Chapter 331

Before coming.

Whether Luo De or Lei Dian Zhen, they both held at least the mental preparation for a fierce battle.

Luo De also specifically asked Nadixa whether there were any Academy survey teams nearby, so as not to be affected by the battle's aftermath.

Hope Town and A Ru Cun here had also made preparations, lest the aftermath of the two Archons' clash cause panic among the people.

This wasn't Luo De boasting about himself.

Back when he was in Inazuma.

His clash with Duotuo Lei's clone directly shook the whole Yashiori Island, making it tremble nonstop; even with a puppet general intervening to stop them, their battle had not yet decided a winner when it ended, otherwise, given the intensity of their clash, Yashiori Island would probably become uninhabitable thereafter.

Luo De, who knew very well his own striking power, naturally could also foresee what kind of destructive force he could unleash if he went all out.

Just that.

He never expected that this clone wouldn't even have the thought to fight back, and instead directly ended his own life.

"What an extreme personality."

Lei Dian Zhen likewise sighed: "How did that Duotuo Lei give birth to such an extremely pessimistic personality?"

"I don't know either."

Looking at the peacefully deceased clone before him, Luo De's head was now full of question marks.

At first, when this clone complained.

He was still thinking that, after all, this was Duotuo Lei's clone, possessing Duotuo Lei's personality; no matter how bleak his outlook on the future, he at least ought to try to resist.

As it turned out, it was actually good.

This guy directly said, "Anyway, I can't beat you; dying early or dying in play is still death, so I might as well just die now."

Then he directly committed suicide.

Lei Dian Zhen said he was extreme, and that's absolutely correct.

This also made Luo De unable to help but laugh and cry.

He had dealt with Duotuo Lei more than once, and had never experienced such an easy exchange; moreover, he even obtained that divine-frame simulator from this clone's hands.

Although he said he would give this to Luo De, it was merely to have Luo De act as an experimenter, helping to collect experimental data.

But if we get to the root cause.

After all, it was because this clone thought Duotuo Lei could not be Luo De's opponent, and by then he wouldn't be able to see the experimental results.

So he decided to hand this over to Luo De before his suicide, so that other clones could later verify the effect.

"Young Master?"

Just as Luo De was lost in thought, a nearby researcher timidly shifted his weight and probed, "Doctor, what is this?"

Being interrupted by them like that.

Luo De then came to his senses, realizing he was still wearing Dadalia's face, and immediately put away that artificial divine frame, straightening his expression as he said: "Doctor is merely unwell and needs plenty of rest; you and you, organize the Doctor's research materials into a copy, I must take them to Her Majesty the Empress."

"Ah?"

Everyone present froze for a moment.

Could the Doctor possibly be unwell and need rest? Everyone at the Snezhnaya Research Institute knows the Doctor is a workaholic, and his physique is so good it's heavenly; even working nonstop all day, he can keep going for many days until the experiment is finished.

But now the Young Master suddenly said the Doctor is unwell.

Even though he himself is an Executive Officer, those subordinates of Duotuo Lei really don't want to believe this.

Furthermore.

Previously, Luo De and the Doctor were at swords' point, opening and closing his mouth only to talk about killing the Doctor.

If one were to say the Doctor's abnormality has nothing to do with him, probably no one would believe it.

Luo De then once again displayed the strict order characteristic of the Foolish.

Faced with so many doubtful gazes, he directly spoke: "What? Do you think I'm talking nonsense?"

To make his expression more genuine.

He simply narrowed his eyes, killing intent radiating, and said: "You wouldn't think that, just because you're the Doctor's subordinates, I wouldn't dare to punish you, letting you know what fate awaits one who defies a Supervising Officer, would you?"

Sure enough.

This naked threat works better than any words.

After saying that.

Those who had assisted Duotuo Lei for who knows how long immediately panicked and scrambled to organize the data, not to mention wasting time—they didn't even dare utter a word.

Less than half an hour.

A large box of research data was brought before Luo De.

"Good."

Luo De didn't even look at the box's contents, hefted the heavy box in his hand, stood up, and said: "You lot are disbanded from today; head back to Snezhnaya."

Then, amidst a sea of startled and bewildered gazes, Luo De raised his hand and slapped the laboratory equipment.

In an instant.

Crackling shattering sounds spread everywhere.

Just as he was about to leave.

Moreover, he threw into the laboratory a blaze that ordinary methods could not extinguish, and sealed the door; only when he heard the anguished cries inside gradually weaken did Luo De leave reassured.

As for those Foolish soldiers who heard the commotion and wanted to come rescue people.

Luo De did not move against them.

but instead, as they were about to rush in to rescue people, he stopped them, saying: "I've talked with the Doctor; the laboratory is disbanded from today, your missions are also over—head back to Snezhnaya."

Having said that.

Luo De then took a big stride, giving the Foolish soldiers no chance to react, and left this secret laboratory that had been completely scrapped.

Walking on the road back to Hope City.

Lei Dian Zhen suddenly laughed: "I thought you would kill everyone here to keep them quiet."

"Am I that bloodthirsty in your eyes?"

Luo De replied irritably.

In fact, he had indeed considered simply killing everyone in that ruin, leaving none alive.

But upon further thought,

he again abandoned that idea.

There was no other reason.

It was simply because after passing through the Layered Rock Abyss, Luo De still felt favorable toward those Fatui soldiers who constantly spoke of benevolence and righteousness and had extremely high standards.

These people were just following orders; like soldiers of the Ninth Battalion, they didn't even know what their own boss was plotting, merely faithfully carrying out superiors' orders and their loyalty to the Ice Empress.

Killing such innocent people.

Luo De had no interest in that.

On the contrary, those who assisted Duo Tuo Lei in the laboratory could not possibly be unaware of what he was doing, yet they still chose to participate in these inhumane experiments.

Therefore, Luo De would not let these people go, giving them a chance to cause harm elsewhere in other sections.

"It's not that I'm bloodthirsty."

"I just feel that, given your personality, you shouldn't leave these hidden dangers."

Lei Dian Zhen continued to voice his opinion there.

"There definitely are some hidden dangers."

"But I simply don't want to kill them."

Luo De hefted the box in his hand, looked left and right, quickly found a sheltered safe spot, and said: "Let's not talk about that for now; I'll go see what's here."

"Oh, okay."

Lei Dian Zhen responded with a sound, then fell silent, watching Luo De come to a cave, take out those of Duo Tuo Lei's research results, and study them one by one.

At first.

Lei Dian Zhen wasn't very interested in these papers covered in writing.

But after she casually glanced at them twice, her expression changed and she said: "What is this?"

"'Fully automatic Ruins Guard mass-production plan.'"

"'This uses Teyvat script; you don't recognize it?'"

Luo De said matter-of-factly, meanwhile shaking the paper in his hand so Lei Dian Zhen could see the characters clearly: "Of course I know this is Teyvat script."

"'I'm asking how he came up with what's written here.'"

This time it was Lei Dian Zhen's turn to speak, and he was unhappy.

"'What are Ruins Guards?' Anyone who experienced that war five hundred years ago knows these are farming machines manufactured by the nation of Khaenri'ah, true war machines."

Moreover, their combat power is extremely fierce.

During the Black Calamity.

Not only did they become the main force against beast tides under the command of the White Swan Knight, but during the war, after being corrupted by the Abyss, they turned into killing machines that harmed humans.

Until today.

The Ruins Guards roaming the wilds of Teyvat have remained a troublesome problem that vexes all nations.

Now Lei Dian Zhen has seen what?

Someone actually produced a complete Ruins Guard design diagram, and even had plans for assembly lines and factory construction.

If he really managed to set up such an assembly line, the threat Snezhnaya poses to other nations would suddenly increase by who knows how many times.

"Sigh."

Concerned about Lei Dian Zhen, Luo De let out a light sigh, pursed his lips, and said: "You still don't understand Duo Tuo Lei; there's nothing surprising about this."

"'You should know that although this guy is no good, in scientific research—whether biology or machinery—he is at the very pinnacle of Teyvat.'"

"'Like Xu Mi Academy, Fontaine Academy.'"

"'In terms of research ability and knowledge reserves, he can even be said to be ahead of the current Teyvat by an era.'"

"'So don't be surprised by whatever this guy comes up with.'"

Luo De then showed Lei Dian Zhen another experimental report.

The things on it were even more heaven-defying.

"'On the Possibility of Perpetual Motion Machinery.'"

"'See?'"

"'He's even researched this thing.'"

Perpetual motion machine.

This thing is a technology that Khaenri'ah once attempted to research.

In the end, they successfully developed it by using the power of the Abyss.

However, after Khaenri'ah fell.

This technology was then lost.

Yet relying only on some fragmentary documents unearthed from ancient ruins, this machinery-specialist Duo Tuo Lei actually managed to fabricate a perpetual motion core.

"'This'"

Now Lei Dian Zhen was completely speechless.

After a long silence.

She then sighed: "What a talent it would be if such a person could walk the righteous path."

Thinking too much.

It's precisely because he has no limits and the moral standards of a human that he can achieve such great heights.

Compared to the emotional Leidian Zhen, Luo De saw things very clearly.

Duotuo Lei is indeed formidable.

But why is he so formidable?

One can see a thing or two from his research.

This guy simply lacks any human emotion.

Or rather.

After cutting himself into countless slices, he truly became a cold, ruthless researcher.

For the sake of research.

He can do anything that goes against human thinking, and without a shred of pity or sympathy, he is a researcher even more mechanical than a robot.

Leidian Zhen is not an idiot.

After Luo De said that, she understood what it meant.

And this made her feel even more regretful.

Regrettable as it may be, she didn't say anything else, and focused on examining Duotuo Lei's research results together with Luo De.

Upon looking.

They watched from daytime until deep into the night, and then until the early morning of the next day.

Finally, after Luo De had finished examining the entire box of research results, amidst Leidian Zhen's astonished exclamation, he picked out about half of the papers and set them all on fire.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Leidian Zhen exclaimed in shock: "Do you know how precious these things are!"

"I know."

Luo De remained calm, his hand movements uninterrupted, quietly watching as the research records burned into a clump of ash and blew away in the wind.

"Then why?"

Leidian Zhen still didn't understand.

She had spent the night looking at Duotuo Lei's research results together with Luo De yesterday.

She had to admit.

Setting aside his character, Duotuo Lei is indeed a commendable super genius.

The experimental results he obtained by poring over ancient texts, checking data, and conducting his own research—some say they surpass an era of Teyvat, and that's an understatement.

That can be said.

If the box of items Luo De retrieved from Duotuo Lei's lab were fully exposed, the entire technology of Teyvat could advance to the next level.

But now Luo De has directly destroyed half of it.

If there are no backups of these research results, then it's as if he alone has destroyed the hope of technological progress.

How dare he do that! If it weren't for him having no physical body.

Leidian Zhen would definitely come out and give Luo De a piece of her mind, making him realize exactly what mistake he had made.

In Leidian Zhen's tone of "I'm waiting for your explanation".

Luo De shook his head and said: "These things are good, but they simply don't belong in this world."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

That answer left Leidian Zhen unable to fully understand.

"What does it mean to not belong in this world?" "Too ahead of its time."

Luo De then continued to explain to her: "The things Duotuo Lei researched are too highly automated, which would release a large amount of labor to a considerable extent."

"Hmm."

"Let's put it this way."

"If I currently have a factory that can accommodate a hundred workers at once, but if I used Duotuo Lei's automation machinery, I would only need ten people to operate the machines—where would the extra ninety people go?"

Leidian Zhen once again didn't know how to answer.

Indeed.

Fully automated machinery is good.

But placed in present-day Teyvat.

Once large-scale use of these fully automated machines begins, it will inevitably cause massive unemployment problems, which in turn will spawn numerous and thorny social issues.

"Or it's a productivity issue."

"Introducing such intelligent machinery too early only brings chaos and yields only short-term gains."

Luo De smiled, put the remaining half of the research results back into the box, and said: "Besides, I know how precious this stuff is; the ones I pulled out are all those that would affect the present, and I've kept the most important ones for myself—destroying those merely means I don't want people to research those surpass-the-era things so quickly."

"To put it roughly."

"It's just dragging the footsteps of progress backward a bit—well, that's it."

(End of chapter)