Chapter 541: Chapter 394 The Ruler
Before Yara could finish speaking, Zachary already understood what Yara was about to say, so Zachary waved his hand, interrupting the words Yara had yet to speak.
Seeing Zachary’s gesture, Yara was somewhat puzzled, then as if realizing something, his expression changed dramatically.
Seeing the look on Yara’s face at that moment, Zachary guessed what the other was thinking and knew that if he didn’t explain, once Yara left, their relationship might be severed, and they would become strangers or even enemies in future encounters.
So, he stopped joking with Yara and directly explained, "Don’t be hasty, I know what you’re thinking right now. I am still myself, not controlled or replaced by someone else. The reason I interrupted what you were about to say is actually because I knew what was on your mind.
If this were before the disaster, your guess might be far-fetched, but at a time like this, perhaps it could be true. However, even if you guessed correctly, what then? The Officials and the Imperial Court are still there; these are not matters for you to concern yourself with."
Hearing what Zachary said, Yara instantly understood why Zachary had interrupted him. Yet, at that moment, Yara stubbornly persisted, "If this matter isn’t reported, and the higher-ups also encounter the same issue, then things could get really serious."
Upon hearing Yara’s words, Zachary’s tone suddenly became much more sinister as he slowly spoke, "How do you know the higher-ups haven’t encountered the same situation? What if the person to whom you report also suffers from the same symptoms? Then you’d be walking right into a trap!"
Hearing this from Zachary, Yara immediately pictured that scenario, shuddering involuntarily before anxiously asking Zachary, "What should we do if that really happens?"
Seeing Yara’s anxious demeanor, Zachary didn’t seem overly worried and replied in a very relaxed tone, "Just chill."
Seeing Zachary respond so nonchalantly, Yara became quite angry. With a very charged tone, he shouted at Zachary, "Things have gotten this bad, and you’re still joking around. Do you have any sense of responsibility at all?"
After hearing Yara’s reproach, Zachary’s expression suddenly turned serious as he retorted, "Responsibility? You want to talk to me about responsibility? Then I want to ask you, who are you? What position do you hold in the Imperial Court, and which departments do you oversee? How many people will obey the decrees you issue?
Speaking of responsibility, ’One should seek to fulfill the duties of their position, not meddle in the governance outside their purview.’ Don’t you understand this principle? Besides, do you think you’re the only clever person on Blue Star, and no one else has noticed the anomaly?
Don’t think you’re the savior from the movies, that China would collapse without you! Wake up, you’re just an ordinary person with a small ability. Even without you, China will continue to fare well.
There are tall men enough to hold up the sky when it falls, and you are not that tall man. So, don’t earn the money for buying cabbage while worrying with the heart for selling nuclear bombs.
Listen to me, lad, you must adapt to your ordinariness."
Zachary’s words, like buckets of cold water, were harshly splashed onto Yara. However, it was thanks to the icy dousing from Zachary that Yara finally calmed down.
"Yes, Zachary is right, I’m just an ordinary person, and some things really aren’t for me to worry about."
Hearing Yara’s soft murmur, Zachary suddenly felt a pang of regret in his heart. Had he gone too far, as if adding ice cubes to the cold water?
Sensing this mood, Zachary immediately stood up and said to Yara, "Alright, I went a bit too far earlier. Although we can’t overstep our bounds to deal with those issues, as exemplary citizens, we still need to report problems to the relevant departments promptly when we discover them. It’s one of our civic duties.
Don’t overthink it. Take me to see those people. Only by seeing them with my own eyes can we find a way to help you verify if something is wrong with them."
Hearing Zachary say this, Yara’s mood instantly recovered, and then he promptly got up and led Zachary to a survivors’ camp on the outskirts of Kyoto.
Unlike Pengcheng, the surrounding suburbs of Kyoto are extensive. These areas were originally designated as Plantation Areas by the Officials. Despite the bulk of the insect tide being held back by the military outside the suburbs with each outbreak, a few Soldier Bugs always managed to break through the blockade and enter the plantation areas of Kyoto’s outskirts to wreak havoc.
Given wartime circumstances, the soldiers had no time to exterminate the penetrating Soldier Bugs, allowing them free rein unless they entered city areas. Before the war ended, basically no one would deal with them.
Indeed, in smaller cities like Pengcheng, Hunting Teams would have been dispatched to eliminate them by now. However, in Kyoto, although the Hunting Teams aren’t very large, those that can make it in Kyoto generally possess strong capabilities.
Because of this, they usually ignore the eradication bounties issued by the Officials, not to mention that the toughest part of such missions is finding the target. Even after completion, the rewards are not the least bit attractive to them.
Due to this, the Soldier Bugs that breached the defense lines and entered the outskirts of Kyoto caused so much destruction. After all, although Soldier Bugs are no match for people like Zachary, they are still very dangerous to ordinary folks.
