85: Chapter 85: The Zero-Fractional Strategy

Zhou Tianhao looked at Zhou Tiancheng, feeling a bit confused.

This question—he certainly knew the answer.

It was a classic question on the college entrance exam policy essay regarding the governance of powerful clans; it appeared in almost every session.

Although it had been nearly thirty years since he graduated, the standard answer was carved into his bones, and he could recite it instantly.

"Use both kindness and severity, proceed slowly, and play one faction against another," he said. "Or reach a compromise through marriage and interest exchange to maintain stability."

Zhou Tiancheng smiled.

It was not a mocking smile, but one of expectation.

"It seems you haven't forgotten." He nodded. "That's right, your answer is correct and is also the standard high-scoring answer."

He paused.

"But—take a look at how Zhou Yun answered it."

He turned, picked up a paper from the desk, and handed it to Zhou Tianhao.

It was a college entrance exam policy essay paper.

Zhou Tianhao's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure.

Zhou Tiancheng was now the Minister of Education; it was expected that he could obtain the paper.

The edges of the paper were slightly curled, clearly having been flipped through many times.

Zhou Tiancheng's finger pointed to one of the short-answer questions.

Next to the question was a striking red cross.

Zhou Tianhao looked down.

Zhou Yun's handwriting was not pretty, but it was clear.

Every stroke pierced through the paper.

The answer began with the sentence: "Only by not contending, can no one in the world contend with you."

Zhou Tianhao was stunned. This line of reasoning... it seemed to have started in the wrong direction??

But this was just the beginning; the subsequent arguments were even more at odds with the answers he knew.

"One, on trend: You cannot speak to summer insects about ice, nor to well frogs about the sea. What the powerful clans contend for is the 'rotten meat' of existing stock. What I seek is the 'new sky' of incremental growth. When the dimensions are different, why draw a sword?"

"Two, on technique: Flowing water does not rot, and the door hinge does not rust. The old system is already rotten; patching it is useless. One should divert the canal to draw water and establish new rules. Initiate the recovery of Spiritual Qi, reshape monetary credit, and crush low-dimensional exploitation with high-dimensional productivity."

"Three, on results: You and your names will vanish, but the river flows on forever. When the efficiency of the new law becomes ten thousand times that of the old system, if the powerful clans do not submit, they will be like mantises trying to stop a chariot, breaking themselves without being attacked."

The last line was a conclusion with emphasis marks: "Do not contend for land with withered bones; go and plant trees to form a forest."

Zhou Tianhao stared at the test paper for a long time.

He couldn't describe how he felt inside.

Put into the college entrance exam, this answer would definitely be zero points.

It had to be zero points!

Because its conclusion was completely contrary to today's education!

It wasn't about using kindness and severity, but about ignoring dimensions!

But he had to admit, if someone really possessed the ability to "increase system efficiency by ten thousand times"—this answer wasn't idealism; it was a dimensional strike.

Zhou Tiancheng didn't give him much time to digest it.

"Take a look at this, too."

His finger slid to the second question on the paper.

[Policy Essay Question Two: Refugees at the Gate]

Question: Winter disaster descends, neighboring states collapse, and tens of thousands of refugees knock on the city gates asking for shelter. However, the grain in the city is only enough for the residents to survive the winter. As the City Lord, how will you decide?

Zhou Tianhao only glanced at the question, and the answer automatically popped into his mind.

He had done similar questions back in the day.

The standard high-scoring approach was—drive them away, or select the best.

Prioritize absorbing craftsmen and young adults, expel the old, weak, sick, and disabled, and preserve the city's Foundation.

Summarized in four words: Abandon the pawns to save the chariot.

Then he saw Zhou Yun's answer.

The red cross was bigger than the previous one, occupying almost half the box, as if the teacher grading it had used great anger.

Below the cross were only eight characters: "Teach without discrimination, the more the better."

Zhou Tianhao's gaze paused for a moment, then he continued to read the argument:

"One, refuting the 'negative asset theory': Heaven gives talent for a reason.

Commoners see people as 'mouths,' so they worry about insufficient grain.

I see people as 'hands,' so I rejoice in abundant labor. If you use 'hands' to feed 'mouths,' why worry about not having enough?

The so-called famine is not the fault of the people, but the incompetence of organizing production."

"Two, refuting 'survival of the fittest': An old horse knows the way; every inch has its strengths.

The wise are often old, and the benevolent are often weak.

If you only keep the strong and expel the old and weak, this is building a 'barracks,' not a 'city-state.'

A lone yang does not grow, and a single tree is hard to support; abandoning the old and weak will surely lose the root of civilization."

"Three, establishing the Foundation: The people are the most important, the state comes next, and the ruler is the least important.

The strength of the city wall lies not in bricks and stones, but in the hearts of the people.

If I close my doors and reject all living beings in the snowy wilderness today, the Heavenly Dao will surely abandon me in the wasteland tomorrow."

After the three arguments, there was a line of red annotations in the blank space.

The handwriting was sloppy and sharp, the red ink looking like fresh blood sprayed by the grader:

"Womanly benevolence! Empty talk ruins the country! You can't even calculate the grain rations for the citizens of your own city, yet you dare to talk about 'Heaven gives talent for a reason'?

A typical idealistic bookworm! If this person were the City Lord, they would surely drag the whole city to starve to death! 0 points!"

0 points.

The "0" drawn in red ink was big and round, like a loud slap in the face.

Zhou Tianhao looked at that "0" and fell silent.

His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the test paper.

The rough texture of the paper came from his fingertips; he kept his head down and didn't speak for a long time.

Zhou Tianhao's gaze didn't move from the test paper.

He followed the page down, naturally falling onto the third question.

[Policy Essay Question Three: Disputes and Adjudication]

Question: If a dispute involving injury occurs among the city's citizens, how should the law adjudicate the perpetrator?

Zhou Tianhao didn't even think.

This question was too simple.

Simpler than the previous two.

The answer was just four words—punish strictly according to the law.

A life for a life, pay back debts, maintain the majesty of the law, and use thunderous means to deter the petty.

From ancient times to the present, from Blue Star to the City Lord World, this was a universally applicable truth.

There was no second answer.

Then he saw what Zhou Yun had written.

The red cross was still eye-catching.

But this time, Zhou Tianhao's gaze didn't fall on the red cross first; instead, it was pinned by the first line of text.

"Law is to stop conflict; governance is to rectify the heart. Law is the bottom line of morality, not the ultimate goal of governance."

Zhou Tianhao's fingers stopped.

He read this sentence again in his heart.

Then he continued to read.

Zhou Yun had broken "adjudication" into three layers.

It wasn't divided by the severity of the crime, but by the people.

"One, repaying grievance with virtue, and repaying virtue with wisdom."

"If you repay grievance with virtue, how will you repay virtue? Repaying grievance with justice is fine. However, if the victim is willing to repay grievance with virtue to eliminate the dispute, this is a great virtue that lowers the 'friction cost' of society. Therefore—the rights and interests abandoned by the victim should be compensated by the official authorities to manifest their virtue and encourage future generations."

Zhou Tianhao's brows twitched after reading this paragraph.

This meant that if the victim chose to forgive, the official authorities shouldn't just stand by as bystanders, but should "make up" for the justice the victim had given up.

Don't let good people suffer losses, don't let forgiveness become weakness—instead, let forgiveness become a choice that is protected and rewarded.