Chapter 114: The Standard

Since news broke that the Black Dragon intended to naturalize and acquire citizenship in the Xia nation, discussions among the public and online have never ceased.

At first, the vast majority of the people supported the idea. After all, a mighty Black Dragon willing to lower its status and join Xia as a fellow dragon citizen was clearly a great blessing.

Such a move would not only significantly bolster Xia’s military and united front capabilities but also greatly enhance national pride and patriotic fervor.

However, under the deliberate guidance of relevant authorities, public opinion gradually shifted. More and more people began to reflect—was granting citizenship to a colossal dragon truly beneficial?

“…I’m not so sure,” said a renowned social commentator during a live stream, engaging with his audience.

“Many see only the surface benefits and are blinded by the vanity of having the Black Dragon naturalize, completely neglecting the deeper, more pressing issues.”

“For example… if the Black Dragon truly becomes a citizen of our Xia nation, how exactly should its citizen rights be defined?”

“Same as ours? That’s impossible. It’s a seventh-level transcendent being, after all. Treating it like an ordinary citizen would be an insult to such a majestic creature.”

“And even if we treat it as an ordinary citizen, can we really provide all the social benefits?”

“Since the Black Dragon would be a Xia citizen, it would naturally be entitled to social welfare—healthcare, pensions, and so on.”

“But the problem is, as a transcendent being with a lifespan of hundreds or even thousands of years, which insurance company would dare to cover it?”

“Some might argue that since the Black Dragon is so powerful and valuable economically and militarily, Xia’s strong national treasury could simply allocate special funds to support it.”

“Fine, that approach isn’t out of the question. Let’s set that aside and move on to the next issue.”

“As a legal citizen, the Black Dragon would have voting rights and eligibility to be elected. So what if it wants to enter politics or become a government official? How should we respond?”

“This isn’t trivial. Given a dragon’s abilities, condition, and lifespan, if it chooses to enter politics and faces no unfair treatment, it will inevitably climb rapidly and rise to a position of great influence—potentially even affecting the nation’s fate. Would we be able to rest easy then?”

“And it’s not just politics. Business is another matter. Compared to ordinary people, the dragon’s inherent advantages make it easy to amass immense wealth, becoming the country’s top capitalist.”

“Everyone knows what capitalists can be like. Given the dragon’s greedy and miserly nature, if it gains significant power, it will surely exploit and bleed the common people dry.”

“Once that happens, the dragon would be too big to control. Even if we wanted to take action—say, hang it from the Oriental Pearl Tower—it would be nearly impossible.”

Pausing briefly, the expert concluded, “Therefore, I believe that allowing such transcendent beings, especially dragons, to obtain Xia citizenship must be approached with great caution. Otherwise, the situation might reverse: instead of the dragon serving the Xia people, all of us could end up serving it!”

“…”

“Teacher Zhang speaks well!”

“I support the teacher’s viewpoint!”

“Exactly! I’ve long been against those blindly fawning over the Black Dragon. No matter how powerful it is, it’s an alien species. Different blood, different hearts!”

“Right! And creatures with ‘black’ in their names are rarely trustworthy. There’s no way that Black Dragon should so easily gain Xia citizenship.”

“Everyone, help spread the word! Leave comments opposing the dragon’s naturalization on all official platforms. We absolutely cannot let those dragon sympathizers succeed!”

“…”

The live chat exploded with fervent support. Viewers not only sent barrage messages but also flooded forums and official social media accounts with real-name posts opposing the Black Dragon’s naturalization.

“…”

“Teacher Zhang, what do you think the Black Dragon needs to do to qualify for Xia citizenship?”

“Yeah, as the connections between our domestic and foreign worlds grow closer, and perhaps one day the barriers vanish entirely, merging the realms, we can’t be too cold-hearted toward transcendent beings who harbor goodwill toward us, right?”

“…”

Some viewers found Teacher Zhang’s reasoning sound but refrained from inciting further frenzy and instead asked the questions that truly concerned them.

“...In my opinion, whether it’s the Black Dragon or other transcendent beings from abroad, they must meet certain conditions before naturalizing as Xia citizens.”

Teacher Zhang did not evade but answered directly, “First, they must possess a strong affinity and recognition of Xia and its civilization… They can’t come here under false pretenses just to freeload.”

“Second, they must undergo rigorous political screening. They need not be innately pure, but they absolutely cannot be bloodthirsty, have a criminal record, or exhibit any anti-human or antisocial tendencies.”

“Third, there must be a probationary period and a dedicated citizenship exam, primarily testing proficiency in the Xia language and knowledge of Xia’s laws and regulations. The naturalized transcendent beings must master the language, know and abide by the law, and willingly submit to Xia’s legal framework.”

“Finally, the citizenship rights granted to transcendent beings must be restricted. They may receive special government stipends but should not be allowed to freely enter politics or business…”

“…"

“Teacher, your points are very reasonable. We must establish such citizenship requirements!”

“I agree entirely. Without strict screening, letting those with bad records in is not only useless but could become a disaster!”

“I admit the teacher has considered everything thoroughly… But if we follow your standards, how many transcendent beings would truly qualify for Xia citizenship?”

“…What do you all think about the Black Dragon?”

One commenter replied, “Its ideological consciousness and feelings toward our country seem quite favorable. If it agrees to the tests and passes, then we can use its case to set a standard for other transcendent beings.”

…

Unaware of its sudden celebrity status, the Black Dragon had safely landed and was currently resting atop a mountain in Tian Nan Province, awaiting pickup.

“Come to think of it… since I managed to develop the timer function, maybe I can also develop radio transmission and reception?” It mused idly.

Compared to nuclear technology, radio technology was obviously much simpler!

Without hesitation, the Black Dragon began experimenting with its heart, attempting to send and receive radio signals relying solely on its own body—hoping for long-distance communication, even video chat!

Unfortunately, no matter how it toiled or strained, the heart could not produce radio signals, despite now being capable of absorbing radioactive elements.

“Seriously? Are you really incapable, or are you just fooling me?” The Black Dragon became suspicious. After all, it had invested fifty grams of gold in research and development for this function, only to receive this disappointing result.

Radio transmission and reception shouldn’t be technically difficult!

The Black Dragon refused to accept this and accused its heart of taking money without working. Since it could expertly manipulate consciousness projection, how could it fail at something so elementary as radio?

It immediately launched a disciplinary procedure, severely reprimanding the heart and administering mild punishment until it bled two drops of golden dragon blood before relenting.

“Strange… It seems the heart isn’t shirking but truly can’t produce radio signals.”

After several days, the bond between the Black Dragon and its heart had deepened. It sensed that the heart genuinely couldn’t generate radio waves, not that it was disobeying.

“There must be a reason… a genetic defect or some fundamental law?”

The Black Dragon pondered deeply. It had hoped to integrate radio technology with consciousness projection, so it could roam domestically under a small alias and help the Xia Institute of Science study the essence of consciousness signals.

But the two seemed fundamentally incompatible.

…

“What? I was in the sky for less than ten minutes?”

Military special forces had brought the Black Dragon to a nearby base and immediately video-called Academician Ding and the others.

Before the Black Dragon could recount its experiences in the astral realm, it was startled by an official update—less than ten minutes had passed in Xia time from the nuclear reactor hatch flight departure to its return from the astral plane!

“Impossible!”

Huang Ze’s face was grave—his minor avatar’s facial muscles were usually stiff, so seeing him solemn indicated genuine shock. “I felt like I was in the astral realm for at least an hour and a half!”

This didn’t even include the time he spent unconscious!

“Mr. Huang… Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Academician Ding also grew serious. If the Black Dragon was right, then the flow of time in the astral realm differed from the material world!

“Absolutely certain!” Huang Ze replied confidently. “When I first entered the astral realm, I was observed by a group of astral creatures for over ten minutes, then a great astral dragon came and took me to an asteroid…”

“On that asteroid, I definitely stayed a long time and even dug up some soil samples for your research. If you don’t believe me, just check…”

The Black Dragon began searching its storage pouch inside its body.

“Strange, I can’t find them. I clearly remember putting them at the bottom of the storage pouch…”

“Mr. Huang, don’t worry, we believe everything you say,” Ding comforted as the Black Dragon grew agitated. “It’s possible that time flows much faster in the astral realm than in the material world, which would explain your perception.”

“Time flows faster in the astral realm…”

The Black Dragon paused, then nodded. “Indeed… The astral realm feels very different from the material realm, almost like two different servers.”

“But if that’s true, how do the deities in the astral realm communicate with their believers in the material world?”

“And if time is faster there… isn’t that backwards? Normally, one day in the heavens equals a year on earth.”

“Well…” Ding smiled wryly, “Mr. Huang, we don’t have answers yet. We’ll need deeper research to uncover these mysteries.”

“Mr. Huang, let’s talk about what you gained on this trip. Any significant findings?”

“Many,” Huang Ze said gravely. “But some things are too sensitive to discuss over video. It’s better to wait until you arrive so I can explain in detail.”

“Also, these findings are very important. I hope you can come quickly.”

Huang Ze was uncertain whether he should share everything the Night Goddess had revealed to him with Academician Ding and the others. But since she had not forbidden him, he felt compelled to disclose it all.

After all, individual intellect can’t match collective wisdom.

“Understood, Mr. Huang. We will come as soon as possible,” Ding said solemnly. “In the meantime, please share whatever you can so we have something to work on during the journey.”

“Alright,” Huang Ze agreed and began, “Firstly, the astral realm is a vacuum environment with a temperature of minus 270.3 degrees Celsius!”

“What?”

Ding was clearly shocked. Though suspected, hearing the actual figure startled them. Minus 270.3 degrees is the cosmic vacuum temperature—virtually no molecular thermal motion.

“And?”

Ding continued, “You said you landed on an asteroid. How large was it?”