Chapter 313: The Ruling Family

Chapter 313: The Ruling Family

As Ji Xinghuo listened to Ji Daosheng's words, he felt a sense of intrigue. The former had used the word "clan" in the first half of his sentence, but switched to "family" in the latter half.

There was a subtle difference between the two terms, which was easy to overlook.

While those who shared the same surname could be considered part of the same clan, they certainly weren't considered family. Ji Xinghuo, as a public child, had been randomly assigned the surname 'Ji' at birth and had no blood relation to the Fuhrer. So, why would he phrase it that way?

Perhaps I'm overthinking this.

These thoughts flashed through Ji Xinghuo's mind.

"Your Excellency is too kind!" he replied humbly. "As a public child, I wouldn't be who I am today without the country's nurturing. Naturally, I am your junior. It has been my honor to share the same surname as Your Excellency, and many have envied me for it since I was young."

"Hahaha... I like the sound of that," Ji Daosheng laughed.

The others in the room joined in as well.

However, Ji Xinghuo couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hint of playfulness in the Fuhrer's gaze, as if he were hiding some unreadable emotion.

"However, for the youth, it is important to be ambitious," Ji Daosheng suddenly continued. "You must not lack the vigor that we elders possess. With your gifted strength, embrace your arrogance and live a life without regrets."

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "I will remember your words, Your Excellency."

"This kid is already arrogant enough," remarked a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. Her features were exquisite and cold, her style fashionable, but her dagger-like eyes were intimidating, and meeting her gaze for even a second felt like being electrocuted.

This was Zhu Xiaorong, a Heavenly King-level electric field stringer, and the president of the Asia-Pacific Spiritual Ability Association. Aside from that, she held no other titles.

In a soft voice, she said, "It takes audacity for one person to dare to break through the Stargate and breach the air defense system of the Hindi Kingdom."

Ji Xinghuo detected the veiled hostility in her words.

He had heard of this woman, ranked 18th on the Heavenly Kings list. Zhu Xiaorong was known for her dominant personality. Anyone or anything that displeased her would incur her wrath, and she would even go as far as to take action.

Thus, she had earned the nickname "Electric Mother," a testament to her temper.

Seeing is believing.

Ji Xinghuo wondered what he had done to offend Zhu Xiaorong, but he certainly wasn't going to pander to her. He looked directly into her eyes and asked, "Do you have a problem with me, President Zhu?"

"Hmm?"

Zhu Xiaorong's eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes sparkled with electric light.

Crackle!

Their gazes clashed, creating sparks of electricity that pierced the air, leaving a burnt smell in the room.

"Xiaorong," Ji Daosheng frowned, shaking his head. "At your age, nearing a hundred, when will you change that temper of yours?"

"I can't change," Zhu Xiaorong said, but she still obediently restrained herself. In front of Ji Daosheng, she was like a daughter, pouting and turning her head away, no longer competing with Ji Xinghuo.

Witnessing this, Ji Xinghuo combined it with the online rumors and guessed the truth.

Zhu Xiaorong, the Electric Mother, was a war orphan. The Fuhrer had adopted many such children, and when her talent manifested, he took her under his wing. Although he wasn't her official adoptive father, their relationship was as close as father and daughter.

With this realization, Ji Xinghuo's gaze swept across the room, and he suddenly understood the Fuhrer's intention for this gathering.

The people in the room could be divided into two categories.

The first category consisted of the Fuhrer's peers and comrades-in-arms: "Gun Saint" Xing Lie, Marshal Wu Huai'an, and Li Hui, the director of the Sharp Sword Bureau.

Among them, Xing Lie was 183 years old this year, making him one of the oldest living anomalies. He was 37 years older than the Fuhrer, but his rise to prominence came over a decade after founding the Extreme Martial Arts Gym. It was then that the Fuhrer joined the gym, and Xing Lie became his mentor and friend.

The Extreme Martial Arts Gym was one of the earliest powers to support the Fuhrer.

Many of those who had followed the Fuhrer from the beginning were once students of the gym, including Li Hui, the director of the Sharp Sword Bureau.

Wu Huai'an had also met the Fuhrer at the gym, and they became lifelong friends and comrades-in-arms.

The second category comprised those who were mentored and cultivated by the Fuhrer, seeing him as a teacher and a father figure.

For example, Zhu Xiaorong was one of those the Fuhrer had adopted;

"Great Xia Army Master" Luo Baoguo became the first Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Man at the age of 17 under the Leader's guidance; "Morning Phoenix Master" Luo Yimeng was 20 years younger than the Leader and was also discovered and cultivated by him to become the most powerful Mount Master on Earth; "Champion Hou" Huo Kejidi was a super genius scouted by the Leader from the military, and he became a Heavenly King in his fifties.

The other three were similar.

While they might not be as dazzling as Huo Kejidi, they were still legendary powerhouses who served as high-ranking government officials.

The Fuhrer had cultivated many anomalies, not just those present in the room.

However, those who were gathered here were geniuses among geniuses and enjoyed the Fuhrer's utmost trust.

It could be said that they were family to the Fuhrer, forming a family without blood ties.

This family surrounded the Fuhrer, ruling over the Asia-Pacific Communion.

Of course, Ji Xinghuo believed that the Fuhrer's actions were driven by a sense of public duty. He gathered geniuses and cultivated them to their fullest potential so that they could contribute their talents to the country.

Even if there was a hint of personal interest, it did not affect the grand scheme of things.

At the very least, the dozen or so people in the room were not the type to occupy positions without doing any work. They were dedicated and had made contributions and sacrifices for the country. The Asia-Pacific Communion's status as the strongest country on Earth was a testament to their efforts.

Suddenly, Ji Xinghuo recalled the words Ren Jie had said to him over a year ago, before she left.

Back then, he hadn't dared to return to Earth because of the Sharp Sword Bureau.

She had said that there were some high-ranking and powerful figures in the upper echelons of the Asia-Pacific Communion who would be wary of geniuses who did not serve the country, and that it would be detrimental to his future. So, she had advised him to stay with the Sharp Sword Bureau.

The power circle that Ren Jie had mentioned likely referred to this core group centered around the Fuhrer—the true rulers of the Asia-Pacific Communion.

"Was Ren Jie also a part of this group?" Ji Xinghuo wondered, feeling that it was highly possible.

And now, was the Fuhrer inviting him to join this "family"?

"No wonder..."

Ji Xinghuo understood why Zhu Xiaorong looked at him with disdain.

In the future, when it came to the allocation of electromagnetic-type variants, he would undoubtedly be Zhu Xiaorong's biggest competitor. Moreover, given his demonstrated talent and strength, she might not be able to compete, which could impact her own evolutionary path.

Noting the thoughtful expression on Ji Xinghuo's face, Ji Daosheng nodded in approval. "Xinghuo, you're smarter than I thought."

Although he didn't elaborate, his words made it clear to Ji Xinghuo that his guess was correct.

Ji Xinghuo's gaze swept across the room, taking in the reactions of the others present. Most of them seemed welcoming, while a couple of others were indecipherable in their support or opposition. Of course, Zhu Xiaorong still wore a displeased expression.

"Why me?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

The Asia-Pacific Communion boasted a population of 5.6 billion citizens, and every year, millions of new anomalies were born, countless geniuses among them. With the Fuhrer's authority and power, he could recruit all the top talents under his wing if he so desired.

However, the Fuhrer had not done so.

The most obvious example was Zhao Manying. At the age of sixteen, she had revealed unparalleled talent, indisputably topping the Heavenly Ladder and earning the title of the greatest human genius in a century.

And yet, Zhao Manying had not received an invitation from the Fuhrer, nor did she have any known connections with the upper echelons of the Asia-Pacific Communion.

At least, Ji Xinghuo had never discovered any such connections during their time together.

There were also many other geniuses who either became competition anomalies or ventured into the Star Realm to forge their own paths, relying solely on their own efforts.

Clearly, the Fuhrer had specific criteria for his selections.

"Actually, you don't meet my requirements," Ji Daosheng said. "After you slew the Great Kunman legend in the Star Realm frontier, I took notice of you and had your file retrieved for data analysis, which I personally reviewed. At the time, I vetoed your selection."

Ji Xinghuo was taken aback by this revelation.

He noted that the Fuhrer had used the word "slew," indicating that he knew Ji Xinghuo had been the one to deliver the killing blow to the Great Kunman, contrary to the external reports that merely credited him as a participant in the kill.

So, his information had been in the Fuhrer's hands even back then.

"Why did you veto me?" Ji Xinghuo asked, curious.

"You're an individualist," Ji Daosheng replied, his eyes seeming to peer straight into Ji Xinghuo's soul, carrying a hint of regret. "Data analysis showed that as your evolutionary stage and strength increase, you tend towards individualism, prioritizing personal interests."

Ji Xinghuo immediately countered, "Isn't that human nature? Moreover, I've always been grateful to the country and have never opposed serving it."

"Then why did you flee into the Star Realm, turning your back on the Sharp Sword Bureau?" Ji Daosheng asked.

On the other side of the room, Li Hui sighed.

Ji Xinghuo was at a loss for words.

Indeed, from the perspective of an ordinary citizen, joining the Sharp Sword Bureau would be a decision with countless benefits and no drawbacks.

However, his situation had been far from ordinary.

Back then, he had just obtained the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupils, and the mental strain, coupled with his lack of strength, had made him anxious and insecure. He had felt that someone was out to get him.

And Ren Jie had been right about that. His choice back then had indeed had negative repercussions.

"I respect individual choices, and I will not force citizens to sacrifice for the country," Ji Daosheng said solemnly. "However, to live up to the trust placed in me by the people, I must allocate our limited resources to those who are most suitable, to those who put the interests of the country first."

"I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer truthfully," he said, fixing his gaze on Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Yes."

"If there comes a day when the country and its people need you to sacrifice yourself to be saved, would you be willing?"

Ji Xinghuo hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "That would depend on the situation."

"I guessed you'd say something like that," Ji Daosheng shook his head. "You'd probably say that you can temporarily yield and retreat, and when you gain more power, you'll come back for revenge. But I want a clear answer. If your sacrifice is all it takes to save the country and its people, would you do it?"

"No," came the immediate response from Ji Xinghuo.

"Not even if the people you're saving include your family, friends, and loved ones?" Ji Daosheng pressed further.

Ji Xinghuo nodded firmly. "Yes."

He didn't hesitate, but in his heart, he added that if such a difficult choice ever presented itself, it would mean that he hadn't tried hard enough.

With absolute power, one need not make choices, much less sacrifices.

Nor would one have to answer such questions.

Upon hearing Ji Xinghuo's response, the expressions of those around him remained unchanged, but a few of them noticeably cooled their gazes.

Zhu Xiaorong let out a cold laugh.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at her and then at the others, suspecting that their answers would differ from his. They would be willing to sacrifice themselves.

Especially Zhu Xiaorong—if she were truly selfless, she wouldn't view him with hostility but would instead welcome him warmly.

"The moment you hesitated, I knew the answer," Ji Daosheng said gently. "The human heart is complex, and there are no absolute certainties. Although you say you're unwilling now, when that moment truly arrives, you may make a different choice."

Hearing this, Ji Xinghuo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Initially, I didn't want to choose you, but your talent is just too extraordinary," Ji Daosheng marveled. "Perhaps, in the next few centuries, or maybe forever, there won't be another genius to match you."

Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat at the Fuhrer's high praise, and he noticed the complex expressions on the faces of those around him.

"So, I'm making an exception for you," Ji Daosheng said, his eyes shining with expectation. "Rules are dead, but people are alive. I hope that in the future, you will make some necessary contributions to our country, our people, and our race."

With that, Ji Xinghuo stood up and vowed, "I will not let your expectations and nurturing go to waste."

Ji Daosheng looked deeply into Ji Xinghuo's eyes for a few seconds, then nodded with satisfaction.

"Good!"

He rose from his seat and patted Ji Xinghuo's shoulder. "Go now. Li Hui will tell you everything you want to know, and I will also keep an eye on your progress."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end