Jiang Xiaoci's Wild Plan: The Birth of a New System

Jiang Xiaoci's plan was simple: to insert the D-level talent upgrade cards Mike no longer needed into the settlement's work points system, turning them into a special reward that could be exchanged through work points.

In other words, anyone who worked diligently could obtain a powerful and stable means to enhance themselves, directly from Mike.

After all, Mike had no E-level talents, but there were some among the residents. Though the number of such talents was small, Jiang Xiaoci had long been aware of them.

As soon as Jiang Xiaoci proposed this plan, Mike immediately saw its potential pitfalls.

"What if there's someone who hoards work points and takes large quantities of talent upgrade cards from me?" Mike pondered. "Could I be fostering my own enemies?"

He hesitated. His approach towards the residents had always been one of care, but also caution. The reasoning was simple: no matter the group, there would always be bad people, ungrateful wolves lurking in the shadows.

Although the terms of the vassal agreement constrained the people, they could not control their innermost thoughts. The loyalty of the residents, compared to that of talent units, was not guaranteed.

Talent could be influenced by the system, but not the residents. Right now, only Lin Yue, who had advanced to a higher level, had a unique talent that could affect them. The exact scope and impact of her ability, however, was still uncertain.

But even if it was powerful, Mike didn't feel safe. Human nature was fickle, and as long as loyalty wasn't absolute, Mike couldn't afford to trust fully.

"Sir, why the hesitation now?" Jiang Xiaoci teased, her voice light. "You used to trust our talents so wholeheartedly. Why not show the same faith in your people?"

"This is different." Mike shook his head, understanding his country's unique situation all too well. "When disaster strikes, you can always count on your compatriots! Never fearful, heroes emerge, and miracles are created by hand. But during peacetime… sorry, you might encounter a whole bunch of troublemakers, people who'll drive you crazy with their nonsense."

This, he felt, was deeply connected to the nature of his homeland.

The people of China, despite their claims of love for peace and farming, had an inherent combative spirit in their genes, something accumulated over millennia. After all, if the vast lands were bought through trade, why did it take so many wars to shape the country?

During times of hardship, everyone would unite against external threats. But in times of peace, when no enemies existed, the only option was to fight among themselves. In the absence of an external enemy, they would create one – often among their own.

As the ancients said: The joy of fighting with others knows no bounds.

This internal strife didn't only take the form of physical combat—it manifested in gossip, power struggles, underhanded scheming, and all kinds of verbal and social combat. Mike was well aware of this. Right now, his goal was to resist the apocalypse and restore peace, and his settlement could barely be considered peaceful in the grand scheme of the post-apocalyptic world.

However, it made the latent flaw of internal strife easier to trigger—something that would inevitably arise if the power of the people started to grow steadily.

Mike didn't want to face that situation. He needed to maintain an absolute edge in power. He would rather support the residents for now than risk them becoming too powerful and turning against him.

Mike didn't explain all of this to Jiang Xiaoci, but she was sharp enough to understand his concerns.

"Sir, even with these D-level upgrade cards, they pose little threat," Jiang Xiaoci gently reassured him. "In fact, using them this way would only enhance your prestige and strengthen the settlement.

"Creating enemies out of them is a concern only if they truly become threats. Given your strength and future potential, I doubt anyone could grow strong enough under your nose to challenge you."

"We have plenty of methods to suppress and counteract any internal enemies. I don't think you should worry too much about this and miss the opportunity to increase the settlement's overall potential."

Mike listened, still uncertain but intrigued.

"We won't just give away the chance for power growth," Jiang Xiaoci continued with a slight smile. "These rewards won't be given out freely. We can set conditions."

"What kind of conditions?" Mike asked, his curiosity piqued.

Jiang Xiaoci's smile turned mysterious. "For instance, the residents receiving these upgrade cards must be carefully selected, people with loyalty and trust in you, passing our vetting process."

Vetting process?! Background check?! Mike's mind raced, but before he could respond, Jiang Xiaoci carried on.

"Furthermore, those who use the upgrade cards to advance must fully comply with the settlement's work assignments."

"Although they will still be capable of commanding other talents, by clearly distinguishing between residents and your talents, we can greatly reduce the risk of any potential issues."

"I will distribute these new talents across our teams and ensure they are supervised by your existing talents while carrying out their tasks."

She paused and then added with a knowing glance, "Besides… Sir, you've always complained that your dispatch missions are too few, and your resource accumulation rate is slow."

"We can use this new reward mechanism to acquire materials from the residents' shelter exploration tasks."

"We don't need the upgrade materials from the other shelters, and we could even purchase [electronic components] from them at a low price using work points."

"This way, these external talents can provide the most benefit to you, speeding up your development."

Jiang Xiaoci's voice was firm. "Even if some people harbor ill intentions, their growth will never surpass yours. You can rely on the collective strength of all shelters to advance, while those with ulterior motives will always depend on you, since you control the steady path to their power growth."

"And it's not just about the residents' new rewards. The impact of this mechanism is far-reaching—it will be the foundation of your future growth."

Mike blinked in realization, as Jiang Xiaoci's analysis made it all clear.

"Indeed, the benefits outweigh the risks," he acknowledged, still slightly puzzled. "But you say the impact is profound—how profound could it be?"

"Sir," Jiang Xiaoci asked, her voice quiet but confident. "What do you think of the system?"

"The system?" Mike paused, understanding that she was referring to the apocalyptic game's system.

"It's powerful, mysterious, and impossible to predict," Mike answered earnestly. "Even with the strength I have now, I still have to be cautious in its presence, after all, everything I have comes from it."

"Yes, everything comes from it," Jiang Xiaoci agreed with a smile. "In fact, everything comes from it. Whether someone can grow strong or not depends entirely on it."

"But with this new reward system, over time, as we develop and refine it, Sir, you won't just be someone relying on the system—you'll become the system itself."

Jiang Xiaoci's eyes gleamed. "You can stand between the system and the residents, replacing the system's role in making people stronger, becoming the new mechanism that they all look to."

"A mysterious, noble, and invulnerable force—an authority that none dare to challenge."