Upon hearing Lu Luo's words, not only Noah but also Lu Xiaotian nodded thoughtfully.

The idea of integrating humans and Exotic Species had also occurred to her.

However, as Lu Luo mentioned, intelligence limited the cultural development of Exotic Species.

Culture is a subtle, profound thing. It might seem useless, even bizarre, at first glance.

But if you truly believe culture is meaningless, then you are gravely mistaken.

If the cultures of both sides cannot connect, then conflict is inevitable.

After a pause, Noah nodded.

"Forget it. Just tell me how the Fourth Ring should develop next!"

Finally returning to the main topic, Lu Luo was ready to speak his mind freely.

Noah, Nightmare Demon, and Qiao Xing were all present.

Currently, they represented the highest power in the entire Fourth Ring.

If Lu Luo couldn't speak freely in front of these three, then his subsequent ideas would be meaningless.

"If you can resolve the Fourth Ring's military issues, then we can indeed discuss its development.

Firstly, systems are never set in stone.

I also agree with the Inner Ring's method of balancing its system through three aspects: military power, administration, and faith."

"But if we still use the Inner Ring's system, what difference would that make?"

Lu Xiaotian was still extremely resistant to the Inner Ring.

"The overall direction is similar, but the specific content is vastly different.

The Inner Ring's administration uses a parliamentary system, which indeed offers great stability.

But it has a major flaw: a lack of centralized executive power.

In the initial stages of development, the Fourth Ring must concentrate all its strength on a single point, avoiding any waste.

Therefore, we need centralization, not dispersion.

A centralized, unified regime could be led by one person or that person's think tank.

Once a general direction is set, all efforts must be channeled towards achieving that goal."

Lu Luo's words weren't overly abstruse, so even Lu Xiaotian, whose political sensitivity was average, understood his meaning.

"Like the monarchical rule of the Exotic Species?"

"Exactly. Initial development requires centralization, and monarchical rule is a form of centralization."

"Setting aside the military aspect, what about faith?"

"The Inner Ring's faith is the Dawn Church. Previously, having the Dawn Church as the faith in the Fourth Ring wouldn't have been an issue.

But after more than a hundred years of rule, many in the Fourth Ring have come to understand a truth:

Believing in the Holy Light brings no change to their lives.

Their wages remained 165 a month, and they repeated the same job, earned the same pay, and lived the same life, decade after decade.

The Fourth Ring was once like stagnant water, its foundation of faith extremely weak.

It's not that faith had collapsed; rather, it had never been deeply established.

Teacher, do you think I'm right?"

When Lu Luo looked at Qiao Xing, Qiao Xing frowned slightly.

"Yes, the Church's faith in the Fourth Ring is indeed very weak."

As an Archbishop, Qiao Xing had long been aware of this.

It was precisely because of this weak faith that when Nightmare Demon killed the Inner Ring experts, the believers were so visibly confused.

Never mind steadfast faith; some believers in the Fourth Ring even felt like cheering.

What did this indicate? It indicated that their faith was insignificant compared to the oppression from the Inner Ring.

Perhaps they would only truly cheer if, one day, they were freed from the Inner Ring's oppression!

"If the Church no longer holds meaning, what do you think should be done?"

"In the Wasteland Era, faith was indeed the best means to stabilize rule.

Moreover, in this chaotic and dangerous era, people genuinely need faith—but that faith doesn't necessarily have to be the Church."

"Not necessarily the Church? Then what is it?"

Lu Luo turned his head, looking at the Red Pillar still standing tall on the Fourth Wall.

"The faith the Fourth Ring needs isn't Li Ming, isn't the Holy Light, isn't the Church—it's heroes!

Previously, the Fourth Ring had no heroes—not a single one—and its people lacked a definitive beacon in their hearts.

In the minds of most, becoming a powerful Transcendent meant heading to the Inner Ring and abandoning the Fourth Ring.

Therefore, they had no concept of heroes whatsoever.

But things are different now. The Fourth Ring has its own hero: Ludie, a native of the Fourth Ring."

When Lu Luo spoke of Ludie, a complex emotion flickered in Lu Xiaotian's eyes.

But she quickly firmed her resolve.

Ludie's death was almost an inevitability.

The Inner Ring's hostility and surveillance towards him were far more intense and severe than what Qiao Xing faced.

If Ludie hadn't died, the Hunters wouldn't have awakened, and the people of the Fourth Ring wouldn't have come to their senses.

So he had to die. He traded his death for their awakening.

Since sacrifice was inevitable, he might as well accomplish more—like defeating Nightmare Demon and becoming a hero of the Fourth Ring…

Lu Luo's gaze shifted from the Red Pillar, his expression returning to calm.

"Ludie has become the faith for many in the Fourth Ring, but this faith is transient.

Over time, this battle will become merely a legend.

Only if the rulers continuously promote and solidify it can this faith endure.

Let them know that becoming powerful Transcendents doesn't mean they are destined to be the Inner Ring's lapdogs.

Let them know that restoring the glory of the Fourth Ring is our solemn duty.

The Fourth Ring now has the conditions to cultivate strength, to let heroes and ancestors become our faith.

If this conviction is passed down, the future rule of the Fourth Ring will be very stable."

Lu Xiaotian had heard this phrase before; it was, after all, the Fourth Ring Hunters' declaration.

She didn't know when this declaration had begun to circulate, but after hearing Lu Luo's detailed analysis, she finally understood its significance.

"That makes a lot of sense!"

"I've learned a great deal."

Noah, standing to the side, also nodded earnestly.

As an Exotic Mechanical Species, his thought processes leaned more towards artificial intelligence and mechanization.

While artificial intelligence and mechanization were very convenient and advanced, in a sense, this mechanized and intelligent thinking was itself a form of cognitive rigidity.

Because Noah had identified a very serious problem: without the power of emotional outbursts, it was extremely difficult for his kind to advance and achieve breakthroughs!

Unlike other Exotic Species, the tier of Exotic Mechanical Species was almost entirely fixed from their creation; even Noah himself was no exception.

Among the Exotic Mechanical Species, apart from Noah, an Eighth Order Monarch, there wasn't even a single Seventh Tier Great Lord.

And he himself had been stuck at the Eighth Order for over four hundred years.

This, in fact, was the ultimate reason Noah hadn't truly conquered the world.

Exotic Mechanical Species wouldn't rebel. They lacked emotions and would only obey Noah's commands.

Any ruler would appreciate loyal soldiers, but it wasn't enough—far from it.

Once ultimate military might surpassed a certain threshold, loyal soldiers were far less effective than a high-ranking general.

So Noah truly grew anxious.

To address this, he engaged in a series of reflections and changes, which led to the birth of Noah's Game Paradise.

He selected exceptional humans and integrated them into his Game Paradise, observing their evolution, conflicts, despair, perceptions, experiences, and ultimate emotional outbursts.

Through Game Paradise, Noah reaped many benefits.

Noah became increasingly human-like, more and more resembling a human.

Like Nightmare Demon, he too began to think, to initiate reforms.

And he felt his new ways of thinking and his reforms were effective; he sensed that restrictive barrier loosening.

But Noah felt this wasn't enough; he needed to go further.

So, he came to the Fourth Ring with his questions.

After hearing Lu Luo's words, Noah suddenly understood something.

Human faith could be the Church, pioneers, or heroes.

The faith of other Exotic Species could be Nightmare Demons, the Stone Mother, or even that worthless Rogue Giant.

Would Exotic Mechanical Species have faith?

As Exotic Mechanical Species, they were inherently designed to obey Noah's commands; defiance was meaningless.

So, how could faith be instilled in Exotic Mechanical Species?

Noah didn't know, but after hearing Lu Luo's words, a nascent idea had already formed in his mind.

Thinking of this, Noah once again expressed his gratitude to Lu Luo.

"After careful consideration, it makes even more sense. Thank you very much, Mr. Lu Luo."

Enough with the pleasantries. Another ring would be more practical than anything, Lu Luo thought.

"Lord Noah, you're too kind. I was just spouting some trivial ideas."

"To you, perhaps they're just some empty words and thoughts, but to me, they are very meaningful."

"Erm..."

Lu Xiaotian interrupted the conversation between Lu Luo and Noah.

"Since both military power and faith are settled, what are the specific details for development?

I don't understand this area. Most administrative departments used to be controlled by people from the Inner Ring.

Now that the people from the Inner Ring have all left, the administrative departments are barely managing. Yang Liya is also struggling to cope.

Hunters aren't skilled in this area, so I need more specific details."

Lu Luo was startled for a moment. Yang Liya is being forced into a role she's not ready for, so what about me? I'm the one who earns 1,800 a month, jokes around in group chats, and when people discuss national affairs, basically anyone with a mouth can chime in. But if you're asking for specifics, who actually knows this stuff? Aren't you just making things difficult for people?

Seeing Lu Luo remain silent, Lu Xiaotian immediately nudged him.

"Keep talking. You were speaking so well just now. You're not holding back at a time like this, are you?"

It's not that I don't want to talk; I genuinely have nothing left to say!

"Um, actually, the specifics aren't that complicated. You already understand the development model I've implemented in my territory, right?"

Lu Xiaotian nodded; she was indeed familiar with Lu Luo's model.

It's known as the "996 blessing."

The benefits are indeed excellent: a day off each week, more pay for more work, and salaries almost four to five times higher than before.

Even some positions in the Inner Ring don't offer such benefits.

Are we really going to adopt Lu Luo's development model?

"I've already studied your development model—the 'blessing,' right?

Many factions in the Fourth Ring are now discussing that system of yours; it has become quite well-known.

Some say you're foolish, but I don't think it's that simple. Can you elaborate?"

Lu Luo hadn't realized the system he'd copied had become so famous. However, explaining the specifics wasn't out of the question.

"The Circular area's current development approach can roughly be called a labor incentive policy.

It replaces fixed salaries with performance-based pay, enhancing the common people's potential for development and their income.

When they earn more and have more energy, they will have more children.

Given the current state of the Fourth Ring, a larger population will naturally produce more Transcendents.

Then, through education, these Transcendents are made to understand the importance of military strength, to solidify their faith, and thus to utilize their own power.

This way, the overall strength of society will grow.

Of course, sustaining this development requires sound systems and regulations, which we are also progressively improving."

"Could you be a bit more specific, please?"

Witnessing Lu Xiaotian's eager eyes, Lu Luo curled his lips.

"Just admit you don't understand, okay?"

"Well, I really don't understand," Lu Xiaotian replied. "So I need you to explain in more detail so I can relay it to them when I get back."

Lu Luo nodded. Nightmare Demon was being quite frank; at least she wasn't pretending to understand something she didn't.

"First is the welfare system for Transcendents. There are already many Transcendents in the Fourth Ring, but it's still not enough.

We need many more Transcendents, so we must encourage their emergence.

Transcendents themselves will receive certain additional benefits, fostering a sense of superiority.

But these benefits are given by you, the rulers of the Fourth Ring. It's not like the Inner Ring, which creates first, second, and third-class citizens, thereby inciting class conflict.

Doing that would only make ordinary people hostile towards Transcendents, rather than aspire to be like them.

In addition to benefits for Transcendents, we must also regulate them through laws.

We need to instill in Transcendents the concept that their responsibility is to protect the Fourth Ring, not to bully ordinary people.

They must understand that bullying ordinary people is pointless.

In essence, Transcendents have apparent superiority, but there's underlying equality.

This way, ordinary people will aspire to become Transcendents, leading to more of them emerging.

As for laws and regulations, the basic ones will certainly still use the Inner Ring's original framework."

Lu Luo explained it very simply, so Lu Xiaotian could understand. Noah's electronic eyes flickered beside them; he was clearly taking notes.

"I roughly understand! Regarding production development, is there anything you want to add?"

"The Wasteland's productivity has always been sufficient. After all, with so many years of technological development, this aspect has never truly been lacking.

The main focus is on incentives: motivate them to work and give them benefits."

"The '996 blessing'? That sounds quite effective."

"That's right. It used to be '697'; now, '996' is enough.

This way, men with free time will focus their energy on women. When men and women spend more time together, they'll have more children.

In the current environment of the Wasteland Alliance's Fourth Ring, '996' truly is a blessing!"

"To be fair, '996' really is a blessing! What do you think, Noah?"

"Indeed. It's unexpected that Lu Luo is actually quite kind-hearted."

Both Noah and Nightmare Demon gained something from Lu Luo's speech; only Qiao Xing remained silent throughout.

Nightmare Demon glanced at Qiao Xing. This man was an unavoidable figure in the development of the Fourth Ring, at least the Eastern Fourth Ring.

Although she had already defeated the Seventh Tier expert sent by the Inner Ring Faction, if Qiao Xing didn't cooperate and the Church remained an independent power, then the Fourth Ring would find it difficult to develop stably.

"Archbishop Qiao Xing, don't you have anything to say?

Your disciple has said so much. As his teacher, shouldn't you also state your position?

After all, your stance will influence the final outcome of many issues."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.