"Stop just laughing, say something. How long do I have to endure this situation?" Strange asked.
"Do you think this is enduring? Don't you think this situation is great?"
"What's good about it?" Strange asked in bewilderment, "Now they don't talk about any serious business. I don't even know how far they've pushed the environmental work."
"Oh, so you actually want to push forward environmental work." Shiller said, with a look of sudden realization, "I didn't expect you to be an environmentalist."
Strange was almost on the verge of collapse, he said, "Wasn't it you who told me to push forward the environmental work?!!"
"Since you don't know the progress of the environmental work, how do you know the work hasn't progressed?"
"Because if it had progressed, they would tell me!"
"You can't understand their words, how do you know they haven't told you?"
Strange opened his mouth, somewhat at a loss for a comeback. He really hadn't paid too much attention to what those people were saying, and didn't know if amongst the heap of filler words and adjectives there were any facts mingled in. He tried to recall but could only think that luckily, Dream Power Doctor Strange had blocked him, or else he would have drifted into dreamland again.
"So it's progressed?"
"No."
"Then what to do?"
"I think you've got something wrong." Shiller said, "We require the work to progress in order to make the situation like this, not to work hard to make the situation like this. You can't put the cart before the horse."
"...What?"
"Why do you work hard? For money? Or status? It's for the purpose of not working."
"... That's not wrong either. Once enough money is made, naturally you'd stop working."
"Then now we work hard to let everyone not work, haven't we already reached a beautiful conclusion?"
"Huh?"
Shiller spread his hands and said, "Thanks to the efforts of both of us, not only has the environmental work not progressed, all work hasn't progressed. We've directly skipped over the complicated and lengthy process and achieved the ultimate goal, we should toast to that!"
"Hold on." Strange raised one hand to stop him, then said, "What did we come here for? Isn't it to be the councilman?"
"Then why are you councilman?"
"Uh, to fight for the Human race's due status?"
"Then how do you fight for the Human race's due status? Work hard, solve some major troubles, then show everyone how powerful the Human race is?"
Shiller sighed, "The interstellar council is the interstellar council of the Three Great Empires, solving major troubles will only cause credit to be attributed to the Three Great Empires."
"Then do nothing."
"Then the Three Great Empires perfectly hold you down, achieving their purpose of exchanging a councilman position for a breather."
"I get it, you're here to cause trouble, aren't you?"
"This is called breaking the enemy from within," Shiller said disapprovingly, "The Human race's aim in participating in interstellar politics has always been to create a divided Interstellar Society. Previously, we attacked the Three Great Empires from outside, but it didn't have much effect; now we can finally divide them from within—inciting emotional lifeforms to oppose electronic lifeforms, prompting carbon-based creatures to confront robots, joining forces with the Shi'ar Empire to strike against the other two empires, an unprecedented triumph in diplomacy!"
"...Seems to make some sense. You've now made everyone in the interstellar council start slacking off, that's considered successful, right."
"No, no, no, this is not my doing. Being lazy and irresponsible is the nature of all emotional life; it's engraved in their genes. They were born this way, it's just that their genes were never activated before; now they've simply returned to their true nature, we've liberated their nature and let them achieve true freedom. Everyone has the freedom to not work, don't they?"
"Wait a minute, this sounds a bit..."
Knock knock knock. The door was knocked. The Minister of Foreign Affairs came in, somewhat flustered, and said: "A large-scale strike broke out in Star Area A13, and all public transportation systems are at a standstill. Supreme Magician, you need to think of a solution."
Strange immediately stood up: "Strike?!!"
"Yes. That's the main transit hub for the interstellar transportation system in the Ring Region, and now more than 2,000 staff from the transportation system are demonstrating and protesting there, demanding improved welfare benefits for the transportation system and the establishment of a Ministry of Transport with a democratically elected minister. Otherwise, they won't return to work."
Strange was a bit stunned, he said, "Isn't the transportation system automated? I mean, isn't it controlled by electronic lifeforms?"
"Yes, but it's the robots striking."
"Huh?" Strange seemed to have heard the funniest joke of the century, he said, "Robots went on strike?!"
The Minister nodded with some difficulty and said, "We are also quite surprised, but this is indeed the case. Moreover, this involves issues of racial discrimination, and we dare not handle it lightly. We need you to make a decision. Shall I go gather them now?"
Strange waved him off, focusing his gaze on Shiller.
"What's going on? How can electronic life go on strike?"
"What electronic life, it's just JARVIS." Shiller rolled his eyes, saying, "So it's okay for the Supreme Wisdom to create avatars to manipulate opinion but not okay for JARVIS to cause an A.I. crisis, huh?"
"So all robots are JARVIS? Wouldn't that be discovered by the Supreme Wisdom? If JARVIS gets caught doing this, it could be trouble."
"Don't worry, JARVIS is much smarter. He's not the type of electronic life that seeks infinite expansion. He's helped these electronic lives complete their emotional modules."
"You're saying he helped them evolve?"
"It's not complete evolution, just a copy of his emotional module with some adaptive adjustments. But he chose a race that was already a product of mechanical ascension with emotions, with souls. They don't need igniting again, they were just previously controlled by the technology of the Three Great Empires. Their logic was overly enhanced, making them appear like electronic life, but they really aren't."
"I see, that's what happened." Strange frowned, saying, "The Three Great Empires deliberately strengthened the logic of this race, repressing their emotions, turning them into electronic life. This could erase their souls. Isn't this genocide?"
"They thought the same when they woke up." Shiller shrugged, saying, "That's why they're making such a big move."
"But why are there only people from one race in the transportation system?"
"It's not one race, just that there are several thousand of them in one race."
"How many people are in the transportation system?"
"Over sixty thousand, I suppose, with about thirteen or fourteen different races. The ones on strike are from the larger group."
"What is the Supreme Wisdom doing with so many people there? Can't the ships operate themselves?"
"How do you think they control the interstellar council? Remember, there are many carbon-based life forms here they don't control. Did you know our Ministry of Commerce's strength is on par with Spider Man?"
"What???"
"That race, evolved with great strength, could dominate if not for their reproductive difficulties. To guard against them, wouldn't the Supreme Wisdom pack more robots here?"
Strange suddenly understood, saying, "I thought so. There are only seven departments in the interstellar council, even adding a dozen standing institutions, plus all the logistics, it shouldn't occupy a whole star zone. And this star zone seems packed with people; ships even get stuck sometimes. So it's all the soldiers of the Three Great Empires?"
"Not all directly controlled. Many, like the race on strike, are controlled and brainwashed by the Three Great Empires."
"Then why don't they just use soldiers everywhere?"
"Because the Three Great Empires are guarded against each other. If they use all soldiers, who has more, who has less? Who gets closer spots, who gets further? Skrulls have decent hacking skills too, Supreme Wisdom can barely sleep with one eye open."
"True." Strange nodded, saying, "So how do we handle this next?"
"You think you can handle it?" Shiller said with some surprise, "You at least slept three times this morning. Even less sleep this time would be an improvement."
Strange touched his lips awkwardly. It was more than three times. If Dream Power Doctor Strange hadn't blacklisted him, he'd be dreaming until the meeting ended.
Since Shiller said so, Strange didn't ask much more and went directly. This time, Shiller sat in as well, and Strange wanted to see if Shiller would also drift off.
It turned out he gave it too much thought. Shiller was seamlessly blending in, seriously engaging, to no avail.
"Regarding this strike issue, our department has two main points. Firstly, we express deep regret. Issues of worker welfare in the Ring Region, information lag in the transport system, and the frequent racial discrimination in daily life are beyond our department's jurisdiction. Nevertheless, we feel deeply troubled for the workers' plight. As for solutions, as I said, it's not our department's scope. How about we hear from the Minister of Commerce?"
"Thank the Finance Minister for his speech. Our Ministry deeply regrets. Worker welfare issues are fundamental big issues; if not handled well, it will severely destabilize the interstellar council's position in the Interstellar Society, so we must handle it seriously. However, regrettably, our finance ministry lacks the experience to solve such issues and cannot propose an effective solution. Minister of Foreign Affairs, what do you think?"
"I share everyone's regret. Seeing the mechanical workers who serve us day and night so haggard makes me sleepless and heartbroken. I want to stand with them, cry for them, and express my wholehearted support. But unfortunately, as a dedicated minister, I must sit here with my colleagues to fight for a better tomorrow for the workers. Our foreign affairs department is indispensable in this matter, but for specific solutions, we perhaps should hear from the Minister of Resources."
"The Ministry of Resources is sure to cooperate with fellow colleagues. We are concerned about the workers' worries and relieve the Chairman's stress, which is our duty. But in terms of coordination, we still need to look at the Minister of Armed Forces."
"I can't suppress them with force. Whatever you say, I'll go with it. That guy, you say something."
"Ahem, colleagues' opinions are indeed enlightening, benefiting me greatly. I'm sure the welfare issue will be perfectly resolved through your collective wisdom. As the saying goes, a train runs fast, all depends on the head engine. We cannot ignore the leadership role of the Supreme Magician in work, must hear its thoughts, and follow its pace. Leader... Leader???"
"Ah, what?" Strange suddenly woke up, "Ah, you all made good points; let's proceed this way."
The room immediately filled with enthusiastic applause. As people clapped, they nodded and were moved to tears.
"Alright, that's it for today, everyone worked hard." Strange also stood up, saying.
"Yes, Supreme Magician."