Chapter 172: Progress

The situation was far more complicated than anyone had imagined.

The current state of affairs wasn’t necessarily bad, but it seemed to be deviating from the Federation’s original intentions.

On this day, Wayne and Zack, two close friends, gathered at Zack’s house to catch up and joke around.

In the four years since the Earth’s destruction, life had been difficult and full of challenges, but people still found ways to live fulfilling lives. Both men had started families, and Zack even had a child, marking a major milestone in his life.

The group enjoyed a hearty breakfast together, reminiscing about the old days.

Wayne held a spoon, playfully teasing Zack’s one-year-old son, Tommy. The little boy, a child of mixed heritage, was fair-skinned, chubby, and incredibly cute.

With a population of 50,000 survivors gathered from all over the globe, there was more than enough genetic diversity to ensure the continued survival of human civilization. This would prevent genetic defects, such as intellectual disabilities caused by inbreeding.

The little guy stared intently at Wayne, his mouth slightly open as he eyed the warm oatmeal. Drool dripped down his cheeks. He reached out his tiny hands but couldn’t quite grab the spoon.

“Waaah!”

After being teased for so long without getting a single bite of his oatmeal, Tommy finally lost his temper. He opened his mouth and wailed, startling Wayne so much that he quickly fed the boy a spoonful.

“You’re a lot like me, a big eater,” Wayne laughed after calming the child.

In the kitchen, their wives were busy preparing a hearty, fusion-style breakfast. While their cooking skills weren’t perfect, they were improving every day.

Life felt comfortable.

As for the ingredients, naturally, they weren’t handed out for free by the community. They had to be purchased.

“Tell me, what exactly is the Federation’s endgame here?” Zack asked casually, reaching out to rescue his son from Wayne’s playful clutches.

“It’s hard to say. The situation is pretty complex.” Wayne thought for a moment. “Maybe they’re trying to build a perfectly harmonious society. And maybe… just maybe, it might actually work?”

His gaze drifted toward the window as a flood of thoughts entered his mind.

Looking closely, the citizens of the Federation possessed all the right foundations to build a utopian society: advanced technology, high social productivity, and a highly educated population.

The current lack of supplies was strictly a temporary issue caused by resource bottlenecks. The moment they discovered an Earth-like planet, they could leap into an era of extreme abundance in no time.

Every ordinary citizen understood this, which made them willing to accept a simpler lifestyle for now. In truth, the constant pressure of survival meant that no one was truly living a life of leisure anyway.

Could the Federation, which had endured countless disasters and survived so many extinction-level events, really collapse from the inside? Wayne absolutely refused to believe it.

Wayne and Zack thought back to the events of a few years ago.

They had still been on the lunar base when the Earth suddenly exploded. That same day, Calvin and his rebel faction attacked government officials, sparking a massive riot among the death row inmates. Within hours, order inside the base had completely collapsed. Anyone who lived through that panic and chaos never wanted to experience it again.

Later, humanity faced a series of catastrophic disasters: severe food shortages, the Earth-Moon collision, the Martian virus, and the solar flare. They survived each crisis through sheer unity. If they had hesitated for even a moment, or surrendered to despair and fear, humanity would have been wiped out.

Only through unity could their civilization forge a stronger sense of cohesion. It was the only way to overcome insurmountable odds in record time.

“We can only move forward if we stand together,” Zack said earnestly, playing with his son.

A civilization’s prosperity isn’t just measured by material wealth; sometimes, spiritual resilience is even more critical.

Back in ancient times, the Roman Empire boasted a massive population, endless wealth, and formidable legions. So why did it suffer repeated defeats and ultimately collapse? The core issue was that the empire’s culture and spirit had rotted from the inside out. Public ignorance, extreme hedonism, and political decay broke the backbone of the nation, turning the once-mighty empire into a hunting ground for conquerors.

Even though modern historians try to romanticize that era and find excuses for its fall, the facts remain clear. Conversely, many small, underdog nations have relied on unity to crush the ambitions of massive empires. Before World War II, a small country like Finland used inferior weaponry and an unbreakable will to humiliate the Soviet war machine. It was a perfect testament to the power of national spirit and unity.

Now, the Federation wanted to push this spirit of unity even further, forging their civilization into an impenetrable fortress.

“Since the government is aiming so high, shouldn’t we do our part to cooperate?” Wayne said with a smile.

The citizens of the Federation were highly intelligent elites, far beyond the limited worldview of uneducated folk. The transparency of information had cultivated a strong sense of civic duty. Most people genuinely wanted their civilization to evolve to the next level.

Wayne and Zack weren’t exceptions; most citizens actively analyzed and speculated about the government’s plans. Given the current high levels of public trust, the majority were more than willing to play along.

Looting and riots might break out in impoverished, unruly regions, but the chances of such chaos occurring within their advanced society were virtually zero.

First, these elite citizens had too much pride to stoop to that level. Second, even if they did steal, what could they possibly gain? Did they really think they could just keep living in the community as if nothing happened?

Third, the newly issued currency still held purchasing power. In other words, “private property” hadn’t been entirely abolished. Although daily supplies were more expensive, as long as goods were available for purchase, people remained calm. Hoarding the new currency at least guaranteed their survival, eliminating any desperate need for mass looting.

Therefore, these elites would never compromise their dignity over basic necessities. Even if someone felt tempted, they would suppress the urge, kept in check by the prevailing social climate.

The government quietly tracked the distribution of goods. The records weren’t made public, but the authorities knew exactly who took what.

“The current situation feels a bit like the old Utopian experiments on Earth… but with some key differences,” Zack noted.

“At the very least, our ideological awareness and social productivity are lightyears ahead of those historical attempts, so this actually has a real chance of succeeding!”

“Exactly!” Wayne nodded in agreement. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

The true driving force behind their society’s progress was the endless string of crises lurking in the universe.

Humanity hadn’t been given a single moment to relax. They had witnessed the terrifying power of alien civilizations firsthand and had even gone to war with them. This harsh reality had profoundly shifted everyone’s mindset.

The cosmos was vast. Only by witnessing true power could humanity comprehend its own insignificance.

Humans had once sat at the top of the food chain on Earth, blissfully ruling their own little blue sphere. With no external forces to challenge or correct them, they acted as if they were the only intelligent beings in existence. People even had the luxury of fighting amongst themselves and exploiting one another.

But now, their eyes had been opened.

Earth was nothing more than a tiny speck of sand in an endless ocean, and humanity was just a colony of microbes fighting for control over that single grain.

It was only after setting sail into the dark void that they realized how terrifyingly vast the outside world truly was.

The starry sky was a kingdom of giants, and an individual human was smaller than an ant.

Their petty internal squabbles were as meaningless as ants tearing each other apart. Humanity had to grow stronger, and fast. Otherwise, a mere ripple in the cosmic pond would be enough to capsize their entire ship.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep