«His power has no boundaries»
Inside the research institute, Min Zhizhou widened his eyes and stared at Zhu Yan. “Wait, what did you just say? I don’t think I quite understood.”
“I said, you should believe in the Divine Lord,” Zhu Yan replied.
Min Zhizhou looked utterly confused. “Why should I believe in the Divine Lord? Is the Divine Lord some kind of religion?”
“No, he’s… he’s more like…” Zhu Yan realized he didn’t have the right words to define what exactly the Divine Lord was. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Just treat him as a god.”
Min Zhizhou’s expression turned even more complicated. “Uh… I’m an atheist.”
“The world has already ended. How can there still be atheists?” Zhu Yan’s eyes were filled with confusion.
“Precisely because the world has ended and no god came to save us, we became atheists,” Min Zhizhou reasoned, finding no flaw in his own logic.
“Hmm, when you put it that way, it does make sense.” Zhu Yan pondered for a moment, resting his chin on his hand, before deciding to lay it all out. “Do you still remember the last battle between the Divine Lord and Rainbow Squad’s Xiao Hong?”
“Yeah.” For Min Zhizhou, that was an unprecedented spectacle. The sheer impact of that day still lingered in his mind—the colossal, sacred white statue that was untouchable and inviolable, and the crimson mech knight fully armed to defend the city. That fierce clash, as if between true gods, was so intense that even a minor skirmish between them left vast swaths of land in ruins. The sheer power on display was unforgettable.
“The Divine Lord is essentially a kind of god. He acts through faith—he can absorb the devotion of his believers to wield his power. The more faith he receives, the stronger he becomes. There is no upper limit to his strength—it’s entirely dependent on the level of belief in him,” Zhu Yan explained to Min Zhizhou.
Undeniably, that explanation sounded exactly like a real god.
“If the Divine Lord is so powerful, why don’t all the residents believe in him? Wouldn’t that solve all our problems?” Min Zhizhou asked. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he was met with a disdainful look from Zhu Yan.
Min Zhizhou had only asked casually, but even without thinking, the answer was obvious.
Zhu Yan, who was usually patient with Min Zhizhou, took the time to explain despite his reluctance to waste words. “Because we believe in the Creator. Other than the Creator, we will not worship any god. The Creator is our only deity.”
Min Zhizhou’s expression said, Well, that figures.
“Besides, we don’t have any special connection to the Divine Lord, so we can’t generate faith in him. To us, he’s just a landmark—maybe even just a decoration. We don’t need the Divine Lord’s help. And the Divine Lord… how should I put it? At his core, he’s not all that different from us.” Zhu Yan thought for a moment, then added, “Not you, of course. I mean myself and the other city residents.”
“…” Min Zhizhou’s expression turned complicated. So he’s calling me weak, huh. “You didn’t have to be so explicit about it. I get it.”
“We can’t believe in the Divine Lord, but you’re different,” Zhu Yan continued, carefully spelling it out for Min Zhizhou. “You don’t reject the Divine Lord. In fact, you even revere his strength. You’re capable of truly having faith in him.”
“Rather than faith, it’s more like admiration. Even now, I still don’t understand the Divine Lord’s structure. He doesn’t seem… like a mech.”
Under the terrifying assault of those war machines, the Divine Lord remained completely unscathed. That didn’t seem like an ordinary statue either. Besides, everything Min Zhizhou had ever learned told him that statues weren’t supposed to move. The Divine Lord was unknown to him, and he feared the unknown. But at the same time… he revered it.
“That’s why you’re different from us,” Zhu Yan concluded. “You can comprehend the Divine Lord’s power. You can truly believe in him and contribute to his faith value.”
But Min Zhizhou still didn’t understand. “Why does the Divine Lord need faith value?”
Zhu Yan furrowed his brows, and for once, a hint of gloom flashed across his face. He then averted his gaze. “I don’t particularly like the Divine Lord, but sometimes, I still wish I could borrow his power.”
For the first time, Min Zhizhou realized the divide between the Divine Lord’s statue and the city’s inhabitants. But this sense of separation—how could he even describe it? A being so overwhelmingly powerful, so unrivaled…
And yet, Zhu Yan was telling him to believe in the Divine Lord, to provide him with enough faith value. It was likely a contingency—if the City Lord was ever in danger or unable to command the Divine Lord, Min Zhizhou could awaken him through prayer.
Min Zhizhou guessed it probably had something to do with that time when the City Lord disappeared into the Nightmare Beast Forest. That incident must have left an indelible negative impact on Zhu Yan. So even if he wasn’t fond of the Divine Lord, he still made this choice.
But…
Min Zhizhou had no idea how to believe in a godly statue.
In the apocalyptic ruins of human civilization, faith had dwindled to near extinction. With everyone struggling just to survive, who still had the energy to devote themselves to religion?
However, back when he was a child, he had once seen a believer in one of the city’s forbidden religions. His memory was hazy, but the face of that frail, almost skeletal woman remained vivid in his mind. She always woke up earlier than others to pray. And in those moments, her eyes were filled with hope. Even in the depths of despair, she still managed to smile during her prayers, carrying an unwavering faith.
But faith was not allowed in this city. The higher-ups believed that religion destroyed hope and that it made people indulge in fantasies of nonexistent gods, weakening their resolve and dulling their loyalty. That woman had been taken away. No one knew where she went. Some speculated she had been sent to a scouting squad—those who went rarely came back.
“What should I do?”
Returning from his thoughts, Min Zhizhou held a bouquet of flowers in his hands, staring at the enormous white statue, feeling utterly lost.
“Believe in him,” Zhu Yan reminded.
“But… how do I believe in him?” That was the real problem for Min Zhizhou.
Zhu Yan hesitated. How does one believe? For them, faith in the Creator was innate—it required no training, no effort. They simply believed, as naturally as they knew to swallow when eating. But to forcibly change someone’s belief? Even Zhu Yan wasn’t sure.
“Just… try offering flowers first?” Zhu Yan suggested.
Min Zhizhou’s eyes widened. “Wait—you don’t know how to do this either, do you?!”
“It’s not my problem! You just don’t know how! We’re born knowing faith, just like we’re born knowing how to eat! Do I need to teach you how to swallow?!” Zhu Yan, rarely flustered, was now slightly exasperated. This was one of the few things he had no clear answer for. But admitting that would mean acknowledging that even his faith in the Creator was hard to define—wasn’t that akin to questioning his loyalty to the Creator?
Min Zhizhou unconsciously swallowed, catching Zhu Yan’s rare awkwardness. “Then why flowers?”
“Flowers represent emotion! They symbolize blessings! They are a vessel for carrying one’s intent! You need to infuse your faith into the bouquet and offer it to the Divine Lord!” Zhu Yan pressed himself against the vehicle, making it clear he had no intention of getting any closer to the statue.
“Are you just looking for emotional support from me because you want to give the City Lord flowers but don’t have the guts?” Min Zhizhou couldn’t help but tease.
“Just do it already!” Zhu Yan’s face instantly flushed red. Of course, he wanted to. But if an NPC gave a player something for no reason, it would definitely make the player suspicious!
It wasn’t that Min Zhizhou didn’t want to go.
It was just that the moment he stood beneath the Divine Lord, he felt an overwhelming pressure. The immense presence of the Divine Lord was deeply imprinted in his mind—its sheer power, the monstrous divine beast at its feet, baring sharp fangs and glaring at him with a savage intensity. Every second, he felt suffocated by its presence.
“I agreed to help you guys with the research for the Revival Nightmare Plant, but I never said I’d believe in the Divine Lord.” Min Zhizhou hesitated, unwilling to step forward.
“If you become a true believer and sincerely pray to the Divine Lord, you’ll be able to make requests of him. In times of crisis, he might even save your life,” Zhu Yan said, dropping his usual banter. “This is an opportunity—and it’s also your chance to increase your importance to the city.”
Min Zhizhou fell silent.
He was tempted.
How could he not be? This was a god. All he had to do was offer his faith, and in return, he could receive a divine safeguard. Compared to what he had to give, what he stood to gain was immeasurable.
Since arriving in this city, he has walked the line between life and death. He cherished his current life deeply and he had an obsession with proving his value here. He wasn’t trying to argue with Zhu Yan—he was just genuinely afraid.
“I think I’m in danger,” Min Zhizhou said. “He seems to really hate me.”
“He does hate you, but he won’t do anything to you,” Zhu Yan suddenly remarked from behind him.
Min Zhizhou turned around immediately, frowning. “Why? What did I do to make him hate me?”
“The reason is simple.” A flicker of annoyance passed through Zhu Yan’s eyes. “You have no idea how much the Creator relies on you. He calls your name more than he calls any of ours.”
“…” Min Zhizhou stared at him expressionlessly. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“It’s not a joke. The Divine Lord is one of the most devout believers of the Creator,” Zhu Yan stated firmly.
Min Zhizhou suddenly felt like he was in some kind of massive, inescapable harem—except he was the unlucky one being singled out.
It was obvious! He was the only outsider in this city. The City Lord just needed information from him—that’s why he got called on more often than others.
Why was he being singled out like this?!
Did these residents not realize how attractive they were?! Did they not know that objectively speaking, he was the ugliest person in the city?! What, did they all assume the City Lord had a thing for ugly people?!
Min Zhizhou was beyond frustrated.
Following Zhu Yan’s reassurance, Min Zhizhou held the bouquet and slowly approached the Divine Lord’s statue, trying to summon some semblance of “faith”.
He desperately searched his memory for any instance of true believers—how had they devoted themselves so earnestly?
Standing beneath the towering white statue, Min Zhizhou forced himself to recall the one time he had seen the Divine Lord’s form. Faith. Faith. Faith. I need to believe in the Divine Lord.
He placed the fresh, vibrant flowers before the Divine Lord, pressed his hands together, and knelt in front of the massive statue, mimicking the posture he had once seen from a devout believer. With his hands crossed over his chest, he silently prayed: Please bless me, mighty Divine Lord.
At the heart of the city, beneath the white statue, a stunning array of flowers lay in offering. A tall, broad-shouldered man knelt devoutly, praying in earnest to the unknown god, hoping his faith would be accepted.
And then—
“Pffft—”
A barely suppressed snicker suddenly burst from the crowd.
It was like a chain reaction. Someone had been holding it in for too long and finally cracked. Then, laughter erupted.
“Hahahahahaha—!”
“He knelt! He actually knelt to the Divine Lord! Oh my god, HAHAHAHA—did he lose a bet or something?!”
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen—HAHAHAHAHA!”
To them, it was as if Min Zhizhou had just knelt down to a giant orange.
“This is a maiden’s kneeling posture! It’s a maiden’s kneeling posture! I never thought I’d live to see a nearly two-meter-tall man kneeling like a maiden before the Divine Lord. If you live long enough, you really see everything!”
Min Zhizhou didn’t dare open his eyes, yet his face visibly reddened at an alarming speed. He… he had only been imitating the posture of the believers he had seen before. He hadn’t even considered whether it was a male or female posture.
Though he knew the Divine Lord was never well-received, he hadn’t expected even a simple act of faith to be mocked. But this laughter—he couldn’t even tell whether they were laughing at the Divine Lord or at him.
“Oh dear, oh dear! Get up, get up! What are you kneeling here for?”
At that moment, an auntie who was tending the garden effortlessly lifted Min Zhizhou up with one hand. “Child, if you really want to kneel, go to the City Lord’s Museum. There’s a statue of the City Lord there. Why are you kneeling in front of this thing? It’s completely useless! Were you tricked by someone?”
“No…” Min Zhizhou’s face was now burning red. In all his years, this was the most embarrassed he had ever been.
“Ah, you poor child.” The auntie reached out and patted the dirt off his knees. Min Zhizhou felt like a stone had just struck his kneecaps but stubbornly held back any sound of pain. “This is just a decoration. You can’t kneel in front of something just because it’s a statue.”
Min Zhizhou turned to look at Zhu Yan, hoping the researcher would rescue him from this awkward situation. But the moment he turned around—where was the research institute’s car?
The spot where Zhu Yan had originally been was now completely empty.
“…”
Min Zhizhou suddenly felt a deep sense of malice from the research institute. Was this so-called Divine Lord Faith Research Institute just messing with him?
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the city.
Min Zhizhou recognized this sound—or rather, though he had only heard it once before, he was highly sensitive to it.
It was the miracle of the Creator.
That immense sound seemed to herald the arrival of the Creator’s divine miracle. Min Zhizhou couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming reverence for this immense power.
And the source of the sound was…
The city center?
Min Zhizhou frowned. Wasn’t the City Lord supposed to be purifying and expanding the Nightmare Beast Forest?
At that moment, he noticed that everyone around him had been drawn to the sound. They all looked up toward its source, heads raised high.
Their gazes were filled with reverence, anticipation, fervor, reliance… Countless emotions intertwined. Every pair of eyes burned with an unshakable focus on that direction.
Min Zhizhou looked at the people around him and suddenly understood what was radiating from their expressions.
It was faith.
Absolute faith, wholehearted dependence. An unwavering longing.
Though no one knelt, it was as if they were already prostrated in devotion, offering everything they had to express their belief in the Creator.
At that moment, a vague memory surfaced in Min Zhizhou’s mind—the shock he had felt when he first witnessed the miracle of the Creator.
The intensity of that moment…
Maybe, back then, what he had felt was faith.
Yet this time, the sound was different from before.
Within this reverberation, he seemed to hear the clear and resonant voices of people reading aloud. The sound was like stepping into a grand hall of learning in a peaceful world.
Unlike the broadcast he had seen on a screen last time, today, he was witnessing the miracle of the Creator with his own eyes.
The light was so dazzling that it even outshone the sun.
Amidst the countless beams of light, he seemed to glimpse a vast ocean of true knowledge.
The miracle lasted for fifteen seconds before gradually fading away, restoring everything to how it had been before.
Min Zhizhou had no idea what had just happened.
It was as if… nothing had changed at all.
At this moment, the bystanders who had just been laughing uncontrollably began walking toward the direction where the light had faded, their faces filled with eager anticipation.
“I need to sign up! I have to register quickly!”
“It’s knowledge! The Creator has bestowed new knowledge! Does the Creator need our help?”
Min Zhizhou looked around in confusion as a small wave of commotion spread through the city’s residents. He had no idea what was happening.
He tried calling Zhu Yan, but Zhu Yan didn’t pick up. Feeling completely lost, Min Zhizhou dialed his colleague instead.
On the other end, his colleague’s voice was filled with excitement: “It’s new knowledge! The Creator has established graduate and doctoral programs at the university. We can continue learning again! Hurry and register! The school isn’t big enough, so each semester has a limited number of spots. You better go now!”
“University?” Min Zhizhou was baffled.
“Yeah! Didn’t I tell you a while ago that you should go to university? Isn’t this a great opportunity? You should know that in our city, there are no illiterates! The average education level is university! There’s not a single person dragging us down! Don’t be the one to ruin our 100% college enrollment rate and drop it to 99%. That’d be embarrassing!”
Min Zhizhou hung up the phone, completely dumbfounded.
So this meant… He Fang had once again infused new knowledge into this city?
All of a sudden, Min Zhizhou felt a deep sense of reverence toward He Fang. In mobile cities, education was extremely basic, and only those with extraordinary talent had the opportunity to receive proper schooling. Such people were rare, like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Min Zhizhou had only received a rudimentary education—he could read, understood how to navigate between different cities, and knew how to follow mission panels. That was all he needed. He had never truly had the chance to study.
Just then, his phone rang again. This time, it was Zhu Yan.
“You called me earlier. What’s up?”
“I felt like something strange happened in the city. A miracle descended, so I called to confirm,” Min Zhizhou said.
“Yes, you’re right. The Creator has brought new knowledge,” Zhu Yan affirmed.
Min Zhizhou was shocked. “Knowledge…? Isn’t knowledge something incredibly difficult to obtain? No one shares knowledge anymore.”
Zhu Yan was silent for a moment before replying, “I don’t know what the world outside the city is like, but within the city, we have an abundance of knowledge, completely accessible to everyone. We can choose what we want to learn, explore, and deepen our understanding. And now, our knowledge has advanced even further. To better assist the Creator, we must possess vast knowledge.”
“Wait… Did you just go register for university?” Min Zhizhou asked.
“Yes.”
“Alright. I thought you abandoned me to make a fool of myself while you ran off.” Min Zhizhou sighed in relief. At least Zhu Yan wasn’t that heartless.
“I did think it was embarrassing.” But Zhu Yan was merciless, “I really don’t want to see that useless Divine Lord still gaining believers. It’s frustrating!”
Min Zhizhou: “…”
For a moment, he wasn’t sure if Zhu Yan was targeting him or just speaking casually.
“Should I go to school too?” Min Zhizhou suddenly asked.
He had never attended school before. He had never set foot in a classroom. He had never experienced what it was like to be in an academic environment. And now, he was genuinely curious.
“If everyone in the city can receive an education, then I should be able to as well, right?”
“Technically, yes,” Zhu Yan paused before adding, “But if you do go, you’ll probably have to start from elementary school. Are you okay sitting in a classroom with kids under ten years old?”
Min Zhizhou blinked, scratched his head awkwardly, and said, “Well… if those kids can make room for me, I guess I wouldn’t mind.”
“Forget it.” Zhu Yan thought for a moment and then said, “I’ll get you some textbooks. Consider it a benefit of cooperating with the research institute. If you ever run into anything you don’t understand, you can ask the researchers directly.”
Min Zhizhou felt a little embarrassed. “Alright… I guess I really don’t fit in with little kids.”
“Studying together isn’t actually a problem,” Zhu Yan said honestly. “It’s just that you don’t look very approachable. You might scare the kids.”
Min Zhizhou, who had been complimented as handsome before: “…”
—
He Fang felt like he was going to die.
This was killing him.
Although he had always been a good student, he had never absorbed such a massive amount of knowledge in such a short time. His brain was completely fried.
Now, he sat blankly in his chair, feeling as if his soul had left his body, sucked away by the endless influx of knowledge.
That bizarre education enrollment website didn’t actually contain much information about postgraduate and doctoral studies. However, to showcase its professionalism, it included a vast amount of free online resources related to exams and research. The sheer volume of these materials was simply mind-boggling.
He Fang had specifically adjusted the game’s time settings. The game “Ruins Without Restart” allowed time adjustments. Normally, He Fang played at a 1:1 real-time speed, but when he logged out, he would increase the time multiplier—though not by too much—so he could check for any anomalies in the city when he woke up the next day.
This time, He Fang cranked the in-game time to 1:3, afraid that spending too much time researching would cause unexpected developments in the game world.
For three whole days, He Fang force-fed himself information about graduate and doctoral studies, leaving his brain completely fried. It was only after this intense study session that he barely grasped the essentials. Meanwhile, the webpage contained a massive number of academic papers and research documents. He Fang even spent a ton of money buying an absurd amount of materials, which he dumped straight into “Ruins Without Restart”.
In the game, building upgrades required specific conditions—for example, residential areas needed enough steel, factories required sufficient plastic, and so on. To upgrade a university, the key requirement was “knowledge level”.
He Fang dumped everything he had gathered into the system, finally filling up the progress bar and successfully upgrading the university.
He felt completely drained.
Opening the event log on his computer, He Fang wanted to check what had been happening in the game recently.
What greeted him was a flood of university enrollment applications.
Everyone from his key facilities had signed up for school—Lu Hu, Qi Jingwei, and even more surprising, the entire research institute, including the weapons development facility, had all successfully enrolled!
Everyone was going to school!
He Fang was dumbfounded.
If all of you go study, then who’s going to handle the research?!
Never in his life had He Fang imagined that the NPCs in his city had such an intense thirst for knowledge. For so long, none of them had expressed this desire, and he had never noticed the need. What a failure on his part as the city’s ruler!
Outwardly, he let out a frustrated sigh, but inwardly, he couldn’t help grinning like an idiot.
He knew he looked ridiculous, but he was genuinely happy.
Clearly, upgrading the university was an excellent decision.
Knowledge is power.
Now, he could only hope that his researchers would hurry up and develop a train that wouldn’t completely drain the treasury!
He Fang casually flipped through the recent event logs, only to see a series of messages.
“Mr. XXX was unable to secure a spot in the first batch of enrollments due to his age. He was extremely disappointed and cried on his way home.”
“Ms. XX was unable to enroll due to pregnancy. She was so upset that she accidentally triggered fetal distress and has now been admitted to the hospital for rest.”
“Mr. XXX successfully enrolled and was overjoyed. To celebrate, he treated his colleagues to a meal but miscalculated his budget, spent all his pocket money, and is now washing dishes at the restaurant to pay off the bill.”
He Fang: “…” Are these event logs serious, or are they just messing with him?
He couldn’t help but laugh at his NPCs’ bizarre antics as he continued scrolling—until he suddenly saw Min Zhizhou’s name appear.
“Mr. Min Zhizhou knelt in front of a landmark building, placed a bouquet of flowers, and prayed in a maiden’s pose.”
He Fang: “?”
…What’s with this Min Zhizhou? Why is he acting strange again?
—
When He Fang logged back into the game, he headed somewhere new.
He entered the government hall, a building modeled after the one in his own small city. It was grand and imposing—probably because designers always emphasized a sense of authority when creating government buildings.
As a result, He Fang never really liked coming here.
Authority carried a sense of solemnity, an atmosphere of oppression that demanded reverence. Walking through the bright yet eerily quiet hall, He Fang found himself subconsciously treading lightly, even though he was the city lord.
Looking around the interior, he couldn’t help but feel that the decor was way too serious.
He made his way to the reception desk and leaned over the counter to look at the NPC working there.
This was actually his first time coming to the government hall. He never had a reason to visit before, so he wasn’t familiar with the layout.
The receptionist NPC was a stunning woman dressed in an impeccably tailored blazer. Her makeup was flawless and elegant. When she saw He Fang, she stood gracefully and gave him a polite bow.
“Good day, City Lord. How may I assist you?”
“Ah…” He Fang stared at the lifelike receptionist NPC, once again impressed by how polished even the minor NPCs were in this game.
Although he hesitated for a moment, the receptionist maintained her professional smile, patiently waiting for his response.
Feeling a little embarrassed, He Fang finally spoke. “I’m here to ask… is there anyone in the government who handles map surveying?”
“Of course, City Lord. You must be looking for Director Guo Miaofeng from the Bureau of Land and Resources.”
“He does map surveying?” He Fang blinked.
“Yes, Director Guo Miaofeng is responsible for map surveying.” The receptionist spoke softly but confidently. “Shall I summon him for you, or would you prefer to visit his office directly?”
He Fang smacked his lips, highly suspicious that this so-called Director Guo Miaofeng had been auto-generated by the game the moment he asked about map surveying.
After all, he had never built a Bureau of Land and Resources.
However, as he followed the receptionist NPC’s directions and arrived at the Bureau of Land and Resources, he suddenly felt that perhaps this wasn’t a newly generated addition.
The government building contained numerous rooms, but in front of him was just a small door frame with a sign that read “Bureau of Land and Resources”.
Peeking inside, he found that the entire department consisted of a single small office, barely big enough for one person, with just one desk.
He Fang blinked. “…Uh, is the Bureau of Land and Resources just one person?”
“Yes, City Lord.”
“…”
So, there was a clear position in place, but almost no actual staff? He Fang’s expression turned complicated.
“Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Director Guo Miaofeng is on duty today,” the receptionist NPC responded respectfully, folding her hands in front of her. “He may be in the restroom. Please wait a moment.”
“Alright, thank you.”
“If you feel the wait is too long, I can help you find Director Guo Miaofeng.”
“No need, thanks.”
“Would you like some tea while you wait? Do you have any preferences or dislikes when it comes to tea?”
He Fang blinked.
This NPC had a surprisingly detailed dialogue tree, full of seemingly meaningless lines. Would she just keep saying random polite things until Guo Miaofeng arrived?
“It’s fine, I’ll just wait. I don’t want to trouble you. Goodbye.”
“Understood, City Lord. I will take my leave then.”
With a graceful bow, the NPC turned around and left, her heels clicking against the floor.
He Fang watched her departing figure, suspecting that saying “goodbye” had triggered her exit sequence.
Once she returned to the reception desk, he noticed something odd—the female NPC suddenly covered her mouth and giggled, a mischievous, “prank successful” kind of laugh.
Her colleagues immediately leaned in excitedly.
“So? So? What’s the Creator like?”
“Not at all like a high-and-mighty City Lord! He speaks so gently and even says ‘thank you’ after every sentence!”
“That cute?! Oh my god, I want to hear him say ‘thank you’ to me too! I’d record it and play it as a bedtime lullaby… Ahh, the Creator is just too adorable! I finally have new material for my dreams tonight—I won’t have to dream about my boss’s serious face anymore, thank goodness!”
Meanwhile, He Fang had stepped into the Bureau of Land and Resources’ office… only to awkwardly realize—
There were no guest chairs.
The only chair in the room belonged to the director himself.
He Fang didn’t dare sit.
The responsibilities of the Land and Resources Bureau should, in theory, be significant. However, in his small city, there was hardly anything that required the bureau’s management. Most of the administrative tasks were handled by He Fang. If it weren’t for the need to survey and map the area, prompting him to visit the government office, He Fang might not have even realized that a Land and Resources Bureau existed.
The office was quiet and deserted, but he noticed that the filing cabinet in the corner contained numerous documents. His city had rivers, mountains, and farmland, all categorized into different files. A city map was hanging on the wall, displaying not only the existing urban layout but also newly developed areas.
Comparing the map on the wall with the one in his system, He Fang found them to be a perfect match. He suspected they had simply copied his map rather than conducting an actual survey.
As he paced back and forth, he unexpectedly felt a bit nervous, as though he were meeting a high-ranking official in the real world. The waiting made him restless.
To distract himself, he looked around the office and suddenly noticed a photograph.
In the photo, a man was dressed in outdoor gear, seemingly ready to embark on an adventure. He had short hair, a tall and imposing figure almost rivaling Min Zhizhou’s, and a healthy, sun-kissed complexion—he looked like a tanned version of Min Zhizhou. His facial features were strikingly handsome, with deep-set eyes and a hint of exotic charm. His smile was bright and carefree. He appeared to be wearing climbing equipment, with a prominently visible climbing rope.
“This was taken in the mountains surrounding the city. I’ve always loved rock climbing. There’s a cliff in that mountain range that’s a rare and excellent spot for it.”
A deep voice suddenly sounded behind He Fang, making him turn around at once. The man standing there had a sunlit smile.
“If you’re interested, City Lord, I can take you there sometime. There’s a secluded spring at the foot of the mountain—hardly anyone goes there. You could even bring a swimsuit if you’d like.”
He Fang widened his eyes. The man’s sudden appearance should have startled him, but after seeing his face, he didn’t feel the slightest bit frightened.
He was strikingly handsome yet exuded a friendly, open energy—an incredibly cheerful and approachable man. He also maintained a comfortable, reassuring distance as he smiled warmly at He Fang.
He Fang is so smart, bro even made textbooks for all lvls of education 🤧