Is this what a zombie is?

119. The method is old-fashioned but effective.

The atmosphere inside the meeting room at the foundation's headquarters was extremely oppressive.

As the saying goes, small matters are discussed in large meetings, and big matters in small meetings. In this conference room that can accommodate hundreds of people, there are fewer than a dozen people sitting here at the moment, but they represent the true core of the extraordinary world of China and the last line of defense for maintaining the order of secular society.

However, this dam that protects everyone has suffered an unprecedented impact in less than a year.

"Bang!"

Dongfang Liang supported his forehead with one hand, pressing his index and middle fingers hard on his throbbing temples, which made him feel a little better.

His usually refined face now showed signs of irritability, clearly indicating high work pressure, and his voice was hoarse and tired.

"Gentlemen, take a look for yourselves."

On the projection screen, the scarlet data lines were alarming, and the soaring growth curve was so striking that even Simonden had to sit up.

"This is the summary of the third quarter. Now that you've all read it, I'll just say a few words."

"The Dragon Qi feedback has been ongoing for nine months now. We don't know the situation in other places, and it's hard to say without supporting data. But within China, the number of Awakened has tripled, increasing by 320% compared to the previous quarter."

"However, heinous crimes committed by awakened individuals have increased tenfold!"

"The casualty rate among the foundation's field staff and action team members has increased by 45 percent compared to the same period last year."

Behind every number lies bloodshed, death, and a social order that is being torn apart.

The dragon energy feedback brought about by the self-destruction of the five-clawed golden dragon totem can be said to have ushered in an era where everyone on the land of China with Chinese blood is like a dragon.

Those practitioners with stable minds are fine; they know that this was caused by the self-destruction of the five-clawed golden dragon totem, so they are grateful and thankful.

But the awakened ones don't know that when they learn the whole story, they feel like they are the chosen ones, the perfect protagonist template, and so they look down on others even more.

There are quite a few people like this. To sum it up, they've read too many mindless, "cool" novels.

If such a large number of people were to emerge, it would be nothing short of the beginning of a catastrophe for the entire society.

Pandora's box has been opened.

"Demons and monsters... these things that used to only dare to sneak around and do small things in remote and desolate places, now they dare to openly offer a buffet."

Wang Riyue, the president of the foundation, frowned. The matter of the awakened ones was relatively easy to handle because they were human.

"The blood, energy, and spirit of ordinary people are nourishment for these evil spirits. For cultivators and awakened beings, they are even more nourishing, one of them being equivalent to more than ten. Although there are many awakened beings, it will take time for them to explore and master their own power. This period is the best opportunity for them to strike."

"The foundation is currently extremely busy, and our manpower is stretched thin. We are too exhausted to take care of them, so they are naturally eating as much as they want."

Dongfang Liang knew exactly what those guys were thinking, but without manpower, there really wasn't a good way to deal with them.

Nangong Moya, who was in charge of the foundation's finances, also took out an account list at this time.

"The lack of manpower isn't the worst problem; the worst problem is money, money!!!"

"Pensions, medical expenses, equipment depreciation, intelligence expenditures... every bill now has one or two zeros added up. When you add them all up, it's an astronomical figure. If this continues, I'm really afraid we won't even be able to pay salaries."

Wang Riyue took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair.

Tired, weary, let it all end!

The president falls silent as soon as money is mentioned, so what are the other department heads supposed to say? They should just stay silent and take a good rest.

After a long while, Wang Riyue finally exhaled the breath he had just taken and tapped the table to ask.

"Tell me, what solutions do you have?"

Dongfang Liang slowly raised his head; he had achieved his goal.

"It's better to guide than to block."

As soon as he opened his mouth, Wang Riyue immediately guessed his intention.

He looked around at everyone and said, slowly and deliberately, "I propose that we offer them amnesty. With the number of awakened individuals increasing dramatically, some of them can still be used."

"Most of those who awaken do so because of uncontrolled negative emotions. They are themselves extremely unstable time bombs. Now you're inviting these time bombs into our own homes. If they explode, who will be responsible for the consequences?"

This is why Wang Riyue has consistently refused Dongfang Liang's proposal.

"President," Dongfang Liang's voice was not loud, but it was unusually firm, "The number of Awakened has exploded. This is an irreversible trend. Their numbers will only increase. We cannot eliminate them all. That would only push them to the opposite side."

"Use the awakened to check and balance the awakened. Absorb and co-opt the majority of them, give them identity, status, and resources, and make them the backbone of the foundation and the force that maintains order. Then, concentrate all our strength to isolate, strike, and eliminate that small group of stubborn, bloodthirsty extremists."

"Although this method is old-fashioned, it is precisely because it is old-fashioned that it has been proven effective through countless historical trials. We don't have much time or resources left for trial and error."

Wang Riyue fell into a long silence. He knew that Dongfang Liang was right, but his concerns were still hard to dispel.

Keeping a bunch of time bombs around you is like asking a tiger for its skin.

Seemingly seeing through his concerns, Dongfang Liang then presented his backup plan.

"Of course, we can't put all our eggs in one basket. While implementing the recruitment plan, I suggest increasing investment in the Equipment Department."

Simonden stated that he didn't really want to invest that much time and energy, as it would require him to spend more time and effort.

Oh, I'll have to rack my brains.

"Have Simon accelerate the research and development process. We need to enable ordinary people who haven't awakened to also have the ability to fight against low-level evil spirits and rudimentary awakened individuals. Although mass production is currently difficult due to the scarcity of materials, this is inevitably the future trend of the Foundation. Only when the extraordinary is no longer the privilege of a few can order be re-established."

Technology versus the extraordinary!

This bold and imaginative idea is also the direction the foundation has been exploring, which is why Wang Riyue showed resistance to being recruited.

After the discussion lasted for a while, the general direction was basically finalized, and Wang Riyue also agreed to let Dongfang Liang give it a try. If the results were good, then they could continue to move forward.