Chapter 218: A Gathering of Fates

Listening to Fang Hao’s teasing, Yenir could only muster a bitter smile.

Misunderstood…

But if he’s misunderstood, so be it; there’s no need for him to explain.

Yet, looking at the suddenly appearing Fang Hao, a twinge of doubt crept into his mind. If his memory served him well, Fang Hao had mentioned he was heading back to his assigned battle zone and had even asked if he wanted to join.

“Fang Tong, weren’t you heading back to the Hunting Legion? What—everything okay over there?”

Yenir asked hesitantly, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

“No.”

“The situation isn’t fully resolved, but a few days’ delay won’t hurt.”

“It just so happens there’s a conference. Although I had nothing particular to say, I thought I’d drop by to see you.”

“Don’t call me Fang Tong—just call me Uncle Fang.”

As his words faded, a smile spread across Fang Hao’s face as he nonchalantly swapped the name tag beside Yenir for one bearing his own.

Yenir was momentarily stunned by Fang Hao’s explanation.

He had noticed the detail of Fang Hao changing the badge.

Coincidence? Not necessarily.

Although the conference was important, guarding the battle zones was even more critical. At this meeting, not a single one of the Four Commanders had shown up. Despite their formidable strength, these top military figures typically avoid meddling in national policy.

It’s an unspoken rule.

Did Fang Hao act out of concern that he wouldn’t blend in at the meeting? Or was he simply there to support him?

That thought warmed Yenir’s heart slightly.

But what did it mean for him to take over his role?

After Yenir declined to join the Hunting Legion, did Fang Hao then approach the Prime Minister to have him transferred?

Noticing the question in Yenir’s eyes, Fang Hao shrugged and said nothing further.

Indeed, this news hadn’t been announced yet, but it was as good as set in stone.

In his eyes, Yenir’s overwhelming combat prowess made him the perfect candidate to command the Hunting Legion. Freedom and maximum autonomy meant no entanglement in military internal squabbles.

To him, Yenir was a brilliant war prodigy—a talent that shouldn’t be wasted in bureaucratic politics.

Of course, Fang Hao’s actions were partly driven by another motive.

Yenir’s potential was immense, but it hardly warranted all this attention. Who did he think he was? The pinnacle of humanity!

What truly moved him was something Yenir had once done.

He had escorted veteran soldiers home from the Ruins Battlefield.

With access to military resources, he had quickly uncovered every detail of that incident. Seeing similar events in the North China Battle Zone had deeply affected him.

From that moment on, his regard for Yenir had soared several notches.

Taking advantage of the lull before the meeting began, Fang Hao struck up a conversation with Yenir.

But upon seeing the stack of documents in front of Yenir, he casually offered some advice as if something had just clicked in his mind:

“Yenir, if you plan on saying anything later, you’d better keep it to yourself.”

“For awakened ones like us, the authorities are extremely cautious.”

“In the balance between military and politics, some matters can be raised by the Political Department, but not by the Military.”

“You can request funds, or even personnel—complain if you must. But if you truly want to propose a policy…”

Fang Hao’s smile faded as he gave him a look laden with meaning.

“Sometimes, when your strength is overwhelming, you have to show a hint of weakness.”

“We must steer clear of influencing decision-making power…”

He noted that the documents before Yenir were detailed, seemingly a comprehensive summary of data from a certain battle zone. Although he didn’t know what Yenir intended to do with them, as an experienced veteran, he felt obliged to warn him about the taboos.

Seeing Fang Hao’s earnest reminder, Yenir nodded slightly.

He understood exactly what Fang Hao was getting at—he was aware of the rules.

Strength plus authority creates a tipping point.

Any hint of tapping into national power or meddling with authority would undoubtedly stir up unnecessary trouble.

He was well aware that the privileges and honors granted by the higher-ups were not true levers of power.

Yet, he had no choice—or rather, he hadn’t planned on choosing.

Time was not on his side.

Silently studying the report before him, a strange emotion flickered in Yenir’s eyes.

He had commissioned Chen Kailai and his team to gather the data.

Yenir believed the statistics within could win over the skeptics.

Coastal Battle Zone, East Sea Military Region, Safety Zone No.239…

Doom loomed imminent!

The crisis had already begun!

………..

“I hereby declare the 13th Survivors’ Representative Conference officially open!”

“Now, let us present the proposals and invite the representatives…”

On the dais, Li Xuanguo presided with a solemn expression, while six high-ranking officials read out the main points one after another.

“1. Concerning the persistent encroachments by neighboring countries on our borders and their resource plundering in recent years, the Military will deploy three major group armies for a counterattack.”

“2. The growing rift between the descendants of the Awakened and ordinary survivors has sparked multiple protests in four key provinces, with demands to restore the supply of protective agents…”

“3. The North American Battle Zone has re-established its presence on C-Chain Island, planning to rebuild an overseas base…”

…

The conference continued for six hours. As each proposal concluded, the gravity in Yenir’s eyes deepened.

He had cast his affirmative vote on all nine major proposals without voicing any opinions. In truth, his input wasn’t needed.

It was his first conference since his rebirth, and he learned a great deal—information he never knew in his previous life.

Who would have thought that even three years before the catastrophe, Huaguo was already under such immense external pressure…

Out of the nine proposals, six involved matters with other nations.

Either there were incidents of awakened individuals crossing borders to seize resource hubs, or the pre-apocalyptic hostile nations were infiltrating and preparing for war.

In short, it was a clear sign of a new world war on the horizon.

Had it not been for the isolation provided by the seas, the war might have erupted long ago.

It was laughable—in a world still teeming with mutants and zombie hordes, peace-loving humans were already itching to wage war among themselves. For the Awakened to grow stronger, more resources had to be seized. Under the dominance of powerful individuals, very few cared about the ordinary masses.

Every battle zone boasted unique resources, coveted by all.

After the final proposal ended, Yenir finally understood why the Huaxia Battle Zone experienced a bizarre period of weakness during the catastrophe.

Internal strife and external threats—because so many troops were redeployed to the borders, they couldn’t return in time when disaster struck, suffering enormous losses in the first wave.

He hadn’t known this; it was only later, when the higher-ups had retracted their forces, that human factions ceased their clashes.

That, in itself, was a problem—unless the neighboring countries were dealt with, it would remain a tremendous headache.

“Now, we move on to the committee proposals.”

“If any committee member wishes to voice their opinion, please do so voluntarily.”

“Once the votes are in, we’ll proceed to the review stage.”

On the dais, Li Xuanguo, looking rather fatigued, set down his papers to signal the start of the next phase.

At that moment, Representative Fang, already prepared, rose with a smile, ready to present his proposal.

But just as he pressed his button to go first, a sudden announcement flashed across the conference screen.

“Honorary Committee Member No.119: Yenir”

“has submitted a proposal.”