Chapter 831: Imminent Danger

If the monster civilization was as strong as it was in Meng Chao’s previous life, they would definitely set up layers of defense lines in the depths of the fog as well as in the jungles that were filled with miasma and swamps. They would do everything they could to stop the humans from attacking.

Even if the humans temporarily established a forward base, they would face an endless beast horde and wave after wave of counterattacks.

As such, the mega corporations’ expansion speed could not be too fast.

The comparison between the strength of enemies and the strength of allies would be repeated.

The first wave of colonists who had rushed into the wilderness would have definitely suffered heavy losses.

In that case, compensating them for ninety-nine years of tax-free development rights was a matter of course. It was relatively fair, and most people could accept it.

The only one to blame was Meng Chao, a butterfly who had returned from the apocalypse. He was too awesome.

He had only flapped his wings slightly, and before he could exert much force, the chain reaction he set off had completely destroyed the monster civilization.

After the battle in the outskirts of Dragon City ended, the monster civilization actually fell into a bit of despair. The collapse merely covered a three-thousand-mile area.

A large number of strategic locations that could obviously stop the humans and cause major damage to Dragon City had all been voluntarily abandoned.

The advanced teams of the mega corporations took over these strategic locations that contained rich resources, natural dangers, and commanding heights without any effort or bloodshed.

That was literally “rushing to stake one’s claim in new markets.”

Many times, the mega corporations’ advanced teams could make an open announcement by sending drones up into the air—after a bloody battle to the death, they had eliminated all the monsters that occupied the local area and embraced the land… completely.

That caused two problems.

Firstly, the mega corporations’ speed of expansion was really too fast.

After a period of half a year of crazy expansion, almost all the nine mega corporations were in the periphery of Dragon City, occupying a large area that could build three to five new cities. The total area actually exceeded the area of Dragon City’s main city.

Plus, under this vast land, there were precious resources that were even more immeasurable.

Compared with the main city district and the surrounding areas that had long been dug up by humans, where even the stones had been squeezed dry of oil and water, these lands that had been taken by the mega corporations were more than just filthy rich.

To use the online buzzwords, these lands were like “if you randomly poked the ground with a stick, it would probably emit spirit energy”!

With these lands and resources, the mega corporations were becoming more and more unstoppable.

Many employees of the mega corporations and the children of the nine big families claimed to be the heroes that had driven away the monsters and defended Dragon City. Their arrogance was getting more and more over the top.

On the issue of “how to divide the monster civilization’s heritage”, their attitudes were becoming more unyielding.

Secondly, many small and medium-sized enterprises and ordinary citizens had some complaints about the Land Enclosure Decree.

Originally, it was expected that in the process of Dragon City completely conquering Monster Mountain Range, they would have to go through a bloody battle, and the nine mega corporations would have to pay a heavy price.

Using the tax-free rights and interests of the newly developed land for ninety-nine years to compensate the colonists for their blood, sweat, and sacrifice… That was the reason why the people supported the Land Enclosure Decree.

Since the monster civilization had been defeated like a landslide, it did not seem like there was a need to send out the elite battle teams formed by the mega corporations and all the superhumans. As long as the Red Dragon Army deployed ordinary troops, they would be able to bring large areas of land and large amounts of resources… into the arms of Dragon City.

Under such circumstances, why should the nine mega corporations be allowed to take such a huge advantage?

Of course, the nine mega corporations were not the only beneficiaries of the Land Enclosure Decree.

As the largest armed force in Dragon City, the Red Dragon Army had an absolute advantage in numbers. Naturally, the Red Dragon Army had also advanced rapidly in the past half year. They had been able to stake their claim on Monster mountain Range and gain the capital to compete with the mega corporations.

As for the Meng family’s Superstar Resource Recovery Company, it was the biggest winner apart from the nine mega corporations and the Red Dragon Army.

Although the total amount of land and resources were far less than that of the nine big families, company’s speed of expansion had far exceeded that of the big families.

It was no wonder that many people in the circle were discussing how Superstar Resource had broken away from the ranks of ordinary small and medium-sized enterprises. It was allegedly about to become the tenth largest mega corporation in Dragon City.

Before long, the “big nine” would become the “big ten.”

As long as they could introduce the bloodline of other peerless experts through means such as business marriage, the population would be more prosperous, and the Meng family would also become a new wealthy family.

Although their own family benefited from the Land Enclosure Decree…

Such small profit in front of them was simply not in Meng Chao’s eyes. It was not like a mega corporation that could not lose its tail and once again walked the same path as it did in Meng Chao’s previous life, eventually dragging Dragon City into the end of hell.

“Half a year ago, it was reasonable and necessary to implement the Land Enclosure Decree.”

Meng Chao frowned and said, “However, judging from the actual situation in the past half a year, there have been some problems in the implementation of the Land Enclosure Decree. The long-term negative impact it brings is likely greater than the short-term positive effects.

“Therefore, I think the Land Enclosure Decree should be suspended.

“The land and resources that have already been taken over by the mega corporations will naturally not be spat out again. However, the resources that Dragon City will bring with its continued expansion, including land, mineral veins, technology, information about the ancient civilization, and so on, should be the common wealth of all Dragon City citizens. They are definitely not the private property of a certain enterprise, a certain family, or a peerless expert!”

“That’s right.”

Shao Zhengyang said in a deep voice, “I don’t deny that the nine mega corporations have made great contributions to Dragon City’s civilization during the establishment of the Survival Committee and the construction of Dragon City. This includes the comprehensive counterattack in recent years. From the peerless experts who created the enterprises to the ordinary employees of these enterprises, all of them have made outstanding contributions to Dragon City and deserve reasonable returns.

“However, just as you said, Meng Chao, when it comes to contributions, which of the tens of millions of citizens of Dragon City has not made contributions to their home, their compatriots, and their survival?

“It is true that some of them have made greater contributions, while others have made lesser contributions because of the constraints of their talents, abilities, and environment. However, their loyalty and love for the entire civilization are exactly the same.

“An ordinary citizen engaged in a deadly battle with a monster that had passed through a space fissure in his own neighborhood. He was wounded, and he sacrificed himself heroically in order to protect his neighbors.

“A frontline soldier in the Red Dragon Army was surrounded by a torrential beast tide. Although he did not have spirit energy and could not perform ultimate skills that could destroy the world, his face remained unchanged. He picked up bundles of grenades and jumped into the surging beast tide.

“A peerless expert from a mega corporation was fighting with the Apocalyptic Beasts at the top of Monster Mountain Range.

“In terms of benefits to Dragon City, the last one is naturally more important.

“However, who dares to say that the first two are insignificant? Who dares to say that the first two are not worthy enough to enjoy the benefits brought by Dragon City’s development? Who dares to say that the last one is naturally entitled to the privilege of obtaining 99% of the fruits of victory?

“Dragon City’s law is serious. We will never abandon the bridge after we cross the river and change it day and night.

“It has been agreed upon that the land and resources taken by the mega corporations and peerless experts will be developed for ninety-nine years at the lowest tax rate. Naturally, not even a day, an hour, a minute, or a second will be less.

“But the Land Enclosure Decree was originally meant to be a temporary stopgap measure. According to the changes in the strategic situation, it can naturally be suspended at any time.

“Now, there are some people who don’t know when to stop when the time is right. They don’t want to stop the Land Enclosure Decree. Instead, they want to take an inch and take a mile. They want to upgrade the temporary decree into a real law. In the entire Monster Mountain Range, and even in the wider Other World, laws for staking claim on the mountain and becoming the king will be implemented.

“In the long run, independent kingdoms controlled by mega corporations will inevitably appear around Dragon City.

“Wind can enter, rain can enter, but the laws of Dragon City cannot.

“The creatures on the ground and the crystals underground will all become the private property of one family.

“Relying on these private properties, the so-called wealthy families will expand to an uncontrollable degree.

“The descendants of the wealthy class will continue to cultivate and evolve until they become omnipotent forms of the Ancients who can call the wind and summon the rain. Meanwhile, the ordinary people outside the wealthy class will be destined to be left far behind. Let me ask you, what cohesion does such a Dragon City civilization have? How can it dominate the Other World for five hundred years, return, or even rebuild the earth?”

Meng Chao nodded.

“In the long run, a way to close the gap between ordinary people and superhumans, as well as level the gap between the rich and the poor, is indeed an urgent problem for Dragon City’s civilization to solve. It will even affect the life and death of Dragon City’s civilization,” he said seriously.

“We can take our time to consider the long-term matter.”

Shao Zhengyang said, “But right now, we are facing an imminent problem—is the so-called Land Enclosure Decree applicable to the Hidden Mist Domain?”

“This…”

Meng Chao’s mind raced as he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

The Hidden Mist Domain was the monster civilization’s base camp.

It was also a fertile land that had been nourished by the mother for tens of millions of years.

Although the mother had been asleep most of the time for tens of millions of years, 1% of its body tissues were still weakly active.

However, a starving camel was still larger than a horse. The mother was the most powerful biochemical. It had been weapon meticulously crafted by the ancient civilization. The vitality magnetic field released by 1% of the its tissues was enough to interfere with the planet’s magnetic field and gather spirit energy from all directions. Veins of crystals had been condensed underground in the Hidden Mist Domain. Etherealized plants that were rich in spirit energy and nutrients had also grown on the ground, attracting a large number of monsters to come and breed there.

Therefore, the Hidden Mist Domain was less than 1% of the total area of the basin, which was surrounded by Monster Mountain Range.

According to the experts’ estimation, it contained more than 30% of the resources on the entire Monster Mountain Range.

It was an out-and-out “treasure basin”!

It would have been fine if it were elsewhere, but if the Hidden Mist Domain was divided up by the nine mega corporations, Dragon City’s civilization would probably repeat the mistakes of its previous life!