Chapter 9: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Xiang Nanli didn’t expect Xiu to still remember him.
He answered happily, “Yes, it’s me. Thank you for the genetic shot you gave me earlier.”
Xiu’s expression was complex. It was the feeling of being terminally ill, having a friend bring over a doctor whom they claimed was a top authority in the field with a shelf full of published works, only for you to find out when they arrive that it’s just Uncle Wang who fixes bicycles downstairs.
Xiu: “You’re welcome. What’s your name?”
In any situation, remembering a stranger’s name implies friendliness and acceptance.
Xiang Nanli blinked at him. “Xiang Nanli.”
Xin Zhui, who was eating his canned food, suddenly began to cough violently, choking on it. Bodhi, touching the prayer beads at his neck, murmured repeatedly, “Xiang Nanli?”
Xiao Yan’s gaze fell mockingly on Xiu’s face; she even walked over and poked his paralyzed body: “Hey, hey, this is Xiang Nanli.”
Xiang Nanli dug into his can with a spoon, biting the disposable plastic. He felt a bit depressed. Perhaps when they heard someone call out “Xiang Nanli,” it was the same way Xiang Nanli would feel if he heard someone being called “Genghis Khan” or “Newton” in his vicinity.
But he really was Xiang Nanli! He couldn’t exactly change his name to avoid his own taboo, could he?
Xin Zhui put down his can. “Don’t mind them. These days, names are as casual as screen names; it’s very common for people to pick popular names or share names with historical figures. We’re laughing at Xiu. I grew up with him; he’s worshipped Xiang Nanli since he was a kid. When he was little, he used to fight with people on forums because of Xiang Nanli.”
As soon as that came up, Xiang Nanli wasn’t sleepy anymore: “Fight about what?”
“Well, just that some people said that as a lab director and the founder of Immortality Tech, Xiang Nanli’s greater impact was in pushing the overall project, and his own scientific research level was open to question. The reason he holds such a lofty status today is mainly due to two men. First, Alpha; second, Luo Yang.”
“Bullsh*t!” Xiang Nanli shouted indignantly, lacking any sense of decorum. “Who said that? Tell them to try it themselves!”
Xin Zhui: “Hahahahaha! That’s exactly what I said to Xiu. Xiu even keeps a lot of Xiang Nanli merchandise at home, and he even named his built-in AI ‘Xiang Nanli’! Oh, and he’s also an administrator for the Xiang Nanli Anti-Defamation Station.”
Xiu, who looked like a cool guy on the outside, grew angry from embarrassment: “That’s enough! There’s no need to say so much!”
Xiang Nanli was dumbfounded: “I have merchandise?” Even though there were no copyright royalties for someone who had been dead for eight hundred years, Xiang Nanli was still a bit curious.
System: “The Human Alliance once produced educational cartoons for young children; the two-dimensional cartoon image of the doctor in white in the show was also named ‘Xiang Nanli.’ That’s likely what they’re referring to.”
A doctor in white—how could that not be a “scholar in white”?
Xin Zhui continued: “But a few years ago, there were new archaeological discoveries in the Wasteland. Investigators found a photo of Xiang Nanli. After it was restored, Xiu quietly locked away all his figurines…”
In the chaos of war, the cloud database had been bombed many times, and after restoration, they hadn’t been able to find a single photo of Xiang Nanli. People speculated this might have been the work of the Omnic Legion. The tyrant known as Alpha always had many inexplicable behaviors—for instance, his attacks always prioritized cities where Immortality Tech was located, and he would bomb all sculptures and buildings related to Xiang Nanli. He didn’t even allow the name to appear on the network. It felt as though he didn’t just hate humanity; he also hated his own creator.
Of course, the Human Alliance wouldn’t be afraid of him. For about six or seven hundred years, Xiang Nanli’s appearance was simply a collection of public consciousness, defaulted to a refined and gentle middle-aged man.
Xiang Nanli felt that something major was going wrong: “A photo? What photo?” Even if he had become thin toward the end because of cancer, he was still a gentleman who had been handsome from childhood to old age, right? He didn’t think his appearance had let down the public’s expectations. Could it be that Xiu liked a different style? What a tasteless thing.
Yan took out her phone: “This one, I saved it.”
Xiang Nanli took it and fell into silence. The photo was in color, and one could tell they had tried hard to restore it, but the face was still indescribable. If it hadn’t been an archaeological artifact, it looked very much like something the Omnic Legion had intentionally released to shake people’s morale. It was a newspaper clipping; only a small piece of the image remained. The headline read: “Xiang Nanli donates 1 billion to alma mater, Donglan University.”
Xiang Nanli remembered that event.
But—but—the person in this picture is not me!!
He didn’t know which school administration batch that was. They looked truly unsightly.
Xiang Nanli said in shock: “Does Alpha not care?! How could it let others slander me like this!”
System: “Hello, you have not purchased an electronic eye for me.”
Xiang Nanli said dejectedly: “I’m not talking about you. Sigh, forget it. You wouldn’t understand.”
System: “You can elaborate.”
Xiang Nanli was also hit hard by the “photo of Xiang Nanli.” He had no desire to speak; he scraped the can clean with a spoon, poured it out, and looked blankly at the roof of the cave: “I’m going to sleep for a bit. I’ll go back to work when I wake up.”
This was an air-raid shelter dug out by survivors; at this depth, it was likely dug after the nuclear war ended. The open space outside was only as big as a classroom, with electric lights. The walls curved in an arch.
“Wait a moment, let Rock go and get you a sleeping bag; have a good rest,” Xin Zhui said gently.
The sleeping bag was compressed into a tiny lump, like a handbag, but when opened, it became fluffy and soft, like rising dough. Xiang Nanli lay in the sleeping bag, feeling like the center filling of a sushi roll. Even as he lay down, he was still feeling indignant: “Alpha, tell me! Tell me! Did I obtain my current status by relying on men?”
Then he changed the subject: “It seems that even in this new world, I still have plenty of admirers. Xiao Xiu isn’t bad. Hehe, do you know the theory that if 100 people follow you, you can live well no matter what? Alpha, we’re going to be just fine.”
Xiang Nanli was carefree; his sleep quality was even better. Within three seconds of closing his eyes, he lost contact with the world.
After he fell asleep, Alpha whispered softly: “Yes, we will be just fine.”
Xin Zhui walked over and quietly pulled the head of Xiang Nanli’s sleeping bag shut. Since there was an oxygen tank, there was no fear of him suffocating. The atmosphere in the air-raid shelter became exceptionally silent.
“Once you’re repaired, we’re going back.” Xin Zhui sat on the ground, speaking under the dim yellow light, his face devoid of a smile. “The Black Cross Inquisition has been hunting us down, wanting to get their hands on the unlocking key; the Investigation Bureau is also untrustworthy—the officials in Gusu City are definitely colluding with them…”
Luo Xiu interrupted him: “You’ve always wanted me to go home.”
“The outside world is dangerous, my young master,” Xin Zhui replied. “Slogans like ‘Return to the surface, restore humanity’ are just lies used to maintain stability; you just follow along and shout them. Even if someone really pays the price for it, it shouldn’t be you. No matter whether people can return to the surface or not, you are the beneficiary.”
When he said this, Rock, Bodhi, and even Xiao Yan showed no reaction. From their names, one could tell they were ordinary citizens without family backing. Being able to pass into university and become investigators was already a life-changing feat. In fact, Xiao Yan had recently used her salary and the captain’s subsidy to buy a small apartment in the main city district, and she wouldn’t have to worry about retirement insurance. That was the best life they could touch.
Luo Xiu was different; even the basic prosthetic materials on his body were Resistance-steel worth millions of credit points per pound. In this world, the class system was frozen. Textbooks wouldn’t teach things like “Are kings and nobles born with more worth?” What’s more, calmly speaking, everyone’s life wasn’t particularly bad; after food, clothing, housing, and transportation were satisfied, there was plenty of entertainment. The underground was much better than the surface.
“Besides,” Xin Zhui shifted the subject, “your body is broken, but you can replace it with better, more suitable prosthetics at any time. You have no worries about your future, and you don’t need to worry about the livelihood of your family or friends; but what about the others on the team? Do you want them to lose their jobs following you?
“Yes, that’s right, you have money, and you can support them. But doesn’t your money come from family enterprise dividends? Pampering a child is like killing him; your uncle and aunt really should stop your living allowance.”
Luo Xiu’s brows were tightly locked; eventually, he sighed in resignation: “I understand. I’m sorry for causing everyone trouble.”
“It’s fine, I understand. After all, it’s rumored that ‘Donghuang Heavy Industry’ obtained the blueprints Xiang Nanli left behind before he died, and until they mysteriously disappeared, they had been secretly manufacturing—” Xin Zhui’s words trailed off, his face suddenly darkening. “The hidden cameras at the foot of the mountain are sounding an alarm. Why did they arrive so quickly?”
Tall figures dressed in black armor were riding large mechanical horses.
Mechanical horses were modified transport tools, better adapted to the extreme terrain of the surface. Not every place had roads, and these horses could even fly. Every inch of these knights’ bodies was wrapped in armor, but what was most distinct were their helmets. Unlike ordinary protective gear, their helmets were shaped into sharp triangles. A vertical line and a horizontal line on the surface formed a blood-red glowing cross.
The fatal point for a machine-modified human was the heart—the mechanical core. For genetically modified humans, the fatal point was the brain. That was why this type of armor, which didn’t reveal the specific location of the head, had been designed.
The lead knight raised a hand, and the team of dozens instantly halted, disciplined and silent. It was deathly quiet.
A black, three-eyed crow landed on his knuckle, emitting a strange “caw-caw” sound.
“I feel the guidance of the Holy Spirit; the little mouse that stole the key is nearby,” he said. “Search.”
As these people breathed, wisps of white smoke emerged from the crevices of their armor.
They were the elite troops of the Black Cross Inquisition.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
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Author’s Note:
Xin Zhui: After all, it’s rumored that ‘Donghuang Heavy Industry’ obtained the blueprints Xiang Nanli left behind…
Xiang Nanli: ??? How come I don’t know what blueprints I left behind???
