PGVCW 13

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 13: Mobilizing the Nation for the Immortal Sect

Regarding how to distribute the agricultural provisions brought back by Xia Wang'an, leadership had already engaged in a passionate and deeply joyful debate.

And how could it not be joyful? Only days prior, everyone had been agonizing over the contamination of the civilization's final seed reserve. But now, not only did they possess new, rapidly reproducing seeds, but they were actually gathered together to discuss how to distribute the food Xia Wang'an had secured.

"No one knows if future transmigrations will successfully yield food reserves. We should store them in the granary as emergency backup rations, holding them until new agricultural crops are successfully cultivated and cleared for public distribution."

This proposal won the consensus of the majority. Ever since the sudden global mutations, Great Xia had survived step by step precisely by hoarding rations and exercising meticulous calculation.

However, another faction argued that these provisions should be distributed immediately.

"Even if distributed entirely, it would barely provide our citizens with a single meal. Our current [techno-rations] can sustain us for a while longer; if we exhaust the [natural rations] now, what happens if future seed cultivation fails and we cannot bring back food from other worlds?" "Alternatively... should we distribute half?"

Neither side could persuade the other, until the Chief Commander finally made the executive decision: "The food was brought back by Wang'an. Let us listen to her perspective."

Xia Wang'an required not even a second of hesitation before casting her vote: [Distribute all of it].

Facing the gazes fixed upon her, the black-haired maiden stated simply and matter-of-factly: "Wouldn't they also love to eat natural grain?"

Silence fell over the room.

Indeed. Humanity had endured this sudden catastrophe for so long—so long that they had forgotten how deeply they once yearned for normal food and a normal life.

Amidst the quiet, completely unaffected, Xia Wang'an continued: "Besides, the food we bring back will only increase in volume. If we don't distribute it now, keeping it in the granary just occupies space."

Everyone: "......" That sounded remarkably like humble-bragging...

They couldn't help but look at Xia Wang'an, only to find the young girl's eyes filled with earnestness and an unwavering conviction in the future.

Anyone could tell that she genuinely believed it.

Inexplicably, everyone's hearts grew a little lighter. Indeed, circumstances had changed; Great Xia had a new hope, and the days ahead would only grow better.

Finally, the Chief Commander pressed the affirmative button first: "I agree to distribute the food."

Unable to help herself, she broke into a relaxed smile: "Having suffered for so long, it is time to let everyone taste a little sweetness."

"Relief rations? Weren't they already distributed this month?"

Just as the evening shift concluded, residents of the Five Sectors trudged home with exhausted steps, only to be greeted by the news of a relief distribution, instantly lighting up their eyes.

"Splendid! It seems we might actually eat our fill this month!"

Others began to worry: "But aren't resources already exhausted? How does the state suddenly have food for relief? Is this going to be our final meal?" "Even if it's the last meal, it's better than going to sleep with hunger pangs. I shouldn't have gone into the holographic game yesterday to experience pre-apocalyptic cuisine; the game was fun, but my stomach in reality is suffering terribly." "I heard the gaming company plans to shut down the culinary experience simulation specifically because the stark contrast between the game and reality affects psychological states. I don't even know whether to support or oppose it."

A resident who had just finished work drifted past like a ghost, clutching a stack of files: "Perhaps I've grown accustomed to starvation; I have zero interest in relief rations, and actually hold them in deep aversion."

His neighbor understood completely: "You aren't just used to starving, you're used to unpalatable food. Every time I eat relief rations, I feel like my teeth are going to war with them."

The off-duty resident grumbled: "Instead of relief rations, I want a vacation. Why must we still work when the apocalypse is here?"

The community director happened to overhear this remark and silently answered in his heart: Naturally, it is to prevent people from falling into thoughts of utter hopelessness the moment they have idle time.

A brief look at the condition of other surviving nations abroad would reveal that maintaining a nine-to-five schedule with weekends off in the current world was already an immense stroke of good fortune.

Of course, he would never voice these thoughts aloud. For Great Xia residents struggling to fill their stomachs, telling them that foreigners had it worse would only plunge everyone deeper into pessimism.

"Xiao Fang, don't be so gloomy," the community director said, adjusting his mood into a smile and patting the off-duty resident's shoulder. "I hear this batch of relief rations is a bit different from before." "Past relief rations never had a consistent flavor anyway," Xiao Fang replied.

Belonging to the category of individuals with sensitive palates, his experiential awareness of the apocalyptic era was evidently sharper.

Whether it tasted of dirt, dampened toilet paper, raw wood, or spicy fish scales, wasn't every bite a form of torture?

What distressed him most wasn't even the flavor profile, but the visible reduction in the state's distributed rations over time. Anyone could see that the nation was nearing its breaking point.

And naturally so; mutant entities had usurped human domains, and while the state could fight them back, the earth remained barren. Though the Five Sectors were constructed to shelter everyone, seed stocks were contaminated and water sources exhausted—the nation couldn't possibly pilot starships to another planet to source new seeds and water.

The more Xiao Fang thought, the more despairing he felt, until he suddenly noticed a transport vehicle pulling up beneath his residential building, with a group of soldiers unloading barrels of rice.

"It's over!"

Utterly losing his composure, he grabbed the community director by the lapels: "My psyche has been polluted! I've reached the hallucination stage! I'm seeing massive quantities of rice! That legendary rice! Hurry and send me to the hospital, ahhhhh!!"

The community director rubbed his eyes, closed them, opened them, and rubbed them again: "I see it too—rice, so much rice!"

Looking left and right to find everyone staring in stunned shock at the vehicle, he grabbed the nearest elderly woman: "Auntie Wang, do you see this?"

Auntie Wang nodded blankly: "I see it too." Being elderly and experienced, she concluded: "Director, have we been invaded by mutant entities and entered a collective hallucinatory phase?"

Xiao Fang chimed in: "If this is a hallucination, it's too wonderful. Can I taste the flavor of rice before mutant entities kill me?"

The community director hesitated for a second between indulging in the hallucination for a moment and waking up immediately to avoid dying.

In that exact second, two soldiers approached: "Are you Director Lin of the Hope Community?" "We are from the Food Bureau, delivering relief rations. Please organize the residents to line up and collect them."

The director's heart accelerated instantly. Hallucinatory mutants surely weren't advanced enough to simulate human dialogue; which meant the vehicle, the soldiers, and the rice were all entirely real.

"A-Are... are these massive amounts of rice all relief rations???"

The soldiers nodded: "Yes." Unbelieving, the director checked once more: "Distributed to us?" "Yes."

Clearly accustomed to this reaction from visiting multiple communities, the soldiers stated routinely: "Please begin the queue; we must proceed to the next community."

Hope Community's residents formed a line with record-breaking speed. Xiao Fang, near the front, was handed a small pouch of rice.

Pristine, gleaming white, and carrying the faint fragrance of rice, the grains fell into his pouch under his fiercely protective gaze. At that moment, Xiao Fang felt his life had peaked.

"The quantity is small, but it will increase in the future," the soldier said with a smile, asking: "You have an eighty-year-old elder at home, correct?" Xiao Fang nodded: "Yes, my grandmother just turned eighty."

With that, half a radish was stuffed into his hands. Xiao Fang: !!! Vegetables! Truly vegetables!

The soldier added: "Households with elders and children receive vegetables. Take this back for your grandmother." "Thank you, thank you!" Tears welling in his eyes, Xiao Fang cradled the half-radish like a sacred object and bolted home amidst the envious gazes of the queue.

That evening, the air seemed heavy with the fragrance of rice. Even the most frugal households cooked small pots of clear porridge, sharing it happily with family.

That night, Great Xia's premier holographic game [Divine State] experienced unprecedented liveliness.

[Divine State] was issued by the First National Research Institute to keep residents' mental worlds enriched during hard times. Initially popular for simulating pre-apocalyptic homes and malls, as time wore on, it began to evoke contrasting pain instead—reminding people of how harsh reality was, especially since they were constantly hungry.

People wanted food, not spiritual needs when their stomachs were empty. But tonight, Divine State was overflowing with people. Having tasted rice, everyone was in high spirits, driving their game avatars into the virtual world to perform acrobatics, chat in the central plaza, and watch official fireworks.

Sitting atop the central plaza's clocktower, Xia Wang'an looked down at the laughing crowds. "I've never entered a holographic game before. So this is what it looks like inside."

The accompanying archivist thought to herself that had she arrived a few days prior, people's states would have been numb. But now, emotions were high because of the rice distribution.

Xia Wang'an swung her legs in mid-air, feeling wonderful. 007 also watched with fascination. Below, someone looked up and shouted: "Hey!! How did you get up there?! Is it fun?!" Xia Wang'an shouted back: "Fun!!!"

Minors lacked access permissions to holographic games due to cognitive concerns, but the moment Xia Wang'an expressed interest, the head of the First National Research Institute contacted the gaming department, and within five minutes, an expensive full-dive capsule was delivered to her. Yuanning, who had just turned eighteen, also entered smoothly.

Sitting beside her on the clocktower, Yuanning looked into the distance: "I heard Divine State is entirely built on the appearance of the peaceful era." "Just like Ming County," Xia Wang'an gazed at the buildings below. "Do you think the First Research Institute could use naked-eye holographic technology to construct Ming County in Great Xia?" Yuanning replied promptly: "Entirely possible." Xia Wang'an turned to look at him: "Then what if we construct an immortal sect within Ming County?" Yuanning smiled, high-fiving her in the game: "Wang'an, you are truly a genius."

"Construct a Heaven-Saving Sect gate and display it in Ming County using naked-eye holography?" The Chief Analyst clapped his hands: "Brilliant idea! While we cannot fully manifest immortal cultivator capabilities yet, we can manifest a massive immortal sect! I will arrange it immediately!" Xia Wang'an asked: "Is there enough time?" "Rest assured," the Chief Designer declared. "I know the general manager of Divine State; I'll speak with him. It shouldn't be a problem."

—"I think there's a huge problem!" Faced with his old classmate's request, Divine State's general manager nearly pulled out his hair: "Look at these design drafts you gave us—such scale and detail, and you expect us to complete it in this short timeframe??" Chief Designer: "What if I grant you absolute authorization to mobilize energy grids?" Manager: "Are you kidding me? Absolute energy grid authorization—do you know how massive that is?" Chief Designer: "What if we can dispatch any professional personnel you want to help?" Manager: "...... Seriously? Are you joking with me in the middle of the night?" Chief Designer handed over a special security token: "What if I told you this is to save the world?"

The manager instantly recalled the rice he ate today and the frequent actions of various state departments. Could the world... really still be saved? "Let's do it!"

At that exact moment, a naked-eye holography expert at home received a call: "Understood, I'll be right there." Her husband woke up sleepily: "Who is it so late?" "Special security order," she replied with rising excitement, never imagining her profession would be called upon by the state in this era.

In the same building, another construction expert quickly dressed as soldiers waited outside: "Mom and Dad, the special security order comes with subsidies. I won't be back for a while."

That night, comms and door knocks echoed everywhere. The circular building blazed with light.

Target: Construct the Heaven-Saving Sect.

TN: Apologies if the font style looks different from previous chapters! I'm currently editing on mobile using Wordpad Plus, which lacks full font customization options. Hope you enjoy the chapter!