After all, Zachary had transferred his household registration to this place, so he found a non-obtrusive spot and carefully examined the Apps on the page.

The most important here was the Exclusive Identity App. For someone like Zachary, who had household registration here, it was best to enter his identity information in advance when using the tablet.

I’m not sure if it’s because there are few skilled talents here, but in Magic City’s Base Three, as long as your household registration belongs to this base, most of the Apps on the page are free to use. Only a few require a per-use fee.

When Zachary had just finished entering his identity information, the page automatically popped up with information about the real estate he owned, and the detailed address was labeled with "private residence" after it.

Seeing a red dot indicating an email notification, Zachary subconsciously opened it and then saw three new emails displayed inside.

The first email congratulated Zachary on activating network services and provided a simple introduction to the local Apps.

The second email congratulated Zachary on acquiring Level Five Base authorization, as well as the privileges and obligations that came with Level Five authorization in the base.

The third email reminded Zachary that he needed to submit a specified amount of Contribution Points within a given deadline; otherwise, his Contribution Points cap would be directly deducted. If the Contribution Points cap decreased, the privileges Zachary enjoyed in the base would be accordingly reduced.

It was exactly because Zachary saw this email that he specifically looked into the matters of authorization within the base.

In fact, the authorization in the base is essentially a symbol of one’s status within the base. To elevate one’s authorization, one must complete tasks issued by the Governmental Office within the base.

Upon accepting and completing a task from the Officials, you’d earn corresponding Contribution Points. For example, if you completed a task worth five hundred Contribution Points, after delivering the task, the Officials would award a 500/500 Contribution Points.

The first five hundred represents the Contribution Points that can be freely used, whereas the second denotes the level of authority in the base.

The two sets of Contribution Points are just two different methods of measurement and do not have any special connection.

To give a simple example, due to the gradual proliferation of electronic devices, Contribution Points have gradually become the credit currency of the base,

If both parties have electronic devices, they can directly use online transactions without seeing cash, while still completing the transaction.

Since it’s a transaction between people, it’s quite normal for the number in the first half to exceed that in the second half, like when the electronic device displays a customer’s Contribution Points as 6666/500.

The 6666 is like the capital and interest a merchant has from traveling all around—it belongs to them, and no one else has any right to dictate how it’s used.

Just as the first part of the Contribution Points belongs to the individual, let’s continue using 6666/500 as the example.

If the first part belongs to the individual and can be freely managed,

Then the second part belongs to the Officials or the Imperial Court, and the individual has no right to change it. Only the Officials have the authority to increase or decrease it.

The number in the second part represents the holder’s status in the base, like a retired president from the Eagle Sauce Family. He may not have much direct income on paper, but his status is there, and sometimes he doesn’t need to spend much money to get what he wants.

Just like the saying that went around on the internet, truly good things can’t always be bought with money.

Because of such importance, every addition or reduction must go through a complete verification process.

Of course, setting one’s household registration here would definitely increase some of the right-hand side Contribution Points.

It was only after Zachary read the third email carefully that he realized some things simply can’t be analyzed too deeply.

When Dong Tianyu left Magic City’s Base Three, there was no such thing as Contribution Points in the base, showing that this stuff only appeared after his departure.

Authority levels were initially set not by the individual’s presence or absence but through a series of complex formulas.

After the level was determined, an equal number of Contribution Points were distributed to both the left and the right, with the left being at the disposal of the owner for free use, while the right directly reflected their privilege level within the base.

Dong Tianyu considered for a moment and realized why this Contribution system was used—it was to enhance the cohesion amongst everyone in the base.

The simplest example: initially, people like Dong Tianyu were attracted to stay with high welfare benefits, but while enjoying these benefits, they failed to contribute accordingly to the base.

At first, those benefits were given out for various reasons. But as the base gradually got on the right track, more and more people started feeling dissatisfied.

The Officials understood the reasons behind this, but since they had initially made these promises actively, they wouldn’t overturn them easily for the sake of their credibility.

However, although they could not overturn it outright, there were clever individuals among the Officials who, on their advice, devised this indirect plan akin to boiling frogs in warm water.

Every month, Contribution Points on the left side would be deducted according to the authority level; if the Contribution Value on the left was insufficient, they would start deducting from the Contribution Points on the right.

You see, the Contribution Points on the left are merely a form of credit currency. As long as one is willing to exchange the corresponding materials, surely many people would willingly trade.

For most people, something that can be bought with money is not deemed especially important.

But once the Contribution Points on the right were linked to the privilege levels within the base, everyone instantly understood their significance.

To put it bluntly, the Contribution Points on the right are like a progress bar for ascending to higher official ranks. Once you fill up that progress bar, you directly obtain the corresponding privileges in the base.

While the Contribution Points deducted each month are the tradable ones on the left, there will inevitably be someone willing to pay for these points as long as there’s spending.

And when the Contribution Points on the left are insufficient, the Contribution Value on the right will be deducted directly.

This is much like driving uphill; if there is fuel, one can smoothly reach the mountaintop.

Once the Contribution Points on the left are depleted, it’s like running out of fuel on an uphill road.

Without fuel in the tank to provide power, the vehicle on the uphill road not only can’t continue to ascend but must slowly roll back due to the lack of propulsion.

The plan is straightforward. In its initial stage, it didn’t affect people like Dong Tianyu much, because their initial authority levels were set very high, completely in line with what the Officials had promised at the beginning.

If they were willing to take on and complete more tasks issued by the Officials in order to gain higher authority levels, this could, to some extent, be seen as a win-win situation.

But there were some who, after gaining higher authority, began to rest on their laurels and stopped contributing to the base,

In no time at all, those people would use up their reserves. Once they start deducting from the Contribution Points on the right, they’re ultimately left with two options.

The first is to continue to enjoy life carefree. If this continues, as time goes by and the Contribution Value keeps decreasing, the special treatment they once enjoyed will gradually vanish.

In the end, it’s not that they become indistinguishable from others, but it can be said that the person disappears from public view.

Of course, besides the first type which can be considered as giving in, the other is when they notice a reduction in their privileges, they stop being indolent. To continue enjoying their original privileges, they start actively taking on tasks published by the Officials.

And people like them, with high initial authority levels, often have strong abilities in respective areas. Otherwise, the Officials wouldn’t have offered so much to keep them initially.