The Undying Transmigrator

Chapter 20: Nothing Happened

A-874184 stood on his designated "battlefield," feeling the weight of tens of thousands of eyes fixed upon him. He knew hundreds of thousands who recognized him were watching through the network, and could imagine billions more who would gaze upon this moment through historical records in the future.

Almost no one here wanted to hear what he was about to say. They didn't care about his identity or the future, only living day by day, amusing themselves to death.

This was correct. The old humans were destined for extinction, just as Homo sapiens had surpassed other human species. Yet they still feared having their scars exposed, being jolted awake from delusion.

Why not just laugh at the projections on the wall in a windowless, doorless room while waiting to die? What could possibly change by throwing yourself against the walls except your own destruction?

Nothing.

The irony was that the descendants of those who built these walls would listen to him earnestly. They would protect him, let him speak words fundamentally against their interests, even take the initiative to break down the walls and drag people outside.

The thought of who would truly listen made A-874184 hesitate to deliver his prepared speech. In the end, he was just another mediocre man.

His faction grew increasingly indecisive at times like these, because he couldn't distinguish right from wrong.

Yet he still spoke.

"'The Golden Miner Competition' has concluded successfully. However, I regret to inform you I'm not here as the organizer to announce its completion.""The final winner, 'Folk Science Prodigy 2V8,' demonstrated seemingly brilliant modifications and tools to defeat all opponents. Yet under equal budgets, Gaoxin Industries' autonomous drones showed 120,000 times greater efficiency than our champion."

"I know some will say - why bring corporations into this? We're all Outer Ring folks here for entertainment, who cares about actual efficiency?"

Laughter erupted across the venue. They thought Wang Fugui was turning the post-event formalities into a comedy routine.

A-874184 waited patiently for the laughter to subside, then scanned the audience.

"The Extreme Purists are idiots. Outdated trash without jobs who can't afford augmentations, capable of nothing but screaming about maintaining bodily purity while relying on others' charity for every living moment."

"The unions... at least this city's unions are idiots. Title-wearing beasts who can't accomplish anything yet drive away competent people, gorging on modern benefits while claiming credit."

"All those small businesses outside the major corporations are idiots. They drag down societal productivity while being oblivious, seeing only profit. Were it not for the Corporation enforcing minimum standards, who knows what atrocities they'd commit."

"The major corporations are idiots, trapped in vicious competition and mutual suspicion, doing things halfway instead of properly."

"The Corporation's supreme leader 'Qi Shiming' is an idiot. Had he initiated mass extinction decades ago - wiping out old humans, liquidating all companies to rebuild everything - we wouldn't have this current mess."

"And all of you are idiots too. Neither resigned to die nor bold enough to truly live, just existing messily because there's no reason to die."

"Of course, the fucking resistance takes the cake - the dumbest of idiots, worse than pigs or dogs, peddling nauseating lies to send people to their deaths while hiding unspeakable filth. After insulting so many here, I wonder who'll actually take the bait!"

A-874184 didn't know how many would understand his hints or care about his warnings. This "battle" wasn't about winning - just fighting for its own sake.

Mo Wen noticed someone from the earlier ideological spread actually leaping onto the stage, pointing at Wang Fugui.

But Wang Fugui spoke first: "I've funded your kind, taken corporate money too. I've distributed funds to civilians while also hindering human progress, creating essentially useless jobs."

"I'm an early-generation new human from when the technology was imperfect - Model A, serial number 874184. One of few survivors from the corporate wars who participated in battles and massacres. Before taking the name Wang Fugui, I caused over twenty million human deaths. I was a butcher, a beast."

"You want to expose my dark history? I don't care anymore."

"When I decided to speak, all my accumulated reputation, wealth and connections became meaningless. You can't affect me. But if you want this stage, take it."

Mo Wen sensed this world's peculiar aura of death from Wang Fugui - that warmth which dissolves people.

He probably wouldn't die immediately, but likely didn't have long.

The dying man simply walked to a passenger drone and flew away amidst the silent crowd.

Dragonblade Ninja's resigned voice came through team comms: "Mission concluded, much faster than expected. But our work continues. Phantom and I will extend protection for Wang Fugui. Maintain order at the venue."

"Lethal force authorized if necessary for crowd control."

"Understood!" Ren Sisi responded immediately.

"Copy." Though Mo Wen acknowledged the new orders, observing the seemingly calm venue, he doubted their presence was needed.

The resistance member on stage shouted desperately: "Listen everyone!"

"The Corporation uses all humanity as social experiments! Controversial cities like ours are primary targets - they see us neither as people nor threats, granting excessive autonomy that lets us gather strength!"

"New humans aren't superior! Corporations and the Corporation aren't inherently stronger! They just control more resources and established the order first!"

"Why must we idle? Why can't we shape civilization's direction? Why can't we own assets? Because they stole them!"

"We can become their enemies! Destroy their order to build ours!"

"Their aid just returns what was already ours! It's meant to numb us into submission!"

"Join us! Unite to reclaim what's ours!"

He screamed hoarsely, while the audience murmured:

"No material left? When does this end so we can leave? This guy's nowhere near Old Wang's level."

"Right? Old Wang had that refined anger - when he dropped the 'idiot' bomb, you felt his disgust. This kid just rambles nonsense without substance. Honestly, even our ancestors crawling from graves wouldn't buy this crap. Completely unrealistic!"

"Well, people have different ideas. As long as they don't bother others..."