96: Chapter 96 Discussing Reforms with the Grand Elder

What if a nation was established on Mars?

Immediately, Su Fan shook his head; such a dangerous thought should not be entertained, or it would be directly censored!

...

The development and transformation of Mars are entirely the work of the Super God Group; the Xia Country officials have no credit for it. If the transformation is completed, who will it belong to?

This is a very serious question!

Su Fan thought for a moment and decided to have a chat with the Great Elder.

The next day, in a small reception room in the core area of Kyoto City, Su Fan met the Great Elder.

"Su Fan, how is the deployment of that Weather Beacon you mentioned yesterday going?" The Great Elder got straight to the point.

"It's not ready yet, so I won't be installing it for now," Su Fan said with a smile.

"I'm here today to discuss a more serious matter with you, Great Elder."

Su Fan's expression turned serious. Hearing this, the Great Elder's expression also became solemn.

"Oh? Go ahead," said the Great Elder. "Come, have some tea."

"Today, my main purpose is to discuss the issue of Mars with you."

Su Fan took a sip of tea, his tone serious.

"You're talking about the ownership of Mars, aren't you?" The Great Elder also took a sip of tea, though a smile began to appear on his face.

"Exactly!"

"Mars is currently undergoing transformation. I believe we should settle this matter before it's finished, to prevent all sorts of opportunistic scoundrels from popping up later to claim the fruits of our labor." Su Fan's expression was a bit sighed; such things happened all too often in reality.

"You, Su Fan, are afraid of that? In this world, force ultimately decides everything!"

"I'm not afraid of them, but I'm a person who values old ties. I don't want things to break down in the end; that wouldn't be good for anyone." Su Fan looked at the Great Elder earnestly.

"Actually, I've been considering this lately as well, and many high-level officials have been discussing it."

"Your current abilities are unprecedented, and I suspect they will be unrepeatable."

"Mars was transformed single-handedly by the Super God Group, and the Xia Country officials didn't contribute at all. That is a fact."

"However, if it's given entirely to your Super God Group without any relevant policies, some old fogies won't be willing."

"Those old fogies eat the people's food and drink the people's blood, yet they think the country belongs to them and want to snatch away what belongs to others." As the Great Elder spoke, his brow furrowed; he must have been frustrated by these people as well.

Su Fan took a sip of tea, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

"Great Elder, I think it's time for Xia Country to reform."

"The current system no longer fits the reality of facing the entire universe. Some people are content with the status quo and engage in internal strife, which seriously hinders Xia Country's development."

"I think you must have noticed this long ago."

The Great Elder nodded and sighed, saying, "Indeed, I noticed it long ago, but some things are beyond your control even if you know about them."

"Deep-rooted ideologies, intertwined factions—touch one part and the whole body moves!"

"How to change? In what way? What kind of new system should replace the old one?"

Su Fan frowned. After a long silence, he earnestly uttered five words: "Serve the people!"

The Great Elder was stunned. His face suddenly flushed with a mix of shame and realization as he repeatedly muttered those five words.

"Serve the people!"

"Serve the people!!"

"Serve the people!!!"

"Haha! Well said, Su Fan!!"

The Great Elder laughed—a laugh that was profound, a bit desolate, full of relief, and with tears in his eyes!

"We old men are eroded by power every day, thinking about this and that. This won't work, that reform won't do... isn't it all just for that bit of power in our hands!"

"Su Fan, tell me, how should we reform? Feel free to make any suggestions boldly!" The Great Elder seemed like a different person, his eyes shining.

"I have a few suggestions; the Great Elder can see if they are feasible."

Su Fan thought for a moment and said solemnly.

"First, anti-corruption!"

"Actually, our system is theoretically quite good. It draws on the essence of various dynasties throughout the 5,000-year civilization of the Xia Clan and is more comprehensive than foreign systems."

"But when humans govern humans, there will always be those obsessed with the power in their hands, and the use of power for personal gain is persistent!"

"There are two types of corrupt people: one is short of money, and the other isn't, but they love money or the feeling of being given gifts by others."

"There were many methods to manage corruption in ancient Xia Country, such as the Ming Dynasty's iron-fisted approach to corrupt officials—if they dared to be corrupt, they were directly beheaded!"

"However, the results were not good. The more they killed, the more corruption there was. The corrupt officials of the Ming Dynasty could never be completely eliminated!"

"The reason was that the salaries of Ming Dynasty officials were very low; they would have a hard time surviving if they weren't corrupt."

"Our neighbor, Xinpopo, uses another method to prevent corruption, which is high salaries to promote honesty."

"Actually, ancient Xia Country tried this method too, but it still didn't work."

"I don't think it's because the policy is wrong, but because it hasn't met a better era." Su Fan took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

"I think a combination of the two: on one hand, give officials high salaries, and on the other, increase the punishment for corruption. Then, introduce a supervisory mechanism to ensure no corrupt individuals are missed."

"What kind of supervisory system?" the Great Elder asked curiously.

"An Artificial Intelligence supervisory system!" Su Fan said seriously.

"Since ancient times, officials have protected one another. Only a cold and heartless Artificial Intelligence can serve as a qualified supervisor."

The Great Elder fell silent. Indeed, things are different now than in the past; the Red Queen's capabilities are too powerful!

"I can agree to this, but the Red Queen will only have the power of supervision and cannot have the power of enforcement," the Great Elder said after some thought.

Supervision is important, but enforcement is even more so!

"I also want the power of exposure!" Su Fan added after a thought. "Let the Red Queen have an officially recognized exposure channel so that the people will trust it."

"I suggest establishing an Intelligent Inspectorate with official accounts on all major social media platforms. These accounts must be officially certified and recognized."

Su Fan's meaning was simple: the Red Queen would monitor corrupt officials and report them to the relevant departments upon discovery. If the departments failed to act, the Red Queen would directly expose the matter through the Intelligent Inspectorate's official account, conducting a public execution of their reputation.

Even if the exposed person was protected by other officials, the Red Queen's Intelligent Inspectorate account would be officially certified. If the authorities didn't act, they would lose even their last shred of dignity!

In the past, when things were exposed online, the official response was often that they were "verifying," or they could even claim the exposer had fabricated the story, and then the matter would blow over.

The masses would be left dizzy by the public opinion, unsure of which side was telling the truth.

But what the Intelligent Inspectorate exposes would represent what the authorities have already verified. If the authorities don't punish the corrupt official, the consequences would be severe.

"Excellent, this suggestion is very good. I agree!" The Great Elder nodded with a smile.

...