Moonlit: There’s a mistake I made from the previous chapters… The turtle mecha was the blue pillar, not the green one. The green pillar will be just mentioned in this chapter. So sorry! I’ll be fixing that mistake later.
“Wow, no wonder Ao City is the main city. This momentum is really something else. When I was down below, I didn’t even dare to look up. I was genuinely afraid that if I accidentally looked up, they would just destroy me on the spot.” Sai Gu took off his hood, revealing his messy silver hair. The handsome middle-aged man’s face was full of exaggerated expressions, but the words he spoke showed a casual indifference.
“Shh, absolutely don’t speak carelessly. If the guards find out you’re casually talking about His Majesty the Emperor behind his back, you could be dragged off and beheaded!” Qiao Qiao immediately jumped up and covered Sai Gu’s mouth. Sai Gu then used both hands to hold onto Qiao Qiao’s legs, lifting her so she was on his back. Qiao Qiao couldn’t help but blush from Sai Gu’s action.
“I didn’t expect there to be such a traditional city. When I knelt, I was totally stunned. Sai Gu’s hoarse, low voice carried a full laugh. The fiery Qiao Qiao always instinctively toned down her temper whenever she heard Sai Gu talk like that.
Qiao Qiao, worried and coquettish, said, “You have to follow the city’s rules wherever you go. You must have been wandering alone before—no wonder you’re still alive!”
“How could that be? I just never encountered a city like this. The name Ao City basically writes ‘I am supreme’ right across its face,” Sai Gu shrugged. Though the Black Flag mercenary squad beside him didn’t like Sai Gu’s teasing, they couldn’t deny his strong ability.
Moreover, although Sai Gu spoke such rebellious words about Ao City, his voice was very low, audible only to them. The captain didn’t say anything, so the others just let it be.
“Hey, I saw you staring at that young man just now. You’re not up to some shady idea again, are you?” Qiao Qiao was annoyed just thinking about Sai Gu’s flirtatious nature. No matter when, he could easily attract attention. And it was the kind of attention where, if you weren’t careful, you wouldn’t know where he’d gone off to mess around. She didn’t even know why she was so angry.
“Hmm, he is somewhat good-looking, quite young, and also very naive,” Sai Gu recalled the young man’s appearance, his tone meaningful.
Qiao Qiao got even angrier hearing Sai Gu’s tone and jabbed his shoulder hard with her elbow. Sai Gu gasped sharply but still didn’t immediately let go of her legs. He half-crouched to make sure Qiao Qiao could stand steadily on the ground before releasing his grip.
Standing up, Sai Gu rubbed the vulnerable spot on his neck: “Little girl, you keep going all out on me every day. Sooner or later, I’m going to end up broken by your hands.”
Qiao Qiao’s eyes were red with anger, but that damned old man was so careful—when he put her down, there wasn’t a single bump. Really damned, damned!
Qing Qing watched Qiao Qiao deliberately cling to Sai Gu every time and sighed softly. Then she quietly said to Zhou Fang, “I heard from those people just now that the ‘minister’ standing nearby seems to be the former lord of Hope City. Didn’t expect him to come to Ao City.”
“Ao City has always been rich in resources and generous. It accepts all kinds of people. If they’re useless, they kill them and use them as feed, like a pixiu eating everything. That’s a consensus here,” Zhou Yuan tilted his head and said to his brother Zhou Fang, “Brother, being with such a city is like bargaining with a tiger. While we haven’t attracted attention yet, let’s exchange the resources and leave quickly.”
“No. Ao City has always been greedy. How could they remain indifferent to the huge resources of Hope City? Besides, Hope City has been so conspicuous recently, shamelessly claiming it will take in all the unwanted people from other cities, regardless of age. Isn’t that just robbing people from all the cities? No one will sit back and do nothing,” Zhou Fang’s expression was cold. The humiliation he felt in Hope City, the helplessness when his own younger brother was taken away, the blind obedience from everyone—it all haunted him. That was a devil’s city.
At this moment, Sai Gu, leaning against the wall with his head slightly tilted, laughed lowly: “But what reason would there be to attack Hope City? At least until now, Hope City hasn’t sent out any bad news, right? Even in the apocalypse, you need a reason to attack someone.”
Zhou Fang glanced coldly at the exceptionally strong mercenary Sai Gu, who had been taken on as a special case. He was clearly a member they used well, but no matter what, Zhou Fang could never figure him out.
Qing Qing nearby said, “A reason isn’t necessarily needed. After all, war cities have always been about plunder.”
However, Qiao Qiao, surprised to see Qing Qing opposing Sai Gu, unexpectedly stood on Sai Gu’s side: “But Ao City is the head city of the alliance. If it were a war city of that size, it would surely be besieged. Ao City must still have its own considerations.”
Zhou Yuan thought even more deeply: “And according to what we know, Hope City’s resources are almost countless. Even if a war broke out between the two cities, in terms of resources and weapons, I think Hope City would have the advantage…”
“Hope City has the advantage?” Zhou Fang said coldly.
“Indeed, it does have the advantage. After all, even Angel City has submitted…” Qing Qing said somewhat worriedly.
“Angel City is, after all, just a flashy whore with no combat ability at all. It only knows how to use its status to oppress the weak. Now it’s being taken back by that scrap-picking trash from Hope City to warm the bed—well deserved,” Zhou Fang said through gritted teeth.
However, Qing Qing was stunned. She looked at Zhou Fang in surprise, her eyes confused, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
Suddenly realizing his loss of composure, Zhou Fang’s face turned a little embarrassed. He stood up and walked out of the cramped room where they had been resting.
Qing Qing lowered her eyes slightly. She was very worried about the changes in Zhou Fang during this time, but felt powerless. Suddenly, a hand gently patted the top of her head, the tender pressure pulling her out of that strange feeling. She looked up at Sai Gu—the man who gave the strongest sense of security in this team. Even though her heart already belonged to someone else, sometimes she still felt her heart stir for this man.
“Don’t worry,” Sai Gu’s deep voice was like the gentle, rich sound of a cello softly playing by her ear. “Men always know what they’re doing.”
Qing Qing was momentarily stunned. It sounded like comforting words, but for some reason, what she heard in them was an undeniable truth.
Sai Gu’s hand left, taking away the warmth. Yet Qing Qing felt that the overflowing worry she had turned into helplessness. Surprisingly, she felt much better, not because she was comforted, but because it made her let go.
“Where are you going again?” Qiao Qiao, seeing Sai Gu comforting Qing Qing, felt sad. Now that Sai Gu was turning to leave, she immediately shouted, “Don’t run around everywhere, you’ll cause trouble!”
“I won’t,” Sai Gu didn’t even look back. He waved his hand, as if teasing, “Uncle is going to do something only adults can do now. Stay home obediently and wait for Uncle to come back.”
Sai Gu’s words instantly made Qiao Qiao furious: “You…”
“It’s okay, let him go. Doesn’t he always bring back a lot of important news when he goes out?” Zhou Yuan comforted the angry Qiao Qiao. “In this era, those with such strong social skills are all powerful people.”
Qiao Qiao was angry enough to have red eyes, but she really was at a loss against Sai Gu. Not even the captain could handle him. Sai Gu was clearly not someone who could settle down anywhere casually. Even Qiao Qiao herself couldn’t imagine someone like Sai Gu having any sense of ‘loyalty’.
“Who caught your eye?” Zhou Fang saw Sai Gu about to pass in front of him, his gaze dark and probing, full of suspicion. “The former lord of Hope City?”
Sai Gu narrowed his eyes and smiled, “What are you doubting?”
“You’ve never spoken a bad word about Hope City,” Zhou Fang said coldly. “How could a city in the apocalypse be without any stain at all?”
“I don’t know. At least, all the information I’ve gathered so far says so. For example, Hope City opens its gates to anyone; its search teams are called divine messengers by those rescued; and everyone calls this place a mirage because it’s as mysterious as a city seen in a desert haze.” Sai Gu’s voice was slow as always, sounding like praise. But if you listened carefully, it was all just rumors he had collected.
“Haven’t you heard a single piece of negative news?” Zhou Fang narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Oh? I get it, Captain. This time, I’ll try hard to dig up some negative information about Hope City for you,” Sai Gu deliberately showed a knowing, teasing expression. “Hopefully, the news I bring back will satisfy you.”
Zhou Fang watched Sai Gu leave but felt even more irritated than before. He knew what Sai Gu said was true; at least, all the information they had heard so far favored Hope City.
This Hope City seemed as if it had no flaws at all.
Sai Gu truly was a person whose abilities were highly commendable. Undeniably, they relied on Sai Gu’s information and skills to achieve better development in a shorter time than before. This man’s strength was simply like…
…like the people from Hope City.
Even now, Zhou Fang still remembered the overwhelming fear that had gripped his entire body when facing those powerful individuals from Hope City. That fear still lingered, so much so that even though he hadn’t done anything out of line, he remained on edge, anxious and suspicious.
Only when he was alone did Sai Gu finally let a trace of frustration show on his always carefree and gentle-looking face. The agitation could no longer be concealed.
How disgusting. Humans, always scheming in secret like insects trying to outwit their Creator.
Wasn’t it just a little humiliation from the Creator back then? If it were him, he would have gladly let the Creator humiliate him thoroughly. Why get angry? Wasn’t that a reward?
Sai Gu narrowed his eyes, recalling that youthful boy who had secretly peeked out from behind a pillar not far from the former lord of Hope City during the court session. Young and immature, clearly of high status.
He thought, perhaps he could become good friends with that child.
But… the former lord of Hope City—such a title—sooner or later, it would be used.
No…
Perhaps it was already being used?
Sai Gu let out a long sigh, silver hair falling messily over the side of his cheek, his eyes flashing with a trace of nostalgia.
He wanted to go home.
At least if he went home, he could sneak a glance at the young lord every now and then.
Also, a city lord of Hope City—why was their little city lord so uniquely adorable?
With a comparison like that, their little city lord truly felt incomparably cute.
—
He Fang had previously assigned Yuan Sanjin a task: to strengthen the exchange between Angel City and Hope City, and to raise the engagement and activity levels of Angel City’s residents. Along with the assignment, He Fang also gave Angel City a motivation to work hard.
—Once they successfully met a certain requirement, He Fang would grant them the right to use mechas!
Originally, the Rainbow Squad’s light pillar was meant to be directly given to Angel City. As the only two existing cities, it was necessary to provide Angel City with a defensive light pillar.
However, since this could be used as a way to stimulate Angel City’s drive, He Fang figured he might as well delay it a little longer.
Perhaps due to its long-standing nature as a commercial city, Angel City had a natural sensitivity and enthusiasm for entertainment culture. The city, once dull and lifeless, now showed subtle signs of stirring excitement.
Since He Fang couldn’t just teach theory all the time, he had also included various media clips as part of the instructional materials. It was exactly those clips that seemed to ignite Angel City’s curiosity and restlessness.
He Fang thought that having motivation was a good thing. The goal he set for Angel City was simple: if the residents’ happiness could reach a level he deemed acceptable, then he would grant them one of the Rainbow Squad’s defensive pillars.
However, even before He Fang had spent much time teaching, he was shocked to discover, while reviewing the incident statistics, that people had already started creating small pieces of original content!
He was genuinely stunned.
Even though the creations were rough and poorly made—and honestly, not very entertaining—these people were actually doing it.
Was this the so-called Angel City that preferred luxury over farming?
But seeing the resident happiness index of Angel City—previously stagnant—now gradually begin to rise, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Once they met his standards, He Fang transferred the green pillar of the Rainbow Squad to Angel City for defense.
He Fang actually didn’t know what was inside the green light pillar. All he could see from the outside, when he looked in, was the tip of a wing. Even though the wing’s feathers were blurred and indistinct, it was clear they were finely layered, razor-sharp metal feathers that looked like those of an angel, but exuded an icy coldness. He Fang felt that the wings matched Angel City’s aesthetic well, so he dragged the green light pillar over to them.
This time, it was out of curiosity that He Fang followed the transport team moving the green light pillar. Yuan Sanjin stayed by his side the whole way.
He Fang noticed that Yuan Sanjin’s expression remained tense the entire time. She barely spoke.
“Are you nervous or something right now?” He Fang asked tentatively.
“Ah, mm… a little.” Yuan Sanjin scratched her cheek, a bit embarrassed. “I don’t really understand it myself, but Qian Qu said that, City Lord, you possess an incredibly powerful and unmatched mecha. So I’m just… a tiny bit curious.”
“Mm, it should be very powerful.” At the very least, Xiao Hong and Xiao Qing[mfn]Qing is a shade that is between green and blue. With how the turtle is colored, despite it being the blue pillar mech, I think it fits to use Qing instead of Lan, which is blue.[/mfn] had never let anyone down.
“Mechas are symbols of strength,” Yuan Sanjin said, lowering her head slightly. The girl’s cheeks flushed a light red. She was thrilled at the prospect of acquiring a powerful mecha. “Only super-large mobile cities with abundant resources have mechas. Angel City once tried to build the Archangel, but it was utterly helpless against a true mecha. That’s when we realized how vast the gap was between us and those other major cities.”
He Fang blinked, thinking about whether the real mechas or his Rainbow Squad were more powerful.
“But now, we also have a powerful mecha,” Yuan Sanjin said, lips slightly pressed together, a shy smile forming. “Even if the circumstances and feelings surrounding how we gained this mecha are a bit different from before, having a powerful mecha has always been Angel City’s long-cherished dream.”
He Fang scratched his cheek a little awkwardly. “Sorry.”
Yuan Sanjin blinked in surprise. “Why?”
“Well, I know it’s a bit late to be apologizing now, but I really am sorry that the Archangel was… uh… completely destroyed by Xiao Qing.” He Fang recalled the scene vividly. His giant turtle mecha had mercilessly torn the Archangel to shreds. Afterwards, the battlefield had been entirely cleared. Not even a scrap had been left behind for Angel City as a keepsake.
Yuan Sanjin’s expression also turned a little awkward. “No. Victory or defeat—such is the fate of kings and conquerors. At the very least… at least after the Archangel was destroyed and the soldiers of Angel City lost their combat ability, no one struck us down ruthlessly. Everyone received treatment for their wounds, and even Qian Qu’s severed hand was reattached. That alone… is already enough.”
He Fang looked at Yuan Sanjin. This girl, still quite young, was surprisingly level-headed about the whole matter. Was it because people matured earlier in this era?
He Fang noticed that Yuan Sanjin was clearly very excited now. She couldn’t seem to contain her emotions, her posture betraying a subtle restlessness, and she was softly humming a tune.
Humming?
“You’re humming?” He Fang asked.
“Yes. Haven’t we been studying this stuff lately?” Yuan Sanjin pursed her lips slightly. “Recently, the research institute developed quite a few musical instruments. Now, people from the main city have come to Angel City to open instrument shops. The people in Angel City work hard every day to earn money so they can buy instruments.”
He Fang was a little surprised. In his mind, he suddenly pictured an angel holding a harp.
So they really do like instruments, huh?
“Does everyone in your city like these things?” He Fang asked, thinking that everyone must have different personalities, surely.
“It’s just a common interest. Some people prefer research. Quite a few left long ago to study in Hope City, saying they wanted to join the research institute in the future,” Yuan Sanjin said, chatting away about the current state of Angel City. Hearing all this, He Fang finally felt more at ease.
When they arrived at Angel City, He Fang remembered that the light pillar had already been secured onto the train when it was brought online. But now the question was—how were they going to take it down?
Then, He Fang saw something that completely shocked him.
A few soldiers used nothing more than simple ropes—wrapping, binding, and pulling—and just like that, they effortlessly hoisted the slender light pillar back upright onto the already-built charging base.
As soon as the green pillar connected to the power source, it began to emit a faint green glow. The light was soft, like the beautiful sheen of newly sprouted leaves.
He Fang was dumbfounded.
Such a massive light pillar… and a few soldiers’ strength was enough to move it?
There’s a mech inside, you know! To put it plainly, that’s a giant block of metal, a giant block of iron!
And that’s it?
Don’t tell me the inside is hollow?
He Fang stepped forward to peer inside. He could still see, beneath the green glow, those razor-sharp wings made entirely of countless blades. The thing inside remained still and silent.
Just looking through the pillar, He Fang felt an eerie chill radiating from within. It looked like something you really didn’t want to mess with. He took two steps back. For some reason, he felt that compared to Xiao Qing, who gave a sense of peace, and Xiao Hong, a serious and proper mech, this “Xiao Lu” radiated pure killing intent. Was it the blades?
“All connections normal.”
“Measurements normal.”
“Defense system activated.”
“Commencing defense function calibration.”
He Fang heard the researchers nearby reporting the diagnostic results as they checked whether Rainbow Squad’s “Xiao Lu” could operate properly. He Fang was still stuck wondering—how could something like this possibly operate normally?
Then, He Fang watched with wide eyes as a soldier walked over, rolled up his sleeves, swung his fist, and punched the light pillar hard.
He Fang: “……”
Simple and violent.
Right after that, He Fang heard a sound. He remembered that when Xiao Hong activated, there was a voice; when Xiao Qing activated, there was a tremor in the ground. But this time, what he heard was… a strange sound.
The sound was long and drawn-out, unfamiliar. If he had to put it into words, the phrase that inexplicably came to He Fang’s mind was “dragon’s roar”.
“Calibration successful. Installation complete,” said the researchers, then immediately boarded the train and left, just like NPCs in a story cutscene.
He Fang looked up at the towering light pillar. It didn’t feel particularly special. It looked ordinary. And since the Rainbow Squad mechs were meant to defend the city, they wouldn’t activate unless there was an actual threat.
“At this time, I think Shen Houyun should be discharged. Yuan Sanjin, arrange a car to take me to Hope City.” He Fang checked the scheduled time and decided to go give Shen Houyun some psychological counseling, to see if he could get that child to fully trust him.
“Yes, City Lord. I’ll take you there.” Yuan Sanjin had been by He Fang’s side the whole time, but her eyes kept reluctantly glancing back at the light pillar.
“There will be plenty of chances to see it in the future. No need to be so impatient, right?” He Fang said as he walked, glancing at Yuan Sanjin, who was reluctant to leave.
“Um… doesn’t the mech need maintenance? If it stays inside the shield all the time, won’t that make it hard to maintain?” Yuan Sanjin felt a little disappointed that she couldn’t see the mech inside the pillar.
“We don’t need to. The stuff inside the pillar should be for maintenance, right?” He Fang wasn’t too sure either. It was just like how, when he harvested vegetables from the central city’s fields, new ones would respawn after midnight. He figured the Rainbow Squad might also be capable of self-refreshing. Things that can respawn usually don’t need maintenance, right?
“So, under normal circumstances, you can’t see it?” Yuan Sanjin was still excited, but had a touch of disappointment.
“It’s best if you don’t see it. If you do, it probably means some other city is attacking us. That wouldn’t be a good thing, would it?”
Lately, things had been completely quiet on Sai Gu’s side. That wasn’t a good sign. On the contrary, the more silent he was, the more it meant he was likely caught in a complicated situation with no time to send back useful information.
Just as He Fang was thinking this, a sudden burst of loud celebration came from far behind them. He Fang flinched in surprise and sharply turned around.
“My god, what are they doing?” He Fang’s eyes widened. Right now! He could feel it—an Angel City more exhilarated than ever before!
“Aaaaaaahhhhhhh——” Countless people were screaming, cheering, and circling around Xiao Lu, their faces filled with excitement and joy.
“This is amazing—just amazing! Aaaaaah! We have our own powerful mech now!”
“Help! Is this even real?!”
“I stuck my face to the glass and peeked—oh my god, inside there are angelic wings! It’s so cool! The mech in there has to be the most powerful one we’ve ever seen! It’s definitely stronger than Hope City’s mech turtle! This one’s ours! It belongs to Angel City!”
He Fang was completely dumbfounded. Some of the Angel City residents were still standing calmly off to the side, but the ones going wild around Xiao Lu were all Angel City soldiers—and even upper officials. Some of them were already so overwhelmed with excitement, their eyes were brimming with tears.
He Fang’s expression turned strange, and after a long pause, he muttered: “Uwahhh——”
Yuan Sanjin hadn’t expected that all of their excitement had been seen entirely by He Fang, right before his eyes. Instantly, her expression turned slightly red: “That… City Lord, everyone is very happy. Normally, they’re very steady and composed…”
“Wuhu!” Someone stepped on the back of the person next to them, lunged onto the lamp post in one swift motion, then slid back down again.
He Fang: “……”
Yuan Sanjin’s expression grew even stranger, and she tried hard to explain: “It’s because everyone really was looking forward to it. Because they were really looking forward to it, so this…”
“I’m going to sleep here tonight, right here on the ground! No one’s allowed to stop me!” From the direction of the lamp post came an unmistakably loud shout.
He Fang: “……”
Yuan Sanjin’s face had already turned completely red. The residents of Angel City, who were usually steady, well-mannered, and composed, had actually done such shameful and embarrassing things right in front of the City Lord. As the new Deputy City Lord, Yuan Sanjin could no longer find any words to defend them.
He Fang tilted his head and looked at the flustered and helpless Yuan Sanjin. After a long pause, he finally said, “You really do live long enough to see everything.”
If he had known it would be like this, he should’ve just splurged on all the other landmarks back then, and placed one in every city!
Yuan Sanjin had now completely run out of anything to say.
—
He Fang arrived at the hospital in Hope City. After checking the time, he had just reached the door of Shen Houyun’s hospital room when he saw Bai Fu inside, currently speaking with Mother Shen.
“Shen Houyun’s recovery so far has been very good, and also very quick. As things look right now, there shouldn’t be any lasting aftereffects. Although the chances are slim, if anything happens to the heart or brain, make sure to seek medical attention as soon as possible. After all, he went through a life-or-death experience. We can’t be certain whether it might have left behind any irreversible burden on the body.”
Bai Fu, in his white doctor’s coat, stood there. When he spoke about medical conditions, he never included any foul language.
“Pay more attention to rehabilitation training recently. For now, don’t do too much physical labor. Many things need to progress step by step. The moment something feels off, stop immediately.”
At this moment, Mother Shen asked timidly, “Um… Doctor Bai, do we have enough money for the treatment?”
“About money—go to the payment window. That’s not my responsibility. As for the divine power you all consumed, heh…” Bai Fu’s tone suddenly shifted, and he directly began to mock them. “Do you think you can repay what you owe the City Lord in this lifetime?”
He Fang looked through the window at Mother Shen. Her condition had improved greatly. Her whole demeanor looked radiant. Just a few days of recovery had completely changed the mental state of a mother.
“Your son can already be discharged. As for your illness, when you have money, come and take care of it, too.” At this moment, Bai Fu turned his head and looked at the mother who, to treat her child, wouldn’t spend even the tiniest bit of money on herself. “You’re in your thirties—you can still work for at least another twenty or thirty years. Our City Lord went through great effort to save you both. So go out there and work with the mindset of serving the City Lord faithfully until death!”
He Fang was slightly stunned. This Bai Fu… was a bit extreme.
“We are very grateful to the City Lord,” Mother Shen lifted her head and gave Bai Fu a small smile. “And we’re just as grateful to you, Doctor Bai.”
“What are you thanking me for? You paid, I treated your illness—that’s my job. I take my job seriously. What’s there to be thankful for?”
Bai Fu let out a cold snort. “But your son, when he did everything he could to drag our City Lord down with him, he didn’t think of gratitude at all, did he? He stayed with the mindset that he was going to die in Arrival City, right? Not even for a moment did he think about repaying the City Lord, did he?”
Mother Shen’s expression stiffened. She tapped Shen Houyun’s blanket with her hand and said, “From now on, don’t go around saying things like you’re going to die. The City Lord worked hard to save your life. That life no longer belongs just to you anymore—you need to treasure it.”
He Fang blinked. He heard Shen Houyun’s voice coming from inside: “Okay, Mom.”
Bai Fu clearly didn’t care at all about what he had just said. He turned to leave. But the moment he did, he immediately saw He Fang standing at the door.
He Fang quietly raised his index finger, making a gesture for silence, and then lifted his hand to wave at Bai Fu—a small goodbye motion—signaling for him to continue with his work.
Bai Fu nodded, indicating he understood He Fang’s meaning, and brushed past He Fang as he walked away.
However, He Fang didn’t notice that Bai Fu stopped at a distance, turned his head, and looked back in He Fang’s direction.
The slightly malnourished Creator stood in front of the snow-white wall, almost as if he were about to merge with it, so fragile it seemed like any object could swallow him up. Half leaning against the wall, the Creator looked into the room. His expression was very calm, but in a single blink, the envy in his eyes that hadn’t quite receded in time revealed a hint of loneliness within their Creator.
In that moment, Bai Fu’s heart inexplicably ached. But he could only stand there, unable to do anything.
He was just a…
NPC.
He Fang stepped into the hospital room. The moment Mother Shen saw him, she immediately stood up in surprise, joy and gratitude written all over her face. Before He Fang even came to a full stop, Mother Shen suddenly bent down into a standard ninety-degree bow.
He Fang lightly patted Mother Shen on the shoulder, signaling her to straighten up. He then shifted his gaze up to Shen Houyun, directly opening the other party’s attribute panel. “How are you doing?”
However, the moment he saw the data displayed there, He Fang slowly widened his eyes.
Maxed out?
All of the attributes—somehow, in this short period of time—had completely recovered to their optimal state. Aside from missing one arm, he looked exactly like a perfectly normal NPC.
And at that moment, He Fang suddenly saw his loyalty stat.
He Fang’s eyes suddenly widened, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Shen Houyun’s loyalty level was actually a full ten thousand, not one more, not one less: “10000”, neat and complete!
This… how was this possible? Why did it suddenly jump to ten thousand?
But behind this loyalty stat, there was a small icon—one that looked like a chain.
Generally, a chain icon meant “bound” or “unchangeable”. Now that He Fang saw this symbol, he guessed that it probably meant the loyalty value was locked at exactly ten thousand—it couldn’t increase, and it couldn’t decrease.
There was even such a function? He Fang was deeply shocked.
If he had known this would happen, what was he even worried about before—about Shen Houyun possibly defecting?
Wasn’t this clearly the same as being permanently stamped with Hope City’s label? At this point, He Fang let out a breath of relief.
“City Lord.” Shen Houyun’s voice pulled He Fang’s attention away from the attribute panel. He turned his gaze back to Shen Houyun and suddenly frowned. Was it his imagination, or had Shen Houyun become better-looking?
“What is it?” He Fang looked him up and down several times. It was clearly the same familiar face, so why did it seem more handsome now?
Shen Houyun got down from the bed. At the very least, he looked as healthy as anyone could be. That young man—who was no longer quite a boy—bowed to He Fang, just as his mother had done before him, with the same respectful ninety-degree bow.
“Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for saving the people of Arrival City. Thank you for giving the people of Arrival City a new beginning. Please punish me for my past disrespect toward you, punish me for using you. I will devote everything I have in the future to serving the City Lord.” Shen Houyun’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm and decisive. His slightly long hair fell forward a little. The face partially hidden behind it no longer bore even a trace of past scheming.
“Ah… mm…” He Fang figured this was probably part of the storyline. Shen Houyun’s purple quest had already been completed. He Fang suspected this purple quest was likely the same type as the one that had appeared above Zhu Yan’s head back then.
Shen Houyun did not straighten up. Before the young city lord, he humbly lowered his head, expressing his loyalty in a posture that the young city lord would not find unpleasant: “I am not clever. I do not have the strong wisdom of the city lord, your honor. But if it is your order, no matter what kind of command it is, I will carry it out, regardless of whether I can do it or not.”
He Fang sighed in relief, feeling extremely reassured by that locked-in loyalty.
“Stand up straight,” He Fang said.
Shen Houyun stood up straight without hesitation—his back straightened perfectly. The nineteen-year-old man was still growing. His gaze looked straight ahead. This kind of direct gaze passed over He Fang’s head and looked toward the distant wall. Saying “stand up straight” really meant standing perfectly straight. Even his only remaining hand stretched out straight; at first glance, it looked very much like a military stance.
“Then I will arrange your punishment,” He Fang thought for a moment. “Later, I will have Guo Miaofeng contact you first. You need to tell Guo Miaofeng all the city information you have known since becoming a mercenary. After that, report to the military. If your performance is outstanding and you gain the recognition of Yuan Zhiran, then I will allow you to develop a mechanical arm at the Weapons Development Facility.”
He Fang’s gaze fixed on Shen Houyun’s missing arm. In an era where mechas can succeed, a mechanical arm should be achievable. Thinking about the current Zhu Yan and his crazy inventor appearance, He Fang felt that anything could be created.
Shen Houyun was momentarily surprised after hearing this. It seemed he hadn’t expected He Fang to actually consider his missing arm.
“You need training,” He Fang thought. Since Shen Houyun had already reached the main city’s NPC value, perhaps he could keep up with the main city NPC’s training and find his development direction. Right now, Shen Houyun was highly moldable. “My plan for you is to assist Wei Qixuan in the future. How much you can assist depends on your education level. Study hard—at least let me see the results of your learning.”
Mother Shen, who had tensed up instantly when she heard He Fang was arranging Shen Houyun’s placement, quietly sighed in relief after hearing He Fang’s plan.
“Although now all the people from Arrival City have merged into Hope City, my ability alone is limited. Wei Qixuan can’t immediately unify the people from Arrival City either. You need to do more work inside.” He Fang thought that since the happiness level of Hope City’s residents had rapidly increased, a critical point like the one in Angel City would surely appear. It was essential to manage it well. “I don’t want my city to have too big of problems. If anything happens, you’d better report to me immediately.”
Shen Houyun’s face was filled entirely with obedience—unconditional obedience. He didn’t even consider whether the tasks He Fang gave him could be accomplished simultaneously.
He Fang never intended for him to do them all at once, either: “These will start after your body has fully recovered. During the time you are recovering…”
He Fang’s gaze shifted to Mother Shen standing nearby. She was still worried, displaying the exquisite and thorough concern of a mother. He Fang blinked and, for some reason, avoided her gaze.
“During your recovery, you don’t have much to do. Go see your twin sister.” After saying this, He Fang glanced at Mother Shen, who was pleasantly surprised. He saw her step forward, grab Shen Houyun’s arm, then gently press him down to give He Fang another deep ninety-degree bow. The joy and happiness were obvious.
He Fang’s eyes were fixed on the arm where Shen Houyun and his mother touched. Almost on impulse, he said, “You have a good relationship with your mother, huh?”
Mother Shen didn’t notice anything unusual and smiled, “I have raised Yun Yun since he was little, of course, I’m close to him.”
“Mm.” He Fang turned around. “I’m leaving.”
He Fang logged off. He lay in the sensory simulation pod for a long time, blinking as he looked up at the top of the pod.
Finally, he got out of the simulation pod, sat up, and scratched his head.
He opened his phone and saw the few contact entries he had—only a few: his father, his mother.
Yet He Fang put the phone down, expression unchanged. He turned over, intending to find something to eat in the fridge. When he came back, he heard the sound of a phone message arriving.
He Fang looked down and saw a message from a familiar person.
The only person who would actively send him messages.
That deliveryman.
— Customer, are you free next weekend?
He Fang, who was free at any time, hesitated a little as he looked at the message. After thinking for a moment, he replied: What’s the matter?
— Next weekend is my birthday! I don’t have many friends, so I’m only close to my customers. Would you be willing to celebrate my birthday with me?
He Fang’s eyelid twitched.
A birthday celebration?
This was the very first time in his life he had ever received a birthday invitation from a friend!
His mood suddenly soared!
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