DPM Chapter 80-Strength Part 2
Translated by Snowfall77
Eventually the Federation decided on their Vice President heading a delegation down to Earth to meet with the mutants.
The delegation would consist of five people, Vice President Lide, Expansion Committee member Ouyang Yi, an interpreter, and two soldiers.
Ten days later in a small spaceship, Federation people returned to Earth for the first time.
Gathered in the desert base’s public square, Wu Xingyun, Mozun, Dai Rong and other mutants watched the sky.
Blazing flames of blue trailed the Federal ship as it dropped from the sky, like an ill-omened meteor.
Mixed emotions naturally filling the hearts of those looking up from the ground.
The ship was more beautiful than any other ship seen on Earth, with its silverly gray exterior and sleekly flowing shape. Enveloped in a light blue energy shield, it seemed like something out of a science fiction movie.
While on the other hand, the Earth was devastated, technology stagnated, civilization regressed, nature restored to the wild. Humans huddled in little cities, unable to construct power stations, let alone manufacturing aircraft.
The Federation ship unhurriedly parked in the square from whence the Federation had fled years before. Hatches gliding open, the five members of the delegation emerged one by one.
Hands stuck in his trouser pockets, Mozun felt a burst of blunt ache spread across his chest.
The spaceship, the people coming out the ship, were painfully incongruent with the tumbledown surroundings.
""Mozun glanced at Ouyang Yi, though Ouyang Yi didn’t notice the Night Shard until the two groups stood in front of each other.
Vice President Lide extended a hand to Mozun first: “Hello.”
After a split second, Mozun reached out his hand to shake Lide’s: “Hello.”
Once in Dai Rong’s conference hall, people started discussing concrete details.
Built ten years ago, the conference hall was now far more old and shabby than it had before the Federation left. There weren’t numerous staff members bustling here and there, no high-end electronics, not even projectors.
The Federal delegation had planned well in advance, and tried to sound thoughtful: “It appears you need our assistance also. When we return, we can build you better living areas.”
Dai Rong and Mozun said nothing, Wu Xingyun silent too.
The Federation delegates continued: “You, you people can receive government allowances. And those who are robust can join the Federation army, where they’ll enjoy government security for life.”
“We’re going to develop this region quickly. The last days are over and cooperation with the Federal government is the best way forward.”
Those words said, Vice President Lide gazed upon the mutants, attitude rather high and mighty, and inquired: “What do you think?”
Mozun just gave a tiny smile. But Dai Rong, whose disposition had tempered with time, spoke to the main point: “Alright, let’s say the Federation comes back to Earth, and you start rebuilding without damaging the environment like you used to. If that’s the case, we can set aside a region for you live in.”
Dai Rong turned his head to Mozun: “What do you think of them living in City J?”
Shrugging, Mozun replied: “Possible, but the mutated ocean life there is quite fierce. At the very least they’d need to pay for whatever protection personnel we send.”
Lide stared blankly at that, while Ouyang Yi’s face slightly flushed, unable to stop himself from blurting: “Who do you think you are? Collect protection fees from the government?! Don’t be absurd.”
A faint smirk crossed Mozun’s face before he responded indifferently: “Then deal with the situation yourself. You’re such a great scientist, I’m sure the aquatic monster problem will be easy for you to fix.”
Ouyang Yi had regained his composure, but Mozun poking at one of his sore spots made Ouyang Yi irate all over again.
Sneering, Ouyang Yi responded: “Great scientist? My goodness, don’t you know Lou Ying is the greatest scientist now? What? Do you guys finally regret? You helped that woman so much, only be left behind to live an appalling life. But no, you still refuse to repent.”
Mozun merely arched an eyebrow and didn’t speak again.
While Dai Rong unexpectedly didn’t talk either.
Having done his homework before hand, Vice President Lide knew of the past grudges between these men. To curb Ouyang Yi and maintain the Federation’s diplomatic approach, Lide placated: “Please don’t take offense, but I think humanity will always rely on science and technology. You haven’t had it easy these past years, what with mutant animals and mutant plants. Your day-to-day life has been hard. Now we’ve come back, and this is a win-win situation for everyone. We can both improve the other’s living situation. Furthermore, for the leader of the mutants, the Federation is prepared to give preferential treatment, and a set number of seats on the council. As for other mutants, if they’re capable of cohabitation, let it happen. If they’re not, we can set aside a couple of cities for them to live separately.”
Wu Xingyun couldn’t help interjecting: “Seats on the council? How many?”
Vice President Lide thought fast and rejoined with: “Ten, but no more.”
Mozun made a little scoffing noise. Dai Rong maintained his silence. While Wu Xingyun was more frank: “Ten? Not enough. Aren’t there more than a hundred seats on the council? Just ten won’t be able to influence anything……”
“Eh? Some proposals are defeated by just one vote. Perhaps when I go back, I can speak to the council and gradually come to a better number……” Vice President Lide offered.
Losing his patience, Mozun stood up, breaking off Lide’s words, and slowly fixing each member of the Federal delegation, one by one, with an icy stare. Tone apathetic, he stated: “Apparently there’s another thing you’re not clear on.”
“What is that?” Lide’s gut telling him the situation wasn’t going the direction he’d hoped.
Slightly raising a hand, Mozun looked off into the distance and hooked a finger.
Boom! A hundred meters away, a supportive steel frame collapsed, one thick metal rod flying towards Mozun, its swift velocity slicing through the air with a whooshing sound.
Smack! The metal bar was held firmly in Mozun’s grasp.
The two soldiers in the Federal delegation nervously jumped up, turn-pulled their gun bolts and aimed the pitch-dark muzzles at Mozun.
Mozun smiled: “Shoot me.”
Bang! Though it wasn’t the two soldiers who pulled their triggers. Unexpectedly to them, Ouyang Yi was the first to fire his gun.
Yet the Night Shard stood there, steady as a rock, his body completely unshaken.
The Federal people were stupified, while the others glowered at Ouyang Yi, whose hand was slightly trembling.
Dai Rong and Mozun had on relaxed expressions. Even with a heavy caliber guns pointed at them, they couldn’t be fussed.
Finally, with a faint sigh, Mozun tilted his head and the two guns’ barrels bent backwards.
Terrified, recalling that ‘bang’ sound, the two soldiers no longer dared hold their guns. They threw the firearms to the ground, watching as the guns made of lunar hard metal, guns that should have been able to shoot anywhere in the universe, were warped into metal balls by the spiritual force of the Night Shard.
They were stunned, but Ouyang Yi was downright dumbstruck, watching in a daze as Mozun extended his hand out to show them.
In the pale, clean palm sat a bullet.
Mozun twirled the bullet in his fingers, then softly pinched it.
Like it was made of paper, the bullet disintegrated with a plop.
“Don’t act like you’ll be the ones to give us charity!” Mozun’s tone was severe, “The Earth being like this? Who is responsible for it? At that time you ran away! Taking away all the resources, whether it be scientists, advanced technology, or minerals! What was left? Nothing! What do you know about how we lived every day, struggling on the line between life and death? Like living in a bad dream, every day worried that you’ll lose your head. Countless people have been lost, and those who survived had to stand on the bodies and the blood of the dead to make it to another day!”
“We haven’t had it easy? It’s been hard? You’re clear on it being difficult. So who caused all this?! After stabbing someone, you’ll hand them a bottle of mercurochrome?”
“I’m just one of numerous mutants. In fact I’m quite common! Our current strength, after experiencing these last days, is a far cry from what it used to be.”
“These last days, what have they been for you? What suffering have you tasted? When the thick Saer fog come, you protected yourselves, abandoned the Earth. Have you endured even one day of hunger? Have you feared having your head chewed to pieces by a mutated monster? Have you heard your comrades’ wretched screams in the night? Have you made a whole city your enemy for the sake of a steamed bun and a bowl of rice? If not, what are the last days?”
“Maybe it really was the end of the world for you. It’s dreadful, but those of us you discarded, we’ve survived. It hasn’t been destruction and ruin, it’s been the Great Nirvana.”
“We’ve been reborn from the fire, resurrected. We’ll no longer at your mercy, to be deserted at will.”
“Now do you understand me? We don’t need the Federation. Rather……it’s the Federation in a bind, coming to us, asking us for understanding. Don’t set yourself so high, don’t be so arrogant, not towards those who you abandoned. And don’t say you had to do it. Don’t use natural selection as an excuse. But perhaps that isn’t your belief, and you stand unconvicted by your conscience, thinking everything is as it should be. If that’s the case……I’ll make it very explicit to you. Those who were left behind on the Earth have been remade. And we have become strong.”
“If someone is to be set on high, it is me!”
“If the strong prey on the weak, then the person who consumes the flesh is me!”
“If you want decided who depends on whom, who should be ruled by whom, who has the strength, who can speak, then it’s still me!”
“If you’re unclear about this, I’ll make it clear! Or, we can all get along in equality. But if you insist on dividing people between the high and the low, then the one who stands highest, the one who give commands……I think you should thoroughly understand who that is.”
(TN-Somebody went off……
The second arc will end with chapter 88. Others might be made of sterner stuff than me, but I’ll still warn that a couple of chapters coming up, I personally found bleak and hard to take. Once the author gets into the third arc, things get better.)
Mercurochrome™ is a product which was once widely marketed for use as a topical antiseptic. Thanks to changes in the way the US Food and Drug Administration regards Mercurochrome™, the product is not readily available in the United States today, although it can be found in many other regions of the world. This antiseptic is part of a family of products made with a base of merbromin, a chemical which must be suspended in an alcohol or water solution before it can be used as an antiseptic.
https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mercurochrome.htm
Bolt action
Most of the bolt-action designs use rotating-bolt (or “turn-pull”) design, which involves the shooter doing an upward “rotating” movement of the handle to unlock the bolt from the breech and cock the firing pin, followed by a rearward “pull” to open the breech, extract the spent cartridge case, then reverse the whole process to chamber the next cartridge and relock the breech.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolt_action
DPM Chapter 80-Strength Part 2
Translated by Snowfall77
Eventually the Federation decided on their Vice President heading a delegation down to Earth to meet with the mutants.
The delegation would consist of five people, Vice President Lide, Expansion Committee member Ouyang Yi, an interpreter, and two soldiers.
Ten days later in a small spaceship, Federation people returned to Earth for the first time.
Gathered in the desert base’s public square, Wu Xingyun, Mozun, Dai Rong and other mutants watched the sky.
Blazing flames of blue trailed the Federal ship as it dropped from the sky, like an ill-omened meteor.
Mixed emotions naturally filling the hearts of those looking up from the ground.
The ship was more beautiful than any other ship seen on Earth, with its silverly gray exterior and sleekly flowing shape. Enveloped in a light blue energy shield, it seemed like something out of a science fiction movie.
While on the other hand, the Earth was devastated, technology stagnated, civilization regressed, nature restored to the wild. Humans huddled in little cities, unable to construct power stations, let alone manufacturing aircraft.
The Federation ship unhurriedly parked in the square from whence the Federation had fled years before. Hatches gliding open, the five members of the delegation emerged one by one.
Hands stuck in his trouser pockets, Mozun felt a burst of blunt ache spread across his chest.
The spaceship, the people coming out the ship, were painfully incongruent with the tumbledown surroundings.
""Mozun glanced at Ouyang Yi, though Ouyang Yi didn’t notice the Night Shard until the two groups stood in front of each other.
Vice President Lide extended a hand to Mozun first: “Hello.”
After a split second, Mozun reached out his hand to shake Lide’s: “Hello.”
Once in Dai Rong’s conference hall, people started discussing concrete details.
Built ten years ago, the conference hall was now far more old and shabby than it had before the Federation left. There weren’t numerous staff members bustling here and there, no high-end electronics, not even projectors.
The Federal delegation had planned well in advance, and tried to sound thoughtful: “It appears you need our assistance also. When we return, we can build you better living areas.”
Dai Rong and Mozun said nothing, Wu Xingyun silent too.
The Federation delegates continued: “You, you people can receive government allowances. And those who are robust can join the Federation army, where they’ll enjoy government security for life.”
“We’re going to develop this region quickly. The last days are over and cooperation with the Federal government is the best way forward.”
Those words said, Vice President Lide gazed upon the mutants, attitude rather high and mighty, and inquired: “What do you think?”
Mozun just gave a tiny smile. But Dai Rong, whose disposition had tempered with time, spoke to the main point: “Alright, let’s say the Federation comes back to Earth, and you start rebuilding without damaging the environment like you used to. If that’s the case, we can set aside a region for you live in.”
Dai Rong turned his head to Mozun: “What do you think of them living in City J?”
Shrugging, Mozun replied: “Possible, but the mutated ocean life there is quite fierce. At the very least they’d need to pay for whatever protection personnel we send.”
Lide stared blankly at that, while Ouyang Yi’s face slightly flushed, unable to stop himself from blurting: “Who do you think you are? Collect protection fees from the government?! Don’t be absurd.”
A faint smirk crossed Mozun’s face before he responded indifferently: “Then deal with the situation yourself. You’re such a great scientist, I’m sure the aquatic monster problem will be easy for you to fix.”
Ouyang Yi had regained his composure, but Mozun poking at one of his sore spots made Ouyang Yi irate all over again.
Sneering, Ouyang Yi responded: “Great scientist? My goodness, don’t you know Lou Ying is the greatest scientist now? What? Do you guys finally regret? You helped that woman so much, only be left behind to live an appalling life. But no, you still refuse to repent.”
Mozun merely arched an eyebrow and didn’t speak again.
While Dai Rong unexpectedly didn’t talk either.
Having done his homework before hand, Vice President Lide knew of the past grudges between these men. To curb Ouyang Yi and maintain the Federation’s diplomatic approach, Lide placated: “Please don’t take offense, but I think humanity will always rely on science and technology. You haven’t had it easy these past years, what with mutant animals and mutant plants. Your day-to-day life has been hard. Now we’ve come back, and this is a win-win situation for everyone. We can both improve the other’s living situation. Furthermore, for the leader of the mutants, the Federation is prepared to give preferential treatment, and a set number of seats on the council. As for other mutants, if they’re capable of cohabitation, let it happen. If they’re not, we can set aside a couple of cities for them to live separately.”
Wu Xingyun couldn’t help interjecting: “Seats on the council? How many?”
Vice President Lide thought fast and rejoined with: “Ten, but no more.”
Mozun made a little scoffing noise. Dai Rong maintained his silence. While Wu Xingyun was more frank: “Ten? Not enough. Aren’t there more than a hundred seats on the council? Just ten won’t be able to influence anything……”
“Eh? Some proposals are defeated by just one vote. Perhaps when I go back, I can speak to the council and gradually come to a better number……” Vice President Lide offered.
Losing his patience, Mozun stood up, breaking off Lide’s words, and slowly fixing each member of the Federal delegation, one by one, with an icy stare. Tone apathetic, he stated: “Apparently there’s another thing you’re not clear on.”
“What is that?” Lide’s gut telling him the situation wasn’t going the direction he’d hoped.
Slightly raising a hand, Mozun looked off into the distance and hooked a finger.
Boom! A hundred meters away, a supportive steel frame collapsed, one thick metal rod flying towards Mozun, its swift velocity slicing through the air with a whooshing sound.
Smack! The metal bar was held firmly in Mozun’s grasp.
The two soldiers in the Federal delegation nervously jumped up, turn-pulled their gun bolts and aimed the pitch-dark muzzles at Mozun.
Mozun smiled: “Shoot me.”
Bang! Though it wasn’t the two soldiers who pulled their triggers. Unexpectedly to them, Ouyang Yi was the first to fire his gun.
Yet the Night Shard stood there, steady as a rock, his body completely unshaken.
The Federal people were stupified, while the others glowered at Ouyang Yi, whose hand was slightly trembling.
Dai Rong and Mozun had on relaxed expressions. Even with a heavy caliber guns pointed at them, they couldn’t be fussed.
Finally, with a faint sigh, Mozun tilted his head and the two guns’ barrels bent backwards.
Terrified, recalling that ‘bang’ sound, the two soldiers no longer dared hold their guns. They threw the firearms to the ground, watching as the guns made of lunar hard metal, guns that should have been able to shoot anywhere in the universe, were warped into metal balls by the spiritual force of the Night Shard.
They were stunned, but Ouyang Yi was downright dumbstruck, watching in a daze as Mozun extended his hand out to show them.
In the pale, clean palm sat a bullet.
Mozun twirled the bullet in his fingers, then softly pinched it.
Like it was made of paper, the bullet disintegrated with a plop.
“Don’t act like you’ll be the ones to give us charity!” Mozun’s tone was severe, “The Earth being like this? Who is responsible for it? At that time you ran away! Taking away all the resources, whether it be scientists, advanced technology, or minerals! What was left? Nothing! What do you know about how we lived every day, struggling on the line between life and death? Like living in a bad dream, every day worried that you’ll lose your head. Countless people have been lost, and those who survived had to stand on the bodies and the blood of the dead to make it to another day!”
“We haven’t had it easy? It’s been hard? You’re clear on it being difficult. So who caused all this?! After stabbing someone, you’ll hand them a bottle of mercurochrome?”
“I’m just one of numerous mutants. In fact I’m quite common! Our current strength, after experiencing these last days, is a far cry from what it used to be.”
“These last days, what have they been for you? What suffering have you tasted? When the thick Saer fog come, you protected yourselves, abandoned the Earth. Have you endured even one day of hunger? Have you feared having your head chewed to pieces by a mutated monster? Have you heard your comrades’ wretched screams in the night? Have you made a whole city your enemy for the sake of a steamed bun and a bowl of rice? If not, what are the last days?”
“Maybe it really was the end of the world for you. It’s dreadful, but those of us you discarded, we’ve survived. It hasn’t been destruction and ruin, it’s been the Great Nirvana.”
“We’ve been reborn from the fire, resurrected. We’ll no longer at your mercy, to be deserted at will.”
“Now do you understand me? We don’t need the Federation. Rather……it’s the Federation in a bind, coming to us, asking us for understanding. Don’t set yourself so high, don’t be so arrogant, not towards those who you abandoned. And don’t say you had to do it. Don’t use natural selection as an excuse. But perhaps that isn’t your belief, and you stand unconvicted by your conscience, thinking everything is as it should be. If that’s the case……I’ll make it very explicit to you. Those who were left behind on the Earth have been remade. And we have become strong.”
“If someone is to be set on high, it is me!”
“If the strong prey on the weak, then the person who consumes the flesh is me!”
“If you want decided who depends on whom, who should be ruled by whom, who has the strength, who can speak, then it’s still me!”
“If you’re unclear about this, I’ll make it clear! Or, we can all get along in equality. But if you insist on dividing people between the high and the low, then the one who stands highest, the one who give commands……I think you should thoroughly understand who that is.”
(TN-Somebody went off……
The second arc will end with chapter 88. Others might be made of sterner stuff than me, but I’ll still warn that a couple of chapters coming up, I personally found bleak and hard to take. Once the author gets into the third arc, things get better.)
Mercurochrome™ is a product which was once widely marketed for use as a topical antiseptic. Thanks to changes in the way the US Food and Drug Administration regards Mercurochrome™, the product is not readily available in the United States today, although it can be found in many other regions of the world. This antiseptic is part of a family of products made with a base of merbromin, a chemical which must be suspended in an alcohol or water solution before it can be used as an antiseptic.
https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mercurochrome.htm
Bolt action
Most of the bolt-action designs use rotating-bolt (or “turn-pull”) design, which involves the shooter doing an upward “rotating” movement of the handle to unlock the bolt from the breech and cock the firing pin, followed by a rearward “pull” to open the breech, extract the spent cartridge case, then reverse the whole process to chamber the next cartridge and relock the breech.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolt_action
