Heroes' Prison

Chapter 231 - 226 Wish

"I feel like I’m dreaming right now, lying under this quiet night sky, looking at those brilliant stars, just like when we lied on the rooftop as kids. Back then, you always used to tease me, but every time after I cried, I still wanted to follow you," Qin Shiyu said softly as she lay in Huang Yi’s arms. She didn’t stand up, as though she was tired from the long toil and needed a place to lean on.

"I miss those times, too, but I believe that the days we yearn for will come again someday, when we won’t have to face any danger. Everything we do now is for the arrival of that day," Huang Yi caressed her head.

"How’s the organization doing now?" Then, Huang Yi asked about the thing he was most concerned about.

Qin Shiyu’s voice took on a more somber tone, "After Number 3 and Number 8 were sacrificed last time, the powers they controlled were also implicated. It dealt a heavy blow to our vitality, and we’re now focusing all our efforts on developing in The Second World. Although The Second World can’t directly challenge the World Federation, we can influence the real world’s economy, culture, and public opinion through The Second World. Once we control these cornerstones, the World Federation will become a castle in the air, and it will collapse at once."

"Hmm," Huang Yi nodded. According to the data released by Era of Corporation during the annual festival, last year 46% of the world’s wealth circulated within The Second World, almost half of it. Additionally, in various fields, The Second World has already become an indispensable part of humanity. As long as we control The Second World, we can indeed change the real world through it.

"However, it’s impossible to control The Second World, not even the World Federation can do it. We only hope to become one of the largest powers in The Second World, at the very least to be able to influence it. After extensive consideration, we have dispersed our manpower around the world, and the rest have chosen other nationalities to develop powers in different countries. Currently, our power in the Chinese Mainland is the weakest, with just me and a few other grassroots personnel."

"Why?" Huang Yi frowned and asked.

"Because you’re here," Qin Shiyu stared at Huang Yi, "Having you alone on the Chinese Mainland is enough. The organization needs to think long-term, so it has used most of our resources abroad. When the time comes for national warfare in the future, we’ll be able to unite the forces from all over the world, then stand a chance to influence The Second World. We’re planting the seeds of hope around the world, now we’re just waiting for them to take root and flourish."

"I understand," Huang Yi nodded, "So what’s missing most from the two years of development here?"

"With just these few people, it’s hard to get started. What we lack the most, of course, is talent!" Qin Shiyu’s expression darkened, "To be precise, we lack those talents who can stand on their own. Without the organization’s resources, we aim to start from scratch here, and that requires a lot of talent. With people, we have everything. Look at Dao Feng and Xuanyuan Clan, they have Yun Sihai, Lin Yiqin, Dragon Dominates the World, and Dong Huan, which is why they could develop so quickly and win the Best Guild award this year. But talents like these are rare, I’ve been looking for a long time with little progress, and I don’t trust and am not comfortable using people I find here."

"Talent?" Huang Yi heard this word and almost instantly thought of the thousands of criminals in Rose Prison. When it came to talent, those were some of the world’s top-notch talents from all walks of life. If he could pull them over, then development wouldn’t be a problem. But getting them into The Second World was a challenge; it needed careful consideration.

"You don’t need to worry about the talent issue, I’ll figure something out," Huang Yi pondered for a while and then said, "Next, we need to establish a guild and rapidly expand our power. I’m on good terms with Dao Feng, and his Xuanyuan Clan is our ally, which is a major advantage, at least much better than others."

"I’ve thought about that, too, but setting up a guild is difficult. I haven’t been able to achieve that goal, and it might take a few more months to manage it."

Huang Yi shook his head, "No, in a few months, the number of guilds might experience a boom, and by then, it will be hard for us to gain an advantage. Don’t worry about that, leave it to me! I’ll create a guild as soon as possible." He said, and as he touched Qin Shiyu’s head, he said, "You’ve been tired for so long, take a good rest now, don’t think about those things anymore."

"Mm," Qin Shiyu said, obediently nodded, and closed her eyes, seemingly exhausted to the utmost.

Huang Yi just held Qin Shiyu, saying nothing more.

At that moment, he felt like he was back in his childhood, those tenderly glowing beautiful memories re-emerging in his mind. The days of youth are always so memorable, even a very small incident can be remembered for a long time.

But time keeps moving forward, forcing everyone to grow up, and the world they see becomes more complex. Sometimes, looking up and ahead, all that can be seen is a mist, and loneliness grows deeper.

Just then, Huang Yi received a system prompt—

: You have won the Best Newcomer Award at the Second Annual Grand Ceremony and may now make a wish to Mr. Huang Sha, the CEO of the Era of Corporation. Would you like to meet Mr. Huang Sha now?

After thinking for a moment, Huang Yi gently laid Qin Shiyu down on the grass and said to the distant Xiao Chunzi, "Sister, I need to take care of some matters now. Please watch over her for me."

Having said that, Huang Yi chose to meet Mr. Huang Sha immediately.

A whirl of light flickered before his eyes, and Huang Yi was instantly teleported to a new location. Birds were chirping, flowers were fragrant, there were artificial hills and pools—it was the Courtyard of the Pantheons, the very place he had visited before.

At that moment, Mr. Huang Sha was still seated by the chessboard, playing chess. Upon seeing Huang Yi arrive, he nodded faintly, "I didn’t expect to see you here again. You’ve performed very well! The Best Newcomer Award is well-deserved."

"When I came here last time, I made a request of you, but this time, I am here to make a wish," said Huang Yi as he approached, getting straight to the point. "I was wondering, could the matter we discussed last time count as my wish now?"

"I’m sorry, but it cannot!" Mr. Huang Sha shook his head. "I do feel guilty about that issue. I had someone investigate afterward, and indeed, there are some problems with the World Federation. However, everything has two sides, and the existence of the World Federation has made significant contributions to the world’s stability. I cannot negate their role due to some of their mistakes. More importantly, if I were to order your release, then what would be the difference between me and the World Federation in your eyes? Wouldn’t I also become a dictator?"

"I can understand your position, it’s just a pity that the World Federation doesn’t have principles like the Era of Corporation. If they did, they wouldn’t be in the situation they are in today," Huang Yi nodded in response.

"In fact, many times, both I and the entire Era of Corporation feel lost. We possess the world’s most advanced technology and the most formidable strength, enough to destroy a country in an instant. We are not constrained by any laws. But the more this is the case, the more terrified I feel. When a power lacks restrictions, whether that power is positive or negative, it will disrupt the balance of the world. That’s why I have never dared to use this power to destroy the world, and I will follow my father’s will—the Era of Corporation will always be a technology company, never a political power. Our only pursuit is the advancement of technology," Mr. Huang Sha spoke, pausing briefly before continuing. "No one can predict the future though. I don’t know whether my grandchildren or great-grandchildren will remember this principle; it’s beyond control. Throughout history, after reaching a certain stage, every dynasty finds itself opposing the will of its founding emperor. This is a natural law. I can’t guarantee what the Era of Corporation will become in the future; I can only do my best while I am alive to ensure that the company adheres to this principle."

"I understand," Huang Yi’s expression remained unchanged. He had already known the stance of the Era of Corporation when he heard the CEO’s address. He knew they would not release him.

Mr. Huang Sha placed a chess piece down and said, "What becomes of the World Federation is for the world itself to decide. If you can change the world, then you can completely eliminate the World Federation, leave Rose Prison, and gain freedom. The Era of Corporation will not stop you."

"Then I would like to make another wish. This wish won’t involve any real-world political issues, so you can rest assured," Huang Yi thought for a moment before saying, "The Era of Corporation has stated that every person in the world has the right to enter The Second World when they created it. You have indeed done so, providing free virtual devices to those who didn’t have them, allowing every person to enter The Second World. But you seem to have forgotten a special group of people who do not have the right to enter The Second World."

"Are you referring to the criminals in prison?" Mr. Huang Sha looked up at Huang Yi.

"Yes!" Huang Yi nodded. "We criminals indeed have sins, but those sins belong to the real world. We can be deprived of our rights in the real world, but why should we be deprived of our rights in The Second World? We have already lost one world. Why should we lose another?" Finishing his point, Huang Yi gazed directly into Mr. Huang Sha’s eyes, as if all the criminals of the world were questioning Mr. Huang Sha at the same time.

Mr. Huang Sha slowly closed his eyes and fell into deep thought, not immediately responding.

Huang Yi stood by, quietly waiting.

In that moment, all the criminals of the world were living in pitch darkness within their cells, unaware that a conversation capable of changing their fates was taking place in the Courtyard of the Pantheons within The Second World.

Finally, Mr. Huang Sha opened his eyes and nodded, "You’re right. We did forget about them. We will start working on this issue so that every criminal in the world will be able to enter The Second World." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to give your Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets on Starting Point (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)