The Apostle of the Astral Realm
Chaptre 001. Forced Immigration
"I'm back."
Beep beep..Fingerprint verification device beep with clear prompt. The anti-theft door, which had a small advertising slip attached to it, opened without a sound.
Zhou Jing returned home. A tired expression hung on his handsome face as he carried a small cake box in his hand.
The full body mirror beside the door reflects its appearance. He has short hair. He appeared simple yet graceful with a white shirt, black trousers, and leather shoes. She was wearing standard interview clothes.
He had spent another day on a job interview. As a recent graduate of a high school with not very outstanding grades, he could only apply for a place in an institution of higher education as an independent candidate. For the past three months, apart from finding work, Zhou Jing had been constantly revising.
Competition for the job market in West Sea City is getting tougher, and it is not easy to find a job with just a standard education degree. Today, he received many replies "back and wait for the news", to the point that his ears were numb.
Zhou Jing, however, did not have much of an intense reaction to their answer, as he was already used to it. After all, being chosen is as likely as a frog eating goose meat.
After replacing his sandals with one exercise, Zhou Jing suddenly realized that his house was too quiet.
At this time, her sisters would play, and her mother would turn on the television when she watched the afternoon drama. But at this moment, the usually boisterous house was extremely quiet.
"Is there no one at home?"
Zhou Jing muttered to himself as he walked around the cabinet. It was then that he saw his parents and brothers gathered together and sat quietly at the dinner table. They all looked towards him.
There is no food at the dinner table. The only thing on the table was a withered lily in a gently swaying glass vase.
Zhou Jing was caught off guard by this scene.
What the hell is going on? Is this a family trial? Were they mad for taking all the lil bro pocket money when I played cards with him yesterday?
But if that was the case, why would my two older brothers who had already moved back here? It has only been eight days since the last family meeting. Each person usually only gathers once every month or two. Surely, they would not be here for such a small matter …
At this moment, his mother, Zhao Jing, spoke. His tone sounded the same as usual, but faintly one could hear his voice trembling.
“Nak, how was your interview today?”
Hearing this, Zhou Jing suppressed the doubt in his heart and shook his head. “Same old, same old. You know that a lot of the basic work is occupied by mechanics now. I'm just a recent graduate with no work experience, so it's too hard to find a job.”
“Then... What's your plan?”
I mentioned that a long time ago. Did he forget?? Zhou Jing felt a little strange, but he still repeated his thoughts and plans.
“It is not easy to find a job with just a standard degree. I've applied to a higher education institution, and I want to get a higher education degree. If I can't find a job during this period, I have to borrow my tuition from family ... But don't worry, I'll pay it back when I get a job.
Zhou Jing explained in a low voice as he removed his tie and opened his collar. Then, he sat down on the last empty chair at the dining table.
He placed the cake box on the table and pushed it towards his three underage brothers.
"Here, I bought you a cake."
"Wow, thank you, Third Brother!"
"Third Brother is the best!"
“Hey, this was bought with my allowance! Only I can eat it!”
Three younger brothers and sisters cheered while discordant voices grumbled between them. The three hurriedly opened the box together and fought over the cake.
Zhou Jing smiled before turning to look at his father, mother, and two older brothers. He found that the four of them had severe expressions on their faces, not at all amused by the current scene.
Hmm, the atmosphere is strange. Why are you all staring at me? Even if I'm pretty handsome, don't keep looking like that…
Zhou Jing inevitably asked puzzledly, “Why is everyone gathered here today? Why do you all look like that? Did something happen?”
His father, Zhou Wei'an, took a deep breath from his nose. He spoke in a low voice, “You've seen the news, right? The newly developed Joint Government habitable planet has started a new round of immigration. There were not enough applicants this time, so they started to randomly select people for forced immigration.”
"…I heard." Zhou Jing nodded. For some unknown reason, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Zhou Wei'an continued solemnly, "Our family has been chosen, and we have to bear the burden of forced migration to meet the quota... Your future plans need to be changed."
Hearing his words, Zhou Jing's expression froze, and his eyes widened slightly.
He finally understood why his family was acting strangely today.
Forced immigration…
He did not expect something like this to happen to his family.
With the era of interstellar navigation, dozens of countries originating from its parent planet formed the "Interstellar Joint Government" and became the supreme ruling authority of human civilization. They took over the development of human civilization and began to expand into interstellar space.
Since the spacecraft of human civilization drove through the star system, more and more habitable planets were put into the territory of human civilization.
Humans and leeks have a lot in common. Both are endless and cannot be removed completely, but both require planted seeds. Each new colonial planet required a large amount of labor to evolve and reproduce.
Therefore, under the decision of the Interstellar Government, the leeks ... no, humans were migrated and transplanted to various new discovered colonial planets. Therefore, an interstellar immigration system was established.
One of his proposals was the process of “migration forcibly”.
If voluntary applications for interstellar immigration are not up to expectations, those countries will then randomly select suitable candidates from nearby neighboring planets and apply mandatory immigration. If the chosen candidate has a family, the family will discuss among themselves and decide which members will bear the mandatory immigration quota.
About half a month ago, the planet's authoritative media broadcast the relevant news, reporting that the number of active immigrants on the new planet has not reached the standard, and the planet he lives on is exactly within the range of forced immigration.
Zhou Jing did not take heart at that time because compared to the population of the entire planet, the quota for forced immigration was limited. The chances of "winning" such a lottery were very small, so he thought it had nothing to do with him.
Unexpectedly, such a thing had actually happened to their families.
"How can we be so unlucky ..."
Zhou Jing's heart sank.
He understood that although human civilizations had abandoned their home planets, how the current noble civilizations were created by many interstellar immigrants. The inhabitants of all the colonial planets today were immigrants a few generations ago... But it's about the glory of civilization, and it's not always a good thing for interstellar immigrants.
The interstellar immigrants were not allowed to leave the new planet within a certain time limit. Also, the communication and transportation technology of human civilization did not improve greatly even after many years. So, for ordinary people, every new colonial planet is like being stranded on a remote island, isolated from all communication.
Today, only the most advanced technologies allow interplanetary communication. However, it was not easily accessible to ordinary people, and civilian base stations could only connect to the Internet on the planet. This is equivalent to a regional network with the planet as its unit. Ordinary people on two planets could barely communicate.
In addition, due to restrictions on spacecraft and transportation technology, traveling across the planet is often too expensive for ordinary civilians. Thus, although human civilization has entered the interstellar era for many years, there is still not much communication between interstellar inhabitants. Usually, only when a new planet is developed will there be massive immigration from different countries.
In the lives of ordinary people, interstellar migrants cut off from their past lives—they have to leave the planet they know and come to an alien world. They are separated from their friends and family, isolated from each other, and there is nothing to rely on.
Unless they had no choice, most people would only live on one planet for the rest of their lives.
The fact that his family has been chosen to forcibly migrate means one of them will leave the planet. It will be difficult for that person to meet other family members for the rest of their lives. From Zhou Wei'an's words, it seemed that he was the one chosen.
Zhou Jing took a deep breath. “So... am I selected?”
Zhou Wei'an knocked on the table and said solemnly, “That's not important. The problem now is that our family needs to send someone for forced immigration. We have discussed this, and you are the only one most suited to take this quota. ”
“...But you didn't talk about it with me.”
Zhou Jing pursed his lips, his feelings becoming complicated.
He had lived on this planet for 20 years and had never thought of leaving. Even his family should not have made a decision for him on the big issue concerning his future.
“But besides you, who else is a match?!”
Zhou Wei'an's voice grew louder.
Hearing this, Zhou Jing turned to look at his eldest brother.
His older brother looked like a professional elite. He adjusted his gold-framed glasses and calmly spoke,
“Thirdie, you know me. I have worked at Grand Silver Group for several years and developed several new projects in the Department of Financial Products. Logically speaking, it is not feasible for me, who already has a certain standing on the planet, to undertake forced immigration. I can't put down my career to help you ... Do you understand?
"I understand."
Zhou Jing nodded and turned to look at his second brother.
“Thirdie, you know how I am! I took the national exam for three years before I was accepted by a state-level higher education institution. Next year, I will go to the capital institute to continue my studies. After I graduate, I will find a high-paying job there, and I will be able to stay at the capital institute! The government must be wrong. It was not my turn to force me to immigrate. How can they make me give up the great future I have earned so hard!”
Zhou Jing pursed his lips and looked away from his second brother.
He turned around and glanced at the other three underage brothers. The oldest was only ten years old, and the youngest was five years old. These three boys clearly did not meet the mandatory immigration standards.
Exactly right. Everyone has a reason to survive. Then, I'm the best candidate…
In today's interstellar society, almost all adult children are separated from their families. Big Brother and Second Brother had their own future, and only he was stuck in a position that was neither high nor low. He had not graduated for a long time and also did not get a job.The Interstellar Immigration Bureau must have liked young and gentle laborers like him who did not have a stable career or job in the local area.
Zhou Jing was silent as he pondered.
She was initially unhappy that her family did not talk about it with her, but after looking around, she did not know who to be angry at.
Can I separate my parents and convince one of them to immigrate? D * mn, a marvelous display of filial piety which will be ...
In addition, his father also has his own career and connections in the local area. If he could, he would definitely choose to immigrate as a family, instead of forcing someone to do forced immigration.
The whole family cannot migrate and live together on another planet. Everyone has already declared that they are unwilling to give up the future on this planet and will not accompany it away.
It seemed like he had no choice but to sacrifice himself for his family.
Zhou Jing suddenly thought of something and immediately felt full of hope. He hurriedly asked his father, “By the way, you are a civil servant and have special treatment. Can you apply to the Interstellar Immigration Bureau to cancel our forced immigration quota?
Although there are many children in the family, they are not considered a "common" family in interstellar society. Their father, Zhou Wei'an, had a job in public service and was a minor officer in the Scarlet Country. Although he did not have much authority, he was still an official.
According to forced immigration rules, those serving in the Interstellar Joint Government can apply for a waiver to the Interstellar Immigration Bureau if their families are selected for immigration. As long as some conditions and standards are met, they can legally waive quotas for forced immigration.
In Zhou Jing's eyes, the best result was to directly ignore the quota. That way, no one had to leave, and only Zhou Wei'an had the right to do so.
However, after hearing those words, Zhou Wei'an's expression changed, and he actually attacked.
"Omong empty! As a PNS, I should be the first to respond to such a thing. How can I fight against immigration policy!”
“But that's your legal right. If you can use it, why not use it? You might succeed if you try. That way, I don't need to immigrate and leave..”.
Zhou Jing's tone was a bit anxious. This concerned his own future, so he could not ignore it.
However, before he could finish, Zhou Wei'an cut him off with a frown.
“Only 'in theory', they can rule out immigration quotas. I don't need to tell you. You should know that whether an application can be approved or not depends not only on the actual family situation, but also on the position ranking ... Those who have the qualifications to pass the exemption application will not be selected, and those who can get forced immigration will not pass the review. Do you understand the situation here? ”
Zhou Jing understood this logic, but he was unwilling to give up. He muttered reluctantly, "But no matter how low the odds are, it's worth a try ..."
"Enough!"
Zhou Wei'an slammed his hands onto the table, saying solemnly: "Son, you have always been very wise, so I will be honest with you ... Recently, my department has undergone a personnel change. I have been rejected twice in my promotions. This time, I finally had enough experience on my resume, and I had a good chance of taking a step forward.
“My family has been chosen to take the place, but I am not taking the lead in responding to the immigration policy. What will my leaders and colleagues think of me? I've been waiting for years, and I can't risk it now!”
Zhou Jing was stunned. He looked at his father as if he had just met him for the first time.
The Interstellar Joint Government needs to continue to evolve, so responding to immigration policy has long been a politically correct move.
If a family has immigrant members, in addition to official immigration benefits subsidies, there will be many unwritten rules in their favor. It is no secret that those who have interstellar immigrants in their families, especially public officials, will be given a certain amount of care and compensation.
As for finding a way to avoid the responsibility of forcing immigration, although he would not be targeted, some benefits would also go through.
He finally understood. Zhou Wei'an was worried that it would affect his official career. His father would rather see him forced to migrate than try to exercise his legal rights to protect his family.
If he were to immigrate on his own, then his father's promotion not only had a chance, it might even be a certainty.
Zhou Jing understood the hidden meaning of his father, and an indescribable sense of loss welled up in his heart.
Perhaps, Zhou Wei'an did not think that this was bad luck but rather a blessing from heaven.
There were six children in the family. One of them can wander to advance his father's career, receiving “hadiah” it with a clear conscience.
Therefore, even though he was able to submit his plea and try to prevent his family from separating, Zhou Wei'an was unwilling to do so. That's the real reason.
The two of them looked at each other, and the air seemed to freeze as they fell into a tense silence.
The mother beside him opened her mouth several times, but she did not know how to interrupt.
As if sensing the rigidity of the atmosphere, the three younger brothers and sisters slowly calmed down, their curious gazes shifting back and forth between Zhou Jing and their father, Zhou Wei'an.
The lips of the five-year-old boy were covered in cream cake. He widened his eyes and looked at Zhou Jing in confusion.
"Third Brother, did Dad make you unhappy?"
“...Eat cake. I bought it with your allowance. If you don't want it, I'll eat it. ”
"Dream! I won't give you a single piece!” The boy hurriedly buried his face in the cake.
Zhou Jing rubbed the back of his sister's head and forced a smile.
His sisters were still stupid and did not understand what had happened. Zhou Jing had no intention of explaining. It was enough for adults like them to worry about such things.
Zhou Wei'an coughed and broke the silence.
“This mandatory policy. Even if you don't want to leave, officials will take mandatory action. Moreover, it is not a bad thing for young people to go out and experience some adventure. Don't struggle.
“Just think about it. You have not found a job, as long as you immigrate, the welfare of the government will directly give you a job. It will also save you from the trouble of applying to the Institute of Higher Education. Isn't that nice? You don't have to worry about your livelihood anymore. ”
Zhou Jing was silent for a while before he said in a low voice, "I know the benefits of immigration are good .. but I still want to stay."
“But it's not up to you to decide. You have to migrate. I'm not talking about this with you!” Zhou Wei'an tapped his knuckles on the table, his tone sounding a little annoyed.
“...Do you not feel guilty at all?” Zhou Jing couldn't help but ask.
Zhou Wei'an's voice increased slightly, “One joke. What should I apologize for? I raised you, and now you think I owe you? If you don't go, then who will? Your two older brothers already have a stable future ahead of them, so do you want your mother to leave, or do you want me to leave?
“Oh, you mean you want to force me to apply for an exemption from the Immigration Bureau. You want me to give up the promotion I've been waiting for for so many years? You want me to give up on my career? Don't be selfish!”
Zhou Jing looked at his father in silence.
He didn't know if he should feel sorry for himself or for his father.
His mother, Zhao Jing, quickly tried to make things right. "alright then. Your father only spoke out of anger.”
Zhou Jing turned around. “Then what do you think?”
“I... sigh.” Zhao Jing's fingers intertwined as she continued, “Son, you should be more optimistic. At least your father was right. It's not that we want you to migrate, but it's government policy. I know you've always cared the most about family, and it's time we needed you, so..”.
"That's fine. Our family needs your help. Brother, just treat it as a favor for me. ” Second brother can't wait to interrupt. His expression was slightly guilty, and his tone hesitated. "In addition, if you agree to immigrate, maybe my name will be on the institute's scholarship list ..."
"I'll go back to my room!"
Zhou Jing suddenly stood up and walked back to his room, slamming the door behind him.
The family members at the dinner table looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
After a moment of silence, they began to speak in low voices.
“Third Brother will agree, right? I do not want to be drawn into immigration, and my scholarship has not been completed ... "
“Do you know how to talk? You speak so rudely. Aren't you afraid that Thirdie might misunderstand?”
“But he's the most suitable. What's wrong with helping me in return.”.
“Third Brother has always been the person who cares most about family. He could not take this blow for now. Give him time and he will agree..”.
Amidst the conversation being deliberately lowered, the flowers on the table trembled slightly, and the withered flower petals fell.