Although everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion under Shi Canghai’s proposal, the pace was indeed far too slow. Even He Fang could sense the madness in the gazes of those mobile cities eyeing Hope City like tigers stalking prey, their eyes full of a frenzied hunger, as if ready to tear off a chunk of flesh. It was clear that the fact that Mirage had offered to supply resources had completely agitated their nerves.
No one doubted that Mirage could provide the resources they needed. They all knew just how cheap goods had become within the Hope City Alliance. Items that would usually be expensive due to scarcity were now plentiful. Mirage’s supplies clearly weren’t scarce at all.
Mirage’s newly developed energy blocks had shocked everyone even more. It was something beyond their understanding. Yet, they could vaguely sense that it was bound to become the future trend.
During this period of ongoing coordination and testing, He Fang had already completely laid down the highways and rail lines connecting himself to the mobile cities in the Northern District. Once the two sides were linked, the flow of resources began.
Lu Hu personally went to various major cities to sign contracts. When it came to making money, especially big money, Lu Hu had always preferred to handle it herself, not allowing the slightest bit of sloppiness. He Fang could even picture that flame-red woman’s crazed obsession in the face of massive wealth. Her eyes must have been as blazing red as a world-consuming fire, wanting to burn every last bit of resources in her hands.
However, He Fang’s national treasury had recently been shrinking steadily. But he also understood that this was what they called “early-stage investment”. There was nothing to be done about it.
He Fang had been constantly monitoring the direction of the Summit of the World on the system map. Even now, there had been no reaction at all from the Summit of the World, which made He Fang puzzled. Was the Summit of the World just that good at holding its ground, or was it planning to isolate itself, refusing to interact with any other cities?
He Fang took the initiative to visit the new research institute. This area had been developed deep within the mountains, far from the main city. The original site of the research institute had already been converted into new buildings, which He Fang had designated as a commercial district.
The research institute was situated halfway up the mountain. During its construction, one part was built above the mountain surface, while the other extended directly into the mountain itself. The entire institute was vast in scale because it wasn’t constrained by the limitations of an urban environment; it was built grandly, covering an enormous area. When He Fang first saw the blueprints, he raised no objections. He understood very well the significance of the research institute to the entire city. In the future, the institute would certainly grow larger and stronger.
He Fang had come here because he had received a message from Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan said he wanted He Fang to make a trip over.
He Fang looked at the spacious, brightly lit lobby. If not for the relatively simple furnishings, he might have wondered whether Zhu Yan was trying to move in Lu Hu’s direction.
“City Lord,” Zhu Yan’s voice came from up ahead. He Fang looked up and saw the man in a white uniform walking across a patch of sunlight cast down from the large windows. He came to a stop in front of He Fang. Unlike the old, narrow, and gloomy research institute of the past, the current Zhu Yan, standing in the light, seemed to be wrapped in a faint halo, imbued with a certain air of mystery.
“What is it?” He Fang wondered whether Zhu Yan had just wanted him to come see the newly built institute.
“There is something I need to discuss with you. But before that, I also wanted to show you the new research institute.”
He Fang raised an eyebrow, both amused and exasperated. So he really did want to show off a bit?
“How does the temperature feel to you?” Zhu Yan asked.
Lately, the main city has been approaching winter. As a player, He Fang could adjust his body temperature; otherwise, if it got too cold, lying there with no clothes inside the sensory pod would definitely cause problems. He had disabled the automatic temperature adjustment function. Only then did he suddenly realize that the interior of the research institute was quite warm.
“Not bad. Did you turn on the central heating?” He Fang looked around, trying to spot where the heating system had been installed, curious how such a massive hall could be kept at such a warm temperature.
“It’s the heating function of the energy blocks,” Zhu Yan said, tapping the black tiles beneath his feet. However, He Fang quickly realized that those weren’t tiles at all. They were energy blocks.
He Fang raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You embedded the energy blocks into the floor?”
“Yes. The Nightmare Beast Seed really is a unique thing. We’ve already developed multiple uses for it. It is not just temperature regulation and acting as a power source, but it can also replace charging functions and even be used in vehicles. This thing is incredibly fascinating, with countless potential applications. It’s practically limitless.”
Zhu Yan guided He Fang around. Indeed, He Fang saw energy blocks embedded in various parts of the facility. The energy blocks could be modified depending on their intended function. Zhu Yan was one of the most devoted researchers studying them. He was fully committed to unlocking the usable functions of the Nightmare Beast Seed.
“When the Nightmare Beast Seed parasitizes a human, the person, now a Nightmare Beast, still retains the ability to think. So, in many ways, it meets the criteria for ‘control’. I’ve considered using the Nightmare Beast Seed to push intelligent robots to a higher level. It’s just a shame that I haven’t succeeded yet,” Zhu Yan said as he walked ahead. He Fang tilted his head slightly to look at him. Despite Zhu Yan’s usual cool demeanor, his face was filled with interest.
“Be careful. Just make sure the Nightmare Beast Seed doesn’t affect the human body. Even though we’ve confirmed that the seed can’t parasitize people from the main city, there’s no guarantee that mutations won’t happen. It’s best to be cautious in everything,” He Fang said.
But Zhu Yan’s steps came to a halt. He turned back. His hair had grown a bit longer. At the moment, it was casually tied at the back of his head with a small elastic band, forming a short ponytail. He looked every bit the image of an unkempt researcher. Yet, because of his handsome features, the overall impression was unexpectedly pleasing to the eye.
“What is it?” He Fang asked, puzzled when he saw Zhu Yan just standing there looking at him.
Zhu Yan took off his gloves, his slender, fair fingers reaching out to pluck a fallen leaf from the back of He Fang’s head, something left behind after they’d passed through the woods.
“Thanks,” He Fang said as he casually reached up to brush through his own hair.
“City Lord, perhaps you could ask more about the unique directions research is developing in,” Zhu Yan’s voice, echoing faintly in the slightly spacious hall, seemed to have lost its usual sharp edge—unexpectedly soft, almost impossibly so.
“What’s the matter?” There was a hint of confusion in He Fang’s eyes.
“Nothing, just feeling a bit sentimental,” the cold and composed young man replied with a faint smile. Standing at the edge where sunlight and shadow met, his outline seemed blurred and softened by the light. “City Lord, your demands of us always carry a priority on safety above all.”
He Fang blinked. Wasn’t that obvious? What was there to feel sentimental about?
“Research can always be pushed further, refined again and again. But if the researchers are gone, who will carry on the work?” As He Fang said that, he suddenly wondered if Zhu Yan was trying to hint at something, and quickly added, “Whatever research you’re doing, if it ever poses a threat to human safety, stop it immediately. No matter what it is, no matter how much effort has been spent, it must be terminated.”
Zhu Yan gave a slow, gentle response: “Mm.”
It seemed casual and offhand, but He Fang knew Zhu Yan’s nature very well, or rather, he had great faith that his NPC would obey his commands.
“So, you called me here to show me the domestic applications of the energy blocks?” He Fang asked. “It is quite impressive. I feel that if energy blocks are developed thoroughly, they could start being applied to more critical systems.”
“That’s part of it. But the reason I invited you over today is something else entirely,” Zhu Yan said as he began walking, guiding He Fang along. In the wide, open hall, the sound of their footsteps echoed clearly. When they arrived before a large door, the door automatically scanned Zhu Yan’s entire body and then opened. In that moment, a gentle purple glow lit up before He Fang’s eyes.
The purple light filled the entire room. All around them were monitoring systems running incomprehensible diagnostics. All of that data was linked to the source of the purple light. Rainbow Squad – Xiao Zi.
Some time ago, Zhu Yan had suddenly submitted a request to relocate Rainbow Squad’s Xiao Zi to the research institute. At the time, He Fang had assumed Zhu Yan planned to use the mech to help protect the facility, so he had approved it easily. But now, looking at the glowing pillar in front of him, he was a little stunned.
“What are you doing with it?” He asked. “If it’s indoors, doesn’t that mean it can’t activate? What, do you all want to watch it destroy the newly built institute the moment its defense mechanisms kick in?”
“What I wanted to show you today is a discovery. Something regarding Xiao Zi’s capabilities,” Zhu Yan said, projecting a complete visual schematic of Rainbow Squad Xiao Zi right in front of He Fang.
Xiao Zi was the other humanoid mech in the Rainbow Squad besides Xiao Hong. At a glance, it had a primary form based on a female body. It even had a delicately feminine face with human-like features, which completely defied the conventional design of a mech.
Up to this point, all mechs had been primarily designed with functionality in mind. Everyone had assumed that after Xiao Hong, there wouldn’t be another humanoid mech. But Xiao Zi was clearly an exception.
“Every mech has its unique trait. Xiao Hong possesses human-like cognitive ability, Xiao Lan is completely transparent, and Xiao Huang manifests as Lightning Thunder Tiger. But after we analyzed Xiao Zi’s form, we began to feel something was off.” Zhu Yan looked up at the massive pillar glowing with violet light. “So, we attempted to provoke Xiao Zi into appearing through an attack. But every attempt failed.”
“Failed? It doesn’t show up?” He Fang asked in confusion.
“No, it does appear. We just didn’t realize it.” Zhu Yan’s expression turned strange, as if he were looking at a monster. “We took a lot of records at first—videos, logs—but none of us could detect any trace of it showing up. However…”
At that moment, Zhu Yan tapped with his fingertip, and a recording began to play in front of He Fang.
In the footage, the researchers were preparing, and several soldiers in black military uniforms who had been invited in stood ready. After the researchers gave the signal, the soldiers stepped forward and delivered a few heavy punches to Xiao Zi’s pillar. The pillar wobbled slightly.
Then He Fang saw Xiao Zi emerge from the pillar—a gentle, womanly figure. She opened her eyes. In that moment, within the recording, her eyes shimmered with shifting colors, like dazzling lights that transformed endlessly, as if luring people into an illusion. She turned and looked around, as if searching for a threat, but finding nothing, she closed her eyes again and retreated into the pillar.
He Fang thought it looked like a perfectly normal video. Confused, he turned to look at Zhu Yan, only to find Zhu Yan’s expression slightly off.
Zhu Yan’s eyes seemed to be covered by a faint veil, all their brilliance hidden beneath it. His dazed expression had completely lost the usual depth unique to him. However, the moment the recording ended, he blinked once and returned to normal.
“What’s wrong with you?” He Fang immediately grabbed Zhu Yan’s arm and asked.
“What did you see?” Zhu Yan asked.
“I saw… Xiao Zi came out, didn’t she?” He Fang was confused.
“Yes, you could see her. But I couldn’t see anything. In fact, none of the researchers present, no one who was actually at the scene, could see a thing,” Zhu Yan said with a faint smile. It wasn’t a smile of doubt, but of excitement. “This mecha… possesses the ability to control thought.”
He Fang froze. At that moment, Zhu Yan replayed the recording. This time, He Fang shifted his eyes away from Xiao Zi and looked at the people around her. He saw that all the researchers present were completely motionless, standing there like soulless puppets—blank and still. It wasn’t until Xiao Zi returned to the pillar that they snapped out of it and resumed as normal.
“None of us knew Xiao Zi had even appeared. We couldn’t see her, not even in the recording. This proves that Xiao Zi had affected our brains,” Zhu Yan said as he pointed to his own head. He considered himself someone with strong mental will, yet he was completely unable to resist Xiao Zi’s influence.
“That’s terrifying…” He Fang was genuinely shocked. What kind of horrifying feature was this? Could something like this really exist in the world of “Ruins Without Restart”?
“We’ve run many experiments to see the extent of Xiao Zi’s influence on human thought. And, City Lord, if her ability is used correctly, you could even gain control over everyone’s minds,” Zhu Yan said.
“No.” He Fang rejected the idea outright. He’d seen Zhu Yan’s expression while watching the recording. At that time, Zhu Yan had looked like an empty shell, as if his soul had been sucked away. “The impact on people is too severe. It would turn them into idiots.”
Zhu Yan didn’t want He Fang to get angry, so he immediately explained, “What I meant wasn’t direct control, but rather using this ability to influence a person’s subconscious.”
He Fang thought for a moment. “Subconscious… you mean, implanting a certain line of thought in someone’s mind?”
“Yes. More specifically, what if Xiao Zi were to sing?” Zhu Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, concealing the cold glint hidden within them.
He Fang abruptly looked up and locked eyes with Zhu Yan, his face full of shock.
Songs. Music. No matter the era, they have always been capable of bringing people joy in different ways. Whether someone enjoys it, listens to it, or becomes immersed in it—those responses are deeply tied to the song itself. Especially once humanity came to understand the beauty of music, many people have used it to adjust their moods and emotions.
Even in ancient times, when performers held low status, their music could still resonate with others. In the modern world, countless people are obsessed with music. And in the high-tech future setting of “Ruins Without Restart”, the enjoyment and understanding of music should be even more deeply ingrained.
Rainbow Squad’s Xiao Zi possessed the ability to control thought. So, if her ability were harnessed to record songs, with just a subtle trace of thought control, then distributing those songs to the masses could potentially create a new kind of cohesion… one completely separate from the faith in the Divine Lord.
“Can you control Xiao Zi?” He Fang still had some concerns. After all, Xiao Zi was originally just a defensive mech, meant to protect the city. These new potential uses were only now being discovered.
“With the prior incident involving Xiao Lan as a lesson, Xiao Zi can be reconfigured. As long as you, City Lord, give permission and with the Divine Lord’s assistance, it should be possible,” Zhu Yan said, his gaze fixed on the soft purple glow. The light reflected in his eyes, bright and shining.
He Fang felt that Zhu Yan truly had a way of surprising him no matter the time or place. Suddenly, he stepped forward and hugged Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan was stunned by He Fang’s sudden gesture, his hands hovering awkwardly behind He Fang’s back. Because of the difference in height and build, rather than He Fang hugging him, it was more accurate to say that He Fang was enveloped in Zhu Yan’s embrace. The fingers inside his white gloves trembled slightly—an involuntary reaction born from deep shock within.
“You’re absolutely perfect,” He Fang said as he looked up, eyes sparkling, gazing intently at Zhu Yan with nothing but admiration.
The usually cool and aloof young man slowly flushed red from the base of his ears. He didn’t dare return the hug. All he could do was watch the Creator he revered step out of his arms. His fingers reflexively curled in the air, as if reluctant to let He Fang go. But in the end, he simply clenched his hand into a fist and lowered it to his side.
“How long will it take to complete?” He Fang asked.
“I’ve already arranged for someone to write the song. I directly requested a composer from Angel City, of course. I thought a fellow survivor of the apocalypse would better understand the emotions of their own,” Zhu Yan replied, withdrawing his gaze and hiding every trace of longing deep in his heart, without revealing a hint of it.
“Right, we need to produce something as soon as possible to test the effect. As long as people think it sounds good, that’s enough,” He Fang said. He vaguely felt that this was a great opportunity to build goodwill for the main city. If it succeeds, it could even become the theme song of a film or series in the future, creating mutual success. Once this kind of cultural export gained traction among the people, the resulting impact would be immeasurable.
This NPC, Zhu Yan, truly knew how to make the most out of every function.
He Fang looked up toward Xiao Zi. In that moment, his eyes were filled with anticipation.
He Fang didn’t hide this matter. He told Shi Canghai directly. He Fang had always followed the principle of trusting those he used and not using those he doubted. Besides, the song was merely meant to evoke a sense of pleasantness and emotional attachment in listeners; it didn’t even qualify as true mental control.
After hearing about it, Shi Canghai passed the information along to Shi Sangtian, who then approached He Fang personally.
“You said… a promotional song?” He Fang raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, a promotional song for the Divine Lord. The lyrics can be written based on the Divine Lord’s doctrine,” Shi Sangtian initiated the discussion with He Fang. “We can’t underestimate the intelligence of the upper levels of the mobile cities. If the song turns out to be too good and starts influencing people’s preferences broadly, they will definitely grow suspicious. City Lord, perhaps you’re not aware, but there was once a period in history when a city attempted to govern its people using mental control. For various reasons, it failed, and such methods were strictly prohibited afterward. If we do this openly, they will notice.”
He Fang’s heart sank. Put that way, it was indeed possible that doing something like this in the main city could lead to exposure.
But if the song were tied to the Divine Lord, everything would be different. The Divine Lord was a god, one whom the people of this world had truly seen, received blessings from, and could affirm without a doubt truly existed. If the song belonged to a god, then even if it subtly influenced people’s minds, no one would find it suspicious.
“I think it’ll work,” He Fang said, and then reached out to contact Yuan Sanjin to get her opinion. On the other side of the terminal, Yuan Sanjin nodded at He Fang in agreement.
