Yuan Zhiran was feeling a bit agitated, or rather, everyone had been restless during this period. The reason for their restlessness was that their Creator looked utterly exhausted and anxious every single day. Even his mental state seemed to deteriorate day by day.
The brothers Chong Xiao and Chong Ying had been causing problems again and again during this time. Chong Ying’s weapons research even had an error that led to an explosion in the weapons development facility. If they hadn’t managed to suppress it, letting the Creator see it would surely have made him overthink.
Even though on the surface everything looked calm and smooth, without a single problem in sight, even though they couldn’t find anything to worry about anywhere, their Creator was always worrying.
Worrying that they would destroy the city.
In the military camp’s cafeteria, Yuan Zhiran sat in a corner. Because he was restless and irritable, he rarely sat chatting with the others as usual.
“These past two days, my parents haven’t been in a good state at all. I heard they’re muddle-headed even while working. When they call me, they keep asking if I’ve had any contact with the Creator.” A soldier eating nearby let out a sigh.
Yuan Zhiran heard it, but he couldn’t say anything. It was the same in his own home.
Yuan Zhiran’s younger sister was, by nature, an ordinary and rather sentimental person. During this period, she had been secretly crying out of sadness, feeling deeply distressed for the Creator’s hardships.
The Creator had been earnestly planning everything so that they could live well, yet as those being protected by the Creator, they couldn’t even put the Creator’s mind at ease. The sense of powerlessness and frustration was enough to push people to the brink of collapse.
“When I first came to this city, I was always worried about what to do if this city got wiped out,” someone was saying from afar, “but don’t even mention the city being destroyed, the level of detail in this city shocked me. I never imagined there could be a City Lord so dedicated. Even those City Lords who once created unimaginable glory couldn’t manage such meticulousness.”
“Same here. Although at first, when I came here, it felt pretty ordinary, without anything particularly remarkable. But the more I understood, the more I could feel the perfection of the basic infrastructure. The Creator’s plan for this city was so thorough that even just walking along the main roads, you could feel a sense of comfort.”
“Yes, I originally thought it was just because of good geographical conditions. But after seeing the past of this place in the City Lord’s museum, it really was barren land back then, with no natural advantages at all. It was completely developed bit by bit through the Creator’s meticulous efforts and abilities.”
The more they talked, the more discouraged they became instead. The chopsticks in Yuan Zhiran’s hand came to a stop, too. He understood how they felt, and he himself couldn’t eat either, worried about the Creator’s current state.
“I used to resent all the City Lords.” Suddenly, one of them completely voiced the feelings in his heart. “But now, even if the city really is destroyed, I would still respect the Creator.”
Yuan Zhiran didn’t know how many people like the Creator existed in that world known only to the Divine Lord, but for them, this Creator was the one and only. They received the Creator’s grace, enjoyed his kindness, yet didn’t even have a single chance to repay him.
“Yesterday, my mom and dad went to see the Divine Lord.” As soon as this was said, everyone around them fell silent. That person irritably scratched his head. “The Divine Lord, the Divine Lord… Isn’t the Divine Lord the only one who can directly contact the Creator now? My parents also hate how the Divine Lord controls us, but right now, what choice do we have?”
Suddenly, the mood in the space froze in a strange atmosphere. None of them could deny that what he said was true.
“I… I also think maybe we could try begging the Divine Lord. Even though the things he’s done have always been excessive, if it could ease the Creator’s mind even a little…” someone said hesitantly.
“Then… then I would, too…”
“I’m afraid that won’t work.” Yuan Zhiran suddenly cut into their conversation. “The Divine Lord can’t take part in this game, just like us.”
The whole place fell into a strange dead silence. Clearly, many people nearby had been secretly listening to their conversation.
“Everyone needs to maintain a good mood and state of mind these days. If our happiness level drops, it’ll make the Creator feel even worse. The Creator is very sensitive by nature.” Yuan Zhiran showed a slightly helpless smile. He felt comforted seeing these soldiers under his command, the ones he had personally selected, staying loyal to their Creator.
“If you feel like you can’t control yourself, you can come to me for hypnosis.” In a corner, the army’s psychological counselor spoke up, making a rare joke. “Of course, since it’s for the Creator, I can guarantee that any hypnosis sessions during this period will be completely free.”
Although Yuan Zhiran didn’t have much of an appetite, in the end, he still finished his meal. The City Lord hated going hungry, and hated wasting food even more. It was said that there was rarely any discarded food in the City Lord’s trash. They didn’t want to go against that either.
Yuan Zhiran drove himself straight to the research institute. Since asking the Divine Lord wouldn’t get him any answers, maybe he could try asking someone else. The one who, for now, was staying in the main city and was recognized by everyone as the person with the highest IQ.
Zhu Yan, as usual, was busy with experiments. His expression was calm, and he didn’t look the least bit irritable.
“I thought you’d hold out a bit longer,” Zhu Yan said.
“I’m not that kind of person. If I know you can help me, I’ll come ask for help. Me not getting along with you is another matter entirely.” Yuan Zhiran never really held grudges. He just couldn’t stand Zhu Yan’s way of doing things. Zhu Yan had gone too far; he didn’t seem like an NPC at all.
“These days, quite a few people have come to me. People I know and people I don’t.” Zhu Yan shrugged, speaking to Yuan Zhiran through the lab’s glass wall. He didn’t even need to ask why Yuan Zhiran was here; he already knew, so he didn’t bother wasting more words. “If Sai Gu were here, maybe he’d have a good solution. When it comes to comforting people, he’s much clearer about it than I am.”
Yuan Zhiran thought of that man with countless lovers: “Are you saying we should send some people out to find Sai Gu now?”
Zhu Yan didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either. Instead, he straightened up and looked at Yuan Zhiran. “What do you think the Creator is worrying about?”
“Worrying about the city being destroyed,” Yuan Zhiran replied.
“Why would the city be destroyed?”
Yuan Zhiran fell silent. He thought for a long time but still couldn’t find any reason why, under the current circumstances, the city would be wiped out.
“The Creator’s worry itself has no real basis. In other cities, the main reason why a crisis usually occurs once the population hits two hundred thousand is because the city’s foundation wasn’t solid to begin with. So when the population grows, a lot of hidden flaws are exposed, and at that point, many ‘players’ lose patience with the city they built and abandon it. That’s why abandonment happens so often. But for specialized players, it’s very easy to get through that stage. The Creator is just worrying too much.”
Yuan Zhiran understood Zhu Yan’s point. The Creator had already perfected the city’s entire basic infrastructure. Plus, with the adjustments they made within a proper range, the idea of a “two-hundred-thousand-population wipeout” was pure fantasy.
Even so, Yuan Zhiran still said, “But we can’t just directly tell the Creator there’s no chance of the city being destroyed, right? Wouldn’t that just expose everything?”
If it got exposed, with the Creator’s personality, he would probably cut off all ties with the entire game immediately.
“What the Creator is worried about right now is the unknown. Human beings have always had a strong fear of the unknown.” Zhu Yan spotted something, picked up a test tube from among his things, and looked at Yuan Zhiran as he said, “So to solve this problem, in my opinion, there’s one method.”
“What is it?” Yuan Zhiran knew it. There was no way Zhu Yan would stay indifferent about the Creator’s state. He secretly let out a sigh of relief.
“Turn the unknown into the known.” Zhu Yan swirled the test tube in his hand. “Artificially create a ‘city destruction crisis’.”
Yuan Zhiran froze. How would they even do that?
Zhu Yan stood there, lowering his head to look at the test tube in his hand. To the naked eye, there was nothing visible in that test tube. But he knew exactly what was inside. The white lab coat he wore seemed somehow different from usual. He looked like he was in poor condition, as if he were hesitating about something. His perfectly defined features were utterly cold, yet that coldness felt more like a cover, a cover for certain unease in his heart.
“This is a virus.” Zhu Yan raised the empty-looking test tube in his hand and said to Yuan Zhiran, “It’s an infectious virus. The fatality rate isn’t high, but it’s not zero either. It works on our bodies, causes mild reactions such as fever, headache, vomiting, pain, all those common symptoms of being sick, but that’s all. Yet for other cities, this would be a deadly virus.”
Yuan Zhiran’s eyes slowly widened. He understood what Zhu Yan wanted to do.
He wanted to use this virus to drag the entire main city into a city-destruction crisis, then cure it afterward. That way, their city would have truly experienced a full-blown crisis. Afterward, the Creator’s worry would disappear because the crisis would have been overcome.
For Zhu Yan, maybe this was a solution.
It might be painful for them, but for the Creator, it might be a form of healing.
Yuan Zhiran looked at the test tube in Zhu Yan’s hand. It was a temptation.
But…
“No.” Yuan Zhiran rejected him. He knew Zhu Yan’s personality. Stubborn, obsessive, unwilling to give up until he got results. But for him to say this to Yuan Zhiran now meant that even Zhu Yan wanted someone to give him a definite answer. But with his own nature, Yuan Zhiran could never agree to this lunatic’s idea. “I won’t ever agree to you doing this.”
Zhu Yan frowned.
Zhu Yan didn’t want to see the entire city being consumed by a virus. He still remembered the horrors of the past vividly. He loathed these things.
Their Creator had once told him, too: don’t ever do this kind of research. Anything else was fine, but this was forbidden.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to listen to the Creator; he didn’t want to defy him and push ahead anyway. It was just that this thing’s true potential was too great, so great that he couldn’t resist the temptation.
“Find another way. Not this.” Yuan Zhiran once again braced himself for a fight with Zhu Yan, or rather, whenever they met, it was rare they didn’t argue. “If you push the whole city into that state, the Creator will cry.”
Zhu Yan still had a bit of rebelliousness in him. But the moment he heard Yuan Zhiran’s last sentence, all those thoughts cooled down instantly.
The Creator would cry.
That was more devastating than anything else.
Zhu Yan’s shoulders drooped. For once, he showed a trace of defeat.
Other than this, with all his ability, he really couldn’t think of any better way.
“Things are fine as they are now. Everyone should just keep hinting to the Creator. If the Creator hears it enough times, he’ll definitely believe the city is fine. And during this period, nothing unusual must happen in the city. We’ll get through this.” Yuan Zhiran spoke calmly. Right now, he truly didn’t want to argue. Any argument could end up hurting their Creator in the end.
“Everyone’s condition is too complicated lately. And acting in front of the Creator this much, that alone is different from normal. The Creator is very sensitive. There’s no way he won’t suspect something.” Zhu Yan said.
Yuan Zhiran choked up. He wanted to refute it, but… Zhu Yan was right.
“Your idea won’t work. Think of something else. I’ll think, too.” Yuan Zhiran ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his handsome face full of irritation.
Suddenly, both of them sensed something. The Creator was here!
Yuan Zhiran’s heart lurched. His NPC role shouldn’t appear at the research institute. The place he should be was with the army. Whether in the main city, Angel City, or Hope City, he definitely shouldn’t be here!
A cold sweat broke out in Yuan Zhiran’s heart. He immediately flipped straight out the window.
Zhu Yan was stunned, too. Then, the door in front of him was suddenly flung open: “Zhu Yan!”
He Fang appeared right in front of Zhu Yan, looking hurried and brimming with energy. Though his complexion was a bit poor, his spirit was unexpectedly bright.
“What’s wrong?” Zhu Yan composed himself and asked.
“What are you doing? Are you busy? And what are you holding an empty test tube for?” He Fang pressed on.
“Hmm? No… not too busy.” Zhu Yan hadn’t had time to put the test tube away, and now he suddenly felt guilty. This was something the Creator had explicitly forbidden him to research, yet here he was holding it so brazenly right in front of him. He deliberately skipped over He Fang’s last question.
“I want to ask you something.” But He Fang seemed not to care at all about the test tube in Zhu Yan’s hand. In the end, Zhu Yan put the test tube back right in front of He Fang anyway, then turned back and nodded to show he was ready to talk. He Fang went on, “I feel like my city… is developing really well, isn’t it?”
Zhu Yan: “…”
He Fang blinked, looking very expectant.
Zhu Yan’s expression turned complicated. “Why would the City Lord ask that?”
“Recently when I’ve been out on the streets, so many people have been praising how well the city is built, saying the scenery is beautiful, the drainage works really well, the electricity is clean and eco-friendly, the medical facilities are great, the security is excellent, and so on and so on.”
Zhu Yan instantly thought of how everyone in the city had been putting on a show in front of He Fang these days. For a moment, his expression turned a bit tangled.
“Yes… That’s true.” Zhu Yan said.
“So it really is doing well?” He Fang’s eyes lit up, like he was genuinely delighted with his own work.
“Yes, it’s doing very well.” Zhu Yan stepped out of the lab, washed his hands, and pulled out a chair for He Fang. “The city’s basic infrastructure is extremely complete now. City Lord, your planning for the city is very well thought out.”
“In your opinion, is there anything bad about it?” He Fang asked.
But Zhu Yan replied, “Different fields have their specialists. I can only tell you about the areas I know.”
“It’s fine if it’s just what you know. I’ve already asked everyone else in other areas,” He Fang said.
Zhu Yan looked at He Fang’s bright, shining eyes and his flushed, cheerful face, and felt a bit complicated inside as he went on, “City Lord, up to now, your city really hasn’t shown any problems. The newly developed areas have also been prepared very well. And if there were any big problems, there would definitely be warning signs. But so far, there’s been nothing at all, no complaints either. That proves your planning is very sound.”
“That’s true.” He Fang suddenly said, “I did use my small city as a reference, but I fixed a lot of unreasonable parts. I even changed the areas with frequent car accidents. Since there’s a real city already proven in reality, there shouldn’t be any problems here.”
Zhu Yan just smiled. He couldn’t say anything more on this topic, or it would break the NPC rules.
“Lately, everyone’s been in such high spirits that I suddenly feel like I’ve done really well.” He Fang asked, eyes gleaming.
Zhu Yan didn’t quite know how to feel. His expression was a bit subtle. “Yes, City Lord. The cities you’ve built so far are all excellent.”
He Fang asked again, “Then do you think there’s any chance of some natural disaster or catastrophe destroying my city? What are the odds?”
Zhu Yan spoke in a calm but absolutely certain voice: “It won’t be destroyed. Even if zombies showed up right now, it still wouldn’t be destroyed.”
“Pfft…” He Fang coughed twice. “Have you been watching too many movies lately? Even zombies, huh? Then what about tsunamis or droughts?”
“Impossible. According to current surveys, there’s no sea nearby. Droughts are impossible, too. Aside from the fact that the water in the mountains comes from glaciers, caves with underground water have been found near both Hope City and Angel City. Plus, the weather is rich in rainfall, so that’s even less likely.”
He Fang nodded thoughtfully. “Guo Miaofeng said the same thing.”
Zhu Yan looked at He Fang’s pensive face. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to say something that would break the rules a little. He opened his mouth, but it felt like something was blocking his throat, not giving him the chance to speak.
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So the NPC rules arent just social rules, they physically cant break them it seems