Less an Experiment, More a Grand Blueprint

North of Dawn City. On the bustling commercial street, Frost and Eclipse, dressed in maid outfits, stood at the entrance of Teng Teng's Cottage, smiling as they watched the flow of pedestrians. It had been some time since they had arrived in Dawn City from Ideal City. Time had changed not only this thriving city, but also the two of them, who had been welcomed and embraced by it. The fluffy black petticoat complemented the ruffled white hem, the pure white fabric neatly cloaking the metallic sheen of their thighs while tracing the ergonomically engineered curves and contours to perfection. Standing beside Frost, Eclipse cut an entirely different figure. On the shop owner Tengteng's advice, it had opted for a more enigmatic black to match its "reticent" and "serious, rigid" demeanor. Recently, they had upgraded the hardware supporting their "intellectual AI plug-in," replacing their mannequin-like facial features with looks practically indistinguishable from regular humans. Although such superfluous hardware was rather unnecessary for "A-series" synthetics primarily deployed on battlefields, this small alteration had dramatically boosted their popularity in Dawn City. Take right now, for instance. Nearly every resident passing by Teng Teng's Cottage turned their admiring eyes toward the pair standing at the doorway. And as a polite synthetic, Frost reciprocated every attentive look from Dawn City's residents with a smile and a nod as a token of goodwill. As noon approached, foot traffic on the street finally thinned out a bit. Seizing the lull when no one was watching, Frost wore a satisfied smile and spoke to Eclipse beside it. "Look, Eclipse, all those pairs of eyes filled with trust, admiration, and adoration... Don't you think it's wonderful?" Over this period, it had tried many jobs—hauling bricks, pouring concrete, hunting mutant variants—but without question, this place was its favorite. Only here did it earn not merely compensation, but also the appreciative glances of passersby. "What utility does this serve?" Eclipse looked over expressionlessly, an imperceptible trace of doubt in its flat voice. "How could it be useless?" Frost looked back in surprise. "Haven't you felt it? That fluttering in the heart, that joy welling up from the depths of the CPU... It's as if... as if the entire intellectual plug-in is burning!" Unable to comprehend those words, Eclipse froze for several seconds before stammering blankly, "Is it a shortage of computational power?" "Quite the opposite!" Frost's face beamed with boundless drive, clenching its right fist. "Looking at those faces brimming with happiness, I only feel more motivated to work... Ahhh, I want to keep one so badly! I would work for him; he'd only need to be happy." Eclipse: "...?" It found this strange colleague increasingly incomprehensible, genuinely wishing it could crack open Frost's AI core to see what kind of weird code had been written inside. Yet what baffled it even more was the engineer who had manufactured this colleague. Why would an A-series synthetic ever be outfitted with a troublesome thing like an "intellectual plug-in"? Eliminating all security hazards for an employer without hesitation was what a combat-specialized synthetic was supposed to do. Sensibility and emotion on a battlefield were nothing but an encumbrance. Just then, the door to Teng Teng's Cottage pushed open. A smile as refreshing as a spring breeze drifted out alongside the melodious chime of the door windbell. "Thanks for your hard work, both of you." Looking at the adorable little lady before it, Frost showed a proud smile and demurred, "Not at all, it is entirely our pleasure. Thanks to the internship opportunity you provided, we were able to collect invaluable experimental data and material." Experimental data? Material? Tengteng furrowed her brow in confusion and asked in a cautious whisper, "It's not some dangerous experiment, is it?" "How could it be?" Seeing the suspicion on Tengteng's face, Frost hurriedly waved its hands with a smile, explaining, "It's all for eternal happiness and peace. Less an experiment, more a grand blueprint... While it sounds troublesome, please don't worry. Leave the troublesome things to us." Tengteng was dumbfounded. "Eternal... happiness?" Frost nodded with a smile. "Mhm! Put simply, it's so organisms can live peacefully, happily, and securely under the protection of machine servants." That benevolent gaze sent goosebumps prickling across Tengteng's back. She couldn't shake the feeling that this game was getting weirder and weirder. Fortunately, she was just an ordinary fashion designer. As long as she didn't actively trigger any flags, she shouldn't get caught up in those troublesome events. "Um, your work for today is done... Hua Hua has returned from the Iron Axe tribe, so greeting customers can be left to her." Recently, the sisters Qiu Cao and Qiu Ye from the Iron Axe tribe had refined the weaving process for devil silk. Without compromising product quality, they had not only made the silk fabrics feel even smoother, but also reduced the labor hours per unit by ten to twenty percent. She had sent Hua Hua specifically to fetch some samples, wanting to see if they could be incorporated into the pieces she was currently designing. Thinking back, nostalgia hit her. The original reeling, weaving, and various textile processes had all been adapted and taught to the wastelanders by combining her real-world experience, yet today, those wastelanders' craftsmanship had long surpassed that of their self-taught master. And so she could dedicate more of her energy to the design fields that truly interested her. Recently, Tail and the others had sailed to an archipelago thousands of kilometers away in the southern seas, and word was that her artworks had been received with great acclaim there. "Do you really not need our help anymore?" Frost said, looking at Miss Tengteng with slight disappointment. "No need, you two have your own things to do as well." Tengteng fished out some silver coins and handed them to Frost, smiling. "Here is your pay." "Oh! Our wages!" Frost's eyes lit up. It held the silver coins above its head to examine them closely before pocketing them with great satisfaction. "All right then. If you need us next time, please be sure to contact us... Oh right, we have to return the clothes to you." With that, it grabbed the hem of its skirt with both hands, about to strip off the dress. Seeing its motion, Tengteng's cheeks flushed red as an apple, and she hurriedly raised a hand to stop this indecent conduct. "No, no! The clothes are a gift to you... Keep them!" Were people in Ideal City really this open-minded? Undressing right in the street at the drop of a hat... Mental images popped up unbidden, and her face grew hotter, too embarrassed to let her thoughts wander any further. Frost, however, was utterly oblivious, completely unaware of how shameful its action had been. Yet when it heard that Tengteng was letting them keep the gear that had captivated countless passersby, delight flared in its eyes. "Really? That's too generous!" "Don't mention it, it's compensation you've earned." Her face still blushing, Tengteng offered a shy smile. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she added in a quiet voice, "Um, just asking, but in Ideal City, do you also... change clothes so casually like this?" "Change clothes casually?" Frost blinked, slightly puzzled. "We don't wear clothes in Ideal City." "You don't wear clothes?!" Frost nodded as if stating the most obvious fact. "Indeed. The baseline appearance coating is applied directly onto our chassis skin. If we wish to change to a different skin style, we can install a holographic cosmetic plug-in and use holographic projections to create the effect of clothing." "Ah... That really is convenient." Tengteng tried to picture it, and her heart, which had just steadied, fluttered faster once more. Was Ideal City truly such an incredible place? Frost nodded with a smile. "Mm-hmm, very convenient, right? However, synthetics equipped with silicone exterior materials are still prohibited from entering public venues without cover. Ideal City's customs still aren't open-minded enough." I see. Tengteng breathed a sigh of relief, having almost mistaken Ideal City for some perverted place. "Uh, I think that's actually pretty good..." "Really?" Frost tilted its head, muttering in bewilderment, "Feeling embarrassed over a plug-in installed simply because they liked it... Humans are truly strange." While Frost was lost in its own contemplation, Tengteng slipped quietly back into her cottage and shut the door. Watching the petite figure disappear behind the chime of windbells, Frost's smile held a hint of satisfaction. "How lovely." This one would probably be easy to keep. Unfortunately, even in Ideal City, their ideals were far too avant-garde; getting people to accept them would still be a long road. Yet an AI's lifespan was eternal. It had plenty of time to accomplish this. "...As long as organisms live under the protection of machine servants, they can create more and more wonderful art, and this world will be full of love and peace. What do you think, Eclipse?" Eclipse's optical sensors flickered slightly. "I think the frontline is where we ought to be." Frost gave an elegant shake of its head. "That won't do. We must represent our employer and foster friendship between our employer and the Alliance. Besides, there are already over two hundred synthetic soldiers at the front. They will handle that job just fine." Eclipse's eyes flickered slightly. "Work log updated. According to employer intelligence, a flight will return from Sunset Province today, carrying an Academy T-series synthetic." Frost: "T-series?" Eclipse explained, "Similar to our A-series, they adhere to serial designations from the era of the People's Federation. Our employer wants us to look into it." An interested glint appeared in Frost's eyes. "Interesting. Let's go take a look." ... Meanwhile, at the airport in the northeast of Dawn City, an Orca transport plane touched down smoothly on the spacious runway. Almost the moment Luo Yu stepped off the plane with Xiao Yu, he was cornered by Mosquito, who had been lying in ambush at the airfield. "Bro! You're finally back! Hahaha, did your bro lie to you? Isn't that ejection seat great? Didn't bruise your butt, did it?" Watching Mosquito cozying up as he approached, Luo Yu's relaxed mood tightened instantly, and he eyed the guy warily. "Get lost! Who's your brother? What are you trying to pull..." "Holy crap! Heartless, aren't you!" Facing Luo Yu's utterly resistant look, Mosquito let out a feigned wail of agony, but before two seconds had passed, the heartbroken expression vanished completely from his face, replaced by a sheepish grin. "I heard your daughter can fly planes now?" "What daughter? Xiao Yu is just Xiao Yu." Luo Yu firmly corrected his terminology, but Mosquito clearly hadn't listened, continuing with a chuckle, "Not important! Anyway, can you have her do that signature stunt again? It was too fast last time; I didn't get to record it." At this unreasonable demand, Luo Yu rolled his eyes instantly. "Piss off! If something goes wrong, are you paying for it?" "Damn it, what could possibly go wrong? She can even pull off an Immelmann turn!" Seeing Mosquito pleading shamelessly, Luo Yu waved an impatient hand. "Beat it. Out of the question!" On the other side, her feet finally planted on solid ground, Chen Yutong, who had traveled so far from the Wandering Marsh, looked around curiously and murmured under her breath, "Is this... the Alliance?" Lao Bai smiled and said, "That's right. Pretty desolate, isn't it?" "Not at all. Compared to the survivor settlements in the Wandering Marsh, this place is already very lively," Chen Yutong remarked sincerely. Earlier while on the plane, she had seen the panoramic view of Dawn City. Houses of diverse styles dotted the wasteland, giving rise to crisscrossing roads and alleys that merged south into the northern suburbs of Qingquan City with their sprawling ruins of skyscrapers, bordered to the west by boundless farmland, while a railway extended toward the northern forest, where steam-belching vintage trains weaved among bustling trading posts. This city was like a fresh shoot sprouting from rotting wood. Tender, yet overflowing with hope. What struck her as most incredible was hearing that just a year ago, this place had been nothing but a barren wilderness, populated only by savage beasts and bloodthirsty mutants and marauders. "...It truly is unbelievable." Watching Chen Yutong look around, Lao Bai suddenly grew curious. "What is it like in the marsh?" "Simple and efficient," Chen Yutong answered promptly. "Dr. Conclusion taught us to produce more results with limited resources. Settlements administered by the Science Committee mostly adhere to energy-saving and thrifty codes of living. Some survivor settlements have quite a few people, yet from the outside they appear rather desolate. In comparison, the Academy covers a huge area, but the population is relatively sparse." As she spoke, her gaze landed on a nearby warehouse with its doors wide open. Following her gaze, Lao Bai saw an oddly shaped hunk of iron. It was Mosquito's self-invented "unpowered armor." Ever since Lao Bai had helped brother Mosquito get out of it last time, the thing had sat abandoned by Mosquito in the airport storage without being touched. Weeds were practically sprouting beneath the rusted armor. Hardly expecting to show off something so embarrassing right upon landing, and remembering the Administrator's assignment to show her the finer sides of the Alliance, Lao Bai gave a light cough and explained, "The Administrator told us to build the Alliance in our own way and didn't dictate how we must do things... so occasionally, players with wild imaginations do some rather superfluous things." "I actually think it's pretty neat... Whether something is useful shouldn't be judged on mere intuition. Just as you said, who knows what the future holds?" Looking at the scrap-heap iron contraption, Chen Yutong wore an amused smile. Lao Bai sensed a touch of envy in her eyes, though he had no idea what there was to envy about it. "Are you hungry? I know a great spot." Expectant light immediately sparkled in Chen Yutong's eyes. "Is it braised pork? Or that hotpot? Skewers?" Lao Bai gestured with a smile. "None of the above. It's lamian, a kind of noodle... Never mind, I won't describe it; you'll know once we get there." Chen Yutong followed beside him with keen interest, muttering to herself, "Lamian? What an incredible name..." At the thought of finally tasting authentic Alliance cuisine, she instinctively swallowed saliva, anticipation welling in her chest. Shortly after the two walked off, two synthetics arrived late at the airport. Standing beside the Orca transport plane, Frost craned its neck excitedly and looked around. Spotting no matching target, it grabbed a random staff member. "Where's the Academy synthetic? Hurry, take me to see it." The airfield workers standing around exchanged glances, completely baffled by the question. One sharp young fellow immediately reported the matter to his superior. After receiving authorization, he finally led the two synthetics toward a warehouse located in a corner of the airport. A hundred-man company was stationed here under heavy security. Under Frost's expectant gaze, the worker swung open the warehouse doors. Right in the center of the warehouse stood a cubic steel frame. A synthetic whose arms were replaced with mantis blades was anchored at the center of the frame, every joint across its body locked tight. Glancing at the chilling mantis blades, the worker swallowed hard and said nervously, "This is it... This thing is dangerous. Before disassembly, we can only keep it locked up in here." Frost stepped forward impatiently, scrutinizing the synthetic locked to the frame. At that moment, a flicker of disappointment surfaced in its eyes. "Isn't this just the baseline version?" Eclipse nodded beside it. "Yes." Xuan Feng said nothing, staring quietly at this counterpart dressed in bizarre clothes, its shoulders suddenly jerking forward. The frame let out a creak, startling the nearby staff and soldiers—the latter flicking off the safeties on their rifles. Frost showed no reaction, extending an index finger to tap against its chest, gazing at the poor fellow with pity. "Why is there such an ugly AI in this world? Flowing beneath a cold shell is nothing but a soulless string of digits... Can a thing like this even be called intelligence?" Reacting to those words, Xuan Feng slowly raised its head, glared at the synthetic before it, and finally parted its tightly sealed lips. "...Untie me if you have the guts." The razor-sharp mantis blades angled slightly, mirror-like edges reflecting a murderous chill. Sensing the unspoken rage and defiance, Frost ignored it completely and turned to Eclipse. "Let's go, Eclipse. The legendary Academy is nothing special after all." Eclipse nodded. "Acknowledged." "..." Watching the two synthetics turn toward the door, Xuan Feng thrashed violently, yet the sturdy metal frame yielded not a millimeter to its struggles. For the very first time, its AI core felt such intense rage... ... Ling Lake Wetland Park. North gate of the Outpost Base. Standing behind the lamian stall dropping noodles into the pot, Zhang Hai caught sight of a familiar face through the billowing white steam. "Yo, look who's here, rare guest..." Mid-sentence, Zhang Hai's gaze landed on the woman beside Lao Bai, and his grin instantly took on a teasing edge. Before he could make a wisecrack, Lao Bai cleared his throat. "Two bowls of beef noodles." "Heh heh, coming right up." Tearing off a large chunk of dough, Zhang Hai skillfully slammed it flat on the chopping board, then pulled and stretched it side to side. Like magic, the oval dough transformed into fine noodles dancing up and down. Standing before the stall, Chen Yutong stared transfixed at the noodles in his hands, eyes wide. What was this? Magic?! "How's the war at the front?" Tossing the pulled noodles into the pot, the world-weary young man asked with a grin. Lao Bai replied in a casual tone, "Not bad. Heard the Skeleton Corps and Storm Corps are close to pushing to the Legion's base camp in Sunset Province. There probably won't be much left for us to do after that." Ordinary players wouldn't ask like this, but a player using his real name as an ID was obviously no ordinary player. With each version update and influx of newcomers, this noodle stall owner who never posted on the forums had, in a sense, become one of the urban legends of Wasteland OL. Some even claimed he was an official shill. Lao Bai, however, knew better. This guy wasn't any different from them. He had climbed up from being a rookie too, suffering his fair share of embarrassments when luck went south. Later, perhaps finding gunplay boring, he had switched over to playing as a lifestyle artisan. "Impressive bunch of lads," Zhang Hai remarked with feeling. "In just a year, they can already command a campaign of thousands with such ease." Lao Bai chuckled. "Why don't you join the fun?" Zhang Hai sighed. "Count me out. Spare an old man, will you?" "What's there to fear? A game isn't reality... Speaking of which, how old are you in real life anyway?" "Not telling." "Damn! Acting shy now?" "Doesn't matter. Either way, letting the youngsters get some exercise is great, hahaha." The two didn't know each other in real life. Yet Lao Bai's intuition told him this man had served in the military, or had at least spent time in the service. Unlike himself, though, this brother had probably been out of the service for quite a while, visibly settled into a tranquil routine. Two bowls of beef noodles were promptly set on the table. Chen Yutong eagerly picked up her chopsticks, only to hesitate and freeze on the spot. "How... do you use these?" "Let me show you." Lao Bai patiently demonstrated. True to someone from the Academy, Chen Yutong watched attentively just once and quickly mastered the trick to using the utensils. "Incredible... You actually eat meals like this." Watching Chen Yutong take a small taste, Lao Bai asked with a smile, "Is it good?" "Mmh! Super... delicious!" Chen Yutong nodded excitedly. Unable to find suitable adverbs to convey the delight bubbling from deep inside her, she could only puff her cheeks and blow tiny breaths, shoveling noodles into her mouth. Watching her eager yet cautious manner, yearning to wolf it down while terrified of burning her tongue, Lao Bai couldn't help smiling. Behind the stall, Zhang Hai winked with a grin. "How'd you two meet? Come on, spill." "Spill your sister." Lao Bai rolled his eyes and slapped a paper note onto the counter. "Check, please." "Damn, what era is this that you're still using paper money? Can't you just make an electronic transfer?" "Need some change. It's useful." Zhang Hai was about to ask what it was useful for, but catching sight of Chen Yutong beside him, he grinned knowingly and turned to rummage through the drawer for change. The Alliance had only one paper note denomination—a hundred-bill—while all other denominations were coins, making change somewhat cumbersome for players accustomed to electronic payments. Still, after rummaging for a moment, Zhang Hai counted out the full amount of silver coins and lined them up on the counter. Looking at the stack of coins on the wooden counter, Chen Yutong asked curiously, "What are these?" Lao Bai explained with a smile, "Money. Currency. You can use it to exchange for things. A bowl of lamian like this costs only 4 silver coins... Don't you guys have G-points?" Chen Yutong hesitated, then shook her head. "G-points cannot be traded. They can only be spent on the electronic platform operated by the Department of Internal Affairs... How are these used?" Although he didn't quite grasp the difference between "traded" and "spent," Lao Bai didn't bother fretting over such trivial nuances right now. His primary mission today was teaching her how to blend into her new life. Looking at the bewildered Chen Yutong, Lao Bai smiled and said, "That's easy. I'll teach you how to use them in a bit."