Chapter 531: Where Hearts Lie

Chapter 531: Where Hearts Lie

May 10, 2229.

This day would have been ordinary, but for the people of the South Asian subcontinent, it was one that would decide their future.

Today, the seven nations of the South Asian Union were holding a referendum.

A decision would be made on two matters.

First, whether to dissolve the South Asian Union, and second, whether each country would join the Asia-Pacific community.

The outcome was obvious, as public opinion and sentiment in the seven nations clearly indicated a unified direction.

The only potential variable lay in the Hindi Kingdom.

The attention of the entire world was drawn to this event, and in the name of transparency, the seven nations had invited journalists from various countries to observe and livestream the process across the networks, covering the situation in each country, city, and region.

In the Asia-Pacific community, people were also closely watching.

Chang'an.

Ji Xinghuo had not cultivated today. Instead, he spent the day with his family and Zhao Manying, watching the referendum process in their villa and awaiting the results.

The previous night, he had implanted his second magnetic star seed and begun to condense its shell.

With his prior experience and the magnetic star seed's effect of increasing his cultivation speed by 10%, the process of creating the second star seed's shell was much faster.

It was expected to be completed within a month.

As the number of magnetic star seeds increased, the speed at which he could establish the nodes of the Yuan Magnet Array would also accelerate.

"If each node could be infused with a different ability, like electromagnetic polarization, and immediately reach the star seed limit, it would only take me a maximum of three years to reach the peak of the sixth stage and then challenge the Saint of the Stars."

"But that's impossible."

"The effects of other abilities are not as good as electromagnetic polarization, and even the Ancestral Dragon Vein may fall short."

"However, even so, with the quality and level of my ability, I shouldn't need to cultivate for too long."

Ji Xinghuo's mind was wandering.

Zhao Manying noticed his faraway look and asked with concern, "Xinghuo, what are you thinking about?"

Everyone turned their heads as they were all watching the screens.

"I was daydreaming," Ji Xinghuo admitted.

"Such a major news event, and you're daydreaming, San Ge," Liang Qiu Feiyan teased. "No wonder I was talking to you, and you didn't even respond. Ever since you decided to become a singer, you've been so busy and rarely home, but you always make time for family gatherings."

Ji Xinghuo glanced at the voting data on the screen. "What's the big deal? The result is a foregone conclusion."

"Ah?" Wang Zizheng exclaimed, surprised. "Aren't you worried about any unexpected outcomes?"

"You have to trust in the Chancellor's capabilities," Ji Xinghuo said meaningfully.

Today's referendum in the seven South Asian nations was the culmination of the Chancellor's years of planning, and now it was merely a procedural formality.

If this couldn't be done right, the Chancellor wouldn't have achieved his current success and status.

"Among the seven South Asian nations, six of them should be fine," Ye Dongyun interjected. "The only one I'm uncertain about is the Hindi Kingdom. Their citizens have been deeply indoctrinated by the Brahman King's religious teachings, and years of hatred education will not be easy to undo in a short time."

Ji Xinghuo smiled.

If this had been in the past, it would indeed have been an unsolvable problem, requiring at least two generations, if not longer, to influence and correct their way of thinking.

But this was the 23rd century.

This was a world ruled by superpowers, where the power of the mind was no longer elusive but could truly interfere with human thoughts.

Coupled with the ubiquitous and all-encompassing Internet, information bombardment, and public opinion control, high-intensity propaganda could penetrate even the most stubborn minds. Hearts and minds could be molded like a lump of dough, shaped as needed.

The extent to which superpower rulers, aided by high technology, could influence their subjects was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Let's take the simplest example.

On the day of Brahma's death, the Hindi Kingdom, now under the control of the Asia-Pacific community, immediately cut off the country's Internet access. From that evening onwards, all Hindi citizens who wanted to restore their network access had to forcibly watch videos exposing Brahma's crimes.

They couldn't skip or fast-forward, and artificial intelligence ensured that users were physically present in front of the screen for the viewing to count toward the required duration.

After watching the video, they also had to take an exam, and only those who passed could have their network access restored.

But this was only for one day.

On the second day, if they wanted to access the Internet again, they had to continue watching videos, but this time, the content was different. In addition to exposing the evil deeds of the ruler, the videos also outlined the country's future development plans and promises. Even the most resolute individuals would begin to waver.

The Internet had already permeated every aspect of human life, and in cities, survival without the network was nearly impossible.

Even if some stubbornly refused to go online, propaganda was everywhere in the physical world as well.

And this was just one of the methods employed.

There were also numerous other governance policies that touched on every aspect of human activity, a combination of rewards and punishments. The most stubborn diehards were investigated, their crimes exposed, and then they were physically eliminated, while those who were innocent were handled by mind hackers.

The people of the Hindi Kingdom had been oppressed for far too long!

In the 23rd century, the Asia-Pacific community was the hope of all mankind, a beacon for the Earth. Even during Brahma's rule, the common folk of the Hindi Kingdom and other South Asian countries longed for the coming of a new ruler.

Nothing could stop people's yearning for a better life, and they would vote with their actions.

Of course, when the Hindi Kingdom was mentioned within the Asia-Pacific community, only the positive aspects were highlighted. There was no need to let everyone know about the methods used to reform the Hindi people's thinking.

Most people wouldn't bother to look into these matters anyway.

This was the importance of media dominance!

Ji Xinghuo didn't feel any aversion to this. Everything the Chancellor did was for the liberation of all mankind, to establish a regime that united Earth's humans, allowing them to unleash their potential and make their stand in the stellar world, venturing even further!

Although this went against the beliefs of certain "liberals," ever since its establishment, the Asia-Pacific community had been criticized for its power structure and political processes, deemed insufficiently democratic.

Some even accused it of being dictatorial.

Abroad, especially in hostile nations, the media smeared the Chancellor, labeling him as the "Tyrant of the Asia-Pacific." His reputation was worse than those self-proclaimed emperors and kings who openly practiced feudalism.

To this, the Chancellor only laughed it off and never responded.

Ji Xinghuo also never took it to heart. After frequent close interactions with the Chancellor, he even grew to support his authoritative manner.

There was no perfect system that fit all societies.

Nor was there a perfect ruler.

However, if there was an enlightened, long-lived, and dedicated monarch, perhaps that would be the optimal solution to some extent.

Everyone was pondering Ji Xinghuo's words about the Chancellor. When it came to him, people trusted blindly.

Since Ji Xinghuo was so close to the Chancellor, they figured he must know the inside scoop.

"The referendum results for the Andaman Islands are out!"

Everyone's attention returned to the screens.

The Andaman Islands ranked second to last in both population and area among the seven South Asian nations, only slightly larger than the Maldives in terms of land mass. Thus, in less than half an hour, most of the nation's over nine million people had cast their votes.

The support rate for both options—to withdraw from the South Asian Union and to join the Asia-Pacific community—exceeded 90%!

No one was surprised by this outcome.

The Andaman Islands were geographically closer to the Asia-Pacific community, and the reason they had remained in South Asia was to act as a thorn in the side of the South Asian Union.

The same was true for the Maldives, the other island nation in South Asia.

The data from the Maldives also came in, with both options receiving over 80% support. There was no suspense at all.

Next was Ikhstan.

In front of the cameras, Prime Minister Chaudhry enthusiastically announced to his citizens that the referendum had passed with a staggering 72% majority. From this moment on, Ikhstan would join the Asia-Pacific community, and all its people would become citizens of the community! Standing next to Chaudhry was Qiao Jiya, the tough soldier whose eyes were now moist with emotion, a touching sight.

Chaudhry turned and hugged Qiao Jiya, whispering words of comfort.

It was a harmonious scene.

However, aside from the individuals involved and those in the upper echelons, who could have imagined that just over a month ago, Chaudhry had been scheming for his personal interests and power, hesitating and wavering, and only boarded Qiao Jiya's ship under duress.

"Haha..."

Recalling the situation back then, Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What are you laughing about, San Ge?" Liang Qiu Feiyan asked curiously.

Ji Xinghuo didn't hide it and briefly recounted what had happened on the day of the Peshawar incident.

Everyone was astonished.

"If it weren't for you telling me, San Di, I would have thought that Prime Minister Chaudhry had been pro-Asia-Pacific for many years! Look at him now; he seems to think he's the one who led Ikhstan's referendum," Ye Dongyun said, shaking her head as she watched the screen.

Zhao Manying added, "Politicians are indeed the best actors in the world. Compared to them, even award-winning actors and actresses fall short."

"That's right!"

Everyone chimed in their agreement.

Thanks to the advancement of information technology, large-scale voting was now very convenient, and the statistical data from each country was released one after another.

The Ceylon Republic, the Bangzi Federation, and the Dravida Republic all had support rates for the two options exceeding 60%, smoothly passing the referendum.

The last country to announce its results was the Hindi Kingdom.

It was the most influential, largest, and most populous country on the South Asian subcontinent, and also the one believed to hold the strongest grudge against the Asia-Pacific community. At least, that was what most people in the various countries thought.

"So high!" Ye Dongyun exclaimed in shock.

The others were also perplexed.

Among the three major powers in South Asia, the Bangzi Federation, due to its proximity to Ximian Province, had very frequent trade activities and population exchanges, and thus the most infiltration from the Asia-Pacific community. During this incident, they directly surrendered, and a significant portion of the incriminating evidence against the Brahman King and the Elephant Guru was provided secretly by the "Flood" Heavenly King.

Yet, even with this, the Bangzi Federation's support rate didn't reach 70%, only slightly higher than the Dravida Republic by a mere two to three points.

And surprisingly, the Hindi Kingdom, which was previously believed to hold the deepest grudge, showed even higher support.

It even surpassed Ikhstan!

People's first reaction was that there must be a mistake in the data.

Subsequently, some immediately doubted the result, and many experts and hosts, amid their shock, hesitated to express their views, but it was clear that they lacked conviction.

Abroad, there were immediate accusations of data fabrication, and many online voices cried out about rigged elections.

Some even claimed it was a backroom deal.

"San Ge."

Wang Zizheng was influenced by these doubts and hesitantly asked, "Is this data real?"

"Of course, it's real." Ji Xinghuo nodded, "I told you, you have to trust in the Chancellor's capabilities."

Ye Dongyun still found it hard to believe.

Ji Xinghuo didn't explain too much. It was unimaginable for ordinary people to fathom how much heart and soul the Chancellor had poured into this day, nor could they understand the impact a Heavenly King-level mind hacker could have on governance when granted supreme power and vast resources!

The screen switched to a new scene.

KaneiMazonda, on behalf of the Hindi Kingdom's interim government, delivered a speech to the people of his nation and the world.

He didn't prepare a script but improvised.

Starting from his birth and upbringing in the slums, he recounted the numerous difficulties he faced while growing up, his struggle for survival, the chance he got for an education, his determination to seize that opportunity, his hard work and efforts in his studies, and his gradual climb up the social ladder until he entered the cabinet of the Hindi Kingdom. During this journey, he had witnessed countless dirty deeds and evils, and he vowed to overthrow the rule of the Brahman King, eliminate the wickedness, remove the burden that pressed down on the people of Hindi, and lead them towards a brighter future.

"Today's referendum result is the choice of the people."

"Our voices are loud and clear, sending an unequivocal request to the Asia-Pacific community, asking to be a part of the grand Asia-Pacific family!"

"Let us become yours!"

KaneiMazonda's speech was passionate and inspiring, easing the doubts of many people at home and abroad.

Although there were still noises from the media of various countries, they were insignificant.

Afternoon.

Chancellor Ji Daosheng delivered a televised speech, congratulating the seven South Asian nations and, on behalf of the Asia-Pacific community, accepting their request to join. He welcomed the South Asian people as part of the same nation and the same country!

Finally, Ji Daosheng announced that he would personally go to New Bharat the next day.

The leaders of the seven South Asian nations would be present.

The Asia-Pacific community would hold a grand signing ceremony in New Bharat, with the Chancellor himself in attendance, to show respect to the South Asian people. The ceremony would also announce the arrangements for the South Asian subcontinent regarding administration, the military, and the government.

The eyes of the world were upon them.

"It will definitely be lively in New Bharat tomorrow." Ye Dongyun smiled, "This is a historic day."

She looked at Ji Xinghuo, "San Di, will you be going?"

"Of course."

Ji Xinghuo nodded. He had received the Chancellor's notification a few days ago, asking him to accompany him to the signing ceremony in New Bharat.

In fact, he didn't agree with the Chancellor's decision to make this trip.

This was a critical period, and the Chancellor's safety was of utmost importance. For the unification of the world, anyone could be spared, even himself, and if necessary, the timeline could be adjusted. But the Chancellor's strategic presence was indispensable.

The Chancellor was safest in Chang'an, under constant heavy protection, but the security arrangements in South Asia were not as comprehensive.

Their enemies might take desperate measures.

Ji Xinghuo could guarantee his own absolute safety, but he dared not say that he could definitely ensure the Chancellor's safety as well.

However, Ji Daosheng believed that his personal attendance at the ceremony was politically significant!

It would also be another opportunity to test the strategic resolve of the American Federation.

Perhaps, it might even lure out the Sun King!

Ji Xinghuo tried to dissuade him several times to no avail, and seeing that the Chancellor had made up his mind, he eventually stopped persuading him and quietly made his own preparations.

The next day.

Ji Daosheng boarded a special plane and arrived in New Bharat, while Ji Xinghuo's physical body had already arrived ahead of him, hidden in the sky, watching as the special plane, escorted by fighter jets, slowly descended towards the airport.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end