"If this continues, in one year, two years, five years, what will the Equality Association become? Ah You, have you thought about this?"

Yun You was slightly taken aback... but soon, she realized that dire future.

Perhaps, within a few years, the Equality Association will become an organization no different from the Nest City Council, just with a different name.

The various convenience measures left behind by Jin will be gradually stripped away, giant enterprises will make a comeback... one day, everything will revert to its original state, and Jin and those idealists’ sacrifices will be all for naught.

"I cannot bear to see such an outcome, so... I made my move."

Chen Zaikun took a sip of wine and said softly, "The teacher always believed that a large organization must have internal checks and balances among its departments to prevent one from dictating everything, leading to ’dictatorship’ style governance."

"He later did just that. The entire structure of the Equality Association is modeled after the systems of ancient states 300 years ago, with a [Council] capable of deciding major and minor affairs, administrative departments like the Ministry of Finance and Security, alongside military factions."

"The idea is naturally good, and I don’t intend to criticize it, but there’s one thing he indeed overlooked: not everyone shares the same awareness as he does, nor is everyone willing to be of one mind with the organization."

"Once internal differences arise within the Equality Association, chaos themed around internal strife will follow, and the bottom line of various factions will get increasingly lower, escalating from war of words to armed conflict, perhaps without more than a few days."

"From another perspective, Ah You, if I hadn’t taken over the Council, hadn’t stopped the war between the Third and Fourth Legions, what do you think would have happened next? You should be able to foresee it."

"I know you’ve always suppressed the giant enterprises, but can you continue suppressing them forever? Are you prepared to spend your life on the enemy’s side, fighting with strangers?"

Yun You was slightly taken aback.

She hadn’t really considered this... when executing missions, she would eliminate all unnecessary thoughts from her mind, simplifying her thinking.

But she could indeed imagine what the Equality Association would become if civil war broke out.

Once civil war begins, outsiders will immediately realize one thing—Jin is gone.

The reasoning is simple, if Jin were still around, no matter what, the war would not erupt. This True God would quell all disputes, never allowing the Equality Association to reveal even a hint of weakness.

In such a scenario, hidden powerhouses would surely rise all at once, commencing an assault on the Equality Association that lacks the protection of the True God.

By then, the organization, already devastated by internal strife, might get scattered in one wave, with neither side of the internal conflict emerging victorious.

"This is the worst outcome, so that’s why I made my move."

Chen Zaikun calmly explained, "Regardless of whether the means align with the teacher’s ideas, as long as it can save the Equality Association, I will use it."

"I don’t care whether others can understand me, nor do I care about the gossip whispered in dark corners. I will only do what I believe is right."

"Do you know? A philosopher once said that the most perfect form of governance in this world is [Philosopher King] politics, whereby one endowed with perfect wisdom and talents would rule a state far surpassing other systems in terms of administrative efficiency and decision-making."

Chen Zaikun spread his hands and murmured, "What I aim to be is that sole Philosopher King, the infallible... Supreme Leader."

"The Equality Association is the extension of my will; I am everything to the organization."

"..."

Hearing this, Yun You was a bit silent.

In her impression, Second Brother had always been an unpretentious guy, never one to use highfalutin words.

Yet now, he was using concepts even she could barely grasp, exuding nothing but ’scholarly airs’.

Perhaps... this is his true self.

After a while, Yun You slowly began speaking, "But the conflict between Brother Vini and Sister Tang, ultimately, isn’t it inseparable from your manipulative maneuvers?"

This is an incontrovertible fact.

Though there was friction between the Third and Fourth Legions, it had remained verbal only.

It was Chen Zaikun who secretly sabotaged the First Legion, using special methods to pin the blame on Tang Jin, leading her and Vitinya to a major disagreement that evolved into a clash and war.

Chen Zaikun was the real mastermind behind it.

"I don’t deny that."

Chen Zaikun shrugged, replying calmly, "But honestly, my actions were merely throwing a Mars. They already had their contradictions, like two powder kegs; even if I hadn’t ignited them now, over time, there would burst anyway."

"So prompting it to explode earlier is in no way a bad thing; otherwise, if they both became influential, the impact of civil war would only be greater."

To this, Yun You had nothing to refute, as the fact indeed held.

The root of the conflict doesn’t really lie in slander or Jiang Wuji’s disappearance, but... in the struggle for power.

From the moment Tang Jin claimed she held Jin’s secret order and qualified to establish a legion, the conflict had inevitably arisen.

"Maybe you’re right, I won’t argue with you, Second Brother."

Yun You took a deep breath and shook her head, "But there’s one thing I can never understand."

"If you have your own thoughts, you could have just talked to the old man. I believe he would understand you, maybe even willing to pass the successor’s position to you."

"But... why use such extreme means? Why go to such lengths to hide yourself? Do we seem untrustworthy in your eyes?"

"No..."

Chen Zaikun shook his head gently.

"It’s not about you being untrustworthy; it’s that... I genuinely can’t reveal my heart to the teacher, my soul won’t allow it."

"Why?!"

Yun You clenched her fists, asking aloud...

"It’s simple."

Chen Zaikun’s expression remained calm, but beneath his voice, there was a hint of... almost imperceptible tremor.

"36 years ago, during a mission..."

"The teacher killed a man."

"That man’s name was [Chen Fangjia], a member of the Supreme Council of Nest City No.12, and the most likely contender for the position of joint mayor of the three districts."

"His reputation in Lower City wasn’t great; some laws he enacted during his tenure benefited enterprises and Upper City People, showing little concern for the grassroots, only constantly raising tax quotas."

"For this reason, he was endearingly called ’Chen the Skinner’, with most people resenting him deeply, wishing he’d die sooner."

"But... among enterprises and Upper City, he had exceedingly high support, with even the military publicly backing his candidacy in Nest City No.12."

"If successfully elected, he might become the most powerful, least constrained joint mayor in the history of Nest City No.12, commanding troops, money, and authority."

"No one could limit his policies; no one could stop what he intended."

"By then, Chen Fangjia wouldn’t need to feign greed, he could accomplish what he wanted, fulfilling the dreams he’d harbored silently." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"But..."

"Just as he completed the election, intending to assume that Supreme position..."

"The teacher acted."

"The teacher, unaware, took on a mission from Lower City civilians and, under the public eye, took Chen Fangjia’s life, ending his dreams."

"And that man..."

"was my father."