Thank you @Renea for the Kofi~
Chapter 53: “Perhaps one day we will all find the answer.……”
The monument inside the square of the Eternal City had been erected; it was cast from iron.
With both raw materials and craftsmen in short supply, this monument was just a simple rectangular block with no patterns on it. The front was inscribed with, “Heroes are immortal,” and the back read, “In memory of all fallen humans and robots — From the Survivor Base.”
Xiang Nanli also, whether intentionally or not, drew a concentric circle as the symbol of the base.
Um, a portion of the metal materials had been secretly dug up from the buried pit the night before…
The highest official position Andrew had ever held was a research institute team leader, with eight people under him. Suddenly having to manage a city of sixty thousand people (originally seventy thousand, a portion of whom died in the chaos of war) naturally left him a bit overwhelmed. Fortunately, he had the assistance of Artificial Intelligence and robots; moreover, as a machine-modified human, he required very little sleep.
Of course, the most important thing was that the residents of the Eternal City were highly cooperative.
The palaces were converted into collective dormitories, and the gardens were transformed into farmland and pastures. Food and water sources all became “publicly owned,” distributed with pinpoint precision according to machine calculations—aiming to meet the most basic needs for warmth and a full stomach. Currently, resources were insufficient, so they could only afford to keep everyone alive, rather than keeping them well-fed.
Humans are incredibly simple and endearing creatures. Or rather, all animals possess this innate nature: to seek advantage and avoid harm.
The order of the Eternal City was restored in a short three days. The serfs, having their electronic shackles removed, instead consciously began to farm the land, for this was their food for the next year.
Frictions still existed, but they didn’t harm the overall situation. People’s living conditions were several tiers better than before; even if there were conflicts, they wouldn’t erupt in the near future.
Xiang Nanli planned to leave. He had more important things to do, such as buying an access cabin, learning new technologies, and going to check out the base Xiao Qing had mentioned. He couldn’t just keep guarding one city.
If chaos broke out the moment he left the stronghold, it would only prove one thing: the base’s management system lacked universality and required revision.
The final task Xiang Nanli completed before leaving was implanting farming modules into the robots.
When it came to doing heavy and exhausting physical labor, the efficiency of these metal men was far higher than that of humans—they were practically the tireless oxen of the new century.
It was his first time attempting to program new-era robots. He locked himself in a room for the better part of a day, pondering, and then carefully typed out the first line of code. Soon, lines of complex code flowed from his fingertips like musical notes.
Now, watching a snowplow in the field using an iron blade to turn over the rock-hard, frozen soil, Xiang Nanli sat on the top of the wall and couldn’t help but chuckle: “Beating swords into plowshares, eh, Xiao Qing.”
Dongfang Qingdi could sense it.
Xiang Nanli was extremely happy.
This kind of joy wasn’t even lesser than the feeling of surviving a disaster.
Dongfang Qingdi asked: “Aren’t you worried that Andrew will rebel? Ambition tends to swell.”
Xiang Nanli narrowed his eyes, feeling the wind blowing against his face: “If the base’s ideals are fully implemented, I don’t care who the final master of the throne is.”
The corners of Dongfang Qingdi’s mouth pulled down slightly, thinking to himself, I care.
And surely, there must be many others who cared.
Where does power ultimately come from? The most commonly cited sources are wealth and organization, but there is another easily overlooked source: personality.
Power is nothing more than the submission of will.
A trusted leader can alter the will of others, even if he has absolutely nothing to his name.
“Besides,” Xiang Nanli patted the head of the little dog beside him, “isn’t Gospel still with me? Even if Andrew really has ambition, he’d better take a good look at who these robots in the city actually listen to.”
Gospel proudly raised its non-existent dog head: “They listen to Xiao Fu, and Xiao Fu listens to you.”
Xiang Nanli admired the robotic vehicles farming for a while longer before returning to the inner city.
He was getting ready to leave. The off-road vehicle was parked in the inner city, its diesel tank already filled up. He figured he’d say goodbye to Andrew on his way out.
As he walked back, all along the way, people greeted him warmly: “My Lord!”
“Lord Xiang Nanli.”
The people’s mindsets still hadn’t fully shifted yet; initially, there were even those who called him Great Lord and kowtowed to him.
But Xiang Nanli strictly forbade it.
Xiang Nanli passed by the Liberator’s Monument. There were children playing and building snowmen near the square—a sight that would never have been seen in the past.
In front of the monument, a few chubby, round little robots had picked fresh flowers and placed them before the stone slab. Then, they raised their heads and gazed upward for a long, long time.
Dongfang Qingdi stopped in his tracks, then kicked Gospel: “Did you feel that?”
These robots had birthed a virus called “emotion.”
The virus might be directly eliminated by the antivirus software within their bodies; or it might mutate at some moment in the future, causing the robots to evolve into true “electronic lifeforms.”
Was this ultimately evolution, or devolution?
Xiao Fu planted face-first into the snow like an upside-down onion and furiously yanked itself out: “Scout, I’m warning you! Back in the Omnic Legion, Xiao Fu was also a Five-Star General-level Omnic! My authority level was only half a rank lower than you marshals!”
Dongfang Qingdi sneered: “You fugitive, you actually have the nerve to say that. Sooner or later, I’m sending you to the military tribunal.”
Gospel barked in anger: “You war criminal! I’m the one who should be judging you!”
Walking ahead, Xiang Nanli turned his head: “Xiao Qing, come help me out a bit. I don’t know how to drive this kind of car.”
Dongfang Qingdi abandoned his entanglement with Gospel: “Coming.”
They walked forward, bickering noisily.
One of the little robots standing before the monument quietly turned its head, looking at Dongfang Qingdi’s retreating back… or rather, at Xiang Nanli, who was even further ahead of him.
There were radiation-absorption devices inside the Eternal City, and Xiang Nanli had undergone several genetic enhancements, so he wasn’t wearing a protective mask.
That face was so young, bursting with vitality. Beneath the gloomy, overcast sky, he was like a sun, drawing the gaze of everyone around him.
This action by the little robot was actually remarkably human-like.
Or perhaps, this was simply the lingering instinct of having served humans for far too long.
The little robot quickly realized something was wrong, but thankfully, no one cared about it.
They soon disappeared from the little robot’s field of vision.
It lowered its head expressionlessly, engaged its rollers, and continued with its snow-sweeping duties for the day.
…
…
Xiang Nanli stood at the edge of the parking lot.
When they came, the club had a whole group of people; when going back, surprisingly, it was only him, Xiao Qing, and a dog.
It was unknown which club had left the off-road vehicle behind, but its performance was quite good. It emitted a low, humming sound.
Xiang Nanli stood beside the car, keeping an incredibly low profile. Inside the car was the most important batch of loot they had scrounged from the City Master’s storehouse—genetic evolution serums.
They were distributed by the Divine Court. Neither the restorative type nor the enhancement type. But rather, the biological modification type.
There were exactly 100 vials of genetic serum in this batch. If used correctly, it could create 100 Bio-Soldiers… If one were ruthless enough to pillage, they could even use this batch of Bio-Soldiers to build a brand-new city-state upon the wasteland.
Xiang Nanli wasn’t ready to use them yet, but he absolutely had to take them away.
“Lord Xiang Nanli.” A timid call came from behind him.
Xiang Nanli turned around and saw a young woman with long, curly chestnut hair. She was clutching a beautiful cloth pouch in her hands.
“My Lord, my name is Haili,” Haili was a bit nervous. “Are you leaving? I, I…”
Xiang Nanli answered instinctively: “Yes, my fiancé and I are heading back to the base.”
It wasn’t that he was narcissistic. It was just that this sort of thing happened constantly during the years between 20 to 35 in Xiang Nanli’s life.
Um… later, after taking on Luoyang as a graduate student, this sort of thing decreased significantly. At the time, Xiang Nanli even joked with his student, saying he hadn’t even gone bald, so how did he suddenly drop out of the marriage market?
Haili nodded: “My Lord, I used to be a textile worker. This is a brooch I made for the City Lord’s Wife, and now it can’t be used anymore. I wanted to give it to you. It’s my first time making something like this, too.”
Xiang Nanli took it, opened the jewelry box, and took a look. The main stone was an emerald, and its overall shape leaned towards a cross structure, resembling spread olive leaves—this was the symbol of the Divine Court.
Aside from the central emerald, every single leaf was inlaid with diamonds and small pearls.
Diamonds had become valuable once more, which was inextricably linked to the restoration of order.
It was clear to see that Haili was a highly skilled artisan. Especially considering that in the Eternal City, she had received absolutely no formal training; she had crafted this gift solely by imitating pictures.
Xiang Nanli said sincerely: “It’s very beautiful. Thank you.”
“My fiancé is a Bio-Soldier, and we are going to get married soon. He was severely injured while fighting the Mutants earlier; if it weren’t for the base’s support policies, I don’t think he would have been able to keep living. Thank you so much, My Lord.” Haili’s gaze drifted for a moment; this clearly wasn’t what she truly wanted to say.
Xiang Nanli waited patiently for a moment.
Sure enough, Haili continued: “In the past, when I made dresses for the City Lord’s Wife, a few pearls went missing. The factory director said I stole them and wanted to execute me. The madam said, forget it, the pearls aren’t very big, maybe they just fell off on their own.”
A look of blankness, mixed with nervousness, appeared on her face: “I actually don’t know what I’m trying to say… I always felt she was a good person. She would even talk to us occasionally. A few days ago, she was executed. I’m not saying she didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that these past few days, I keep wondering if, actually, maybe some people just aren’t that bad.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Haili felt a flash of regret.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked this question. The Madam was already dead, and she hadn’t been that close to her anyway. What if Xiang Nanli thought there was a problem with her ideological stance?
But she was simply filled with questions.
Just like that year when she found a book filled with unrecognizable text hidden under her bed.
Xiang Nanli maintained his smile: “Don’t be nervous. You are thinking. This is a good thing. The question you asked actually used to trouble me as well.”
He thought of Xiao Fu—not the Gospel.
“I believe the answer lies in our choices. For example, the Eternal City currently has sixty thousand people. If you choose these sixty thousand people, then inevitably, you must stand in opposition to the original sixteen people. Regardless of what kind of people they are, their very existence is the original sin.” Xiang Nanli paused, “Go find Andrew; I’ll notify him. He has many electronic books he can let you read. Um, but you’ll have to learn the Human Alliance language first.”
“Perhaps one day we will all find the answer.”
—
“Hello, I am the Navigation AI. Turn left in 2 kilometers and merge onto Highway 174… Distance to Gusu City: 508 kilometers. Estimated driving time: 4 days, 7 hours. Blizzard conditions, mountain roads are slippery, please drive safely.”
In his past life, a five-hundred-kilometer drive would take six to seven hours at most.
But the Surface terrain was incredibly complex; there were numerous Mutant gathering grounds, and even brutal bandits along the roads. All of these required detours. It was perfectly normal to spend days driving a route of a few hundred kilometers.
Not to mention the snow was so thick right now.
Xiang Nanli sat in the back seat of the car, hugging Xiao Fu. His eyelashes fluttered softly.
The rear cabin was very spacious; the seats could be adjusted, even allowing Xiang Nanli to lie down flat.
Since this car was actually the legacy of some participant club, Xiang Nanli would have to figure out a way to get rid of it once he reached Gusu City. Um… or he could just have Xiao Qing drive it away.
Dongfang Qingdi engaged the autopilot mode.
He moved over to Xiang Nanli’s side, sat down, and stated calmly: “I have arranged a squad of robots. They will transfer the Eternal City’s most crucial supplies to the stronghold. By the time you reach the base, you can take over directly.”
Xiang Nanli kept his eyes closed: “En.”
He had just injected the enhancement-type genetic serum, and his body was feeling a bit unwell. He felt as though the blood in his veins was burning and boiling; he was definitely running a fever.
This vial of genetic serum was Dongfang Qingdi’s tournament reward.
Xiang Nanli wasn’t feeling very comfortable, though he had heard this was a normal reaction. The genetic serums produced by Immortality Tech were already the ones with the lowest side effects.
“Xiao Qing.” He asked, his breath as faint as gossamer, “Are you leaving?”
A fierce struggle waged within Dongfang Qingdi’s heart. Ultimately, his sense of duty—or rather, his primal code—triumphed over the Anthropomorphic Module: “I will be back. I have matters that I must deal with.”
Xiang Nanli hugged Xiao Fu tighter and turned away, refusing to look at him.
He quickly fell asleep.
Because of the genetic serum, Xiang Nanli had a fever for the entire journey.
A few days later, Gusu City’s surface transport station appeared upon an expanse of yellow earth.
The highway here was significantly wider, and there were even security checkpoints and toll booths.
Dongfang Qingdi slowed the car down and began to brief Xiang Nanli: “This is the genetic serum, it’s placed in a refrigerated cooler and can pass directly through security. This is braised meat, vacuum-sealed. But it’s best to finish it within a month. Gospel just needs to uninstall its weapon systems and it can pass right through; the Human Alliance’s systems can’t scan it.”
He spoke very quickly, carrying a hint of agitation. Different program codes were clashing in his mind, and it was incredibly annoying.
Dongfang Qingdi’s current voltage was so high he could self-destruct.
Xiang Nanli stepped out of the car, took the overstuffed luggage, and looked at him with a beaming smile: “Thank you, Xiao Qing.”
His fever had broken, and his low mood had also been adjusted.
It was just a temporary separation, after all!
There was a network signal about a hundred kilometers outside of Gusu City. Xiang Nanli bought a ticket to return underground and also purchased some extra luggage allowance.
Dongfang Qingdi looked at him and solemnly reiterated once more: “I will be back.”
Xiang Nanli happily pulled Dongfang Qingdi into a hug: “Okay, I’ll miss you, Xiao Qing. I’m going to get going then~”
This hug was far too sudden. Dongfang Qingdi’s entire body stiffened; just as he raised his hand to return it, Xiang Nanli had already bolted away.
Carrying his luggage backpack, he walked in the direction of the station.
Xiao Fu followed behind Xiang Nanli, jumping up and down, practically dancing with joy: “Going home, Xiao Fu is going home with you.”
It made Dongfang Qingdi, standing by the car, look exceedingly like a lonely bachelor.
Zzt.
It sounded like static electricity.
Zzt zzt.
A telegraph pole nearby suddenly bent in his direction.
Dongfang Qingdi’s magnetic field was abnormal, affecting the metal objects around him.
It wasn’t until Xiang Nanli’s back completely vanished from sight that Dongfang Qingdi returned to the off-road vehicle and sat down.
“Hello, I am the Navigation AI. Shall I navigate you to the ‘Omnic Legion’?”
Dongfang Qingdi couldn’t hold back and punched the navigation system.
So annoying, all it knows is how to bark.
—
Half an hour later.
Xiang Nanli arrived at the Underground City of Gusu.
He stood by the side of the road waiting for a bus, a mechanical dog at his side, muttering to himself: “Um… Xiao Qing probably doesn’t have a signal here anymore. Xiao Zhi?”
[Hello, I am here.]
“Help me buy a domestic housekeeping robot, and also buy an access cabin. It needs to have door-to-door delivery.” Xiang Nanli glanced at his account balance, “Under 200,000 for the robot, and a basic model access cabin for 300,000 will do.”
Aside from some scattered repair fees, the bulk of his account balance came from Dongfang Qingdi’s prize money. It was all clean money, so he didn’t have to worry about triggering bank surveillance.
[Understood. A domestic housekeeping robot and an access cabin have been purchased for you.] Xiao Zhi stated, devoid of joy or sorrow.
