Zongman: My Smart Group

Chapter 80 Lin Mo's Limited-Time Return

"I do not know."

After a long silence, Yukino Yukinoshita said this.

Yukino Yukinoshita was completely unable to answer this question. It was as if Lin Mo had entrusted everyone's lives to her; if she nodded, it would lead to the destruction of the entire world.

Although Yukino Yukinoshita also wished she could kill those beasts, when it came to her own turn, she wasn't so decisive. Moreover, this concerned the survival of an entire world, and her heart couldn't bear the pressure.

She cannot bear this guilt!

Moreover, Lin Mo already had the answer in his heart. The questioning was just to reaffirm his own thoughts. No matter what his answer was, the ending of this world would not change.

Lin Mo suddenly scratched his head into a mess and said, "Ugh, why did I have to come to this world? Why couldn't it be the world of Konosuba!"

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly reached out and grasped Lin Mo's hand, looking into his eyes and saying, "Lin Mo, can you tell me your true thoughts? It's not just a vague statement like destroying the world."

Yukino Yukinoshita felt a tightness in her chest as she looked at Lin Mo's agitated state. She suddenly realized that perhaps Lin Mo didn't want her to bear the sin of destroying the world, but simply wanted to confide in someone.

Just as I was under so much pressure when faced with this problem that I didn't know what choice to make, how much more so would Lin Mo, as the executor, feel?

He's probably under more pressure than I am.

Indeed, this is true. Although Lin Mo had killed trillions of lives, the two are simply incomparable.

Lin Mo had lived in a world governed by the rule of law since childhood, never even seen a dead person, let alone killed one. Although he had gained immense power, he still couldn't overcome the hurdle in his heart. It wasn't because he was a saint or anything like that, but because he was afraid of unleashing the beast that slumbered within him.

This time, because I dislike this world, I plan to destroy it. What about next time? And the time after that? If I destroy every world I visit because I hate it, then I will truly become the God of destruction in the Bible.

Destruction is simple; all you need is pure power, no need to think too much. But saving is much more complicated, requiring consideration of this and that, and taking into account all aspects and long-term plans.

Although Yukino Yukinoshita correctly guessed that Lin Mo was under a lot of pressure, she misunderstood the source of that pressure.

Destruction is always the worst option; salvation is Lin Mo's first choice!

Pure destruction is meaningless; what Lin Mo wants is to transform this unpleasant world into the way he desires it!

Since the decision to save people has been made, we must shoulder the responsibility. We must clearly distinguish who should be killed, who should not be killed, and who cannot be killed yet!

The thought of saving the world would require a ton of complicated tasks made Lin Mo's head feel like it was going to explode, which is why he complained about not being able to travel to the world of Konosuba.

Seeing Yukino Yukinoshita's extremely serious expression, Lin Mo scratched his head again and said, "Actually, it's nothing. I do want to destroy this world and kill all those beasts, but not all the people in this world are beasts. There are still a few people. What troubles me is how to deal with all of this."

Yukino Yukinoshita nodded and said, "I think I understand what you mean. Rather than destroying the whole world, you want to destroy this distorted social structure and change this absurd world, right?"

Lin Mo: "That's roughly the idea."

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly smiled and said, "It seems you've matured a lot. When you encounter problems, you no longer think about fighting and killing, but consider other options."

Lin Mo: "It's not about considering other options, but about thinking about the aftermath of killing the animals."

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head and said, "Regardless, you have indeed matured a lot. I can see that you have your own ideas, so I won't interfere too much. However..."

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly smiled sweetly and said, "Don't keep everything bottled up inside. You're always welcome to come to me and confide in me. We're friends, aren't we? I won't interfere with your choices. After all, I don't really understand the situation in this world, so let's leave professional matters to professionals. Also..."

Yukino Yukinoshita gripped Lin Mo's hand tightly, looking directly into his eyes, and said, "No matter what happens, I will always be by your side. This sin should not be borne by you alone. Running away is not my style! Who will acknowledge your legitimacy? Who will allow you to exercise your authority? Who will bear this sin?"

Yukino Yukinoshita said firmly, "I..."

Lin Mo suddenly interrupted, "The king grants permission, the king acknowledges, the king confesses to this world!"

The atmosphere that had been carefully built up was thus disrupted. Yukino Yukinoshita glared fiercely at Lin Mo, and finally sighed helplessly, saying, "Anyway, you understand what I mean. I will always stand by your side and face all of this with you!"

Lin Mo: "No need, no need. I've already figured it out just now."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "What have you figured out?"

Lin Mo: "Of course, it's about how to deal with this world. With my current wisdom, I can't come up with a perfect solution, so I'll just have to reclaim my incomplete wisdom! Unleash your power! Activate!"

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly remembered the biblical description of Linmer gaining wisdom, and her expression changed drastically. She shouted, "Wait a minute!"

But it was too late; Lin Mo had already regained his full form once again!

This time, however, he didn't shout that he wanted to erase all his dark history; he just awkwardly kept picking at his toes.

Yukino Yukinoshita, seeing Lin Mo's unnatural expression, tentatively called out, "Lin Mo."

Lin Mo smiled awkwardly and said, "It's me, Yukino. I'm fine, it's just that my shame has returned, and I feel embarrassed about what I did before."

Essentially, Lin Mo who has lost his intelligence and Lin Mo who has intelligence are the same person; it's just that shame is at play, since Lin Mo has always been abstract.

Just like last time when he was clamoring to erase all his dark history, he was actually just experiencing his own power. Lin Mo rambled on and on, just showing off. Otherwise, would you really think that his amazing wisdom was joking with you?

Trying to erase your own dark history is such a lame thing!

What? You're saying I didn't erase my past mistakes before? Sorry, those weren't things I did at all. They were things I did with half my IQ. They have absolutely nothing to do with me when I had a normal IQ. I've already made a clean break with him!

The reason I was so extreme back then, besides genuinely being unable to handle it at first, was also because I wanted to experience the feeling of going crazy in that situation. And you know what? Doing that kind of thing while feeling ashamed is even more exciting, isn't it!

And even if something goes wrong, I, with my IQ halved, will be the one to take the blame. Anyway, I've already made a clean break with him, so you can curse me all you want!

………………

P.S.: I'm so tired today, so this is just one chapter, and I wrote it in a half-asleep state. You guys read it first, I'm going to sleep now.

Chapter 81 Recognition

Although Lin Mo didn't seem to have changed much, Yukino Yukinoshita still cautiously asked, "What are you going to do next?", remembering the descriptions in the Bible.

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said, "Shall we eat first?"

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita said somewhat speechlessly, "Have you really regained your wisdom? You seem no different from before."

Lin Mo pointed to his head and said, "My intelligence has always been there, it's just been occupied by an idiot."

The system whistled guiltily. Who's the idiot? It certainly isn't one. It's really hard to guess!

Lin Mo turned to look at Zhihua, who was trying to keep her head down and minimize her presence, and said with a smile, "After listening to so much from us, don't you have any thoughts?"

Tomoka hadn't expected that even though she had tried so hard to make herself inconspicuous, she was still discovered, so she cautiously said, "Um... good luck?"

Lin Mo shook his head and said, "No, you should say let's eat first. You probably haven't eaten yet, aren't you hungry?"

Zhihua wanted to say she wasn't hungry, but she couldn't lie to her stomach, so she nodded and said, "I'm hungry."

Lin Mo snapped his fingers and said, "OK, let's go buy some food together, and I can share it with you."

Zhihua immediately looked up, and asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Lin Mo stood up and said, "What I mean is, I want to see for myself whether this world is worth my destruction. Let's not talk about this anymore, let's go to the mall."

Although Lin Mo hated this world, he didn't truly understand it. Most of what he knew came from anime, and he was completely unaware of its deeper darkness. His understanding of this world was merely a glimpse through a tube, so he decided to be more rigorous and see for himself just how rotten this world had become, as this would determine his method of destroying it.

Yukino Yukinoshita watched as Lin Mo suddenly got up and pulled Tomoka away, and quickly got up to follow him: "Really, he doesn't look any different from before, still as eccentric as ever."

Yukino Yukinoshita came to Tomoka's other side and took her other hand. If you ignored Tomoka's dirty and messy appearance, they looked like a family from a distance.

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Lin Mo, what are your plans for these cursed children?"

Lin Mo: "We'll see."

Because it's not just adults who are deformed in this world, but also those brainwashed children of the curse. It's really hard to change their minds in a short time.

Before long, Lin Mo followed Zhihua to the quarantine zone, carrying two large bags of things. In this ruin, they could face attacks from Gastrea at any time, and those rejected children of the cursed were forced to live in such a place.

After shopping, Zhihua gradually became familiar with Lin Mo and realized that he was not a bad person, but rather a very good adult!

Zhihua: "Lin Mo, are you suffering from chuunibyou? You were talking about destroying the world and stuff, it was really scary."

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said, "I guess so, since I can't stay in this state for long."

Zhihua looked at Lin Mo expectantly and said, "Then Lin Mo, can I...can I be your Initiator? You're so powerful, the two of us will definitely be able to dominate the battlefield, and then I can gain everyone's recognition and won't be driven out by others anymore."

Yukino Yukinoshita was slightly stunned. She had gained approval. She was somewhat similar to her. She wondered if she had truly gained the approval of her older sister and mother.

Lin Mo smiled and said, "Recognition is something that never comes from others, but from yourself! Recognition gained from others can be easily shattered because of them. So don't crave the approval of others, but approve of yourself and believe in yourself! Don't become the person others see you as, become the person you see yourself as!"

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at Lin Mo. Although the words were not spoken to him, they were incredibly inspiring to him, because he was exactly like that.

I have always longed for the approval of my older sister and mother, but no matter how much I improve myself, I can't get their recognition. Over time, I have become somewhat inferior and always subconsciously think that I am not as good as my older sister. I always feel that I am a little worse than my older sister, but I don't know what I am worse than. Even my mother thinks that I am not as good as my older sister.

Perhaps it's not that I'm inferior to my sister, but rather that I lack self-confidence and a sense of self!

Although I am usually very confident, I always feel a little inferior when I am with my older sister, and I am always afraid to express my thoughts when I am with my mother.

She longed for her family's approval, and seeing her outstanding older sister, she began to imitate her in a bizarre and unorthodox way, trying to get closer to her and walk the path she had walked in order to prove that she was better!

However, due to her personality, she is unable to be tactful in dealing with people and always offends others unintentionally. If she always sticks to her own way, it will be fine, but she also has a slight fear of her mother and unconsciously moves closer to the kind of person her mother expects her to be.

And so, these three different versions of myself seemed so out of place, and naturally, I couldn't gain the approval of my family!

Through Lin Mo's words, Yukino Yukinoshita felt as if the clouds had parted and she was seeing the light of day again. She suddenly realized that what she lacked was not tact, but the ability to see things through to the end!

Seeing Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly stop, Lin Mo turned around and asked in confusion, "Yukino? What's wrong?"

Tomoka asked with concern, "Yukino-neechan, are you feeling unwell?"

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled, looked at Lin Mo, and said softly, "Thank you, Lin Mo."

Lin Mo scratched his head, then slapped his forehead and said, "You're welcome. You'll understand sooner or later even if I don't tell you."

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head and said, "But if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have figured out what has troubled me for so many years. Thank you so much, Lin Mo!"

Lin Mo: "Why all the emotional stuff? Aren't we friends? There's no need for all this thanking for something so small!"

Yukino Yukinoshita nodded emphatically and said, "Yes! We're friends!"

The three then continued their journey toward the gathering place of the Cursed Children.

Friends? Are they really just friends?

Yukino Yukinoshita thought to herself as she looked at Lin Mo's profile.

Before long, the group arrived at the gathering place of the cursed children. It was a sewer manhole cover. After opening it, they found a completely different world inside. Since the original city had been destroyed, the sewers naturally lost their original function. With a little modification, it could be used as a residence. Moreover, it was well-connected and could be used to escape at any time if there was danger. It couldn't be more convenient!

Zhihua smiled and waved, saying, "Everyone! I brought food!"

Upon hearing this, everyone who was initially a little scared immediately gathered around, not caring about any danger, just wanting to eat their fill first.

Lin Mo opened the bag, which was filled with bread and milk. He smiled and said, "You can't just eat this food for free. In exchange, you have to answer my questions seriously, understand?"

"Understood!"

Lin Mo: "You can eat first, and answer my questions after you've eaten enough."

At first, everyone was a little hesitant, but Tomoka stuffed the food into everyone's hands and started eating it herself. Yukino Yukinoshita also started distributing food, and everyone then felt relieved and began to wolf down their food, as if they were eating their last meal.

………………

P.S.: It's too late to get off work, so I'll post this one first. I'm working on the next one.

Chapter 82 Utopia

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Lin Mo clapped his hands and said, "Alright, everyone should have eaten enough. Now it's time for you to answer my questions."

A short-haired little girl asked timidly, "Big brother, what do you want to ask?"

Lin Mo: "Alright, now that you're all ready, I'm going to start asking questions. First, please introduce yourselves! Remember to include your name, age, and wishes!"

The little girls were taken aback, not expecting such a simple question. Although they felt a little strange, they still introduced themselves one by one.

"My name is Hanako, I'm nine years old, and my wish is to never go hungry again!"

"My name is Jujiang, and I am eight years old. My wish is for you to grow up safely!"

"My name is Xiaoling, I'm ten years old, and my wish is to become a Starter!"

……

Although they were a little reserved at first, as time went on, everyone started chattering away, each one more detailed than the last. They didn't even need Lin Mo to ask any further questions; they were all talking on their own.

Their wishes were incredibly simple; they were things that an ordinary person could accomplish, but for them, they were wishes that only existed in their imagination.

However, they were unaware of this, and did not even have the thought of resisting. They took it all for granted and regarded themselves as an ominous symbol.

This is a common tactic used by those in power: spreading rumors to incite public anger, thereby instilling a servile mentality in these "cursed children," making them feel that they are the root of all evil, and then feeling guilty and afraid to resist.