Chapter 515: The Price of Privilege

Inside the office, the silence was so profound that even the faintest sound, like a needle dropping, could be detected.

Listening as Li Xuanguo suddenly shifted the conversation to another subject, Yenir simply shook his head in confused disbelief.

Born into the post-apocalyptic new era, he knew very little about ancient lore or legends aside from matters related to combat.

Survival always comes first.

Yet, as he caught sight of the self-mocking glimmer in Li Xuanguo’s eyes, he sensed that a brutal, bloody truth was about to unfold.

“Thirty-three taels of silver refers to the ancient tax system where the government would levy various taxes—roughly, a lifetime’s earnings would be reduced by thirty-three taels.”

When Li Xuanguo suddenly recounted stories unrelated to Lu Haishan and the others, Yenir listened intently without any sign of impatience.

He knew that Li Xuanguo never spoke without purpose.

After a brief pause, the Prime Minister spoke again:

“The Thirty-Three Taels Silver Tax is a cruel and covert method of exploitation.”

“It essentially strips away more than half of a person’s lifetime earnings, leaving only just enough for the bare essentials while squeezing out every bit of value.”

“And through this cunning exploitation, it forces you to strive relentlessly, making you believe that if you work hard enough, life might improve…”

“Similarly, this kind of tax emerged even after the apocalypse…”

“And it all originates from the very first batch of Peak Third-Stage fighters.”

Li Xuanguo produced an identity card, his eyes flickering as the card—symbolizing supreme authority—glowed with a dark golden light.

“When the harshness of the apocalypse gradually subsided and we stopped living in constant fear of monsters breaching the Safe Zone…”

“…the corruption of power began to take root.”

“For the original Peak Third-Stage fighters, some might indeed sacrifice everything for their country without expecting anything in return. But they are human too; they crave comfort and a better life.”

“Even if they themselves disregard material pleasures, their families and descendants certainly care…”

“And so, the Committee was born.”

“Depending on their committee rank, each Peak Third-Stage fighter is granted privileges and a vast supply of resources—the very benefits you, Yenir, now enjoy.”

With a slight smile, Li Xuanguo casually grabbed a pen and swiftly scribbled on a sheet of paper.

“The resources available to one Peak Third-Stage fighter are equivalent to those of a hundred Third-Stage fighters or a hundred thousand Second-Stage fighters.”

“Initially, these seasoned peak warriors were careful with resources, used to conserving every scrap—after all, they had clawed their way through the early apocalypse, knowing that even a single loaf of bread could be a lifesaver!”

“But human nature is liable to change.”

“When they realized that they no longer needed to fight, gather resources, or even do anything to enjoy abundant supplies and privileges… a disaster was unleashed…”

“Over thirty years, the Military’s hoarded resources were drained, and behind every Peak Third-Stage fighter lay an enormous web of kinship.”

“Privileges, corruption, embezzlement, waste…”

“Yet in just three years, all the supplies stockpiled for the disaster were completely exhausted.”

“Every piece of equipment and reinforcement resource was funneled to the hundred Committee members’ subordinates, causing the Military’s Awakeners to suffer a catastrophic collapse in combat capability!”

“In this vicious cycle, these inactive Peak Third-Stage fighters, along with their subordinates and families, clung to the entire Battle Zone like bloodsucking leeches! It even sparked mutinies and riots within the Military—soldiers were nearly left to starve!”

“Even so, the factions represented by these Peak Third-Stage fighters showed no sign of backing down.”

“Sure, someone might realize this could ruin the entire Battle Zone, but if you don’t eat, will others? When everyone feasts, can you afford not to join in?”

With a cold laugh, Li Xuanguo slowly closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

“Thus, the forces behind the Peak Third-Stage fighters have now set their sights on the survivors at the bottom.”

“The Military has been drained dry, yet several Safe Zones still remain.”

Opening his eyes, Li Xuanguo looked at Yenir as if to test him:

“Yenir, if you held the power, how would you exploit those beneath you? How would you strip them of their resources?”

Gazing into Li Xuanguo’s questioning eyes, Yenir hesitated for a moment before speaking softly:

“Raise the tax rate? Nationalize dungeon resources? Designate special battlefield events? Seize the most lucrative system rewards?”

As he spoke, Yenir subconsciously thought of the Ruins Battlefield and the Hell’s Gate Dungeon.

Dungeons with such high rewards and output value were generally controlled by the Military.

With plenty of strong individuals experimenting in secret with clearance methods, the Military naturally managed to deplete those resources.

In fact, during the final year of his previous life, the Military was forced to reveal these clearance methods—in essence, sharing resources in an attempt to boost everyone’s strength.

But it was too late…

Nodding in satisfaction, Li Xuanguo’s eyes flashed with approval before he quickly shook his head:

“The later measures are correct, but they’re far too lenient.”

“The initial tax rates, however, are flawed…”

“When most resources are handed out directly by the system, how can these Peak Third-Stage fighters possibly impose taxes?”

“If you want to drain others, there are actually two optimal methods.”

“First, halt industrial production under the pretext of a spirit energy ore shortage to prioritize military needs.”

“When basic survival goods dwindle, prices naturally skyrocket, forcing the lower survivors to pay dearly—trading their hard-won system rewards for essential supplies.”

“Second, weaken the effectiveness of the Awakening Potion. In fact, stop distributing them to the lower strata altogether!”

“Cut off the upward mobility of the lower class to reduce competition! Under such power suppression, a resource monopoly becomes inevitable! Moreover, by halting Awakening Potion distribution, fees can be charged under the guise of material shortages!”

As his words faded, Yenir’s pupils contracted into needle-like points.

His comprehension was lightning-fast—as soon as Li Xuanguo finished speaking, he grasped the underlying meaning!

The distribution of Awakening Potions wasn’t due to a material shortage at all—it was a deliberate move to reduce the number of Awakeners, all to exploit the lower class!?

According to Li Xuanguo, such practices began decades ago—and now, they have been completely cut off!

A chill ran down his spine.

A deep, icy dread surged within Yenir; he had thought he had seen through some people’s greed, but he never imagined that someone would deliberately snuff out an entire Battle Zone’s future.

By that reckoning, how many potential Awakeners had been delayed all these years? How many lives that should have been saved were instead lost!?

This is the apocalypse—every additional Awakener represents another shard of hope!

Moreover…

In a hoarse voice, Yenir took a deep breath, as if in sheer disbelief, and managed to speak:

“So, the supposed shortage of spirit energy ore is just a sham, isn’t it?”

“They’d rather let those below starve than produce food?”

“No.”

Unexpectedly, Li Xuanguo regarded him with a hint of pity and gently said:

“Due to the alleged shortage of spirit energy ore, production of supplies has stalled—even the Military’s stock of psychic weapons is dwindling.”

“In truth, it’s just that no one is actually ‘taking’ them.”

“The Military truly has no reserves, and indeed we’ve been blockaded by the surrounding Battle Zones.”

“Yet all of this is due to those Peak Third-Stage fighters refusing to deploy Awakeners.”

“Yenir, there are actually many geniuses within the Military.”

“When Awakeners combine, the next generation will only be more exceptional.”

“Yenir, think about it—how can the vast Huaxia Battle Zone be so bereft of geniuses?”

“Before you, there were suitable Third-Stage candidates for dungeon challenges. Yet, without exception, they all refused to participate.”

His tone gradually turned cold.

Li Xuanguo slowly stood up, his normally upright figure now slightly hunched.

“This is the capital they use to blackmail us.”

“They choose not to engage in any dungeon challenges, refuse to defend the borders, and won’t tackle disasters—and in doing so, they’ve seized the bulk of our resources.”

“Of course, we could coerce them into action.”

“It would just require us to pay a price.”

Having finished speaking, Li Xuanguo silently looked at Yenir.

This time, he didn’t specify what that price was.

Because it was self-evident.