In Your Hands, This Legacy Will Surely Be Put to Good Use

The audience for the "PVP Arena" did not consist only of Chu Guang, Xia Yan, and the experts from Boulder Arms; there were also many "uninvolved bystanders." Beyond the observation area equipped with an array of professional monitoring equipment, an "auditorium" open to the public was set up outside the military exclusion zone. It allowed other players and technical personnel studying here to watch and draw new design inspiration. The feed had a thirty-second delay, and while the broadcast was cut under rare circumstances, it was generally open to view at will. In any case, this gear would eventually be sold to the players, so secrecy made little difference. It was far better to lay it all out in the open for these experts to observe. There was no need to bottle up good ideas; anything could be brought to the table. Players and forum lurkers did this on the forums every day, ranging from groundbaiting and rod-swinging tips to legion-level combat tactics, covering virtually every facet of the Alliance's daily life. Camp 101 was currently the Alliance's largest institution of higher learning, home to experts who possessed technologies beyond the wildest dreams of the players back on Earth. Naturally, they had all the more reason to discuss and exchange ideas, researching how to improve the Alliance's productivity and manufacturing methods, and exploring ways to make the Alliance stronger. Of course— Aside from serious technical discussions, there were inevitably some that were not quite as serious. "Fuck! 'I'm in Charge of Dying First' really fucking died first!" "That troll Fawai Kuangtu actually won!" "He even whipped out a Pigeon missile! That's just ridiculous!" "+1. This balance is completely unreasonable. Replacing it with an RPG or a Panzerfaust rocket launcher would make way more sense." "Haha! What the hell do you know? Does balance even exist on a real battlefield? A bet's a bet—pay up, hurry!" "Fuck this! Refund my money!" A crowd of rookies who had backed the wrong horse cursed and grumbled, while a few lucky winners beamed from ear to ear, cradling handfuls of silver coins and bags of popcorn. At that moment, neither Fawai Kuangtu nor I'm in Charge of Dying First had any idea they had been turned into betting chips by a bunch of idle players with nothing better to do. It was lucky the stakes weren't large. Otherwise, they would have definitely caught a yellow card from the damn planner. *** In a corner of the spectator area: Watching the display screen, Alisa—whose heart had been pounding wildly—finally let out a sigh of relief and turned worriedly toward Xiao Yu sitting beside her. "Were they... using live ammo?" Ever since the Boulder City Crisis Management Office transitioned to the new authorities, she had resigned from all her posts, including head of asset liquidation, and followed Xiao Yu and Pai to Camp 101 for further studies, pursuing economics and management, fields that fascinated her. In gratitude for her recent work, Boulder City's new administration covered her tuition and living expenses. In truth, she wasn't the only beneficiary of this policy, nor did she wish to receive special treatment. Later, thanks to Pai's tireless lobbying, Mayor Lovett consulted Chu Guang on behalf of the Workers' Association. After securing the Alliance's support, he allocated twenty million silver coins from the city hall's local budget to establish an education fund. This helped young people in the settlement of higher-education age who had completed basic education travel to Camp 101 to study advanced knowledge. Currently, nearly three hundred youths from Boulder City were studying at Camp 101. Among them were former apprentice engineers from Boulder Arms, assistants to cybernetic surgeons in unlicensed clinics, former child laborers from cannery or textile mills, and even children of Inner City residents. The Workers' Association had kept its initial promise, treating everyone equally at least in education, rather than simply replacing the old nobility to become a new one. Today happened to coincide with the field test of the DLZJ-1. The visitor lounge at the weapons testing center offered unlimited free coffee and tea, charging only for melon seeds, biscuits, and pastries. Many engineers and researchers at Camp 101 were deeply intrigued by this new gear. Moreover, since it was Big Sister Xia's masterpiece, Xiao Yu and Pai had dragged Alisa, who had only recently arrived to study, along to watch the excitement. Perhaps because she had lived since childhood in the greenhouse carefully nurtured by her father, Alisa was far from as composed as Xiao Yu, who had grown up on the wasteland. As the hail of bullets and artillery fire erupted on screen, her small fists had remained tightly clenched the whole time. "Yup!" Xiao Yu nodded vigorously, looking at the worried Alisa with puzzlement. "Wouldn't testing with fake weapons defeat the whole point?" There was indeed no flaw in that reasoning. Even so, Alisa couldn't shake an uneasy feeling, murmuring anxiously, "Still... what if someone gets hurt?" Xiao Yu tilted her head. "Residents of Shelter 404 don't get hurt, you know." "Don't get hurt...?" Alisa stared at her blankly, unable to comprehend. "How is that possible?" Xiao Yu scrunched up her nose. "It's true! Xiao Yu never lies." As for why they didn't get hurt, she didn't know either, but she had seen with her own eyes people lying in coffins who would stand before her a few days later, alive and kicking. By the way, it wasn't just ordinary residents—lizards, bears, cats, and pigmen were the same. That the residents of Shelter 404 were immortal might be an urban legend in the Alliance, but she knew for a fact it was true. Standing beside Xiao Yu, Pai wore a slightly subtle expression. "Well... I know a bit about it. Calling it 'immortality' isn't really accurate—people die when they're killed, but practically speaking, the end result is that they don't die." Alisa looked at them blankly, utterly unable to understand what they meant. Yet, as she looked back at the two suits of power armor on the holographic screen, a flicker of admiration welled in her eyes. To ensure Alliance soldiers could use more reliable equipment and to improve others' chances of survival, they were risking their own lives, testing hazardous weapons at the peril of death. What truly admirable people! "...If only there were a safer way." Looking at the overly worried Alisa, Xiao Yu pondered for a moment before speaking. "There's no such thing as having it both ways. And Xiao Yu thinks that rather than stopping people out of kindness from doing what they've carefully decided, it's better to respectfully honor their choice." "Big Brother Chu said that everyone, including himself, only became residents of Shelter 404 after understanding their rights and duties. If anyone ever gets tired or regrets it, they can go back underground into hibernation and wait for the new world to arrive on its own." Alisa stared blankly at the girl around her own age. After quite a while, she coaxed a quiet question past her lips. "Does that apply to the Administrator as well...?" If he gets tired, he can go back to sleep anytime. Waiting for the new world when his eyes open again... "Yup!" Xiao Yu nodded, proudly puffing out her chest. "Xiao Yu remembers every single thing Big Brother Chu says!" Sitting beside them, Pai sighed, propping her cheeks in her hands as she mumbled glumly. "I can testify to that... This girl's practically turned into his repeater." It wasn't that she couldn't understand Xiao Yu's respect for Chu Guang; that feeling was probably similar to her own reverence for Dr. Method. People inevitably grew attached to those who had saved them. It was out of that very sentiment that the residents of Camp 101 referred to the inhabitants of Shelter 101 as Pioneers. Still, she didn't spend all day reciting everything Dr. Method said. Turning her gaze away from Xiao Yu's cheerful face, Alisa held the teacup on the table with both hands. Looking at her own reflection in the water, she felt her heart tighten inexplicably. She thought of the letters she had recently received from back home. According to the folks in the Workers' Association, Lovett's wife was pregnant again, and the bearded carpenter grinned from ear to ear all day, boasting about it to everyone he met. Regiment Commander Joy inquired with concern about her current situation, especially her daily life—whether she was adjusting well, whether Xizhou City was safe, and so on. Though he hadn't stated it outright in the letter, one could read between the lines that he also wanted to send his child to Camp 101 to study; he merely harbored lingering reservations about the wasteland beyond the Great Wall. Brother Warfite had also written to her. He had finally stopped harping on family and honor, gradually shifting the focus of his life back toward home. From a letter sent by their former head butler, she learned that ever since she resigned from her post, Warfite had honestly taken a job as an accountant and started a new life. As for her father, Malvin, he was currently working at the Boulder City Public Library, tasked with cataloging Boulder City's history over the past two centuries. Her mother still occasionally wept in silence while whispering Kishu's name, but for the most part, she had moved past that upheaval. Whether in Dawn City or Boulder City, most residents were living the lives they had dreamed of. Even if it wasn't ideal, most had gained a fresh start, bidding a thorough farewell to the old era. Including herself. Yet that one person alone... seemed never to have stopped... *** "I'm surprised." In the virtual world constructed by Shelter 101, a café with an unpretentious facade and decor stood on the corner of a bustling street. Watching Chu Guang push open the door and walk in, Dr. Method, seated by the display window, set down the newspaper in his hands and let out a faint sigh of wonder. Taking a seat opposite him, Chu Guang asked teasingly, "Surprised by what?" "The changes outside, of course," Method replied with a faint smile. "The seed I planted back then out of sheer interest—I never expected it would sprout anew in your hands." Although Camp 101 did not exist as an independent settlement, functioning instead like Biste Town as a directly administered district of special strategic significance, the changes in this "de facto settlement" over this period were in no way inferior to the Alliance's five major settlements. As of now, nearly three thousand technicians and prospective technicians were studying at Camp 101 as full-time or part-time students, assisting the scholars and experts of Camp 101 in research across sciences, engineering, sociology, and numerous other fields. This was no longer the scientific expedition post hidden away in the sewers. Supported by the materials, manpower, security, and array of resources provided by the Alliance, Camp 101 had quickly turned the knowledge received from Shelter 101 into tangible results, building specialized research facilities one after another on the surface. These included an electronic analysis lab for recovering technical data from damaged carbon-based circuit boards, as well as a satellite tracking station with a giant dish scanning outer space for usable data. The Alliance Scientific Expedition also maintained a station here, and most high-tech wreckage gathered in Pioneer City was sent here for sorting and classification. In addition, many local research facilities engaged in extensive technical collaboration with factories in Daybreak City's industrial zone. From extra-high-voltage power grid transformers down to the armor steel of the Type 1 Tank, the fingerprint of Camp 101's researchers could be found everywhere. Just like the Production Department, Technical Department, and Defense Department that had once united under the banner of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, everyone was brimming with drive. And all of this— Method saw it clearly. Receiving validation from a predecessor made Chu Guang quite pleased inside, though he merely offered an unruffled smile. Thinking this might be a good opportunity, Chu Guang had a thought and remarked casually: "Over at the Enterprise, I discovered technology that transfers consciousness into an AI core. The process is as simple as plugging a USB drive into a computer. We used that technology to save a little girl named Zhao Yinyin, and she's currently in Singularity City assisting the androids in helping the locals start fresh lives." "If you ever change your mind, you can step out of here whenever you want." Even though Chu Guang hadn't harbored high hopes when extending the olive branch, this fellow's dedication to lying flat still exceeded his expectations. Not a flicker of temptation showed in those eyes; the man seemed already resolved to let the day Shelter 101's fusion reactor went cold mark the end of his lifespan. However, what slightly surprised Chu Guang was that although the man remained unmoved by the offer, a peculiar emotion surfaced on his face upon hearing the name "Singularity City." It was the recollection of something from long, long ago. And that memory carried a faint, lingering melancholy. "Singularity City..." Mulling over the words, he suddenly gripped the armrests of his chair and looked at Chu Guang. "Did you ever meet someone named Zhao Feiyu there?" Chu Guang paused slightly, thinking for quite a while before recalling where he had heard that name. He frowned and answered, "That person seems to have died a century ago. I saw him in the memories of a researcher named Yule." Method fell silent for a long time. Suddenly, his hands loosened their grip on the armrests, his tense shoulders eased, and the smile returned to his face. "Is that so... Forgive me, I asked a foolish question. Living in peace for so long makes it all too easy to forget how many years have passed outside." Chu Guang didn't mind, merely raising an eyebrow with curiosity. "Was he an acquaintance of yours?" Method made no attempt to conceal it. He nodded gently and said in a casual tone, "We met once. His achievements in the research direction of 'biological solutions for radioactive materials' were remarkable. Many in the Academy were interested in his work, and I myself invited him to the Great Rift Valley twice—once in the early years of the Wasteland Era, and once during the years when the Post-War Reconstruction Committee was drifting toward its final fate." The "Academy" here referred to the loose academic institution of the past, not the current organization led by Dr. Conclusion. Chu Guang nodded thoughtfully. "He turned down your invitation both times." Method smiled with mild self-deprecation. "Yes. He preferred to stay in Singularity City to help the survivors there... In truth, I had known his choice all along, but out of personal curiosity, I occasionally do things that are 'destined to have no result'—including inviting you to come here and keep me company." The implication was clear: the invitation he extended back then still stood today. Even if he harbored no hope for it. Looking into those eyes that had "anticipated it all along," Chu Guang offered a faint smile. "Does that include founding the Academy?" Method pondered for a moment, then chuckled easily. "I indeed did some modest work alongside my senior brothers, including setting up the technology recovery system for the Post-War Reconstruction Committee. But you might be mistaken—I didn't found the Academy. Strictly speaking, it was a legacy left behind by my dear mentor." Chu Guang sensed a hidden meaning in his words, but he didn't delve deeper; after all, it had nothing to do with their discussion today. What he wanted to understand was the "Torch" and "Sanctuary." Only by understanding the enemy could one better defeat them. All the clues regarding the catastrophe currently unfolding in the south traced back to where it all began—Shelter 117. That was where the "Torches" had set off. Seeing that the man before him showed no sign of addressing the reason he had asked to meet, only rambling aimlessly, Chu Guang stopped wasting time on pleasantries and put forward his question: "What was Shelter 117's mission, really?" Apparently not expecting Chu Guang to suddenly bring up something so distant, Dr. Method raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. "Didn't you recover Seven Willard's Administrator's log? Wasn't it written in there?" "What I want to know is what wasn't written in the Administrator's log." Staring unblinkingly at him, Chu Guang continued, "After leaving the shelter, those rebels uploaded their minds into 'Sanctuary.' Through the hands of wastelander proxies, they've been spreading plagues in the south, slaughtering indiscriminately, and glorifying it as 'glorious evolution.'" "If it were just one lunatic, I'd assume that person had lost their mind. But when an entire group has gone so thoroughly mad, I can only suspect that Shelter 117 itself was an asylum—either it housed a bunch of madmen, or it was systematically breeding them." Method looked at Chu Guang in astonishment, frozen for a long while. His expression seemed to reflect both shock at what Shelter 117's descendants were doing across the wasteland and amazement at Chu Guang's startling deduction. Still— such a possibility truly couldn't be ruled out. "Many years ago, someone reached a conclusion similar to yours," Method said. "He believed that the 'Shelter Project' actually had two versions." Chu Guang said nothing. He had indeed speculated as much, and had already been turning the question over in his mind back in Jinchuan Province. Seeing Chu Guang gesture for him to continue, Method went on at an unhurried pace. "Indeed. On one hand, shelters with specific designations carry out designated preservation procedures, sending a portion of humanity from a terrible present into the future. On the other hand, all shelters form a unified collective to fulfill the duty of preserving civilization as a whole—which was the original intent behind the creation of the Shelter Project." "In most cases, the two duties do not conflict. After all, humans are the carriers of civilization, and sending intelligent individuals to the future does help rebuild the wasteland. But in the extreme event that... descendants take a wrong turn, such as resorting to cannibalism just to survive, while we hand powerful knowledge directly into their hands, then the Shelter Project loses its meaning—it could even produce the opposite effect." "Indeed." Chu Guang nodded. Such circumstances were not rare on the wasteland; in fact, they were fairly common. And it wasn't just wastelanders who strayed. Even the shelters themselves could hardly guarantee walking a straight path with their eyes closed. Both the Church of the Torch and the Enlightenment Society had proven this. He merely felt that there seemed to be far too many of them. Method raised his coffee cup and took a sip. "However, that person's perspective was slightly different from what you just said. He believed there were indeed two 'versions' of the Shelter Project, but he didn't think the second version was meant to manufacture trouble. Quite the opposite... He believed that the 'second version' was precisely the 'error-correction mechanism' designed to resolve the very issues I mentioned." Chu Guang frowned slightly. "Error correction?" Method did not answer directly. Instead, he cast his gaze out the window toward the flower bed flanking the paved street. The bed was lush with green. Though it was an illusion, it looked as real and vibrant as if it were truly alive. "If we scatter a handful of seeds on the soil, in theory, as long as it rains, one or two will inevitably sprout." "Yet that alone cannot guarantee an autumn harvest. What breaks through the soil after the rain might not be young sprouts, but weeds—and the seeds we sowed might end up serving as their fertilizer." "Therefore, the Shelter Project may truly have had a second mechanism. Its purpose was to eradicate the rot and barbarism, reclaim the nutrients that rightfully belonged to civilization, and allow the seeds we sowed across the fields to germinate without hindrance." Setting down his cup, Method withdrew his gaze from the window and turned back to Chu Guang, who seemed rooted in place, offering a gentle smile. "That person was Dr. Yuan Li. You must have encountered that naive fellow." "I didn't believe his theory before, but in you and your companions, I have indeed seen things I had never seen before." "In any case, our era has ended. Perhaps you will be different." To be honest, Chu Guang was indeed stunned. He had come looking for a way to solve the problem, only for this guy to tell him bluntly—you are the solution. Still, after thinking it over, he swallowed the urge to curse. After all, the person sitting before him wasn't just slacking off; in a literal sense, he was already dead. Shelter 101 harbored no living beings; what lingered here was merely a soul that had died a century and a half ago. That he was willing to pry open a slit in his welded-shut coffin to help was, if anything, remarkably warmhearted. Even so, Chu Guang couldn't help shooting back sarcastically, "Should I be thanking you, then?" "No need for that." Noticing the displeasure in Chu Guang's eyes, Dr. Method let out a hearty laugh. Just then, a slip of paper drifted down through the air, landing feather-light onto the table before Chu Guang. Chu Guang immediately noticed the slip and asked instinctively, "What's this?" "The password to Shelter 100." Watching Chu Guang pick up the slip, Dr. Method spoke softly: "Many years ago, the survivors of Camp 101 attempted to enter Shelter 100 to carry out the reconstruction of Xizhou City on behalf of its inhabitants. Regrettably, their strength was too feeble. They had no way to drain the lake water flooding the underground tunnels or open the doors sealed shut by water pressure, and I did not believe they had the means to accomplish such a colossal undertaking. So I persuaded them to abandon the attempt and held the key to the shelter in safekeeping for them." "Now the time is ripe. Not only have you repaired the dam at Xizhou Lake, but you have also established a new order here." "I believe that in your hands, this legacy will surely be put to good use."