly and earthly calamity is imminent; food is the people's heaven, the grain issue is the foundation of the state—we absolutely cannot allow any loophole!"

"Understood!"

The middle‑aged man naturally knows the gravity of the matter.

Hua Tiancheng was so happy he could hardly speak; having grain in hand, facing endless disaster, his heart had confidence, and he slowly smiled, saying:

"This 2 billion tons of grain is roughly about 50% of the world's grain."

It seemed he had been influenced by Splendid Heaven City, and the middle-aged man also laughed and replied:

"Not only that, earlier you exchanged precious resources for grain; this method was simply brilliant. Nowadays, about 65% of the world's annual grain production and many countries' reserves are in Huaxia."

He paused, then continued speaking:

"Such a large-scale grain collection, right from the start many countries were suspicious, but investigations yielded no results, so they only tentatively exchanged with us; their true purpose was actually to probe our bottom line, to see what we really intended. Nowadays, many countries have sensed something amiss, especially the relevant departments of Miguo, which have begun to halt rare-resource exchanges with our country and are questioning us, demanding an explanation and the return of the previously exchanged grain."

The middle-aged man asked, "Should we explain?"

Hua Tiancheng gave a cold smile, "Don't bother with these people."

The middle-aged man nodded, "Okay, I understand."

(End of chapter)