Urban Peerless Expert-Chapter 3897 - 3916: The First Step Forward

What the Qingluan Immortal Monarch said was acknowledged by all.

The current predicament of the people is primarily the black rings around their necks, which have shackled their lives and their freedom.

Those wearing these black rings are essentially slaves with no freedom, their lives controlled by others.

Only by breaking free from the black rings and gaining freedom can they speak of the future; otherwise, no matter what achievements they make, it will all be an illusion, and they could lose everything at any moment.

Will Zhang Zhongjiu release Lin Chen and the others to freedom?

Very difficult!

Lin Chen and the others are captives brought back by Zhang Zhongjiu, who controls their lives. Having discovered their value, he naturally wouldn’t loosen his control over them.

He might bestow many benefits upon Lin Chen and the others, but he certainly wouldn’t grant them freedom.

He is well aware of Lin Chen and the others’ strength, capable of destroying planets. If left uncontrolled, what if they go mad?

The most crucial point is that if Lin Chen and the others regained their freedom, how would he gain merits through them?

Trying to earn freedom from Zhang Zhongjiu by making achievements is utterly impossible.

To gain freedom, one needs to take a different path.

In the current situation, with no possibility of escape, to surpass Zhang Zhongjiu, one must forge connections with individuals of higher positions of power, gain their trust, and use their influence to escape from Zhang Zhongjiu’s control.

As residents of a planet within the Lost Ball, gaining recognition from senior management is certainly not easy, but they have no choice.

Regardless of the outcome, they have to press on.

No matter what the future holds, at least before taking the first step, everyone’s interests are aligned.

With the successful development of the first product, the people gained much respect from many workers or engineers at the production base.

The black rings around Lin Chen and the others’ necks signify their immense power as "dangerous individuals." And by using a special refining method to create outstanding products, they have undeniably proven their capabilities.

Capable people are easily respected no matter where they are.

All the people are those who cultivate immortality, with endless lifespans. A single meditation session could last several decades to a hundred years, and now, integrating into a new lifestyle, naturally doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

Everyone is diligently learning various aspects of knowledge about the Federation, striving to integrate into it and become a part of it.

They have no way back.

Even if they have the capability to return to the Heavenly God Realm, it is of no use, for the Purifiers or more powerful Purification Teams would eventually descend upon the Heavenly God Realm and erase it.

They might still flee, but those who know the truth about the Lost Ball, where else could they escape to?

Without the Chaos Battleship, they cannot escape the Lost Ball.

Once the entire Lost Ball is purified, with all life-permitting planets completely turned chaotic, how can they continue to survive, and where would they go next?

If purification cannot be resisted, that is the ultimate inevitable outcome, but there remains another path before them.

By standing out within the Federation and attaining a certain level of authority, even if they cannot save the entire Lost Ball from destruction, they can use the Chaos Battleship to bring all they care about to the Federation and allow them to survive anew.

Although their time here has not been long, they have discovered that the Federation has a super high upper limit for citizenship but not a very high lower limit. For instance, the regular workers in the base, although their physical fitness has been enhanced and they now have a lifespan of at least two hundred years.

It might be because these people are relatively ordinary, so they do not discriminate against Lin Chen and the indigenous residents emerging from the Lost Ball; on the contrary, when their abilities are displayed, everyone respects them greatly.

The Federation possesses a strong sense of inclusivity; as long as you find your proper role and demonstrate your value, you can live well in the Federation.

The Federation purifies the Lost Ball and eradicates all life planets within purely to turn the Lost Ball chaotic, not to conquer and plunder. Under such premises, if residents living within the Lost Ball are capable of reaching the Federation, they will not face hostility.

Once everyone understood the path, they wholly devoted themselves to study and research.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed. During this time, not only did they develop new products to replace the parts of the Twelve Districts, but they also further enhanced the first round’s products, achieving even better functionalities.

When they repeatedly refined and tested the second product, Luo Wen finally appeared before everyone once again.

"Everyone, you have once again showcased your talents and crafted excellent new components for us, and I will fulfill my previous promise."

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Luo Wen smiled and said, "In a moment, you will follow me to the City Center’s household registration office to register and obtain temporary status. Once registered, you will be considered temporary citizens of the Federation, holding the right to legally live within it."

"Once you have obtained temporary citizenship, you will also gain freedom, no longer confined to the production base. You can leave the base and go anywhere in the city."

"You can go to bars for drinks, indulge in pleasures, and, if someone is willing, you can even pursue romance. As long as you don’t leave Jinghai City and don’t violate Federation laws, you are free."

"In future, within the base, you will have the same normal salaries and vacation entitlements as other engineers..."

Everyone instantly became thrilled, each person’s eyes lighting up.

They were a group of people accustomed to doing whatever they wished, and now suddenly becoming prisoners and having a nine-to-five routine as obedient workers made them very disgruntled.

Although it still seems like a long way from entirely removing the black rings and regaining complete freedom, they have taken the first step.

Everyone followed Luo Wen onto a car with a strong sci-fi feel, which rose into the sky like a warplane and instantly merged into the sky-full of traffic.

It wasn’t long before they fully reached the center of Jinghai City, parking the car in a vast aerial parking lot, and Luo Wen led everyone into the massive building ahead.

In the huge office space, people coming to handle business were ceaselessly flowing. They looked at Lin Chen and his group with curiosity, but upon seeing the black rings around their necks, quickly averted their gaze, not daring to look further.

Luo Wen brought them to an empty processing window, where he displayed and transmitted an electronic document to the staff inside.

"Everyone, come over, queue up, one by one, and follow the instructions..."