In the year 395 of Dawn.
After a long time without snow, Star City was blanketed by a heavy snowfall.
Ji He stood at the city gate, wearing a white robe, gazing into the distance. The world before him was wrapped in silver, as snowflakes gently fell on his shoulders, merging with his white robe. His black hair was also dyed white by the falling snow.
A sense of loneliness rose from deep within his heart.
This was his second year since being promoted to the decision-making body of Star City.
There were so many thoughts in his mind that he wanted to realize, but he hadn't done anything about it yet.
Right now, he was still weak and lacked the power to push reforms. Everywhere he turned, there was resistance. He needed a group of like-minded people to carry out his ideas.
Without such companions, he would have to cultivate and seek them out himself.
After completing his visit to the city's defenders, Ji He returned to the administrative office of Star City.
In the cold, Ji He's office had no air conditioning. The room was empty, with only a desk and a computer connected to Star City's database. Even the sofa for guests was absent.
Ji He stood by the office window, looking out at the world beyond, where snowflakes continued to fall.
Many ideas intertwined in his mind.
In his heart, becoming a decision-maker of Star City was not his final goal.
As a child, he had discussed Star City's current state in great detail with his teacher, including the many flaws in its development.
One of the major flaws was the over-dispersed power.
The military, Star City's research institutions, and the city's management form the highest council of Star City.
In the early days, this power structure had indeed played a significant role in Star City's development.
But today, with the increasingly harsh external environment, the dispersion of power led to many plans being inefficient to implement.
There were layers of approval and coordination between power institutions.
Plans approved by the highest council of Star City were like a game of checkpoints, and once they were passed, they had to go through numerous stages before they could truly be implemented.
This was just one of the problems caused by the dispersion of power.
There were also frequent conflicts between the highest levels of Star City, often due to differences in ideology.
The reasons for these arguments weren't about interests, but about perspectives on issues.
For example, just a few days ago, there had been a clash of ideas between the military and the Tiger Soul Research Institute over whether to first build a new city or reinforce Star City's defensive works.
Different positions led to different ideas.
In the early days, Star City indeed needed many different voices, and even Feng Qi supported the decision-makers in expressing their differing opinions.
Many advanced ideas were born in the heat of these arguments.
But that was then, and this is now.
The external environment had worsened, and the challenges facing humanity had grown.
Spending so much time on arguments seemed meaningless to Ji He.
He felt it was time for Star City to change, starting with a restructuring of the power framework.
But achieving this would be extremely difficult.
No institution was willing to have its power stripped away and become a subordinate unit governed by others.
His ideas were unlikely to pass the highest council's review.
At this stage, Ji He's idea was to first win over the military, the most powerful force in Star City.
But even with the military's support, Ji He knew that he could not stand at the very top of Star City yet.
Before him, there stood an insurmountable mountain.
He was Feng Qi's chosen successor and currently the highest authority in Star City.
In private meetings, people jokingly referred to this legendary figure as the city administrator.
Zhang Daowen, who rose from the front lines, had the backing of many elite frontline domain combat squads. He later gained military influence and served as the highest commander of the military for some time.
Whether in ability or background, he was at the peak of Star City's power.
He was like Star City's stabilizing pillar.
Although this highest authority in Star City had gradually withdrawn to focus on cultivation, allowing more power to shift to others due to the increasingly harsh external environment, when that day would come was still unknown.
Maybe it would happen in a few years, or a few decades, or even over a century.
Ji He didn't have the same lifespan as this legendary figure; he couldn't afford to wait.
But at this moment, crossing over Zhang Daowen's mountain was impossible for him.
For the first time, Ji He understood the helplessness his teacher had felt.
His desire to push reforms was not to overthrow the faith mountain that Feng Qi represented.
Deep down, he still firmly believed that humanity's faith in Feng Qi must exist, and it must remain steadfast.
Feng Qi was the very foundation of Star City's faith.
His presence was woven throughout the city, like a beating heart that continuously provided energy.
The path of faith was one of humanity's main growth routes.
What Ji He wanted to change was the ideological influence that Feng Qi left on future generations.
When faith became blind, it turned into a form of political correctness, with rational thought being branded as wrong.
Standing at this historical crossroads, Ji He felt that humanity's development should focus solely on benefits and efficiency.
Abandoning the ideologies of the past would only benefit humanity's growth.
Ji He believed that the first issue he needed to address was how to consolidate power.
His ideas were so revolutionary that any thoughts he openly proposed would only be met with criticism and attacks, leading to outcomes similar to what happened to his teacher, forcing him to withdraw.
Even though the chance of success was very small.
He still wanted to give it a try.
As Feng Qi once said:
"Someone has to stand up. Why can't it be me?"
Standing at the turning point of history, now that he had discovered the problem, he had to step forward and try to make a change, even if the result was destined to fail.
The military was his first target.
As for how to win over the military, Ji He believed that offering benefits was the worst way.
The structure of the military made it clear that trying to win them over with benefits would only backfire, even arousing their suspicion.
For a year, Ji He took no drastic actions.
He merely proposed the idea of optimizing the military's structure and used this as an excuse to keep visiting the military, making connections with the senior members.
In the highest council meetings, his ideas always aligned with the military's.
He gave the military the impression that he was a Star City decision-maker very interested in military development.
Through these opportunities, Ji He quickly pinpointed his target.
His name was Lin Zhengyuan, one of the candidates for the next highest commander of the military.
Ji He proactively befriended him, treating him as a friend.
What he aimed to do was to slowly instill his ideas into Lin Zhengyuan.
However, achieving this would take time.
As a high-ranking military official, Lin Zhengyuan's will was firm and not easily influenced.
But Ji He had also seen Lin Zhengyuan's steady personality, and what he needed to do now was to tell his story well over the coming time.
This story didn't need any embellishment. All he needed to do was to let Lin Zhengyuan understand his ideas. If Lin Zhengyuan could comprehend them and believe they were correct, then they would become partners.
Against someone like Lin Zhengyuan, any pretentiousness or attempt to deceive with lies would only lead to failure.
Ji He didn't think there was anything wrong with his goal of reforming Star City.
What he needed were rational companions, not brainwashed followers standing beside him in blind enthusiasm.
Time flew by.
In the year 397 of Dawn.
At the military headquarters.
The weather was gloomy, and a fine drizzle was falling.
Ji He sat on the couch by the window, drawing spiritual energy with one hand, transforming it into a water element spiritual chess piece, which landed on the chessboard.
He then raised his head and looked across the chessboard at the middle-aged man sitting opposite him.
The man had short hair, sharp brows, and a defined face. He was strong but not bulky, and when still, he looked like a statue with an imposing presence. He appeared to be in his early thirties but was actually forty-eight.
"Lin Yuan, it's your turn."
Ji He said as he lowered his raised right hand.
The imposing man sitting in front of him was none other than Lin Zhengyuan, the current commander of the military.
Over the years, they had developed a deep friendship.
Ji He had learned to play spiritual chess under Lin Zhengyuan's guidance, and occasionally, he would come here to play against him.
Though Ji He didn't know much about combat techniques, his skill in spiritual chess had gradually surpassed Lin Zhengyuan's.
At this moment, Lin Zhengyuan looked at the floating spiritual chessboard in front of him, his brows furrowing. After a brief silence, he let out a long sigh:
"I've lost. I won't play anymore. I'm no longer a match for you."
As he finished speaking, Lin Zhengyuan helplessly waved his hand, scattering the floating spiritual chessboard in front of him.
Seeing this, Ji He smiled and stood up.
"Since this game is over, I should be leaving soon."
"If you don't have anything urgent, wait a bit. I have something to discuss with you."
"My matters aren't important. What would you like to talk about?"
Hearing this, Ji He sat back down, smiling as he looked at Lin Zhengyuan.
"I'm a simple man, but not foolish. You've told me stories over the years, and I know what you're thinking."
At these words, Ji He's expression changed.
He had a faint sense of what Lin Zhengyuan was about to say.
Lin Zhengyuan took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Ji He's eyes, and spoke in a low voice:
"I won't beat around the bush. I've been thinking a lot these years, torn in my heart. Today, I'll give you a clear answer. I support your reform for Star City. I also believe that Star City shouldn't be trapped in old ideas anymore. It's time for change."
Upon hearing Lin Zhengyuan's innermost thoughts, Ji He's expression remained calm.
In fact, he had already known that Lin Zhengyuan had made his choice. The delay in his decision was just because he was afraid that such an action would cause too much upheaval, possibly destabilizing Star City.
Even if Lin Zhengyuan hadn't shared his feelings today, he would have eventually done so.
After years of interaction, Lin Zhengyuan had always understood Ji He's ideas.
If he had not supported Ji He's thoughts, he would have long since driven him away. Why else would they have become friends?
"Old Ji, now tell me, what are you going to do about Old Zhang? He is a staunch follower of Feng Qi. If you intend to go against Old Zhang, I absolutely disagree. Your actions would only lead to Star City falling into turmoil."
Faced with Lin Zhengyuan's question, Ji He fell silent.
As Lin Zhengyuan had said, there was an insurmountable mountain before the reform, and that was Zhang Daowen.
After a long silence, Ji He shook his head and spoke.
"How could I ever think of going against Old Zhang? He is the stabilizing force of Star City, and his importance is unquestionable. Moreover, even if we both joined forces, we wouldn't have the strength to oppose Old Zhang. Whether it's in terms of power or influence, we are far behind him. Do you believe that with just one word from Old Zhang, even if you are the military's highest commander, he could easily remove you from your position, and the military would once again stand by his side?"
"The only solution I can think of is for me to personally persuade him. I believe Old Zhang will understand my intentions... but not now. I won't approach him until I have more confidence."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhengyuan didn't ask further questions. After a long silence, he looked directly at Ji He and spoke in a deep voice:
"Since I've made my decision, I will fully support you. But I must warn you—if the situation begins to spiral out of control, your decisions will affect Star City's stability, and I won't hesitate to take action against you, even if it means... killing you."
Ji He smiled upon hearing this and stood up, placing a hand on Lin Zhengyuan's shoulder.
"Your words are enough for me."
With that, he turned and left the room.
…
Year 398 of Dawn.
The highest council of Star City convened.
The discussion mainly revolved around Star City's future development plans.
The construction of the new city was officially finalized, and Star City's focus would now shift toward the new city.
At the same time, the representatives from Winterfell City also attended, as Winterfell would participate in the construction of the new city, "Dawn."
The topic of merging the two cities was briefly discussed during the meeting.
The preliminary plan has now been finalized.
Once Dawn City is completed, the residents of Winterfell City will be relocated to the northern district, which will later be named Winterfell District.
But this is only the preliminary plan, and the specific city planning and distribution will require further discussions.
The initiator of this plan was none other than Ji He.
The environment around humanity continued to worsen, and the expansion of front-line domain fields had slowed, with formidable enemies frequently encountered.
Ji He believed that merging Winterfell City with Star City would significantly enhance humanity's overall combat strength.
After the meeting, Ji He returned to his office.
He woke up the screen and began browsing through information about Winterfell City.
As one of Star City's highest decision-makers, his duty was to guide the city's future direction, and he took the matter of city merging very seriously.
He wanted to identify potential conflicts and risks that might arise during the merger.
Time passed, and it was now 3:00 AM.
Ji He made himself a cup of tea and massaged his temples, taking a brief rest.
This year, his plan to centralize power still had no progress. Though the military had aligned with him, just having their support wasn't enough to place him at the top of Star City and achieve true centralization of power.
Though Zhang Daowen had retired, his influence over Star City was still immense.
Choosing to seize power by force was not an option.
This was a mountain he couldn't overcome at his current stage, and it was the greatest obstacle preventing his reform efforts.
Actually, Ji He had always had a backup plan in his heart.
This plan, if combined with media manipulation, would certainly force Zhang Daowen to voluntarily withdraw from the power structure.
Since Ji He was promoted to a decision-maker, he had learned many secrets he never knew before, including Zhang Daowen's identity and origins.
Using this as a breakthrough, he could weave a web of public opinion that would make Zhang Daowen lose heart and withdraw on his own.
But Ji He knew that even if this plan succeeded, it would still be a failure.
Zhang Daowen was too important to Star City; he was both the strongest military force and a living hero, a monument of legend.
His legacy inspired generations to move forward.
Therefore, Ji He had never truly considered implementing this plan.
As for his third plan, Ji He already had some ideas in mind.
The last option in his eyes was to directly approach Zhang Daowen and explain his ideas to him.
If the honest approach failed, it would mean Ji He would have to leave the highest council of Star City, and all his previous efforts would be in vain.
Time passed, and morning arrived.
After a night of hard work, Ji He opened the door to his office, ready to return to his room to sleep.
Just then, his communicator emitted a "beep" sound.
Curious, Ji He picked up the communicator and pressed the receive button. Immediately, Lin Zhengyuan's urgent voice came through:
"Old Ji, a powerful enemy is approaching from the north of Star City. Old Zhang sensed their presence ahead of time and has already made a move. From the feedback from our blood radar, this enemy is extremely strong—possibly the most formidable life form we've encountered so far."
"What's the enemy's identity?" Ji He immediately asked.
"We've already started investigating their identity, and we've shared the intel with the Mist Clan and the Silver Moon Clan. The Silver Moon Clan has given us feedback, saying the enemy radiates an extremely terrifying negative energy, likely an evil warrior who escaped from the Hell of Infinite Despair."
"The Hell of Infinite Despair? An evil warrior?"
Ji He's brows furrowed as he held the communicator.
This was a force from a domain he had never heard of, and it clearly wasn't one of the domain forces around Star City.