amaotonovel Chapter 4168 is about the Supreme Sorcerer (8)
Chapter 4168 is about the Supreme Sorcerer (8)
Chapter 4168 is, The Supreme Mage (Part 8)
Strange was the last to leave, so he didn't know. After the civil servants left, they began whispering among themselves. They exchanged glances and expressions, and soon two of them were walking together.
While the new Speaker, who is also the Sorcerer Supreme, is certainly worth discussing, his remarks at the recent meeting are even more noteworthy. The landscape of the Interstellar Council is likely about to change.
The Supreme Intelligence followed Strange into the office, closed the door, and sat down opposite him, saying, "Mr. Speaker, I believe you have misunderstood me..."
“I told you to call me the Supreme Master.”
The robot's face even displayed a rather human-like expression of helplessness. But it still said, "Alright, Sorcerer Supreme. What I'm trying to say is, perhaps there are some minor frictions and misunderstandings between our respective civilizations..."
"You call a large-scale invasion of the nine kingdoms a minor skirmish? Then can I go to your capital and create some minor skirmishes someday?"
“I’m sorry, Sorcerer Supreme. But we are currently working for the Interstellar Council, and we cannot properly handle its affairs without setting aside racial prejudices.”
Strange seemed shocked. He said, "So you're handling interstellar affairs by abandoning racial prejudices? You mean you won't do anything for the Kree Empire? Then why did you become the Secretary General???"
The Supreme Intelligence's behavioral analysis module showed that Strange didn't say that on purpose; he was genuinely shocked and couldn't understand why anyone would be willing to serve as an official in the Interstellar Council if they weren't abusing their power for personal gain.
Even the Supreme Intelligence was shocked. Where on earth did these barbarians come from? Is this something that can be discussed openly?
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I chose to be the Speaker for the benefit of humanity. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come at all. After all, you can’t do anything to me if I don’t come,” Strange said sincerely. “I can’t abandon my racial identity, and I only have my racial identity. From now on, I will only do things that are beneficial to humanity. I don’t care which other civilizations are destroyed.”
"You...you..." Even the most supreme wisdom was somewhat bewildered. He said, "You are abusing your power for personal gain."
“No,” Strange surprisingly offered another explanation. “I’m not doing this for myself; I’m doing it for the civilization behind me. How can that be called abusing my power? If it were for myself, I wouldn’t be here. I don’t want to be some damn Speaker. This isn’t abusing my power; this is clearly selfless!”
The CPU of the Supreme Intelligence is really about to burn out. How can this person be so shameless?
But in reality, Strange wasn't intentionally trying to anger him; he genuinely didn't think anything of it. Again, he's a typical American, and from the American elite at that. People like him don't see anything wrong with a president suddenly having more mansions and yachts, indulging in lavish lifestyles and extravagance after becoming president.
Their environment is one of utter materialism, where everything revolves around money. The wealthy flaunt their wealth without being attacked; in fact, people take it for granted. Conversely, if the wealthy choose to be low-key, people think they're pretentious and insincere.
Some people even flaunt their wealth on online platforms and are accused of giving out benefits because it shows them the lives of the rich, giving them material to dream about, and they only receive envy and sycophancy in return.
People of high status, like the president, certainly need to have a certain air of grandeur. Even the most serious and conservative Americans wouldn't find anything wrong with a president's extravagance. As for discussions about corruption, those simply don't exist. Everything they do is legal, and even if it's illegal, it's what they deserve.
"If you have power, you should use it to oppress others; if you have money, you should squander it every day and flaunt it to the poor; if you go from being a victim to a perpetrator, you should repay them tenfold." In this world, very few countries can recognize and publicize that this kind of thing is wrong, and the United States is clearly not one of them.
So Strange didn't see anything wrong with his view. He wasn't enduring these tedious political jargons for the sake of racial equality. Even if equality were to be achieved, humanity must be more equal than other races.
One person, one machine, staring at each other. The Supreme Intelligence realized that it would be difficult for it to persuade the person before it.
In the past, the speaker they elected, regardless of which civilization he came from, once he sat in that position, it meant that he had entered a new stage in his life. After all, he was the first person in the interstellar space to achieve this, and he would be remembered in history. Even if he didn't say it, he would more or less feel that he had entered a new realm, had a new identity, and had to say goodbye to the past.
Once a person has this idea, manipulation will inevitably follow.
For example, when someone joins a new company, many companies will emphasize that this is a new beginning and a new stage in your life, and will also organize some ice-breaking activities to help you get to know your new colleagues. What is the purpose of doing this?
Most people start a company to make money, which means it's a profit-driven group that's unlikely to have lofty ideals or a spirit of dedication. And such a profit-driven group won't suddenly do something costly and unprofitable.
Some companies' icebreaker activities go far beyond simple meals or games; they often involve going to team-building facilities and investing heavily in helping team members get to know each other. Why is that?
If you truly want to improve team cohesion and work efficiency, then immediately engaging in work is the most important thing. No amount of team building can compare to working together on the job, since most of their future interactions will occur at work, not at some team-building event.
The purpose of doing this is to help you cut ties with the past.
All these actions constantly remind people that they have entered a new environment, are surrounded by new people, are facing a new job, and that all their past experiences are no longer useful and they need to relearn.
But is that really the case? If previous work experience doesn't matter, then the other party simply won't hire you. If you can only seek emotional support from newly acquainted colleagues, does that mean you should abandon your old friends?
The company is simply using various means to make you feel that you must devote all your energy to adapting to and ingratiating yourself with this new environment, diligently learning their business processes, striving to build relationships with new colleagues, and flattering and fawning over the boss. Because only in this way can you be in the company's best interest.
For new employees, they obviously have no choice. They want this job and have already successfully obtained it. This whole process of integrating into the new environment seems to be the final step, and they cannot give up at this point.
Once they have such thoughts, it is difficult for them to avoid being manipulated into throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the new environment, even at the cost of changing many things, breaking their bottom line, changing their principles, and even changing their way of speaking and dealing with people.
Many people call this progress. Few realize that a new employee is simply joining a new company; they're not flying off to a new planet, a new country, or even changing cities and industries. The differences between companies aren't so great that they require crossing ethical boundaries or even changing one's personality to adapt. It's hardly a new environment that demands progress.
To prevent newcomers from realizing this, companies go to great lengths to create a sense of unfamiliarity, forcing you to change yourself for a place that's hardly new at all. But in reality, those changes don't benefit you at all; they only make things easier for them.
Although it may seem like there is no other choice for those who need this job, there is actually a hidden option: to give it up.
"Living in the past" is often seen as a typical manifestation of degenerative disease, but sometimes, in order to deal with the various scheming traps in society, it is the best choice to actively regress.
You can use your old work methods in a new company, you can ignore your colleagues, not get along with them, only hang out with your old friends, and completely fail to integrate into the new environment. If the company deems you unqualified, they will naturally fire you.
But the truth is, most people can't do anything about people who live in the past; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people posting online every day complaining about these "giant babies." Regardless of whether others are comfortable with them, these "giant babies" themselves are certainly living quite comfortably.
The current Strange is a giant baby who is forever living in the past. He doesn't feel that becoming Speaker has brought him to a new stage in his life or that he has entered a new environment and should therefore try to adapt.
He still considered himself humanity's Supreme Mage, showing no awareness of being the most powerful being in the galaxy, nor any intention of undertaking any significant responsibilities such as transforming interstellar society or promoting racial equality. He simply voiced his own opinions, showing no intention of listening to others or learning from experience. Seemingly confined to the Speaker's office, his soul remained free.
This is actually Strange's strength: no matter how arrogant, self-centered, extreme, and paranoid he is, he is someone who is almost immune to mental manipulation. Or rather, it is precisely because of these flaws that he is difficult for others to control.
Many people experience a strange mix of fear and attraction when faced with Schiller's manipulation, but Strange almost never does. This is because he is, at any time, a person who is not easily manipulated.
Even when the Strange characters in many universes go crazy and do some outrageous things, it's not because they're persuaded or influenced by anyone; it's purely their own idea. You could say they're acting crazy, but it's true that most of it is driven by their own will, and they rarely consult others' advice during the process.
Seeing that mind manipulation was failing, the Supreme Intelligence did not intend to give up. He stood up, placed his hands on the table, and said, "There are some documents left by your predecessor that require your reading and signature. Have you finished reading them?"
Strange nodded and said, "I've signed everything that needs to be signed. What do you think?"
Now it was the Supreme Intelligence's turn to be shocked. He raised his voice and said, "You've already signed it? Did you even look at it?!"
"I've taken a quick look," Strange said, waving his hand. "I've signed off on all the ones that are fine, and I've put the ones with objections in another folder."
The Supreme Intelligence was ignoring him, as it was online reviewing the documents Strange had processed. The more it looked, the more shocked it became. It glanced at the virtual panel in front of it, then at Strange, then at the panel again, before finally fixing its gaze on Strange.
What's going on? Could this guy have not only mastered extraordinary magical abilities while simultaneously building a stable mental defense, but also happened to be a genius at handling political affairs?