"Rebirth in the Apocalypse" - No Rebirth (Chapter 31)...
I thought that Ye Xiqing would become even more radical if things escalated to the point of launching a war.
Unexpectedly, she scaled back, even canceling the base's contribution distribution system.
Even the most magnanimous people hesitated after this resolution was proposed.
While we acknowledge the civilization of shared ownership, people are inherently lazy. Without a system of rewards and punishments, how can we ensure that no one shirks their responsibilities, takes advantage of others' efforts, and reaps the benefits without contributing?
Ye Xiqing's answer was simple: "Then let others not work hard either. It's hard to force lazy people to work, but isn't it easy to force diligent people to slack off?"
Everyone: ...
ah?
Seeing everyone's strange looks, Ye Xiqing, who was a workaholic in every world but actually didn't want to work hard at all, couldn't help but put down her chair, lie flat, maintain a lazy posture, and let out a long sigh.
Why does the world always criticize laziness as something negative?
What is laziness? Laziness is the body trying to find its most comfortable state. As a result, humans have evolved to the point that when they are lazy, their brains become anxious. I don't know if this is progress or regression for civilization.
People don't actually need to be forced to work hard, because people aren't stupid. When they find that the environment is not suitable for survival, they will immediately stand up and work hard. Their will to survive is greater than their desire to be lazy.
But as you keep trying, you forget why you're even trying.
Originally, the goal was to live more comfortably, but the system that spurred everyone to work hard became the core issue. Everyone worked hard for the sake of working hard, and in the end, it's unknown how much the living environment improved, but the will to survive was worn away.
A system created for survival that makes everyone want to die is a kind of dark humor.
Ye Xiqing wanted to die if she could live under that system again. The fate of humanity in the apocalypse was in her hands, so people had to listen to her.
Everyone was still uneasy about the consequences of this decision. Even those at the grassroots level initially thought it was a bit far-fetched. Without rules, there can be no order. If people are not restrained at all, wouldn't things fall into chaos?
Ye Xiqing expressed her belief in everyone and in their love for the base family, saying that everyone's love would help each person make the right choice and lead the base to a better tomorrow.
Gambling on the brilliance of humanity in the apocalypse is truly a thrilling and exhilarating gamble.
But Ye Xiqing felt that talking about gambling while assuming one's own understanding is correct, and choosing and proving the "right path" and hoping that everyone will follow the right path is the real gamble—betting that one is right.
Faced with two equally unknown paths, choosing one can only be described as human nature leaning towards one of them; it cannot be considered gambling, but rather a choice.
Ye Xiqing didn't gamble successfully; she was simply choosing the path she preferred.
When gambling, you don't need to consider success or failure; when choosing a path, you only need to enjoy the path you've chosen and accept the outcome you've chosen.
She's only enjoying what she can enjoy right now.
When the contribution-based distribution system was first abolished, no one was able to adapt. If labor no longer earned contribution points, what was the point of their work?
Looking at this group of pitiful cattle and horses that had lost their way after being freed from their shackles, Ye Xiqing couldn't help but laugh.
Having been enslaved for so long, even cattle and horses consider their masters a necessity. But is it possible that humans are born knowing how to live?
The people at the base initially felt awkward and lost, unable to do anything right. But one day, they suddenly felt better.
Wait a minute, if the contribution-based allocation system is abolished, resources will be equally distributed regardless of the job, so why should they stick to a position they don't like, be treated like a machine evaluating production capacity and comparing sizes? Can't they just follow their own nature and do things they love and are capable of doing?
Once this was realized, the staff at the base underwent a dramatic transformation.
In the past, everyone knew which positions were good and which positions were respectable. Even if someone wasn't suited for a good position, they would still force themselves to become an elite in order to acquire more resources and live a better life.
But to be honest, not everyone likes elite jobs. A template can't fit everyone in. Forcing or cutting out anything that goes beyond the template is really painful.
However, society only recognizes one template. Only those who become elites within that template have the ability to break it. Once the template is broken, the deformed or crippled body will not recover.
Even more tragically, breaking this template often leads to an even bigger one. What gets bigger is the human body, not the template itself. There's always a template that just happens to trap the person.
Now Ye Xiqing has shattered all the templates. She no longer uses templates to define people's success or failure, so there is no such thing as success or failure.
If we eliminate the concepts of success and failure, usefulness and uselessness, then wouldn't people be able to do some "useless" things?
Previously, everyone rushed to go on field missions for the sake of honor, but now some people are backing down, saying embarrassedly to everyone, "Actually, I really like children. Could I stay at the base and take care of the children...?"
If this were before the apocalypse, she would be criticized for being unambitious, but Ye Xiqing says she can now.
If you enjoy taking care of children, it means you are willing to do so, and you can take good care of them. From now on, the children at the base will be in your care.
The person was surprised that Ye Xiqing could be so tolerant, and excitedly accepted the childcare job. She was ordered to take care of the child, so even if others had opinions about her, they couldn't say anything!
Once someone started, others followed suit and took on these mediocre jobs. Not only ordinary people wanted to take these mediocre jobs, but even people with superpowers started to have the idea.
A fire-type ability user timidly raised his hand: "Actually... I'm really not used to fighting... Can I go and tend the boiler...?"
Before Ye Xiqing could react, Qu Menghan suddenly looked up and asked, "What?"
Ye Xiqing slapped her head aside and smiled, "Sure, fire-type abilities are perfect for tending the boiler. Everyone will thank you for tending the boiler for the base, and they'll all thank you when they need hot water."
Fire-type ability user: ...
It actually works!
Those with the same superpowers can communicate better with each other, so fire-type superpowered individuals live together. Qu Menghan, as the dormitory head of the fire-type dormitory and the captain of the fire-type superpowered team, is very annoyed by her subordinates' lack of ambition.
However, after the new system was implemented, people's thoughts were constantly changing. The superhuman who decided to change careers felt guilty, but still firmly chose his own path.
She was aware of Captain Qu's concerns, but she wanted to believe this once, to believe that justice would truly triumph over evil, that civilization would truly triumph over barbarity, and that their group, bound together by morality, could truly continue.
Those who choose to do undignified jobs, who may be seen as self-degrading and lacking ambition, are actually betting their biggest risk: a future from which there is no turning back if they fail.
They can comfortably engage in these disreputable jobs, provided that these jobs are not considered disreputable. Their past has already shown them how fragile such a morally-based system is.
They are not idealists naive to the world in an ivory tower, but rather survivors who have been trampled on in every way.
But humans are indeed lazy creatures. After experiencing so much, instead of being prepared for danger in times of peace, what we really want is to live well.
If you can live well without forcing yourself, why not choose a way of life that makes you comfortable?
Is it true that one deserves to live only if they have suffered enough?
The system proposed by Ye Xiqing gave them a reason to make a choice with a clear conscience, which made them make their choice instantly.
If the base system changes in the future and they are left behind by the times, suffering a tragic fate, it will be the result of their desire for comfort. At least for now, they want to choose a job that makes them happy.
After the new system was implemented, many people with special abilities gave up powerful positions and chose to work in logistics and infrastructure.
Many ordinary people, with shining eyes, also choose positions of power.
Ye Xiqing doesn't oppose either of these trends; she's fine with either way. She only guarantees that as long as she lives, the base's resource-sharing system will not change.
She won't criticize you for doing little, nor will she reward you for doing a lot. Resources are shared equally anyway, so whether you like to lie down or be motivated, just find a comfortable position for yourself.
If we set the bar for all of humanity on the elite, everyone will be exhausted.
If you set the bar on salted fish, then those who are better than salted fish are the elite.
Ye Xiqing didn't understand why humans had such a sense of urgency, as if everything had to be done in a short period of time, completed within a generation.
Even with such intense pressure, Ye Xiqing has never seen humanity finish its tasks. As soon as one problem is solved, a new one arises; there are always unsolvable problems.
Since problems can never be completely solved, it's better to slow down your life.
A legacy that lasts for millennia often has nothing to do with people in this world. Even the greatest person can only live once, and even NPCs in a game world only have one story loop.
It would be truly tragic if one never had the chance to fully enjoy happiness from birth to death, from before the end times to after.
Humans only have such a short lifespan, don't rush through even that little bit of time.
...
Life at the base is slowing down, but the changes are happening faster and faster.
Initially, only a few people took a gamble and chose the job they liked. As the system of public ownership was firmly implemented, more and more people's thinking and lifestyle began to change.
The paper that used to record contribution points is now used to record everyone's needs.
The base provides resource services to everyone. Everyone can apply for the resources they need. If they are available in the warehouse, they will be allocated directly. If they are not available, they will be posted in the main square for public solicitation.
Those who have the ability to obtain this resource should take on the challenge, but there is no reward for taking on the challenge.
The only essential resource for sustaining life is food, which is provided uniformly by the canteen. People with large appetites take more food and those with small appetites take less. There are no people who are not full, nor are there any special supplies.
Other living resources follow the same application process. Everyone gets their turn to be listed on the application form. There are no exceptions, and therefore no rewards. It's as if everyone is working for someone else; everyone is working for themselves.
Helping others today means others will help you tomorrow. At most, you'll leave your name so the other person knows who did it.
From now on, when two strangers meet and ask each other's names, one will say: "Oh, so you're the one who helped me with XX! Nice to meet you!"
Later on, not to mention the matter of whether a job was respectable or not, Ye Xiqing even canceled her fixed job.
The job model abandons the previous dedicated personnel for specific positions, and similar to the recruitment of resources, it adopts special recruitment for projects.
The base's planning department is specifically responsible for planning the base's development, making annual task plans for the base, dividing them into different projects, recruiting people from outside, and having people work on projects once they are recruited, and disbanding the department once the projects are completed.
We don't confine people to specific job titles, but rather to specific tasks. We hire people when there are projects, and they stay put when there aren't.
I like to play, I like to sleep, I like to exercise, I like to take on challenges, I like to study, I like to read, I'll do anything, as long as there are no projects, there are no tasks.
No one should feel uncomfortable seeing others idle. No task means no work is required. Don't create trouble for yourself.
Although there are fewer people in the apocalypse, there is still a surplus of human resources for the scale of construction required for a base.
After completing their planning tasks, many people have time to relax.
As people who came from before the end times and have always been taught that being idle is a sin, we felt a little uncomfortable when we first faced a state of having nothing to do.
But as the system was firmly implemented and everyone did it, people gradually discovered the advantages of doing so.
With free time, people can finally stop and explore themselves.
Previously, I held a fixed position and couldn't rest even when I was tired. I had to stay at my post even when there was nothing to do. Now I don't have to worry about that anymore. All projects are completed in one go. If the workload is heavy, we just hire more people to share the individual pressure. If I do it for a while and find that I don't like it, I won't go back.
I particularly enjoy doing this, but I don't need to keep working until I'm exhausted. I can take a break for a while and participate in individual projects to relax.
For example, clerical work involving development planning, human resource allocation, and material resource allocation is not a fixed position; recruitment changes occur once a year.
When your brain gets tired, switch to a different activity: boil water in a boiler room, plant potatoes in a field, or raise fish in a zombie pond. Experience the joy of doing mechanical work without having to think.
Those interested in scientific research can also spend their free time reading books in the library to increase their knowledge and directly enter the research department the following year. Surprisingly, the research department also adopts a project-based recruitment model.
After experiencing them all, I found that I still preferred my original job. And once the job I liked started a new round of public recruitment, it wouldn't be difficult to go back.
Since they can't go back anyway, they're being supported by the base. Regardless of whether they work or not, resources are shared. There's no such thing as not working and not eating, so not letting them work isn't their loss.
It used to be said that there is no noble or lowly profession, but in reality, there is definitely a noble and lowly one. Salaries are different, so how can there be no noble or lowly?
There's really no hierarchy in the positions at the base now. No matter what kind of work you do, when it's time to collect resources, it's all the same. No one gets any special treatment.
Even resource allocation positions, which were once considered positions of power, are now filled by project workers. Anyone can come and take turns. So what difference does it make what kind of job you do?
When there is truly no distinction between noble and lowly professions, people can do whatever they want, and then they find that they no longer dislike working.
If you can do a job you love and create something worthwhile, you'll feel a real sense of satisfaction. You'll easily know that you're creating value and that the world is changing because of you.
The people at the base gradually stopped considering themselves superior because they were doing "noble" work, and they no longer got caught up in internal strife because their work was trivial and lacked a "high-class" aura.
Abolishing the contribution-based distribution system does not mean acknowledging individual contributions; on the contrary, it means recognizing the contributions of every single person.
When every contribution is truly recognized, people will naturally be willing to do anything.
I thought that abolishing the contribution-based distribution system would lead to some people shirking their responsibilities, but unexpectedly, production efficiency has increased.
The resource-sharing system means that everyone is a shareholder of the base. In the past, saying that the base is my home was just a formality, but now the base really is my home. When people contribute to their own home, they often don't even care about personal gains or losses.
The special recruitment system for projects ensures that everyone involved in the project is someone who loves doing the work. They do it out of interest and to realize their self-worth, not to just coast along, so they naturally put in more enthusiasm for their work.
After finishing a passionate day of work, you can still relax and do nothing.
Those with low energy can simply relax and recuperate, while those with high energy can learn other skills and experience more diverse jobs and richer work experiences when the next project recruitment comes around.
If you want something, just go to the supplies department. If you get it, enjoy it. If you don't get it, do it yourself when the base issues resource tasks. As long as the base continues to develop, you will get it one day.
In this way, everyone lived with energy, confidence, and fulfilled their duties without any internal conflict.
Resources are truly scarce in the apocalypse, and no one can completely escape labor; joy and sorrow alternate forever.
But why is it that when people finish work, go home, lie in bed, and contemplate life, their mental state is better than before the apocalypse?
I kind of miss the life before the apocalypse, when I was waited on hand and foot, ordered takeout when I was hungry, and could just lie down and play on my phone.
However, if they were to trade their present life for the pre-apocalyptic world, they would be reluctant to give it up.
Those abundant resources will one day be created again in their hands.
This blissful state of being able to fall asleep with my eyes closed is only available now.
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