After a familiar bout of dizziness in the pitch-blackness, Bai Lixin’s vision gradually cleared.
However, the clarity wasn’t much different from the darkness; it remained very dark around him, only some sharp angular lines could be seen nearby.
He tried to move his hands and feet but found he couldn’t move them.
However, this stalemate didn’t last long, as soon, a cold and familiar static sound rang out from above Bai Lixin’s head.
[Ding! Welcome, players, to the large-composite copy [Dark Steel City].]
[The number of players participating in this copy is 10,000. Currently, there are 10,000/10,000 surviving players in the copy.]
[As this copy is currently in the testing phase, the system will track and record each player. If players encounter bugs during the task, please contact the system promptly to report errors.]
[Because “Dark Steel City” is a new test copy, instability may occur during gameplay. Players are advised to follow the system’s guidance during tasks. Players will bear the consequences of any issues resulting from violating the system’s guidance.]
[Thank you to all players for contributing valuable data to this test copy.]
[Next, the distribution of background information for “Dark Steel City” will begin.]
[In the ultra-future era, the rules of the universe are broken.]
[Planes, star systems and civilizations are constantly being discovered, plundered, and occupied.]
[Various galactic civilizations engaged in a century-long cosmic war.]
[In the year U8999, the galactic civilizations finally ended the century-long war and established an absolutely neutral city of hope—Dark Steel City]
[Although called a “city,” Dark Steel City is actually an artificially constructed independent planet. Three black bronze statues hang above the city, each facing a different direction.]
[The three statues represent fairness, order, and love. In this city filled with “fairness,” “order,” and “love,” residents enjoy an absolutely high level of security.]
As the system’s cold electric sound began to transmit, a scene unfolded on Bai Lixin’s retina.
In the dark void of space, as the camera zoomed in, a sphere dominated by black-gun color appeared before his eyes.
The camera continued to zoom in, showing the sphere back and forth.
It was an artificially created planet, with traces of metal splicing visible from a distance, as well as towering buildings and technology on it, along with the residents living within.
At the center of the sphere, three statues stood in the outer ring.
The statues were made of black bronze and did not resemble modern human figures but had a more alien and technological appearance.
The first statue was a pitch black figure wearing armor. The huge black armor was from head to toe, with several unfamiliar characters inscribed on the black hat.
Although Bai Lixin didn’t recognize the characters, he could understand their meaning. The inscription translated to: “Order.”
The second black bronze statue was a figure with curves, with a smooth curved head and body. The gender was indistinguishable, but it evolved differently from modern humans.
On top of this statue’s head, there were also several characters inscribed.
“Love.”
The third statue was a scale.
In the middle of the scale, there were also several characters inscribed, but even without these characters, Bai Lixin could understand what this scale represented.
“Fairness.”
The three black bronze statues represented three meanings.
[The war-torn interstellar people quickly multiplied and prospered in this Dark Steel City, establishing a new order guarded by the three black bronze statues. The order established by the three black bronze statues is called the ‘Black Bronze Legion.’]
[However, this precious peace did not last long. In the year U9100, a rebellious army emerged in Dark Steel City, attempting to provoke interstellar wars again. Their actions were very secretive; some hid in the bottomless sewers, some lurked within the black bronze statue’s order, and some blended in with ordinary residents.]
[The leader of the rebellion army and the time and scale of their establishment are not yet known, but the increasingly frequent attacks indicate that the rebellion army is becoming restless. The threat to the existence of Dark Steel City is growing and cannot be ignored.]
[Dark Steel City is likely to fall into another crisis, and the residents living within it will suffer from unwarranted disasters.]
[But the Black Bronze Legion did not sit idly by. Although they did not catch the leader of the rebellion army, they obtained an important clue.]
[It is rumored that the leader of the rebellion army possesses a “mysterious object” that can destroy Dark Steel City. Finding the “mysterious object” may destroy the conspiracy of the rebellion army.]
[Below are the tasks.]
[Task One: Survive in the copy for sixty days and nights.]
[Task Two: Find the “mysterious object” and destroy the conspiracy of the rebellion army.]
[Completion of either “Task One” or “Task Two” will clear the copy.]
[Because this copy is in the testing phase, the system will randomly assign tasks to players during the game process. The task rewards are generous, so players are encouraged to respond actively.]
[All players’ initial roles are “residents,” but each player has a hidden identity behind the “resident” (players need to explore and determine their hidden identity by themselves).]
[Friendly reminder: Players can use the identity of “resident” to survive in Dark Steel City for sixty days and leave the copy, or they can choose to take the initiative, find their hidden identity, and complete tasks to obtain substantial rewards.]
[Due to the special and antagonistic nature of hidden identities, this copy restricts the “semi-player protection mode.” When players determine that the hidden identity of other players is “antagonistic,” they can activate the attack mode. However, if there is a misjudgment, the attacking party will be subject to corresponding punishment due to the “semi-player protection mode.”]
[Punishment method: Electric shock (recoverable, non-lethal).]
[Due to the special setting of “hidden identity,” the “private chat” channel cannot be used in this copy. However, in the highly developed technological Dark Steel City, communication has exceeded our imagination. Players can explore new ways of communication on their own.]
[The introduction of the background information for “Dark Steel City” is complete. We wish all players a pleasant game. The game will officially begin in three seconds.]
[The countdown begins.]
As the system countdown ended, Bai Lixin’s vision returned to darkness.
When he woke up again, his ears were surrounded by a soothing and gentle melody.
The brightness ahead was a bit glaring. Bai Lixin instinctively rubbed his eyes and heard a strange electronic sound coming from above his head.
“Sir, it’s time to wake up.”
Bai Lixin paused, opened his eyes, and looked up.
A human-like robot wearing an apron was tilting its head, observing him. A big smiley face appeared on its face made of a black screen. “Good morning, sir. Today is also a sunny day. I wish you have a good mood from now on.”
Bai Lixin sat up without saying a word, silently observing the lifelike robot in front of him.
The robot’s design leaned towards a female appearance. It’s body was not made to look of human skin, but a smooth white painted material resembling titanium alloy. However, Bai Lixin could tell that the technological advancement of this robot surpassed that of titanium alloy.
Perhaps to portray a friendly image, the female robot standing at only 1.6 meters tall had two small braids on top of its head. Of course, even the braids were made of white metal.
When the system introduced the copy, it mentioned it was set in an ultra-future era, indicating a highly developed sci-fi setting.
Seeing that Bai Lixin didn’t speak for a long time, the female robot tilted her head again, her expression shifting from happy to puzzled on the black display screen of her face. “Sir, what’s wrong? Did you not sleep well last night? Or are you feeling unwell?”
With that, the female robot raised her delicate white mechanical index finger, and a beam of infrared light scanned Bai Lixin from head to toe.
“Xiao Yi will initiate a health scan for the master. The scan starts now.”
Bai Lixin remained calm as he watched the robot, called “Xiao Yi,” scan him from top to bottom with infrared rays.
“Body temperature: 36.9°C, normal.”
“Pupil dilation: normal.”
“Body water content: normal.”
“Adrenaline level: normal.”
“Pulse rate: normal.”
“Heart rate: normal.”
“Blood pressure: normal.”
“Blood lipids: normal.”
“All internal organs are functioning normally, no signs of abnormal glands detected.”
“the scan is complete. Sir, all your physical signs are normal.”
“So, did you have a dream last night?”
Bai Lixin finally looked at the female robot in front of him. “Yes, I had a dream.”
Xiao Yi tilted her head again. “It’s amazing, you actually had a dream. May I ask what kind of dream, sir?”
Bai Lixin shook his head. “I forgot as soon as I woke up this morning, I don’t recall anything.”
The female robot’s face lit up with a smile again. “Please don’t worry too much, sir. According to science, dreams occur when the brain is still in an excited state during rest. Since you had a dream last night that affected your rest, how about I make some refreshing walnut soup?”
Bai Lixin nodded in agreement with the female robot’s suggestion. “Okay.”
When the female robot wearing an apron turned and walked towards the bedroom, Bai Lixin raised his chin again, surveying the unfamiliar space.
The house wasn’t very big, but the décor was warm. The interior design theme used bright white and yellow warm tones, a bit different from what he had seen in the information background before.
At that time, the planet’s color was black, unexpectedly, the architecture inside was like this.
From the actions of the robot called “Xiao Yi,” its role should be a household assistant robot, commonly known as a “robot nanny.”
The check-up that Xiao Yi had just conducted covered a lot of technological content.
S419M suddenly popped up in Bai Lixin’s mind, howling, [Lord Host, I refuse to accept this. Besides not having a physical form, what makes this Xiao Yi better than me? I can also check your physical health, and I can even provide you with cheats! You already have me and Sister System, and now you want to flirt with other intelligences!]
The escape system chimed in agreement: [Yes, Master Bai Lixin, you’re too fickle!]
Suddenly, Xiao Yi in the distance turned to Bai Lixin and asked, “Sir, would three sugars be okay?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Three intelligences in one scene, who will save me?’
“It’s fine, just make it according to your usual way.” Bai Lixin answered the female robot before redirecting his attention to the house.
He turned to one side and noticed the neatly stacked clothes on the bedside table, obviously prepared by Xiao Yi for him.
He picked up a shirt and found it looked like a uniform. After unfolding the folded clothes, he indeed saw a nameplate attached to the chest.
“Order Zone A-3, Operator No.6, Mr. Xin.”
It looked like a job introduction, indicating the role he played as a “resident” in this copy.
Bai Lixin changed into the neat uniform, and Xiao Yi had also finished preparing breakfast.
The table was neither too big nor too small, and could comfortably accommodate two people face-to-face. For Bai Lixin, who was alone, there was no sense of crowding at all; instead, the compact space exuded a simple and warm feeling.
As he went to have his meal, he also took the opportunity to glance around the house.
The size of the house seemed to be about fifty square meters, with one bedroom, one living room, one bathroom, and one kitchen.
The dining table was placed by the window, allowing him to see the outside scene if he simply tilted his head.
Outside the window, futuristic skyscrapers stood tall. Many neon signs hung on the distant buildings, their colorful lights flickering and dazzling, although not very visible during the day, they were still quite eye-catching.
Every now and then, flying vehicles with wings passed by in the distance.
The floor where Bai Lixin’s house was located was quite high. Looking down from here, the pedestrians coming and going below looked like tiny ants, densely packed and minuscule.
Xiao Yi started urging Bai Lixin, “Sir, your work starts at 8:30 in the morning. The shuttle to your company takes 10 minutes. It takes 10 minutes for you to get from your home to the shuttle stop. Your one-way commuting time is 20 minutes. The current time is 7:50 in the morning, and you only have 20 minutes left for breakfast. Please hurry up and eat; otherwise, you will be late.”
Bai Lixin withdrew his inquisitive gaze from outside the window and began to eat.
While he was eating, his mind was thinking about something else.
The system mentioned that the “resident” identity was just superficial, and every player had a “hidden identity.”
Furthermore, there might be “hostile” relationships between players’ “hidden identities.”
What exactly did this “hostile” relationship refer to?
The known factions, the Rebel Army and the Black Bronze Legion, were definitely two hostile factions.
But what about the three Black Bronze statues representing Order, Fairness, and Love? Did they count as “hostile” factions?
The three Black Bronze statues represented: Order, Fairness, and Love.
His workplace as a “resident” was obviously in the Order Zone.
Did his hidden identity have anything to do with the “Order” Black Bronze statue?
Were there any clues about his hidden identity in this house?
Was the nanny robot in front of him only serving as a maid, or was it also monitoring him?
Questions lined up in Bai Lixin’s mind one by one, and his bowl of porridge quickly emptied as he pondered.
The female robot seemed unaware of the countless thoughts swirling in her “master’s” mind. When she saw that Bai Lixin had finished his meal, sje promptly picked up the briefcase, stood at the door, and waited for him to leave for work.
The duration of this copy was long, so Bai Lixin didn’t want to make any moves on the first day. He accepted the briefcase from the female robot in a composed manner and bid her “goodbye” before leaving.
He dutifully took the briefcase from the female robot’s hand. Before leaving, the robot showed a smiling face: “Take the elevator downstairs, turn left after reaching the lobby on the first floor, turn right at the third intersection, and walk straight for one hundred meters to see the bus stop.”
“You need to take Line 3, pass through 9 stops, and get off at [Order Zone Communication Department]. Your company is not far from the exit.”
“Sir, I wish you a pleasant day at work. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
S419M muttered silently in his heart: [Bah, Green Tea Intelligence!]
Bai Li Xin: […]
Even if he were a fool, he would know how to go to work now.
He didn’t say anything more, he just took the briefcase, said “goodbye” to the robot and went out.
There were quite a many rooms on the floor, and as he approached the elevator, he saw several people already waiting there.
The architecture here had a subtle feeling; although there were many rooms on one floor, there was no sense of congestion.
The corridor was clean, with white and yellow warm tones. The people waiting for the elevator all had warm smiles on their faces, seeming to be in good spirits.
They were all morning commuters, and their uniforms varied. Bai Lixin noticed that there was a bald man among them wearing the same as his.
Bai Lixin silently stood beside the bald man.
“Hey, dear Xin, I knew I’d run into you here. It’s great to see you.”
As soon as Bai Lixin stood next to the bald man, the latter greeted him enthusiastically.
Bai Lixin calmly scanned the nameplate on the man’s chest.
“Order Zone C-5, Operator 98, Mr. Kaila.”
“Good morning, nice to see you, Mr. Kaila,” Bai Lixin responded casually, imitating the man’s greeting style.
Kaila: “You’re acting strange today.”
Bai Lixin raised an eyebrow, “Strange? How so?”
Kaila suddenly burst into laughter, “You look strangely handsome today. You’re still the same as usual, but you seem even more handsome. I’m curious about what your future partner will look like.”
“But I believe this curiosity won’t keep me waiting for too long. Your special day is coming in a few days, right?”
Bai Lixin was taken aback, “Special day?”
Kaila: “You silly boy, did you forget? After turning twenty-five, everyone needs to record their information in the Love Zone. The guardians of the Love Zone will select a suitable partner for us. Thanks to the Love Zone, I met and fell in love with my partner. I remember your birthday is in five days, right? Don’t envy me too much, you’ll soon have a partner of your own.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
The Love Zone? That should be the area managed by the curved statue.
So the “Love” statue’s job content is being a “scientific matchmaker”?
Bai Lixin chuckled dryly, “I’ve been too busy with work lately, I forgot for a moment, sorry.”
As they spoke, the elevator doors opened, and the people began to enter one after another.
The elevator looked small from the outside, but inside, it was quite spacious, and could easily accommodate a hundred people. Even when the people entered from behind, there was no pressure.
After entering the elevator, Kaila pulled Bai Lixin into the far corner with a mysterious expression. He winked and placed a finger over his lips. Bai Lixin didn’t understand, so he simply remained unchanged.
When they left the first floor, Kaila lowered his voice and whispered to Bai Lixin, “You’re crazy. Didn’t they say that discussing work matters of the Order Zone in public areas is prohibited? Why did you suddenly mention work just now?”
Bai Lixin was once again stunned.
He didn’t like the feeling of being led by the the plot step by step, but for now, he could only go with the flow.
Rubbing his temples, Bai Lixin sighed, “Since we both work in the Order Zone, you should know I’ve been really busy lately.”
“Poor Mr. Xin,” Kaila cast a sympathetic look at Bai Lixin. “Things have been turbulent in the Order Zone lately, and you’ve been working hard. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything about this matter, but let me give you some advice, buddy. It’s best to consult a professional psychologist soon. If you keep going like this, you might develop psychological issues. Nanny-type robots may be versatile, but they’re not omnipotent. Leave the professional technical stuff to the professionals.”
Bai Lixin nodded repeatedly. “I’ll remember that. Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Kaila.”
So far, “Mr. Kaila” had behaved like a diligent guiding NPC, subtly revealing some information through dialogue.
Bai Lixin was in the dark about [Dark Steel City] so he only replied meekly.
Seeing this, Kaila continued, “Do you need me to introduce you to a professional psychologist? I had some psychological issues myself a while back, and he helped me get through them. After his treatment, I felt like I was reborn and gained a whole new perspective on life.”
Bai Lixin nodded obediently, “Okay, thank you very much, Mr. Kaila. I’m lucky to have you, otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Kaila became even happier upon hearing this. “I’ll give you the contact information when I get home. Let’s focus on work for now.”
Since they worked in the same place, they naturally had the same destination.
And so, Bai Lixin and Kaila walked together and successfully found the building with the sign “Order Zone Communication Department” hanging above it.
Xiao Yi’s words were a bit modest.
In fact, there was no need to search after leaving the station. The strict black building and the huge sign made it hard to miss.
Security at the Order Zone Communication Department was tight. In addition to scanning nameplates, there was also verification of appearance, iris, fingerprints, etc.
After passing through layers of verification, Bai Lixin finally entered the building.
The Order Zone Communication Department was divided into six areas, each responsible for the security order of a specific region.
As operators, their job was to answer calls and not miss any safety hazards.
As for maintaining order and responding to emergencies, other professions handled those matters.
Kaila worked in Zone C, while Bai Lixin was in Zone A.
Since they were in different areas, the NPC who had been accompanying Bai Lixin all the way bid farewell to him upon reaching the office building.
Bai Lixin found his own workstation based on the information on his nameplate.
There were half-open barriers on both sides of the workstation. When he arrived, there were already people sitting at the workstations on either side, but because they were wearing headsets, he couldn’t see their faces clearly.
He sat down silently and opened the holographic projection screen with some unfamiliarity.
A light blue translucent screen appeared in front of him, and an unnatural voice gently entered his ears.
“God Xin?”
Bai Lixin turned his head in surprise. “Sun Ning?”
She had said she would stay outside the copy to oversee things.
Sun Ning chuckled awkwardly. “It’s me, what a coincidence.”
After a familiar bout of dizziness in the pitch-blackness, Bai Lixin’s vision gradually cleared.
However, the clarity wasn’t much different from the darkness; it remained very dark around him, only some sharp angular lines could be seen nearby.
He tried to move his hands and feet but found he couldn’t move them.
However, this stalemate didn’t last long, as soon, a cold and familiar static sound rang out from above Bai Lixin’s head.
[Ding! Welcome, players, to the large-composite copy [Dark Steel City].]
[The number of players participating in this copy is 10,000. Currently, there are 10,000/10,000 surviving players in the copy.]
[As this copy is currently in the testing phase, the system will track and record each player. If players encounter bugs during the task, please contact the system promptly to report errors.]
[Because “Dark Steel City” is a new test copy, instability may occur during gameplay. Players are advised to follow the system’s guidance during tasks. Players will bear the consequences of any issues resulting from violating the system’s guidance.]
[Thank you to all players for contributing valuable data to this test copy.]
[Next, the distribution of background information for “Dark Steel City” will begin.]
[In the ultra-future era, the rules of the universe are broken.]
[Planes, star systems and civilizations are constantly being discovered, plundered, and occupied.]
[Various galactic civilizations engaged in a century-long cosmic war.]
[In the year U8999, the galactic civilizations finally ended the century-long war and established an absolutely neutral city of hope—Dark Steel City]
[Although called a “city,” Dark Steel City is actually an artificially constructed independent planet. Three black bronze statues hang above the city, each facing a different direction.]
[The three statues represent fairness, order, and love. In this city filled with “fairness,” “order,” and “love,” residents enjoy an absolutely high level of security.]
As the system’s cold electric sound began to transmit, a scene unfolded on Bai Lixin’s retina.
In the dark void of space, as the camera zoomed in, a sphere dominated by black-gun color appeared before his eyes.
The camera continued to zoom in, showing the sphere back and forth.
It was an artificially created planet, with traces of metal splicing visible from a distance, as well as towering buildings and technology on it, along with the residents living within.
At the center of the sphere, three statues stood in the outer ring.
The statues were made of black bronze and did not resemble modern human figures but had a more alien and technological appearance.
The first statue was a pitch black figure wearing armor. The huge black armor was from head to toe, with several unfamiliar characters inscribed on the black hat.
Although Bai Lixin didn’t recognize the characters, he could understand their meaning. The inscription translated to: “Order.”
The second black bronze statue was a figure with curves, with a smooth curved head and body. The gender was indistinguishable, but it evolved differently from modern humans.
On top of this statue’s head, there were also several characters inscribed.
“Love.”
The third statue was a scale.
In the middle of the scale, there were also several characters inscribed, but even without these characters, Bai Lixin could understand what this scale represented.
“Fairness.”
The three black bronze statues represented three meanings.
[The war-torn interstellar people quickly multiplied and prospered in this Dark Steel City, establishing a new order guarded by the three black bronze statues. The order established by the three black bronze statues is called the ‘Black Bronze Legion.’]
[However, this precious peace did not last long. In the year U9100, a rebellious army emerged in Dark Steel City, attempting to provoke interstellar wars again. Their actions were very secretive; some hid in the bottomless sewers, some lurked within the black bronze statue’s order, and some blended in with ordinary residents.]
[The leader of the rebellion army and the time and scale of their establishment are not yet known, but the increasingly frequent attacks indicate that the rebellion army is becoming restless. The threat to the existence of Dark Steel City is growing and cannot be ignored.]
[Dark Steel City is likely to fall into another crisis, and the residents living within it will suffer from unwarranted disasters.]
[But the Black Bronze Legion did not sit idly by. Although they did not catch the leader of the rebellion army, they obtained an important clue.]
[It is rumored that the leader of the rebellion army possesses a “mysterious object” that can destroy Dark Steel City. Finding the “mysterious object” may destroy the conspiracy of the rebellion army.]
[Below are the tasks.]
[Task One: Survive in the copy for sixty days and nights.]
[Task Two: Find the “mysterious object” and destroy the conspiracy of the rebellion army.]
[Completion of either “Task One” or “Task Two” will clear the copy.]
[Because this copy is in the testing phase, the system will randomly assign tasks to players during the game process. The task rewards are generous, so players are encouraged to respond actively.]
[All players’ initial roles are “residents,” but each player has a hidden identity behind the “resident” (players need to explore and determine their hidden identity by themselves).]
[Friendly reminder: Players can use the identity of “resident” to survive in Dark Steel City for sixty days and leave the copy, or they can choose to take the initiative, find their hidden identity, and complete tasks to obtain substantial rewards.]
[Due to the special and antagonistic nature of hidden identities, this copy restricts the “semi-player protection mode.” When players determine that the hidden identity of other players is “antagonistic,” they can activate the attack mode. However, if there is a misjudgment, the attacking party will be subject to corresponding punishment due to the “semi-player protection mode.”]
[Punishment method: Electric shock (recoverable, non-lethal).]
[Due to the special setting of “hidden identity,” the “private chat” channel cannot be used in this copy. However, in the highly developed technological Dark Steel City, communication has exceeded our imagination. Players can explore new ways of communication on their own.]
[The introduction of the background information for “Dark Steel City” is complete. We wish all players a pleasant game. The game will officially begin in three seconds.]
[The countdown begins.]
As the system countdown ended, Bai Lixin’s vision returned to darkness.
When he woke up again, his ears were surrounded by a soothing and gentle melody.
The brightness ahead was a bit glaring. Bai Lixin instinctively rubbed his eyes and heard a strange electronic sound coming from above his head.
“Sir, it’s time to wake up.”
Bai Lixin paused, opened his eyes, and looked up.
A human-like robot wearing an apron was tilting its head, observing him. A big smiley face appeared on its face made of a black screen. “Good morning, sir. Today is also a sunny day. I wish you have a good mood from now on.”
Bai Lixin sat up without saying a word, silently observing the lifelike robot in front of him.
The robot’s design leaned towards a female appearance. It’s body was not made to look of human skin, but a smooth white painted material resembling titanium alloy. However, Bai Lixin could tell that the technological advancement of this robot surpassed that of titanium alloy.
Perhaps to portray a friendly image, the female robot standing at only 1.6 meters tall had two small braids on top of its head. Of course, even the braids were made of white metal.
When the system introduced the copy, it mentioned it was set in an ultra-future era, indicating a highly developed sci-fi setting.
Seeing that Bai Lixin didn’t speak for a long time, the female robot tilted her head again, her expression shifting from happy to puzzled on the black display screen of her face. “Sir, what’s wrong? Did you not sleep well last night? Or are you feeling unwell?”
With that, the female robot raised her delicate white mechanical index finger, and a beam of infrared light scanned Bai Lixin from head to toe.
“Xiao Yi will initiate a health scan for the master. The scan starts now.”
Bai Lixin remained calm as he watched the robot, called “Xiao Yi,” scan him from top to bottom with infrared rays.
“Body temperature: 36.9°C, normal.”
“Pupil dilation: normal.”
“Body water content: normal.”
“Adrenaline level: normal.”
“Pulse rate: normal.”
“Heart rate: normal.”
“Blood pressure: normal.”
“Blood lipids: normal.”
“All internal organs are functioning normally, no signs of abnormal glands detected.”
“the scan is complete. Sir, all your physical signs are normal.”
“So, did you have a dream last night?”
Bai Lixin finally looked at the female robot in front of him. “Yes, I had a dream.”
Xiao Yi tilted her head again. “It’s amazing, you actually had a dream. May I ask what kind of dream, sir?”
Bai Lixin shook his head. “I forgot as soon as I woke up this morning, I don’t recall anything.”
The female robot’s face lit up with a smile again. “Please don’t worry too much, sir. According to science, dreams occur when the brain is still in an excited state during rest. Since you had a dream last night that affected your rest, how about I make some refreshing walnut soup?”
Bai Lixin nodded in agreement with the female robot’s suggestion. “Okay.”
When the female robot wearing an apron turned and walked towards the bedroom, Bai Lixin raised his chin again, surveying the unfamiliar space.
The house wasn’t very big, but the décor was warm. The interior design theme used bright white and yellow warm tones, a bit different from what he had seen in the information background before.
At that time, the planet’s color was black, unexpectedly, the architecture inside was like this.
From the actions of the robot called “Xiao Yi,” its role should be a household assistant robot, commonly known as a “robot nanny.”
The check-up that Xiao Yi had just conducted covered a lot of technological content.
S419M suddenly popped up in Bai Lixin’s mind, howling, [Lord Host, I refuse to accept this. Besides not having a physical form, what makes this Xiao Yi better than me? I can also check your physical health, and I can even provide you with cheats! You already have me and Sister System, and now you want to flirt with other intelligences!]
The escape system chimed in agreement: [Yes, Master Bai Lixin, you’re too fickle!]
Suddenly, Xiao Yi in the distance turned to Bai Lixin and asked, “Sir, would three sugars be okay?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Three intelligences in one scene, who will save me?’
“It’s fine, just make it according to your usual way.” Bai Lixin answered the female robot before redirecting his attention to the house.
He turned to one side and noticed the neatly stacked clothes on the bedside table, obviously prepared by Xiao Yi for him.
He picked up a shirt and found it looked like a uniform. After unfolding the folded clothes, he indeed saw a nameplate attached to the chest.
“Order Zone A-3, Operator No.6, Mr. Xin.”
It looked like a job introduction, indicating the role he played as a “resident” in this copy.
Bai Lixin changed into the neat uniform, and Xiao Yi had also finished preparing breakfast.
The table was neither too big nor too small, and could comfortably accommodate two people face-to-face. For Bai Lixin, who was alone, there was no sense of crowding at all; instead, the compact space exuded a simple and warm feeling.
As he went to have his meal, he also took the opportunity to glance around the house.
The size of the house seemed to be about fifty square meters, with one bedroom, one living room, one bathroom, and one kitchen.
The dining table was placed by the window, allowing him to see the outside scene if he simply tilted his head.
Outside the window, futuristic skyscrapers stood tall. Many neon signs hung on the distant buildings, their colorful lights flickering and dazzling, although not very visible during the day, they were still quite eye-catching.
Every now and then, flying vehicles with wings passed by in the distance.
The floor where Bai Lixin’s house was located was quite high. Looking down from here, the pedestrians coming and going below looked like tiny ants, densely packed and minuscule.
Xiao Yi started urging Bai Lixin, “Sir, your work starts at 8:30 in the morning. The shuttle to your company takes 10 minutes. It takes 10 minutes for you to get from your home to the shuttle stop. Your one-way commuting time is 20 minutes. The current time is 7:50 in the morning, and you only have 20 minutes left for breakfast. Please hurry up and eat; otherwise, you will be late.”
Bai Lixin withdrew his inquisitive gaze from outside the window and began to eat.
While he was eating, his mind was thinking about something else.
The system mentioned that the “resident” identity was just superficial, and every player had a “hidden identity.”
Furthermore, there might be “hostile” relationships between players’ “hidden identities.”
What exactly did this “hostile” relationship refer to?
The known factions, the Rebel Army and the Black Bronze Legion, were definitely two hostile factions.
But what about the three Black Bronze statues representing Order, Fairness, and Love? Did they count as “hostile” factions?
The three Black Bronze statues represented: Order, Fairness, and Love.
His workplace as a “resident” was obviously in the Order Zone.
Did his hidden identity have anything to do with the “Order” Black Bronze statue?
Were there any clues about his hidden identity in this house?
Was the nanny robot in front of him only serving as a maid, or was it also monitoring him?
Questions lined up in Bai Lixin’s mind one by one, and his bowl of porridge quickly emptied as he pondered.
The female robot seemed unaware of the countless thoughts swirling in her “master’s” mind. When she saw that Bai Lixin had finished his meal, sje promptly picked up the briefcase, stood at the door, and waited for him to leave for work.
The duration of this copy was long, so Bai Lixin didn’t want to make any moves on the first day. He accepted the briefcase from the female robot in a composed manner and bid her “goodbye” before leaving.
He dutifully took the briefcase from the female robot’s hand. Before leaving, the robot showed a smiling face: “Take the elevator downstairs, turn left after reaching the lobby on the first floor, turn right at the third intersection, and walk straight for one hundred meters to see the bus stop.”
“You need to take Line 3, pass through 9 stops, and get off at [Order Zone Communication Department]. Your company is not far from the exit.”
“Sir, I wish you a pleasant day at work. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
S419M muttered silently in his heart: [Bah, Green Tea Intelligence!]
Bai Li Xin: […]
Even if he were a fool, he would know how to go to work now.
He didn’t say anything more, he just took the briefcase, said “goodbye” to the robot and went out.
There were quite a many rooms on the floor, and as he approached the elevator, he saw several people already waiting there.
The architecture here had a subtle feeling; although there were many rooms on one floor, there was no sense of congestion.
The corridor was clean, with white and yellow warm tones. The people waiting for the elevator all had warm smiles on their faces, seeming to be in good spirits.
They were all morning commuters, and their uniforms varied. Bai Lixin noticed that there was a bald man among them wearing the same as his.
Bai Lixin silently stood beside the bald man.
“Hey, dear Xin, I knew I’d run into you here. It’s great to see you.”
As soon as Bai Lixin stood next to the bald man, the latter greeted him enthusiastically.
Bai Lixin calmly scanned the nameplate on the man’s chest.
“Order Zone C-5, Operator 98, Mr. Kaila.”
“Good morning, nice to see you, Mr. Kaila,” Bai Lixin responded casually, imitating the man’s greeting style.
Kaila: “You’re acting strange today.”
Bai Lixin raised an eyebrow, “Strange? How so?”
Kaila suddenly burst into laughter, “You look strangely handsome today. You’re still the same as usual, but you seem even more handsome. I’m curious about what your future partner will look like.”
“But I believe this curiosity won’t keep me waiting for too long. Your special day is coming in a few days, right?”
Bai Lixin was taken aback, “Special day?”
Kaila: “You silly boy, did you forget? After turning twenty-five, everyone needs to record their information in the Love Zone. The guardians of the Love Zone will select a suitable partner for us. Thanks to the Love Zone, I met and fell in love with my partner. I remember your birthday is in five days, right? Don’t envy me too much, you’ll soon have a partner of your own.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
The Love Zone? That should be the area managed by the curved statue.
So the “Love” statue’s job content is being a “scientific matchmaker”?
Bai Lixin chuckled dryly, “I’ve been too busy with work lately, I forgot for a moment, sorry.”
As they spoke, the elevator doors opened, and the people began to enter one after another.
The elevator looked small from the outside, but inside, it was quite spacious, and could easily accommodate a hundred people. Even when the people entered from behind, there was no pressure.
After entering the elevator, Kaila pulled Bai Lixin into the far corner with a mysterious expression. He winked and placed a finger over his lips. Bai Lixin didn’t understand, so he simply remained unchanged.
When they left the first floor, Kaila lowered his voice and whispered to Bai Lixin, “You’re crazy. Didn’t they say that discussing work matters of the Order Zone in public areas is prohibited? Why did you suddenly mention work just now?”
Bai Lixin was once again stunned.
He didn’t like the feeling of being led by the the plot step by step, but for now, he could only go with the flow.
Rubbing his temples, Bai Lixin sighed, “Since we both work in the Order Zone, you should know I’ve been really busy lately.”
“Poor Mr. Xin,” Kaila cast a sympathetic look at Bai Lixin. “Things have been turbulent in the Order Zone lately, and you’ve been working hard. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything about this matter, but let me give you some advice, buddy. It’s best to consult a professional psychologist soon. If you keep going like this, you might develop psychological issues. Nanny-type robots may be versatile, but they’re not omnipotent. Leave the professional technical stuff to the professionals.”
Bai Lixin nodded repeatedly. “I’ll remember that. Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Kaila.”
So far, “Mr. Kaila” had behaved like a diligent guiding NPC, subtly revealing some information through dialogue.
Bai Lixin was in the dark about [Dark Steel City] so he only replied meekly.
Seeing this, Kaila continued, “Do you need me to introduce you to a professional psychologist? I had some psychological issues myself a while back, and he helped me get through them. After his treatment, I felt like I was reborn and gained a whole new perspective on life.”
Bai Lixin nodded obediently, “Okay, thank you very much, Mr. Kaila. I’m lucky to have you, otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Kaila became even happier upon hearing this. “I’ll give you the contact information when I get home. Let’s focus on work for now.”
Since they worked in the same place, they naturally had the same destination.
And so, Bai Lixin and Kaila walked together and successfully found the building with the sign “Order Zone Communication Department” hanging above it.
Xiao Yi’s words were a bit modest.
In fact, there was no need to search after leaving the station. The strict black building and the huge sign made it hard to miss.
Security at the Order Zone Communication Department was tight. In addition to scanning nameplates, there was also verification of appearance, iris, fingerprints, etc.
After passing through layers of verification, Bai Lixin finally entered the building.
The Order Zone Communication Department was divided into six areas, each responsible for the security order of a specific region.
As operators, their job was to answer calls and not miss any safety hazards.
As for maintaining order and responding to emergencies, other professions handled those matters.
Kaila worked in Zone C, while Bai Lixin was in Zone A.
Since they were in different areas, the NPC who had been accompanying Bai Lixin all the way bid farewell to him upon reaching the office building.
Bai Lixin found his own workstation based on the information on his nameplate.
There were half-open barriers on both sides of the workstation. When he arrived, there were already people sitting at the workstations on either side, but because they were wearing headsets, he couldn’t see their faces clearly.
He sat down silently and opened the holographic projection screen with some unfamiliarity.
A light blue translucent screen appeared in front of him, and an unnatural voice gently entered his ears.
“God Xin?”
Bai Lixin turned his head in surprise. “Sun Ning?”
She had said she would stay outside the copy to oversee things.
Sun Ning chuckled awkwardly. “It’s me, what a coincidence.”
