Supreme Electromagnetic Tyrant-Chapter 463 - 312: The Ruling Family

Ji Xinghuo listened to Ji Daosheng’s words with some perplexity in his heart. The leader’s first half of the sentence referred to "our own family," but the second half became "our clan."

There’s a subtle difference between these two terms, which can be easily overlooked.

Sharing a surname could mean being from the same house, but definitely not from the same clan. As a public child, the surname "Ji" was randomly assigned to me when I was named, with no blood relation to the leader at all. Why would the leader say that?

Maybe I’m overthinking it.

These thoughts flashed through Ji Xinghuo’s mind.

"Leader, you overpraise me!" he replied modestly, "I am a public child, and without the nurturance of the country, I wouldn’t be who I am today, naturally, I am your junior. To share the surname Ji with the leader is my honor; many have envied me for it since I was young."

"Hahaha... I love hearing that." Ji Daosheng laughed.

Those around them laughed along.

However, for some reason, Ji Xinghuo always felt that the leader’s gaze carried a playful look, tinged with some unfathomable emotions.

"Young people, though, should be more spirited," Ji Daosheng suddenly added, "you can’t be lacking vitality like us old folks. With your talent and strength, when it’s time to be arrogant, you should proudly be so, to live life to the fullest."

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "I will remember that, leader."

"This lad’s already arrogant enough."

The speaker was a woman in her thirties who appeared coldly elegant and fashionably dressed, but her knife-sharp eyes deterred anyone from holding her gaze; a few seconds of eye contact felt like an electric shock.

This was Zhu Xiaorong, a Heavenly King Level Electric Field Stringer, and president of the Asia-Pacific Community’s Spiritual Energy Association. She held no other titles.

In a calm voice, she said, "He dared to forcibly break through the Star Gate alone, breaching the Indi Kingdom’s air defense system. That’s nothing short of sheer audacity."

Ji Xinghuo detected an inexplicable hostility in her tone.

He had heard of this Heavenly King, ranked 18th on the list, famous for her assertiveness. Anyone she disapproved of, or anything she disliked, could trigger her anger, even to the point of administering personal lessons.

Thus, she had earned the nickname "Electric Mother," which testified to her terrible temper.

Seeing is believing.

Ji Xinghuo wondered what he had done to upset Zhu Xiaorong but was not about to indulge her. He met her eyes directly and asked, "President Zhu, do you have an objection to me?"

"Um?"

Zhu Xiaorong’s eyebrows shot up, with sparks of electricity dancing in her eyes.

A crackling sound.

A clash of gazes produced electrical sparks, piercing the air and leaving a scent of scorched odor in the room.

"Xiaorong," said Ji Daosheng reproachfully, shaking his head, "You’re over 90 years old, when will you learn to control your temper?"

"I can’t change it." Zhu Xiaorong said, but she still reined herself in obediently. In front of Ji Daosheng, she was like a daughter, petulantly turning her head away, no longer challenging Ji Xinghuo.

Watching this, Ji Xinghuo pieced together some information based on online rumors.

Electric Mother Zhu Xiaorong was a war orphan, and the leader had adopted many such children. Later, her talent became evident, and the leader mentored her closely. Though not her formal adoptive father, their relationship was no different from that of father and daughter.

With this in mind, Ji Xinghuo’s gaze swept over the others in the room, and he suddenly grasped the leader’s intention for today’s meeting.

The people present could be divided into two categories.

The first category consisted of the leader’s comrades-in-arms, "Gun Saint" Xing Lie, Marshal Wu Huai’an, and Sword Bureau Director Li Hui.

Among them, Xing Lie, at 183 years old, was one of the oldest living mutants, 37 years senior to the leader. However, his real rise to fame came a decade after founding the Extreme Martial Arts Academy, where the leader joined and formed a relationship that was half-mentor, half-friend with Xing Lie.

The Extreme Martial Arts Academy was the earliest backer of the leader.

The initial pioneers that followed the leader included many who were once students of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy, such as Sword Bureau Director Li Hui.

Wu Huai’an also met the leader at the Extreme Martial Arts Academy and became lifelong friends and comrades, up until today.

The second category comprised those juniors whom the leader had fostered and trained, who saw him as both a teacher and a father, holding a close relationship.

For instance, Zhu Xiaorong was one of those adopted by the leader;

"Luo Baoguo, the great Dagon military commander, became the first Titanium Cobalt Dragon Man at the age of 17 under the leader’s tutelage; "Master Chao Feng" Luo Yimeng, 20 years younger than the leader, was also discovered and nurtured by the leader to become the most powerful Master on Earth;

"Huo Keji, the Champion Marquis," was a super-talent unearthed by the leader from the military and ascended to Heavenly King status in his fifties.

The other three were similar.

Despite not being as dazzling as Huo Keji, they were legendary figures serving as senior government officials, contributing their talents.

The leader had trained more mutants than those present.

However, those mutants who could be in this room were geniuses among geniuses, and deeply trusted by the leader.

They could also be regarded as the leader’s family, forming a clan without blood ties.

The entire clan revolved around the leader, ruling the Asia-Pacific Community.

Of course, Ji Xinghuo believed that the leader did this with the best of intentions, gathering and nurturing talents to fully exploit their potential for the country’s benefit.

Even if there was self-interest involved, it didn’t impact the bigger picture.

At the very least, the dozen or so people present were not incompetent. They were committed and responsible, having made significant contributions and spilled blood for the country, and the Asia-Pacific Community’s status as the strongest country on Earth owed much to their efforts.

Suddenly, Ji Xinghuo recalled words spoken to him a year ago by Ren Jie before she left.

At that time, he hadn’t dared to return to Earth because of the Sword Bureau.

She said that some powerful figures in the higher echelons of the Asia-Pacific Community were wary of geniuses who didn’t serve the nation, which would be detrimental to his future. Thus, she advised him to stay with the Sword Bureau.

Ren Jie must have been referring to the core power circle centered around the leader, the true rulers of the Asia-Pacific Community.

"Was Ren Jie also part of it?" Ji Xinghuo couldn’t help speculating, and it seemed highly probable.

And now, was the leader inviting him into this "clan"?

"No wonder..."

Ji Xinghuo suddenly realized why Zhu Xiaorong seemed to hold a grudge against him.

Because she was an Electric Field Stringer.

The Electric Field Stringer was already a very powerful profession with multiple advanced career paths, but without a doubt, the strongest advancement was the "Electromagnetic Dominator."

She knew she was a Magnetic Field Madman and could also advance to become an Electromagnetic Dominator.

In the future, when it came to allocating the Electromagnetic Elements Species, she would be Zhu Xiaorong’s greatest competitor. Moreover, based on her exhibited talent and strength, it was very likely she couldn’t compete, which could affect her life’s evolution.

Seeing Ji Xinghuo’s thoughtful expression, Ji Daosheng nodded approvingly and said, "Xinghuo, you’re smarter than I thought."

Though he didn’t specify, he had let Ji Xinghuo know that his guess was correct.

Ji Xinghuo’s gaze swept across the people in the office. Their attitudes toward him were mostly welcoming, but there were two or three whose support or opposition he couldn’t read. Of course, Zhu Xiaorong still wore an expression of displeasure.

"Why me?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

The Asia-Pacific Community had 5.6 billion citizens, and every year, millions of new Mutants were born, with countless geniuses among them. With the Leader’s power and status, if he wished, he could gather all the top talents under his command.

However, the Leader had not done so.

The most obvious example was Zhao Manying, who at sixteen had demonstrated unparalleled genius, genuinely ranking first on the ladder and hailed as the greatest human talent in a century.

But Zhao Manying had not received an invitation from the Leader; she had almost no contact with the upper echelons of the Asia-Pacific Community.

At least, Ji Xinghuo hadn’t noticed it while he had been with her.

There were many more geniuses who either became competition mutants or ventured into the Star Realm, and they all had to strive and struggle on their own.

Clearly, the Leader’s selection of people was conditional.

"Actually, you don’t meet my requirements," Ji Daosheng said. "After you killed the Dagon Legendary at the Star Realm Frontline, I noticed you and had someone retrieve your files for big data analysis, which I personally reviewed and ultimately rejected."

Ji Xinghuo was slightly shocked.

He noticed that the Leader used the word "killed" the Dagon Legendary, not participated in the killing, as reported by the outside world.

So his information had been in the hands of the Leader all along.

"Why the rejection?" Ji Xinghuo asked, curious.

"You are an individualist," Ji Daosheng’s eyes seemed to see through people’s hearts, with a hint of regret. "The data analysis shows that the higher your evolution level and the stronger your strength, the more inclined you are toward individualism, placing your personal interests first."

Ji Xinghuo immediately retorted, "Isn’t that human nature? And I’ve always been grateful to the nation, never opposed to serving the country."

"If that’s the case, why did you flee into the Star Realm behind the Sword Bureau’s back?" asked Ji Daosheng.

Li Hui sighed from the other side.

Ji Xinghuo had no explanation.

Indeed, from the perspective of a normal citizen, joining the Sword Bureau was entirely beneficial and not harmful at all.

But his situation was too special.

He had just acquired the Wanxiang Star Pupil, was nervous, and lacked strength; he was full of insecurities, always feeling that someone was out to get him.

As Ren Jie had predicted, his choice at the time had a negative impact.

"I respect individual choices and won’t force citizens to sacrifice themselves for the country, but for the trust the people place in me, I must allocate limited resources to more suitable individuals, to those who put national interests first," Ji Daosheng stated solemnly.

"I have a question for you, and you must answer truthfully," he said, looking at Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Yes."

"If one day in the future, you had to sacrifice yourself to save the nation and the people, would you be willing?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, Ji Xinghuo replied, "It depends on the situation."

"I guess you mean you could temporarily endure and give way, waiting until you possess more powerful strength to return for revenge," Ji Daosheng shook his head. "I want a clear answer—if your sacrifice could immediately save the nation and people, would you be willing?"

"No, I wouldn’t be willing."

This time, Ji Xinghuo answered without hesitation.

"Even if those you would be saving included your family, friends, and loved ones, you still wouldn’t be willing?" Ji Daosheng pressed further.

Ji Xinghuo nodded immediately, "Yes, that’s right."

He was unhesitant, but in his heart, he added, if such a difficult decision ever arose, it would mean he had not worked hard enough.

If one possessed absolute strength, there would be no need to make choices, let alone sacrifices.

Nor would there be a need to answer such questions.

The people around heard Ji Xinghuo’s response; although their facial expressions remained unchanged, several of them looked noticeably colder.

Zhu Xiaorong let out a cold laugh.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at her and the others, suspecting their answers would differ from his, willing to make the sacrifice.

Especially Zhu Xiaorong, if she were truly selfless, she wouldn’t be hostile towards him, but would instead welcome him warmly.

"Actually, I knew the answer when you hesitated," Ji Daosheng said amicably. "The human heart is complex; there is no absolute certainty. Although you say you wouldn’t be willing now, perhaps when the time comes, you may make a different choice."

Hearing this, Ji Xinghuo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Originally, I didn’t want to choose you, but your talent is too strong, the like of which I’ve barely seen in my life," Ji Daosheng sighed deeply. "Perhaps, no genius capable of matching you will emerge for several centuries, or possibly, there may never be a second you."

Ji Xinghuo’s heart skipped a beat.

He hadn’t expected such high praise from the Leader; the expressions of those around him grew more complex.

"That’s why I made an exception for you," Ji Daosheng looked at him with expectation, smiling. "Rules are fixed, but people are flexible, I hope you can make some necessary contributions to our country, our people, our race in the future."

With that said, Ji Xinghuo wisely stood up and declared loudly, "I will not let you down with your expectations and cultivation."

Ji Daosheng looked deeply at Ji Xinghuo for a few seconds, pleased, he nodded.

"Very good!"

He stood up and patted Ji Xinghuo’s shoulder, "Go now, Li Hui will tell you everything you want to know, and I will also keep an eye on your situation."