A food cart was slowly moving through a quiet passage. The girl pushing the cart had her brown hair wrapped in a chef’s hat. She stopped in front of a door and gently knocked.
Yuan Zhiran suddenly opened his eyes. He couldn’t truly sleep here, only half-closed his eyes in a light doze. Any sound around him triggered his reaction.
At this moment, the knocking on the door grew louder. Even He Fang woke up. Upon waking, he vaguely felt something restraining his waist. Confused, he looked up and saw Yuan Zhiran already sitting up and looking at the door. What was restraining his waist now?
In that instant, He Fang felt a chill run down his spine. He had only been idle for a moment—how could he have been possessed by a ghost? The hyper-realistic sensation of the simulation almost made him scream in terror, but someone behind him covered his mouth.
“City Lord, it’s me,” Chong Ying whispered in He Fang’s ear. He was buried under the blanket, slowly crawling out.
He Fang finally breathed a sigh of relief. When did Chong Ying arrive here? And why did he crawl into the bed?
Yuan Zhiran turned back. Relieved, He Fang heard the knocking at the door and saw Yuan Zhiran looking at him. He nodded, signaling Yuan Zhiran to open the door.
Yuan Zhiran used a ribbon to cover his Adam’s apple. He sat up and went to open the door without turning on the light, avoiding exposing his male identity.
Meanwhile, Chong Ying rolled out of bed and crawled under it. In his hand, a specially crafted silent long-range weapon was ready to strike. If anything happened, he could take the opponent’s life instantly.
Yuan Zhiran opened the door halfway, letting the light from outside shine in. The soft pink dress Yuan Zhiran wore appeared alluring under the white light. Even though the girl at the door knew Yuan Zhiran was of the same gender, she couldn’t help but feel admiration.
“What’s the matter?” Yuan Zhiran’s voice carried a lazy tone, still hinting at sleepiness.
“Since I haven’t seen your companion tonight, I specially prepared some late-night snacks for them. You’re an honored guest of Angel City, and we must ensure your dining experience is pleasant,” the brown-haired girl said with a cheerful expression.
“Waking someone up in the middle of the night just to eat isn’t exactly good hospitality,” Yuan Zhiran replied, his face partially hidden in the shadows, which gave off a slightly gloomy aura. The brown-haired girl couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated.
“But the food is already prepared. If your companion isn’t here, I hope you’ll at least accept the meal. Food is precious, and I hope you understand,” the girl said earnestly, her expression showing no ill intent.
“Is that so? Then come in,” Yuan Zhiran said, stepping aside to let the girl push the food cart inside.
The brown-haired girl sighed in relief and stepped into the dark room. As she entered, she suddenly heard the door close behind her. Startled, she quickly turned to look at Yuan Zhiran at the door, her eyes filled with fear.
“What are you afraid of? Coming here in the middle of the night—you must have had some intentions, didn’t you?” Yuan Zhiran’s voice, unlike the commanding tone during the day, now sounded ambiguous, making the girl’s entire body tense up.
“No, I…” the girl tried to explain.
He Fang suddenly said, “Even if you’re bringing food for my bodyguard, it should be delivered to the bodyguard’s room next door. Why are you here? Do I really need to concern myself with what my bodyguard eats?”
The girl clearly sensed the situation was becoming complicated. She immediately lifted the white cloth covering the food cart, revealing a large backpack-like box underneath.
Yuan Zhiran instantly moved to shield He Fang, worried that the box might contain something harmful to him.
“What is this?” He Fang curiously asked, peeking out from behind Yuan Zhiran.
“Seeds,” the brown-haired girl replied anxiously. “Dear customer, do you remember chatting with an elderly man during the day? You mentioned wanting to bring some seeds back to your city.”
“I remember,” He Fang said, realizing this was likely part of his mission NPC interaction. How could he forget?
“I’m the old man’s granddaughter. My name is Yuan Sanjin,” the girl said, as she opened the box to reveal packets of seeds, each sealed in transparent bags. “Here are the seeds you requested. At the bottom of the box, you’ll also find instructions and the planting requirements for each type.”
Seeing that they were indeed seeds, He Fang was a bit surprised. “I could’ve collected them from the old man tomorrow. Why come here so late at night?”
“Please take these seeds and leave this place immediately!” Yuan Sanjin said urgently, her large eyes glimmering with anxiety as she looked at He Fang. “Then return to Hope City immediately and warn the city lord to flee quickly!”
“So, you do know I’m from Hope City?” Yuan Zhiran responded, seemingly unsurprised by her words. It was as if they had all more or less figured it out by now.
“Yes, by now, all the moving cities have received a notification from Angel City that they won’t be welcoming any visitors for the next month. We were just waiting for you to show up!” Yuan Sanjin said urgently. “So, please get dressed quickly, and I’ll take you away. We’ve already prepared the vehicle you came in; please hurry.”
“Why do this?” He Fang asked in confusion. “Are you having internal conflicts?”
He Fang thought back to the old man and Xiaomei’s strange attitudes, as if their intentions were not aligned in the first place.
“Grandfather said he saw a perfect image of a plant’s form, and no matter what, he hopes your farmers can maintain such a state in the future,” Yuan Sanjin explained, speaking quickly and anxiously. “So please, return to Hope City immediately and report to the city lord. Angel City is planning to launch an attack on you. At the very least, you must evacuate all the technical personnel!”
He Fang’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He hadn’t even considered attacking Angel City yet, so why were they planning to strike first?
“Why do they have to attack us?” He Fang wondered aloud. It didn’t make sense—they had only confirmed Hope City’s existence, and that alone had prompted an invasion?
“Because you have the ‘Land of Hope’!” Yuan Sanjin said desperately. “Please leave now, return, and report back. There’s no time to waste!”
He Fang blinked, remaining calm and unhurried.
It seemed that Angel City had used biological techniques to confirm the existence of Hope City and the “Land of Hope”. As the “largest eco-city”, Angel City was undoubtedly determined to protect its reputation. This led to its hostility toward the “Land of Hope”, a place tied to immense promise and the flourishing past of plants.
To solidify its unique position, Angel City saw the “Land of Hope” as something that must be eradicated.
However, as He Fang looked at the girl before him, he frowned slightly. Through her, he seemed to sense a faint trace of discord within Angel City. Out of curiosity, he opened the girl’s attribute panel.
Shockingly, the label above the girl’s head boldly read, “Granddaughter of the City Lord of Angel City.”
He Fang gasped audibly. Granddaughter? Could it be that the old man he had encountered during the day was actually the city lord of Angel City?
He Fang wouldn’t normally examine the attribute panel of every NPC he met. Such an endeavor would be far too overwhelming, even for him. Plus, even if he checked, he might not remember all the details. Thus, when interacting with the old man, he had overlooked the attribute panel entirely.
Yet, if he had checked earlier, wouldn’t he have already known the old man was the city lord?
“The order to attack Hope City—wasn’t it issued by the city lord?” He Fang suddenly asked.
“No, it was… Mr. Qian,” Yuan Sanjin said, lowering her gaze as she recounted the current situation.
Mr. Qian was part of a different faction that had helped Angel City achieve its current prominence. When Angel City first became a mobile city, the city lord had dreamed of environmental conservation. However, they had accumulated too many species, and in the end, they had fallen into such poverty that they barely had the strength to escape their dire circumstances.
Back then, Mr. Qian’s ancestors used their wealth-earning methods to develop Angel City to its current state. The city lord had hoped for the “sparks” to be dispersed across the world again, but Mr. Qian wanted all those “sparks” to remain under Angel City’s exclusive control.
“I can understand that,” Yuan Zhiran remarked, sitting on the bed. “It’s a clash between ideals and reality, isn’t it? Perhaps the city lord adheres to ideals, while Mr. Qian has provided the foundation for those ideals.”
“Mr. Qian’s methods are indeed extreme, but they’re all for Angel City. We don’t wish for the ‘Land of Hope’ to vanish, but perhaps it would be better if this world didn’t have any ‘sparks’ at all,” Yuan Sanjin said, her expression tinged with helplessness. She quickly added, “Please return immediately and prepare Hope City for the worst. As long as the people are still alive, a mobile city can be rebuilt. Or, if—I’m only saying if—the city lord of Hope City is willing, Angel City is prepared to take in Hope City’s technical personnel.”
He Fang blinked and suddenly asked, “Why do you think Hope City still has any technical personnel?”
Yuan Sanjin froze.
He Fang continued, “When Hope City was on the brink of destruction, the mobile cities that passed by scavenged every capable individual. All that remained were the elderly, the weak, and the sick.”
Yuan Sanjin hadn’t expected this and stammered, “But… my grandfather said you have exceptionally perfect plants. If they weren’t cultivated by professionals—”
“Yes, indeed they were cultivated by us,” He Fang interjected. Yet, those were He Fang’s people, not Hope City’s. Still, now that they were one and the same, he saw no need to explain further to a stranger. “Yuan Zhiran, how is the defensive setup of the ‘Land of Hope’?”
“The defenses are already very solid, with soldiers working in shifts. There’s no fear of any attack,” Yuan Zhiran calmly stated.
“But why would they plan to attack Hope City and still let us in?” He Fang asked, puzzled.
“There are three possibilities,” Yuan Sanjin replied. “The first is to lower Hope City’s guard. The second is to use you as hostages. The third is to create a justification for war.”
Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted from within the room. Yuan Sanjin was startled and looked around, only to see He Fang picking up the bedside communicator, which had been on an active call the whole time.
“Zhu Yan?” He Fang called out the name.
“Hope City currently lacks transparency, and Angel City is making preparations on two fronts,” Zhu Yan analyzed calmly. “Their main objective is to quietly destroy Hope City and seize the assets from the ‘Land of Hope’. But suppose the situation at Hope City becomes known. In that case, they can use our presence here as a pretext, claiming ‘Hope City sent emissaries to spy on Angel City’, thus declaring war with legitimate grounds.”
“In warfare, having a reason is critical. Angel City, as a renowned tourist city, can’t afford to be seen as initiating a conflict. They need a defensive excuse. Our arrival here provides them with the perfect justification,” Yuan Zhiran added.
He Fang blinked in surprise. Was it his imagination? He clearly hadn’t programmed the cities with any specific concepts of war. Could it have been the historical documents he had compiled and written into the university archives that had inspired these intelligent NPCs? Their ability to extrapolate and learn was astounding.
“But now that they’ve actively attacked us, can we stand firm in terms of reputation?” He Fang asked.
“Yes,” Zhu Yan replied confidently. “We have Angel City’s invitation voucher. We booked the Angel City travel slot through formal channels and paid a significant amount of money. This voucher had an automatic destruction program embedded in it, which I’ve already terminated. By keeping it intact, we have evidence to prove that this is Angel City’s invasion of Hope City.”
He Fang sighed in relief. His NPCs were truly capable. It was clear that, as the leader of a city—or even a nation—a good team or loyal subordinates were the foundation for strengthening both.
“Sanjin,” He Fang turned to Yuan Sanjin, who was looking bewildered beside him. “Has Angel City already deployed troops, or not?”
Yuan Sanjin shook her head. She didn’t know, but hearing the discussion, a terrifying thought formed in her mind. Stammering, she asked, “You… you’re planning to fight Angel City, aren’t you?”
Why not?
From the very beginning, He Fang’s visit to Angel City had been to assess whether Hope City could face them in a city battle. Now, however, the passive city battle seemed to have turned into an active confrontation. Although He Fang wanted to confidently assure Yuan Sanjin that he wasn’t afraid, deep down, he was still nervous.
“What are you all thinking?” The girl, who had been timid up until now, suddenly stood up. “This is Angel City! After years of development, Angel City has achieved highly advanced defenses—defenses so strong they’re capable of launching offensives. Hope City is just a small city that rose from the ruins after destruction, thanks to the ‘Land of Hope’. How dare you challenge Angel City?”
Yuan Sanjin widened her eyes in disbelief. Although she meant no harm, her words were clearly imbued with trust and pride in Angel City. She simply couldn’t imagine Hope City standing a chance against Angel City.
He Fang, however, wasn’t pleased. Just because other cities were strong didn’t mean his city was weak. Sulking, he said to Yuan Sanjin, “I don’t like what you just said. Take it back, and I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
“Even if the ‘Land of Hope’ is just as rumored, with many early-era weapons, those are still outdated! With how fast technology has advanced to this point, those things are already obsolete!” Yuan Sanjin exclaimed anxiously. “Please, leave quickly and persuade your city lord not to gamble with lives. As long as you’re alive, there’s still hope!”
Though He Fang was displeased by the first half of her statement, he decided to let it go after hearing the earnestness in the latter half.
“How strong is Angel City’s military power?” He Fang asked, slightly shaken by Yuan Sanjin’s confidence. Though he had been self-assured initially, her certainty left him feeling a bit unsettled. He cautiously sought an answer.
Yuan Sanjin pressed her lips together, her fingers subtly clutching the hem of her white dress. Then, slowly, she replied, “Angel City has mechas.”
He Fang’s eyes widened slowly.
Mechas?
In that moment, He Fang realized the gravity of the situation. In this era, mechas have become a symbol of unparalleled strength. Not every mobile city could afford to possess mechas, as the resources needed to cultivate them were overwhelmingly high. A single mecha was enough to signify a city’s immense power.
The fact that Angel City possesses mechas is enough to confirm that its military power is at least above average. For such a massive mobile city to own something like this is astonishing.
“Why does Angel City have mechas?” Suddenly, the mechanical tone of Ye Sheng’s voice came through the phone. “Even Scorching Sun City doesn’t have such things, so why would Angel City, a city famous for tourism, have mechas?”
He Fang was surprised that Ye Sheng spoke up directly.
Yuan Sanjin froze, her gaze shifting uneasily as if she realized she’d said something she shouldn’t have.
However, Ye Sheng didn’t fall silent as usual. He continued, “Any city with mechas is required to report them, but no city seems to know that Angel City possesses mechas. What are you deliberately hiding?”
He Fang pondered this, wondering if Angel City might have been secretly and illegally manufacturing mechas.
“You’re telling us all this, which means Mr. Qian has no intention of leaving any survivors from Hope City, does he?” Zhu Yan remarked coldly.
He Fang understood Zhu Yan’s implication. Since Angel City had mechas—illegal ones, no less—they would go to great lengths to keep this secret. That meant anyone aware of their existence, such as Hope City, would likely be eliminated.
“By that logic, we’re as good as dead,” Yuan Zhiran joked, laughing dryly.
“I know something!” At that moment, Chong Ying, who had been quiet under the bed, crawled out. Dusting himself off and wiping his head with a clean bedsheet, he leaned next to He Fang and said, “I saw them putting something on our vehicle with my own eyes. I didn’t inspect it closely because I was afraid they’d notice if I touched it.”
At that moment, Yuan Sanjin’s face went pale.
“Are you trying to kill us?” He Fang asked, staring straight into Yuan Sanjin’s eyes.
“No, I don’t know!” Yuan Sanjin exclaimed, her face full of terror. She stepped back, trying to suppress her fear, but the room was too small, and she ended up pressed against the wall. She wanted to leave, but the door was too far away. “I don’t know! I really don’t know! It wasn’t me—it has nothing to do with us!”
He Fang glanced at the seeds placed under the dining table. After a moment of thought, he sighed. “Forget it. Let her go.”
Yuan Zhiran opened the door and gestured for her to leave. Yuan Sanjin hesitated for a moment, took a few steps forward, and, realizing no one was stopping her, ran out the door quickly. Chong Ying glanced after her and moved to follow.
“Where are you going?” He Fang grabbed Chong Ying by the collar.
“To kill her,” Chong Ying replied, turning back. Despite his youthful eyes still carrying traces of innocence, there was a faint but unmistakable hint of ferocity in his gaze. No matter how hard he tried to hide it in front of He Fang, the thick aura of killing intent lingered.
“It’s probably not intentional,” He Fang said, getting out of bed. He examined the meticulously packaged seeds and found a detailed guide at the very bottom, written by the old man. It was clear and thorough. Each seed packet was labeled with a number, and the sheer volume suggested the old man had been working on this ever since He Fang left. If the intent had been to harm them, why go to such elaborate lengths?
“These foods…” Zhu Yan, who had entered the room at some point, opened the uppermost layer of the food tray. The dishes inside were exquisite, visually appealing, and smelled delightful. Yet, Zhu Yan added, “They appear to use the principle of food incompatibility. If consumed, we might experience adverse reactions.”
“I still…” Chong Ying began to say, but Yuan Zhiran quickly pressed his head down.
“It seems there are spies within both the environmentalist and economic factions. Otherwise, the environmentalists wouldn’t know about the economic faction’s plan to attack Hope City, and the economic faction wouldn’t know about the environmentalists’ plan to help us escape,” Zhu Yan remarked thoughtfully as he separated the food. “This and this shouldn’t be eaten together. This one can be eaten on its own.”
“Should we eat it?” He Fang asked, eyeing the food on the table hesitantly.
“It’s safe to eat,” Zhu Yan assured.
“The cooking here is pretty average, though. City Lord, is there anything in particular you’d like? I could borrow the kitchen—I’m quite skilled,” Yuan Zhiran offered.
He Fang glanced at Yuan Zhiran, the “blond beauty”, and was reminded of the time he wore an apron back in the “Land of Hope”. That incident had left him so hungry he’d logged out to order takeout, ending up with too much food. His expression grew a bit complicated.
“No need,” he declined. He didn’t want to indulge in a feast in the game only to be left hungry and grumbling in real life.
“Just hand me the food—I’ll eat it,” He Fang said, taking the portions Zhu Yan had separated. Truthfully, the food from Angel City was quite good, though not much different from the main city’s fare. With an abundance of plants, animals, and spices, as well as years of culinary research and tourism-driven enhancements, the flavors were decent. Since he had paid a hefty price for this, He Fang certainly wouldn’t waste it.
“No wonder Angel City is so close to Hope City. This must’ve been their intention all along,” Yuan Zhiran remarked, glancing oddly at Ye Sheng. “We barely managed to drive off Scorching Sun City, and now we’ve got a troublesome Angel City to deal with.”
“From a time perspective, it doesn’t happen too often,” Zhu Yan commented while eating, and then, with a meaningful tone, added, “It’s such a pity for these plants and animals to exist in such a fixed, confined space. They might thrive much better if they were in the main city.”
He Fang knew that was undoubtedly true. After all, the land in his city had been carefully purchased, and even animals could thrive in a perfectly balanced ecosystem surrounding it.
However…
He Fang cast a somewhat subtle glance at Zhu Yan.
It wasn’t his imagination after all.
This seemed like the second time he sensed that Zhu Yan had his eyes on Angel City. Zhu Yan might as well have written “I want Angel City” on his face.
Previously, Zhu Yan had brought it up lightly, as though it didn’t really matter. But now, he was being much more direct.
Was it because Zhu Yan had discovered many interesting resources in Angel City? He seemed almost like a child sulking over a gift he wanted.
—
Meanwhile, Mr. Qian watched the footage submitted by his subordinates, showing Yuan Sanjin approaching Hope City’s operatives. His expression remained calm. He hadn’t expected that, in a city already stripped of all capable laborers, there would still be such skilled professionals. After their entry into Angel City, much of the footage had either been destroyed or temporarily disrupted, as though it had been tampered with.
At that time, two individuals had broken into the city lord’s greenhouse, using similar methods to disable the main door.
“They didn’t escape with Yuan Sanjin?” Mr. Qian asked.
“No, up until now, they haven’t made a move,” the subordinate replied.
“Are you sure there’s someone inside?”
“Confirmed.”
Mr. Qian examined the information in front of him. Normally, he would already be resting at this hour. He was an old man, and even though he was still striving to maintain Angel City’s economic operations, he could not hold back the inevitable march of aging. Aging—it was such a stark and unforgiving reality.
The “Land of Hope” was nothing but an eyesore to Angel City. Even just the existence of the “Land of Hope” was enough for Hope City’s elderly and weak population to rally all the mercenaries under their wing. This alone highlighted the immense resources it held.
Mercenaries were a group driven by greed, seeing money and resources as paramount. Yet, astonishingly, not a single one had left once they entered Hope City. This was proof enough that those elderly and weak inhabitants of Hope City had offered the mercenaries extraordinary benefits, so much so that they abandoned their professional ethics and chose to stay.
From Mr. Qian’s perspective, the seemingly frail individuals who arrived today were likely mercenaries. Their exceptional concealment skills, advanced technological expertise, and courage to infiltrate a massive mobile city alone were telling.
“They haven’t left yet? It seems these mercenaries are highly confident in their own abilities,” Mr. Qian said, tapping his fingers casually on the desk, a cold smile appearing on his face. “They won’t shed tears until they see their own coffins.”
“Mercenaries are just a group of insignificant characters. Even the Black Flag Squad is merely the tallest among a group of nobodies—not worth paying any attention to,” the subordinate remarked, not as flattery but genuinely holding that belief.
Currently, among all the rumors surrounding Hope City, several mobile cities openly admit to taking Hope City’s labor force, leaving only the elderly, weak, and infirm behind, waiting for their inevitable demise.
“The ‘Land of Hope’—just how abundant is it to make these people take such desperate measures?” Though Mr. Qian did not take Hope City seriously, he couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
Yuan Sanjin’s interaction with the mercenaries should have raised their guard, yet they remained unmoving. What were they planning?
Do they not fear death?
Impossible. Mercenaries, by their nature, couldn’t possibly be fearless when it came to death.
“When everyone reaches a range of ten kilometers from Hope City, they should temporarily set up camp and observe Hope City’s movements,” Mr. Qian said, his thick knuckles a testament to the formidable physique he once had in his youth. “They will surely be prepared as well, so keep everyone engaged in long-range attacks and avoid getting too close.”
“Yes, Mr. Qian,” the subordinate responded. To ensure communication with the frontline wasn’t blocked, they planned to establish wired information relays every few kilometers along the route. Signals could be jammed, but physical wires couldn’t be disrupted by jamming devices. This setup would allow their messages to be transmitted quickly.
Mr. Qian waved his hand, signaling the subordinate to leave. The old man sat in his chair, his face deeply lined with wrinkles. Despite this, his sharp gaze and decisive demeanor remained unchanged. Age had only strengthened his ruthless resolve—it hadn’t softened his temperament.
The elderly and weak in Hope City no longer have the necessity to survive in this apocalyptic world. It would be best for them to leave this cruel world quickly and painlessly, a mercy granted by Angel City.
The next day, Mr. Qian woke up early, as his older age had reduced his need for sleep. Even after being disturbed by unforeseen events during the night, he still rose at his usual hour in the morning.
He got up, moving slowly, and sat back down in front of the surveillance monitors. He had been keeping a close eye on the movements of Hope City’s mercenaries.
Although he didn’t believe that just five mercenaries could stir up a storm in a city as large as Angel City, he couldn’t shake the feeling that if he looked away, something unpredictable might happen.
These individuals were still boldly wandering around various locations, seemingly filled with curiosity about Angel City. Mr. Qian’s breakfast sat in front of him, and he ate casually, enjoying the rare leisure of not having to host visitors. A faint smile appeared on his face.
Yet, up until now, one individual—a boy with an exceptional ability to evade surveillance—remained entirely absent from the camera feeds. No matter how he tried, Mr. Qian could not pinpoint the boy’s whereabouts.
The old man sighed softly.
These mercenaries seemed completely unfazed, as if they felt no pressure at all. It was as though…
They didn’t take Angel City’s threat against Hope City seriously in the slightest.
What fueled their confidence? Was it faith in Hope City’s resilience, or was it indifference toward Hope City itself?
—
After all, He Fang had spent a significant amount of money on this trip. Even if the other party had sinister motives, He Fang was determined to get his money’s worth. Coupled with his absolute trust in Chong Xiao, who was guarding the home base, He Fang made an effort to immerse himself in the travel experience.
“This insect is quite unique. It releases a very special toxin—not lethal but capable of paralyzing its prey, similar to the anesthetics humans use. At this point, the prey is still alive, with blood flowing. However, we still don’t understand why this creature insists on feeding on its prey while it’s still alive,” Xiao Mei enthusiastically explained, her voice now slightly hoarse but still passionately pitching her recommendation.
“Perhaps it’s to facilitate feeding on the blood. Since the blood is still flowing in a live body, it makes it easier to consume. This might be a method it uses when hunting larger prey,” Zhu Yan observed, examining the strange insect. He then turned to He Fang and added, “This is a natural biological anesthetic. It might be worth exploring whether it could be used in some niche research to lower anesthesia costs.”
He Fang: “…”
“This creature also has excellent vision and is currently the smallest predator in terms of size. It’s highly mobile, explosively fast, and possesses remarkable memory. Research has shown that this creature’s memory persists until its death, potentially making it a true example of photographic memory,” Xiao Mei continued.
Zhu Yan leaned toward He Fang and said, “Its appearance is quite adorable. Maybe it could replace pet dogs and become a new-generation guard pet. While it’s wild and hard to tame, finding a good method to train it could unlock immense potential.”
He Fang: “…”
Throughout the journey, He Fang noticed two sounds playing rather frequently near him. However, today, Yuan Zhiran remained at his side with a “satisfied expression” and didn’t bother to shoo away Xiao Mei. If He Fang still didn’t understand what was going on, he would truly be clueless.
From a broader perspective, Angel City undeniably holds abundant resources. If those resources were absorbed into his city, it would undoubtedly accelerate its development.
However, on the other hand, unlike Hope City, which had once been driven to despair, Angel City’s vast resources and strong social standing meant that its residents were content with the current state of their city.
Additionally, Angel City boasted a highly efficient operational system, even fostering the emergence of two major factions: the Environmentalist Faction and the Economic Faction. This demonstrated the city’s exceptional internal governance.
Thus, if He Fang forcibly attempted to assimilate Angel City, the residents would undoubtedly view him as an outright invader—seizing their land, stealing their homes, and humiliating them. Such actions would provoke intense resistance from the city’s population, as it would in any other city.
Knowing that any assimilated city would be incorporated into the system operation panel, He Fang could already foresee the consequences of forcibly integrating Angel City: negative loyalty ratings and plummeting happiness levels. The mere thought of this left He Fang feeling troubled.
“You all wait here. I’m going to find someone,” He Fang suddenly said to those around him as they reached a nearby area.
As they watched He Fang’s retreating figure, Yuan Zhiran turned to Zhu Yan and remarked, “Don’t you think you’re overdoing it? You’re making things really difficult for him.”
However, Zhu Yan merely blinked nonchalantly, showing no intention of responding to Yuan Zhiran’s question.
Meanwhile, Ye Sheng remained quietly by the side, listening and observing, shocked by the thoughts and intentions of the two before him.
Perhaps Xiao Mei couldn’t detect it, but Ye Sheng, who had personally witnessed He Fang’s city, understood clearly—if He Fang’s city wanted to absorb Angel City, it would be an easily achievable feat. The considerations and hints of these individuals were entirely a way of seeking He Fang’s approval.
Were they planning to…
Take over Angel City?
When Ye Sheng learned that Angel City intended to attack Hope City, he had a feeling that the situation would develop into an unimaginable future for everyone in Angel City.
What had kept everything from spiraling out of control so far was the mindset of that seemingly weak yet truly powerful city lord.
No—only a strong individual deserved respect. And a city lord must be strong.
The boy was hesitating. Ye Sheng knew precisely why he hesitated.
It was for this very reason that Ye Sheng wanted to witness the boy’s choice with his own eyes.
Angel City was vast; truthfully, three days weren’t nearly enough to explore the entire city. Yet He Fang had a vague sense that perhaps he wouldn’t be leaving Angel City after just three days.
Standing before He Fang now was the same old man from the previous day. This time, He Fang directly opened the man’s attribute panel, and, unsurprisingly, the title “City Lord” was displayed prominently.
That explained why someone so elderly hadn’t joined the mobile city’s reconnaissance team.
“You should leave,” the old man said, his gaze unusually sharp. “You’re leisurely lingering here—it seems I gave my seeds to the wrong person.”
“City Lord Yuan,” He Fang addressed him directly this time. “Do you wish for more land to grow these plants?”
Hearing this, the old man grew furious and shouted, “Leave!”
Such casual words felt like a mockery of those struggling to survive in this post-apocalyptic world. How could they not want it? How could they not yearn for endless stretches of land, to live peacefully and prosperously on the abundant gifts of Mother Earth? Yet, they were forced to wander, constantly uprooted. Even when they paused briefly to scatter seeds on the ground, they eventually had to leave, taking with them the crops they’d painstakingly grown.
Angel City was vast, expansive.
But compared to the boundless lands they truly longed for, it was merely a drop in the ocean.
He Fang’s question seemed almost like a deliberate mockery of their inability to properly use the seeds of hope. They couldn’t even protect the land they so desperately depended on for survival.
He Fang looked at the old man’s angry expression and understood the reason for his fury. Yet, it was precisely because of this anger that He Fang felt a sense of relief.
This was an elder who, despite his age, was still filled with dreams—a man who had never come to terms with the nomadic, turbulent life he was forced to lead.
“If,” He Fang paused before speaking, “If I wanted to negotiate a deal with Angel City, what conditions would I need to provide for you to agree?”
“What do you want to trade with us?” The old man, though hunched, radiated the undeniable authority of a leader.
“I want Angel City to become a subordinate ally of Hope City and merge into a mobile city alliance.”
“Hahahahaha!” The old man laughed loudly, his laughter dripping with mockery. He cast a cold glance at He Fang and said, “With what? A Hope City made up of only the elderly and weak scavenged from the ‘Land of Hope’? Even if you offered the ‘Land of Hope’ on a silver platter, its value wouldn’t match even a trivial fraction of Angel City!”
“No,” He Fang replied firmly, shaking his head. Then, with an audacious statement that sounded like sheer bravado to the old man, he declared, “I can ignite the ‘sparks’ into a blazing fire!”
