PFC Chapter 4155 When the Pumpkin Ripens (37)
Chapter 4155 When the Pumpkin Ripens (37)
Chapter 4155 When the Pumpkins Ripen (Thirty-Seven)
“I know you have many questions. Especially you, Brainiac, you must be very curious: how exactly did I come up with such a plan under these circumstances and successfully execute it…”
“No, I’m not curious at all,” Brainiac said. “I don’t want to know where you took the thief you caught, how you got in touch with the head of this underground organization through him, or how you persuaded him. You just need to tell me if this trouble is over.”
"Of course not," Greed said, somewhat surprised. "You actually think that solving the problems on Earth is the end of it? Please, can't you have some backbone? People are kidnapping children and stealing things on your turf, and you're just going to let it go like that?"
“Okay, then you tell me what you want.” Brainiac looked like he had completely given up thinking.
"You should have already started researching when I mentioned this name. So why don't you tell this little boy who Tobias is?"
"What I can find out so far is that he used to be an entrepreneur and had some ties to the Metropolitan Mafia. But currently, he is the manager of a paint factory in the Metropolitan. Judging from his recent behavior, there is nothing unusual about him."
"Of course, he's a smart man. He knows that you can't fight city hall, so he can only lie low for now and not give himself away. That way, he can deliver a fatal blow at the crucial moment."
"You mean he never gave up resisting?"
"Don't be so naive, Little Bush. There are plenty of people like that. Do you really think those elites who are used to being high and mighty will change their ways, give up their ideas of exploiting others, and become good citizens under your rule?"
Greed stood up, spread his hands, and said, "Humans are better at disguising themselves and better at enduring than you think. During the war, they understood that without you, they couldn't defeat the aliens on their own, and everyone would die. So they will indeed put in their best efforts, but not because they respect you so much; they just want to maintain their superior position."
"But now that the war is over, they find that you have no intention of granting them any special privileges: no rewards for meritorious service, no restoration of order, but rather you intend to perpetuate this seemingly egalitarian system. Isn't this going to kill them? How can someone who has been a superior person for decades be expected to work alongside laborers and sweat in the rain?"
"It's just that they haven't found a way to defeat you yet, so they will keep enduring it; but once you show a weakness, they will be like bloodthirsty piranhas, each wanting to take a bite out of you. What do you think Tobias is doing so many times? As long as you have even the slightest weakness, they will definitely choose to magnify it infinitely."
“But they can’t,” Brainiac said. “I can easily block news from Earth. No one under my control can publish any information I don’t want on any public platform. No matter how much trouble they cause, things won’t get out.”
“No, you’re completely mistaken,” Greed shook his head and said, “The moment you try to block information, you’ve fallen into their trap. Because humans are emotional beings, you can’t expect them to think rationally all the time. The fear of the unknown will be amplified infinitely, and when they know something they don’t know, they will not hesitate to speculate in the worst possible light. This undermines people’s trust in you. And what’s worse, you yourself are not trustworthy, because you’re not even human.”
Brainiac paused for a moment, then continued, "So they fabricated this case just to make me cover it up? But the child abduction has been going on for so long, and they don't seem to have done anything about it."
"Ha, if I hadn't helped you out, getting Barry to rescue the kidnapped children and swiftly dismantle the cult Paul's father belonged to, what do you think they would have done?"
Brainiac immediately understood. It certainly looked like a carefully orchestrated trap: first, they sent people to kidnap children, then they negotiated with Paul's father to kidnap his son as well, solidifying Paul's father's victimhood, and then they used the cult's network to spread the news. If Brainiac tried to suppress the information, those who learned of it would naturally begin to suspect him.
Whether it's Tobias's underground organization or those cultists, they all have ways to shield Brainiac from their information. They could easily use this incident to spread rumors among their friends and family, incite unrest, and draw more people into the resistance.
Don't think this is difficult. From the perspective of ordinary people, Brainiac was not very trusted to begin with, and even if he did bring about positive changes, people would always have a shadow of doubt in their hearts: those who are not of our kind must have different intentions.
At this point, with a little instigation or the release of some dubious evidence—not even entirely fabricated, but based on fact—they could prove to those being proselytized that some disaster had indeed occurred, and that Brainiac had chosen to conceal it. People would naturally panic. And fear is humanity's greatest motivator; even knowing these underground organizations might have ill intentions, out of fear, they would choose to join.
The reason it's a child abduction case is because most people cannot tolerate crimes against children. Some people think gambling and drug addiction are nothing, and some even think murderers are somewhat excusable, but crimes against children touch on most people's sore spots, which ensures they can attract enough followers.
Having figured this out, Brainiac also understood why the kidnappers didn't choose to kill the children, but instead took them to a base, seemingly intending to train them.
They are innocent victims, the strongest evidence of someone's crimes. If they unite and condemn Brainiac, most of humanity will side with the children, making the situation even more inflammatory.
“Their plan was good, but two things went wrong,” Greed continued. “One was me, and the other was Paul. I exposed the child kidnappers beforehand, which prevented them from successfully controlling the children; while Paul, being more mature and rational than most children, exposed and killed his father, allowing us to successfully destroy the cult's stronghold. That's why the whole plan failed. But you don't think that's the end of the story, do you?”
“Of course not,” Brainiac said. “In fact, I’ve also detected some unusual activity in Europe. There was an incident at a port in southern Italy that affected shipping business; and the control tower in London suddenly experienced a mechanical failure, causing widespread flight delays. Now it seems that these were all traps set for me.”
"That's right. They commit heinous crimes similar to child abductions all over the world, not only to keep you busy, but also to cast a wide net and catch as many fish as possible. If you're not careful, panic will spread widely. If you stand against all of humanity, even people like Batman and Superman who understand the truth won't be able to fully support you. The very existence of such loopholes proves your incompetence, so whether you should be given such great power becomes a topic worth discussing. You know what the answer will be."
“That jamming device is too troublesome,” Brainiac said. “I’ve already sent the equipment I took from that thief the other day to the main universe’s Batman for research. He’s made some progress, but it will take a few more days.”
“You still don’t understand,” Greed continued, “it’s not a problem with a particular instrument or a particular person, but rather that there are certain fallacies in your way of ruling—you are too soft on humanity.”
"Huh?" Barry looked at Greed first, his face full of "Do you want to hear what you're saying?"
Brainiac could only remain silent; whether he agreed or remained modest, something seemed off.
"Of course, I know you're not the kind of evil robot in human movies, but have you ever considered that humans aren't as innocent as they are in the movies?" Greed shook his head and said, "During wartime, human unity gave you a false impression: if you're good to humans, they'll be good to you; as long as you do the right thing, they'll support you; as long as you let most humans live a good life, you can coexist peacefully. But that's not the case at all."
"The immense pressure to survive during wartime forces humanity to show its best side in order to cope with the crisis of civilization extinction: politicians become tough and charismatic, ordinary people are frugal and hardworking, businessmen are shrewd but generous, and superhumans are indomitable and fight to the death."
"This is indeed human nature. In the face of life and death, everyone can unleash tremendous potential, unite as one, work together with one heart and one mind, and even sacrifice their lives to create many seemingly impossible miracles."
"But you also have to admit that politicians are short-sighted and corrupt, ordinary citizens are cunning, unscrupulous, and selfish, businessmen can abandon all moral principles for profit, and superpowered individuals lack restraint and act recklessly."
"Humanity's most fundamental original sin is greed and arrogance, which is reflected in everyone. Greed manifests itself in the fact that even if you have given the vast majority of people a better life, they still feel it is not enough: those whose living standards have declined will blame you, and those whose living standards have risen will not be satisfied and will want more."
"Arrogance manifests itself in forgetting the pain once the wound has healed. With no formidable enemy at hand, they feel capable again and begin to wonder why they should let an electronic life form rule them, believing that they themselves would do a better job than you."
"So, for your performance in the post-war period, I'd give you a maximum of 40 points, and that's only because you saved many miserable humans from falling to the bottom. You were far too lenient with those who once lived at the top, which led to this series of changes. If I were you, I would have used aliens during the war to wipe them all out, stuffing those old bones who only knew how to dwell on past glories into the fireplace, leaving only the new generation that could adapt to the current lifestyle. Either don't do it at all, or do it ruthlessly."
"Of course, I understand your concerns. After all, you're not human. If you do this, someone will definitely accuse you of genocide. So let's find a compromise."
“What?” Brainiac’s tone held a hint of longing. Barry could tell he’d been putting up with these guys for a long time too—though he hadn’t ultimately done what Greed had suggested, he’d certainly considered it.
“Manipulate them instead of serving them, control them instead of helping them, and most importantly—join them and become their only savior.”