Chapter Sixty: Approaching the Dragon 2

"Thank you, Dr. Ma, for your brilliant explanation," the host said. "I believe many viewers are already eager to see how the Black Dragon is doing today, whether there have been any changes… Let's hand over to our reporter on the scene."

...

"Good evening, viewers. I am Wang Xiaobing, a reporter from CCTV, and I am currently at a military base in the Northern Dragon River Military District."

"Today marks the seventh day since the Black Dragon arrived here. According to the staff at the base, the dragon's condition is particularly good today—it devoured four tons of beef in one sitting. It seems the recent days have truly left it famished."

"The staff shared something quite amusing with me: the Black Dragon accidentally brushed against a high-voltage line earlier, and it was as though a new world had opened up for it. It became fascinated, repeatedly seeking out the high-voltage electricity, showing expressions of enjoyment and satisfaction, shaking with pleasure—a truly entertaining sight!"

"Academician Ding from the Academy of Sciences speculates that this might be because the Black Dragon's body has long been tormented by the curse of an evil deity, and high-voltage electricity is a powerful cleansing energy that can effectively help purify these curses. That's likely why the dragon has developed such an affinity for it."

The camera turned to the Black Dragon.

"We can see… the Black Dragon is now leisurely napping on the grass. After these days of interaction, its hostility and wariness toward us have greatly diminished. I believe it won't be long before it interacts and communicates with us in a friendly manner."

"Tonight, there is another interesting event: the staff plan to show the Black Dragon some educational documentaries, so it can witness the brilliance of human civilization on Earth."

"Academician Ding firmly believes that the exploration of the unknown and curiosity about the universe are eternal pursuits for all intelligent species."

"And dragons are exceptionally intelligent creatures. The vastness of science and the magic of technology might resonate with it and inspire a longing, prompting it to cooperate and communicate with us more swiftly."

"...The staff have already turned on the projector, and all preparations are complete… But the Black Dragon is still napping. What method will they use to wake it?"

"Oh heavens… I see the staff picking up a rocket launcher… Surely not what I'm thinking?"

Boom!

A rocket exploded beside the Black Dragon.

"My god! They really used a rocket to wake the Black Dragon—such a hardcore method! Let's hope the dragon doesn't get angry..."

Unfortunately, things went awry. The Black Dragon leapt up in fury, roaring in anger.

...

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A live forum.

"Hahaha, this is hilarious—not getting angry? Anyone would be furious if they were peacefully asleep and suddenly had a firecracker thrown at them."

"To be honest… this method really is outrageous. If someone woke me like that, I'd be murderous, and I'm not even as irritable as the Black Dragon."

"It's definitely too much. Clearly, they could use a gentler approach."

"I agree… this is obviously bullying the dragon!"

Netizens posted and debated; surprisingly, most sided with the dragon.

Clearly, the live coverage these days has won the Black Dragon a great deal of popularity and goodwill.

Although it was initially ferocious, ill-tempered, roaring and wreaking havoc, as long as it never harmed the people or posed a real threat, as long as it continued to improve…

To everyone, it was a good dragon; the fiercer its temper, the more genuine it seemed.

After all, love and admiration for the strong is a human trait—lions and tigers have plenty of online fans, so a mighty dragon naturally would, too.

"Wait, why do I think this method is actually quite appropriate!"

A netizen countered, "Don't you think our attitude toward the Black Dragon is a bit too generous?"

"Not only do we provide food and shelter, we don't restrict its freedom. The buildings it destroyed, the equipment it ruined, the havoc it caused… surely cost the country tens of millions. And who foots the bill? Us taxpayers!"

"I wonder if anyone else has noticed… the Black Dragon clearly doesn't want to leave. If we offered it citizenship, it would probably accept!"

"Why do I say this? Because for it, joining our country is obviously a great deal. Food and shelter provided, immunity from prosecution, enjoying privileges beyond ordinary citizens…"

"Instead of risking its life abroad, sometimes starving, it could just stay here as a revered guest; after all, people will treat it like royalty!"

"So I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Ma Guanglin's view: our country must not casually allow extraordinary beings to naturalize. We must be cautious, or it will severely disrupt our social hierarchy and resources!"

"That makes sense…"

Another netizen replied, "Dragons will never be slaves, unless you provide food and shelter… It may be a joke, but if we really offer too much, I bet some dragons would come work for us as pets."

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"But if this relationship is purely based on material interests… and there's no shared ideology, no deep sense of belonging and recognition for our country, then obviously we won't be able to control these extraordinary beings!"

"If they become rebellious, break laws, or commit capital crimes, do we punish them or not?"

"If we punish them—not to mention how hard it is to execute an extraordinary creature—the resources we've invested would all go to waste, which would be heartbreaking."

"But if we don't punish them, does that mean their status is above the people?"

"In that case, are they serving us, or are we serving them?"

"So, sometimes using a rocket to remind the Black Dragon who's boss is necessary, I think."

...

"…That's right. We can't just give extraordinary creatures special treatment because they're powerful, since the costs and consequences will ultimately be passed on to every citizen!"

A netizen voiced agreement.

"…That's true, but how can you expect a Black Dragon to share our ideology? That's easier said than done."

Another replied.

"Dragons are inherently independent; they don't even have their own country. How could they develop a strong sense of belonging and recognition for ours? After all, they're not part of our shared human destiny."

...

"It's simple."

The original dissenter responded, "Didn't they say this Black Dragon is suffering from the curse of an evil god? That means it has endured oppression and slavery—a dark past, indicating a certain revolutionary inclination!"

"We can absolutely cultivate it as a revolutionary ally!"

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