«The Creator’s Miracle – The First Urban Expansion»
“Eh? What’s the Divine Lord doing? Why did he suddenly change his pose?” Curious passersby quickly noticed the shift in the statue’s posture and began murmuring among themselves.
“Look closely, doesn’t it seem like the Divine Lord is holding something between his fingers?” Someone with sharp eyes pointed out the object perched at the very top of the towering statue, deliberately showcased in the most attention-grabbing pose possible.
Between the thumb and index finger of the Divine Lord’s raised hand was a tiny object. Upon closer inspection, it vaguely resembled… a cup? The townsfolk, known for their keen eyesight, began to piece it together.
“Is that… milk tea? No, wait. Judging by the color, it’s probably fruit tea. What’s wrong with the Divine Lord? Did he seriously change his pose just to flaunt the fact that he got himself a cup of fruit tea?” As they discerned the object, some began to wear expressions of bemusement.
“No, I think it’s more complicated than that!” someone interjected. “I noticed that the cup looks like one from Tea X Teahouse. Didn’t their shop recently have a promotion—buy one, get one free? If the Saint Lord is only holding one cup, then…”
“Ah!” A sharp cry came from a person wearing the uniform of Tea X Teahouse. Pointing at the cup in the Divine Lord’s hand, they exclaimed, “That’s it! That’s today’s fruit tea order from the Creator! It’s a delivery! The Divine Lord… he actually managed to get a fruit tea from the Creator!”
The towering Divine Lord stood proudly, holding the fruit tea high. The cup looked absurdly small in his enormous hand, yet, in an instant, everyone understood—he was showing off.
This blatant display of arrogance… it was unbearable.
And yet, damn it all… they were jealous.
“Argh! That damned Divine Lord! He always intercepts the Creator’s delivery orders and delivers them himself! How dare he? I want the Creator’s fruit tea too!”
When the crowd realized that the seemingly inconspicuous fruit tea was a gift from the Creator, those who knew the backstory erupted into a frenzy.
“Our Creator is truly the kindest soul in the world! He even cares about delivery workers. I could do it—I’d be great! I want to deliver food for the Creator too! Forget the fruit tea, I’d pay out of my own pocket just to buy the Creator’s meals every day!”
The jealousy toward the Divine Lord reached a boiling point. His brazen flaunting was simply infuriating.
How could he! How dare he! Where did he get the audacity to act so smug?
And yet, as a landmark in the city center, the Divine Lord statue stood in the most prominent location, shamelessly holding the symbol of the Creator’s favor high above his head. His cold, sculpted features exuded an unmistakable air of pride and satisfaction. Everyone could feel his smugness radiating from the stone.
“Stop looking at him!” someone grumbled, their envy morphing into disdain. “He’s just a layabout who spends all day posing there without doing anything useful. What’s so great about a fruit tea from the Creator? I heard an old man near the junkyard recently received a direct mission from the Creator. Now that is something noteworthy.”
“Exactly, exactly! I also heard that the Creator has been working closely with the research institute lately. The people there are truly contributing to the Creator’s work. Unlike this Divine Lord, who has unparalleled strength but is completely useless in action. Ugh, what a waste!”
At the Divine Lord’s feet, his sacred beast stood proudly, its majestic form encircling the base of the statue’s legs. It lifted its head high, gazing at the fruit tea in the Saint Lord’s hand, entirely unbothered by the jealous murmurs around it. If anything, it looked immensely pleased with itself.
“By the way, did you all see the question the Creator just released?” someone suddenly asked, attempting to change the topic and prevent the Divine Lord from basking in even more attention.
“I saw it! I read it over several times and wrote a super long response, hoping the Creator would see it!”
“The Creator wants to conquer the world! That’s so amazing. I’m completely in awe of the Creator’s ambition. I pledge to follow the Creator’s lead forever, to conquer this entire world at his side!”
“However, the Creator seems hesitant, likely worried about our safety. The Creator has always been kind-hearted. While I personally dislike the idea of war, if it could bring the Creator more prosperous lands and a nobler status, I’d still be willing to give my all.”
The bustling crowd erupted in a mix of voices, filling the streets with lively discussion.
At that moment, He Fang stepped out of his home and spotted two drinks placed by the door.
One was the fruit tea he had ordered and the other…
He Fang picked up the milk tea. It was heavy, an extra-large cup filled to the brim. He shook it lightly, noticing how densely packed it was with toppings. He wasn’t particularly picky about milk tea or fruit tea, so he never paid much attention to what he ordered. Was this why the delivery guy thought he liked piling on extras?
The toppings were so plentiful that the milk tea itself was barely visible. It was practically a porridge. When he tried to stab the straw into it, the sheer density of the toppings prevented the straw from reaching the bottom.
Looking at the milk tea porridge, He Fang figured he could save it for his next meal. He grabbed a small spoon, tore open the milk tea’s lid, and settled in front of his computer, ready to play some other game to mourn the brain cells he’d lost in “Ruins Without Restart”.
He Fang opened a game he hadn’t touched in a while. A dazzling visual feast unfolded on the TV screen: high-difficulty controls, vibrant combo techniques, and a boss battle that required intense focus.
He gripped the controller steadily, carefully observing every movement the boss made—every lift of its hand, every skill it unleashed. He anticipated its moves and countered perfectly. Even on Hell difficulty, where a single hit meant death, the boss didn’t touch him once.
A string of flashy, intricate maneuvers later, the boss fell without even getting a chance to retaliate.
The game updated his stats, showing that defeating the boss had broken his previous record. On the national leaderboard for the game, He Fang’s name had been in third place. This victory bumped him up to second.
Spoon in hand, He Fang dug into the milk tea porridge. The cool, sweet flavor filled his mouth as he marveled at how, after a few days away, his gaming reflexes seemed sharper than ever.
Still, he could never surpass the player in first place. Even after several attempts, this latest record was his limit.
Biting on the straw of his fruit tea, He Fang set down the controller.
He loved games.
It was natural for him to immerse himself in any game, replaying them hundreds or even thousands of times to break records, exploring every corner of a fun world until he understood it completely—even if the repetition turned the game dull and tedious.
Because he loved games.
He loved the worlds games created and the values they conveyed, deeply fascinated by the beauty of the ninth art.
Opening his question responses, he was surprised to find countless comments, with new ones pouring in.
“We definitely need to unlock the map to conquer the world! Open-world games always have maps to explore. Who knows, there might even be a main storyline hidden in there.”
“The slow-paced era is over. The age of conquering the world is upon us. I fully support the City Lord becoming the ruler of the world!”
“This city the City Lord built is the most stable I’ve ever seen in any game. I believe the person behind it must have a gentle yet strong heart. If it’s him, maybe he can save this apocalyptic world and bring peace.”
“What’s there to hesitate about? Just go for it!”
“Open-world games don’t even have a main storyline! Residents follow the City Lord, and the City Lord follows their ideas. Wherever the City Lord points, the residents go. If the City Lord wants peaceful development, the residents quietly build up resources. Isn’t the game all about the City Lord’s preferences?”
What the…
Were these people all obsessed with conquering the world?
Did no one care about economic issues before conquering the world?
Were other players playing “Ruins Without Restart” in infinite gold mode or something?
He Fang rolled his eyes.
—
“Hmm, interesting,” Zhu Yan muttered absentmindedly while conducting an experiment.
Min Zhizhou, who was currently having blood drawn for a sample, noticed Zhu Yan’s sudden comment and glanced over.
“What is it?” Min Zhizhou asked curiously.
Zhu Yan’s face was full of intrigue as he turned back and looked at Min Zhizhou with a faint smile.
“I have a question I want to understand through you,” Zhu Yan said, tilting his head slightly. “In your world, is there anything that can’t be parasitized?”
“Anything apart from living organisms cannot be parasitized—wind, water, sand dunes, land—everything that naturally forms remains unaffected,” Min Zhizhou repeated patiently, even though he had said this countless times before.
“There hasn’t been a single precedent where something couldn’t be parasitized?” Zhu Yan asked.
“At least, I haven’t heard of one,” Min Zhizhou replied, frowning slightly. Zhu Yan’s question seemed to stir a vague sense of realization within him. “Are you suggesting that within the scope of what we consider ‘normal’, there are lifeforms immune to parasitism?”
“It’s a possibility we can’t rule out,” Zhu Yan said, his gaze fixed on a small sample of Min Zhizhou’s skin in a tiny test tube. Within it, a Nightmare Beast seed was parasitizing and consuming the sample until only the dark, pulsating seed remained active. Zhu Yan squinted. “The sample size isn’t enough. Having just you is far too limited. I need more—many, many more human samples.”
Min Zhizhou’s frown deepened.
He could hear the hunger in Zhu Yan’s tone when he spoke of “samples”. If an entire mobile city were to appear before him, Min Zhizhou had no doubt that Zhu Yan would stop at nothing to turn all its inhabitants into his test subjects.
This overtly intense personality reminded Min Zhizhou of another individual, a fiery woman with a temperament like a blazing flame. Those who managed to reach the upper echelons of this city’s hierarchy tended to have strikingly distinct personalities, often accompanied by an almost obsessive intensity in certain aspects.
“That’ll be all for today’s experiments. You can leave now,” Zhu Yan said, turning his back to Min Zhizhou.
“Alright,” Min Zhizhou replied, putting on his coat and preparing to leave. But before stepping away, he glanced back at Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan was young, with outstanding features—perhaps even exceptional among the NPCs in this world, all of whom were designed with striking appearances. Although he didn’t act particularly aloof, his demeanor exuded an unshakable coldness. Min Zhizhou often wondered if the frigid laboratory had imbued Zhu Yan with this detached quality.
Looking out the window, Min Zhizhou noticed it was sunset, soon to turn into night. He’d already learned that everyone in this city followed precise working hours.
Suddenly, Min Zhizhou asked, “Don’t you clock out?”
“Hmm?” Zhu Yan looked over, surprised by the unexpected question. “I’ll clock out once the experiment in my hands is complete.”
“Where do you stay after work?” Min Zhizhou asked, realizing he had never seen Zhu Yan leave the research facility.
“There’s an employee dormitory on the other side of the research facility,” Zhu Yan answered.
Min Zhizhou frowned. “Don’t you have your own home? Do you always stay at the research facility?”
Zhu Yan froze mid-action. He turned around, his metallic, cold eyes reflecting Min Zhizhou’s figure. “Why are you suddenly asking such a question?”
Min Zhizhou felt a sudden jolt in his chest, sensing he might have touched on something sensitive. Tentatively, he asked, “Is that a question I shouldn’t ask?”
“You can ask,” Zhu Yan said, spreading one gloved hand. The white glove accentuated the cold and detached aura of his gesture. “But why don’t you tell me why you’re asking?”
Feeling the shift in atmosphere and a subtle pressure bearing down on him, Min Zhizhou averted his gaze and replied honestly, “It’s just something the Minister of Finance said to me once.”
“Lu Hu?” Zhu Yan, clad in his white coat, appeared intrigued upon hearing the name. He signaled Min Zhizhou to continue.
“She once said, ‘In the game, all NPCs follow fixed paths. The important ones can’t leave their assigned spots by even half a step’. I didn’t understand what she meant at the time, so I asked, but I never got an answer,” Min Zhizhou explained, recounting the peculiar statement he had remembered.
“Oh, that’s not too difficult to understand. It’s simply about fulfilling one’s role. Since we’re assigned to specific positions, we must perform our duties to the fullest. Naturally, that means staying here,” Zhu Yan replied, a slight smile curling his lips. He narrowed his eyes at Min Zhizhou, not answering his question directly but instead steering the conversation in another direction. “I heard you’ve obtained official residency papers for this city, thanks to the police chief’s help?”
“Yes.” Min Zhizhou knew from the change of topic that his confusion probably wouldn’t be answered. But thinking about the fact that he was now a formal resident, his expression couldn’t hide his happiness.
“Have you been assigned a job?”
“I’m still working as a garbage sorter,” Min Zhizhou replied, thinking for a moment before adding, “I really like this job.”
“That’s good. But unless I specifically ask for you, try not to leave your post,” Zhu Yan said.
“Huh?”
“So I can find you when needed,” Zhu Yan said with a half-squinted smile.
“I recently bought a new phone. I think its features are really interesting, so you should be able to contact me anytime.” Min Zhizhou even took out his phone, a bit of a brag in his tone.
“Being able to contact someone directly is certainly more convenient, don’t you think?” Zhu Yan’s gaze held a slight chill, making Min Zhizhou instantly feel a sense of threat. A shiver ran down his spine. He nodded without arguing further.
Zhu Yan half-crossed his arms, holding a test tube, clearly intending to ease the tension in the air. His other hand rested casually on his chin. In his cold eyes, there was a flicker of anticipation. His thin lips curled slightly, “I think in some time, you might get a chance to witness the Creator’s miracle.”
Min Zhizhou furrowed his brows. The Creator’s miracle?
“I wonder if we’ll be able to get some samples this time,” Zhu Yan mused, placing the test tube, which now only contained the Nightmare Beast seed, back in its stand. “If not…”
Min Zhizhou didn’t catch the rest of Zhu Yan’s words, but his instincts told him it wasn’t anything good.
“What does ‘miracle’ mean?” Min Zhizhou asked.
“You’ll understand when you see it,” Zhu Yan smiled. “Even if you’ve never seen it before, you’ll know it’s a miracle when it happens.”
Min Zhizhou didn’t understand, so he asked, following the topic, “How would we know when a miracle is about to happen?”
Could these people have some sort of telepathic connection like He Fang?
“There are signs,” Zhu Yan tilted his head thoughtfully. “For example, the population has been growing too fast and the city is overcrowded. The city’s capacity is nearing its limit. For example, prices are rising, and there’s serious inflation. For example, there’s a decline in the residents’ happiness survey…”
Min Zhizhou had already gotten very accustomed to life here, but he still couldn’t engage in conversations with everyone.
The only person he could communicate with normally was He Fang. The city lord didn’t often appear in the city. He would disappear intermittently and then suddenly reappear, something everyone in the city understood without needing to be spoken.
At times, when he overheard conversations he didn’t understand, he simply attributed it to the generational gap between himself and this comfortable city. But over time, he couldn’t help but feel something was off.
Even though he had become an official resident, he still felt like there was some distance between him and the true residents.
“It’s already dark. How much longer do you plan on staying here?” Zhu Yan, who had just wanted to end the experiment, suddenly paused, as if sensing something. His expression shifted to one of expectation and surprise. At the same time, a strange sound echoed from all directions, its source unidentifiable.
The sound was monotonous, but it wasn’t unpleasant to listen to. However, when the sound emerged, a cheer of excitement suddenly erupted from outside the research institute.
Min Zhizhou furrowed his brows, completely unsure of what was happening. Even though the usually composed Zhu Yan showed an unexpected look of utter joy, it left him confused and uncertain.
“It’s a miracle! The Creator’s miracle is coming!” Suddenly, the usually calm researchers rushed into the hall. Min Zhizhou instinctively followed them, confused. He saw many people almost frantically heading towards the screening room.
Aside from He Fang, who had always been composed, Zhu Yan, who had never shown such emotions before, displayed a rare excitement. “Follow me.”
Min Zhizhou followed Zhu Yan’s steps, noticing that the man leading the way actually seemed anxious.
They arrived at a very clear screen used to display experimental data. These screens were very common in the city, but usually, they were only used to announce major decisions and events in mobile cities. Here, however, they were treated as normal tools available for anyone to use.
All the researchers had gathered in the screening room, focusing intently. Min Zhizhou, curious, followed their gaze and looked up at the large screen. To his surprise, the screen displayed a bird’s-eye view of the entire city.
The sky was nearly dark, with only a faint light on the horizon. As night fell, the video illuminated the city’s beautiful night lights. Min Zhizhou was a little entranced by the sight.
However, the focus of the video was placed on the pitch-black Nightmare Beast Forest, which blended into the night, rendering it nearly invisible.
Min Zhizhou’s eyelids twitched.
The usually noisy researchers, now packed closely together, refused to take their eyes off the screen even though it was uncomfortable to be so crowded. Min Zhizhou, infected by the atmosphere, didn’t dare to look away either, afraid that a moment’s hesitation would cause him to miss the miracle.
Min Zhizhou never believed in gods. Or rather, in moments of despair and breakdown, he had never seen the gods who were said to have helped people in legends and myths.
The so-called miracles were just comforting delusions humans had created to deceive themselves.
But…
Min Zhizhou’s eyes slowly widened as he stared in disbelief at what was happening.
On the live broadcast screen, a massive square-shaped light array appeared, flickering with pure golden light. The array was enormous but moved swiftly. It constantly shifted its shape, as though someone were hesitating in controlling it.
The bright golden light spread across the Nightmare Beast Forest. To Min Zhizhou’s astonishment, the forest was actually illuminated!
Once the Nightmare Beast Forest had fully formed, it would devour all light. While they could see in the forest, it was not light they were seeing, but rather the sensory perception provided by the Nightmare Beast Forest. To enter it, a lifeform had to step inside, only to be devoured unexpectedly.
No light had ever illuminated the Nightmare Beast Forest before, and no one knew what it truly looked like. But now, Min Zhizhou wondered if he was already dead in the forest. Had everything he experienced recently been a mere illusion?
At this moment, the long-sought-after rectangular light array aligned with the edge of the city’s green grass. It seemed to have found its purpose. The enormous golden light suddenly descended from above the Nightmare Beast Forest. The intense golden light engulfed the entire forest in an instant.
There was no darkness, no despair—only a vast emptiness, like an endless void reaching toward the sky. The massive beam of light shot upwards, piercing the clouds and illuminating the stars in the sky. The dazzling brilliance was blinding, as though it were the sun itself.
Around him, the sound of unconscious awe and meaningless exclamations filled the air.
Min Zhizhou didn’t understand the meaning of the massive rectangular light pillar shooting up into the starry sky, but the next moment, he understood.
A huge shock surged within Min Zhizhou, as everything before him completely overturned his understanding of the world since birth.
The Nightmare Beast Forest had been purified!
The golden light lasted for about fifteen seconds. As the light slowly faded, the place where the Nightmare Beast Forest once stood had transformed. All the blackness vanished, replaced by a scene of ruined walls and broken structures.
As the light disappeared entirely and the faint white glow at the horizon faded, the pure moonlight illuminated the desolate ruins, casting light over the broken remnants of what had been planted there.
Min Zhizhou immediately recognized the remnants for what they were.
These were cities that hadn’t yet been completely consumed by the Nightmare Beast seeds, places that adventurers, including themselves as mercenaries, had longed to explore and collect from the Nightmare Beast Forest. These ruins, even trash and waste, were valuable resources that could fetch a high price!
What they could obtain with their lives was merely a small portion that the Nightmare Beast Forest had not fully parasitized. But now, what lay before them was a vast, harmless area, completely cleansed of the Nightmare Beast Forest!
“The Creator’s miracle has descended!”
“The Creator’s miracle has granted us new land for development! We will offer our prosperity to the Creator!”
“We dedicate our time and lives to the Creator!”
The cheers erupted in waves. At that moment, Min Zhizhou stood frozen, unable to believe that everything he saw was real.
The Nightmare Beast Forest?
Was it really “that” Nightmare Beast Forest?
The one that was known as the land of death, continuously stripping humans of their place to live, devouring cities, claiming lives, and capable of destroying everything?
In just fifteen seconds, the Creator had brought forth a miracle, restoring the city that was about to be consumed and bringing it back to life!
At that moment, Min Zhizhou could no longer equate He Fang with an ordinary human being. He finally began to understand the reverence and fanaticism the residents of the city had for He Fang.
If He Fang stood before him at this moment and revealed the miracle, Min Zhizhou thought that even he might not be able to resist kneeling and submitting in front of him.
That was a god.
A true god!
He Fang successfully opened a new area on the operating interface. He watched helplessly as the national treasury’s funds dwindled by more than half, feeling incredibly pained. After all the hard work to save money, half of it was spent on developing such a small plot of land. The game’s financial system was simply unbearable.
He Fang speculated that the apocalyptic setting in “Ruins Without Restart” was likely designed to offer more ways for players to earn money, creating what could be called the ‘wealth lies in danger’.
However, when He Fang successfully opened the new land, he paused for a moment. “Huh?”
Previously, in “Ruins Without Restart” before the online connection, as a single-player game, all opened land should have been lush green fields. But what appeared before him now was a stretch of ruins.
Upon closer inspection, it was evident that there was a significant amount of steel-reinforced concrete. Even the skeletal frameworks of the original city buildings could be seen.
This made He Fang, who had already planned how to build, stop his hand in mid-motion. He had already found pictures online, completed the models, and was ready to place them in the empty land and wait for the workers to build. But he had never anticipated that the land wouldn’t be empty.
He Fang recalled that Min Zhizhou had mentioned that the Nightmare Beast Forest usually settled in the most densely populated areas of life, where tall buildings were, which naturally made them prime targets for the Nightmare Beast Forest to settle.
Which meant that the land he had just opened should have been a city?
He Fang looked at the disordered and ruined buildings corroded by the Nightmare Beast Forest and hesitated. There was an option on the control panel to ‘flatten’ the area. By selecting a fixed region, all the buildings in that area could be leveled, and then he could place the new buildings he needed.
Although He Fang could choose not to flatten the land, he knew that if he exited the control panel now, any future attempt to flatten the debris would require manpower and extend the construction time. While there might be hidden treasures within the rubble, He Fang wasn’t sure whether the profits would outweigh the costs.
He had budgeted carefully for the construction. If he couldn’t finish it all in one go, the timeline would only stretch further.
He Fang pondered whether there was a better solution.
At this moment, an update suddenly appeared in the event statistics section of the control panel.
“Resident Mr. Cheng, living near the newly opened area, became curious about the sudden appearance of the ruins. He crossed the boundary and stepped into the ruins.”
He Fang raised an eyebrow.
“Resident Mr. Ma and his family, living near the newly opened area, became curious about the sudden appearance of the ruins. They crossed the boundary and entered the ruins.”
He Fang froze for a moment, then realized that as long as there was a path, the residents would naturally step into the city. Although the entire route had already been corrupted by the Nightmare Beast seeds, it would still attract NPCs into the area.
“The police have been informed about the newly opened area and are quickly heading there. They have stopped the residents attempting to explore further and have set up a security line.”
“The police have notified the research institute and will conduct research on the newly opened area.”
“The police have contacted the environmental protection bureau…”
“The police have notified the hospital…”
He Fang watched as the event statistics updated faster and faster. Though he couldn’t see the current events within the city, he could clearly track the trajectories of everyone involved.
He filtered out some of the simpler information. The frequency of updates slowed, but crucial information now appeared before him.
“Researchers have used tools to detect that the newly opened area does not contain harmful gases, dangerous objects, pollutants, or Nightmare Beast seeds that would endanger residents’ health. It has been cleared for entry.”
“The police are contacting excavation personnel for digging and collection.”
“Researchers have discovered a hollow in the ruins and determined that collectible items may be inside. They have marked it for excavation.”
He Fang looked at the information update and suddenly felt much more at ease.
It turned out that he didn’t need to worry so much; the current smart NPCs were already capable of organizing their own homes. How delightful!
He Fang left the control page idle. As long as he didn’t enter the area, he could still flatten it later. Perhaps by the time he returned, he would find the land completely flattened by the NPCs.
He calmly played some other games, even ordered takeout, and exchanged a brief text conversation with the blonde delivery guy.
When He Fang logged in the next day, he noticed that the “Flatten” icon had disappeared from the control panel. Just as he was about to feel relieved, he watched helplessly as his national treasury funds had dwindled again.
He Fang: “…”
His expression was one of shock. These NPCs could actually use the treasury funds! These funds… weren’t they supposed to be permanent?
He Fang was in deep distress. The funds that were supposed to cover the construction had been drained, leaving him with a huge gap to fill. It was incredibly frustrating.
Ah, making money was so hard. He needed people—desperately needed them!
He Fang perked up and glanced through the event statistics. However, the mood of disappointment over losing money quickly lifted when he saw the following updates.
“During excavation, a new item was unearthed—a drone, bringing new technological development to the city.”
“During excavation, partially decayed books were found. They have been sent to the restoration center. Once restored, they will contribute to the cultural development of the city.”
“During excavation, a hot spring was suddenly discovered.”
“During excavation, many reusable resources were found and have been stored in the Treasury.”
……
He Fang watched in awe as a surprising number of unexpected treasures were unearthed from the ruins. He hadn’t anticipated such a stroke of luck. It was at this moment that he realized that though his treasury funds had decreased, he had gained a considerable amount of resources.
“Good thing I didn’t flatten the land immediately. What a unique find! This is just too wonderful!”
Suddenly, a new message appeared in He Fang’s view.
“During excavation, hot weapons—bullets—were discovered. The city has successfully learned how to manufacture hot weapons and bullets.”
He Fang’s eyes widened. His hands slapped the control panel in excitement.
“During excavation, hot weapons—firearms—were discovered. The city has successfully learned how to manufacture these firearms.”
Woooooo!!!
He had been preparing to build a weapons research institute, but now he had been given a firearm model directly, greatly reducing the amount of work needed for research!
He Fang was overjoyed, clenching his fist in excitement in the control space, unable to believe his luck. Was this some kind of bizarre, divine intervention for opening land, or was it part of a special bonus from the online version of “Ruins Without Restart”?
In “Ruins Without Restart”, many items were obtained through constant trial and error and production. For example, He Fang would craft house models, computers, etc., through successful research. Even hospitals had their own research labs to study diseases. Once research on diseases was completed, their cure rates could even reach 100%.
However, the production and research process wasn’t as complex as in real life. It only involved tracking development and success, adding specific materials, and always paying attention to the city’s dynamics for research.
So, He Fang’s city could be said to be a labor of love, something he had painstakingly crafted bit by bit with patience and effort.
This was also one of the reasons why “Ruins Without Restart” had such a high abandonment rate—after all, not everyone had the patience or ability to create everything from scratch.
“Is the official game team lowering the difficulty for newcomers?” He Fang wondered, both excited and worried. “That makes sense, at least more people will be able to play. I wonder if the multiplayer mode will be available later.”
He had weapons now, weapons! He had gotten them for free! This money was well spent—so worth it!
Excited, He Fang immediately logged in and ran toward the police station.
He had slept through the night, so some time must have passed in the game. The police station should have firearms by now. He was eager to see!
No boy is immune to romantic fantasies about firearms. As a game lover, He Fang was no exception. Though he didn’t know exactly what model of guns the game had, he was extremely eager to experience the tactile feel of a gun simulated in the hyper-realistic sensory chamber.
He Fang happily ran along the side of the road. Though the residents he passed still followed their usual paths, every resident seemed to catch a little bit of He Fang’s joy, showing smiles as he passed.
As he stepped into the entrance of the main police station, he noticed the difference. Unlike the research institute, where the interior was stark white with the strong scent of chemicals, the police station’s main hall had darker colors, exuding an air of solemnity. Most of the officers wore black uniforms, giving off an authoritative atmosphere, quite different from the more casual mood of the research institute. Everyone looked extremely professional, as officers should.
Seeing He Fang, the officer at the front desk immediately stood up, saluted, and then quickly returned to their work, maintaining a serious and busy demeanor. It almost felt like their salute was simply a string of code when they saw him.
He Fang’s statistics panel had the option to view “crime rates/criminal incidents”. There were very few major criminal events in the city, mostly just minor disputes between residents, complaints about rising prices, or reports of missing cats—nothing more than small-city issues. So, He Fang had never really bothered to open this section before.
Because the city was small, the police station didn’t have specialized divisions like traffic, security, fire, or criminal cases. It was all unified under the label of “police station”. In the single-player version of “Ruins Without Restart”, the police station only represented a basic planning area. This was He Fang’s first time stepping into the actual police station.
Just as He Fang took his first step inside, a police car with sirens blaring suddenly sped by behind him.
He Fang instinctively turned around.
He saw officers in black uniforms getting out of the car and opening the backseat door.
Min Zhizhou stepped out of the police car’s back seat.
He Fang: “???”
Moonlit: What did you do, Min Zhizhou?
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
