ATIGIBTC Chapter 33

«That’s terrible for my NPC»

He Fang hadn’t slept this soundly in a long time. Ever since he started using the sensory simulation pod, his daily routine of logging in and out of the game had felt just like clocking in and out of work. He spent most of his time in the game. The time he once devoted to other games had been completely squeezed out.

But that didn’t bother him. He loved games and was willing to pour in vast amounts of energy, meticulously paying attention to every single detail.

Even back in the days before “Ruins Without Restart” went online when he was still playing single-player games, he had always developed his little town steadily and methodically. Compared to the super metropolises built by legendary players who had once shocked the gaming world, his town seemed insignificant. Yet, he never considered expanding until his small city had reached complete stability.

Now, looking at his well-developed city, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction and pride. While other city lords watched their cities collapse time and again due to the smallest, almost imperceptible oversights, his city had survived, just as always. He was cautious—exceedingly cautious—and this proved that his caution had paid off.

This time, he didn’t log in through the sensory simulation pod. Instead, he connected through his computer and opened the control interface to check the city’s current event log, focusing particularly on the recent actions of his newly appointed Minister of Armed Forces, Yuan Zhiran.

“Minister of Armed Forces Yuan Zhiran successfully negotiated with Police Chief Qi Jingwei and obtained the identity files of Chong Xiao and Chong Ying.”

“Minister of Armed Forces Yuan Zhiran successfully enlisted Chong Xiao and Chong Ying into the military.”

“Minister of Armed Forces Yuan Zhiran collaborated with the Civil Affairs Bureau to draft the conscription regulations, which have now been issued citywide.”

“This Yuan Zhiran is quite capable,” He Fang thought. “No wonder he has such good stats as an NPC.”

“The headquarters for the Armed Forces Department has been completed and is now operational.”

“Military recruitment has begun. Minister of Armed Forces Yuan Zhiran is personally overseeing the selection process. The initial screening has been completed.”

Reading this, He Fang suddenly froze.

Ten thousand people?

He quickly checked his city’s population again. Though it was approaching thirty thousand, it was still in the twenty-thousand range. Nearly half of them want to enlist? Was it just for the military registration?

For a city of roughly twenty to thirty thousand people, managing to integrate one or two thousand soldiers was already He Fang’s best-case scenario. He hadn’t expected the residents to be so enthusiastic about enlistment.

He was slightly concerned. Should I set conditions for military enrollment? Ideally, he wanted to recruit citizens with higher attributes—better stats meant stronger capabilities. If they ever encountered danger, those with superior attributes would also have a better chance of escaping. Above all, ensuring the safety of NPCs was his top priority.

Curious, he clicked on the detailed report for the recruitment event. The full contents of the event unfolded on the screen.

“Minister of Armed Forces Yuan Zhiran issued a voluntary enlistment notice to the entire town. All applicants were required to provide a physical examination report, a resident ID card, and a police-issued certificate of no criminal record. Those with social commendations or awards were to submit their certificates as well before applying at the Armed Forces Department.”

“After an initial screening of all applicants, the eligible age range was set between 16 and 45, leaving 6,913 candidates remaining.”

He Fang couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. Did Yuan Zhiran initially leave out age restrictions because he was worried no one would sign up? Cutting out over 3,000 applicants in one go—were even the elderly and children in his city eager to join the military?

With time constraints in mind, the second round of screening was already underway. Seeing the remaining number of candidates, He Fang felt reassured.

After some thought, he decided to leave things alone for now and let Yuan Zhiran handle it as he saw fit.

Since he had already made up his mind to expand into an unclaimed area, this was essentially like establishing a brand-new city in “Ruins Without Restart”. However, places ravaged by Nightmare Beast Seeds were likely devoid of any resources, meaning supplies would have to come from the main city.

The first thing he needed to build was an airport, along with researching transport aircraft.

If possible, he wanted to establish the new settlement at the edge of the Nightmare Beast Forest. This would provide a natural defense against other mobile cities and, in a way, act as an extended “novice protection period” for the new settlement.

He Fang searched online for different types of cities built on various terrains, analyzing potential models he could start constructing right away.

With his extensive experience in architectural modeling, he decided to take a bold step—abandoning real-world design templates entirely. Instead, he would use online maps to create a simplified layout. Since NPCs now possess the ability to construct autonomously, why not let them design according to their own preferences? This way, they’d have more development opportunities.

Perhaps, as his NPCs gained exposure to his thought processes and input, they might evolve in unexpected ways—maybe even becoming more intelligent.

He Fang had been gathering information from morning until afternoon when the rumbling in his stomach finally snapped him out of his deep thoughts.

He was starving.

With a milk carton in his mouth, he went to the kitchen and boiled two packs of instant noodles, cracking in an egg. He couldn’t even be bothered to order takeout—his house was well-stocked with instant food anyway.

Slurping his noodles, He Fang sent a message to the community office, asking how much he needed to pay for utilities this month. However, no reply came.

It was only then that he realized something odd. The community chat group had been eerily silent for a long time. There used to be at least a couple of messages daily—whether it was advertisements or group-buying deals from local stores. But now, it was completely quiet.

He Fang felt a bit uneasy. The wait for a reply was unsettling, making even his usually delicious instant noodles taste bland.

Whenever he had something he needed to discuss with someone, he would become restless, unable to focus until the issue was resolved. The lingering uncertainty gnawed at him.

Unable to hold back, he sent another message. Normally, wasn’t the community office extremely quick to respond when it came to collecting payments?

He dreaded the times when they couldn’t get the money and would come knocking on his door. Those visits only ever filled him with anxiety and frustration, so he always made sure to pay any fees as soon as possible.

He Fang didn’t like going outside. Even so, he could still hear the murmurs and discussions about him.

On his phone, messages from people he didn’t want to deal with—yet couldn’t block—would pop up out of nowhere, berating him for being addicted to games, for not getting a proper job, for wasting his life away.

But he loved gaming and was proud of it. He had moved from a big city to this smaller one. The money for his house came from creating gaming videos. He could live comfortably and he found joy in his virtual world. So why were there always some nosy people constantly filling his ears with discouraging words?

Just then, a reply from the community office arrived.

He Fang immediately opened it. The message was short and to the point, simply listing the fees he needed to pay—exactly the kind of straightforward payment reminder he preferred.

But something was off. The amount due was half of what it used to be.

That didn’t make sense. His sensory simulation pod was in use for most of the day—shouldn’t such a massive device consume more electricity? Why had the bill gone down instead?

Though puzzled, He Fang transferred the money without asking any questions, unwilling to engage in any further conversation.

When he logged back into the game, the event statistics on the control panel showed that the Weapons Development Facility and the vast Armed Forces Development had been fully completed.

The difference in time flow was one of the game’s advantages—it allowed him to see results quickly. Checking the residential area’s construction progress, he noticed that it was still under development, much slower than the military facilities. Judging by the plans, it seemed to be a high-rise building. That made sense—his city was at full capacity and more housing was desperately needed.

This time, He Fang had several objectives for logging in. He planned to check on the progress of the Armed Forces Department, review the research institute’s advancements on aircraft and long-range weaponry, and reward the Divine Lord and Rainbow Squad’s Xiao Hong.

Additionally, he intended to complete the Divine Lord’s daily mission. Last time, the mission had drained a significant amount of his Faith Points. Now he fully understood just how valuable that resource was.

Just before entering the game, an unexpected notification popped up in the event log.

“The research institute has successfully developed a manned aircraft and has issued a call for volunteer test pilots. Recruitment is currently in progress.”

He Fang’s eyes widened.

What’s going on?

They’ve already developed the aircraft?

It’s already being tested with human pilots?

His hands flew across the interface, scrolling through the event log. Sure enough, a series of unremarkable gray text entries—usually reserved for less significant updates—caught his attention.

“The research institute successfully developed an aircraft. The first test flight was a success.”

“Following analysis of the first test flight’s flaws, the research institute successfully developed Aircraft Model 2. The first test flight was a success.”

He Fang watched in shock as the gray text entries documented a total of twenty-three test flights.

How did I miss this?

“The research institute has completed the development of unmanned aircraft and is now researching manned aircraft.”

The research institute’s manned aircraft had successfully passed multiple machine simulations, completing 218 simulated test flights with no detected risks. As a result, they were now proceeding with live human trials.

He Fang nearly lost it when he saw the message. This was a major event! Why had it been recorded in gray text in the event log? How could he possibly keep track of every little gray-text notification when so much happened every day?

Did the system only highlight it as an important event after the aircraft was fully developed?

What a scam.

The moment he realized human testing was about to begin, his heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he slammed into the game, unwilling to let time continue slipping away in standby mode.

Please, please, don’t let my NPCs recklessly volunteer for testing.

It’s too dangerous!

The young man’s avatar materialized in the midst of a bustling crowd. NPCs hurried past him in all directions, but He Fang’s anxious expression was impossible to hide. After quickly pulling up the map to confirm his location, he bolted toward the research institute, pushing through the throng of people. In his rush, he even knocked over several pedestrians.

Behind him, the NPCs he had bumped into exchanged startled glances.

“What’s going on? Why is the Creator in such a hurry? Did something happen?”

Some even pulled out their phones, checking for urgent news.

“No… nothing. I don’t see anything unusual.”

“By the way, did you brace yourself when the Creator crashed into you? That impact was pretty strong. If you didn’t absorb some of the force, the Creator could’ve gotten hurt.”

“Of course, I knew to absorb the impact! How could I possibly overlook something that important? But you—you’re huge! I saw the Creator slam into your elbow just now.”

“Nah, I shielded him. He didn’t actually hit me at all.”

Meanwhile, He Fang remained completely oblivious to the commotion he had caused among the NPCs.

When He Fang arrived at the research institute, he pushed the doors open and blurted out, “Where’s Zhu Yan? Where is Zhu Yan?”

The researchers inside were momentarily stunned by his sudden entrance. One of them hurried over to hand him a cup of warm water, trying to help him calm down. Another immediately dialed Zhu Yan’s number—when it came to inquiries from the Creator, they wouldn’t dare delay even a second.

He Fang had sprinted the entire way here. He had never run in the game before. He hadn’t expected it to feel as exhausting as real-life running. When he first stepped inside, he could still manage complete sentences, but now he was completely out of breath.

Right then, a researcher who had just connected the call spoke up.

“Zhu Yan, the City Lord is looking for you.”

He Fang instantly understood that Zhu Yan was on the other end of the call. He took two steps forward. The researcher immediately handed the phone over.

“Got it. Wait for me, I’ll be there soon.”

The moment He Fang answered, he heard Zhu Yan’s calm voice. He hadn’t asked any questions or given any explanations—he simply said he would come.

He Fang took a deep breath and forced out a question between gasps, “Are you conducting flight tests?”

“We are making preparations. City Lord, is there something you’d like to instruct?” Zhu Yan’s tone was as cool as ever, but there was a subtle warmth in his voice while speaking to He Fang. However, He Fang was too preoccupied with catching his breath to notice.

“Stop. Put it on hold. Wait for me to get there,” He Fang panted.

“You don’t sound well. Would you like me to switch to a video call?” Zhu Yan suggested.

He Fang’s eyes lit up. A video call meant he could see what was happening at the research site in real time. He immediately responded, “Yes, yes, hurry up and turn it on!”

The screen changed, revealing Zhu Yan’s face—serious and composed as always. His white lab coat was perfectly neat and his cool gaze remained unreadable. He stood beneath a blazing sun, the harsh light casting sharp contrasts over his figure. Behind him stretched an endless blue sky and a vast expanse of land that had recently been cleared for use.

Seeing Zhu Yan like this, He Fang blanked for a moment.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yan also seemed briefly stunned upon seeing He Fang. His usual composed demeanor wavered ever so slightly.

“You arrived at the perfect time, actually. Regarding the aircraft design, we’ve finalized a relatively complete model. However, this is only our theory—we need your input before proceeding.”

“Alright, alright! Just wait for me, don’t start anything yet. Let me catch my breath first.”

He Fang plopped down onto the research institute’s guest sofa, tugging at his collar in the heat. His fair, youthful skin was tinged with a faint pink from exertion. His lips parted slightly as he took quick, shallow breaths, gradually recovering from his sprint.

Zhu Yan’s eyes darkened slightly.

After a brief pause, his voice was noticeably colder than before as he spoke again.

“I’m coming to pick you up right now.”

When Zhu Yan hung up the phone, He Fang was still a little dazed. Is Zhu Yan coming to pick me up? Wouldn’t it be more convenient if I went to him instead?

What He Fang didn’t expect was that in just three minutes, Zhu Yan had already arrived at the research institute in a car. When the staff informed him, he immediately stood up and walked to the entrance, watching as Zhu Yan stepped out of the driver’s seat.

This was the first time He Fang had ever seen Zhu Yan standing under the sunlight. Even during the last military exercise, he hadn’t gotten a proper look at him.

The man standing in the sterile white research lab looked completely different from the one now illuminated by natural light. Zhu Yan’s skin, likely due to spending most of his time indoors, was unnaturally pale—almost translucent under the sun’s rays. His white lab coat only enhanced the effect, making it seem as if he had lost all color in this vibrant world.

“City Lord.” His clear and steady voice carried a depth of emotion that was difficult to decipher. Zhu Yan now stood before He Fang.

“What’s wrong?” He Fang snapped out of his thoughts, confused as to why he had spaced out. For a moment there, Zhu Yan hadn’t seemed like an NPC at all—but a real person.

Zhu Yan removed his white gloves, revealing hands so pale they were nearly transparent, with faint blue veins visible beneath the skin. He extended one of them in a gesture of invitation.

“Please get in the car, City Lord.”

He Fang vaguely felt that Zhu Yan might be nervous. Even though his expression appeared even more cold and composed than usual, there was something about him that seemed unusually anxious.

After settling into the passenger seat, He Fang blinked as he observed Zhu Yan’s profile. His features were flawless, but his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly, and his gaze remained fixed on the road ahead. Is he nervous?

Wait, could it be that he’s not good at driving?

Suddenly, the car came to a halt.

He Fang instinctively asked, “Why did we stop?”

“You might need something to cool down and rehydrate,” Zhu Yan replied as he got out of the car. It was only then that He Fang noticed the small convenience store nearby.

Zhu Yan, in his pristine white lab coat, looked completely out of place among the colorful shelves of snacks and drinks. He Fang couldn’t help but think that this was an issue with the game’s design. There really wasn’t a need to make research NPCs so visually mismatched with everyday environments—it looked like he had been awkwardly pasted into the scene.

Before He Fang knew it, there was an ice-cold bottle of cola in his hand. The cool sensation was incredibly refreshing. When he twisted the cap open, he noticed it was already loosened, making it effortless to open. The sweet, fizzy drink slid down his throat, and he felt instantly invigorated. He never expected that one day, he’d be drinking an ice-cold cola inside a game. If he ever craved something in real life, could he just come into the game to satisfy his cravings instead?

Seeing that He Fang had finally calmed down, Zhu Yan spoke again, his voice returning to its usual icy tone.

“The location for this experiment’s results demonstration is on the outskirts of the city. The newly expanded weapons development facility is closer, so I will present our findings to you there.”

He Fang was momentarily stunned. Isn’t that where I was originally heading anyway?

“You already sent people to the weapons development facility?” He asked, realizing he hadn’t checked the event log carefully.

“Yes. It’s not just the aircraft—we’ve also successfully developed more advanced firearms. After discussions with Commander Chong Ying, we created a more lightweight yet powerful gun. Since these are lethal weapons, we won’t proceed with live testing until we’ve fully ensured their safety.”

Hearing Zhu Yan’s words, He Fang momentarily paused mid-sip of his cola.

“You guys… really prioritize safety.”

“City Lord, that has always been your guidance to us. We would rather sacrifice more resources than waste a single life.”

Zhu Yan’s statement unexpectedly reassured He Fang. He had been so anxious earlier, but in the end, wasn’t he just failing to trust the NPCs he had personally nurtured? He suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

“Hehe, I didn’t expect you guys to listen to me this well.”

Zhu Yan’s lips curved into a slight smile. His usually cold expression softened, like ice melting under the sun.

“You have given us the most perfect protection. Naturally, we should return to you everything you need most.”

He Fang blinked, then quickly lowered his head. He wasn’t sure how to respond to such high praise.

Outside the window, the scenery blurred past. They had arrived at the open plains. He Fang lifted his head and looked out. The view was breathtakingly realistic—vast stretches of land with only a few cleanly paved roads cutting through it. He had spared no expense in constructing these roads, even adding patches of greenery in the median strips, making the landscape aesthetically pleasing.

From a top-down view, the area hadn’t seemed this expansive. Now, seeing it from ground level, it was truly a vast territory.

Suddenly, a deep, rumbling sound filled He Fang’s ears.

He blinked. The noise wasn’t deafening, but it was unmistakably the sound of some massive machinery starting up.

“City Lord, look up—it’s an airplane.” Zhu Yan’s voice carried a hint of amusement.

He Fang instinctively followed his gaze skyward.

Up in the sky, He Fang saw something that was definitely not a bird—yet it was circling in the air.

His eyes widened as he pressed against the car window, trying to get a better look.

For safety’s sake, Zhu Yan brought the car to a stop. He Fang quickly jumped out of the passenger seat, tilting his head back in shock as he watched the object soaring freely through the sky.

It was an exceptionally agile flying machine—unlike any aircraft He Fang had ever seen. Even the most advanced fighter jets he knew of couldn’t maneuver with such fluidity. This thing could even hover in midair as if it were standing on an invisible platform.

“We made some modifications to the original airplane concept, drawing inspiration from Xiao Hong of the Rainbow Squad. In the end, we settled on this design. Fortunately, we succeeded.” Zhu Yan’s lips curved slightly. Behind him, the vast blue sky stretched endlessly, with the aircraft gracefully circling overhead.

Xiao Hong of the Rainbow Squad? That was an anti-gravity design used for piloting massive mechas in the air… and Zhu Yan had actually built it?!

“Since we already have a successful prototype, we can extend our research based on this model. Our next step will be to develop passenger planes and cargo aircraft. It’s undeniable that aircraft are much faster than ground vehicles. But before we move forward, we’d like to hear your thoughts, Creator.”

He Fang stammered for a moment before finally voicing the question in his mind.

“In your eyes… this is an airplane?”

Zhu Yan paused, caught off guard. Was there a flaw in their design? Had they made a mistake?

Tentatively, he asked, “Is this… not an airplane?”

“Aren’t airplanes supposed to have runways? Fixed flight paths? Shouldn’t they not be able to just hover in place indefinitely? Are you sure that thing isn’t just a deflating balloon floating around aimlessly?” He Fang was completely dumbfounded.

Zhu Yan pondered for a moment, his expression subtly shifting. Then he asked seriously, “So, what you mean is… we need to design a plane that requires a runway, follows fixed routes, and can’t hover in place?”

He Fang suddenly choked on his words. He had only said that out of sheer shock—if they actually followed through with it, wouldn’t that be reverse engineering?

“No, no, that’s not—” He tried to explain, but Zhu Yan cut him off with a perfectly logical counterargument.

“If it’s your suggestion, Creator, then it can’t be a step backward.”

Just as He Fang was left speechless, Zhu Yan continued, “I understand now. What you mean is that we should add autonomous navigation, increase speed, and make an aircraft that can both fly and drive on roads, allowing for dual functionality. Is that correct?”

He Fang’s eyes went wide. W-Wait… what? How did Zhu Yan just take the design in an even more outrageous direction?!

“As expected of you, City Lord. Your idea is excellent. Perhaps we shouldn’t restrict ourselves to conventional thinking. Just because it’s an airplane doesn’t mean it should only be able to fly.” Zhu Yan was already pulling out research documents, leaning against the car door as he began contemplating new design possibilities.

He Fang was so stunned he didn’t dare say a word. Something this crazy… is this all just perfectly reasonable to him? Does he not think I’m completely delusional?!

“Uh… I mean, maybe we don’t need to pursue something so novel and perfect,” He Fang tried to steer the conversation back to a more grounded approach. He didn’t want to keep escalating the difficulty level for his researchers.

“Not pursuing novelty and perfection… meaning we should allow for certain trade-offs and focus on refining strengths?” Zhu Yan mused, his gaze following the plane in the sky. “In that case, since planes have severe turning limitations, after running multiple simulations, we determined that the current design is the most optimal and flexible structure. If a fixed runway isn’t strictly necessary, then as long as it can fly low to the ground and function similarly to a car, wouldn’t that be an even more practical solution? This would actually be easier to achieve. As expected of you, City Lord.”

He Fang was utterly dumbfounded. What the hell…?

He had just wanted them to design a normal airplane. He had randomly blurted out a bunch of nonsense, and now somehow, Zhu Yan had come up with a completely unprecedented flying vehicle!

At this point, the only real-world equivalent He Fang could think of was a maglev train. Had Zhu Yan already envisioned an era of futuristic technology far beyond He Fang’s own imagination?

Is he really just an NPC?

He Fang silently gazed at the sky. What was flying up there wasn’t just a simple airplane anymore. It had nothing in common with traditional aircraft. If anything, it looked more like a modified fighter jet—something completely alien to reality, something that shouldn’t even exist.

“Min Zhizhou… Min Zhizhou… Does he really not think this is completely ridiculous?”

He Fang couldn’t help but wonder—if “Ruins Without Restart” was set in a post-apocalyptic future after modern society, could technology really have advanced to this level? This thing seemed like it could fly straight into space!

“Hmm,” Zhu Yan mused, recalling Min Zhizhou’s reaction. “Mr. Min only said that from now on, no matter what he sees, he won’t be surprised. So, he won’t be this time either.”

He Fang couldn’t hold it in anymore. Wasn’t that basically just a roundabout way of saying he was actually extremely shocked?!

After compiling all of He Fang’s feedback, Zhu Yan once again looked at him expectantly, eyes gleaming with anticipation. “City Lord, do you have any further requests for our research?”

At this point, He Fang was speechless. He suddenly felt like all the old-era technology he’d been adding to the city was just holding back the terrifying intelligence and progress of his NPCs. The moment he let go of control, just look at what kind of monster Zhu Yan had designed!

And now, He Fang didn’t dare to open his mouth at all. He was terrified that saying anything else would just make things even more insane.

Slowly, he raised his hand—

And gestured: No more.

Zhu Yan opened the passenger door. “City Lord, please get in. Although today’s flight is still unmanned, since we’ve now confirmed plans for a manned flight, we should at least inspect the results.”

“…Alright.” He Fang obediently got into the passenger seat and, being a responsible adult, buckled himself in.

Zhu Yan glanced at him sideways. His normally sharp and serious expression carried a rare trace of amusement.

Before actually seeing the so-called “manned aircraft”, He Fang had mentally prepared himself—no matter what he saw, he would react like Min Zhizhou. He would not be surprised.

But when he finally laid eyes on the massive, overwhelmingly cool, shiny—and completely not an airplane—airplane… he was utterly speechless.

As soon as he logged off, he had to upload a video and ask if anyone had a clue what kind of bizarre worldbuilding “Ruins Without Restart” was even going for.

What stood before him was the kind of flying vehicle that only existed in anime or sci-fi movies. He Fang didn’t even know what words to use to describe it. This thing had completely shattered his understanding of what an “airplane” was supposed to be.

Just then, Min Zhizhou approached. Unlike the NPCs in the city, his attitude toward He Fang wasn’t purely deferential—there was a certain warmth to it, like an older brother dealing with a younger sibling.

The two of them locked eyes.

And in that moment, they each saw the same thing reflected in the other’s gaze: I am very, very shocked. But I no longer know how to express shock.

“This is kind of ridiculous,” He Fang finally said, testing the waters.

“Mm.” Min Zhizhou’s expression was complicated beyond words.

He Fang was relieved. If even Min Zhizhou, who had spent time outside the city, thought this was absurd, then that meant the mobile cities outside hadn’t reached this level yet. The only explanation left was that his NPCs were just terrifyingly capable.

“We’ve simulated over a hundred test flights on the computer,” Zhu Yan reported from the side. “We’ve also fully trained the pilots in handling every conceivable emergency. Additionally, we’ve incorporated automatic navigation and flight control based on the plane model, and we’ve even installed escape pods. We’ve ensured maximum safety.”

“What’s the purpose of this manned test flight?” He Fang asked.

“It’s to study human compatibility with the aircraft,” Zhu Yan explained. “No matter how perfect our design is, if it doesn’t work for human pilots, it’s meaningless. This test is to evaluate the real-world piloting experience.”

“I see…”

He Fang took two steps forward and placed a hand on the aircraft’s exterior. Despite being under the blazing sun, its smooth, polished surface remained cool to the touch.

He had to admit—faced with such an impossibly sleek and insanely cool aircraft—he was a little tempted.

“Can I train to pilot it for the experiment?”

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone froze.

Even Min Zhizhou couldn’t help but interject. “City Lord, this isn’t a joke.”

“City Lord, please don’t say things like that,” Zhu Yan, who had been contemplating seriously just moments ago, instantly dropped his expression into something very cold.

“Why can’t I?” He Fang challenged. “You just said it’s as safe as possible. If others can pilot it, why not me?”

“Unless… you’re saying that there’s still risk involved?”

He Fang had his reasons for insisting.

First, in terms of stats, he was likely the weakest person in the city—he was even worse than Min Zhizhou. If he could pilot this thing, then it would definitely be safe for everyone else.

Second, as a player, while “Ruins Without Restart” had hyper-realistic settings, there was one thing that couldn’t be avoided: players didn’t die.

Cities in “Ruins Without Restart” could be wiped out due to mismanagement, but a player character’s death wouldn’t cause a city’s destruction.

Originally, the game wasn’t even supposed to have character deaths—it was a city-building game, after all. No city collapses just because the city lord dies. So, even if He Fang’s character were to die, as long as the city still stood, he could just restart as a new character and reclaim his position as City Lord.

All things considered, letting him pilot the test flight would prevent the loss of any precious NPCs, successfully complete the experiment, and set the stage for him to personally pilot an aircraft to the Nightmare Beast Forest in the future.

A perfect three-for-one deal!

Besides, he wasn’t guaranteed to die in an accident. If something did happen, he could just log off before the critical moment. As long as someone else took control of the aircraft in time, he would log back in to find himself safe and sound inside the cockpit.

“For all these reasons, I believe I am the best candidate for this experiment.” He Fang thumped his chest confidently.

“Absolutely not!”

Suddenly, a voice cut in—unfamiliar, and still carrying a trace of youthful sharpness.

He Fang turned toward the source of the voice.

A figure emerged from the aircraft’s cockpit—a young man.

His soft hair swayed gently in the breeze, his delicate features cast in warm sunlight, his gaze slightly lowered.

…And He Fang couldn’t help but think—

Who the hell took such a stiff, lifeless ID photo of someone this good-looking?

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