«The crisis came suddenly before the defense was deployed»
He Fang logged off, planning to order some takeout to fill his stomach. But just the thought of that meddlesome delivery guy gave him a headache.
He opened his refrigerator, only to be greeted by an uninspiring assortment of items: store-bought yogurt, milk, cola, and a few simple snacks—hardly enough for a proper meal. It was already midday. No wonder he was starting to feel hungry.
After some thought, He Fang decided to order directly from a private delivery service. Although it seemed unlikely that it would always be the same delivery person bringing his food, he didn’t want to take that risk.
Unbidden, the image of the delivery guy’s dazzling golden hair floated into his mind. Almost reflexively, He Fang pulled out his phone to check the rider’s information. This time, the rider was a bona fide local. There’s no way a native would naturally have blond hair—it must be dyed. People who choose such a bold and flamboyant color are usually extroverted, which was exactly the kind of personality He Fang wasn’t equipped to deal with.
Pushing those thoughts aside, He Fang opened his computer and began searching for ways to quickly strengthen his city’s defenses. Unfortunately, the results were either related to other games or solutions tailored to specific problems, none of which applied to his current city.
He Fang knew little about urban planning. His slow but steady approach to development was precisely because of this lack of knowledge. His planning might not always be correct, but as long as he allowed time to test his ideas and adjusted them based on the results, he could gradually refine his city.
The Nightmare Beast Seeds seemed to function like an infectious disease, though not viral but rather spread through dust. They pushed the body to its limits and didn’t vanish, resembling a zombie virus to some extent. With this in mind, He Fang switched his search focus to zombie defense manuals.
However, after a series of fruitless searches, he realized that none of the information he found could be directly applied to his city. In the end, he was left to rely on his own thinking.
He Fang pulled up the city layout he’d saved on his computer and studied it carefully, contemplating how to implement new defense measures against the Nightmare Beasts.
The seeds could parasitize all living things and their creations, which meant that if he ordered the construction of city walls, they might simply become another host for the seeds. The only things the seeds couldn’t infiltrate were naturally formed non-living materials. He Fang began considering whether digging air-raid shelters into the mountain behind the city and sealing the entrances with natural events like landslides or wind erosion could effectively block the Nightmare Beasts.
Deeply engrossed in sketching diagrams and brainstorming defense strategies, He Fang didn’t even hear his phone ringing multiple times.
Finally snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed the missed calls, quickly hung up on the latest one, and copied and pasted a message asking the delivery person to leave the food at the door.
Not long after, he received a new notification. Curious, He Fang glanced at it, only to see a very familiar voice message.
He Fang narrowed his eyes.
It couldn’t be… could it?
Tentatively, He Fang clicked on the voice message. That familiar, soothing voice once again came through—gentle, as though reciting the world’s most beautiful love confession. Each word was pronounced with exceptional clarity, as if it were a habit, with a soft chuckle at the end of the sentence that tickled his heart like a gentle spring breeze.
“Dear customer, you can place your order directly through the app. That way, the delivery fee is shared between the customer and the merchant, which will lower your costs. Ordering private delivery means they still assign a rider to complete the delivery, so your fee ends up being higher—it’s really unnecessary. Your food is already left at your door as before. I also took the liberty of disposing of the trash by your door. Enjoy your meal, and please remember to leave a five-star review!”
He Fang’s expression turned complicated. He silently opened his door, gazing at the quietly resting takeout bag at his doorstep.
Could it be that nowadays, each delivery zone is assigned to just one rider?
Was the economy so poor that having multiple delivery riders per area was considered a luxury?
Suddenly, He Fang began to worry about the state of his wallet.
As he ate, He Fang worked on editing a gameplay video to upload online, hoping to take a break from the intense strategizing over his city’s defenses.
The video title was “How Stunning Are the Handsome Men and Beautiful Women in the Research Institute?” The realistic visuals of well-dressed NPCs in white lab coats gathered together and discussing things was indeed a feast for the eyes, like a scene out of a high-budget advertisement.
Looking at the vibrant, lifelike NPCs in the game, He Fang couldn’t bear the thought of watching them perish.
Due to the unique mechanics of “Ruins Without Restart”, a city’s destruction meant the entire save file would be irreparably lost, rendering the game unplayable. At that point, he’d have to sell the expensive simulation pod, which could still fetch a decent amount of money.
But rather than cashing out, He Fang chose to stay and build a thriving city.
He logged back into the game and decided to have his citizens start excavating air-raid shelters in the mountain behind the city. He also ordered the construction of simple, sturdy wooden fences to encircle the outer city. While the fences couldn’t stop the Nightmare Beasts, they could buy enough time for residents to evacuate into the shelters, minimizing casualties.
Next, He Fang distributed the newly researched light sword to the city’s police force. He hoped that, when push came to shove, the officers would stand as the city’s final line of defense—built from the courage and resolve of its people.
He also noted that the Rainbow Squad and landmark defenses hadn’t yet been put to the test. Those should provide additional security.
Determined to act, He Fang logged into the game and prioritized issuing defensive tasks at the city’s landmarks. He couldn’t just sit and wait for disaster to strike.
After deciding on his course of action, He Fang entered the game. As he dismissed the game’s startup statistics screen, a flash of red text caught his eye—but he closed it too quickly to see what it said.
The moment he loaded into the game, an ear-piercing alarm suddenly echoed throughout the city. He Fang looked up in shock, his heart sinking as he took in the scene before him.
Helicopters circling overhead continuously broadcasted messages: “Unidentified entities are approaching the city outskirts. Based on current intelligence, they are determined to be highly infectious and carry certain dangers. All residents, please return indoors immediately and seek a safe place to shelter. Close doors and windows, remain quiet and avoid unnecessary noise. Please evacuate in an orderly fashion to prevent stampedes and unnecessary injuries. Repeating: Unidentified entities are approaching the city outskirts…”
He Fang was stunned. When he re-logged into the game, he found himself back in the research institute he had left earlier. Now, the research institute was completely deserted. As he walked to the entrance, he saw his residents evacuating in an extremely orderly manner. Parents holding children appeared calm and composed, while the children, instead of crying or fussing, clung tightly to their parents’ necks in silence. The entire scene was so organized it was shocking.
The level of calmness and order in front of him made He Fang feel how surreal this game was. If humans were truly in a state of anxiety and panic, how could they maintain such composed expressions? It should have been chaos, with children wailing uncontrollably instead of acting as calm as little adults.
Even so, the orderly evacuation had emptied the streets, leaving them spotless. All doors and windows were securely shut. When He Fang stepped onto the street, it was so pristine and tidy that it seemed as if all the NPCs had vanished into thin air.
Listening to the blaring sirens, He Fang felt, for the first time, a true sense of urgency. The realistic scene brought an immense sense of pressure, unlike the thrilling gameplay he had expected. It felt less like a game and more like an actual life-or-death struggle.
He Fang opened the city control panel and noticed five red dots clustered together near the outskirts. The number immediately clicked—these must be Min Zhizhou’s five teammates. Unbelievable. They were still together.
If the Nightmare Beast seeds could exploit human intelligence, the coordinated efforts of those five teammates might lead them into an even greater crisis.
Anxious and filled with regret, He Fang berated himself for wasting precious time on lunch and making a video. He hadn’t even begun implementing defenses, yet, his city was already under siege.
The piercing sound of sirens rushed past his ears. He caught sight of police cars speeding down the distant road, disappearing toward the city’s outskirts. His heartbeat quickened.
Suddenly, something cold brushed against He Fang’s hand, startling him. He looked down abruptly to find a small, adorable girl staring up at him with wide, bright eyes.
For a brief moment, He Fang had an odd illusion: this little girl was real—a helpless child abandoned in the chaos, desperate and lost. Even the butterfly ribbon in her hair seemed to radiate a plea for help.
He Fang crouched down, intending to ask where her home was so he could escort the tiny NPC—barely half his height—back safely.
Before he could say anything, the little girl spoke first. Her voice, soft and innocent like a sweet strawberry, was surprisingly articulate: “City Lord, it’s very dangerous here. Please don’t stand on the road by yourself. My home is nearby. Come with me and hide for a while.”
He Fang: “???”
The little girl blinked her sparkling eyes, showing not a trace of fear. “City Lord, don’t worry. The police uncles will definitely defeat the bad guys. I’ll also do my best to protect you!”
He Fang: “……”
As a player and a city lord, He Fang suddenly felt that his mindset wasn’t even as stable as that of a child.
Just then, what seemed to be the little girl’s parents came running over. He Fang breathed a sigh of relief—now that her parents were here, they could quickly take her to a safe place.
The girl’s tall father bent down to scoop her up, planting a kiss on her cheek. The little girl squealed happily, “Daddy! I was telling the City Lord that I’m going to protect him!”
“Good girl, our little treasure is the smartest,” the tall father said, his face softening with a doting smile.
Watching the warm scene before him, He Fang was suddenly overwhelmed by a deep sense of responsibility. As the city lord, it was his duty to protect these innocent and loving families.
He Fang immediately said, “Quickly, take your child and find a safe place indoors to shelter.”
However, the father unexpectedly handed his daughter over to her mother and then turned to He Fang. “City Lord, please come to my house to take shelter. Don’t worry—no matter what, even if it costs me my life, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
He Fang: “???”
The tall father crouched down with his back to He Fang and gestured for him to climb on. “Come, City Lord, I’ll carry you. It’ll be faster this way.”
He Fang instinctively refused, “No…”
“City Lord,” the tall man interrupted. Despite the crisis, his demeanor remained calm and composed, with no hint of fear. His expression was filled with trust and unwavering confidence in He Fang. “Please believe that the city you have built will not disappoint you.”
