[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-972":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Shadow Empire",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268592,4428,"Chapter 972: The Power Born of Despair","the-shadow-empire-chapter-972",972,"\u003Cp>As I mentioned earlier, thinking is a deeply destructive act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can remain close friends with your best girl friend or best buddy forever, but only if you never think about certain details of your bond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once you start thinking, analyzing, interpreting, you’ll realize perhaps you weren’t each other’s truest best friends after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same is true of La Pa’s social structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lans raised this topic and led people to think and investigate under preconceived notions, even Pedro and the other La Panians felt no problem with their country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haven’t things always been this way for all these years?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From their ancestors, to their grandfathers, to their parents, then to them, then to their children and generations beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone has always lived this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At certain moments, they might feel disappointed with life, but they quickly brush it off with “this is just life,” then carry on as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s as if the entire world possesses a powerful force that makes them ignore the irrationalities in their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until Lans brought it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under comparison, things people could previously tolerate are magnified—like the food issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food is a problem everyone cannot avoid, because to live, one must eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone eats every single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s on the Federal table?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s on the table of the lower classes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beef, vegetables, whole wheat bread or refined flour bread, butter, cheese, or other things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re all lower-class people—why do Federal people eat well and enjoy a variety of foods, while La Panians can only eat garbage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We all contribute the same labor—why do Federal workers earn enough to support themselves and their families, while La Panians can’t even fill their stomachs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, just one complaint is enough to derail an entire topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes the discussions grow heated—for example, when Lans asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has La Pa’s government played any positive role in the nation’s development?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We always say the Federal government is bad—some even curse the president or sue him—but the Federal government has played a crucial role in societal progress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under the Federal government’s oversight, banks lend to small or micro enterprises, helping them survive the winter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They also offer certain policy or loan support to entrepreneurs, enabling them to build their business empires smoothly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Federal government has consistently played a positive role—so has La Pa’s government, President Diego’s government, fulfilled these functions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What role have they played in La Pa’s social advancement?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This topic was clearly incendiary—if raised at the beginning, everyone here would have remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diego is no easy man to provoke; he might restrain his temper toward foreigners, but toward his own people, he’s always been the embodiment of a demon king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after several rounds of provocation and guidance, these “intellectually progressive” gentlemen had fully opened up, beginning to complain about Diego’s government inaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never heard of any ordinary person securing a bank loan—even though the service exists, it’s like… as Mr. Lans heard, we’re all categorized as inferiors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t get a single cent from the bank, while the elites get money without any collateral.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The wealth gap will only widen—and it’s true: the rich grow richer, while we, the poor, grow poorer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker received approval from the other seminar participants; even Pedro couldn’t help voicing his own views.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our government has failed to fulfill its duty—it hasn’t sought to help our nation and people achieve shared prosperity; it has only enriched itself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look around: every profitable industry is either controlled by them or must include them as shareholders—but they rarely use their profits to benefit ordinary people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This creates a vicious cycle—wealth circulates only among a tiny few, harming the majority!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is nothing like the Federal government, which collects taxes from the people and then uses that money for the people’s benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why even the lowest workers have beef on their tables!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedro breathed heavily after speaking—he felt lighter, as if he’d suffered from severe constipation and finally found relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, “Worse still—we can’t change anything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sentence instantly silenced the once-heated discussion room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another high school teacher from a different city whispered, “The biggest difference between us and the Federal is that Federal power flows from the bottom up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The people elect officials they deem reliable and trustworthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These elected officials build the entire national system—and since they come from the people, they naturally consider the people’s interests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But in La Pa, power flows top-down—it’s hereditary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The president’s son remains president; the minister’s son remains minister; what about us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The son of a commoner is always a commoner!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker was over fifty, his hair grayed, his frame thin; he wore round black-rimmed glasses, their lenses slightly blurred from long use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took off his glasses, wiped the lenses with his shirt, and put them back on, “I’ve worn these glasses for seventeen or eighteen years—not because they mean anything special to me, but because I can’t bear to spend money on a new pair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A new pair costs two months’ salary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is La Pa—so awful it suffocates you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without changing our social structure, we won’t just fail to catch up with the Federal—we can’t even take the first step!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell silent—he’d struck at the core: La Pa’s power doesn’t come from the people, so the people gain nothing from being ruled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a dead end—without changing this, we’ll never develop like the Federal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile appeared on Lans’s face—if a person has never known disappointment, let alone despair, how could he ever conceive of forging a new path?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the Jide Republic?” Lans asked. “Their power also seems hereditary—I’ve heard it always circulates within a small elite, much like La Pa’s situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why can the Jide Republic succeed, but La Pa cannot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When people are swept up in intense emotion, they lose some capacity for thought—if they were calm now, they’d sense Lans was guiding them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their emotions surged now; they didn’t notice. The middle-aged teacher continued, “The Jide Republic’s ruling class is more enlightened and intelligent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They understand how national strength benefits them—they’ve tasted the rewards, so they’ve become increasingly civilized and open, like the Federal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps they’ll never let the people choose their rulers—but they’ll hand some of the fruits of development to ordinary people, not hoard them in their own bank accounts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the key difference—we need a group of intelligent…” His voice trailed off, cutting short, but everyone knew what he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>La Pa is controlled by a greedy, foolish ruling clique, stalling its progress and trapping its people in suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Replacing the rulers” is a dangerous thought—but it has strong survival and infectious power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t nurture this thought, you won’t follow it further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once you have it, it clings to you like a demon, tightening its grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was utterly silent; each person held their own thoughts—the collective consciousness was laid bare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a leader emerges from a chaotic crowd, the directionless flock rushes toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Replace the president.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Replace the ruling class!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This dangerous idea became nourishment for dangerous seeds, taking root in every heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one continued discussing it; Lans didn’t steer the conversation further in that direction—he turned to education, to the differences between the two nations’ education systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many teachers were present; they cared more deeply and understood better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedro re-entered the heated discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware, it was already dinner time; Lans took them to a nearby restaurant and booked the entire place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food more delicious than lunch, more varied cooking techniques—some participants couldn’t help sighing: this was true “living,” not merely surviving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the inn that night, Pedro organized notes from the day’s discussions, reviewed them, placed them on the nightstand, then lay on the bed, waiting to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federal hadn’t even popularized televisions—let alone La Pa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a radio station here, but only one—and often it didn’t work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It only broadcast during holidays, singing praises of the ruling clique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying in bed, Pedro felt no sleepiness; he lay with his pillow, thinking of the afternoon’s discussions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, the “elements” of those talks coalesced, forming a more complete idea in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless we replace the current ruling clique, La Panians will never be happy, will never achieve development like the Federal’s—not even matching the Jide Republic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This realization plunged Pedro into utter despair!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night tightly bound him; he gasped for breath, his breathing heavy and labored!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes; after a long while, his emotions eased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a person is in despair, they truly are despairing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t know any of this, he’d be like the others outside—the ordinary people, the ones sleeping on the streets—thinking nothing, considering nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d smile at people when dawn came, find a corner to huddle in when night fell—and he wouldn’t have so many troubles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought of his child, then of Federal students in films, of children breathing fresh, sweet air under a free sky, drinking sweet water, enjoying true inner freedom—and he felt a surge of impulse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans should be free; nature nurtured humanity, not to lock them in cages from birth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans need freedom—only under a free sky can they shine brilliantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought long into the night, finally drifting into sleep in a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he woke the next morning, he looked slightly worn out; as he left the inn, he happened to meet the middle-aged teacher from yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They greeted each other and walked together toward the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think… is the Federal’s purpose in having us attend these seminars, showing us films, promoting all this content?” Pedro asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already had an answer in his heart—he just didn’t believe it, or thought it impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged teacher smiled, “Often in class, when a student asks me a question outside the curriculum, I prefer to let him think for himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He doesn’t realize—when he asks the question, he already has an answer inside him, he’s just unsure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not sure if his inner answer matches the one in our textbooks, or if it’s the correct one—that’s why he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pedro, may I call you that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedro nodded and said, “Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you asked me this question, didn’t you already have an answer inside you, just unsure whether it was right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the old teacher’s half-smiling expression, Pedro had already gotten what he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the subtle changes in the old teacher’s face and expression, he laughed, “I think the same as you—they didn’t come with good intentions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I only saw their malice—not directed at us, but at those who have controlled La Pa for so many years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for hostility toward us, I haven’t sensed any. I feel they need us very much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps this is why they keep showing us—making us understand—the Federation’s freedom, human rights, and democracy. They want to buy us with these things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two crossed the street and broke into a light run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there weren’t many vehicles on Zolan Street, that didn’t mean there were none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The police here were unpredictable; they would drive away ordinary people lingering on the street by beating them with their sticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were teachers—they didn’t want to be chased by sticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedro felt the old teacher’s wisdom and humbly asked, “Do you think this is good or bad for us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old teacher smiled and pursed his lips. “This question is hard to explain clearly. Let me give an example.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We are all poor. They are rich. Now a group of outsiders comes and tells us—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ll give us money if we support them. Do you think that’s good or bad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedro answered thoughtfully, “In the short term, it’s good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old teacher agreed. “Yes—at least we get money now. As for the future…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped walking, his face wearing that faint smile. “Our lives are already like this. How much worse could they possibly get?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This remark clearly carried bias. After a brief thought, Pedro agreed with him: “You’re right—even if it gets worse, it can’t get much worse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old teacher sighed lightly. “Actually… I don’t hold any particular prejudice or resentment toward them… well, maybe a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we should take a look at the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before, our world was only this small patch before us. We could keep living that way, because being weak and backward didn’t lead to destruction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now things are different, Pedro. The war happening right now is telling us: weakness leads to destruction!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our families, ourselves, our property, our land—everything will become someone else’s spoils.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know this might make you think… I’m being unrealistic. But I want to tell you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we don’t change now, it might already be too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want my children or grandchildren to become slaves. The Federation abolished slavery, but it never said slavery was abolished in its overseas territories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this is also an opportunity—an opportunity to break through class barriers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter what you think, I will seize it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped speaking, then patted Pedro’s arm and walked into the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pedro turned back, glancing at the bustling street and crowd below the steps, at the gray, hazy sun. He stood there for a moment, dazed, then followed him into the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For several days straight, those attending the seminar in the library underwent a kind of “baptism.” They encountered many ideas—“the spirit of freedom,” “power comes from the people,” “the working class and common people are the true foundation of the nation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the local ruling elite knew what they were discussing, they would tell them these were capitalist conspiracies, poisonous toxins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Pedro and others like him, these were honey—sweet, a honey that let them feel the future and hope, a spiritual elixir!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2302,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c7f28ce93a8d4e88d69b8fddcee76eebcb576d8d382dc60139baf44c831a51f5","the-shadow-empire-chapter-973","the-shadow-empire-chapter-971",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]