CHAPTER 212: CHAPTER 208 INDEPENDENT THINKING

Kallen was stunned for a moment, taking a long time to react to what Perfikot had just said. She suspiciously looked at Perfikot, trying to discern from her expression whether it was a joke.

But the expression on Perfikot’s face was very solemn, with no hint of joking.

"Are you serious?" Kallen asked again, uncertain.

"Of course. I observed the abnormal decline of Langton’s temperatures in winter almost three years ago, and after divinations by the Astrologers of the Royal Astronomical Society, we collectively arrived at the prophecy that the whole world is about to be destroyed." Perfikot explained to Kallen, also clarifying the underlying truth: "The Empire specifically dispatched an expedition team to the Northern Territory, wasting several months to confirm my hypothesis, confirming that the world is about to face an apocalyptic winter within three years."

By then, the entire world will enter perpetual winter. Even in summer, Langton will have an average temperature of minus forty degrees, and even the oceans near the equator will freeze.

In this catastrophe, no one will be spared, as countless people will die from the cold and hunger."

This shocking news left Kallen dumbfounded. She had speculated about what the Empire’s top secret mentioned by Perfikot could be, but she hadn’t imagined it would be such a world-shaking revelation.

"Can’t the Empire do anything to stop this disaster?" Kallen finally came to her senses, yet her words still hoped for a solution from the Empire.

After all, the Victor Empire is the world’s strongest nation, and if anyone could deal with this disaster, it would be the Victor Empire at the forefront.

Facing Kallen’s question, Perfikot merely spread her hands, made a helpless gesture: "What do you think I’m doing in the Northern Territory? The Empire granted me such power, allowing me to exercise life and death over the entire New Continent and the Northern Territory, not just to expand the North? The Empire isn’t foolish enough to waste resources when the apocalypse is imminent."

"Is the Northern Territory the Empire’s line of defense against this apocalyptic disaster?" Kallen began to feel very surprised, but she soon understood it all.

If the Northern Territory wasn’t crucial to the Empire, how could a genius like Perfikot be appointed as the Lord of the North, a position that seems high and mighty but actually holds little real power and territory?

This also explains why Perfikot forcefully suppressed the independence movement of the New Continent colonies and why she used such ruthless and harsh methods, even not hesitating to use Thermobaric Bombs.

At this critical moment when the apocalypse is about to descend, every minute and second is precious. The Empire can’t waste time fighting an independence war with the New Continent colonies.

They can’t even afford a war with the countries of France, so why would they let the New Continent colonies cause chaos?

"Precisely, the Empire plans to build numerous shelters in the Northern Territory that can withstand severe cold, to relocate the native population there to resist the apocalyptic winter." Perfikot nodded, not hiding anything from Kallen: "But the scale of the shelters is very limited, and they can’t accommodate many people. The entire Northern Territory can only accommodate a million people before the apocalypse arrives in two years, which is already the limit."

Upon hearing this, Kallen felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss, a tremendous fear engulfing her body and mind. Yet, besides this, a surge of anger rose from within her, and she couldn’t help but question Perfikot: "What about ordinary people? Is the Empire just going to watch them die in ignorance?"

"What do you want me to do? Tell them now that the world is going to be destroyed, and they should hurry to dig a hole and bury themselves?" Perfikot looked at the angrily questioning Kallen with a mocking expression on her face: "Yes, ordinary lives also matter, and they shouldn’t be abandoned like this, but the problem is that saving them would dilute the already scarce resources, reducing everyone’s ability to withstand the disaster."

"This might allow some to get through the initial cold, but as the situation further worsens and intensifies, they will still die, and in a more desperate and painful way."

"Not only that, but the vast majority of ordinary people lack judgment. They are more likely to be swept up and used by greater forces."

"If I announce the arrival of the apocalypse, those with ulterior motives will undoubtedly incite riots, protests, and demonstrations, severely disrupting the construction of shelters and the implementation of corresponding measures to combat the disaster."

"I chose the Northern Territory as the site for shelter construction precisely to avoid interference from the masses, affecting the project schedule."

Kallen wanted to argue, but found that she couldn’t contradict the things Perfikot had said or the viewpoints she raised.

She instinctively knew it wasn’t right and was too harsh and cruel for ordinary people, but Kallen had to admit that it was a reasonable choice under the circumstances.

Perhaps there were indeed better ways, but Kallen couldn’t think of any, or what she thought of was too idealized and unrealistic.

Are ordinary people easily swayed and manipulated? It’s inevitable.

Kallen didn’t even need to imagine; she just needed to recall an experiment her mentor had conducted, simply spreading an ordinary rumor in a tavern, causing a riot of at least a hundred people.

Thus, it is evident how easy it is to manipulate ordinary people.

So there was nothing wrong with Perfikot choosing the Northern Territory as the shelter’s construction site and blocking information to avoid panic and chaos as well.

Instead of letting ordinary people become an unstable factor in their panic, it’s better to blockade the information to prevent rumors from spiraling out of control and to avoid some people taking extreme actions under the threat of the apocalypse.

Yet Kallen was still unwilling. She couldn’t reconcile herself with so many lives being abandoned, so many people dying in ignorance and confusion.

More importantly, even though the world was about to be destroyed, the New Continent colonies still couldn’t gain independence, which filled Kallen’s heart with unwillingness.

"Independence? Why did you bring up this topic?" Facing Kallen’s unwillingness, Perfikot, though puzzled, was mostly derisive: "Independence, have you really thought about the impact of independence on you? And have you considered why you need independence? Furthermore, most crucially, what will you do after gaining independence?"

Have you seriously considered these three questions? If you can’t answer all three of my questions, my advice is to stop thinking about independence. I’m afraid you might be conned and end up counting money for those who deceived you."