Chapter 286: Civilization Guardians·Permission Upgrade

Zhao Chen had just stepped out of the bus stop when the terminal in his pocket vibrated again. This time it wasn't a pulse signal or a map marker, but a string of rapidly jumping numeric codes, like some kind of countdown. He didn't stop walking, just slipped his phone back into his trouser pocket and hurried toward the Siheyuan.

Few people were on the road, the aroma from the breakfast stall still lingered, but he had no appetite. He knew the source of that electromagnetic fluctuation had stopped moving, hovering fifty meters outside the Laboratory window, like a stuck gear set, neither advancing nor retreating.

As he pushed open the Courtyard Gate, Zhao Xing was standing on the balcony, staring at the sky. The clouds looked off—a ring had split open in the middle, its edges gray and dark, as if something had scorched them.

"Did you feel it?" Zhao Xing asked, turning his head.

Zhao Chen nodded. "It's not just the signal; the whole space is changing."

Zhao Yang walked out of the house holding an emotion device, its screen flashing blue light without him touching it. "It activated on its own," he said. "It just beeped three times, the same signal we set as kids."

The three said nothing more and went straight into the Laboratory. The Main Control Console lit up on its own, though no one was operating it; its originally silver‑white interface shuddered, turned flowing gold, and the characters reorganized—some resembling ancient seal script, mixed with modern code.

A voice sounded, not the usual mechanical tone—deeper, heavier.

"Civilization Guardians Mode fully activated, Zhao Jianguo's Permission raised to S‑rank."

The moment the words fell, a pillar of light shone down from the ceiling, landing on Zhao Jianguo. He had been sitting in a Chair smoking, the cigarette not yet lit, when the light arrived. He didn't dodge or stand up, just remained seated, head tilted to watch the light.

When the light faded, a translucent mark appeared on his wrist, like a gear set cradling a star, faintly glowing.

"What is this?" he muttered, looking down.

"It's from the system." Zhao Xing said. "Your Permission is higher than ours."

Zhao Jianguo neither laughed nor asked what it could do. He simply lifted his wrist to look for a few seconds, then turned to the three children. "Is that thing outside coming in?"

No one answered him.

Because at that very moment, the sky outside the window tore open with a roar.

It wasn't a crack or a hole; it split straight into a door‑like shape. Black lines spread from the edges, like scorch marks on paper. Immediately, something stepped out from within.

They were humanoid machines, but not robots. Their bodies were jet‑black, surfaces glinting with cold metallic light, moving in unison—each step made the ground tremble slightly. Without speaking or attacking, they filed out in rows, standing in mid‑air, facing the Siheyuan.

"Numbers… at least two hundred." Zhao Yang stared at the screen, calling out the count. "And they're still increasing."

"They know we're watching." Zhao Xing whispered. "When I was checking the monitors earlier, one of them lifted its head and glanced at the camera."

Zhao Chen stood still, his hand on the Terminal. He tried to send a message, but found all signals blocked—even the local network was down.

At that moment, the same words sounded simultaneously in the ears of the three of them:

"Ultimate crisis detected—unlock all spacetime abilities?"

The voice was faint, as if it rose from their minds yet also came from far away.

The three glanced at each other.

Zhao Xing's fingers twitched, as if about to press a key. Zhao Yang closed his eyes; the blue light on his emotion device steadied. Zhao Chen opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

None of them pressed confirm.

But the system seemed not to care whether they answered.

The last line appeared on the Main Control Console: "Reverse confirmation: the system's true purpose revealed—not a tool, but the Eye of Trial."

Zhao Jianguo jerked his head up. "What does that mean?"

No one could answer him.

Because that door expanded further, the mechanical legion stepped forward, the lead unit raising its arm, palm opening to reveal a spinning light core—gold, the same hue as the Main Control Console.

"They're responding to the system." Zhao Yang suddenly said. "They're not here to attack us; they're here to recognize a person."

"Recognize who?" Zhao Jianguo asked.

"Recognize the Permission holder." Zhao Yang gazed at the mark on his wrist. "Recognize you."

Zhao Jianguo staggered, instinctively stepping back half a pace and bumping into the Chair. The cigarette fell to the floor, and he didn't bother to pick it up.

"I don't remember signing any such agreement." he said. "When did this thing become mine?"

"From the day you first checked in." Zhao Xing said. "You thought you were just getting little rewards—planting veggies, fixing the house? Actually every step earned points."

"Points for what?"

"Civilization Survival Qualification Points." Zhao Chen finally spoke. "Everything we've done has been logged. Space‑tech cooperation, company IPOs, mediating conflicts… all are assessment items."

Zhao Jianguo's eyes widened. "So you guys are too?"

"We're the examinees." Zhao Xing said. "You're the examiner."

The air fell silent.

The outer machines halted, but that light core kept glowing, as if waiting for a response.

Zhao Jianguo lowered his gaze to his hand. He recalled the day he first arrived, years ago, when he checked in the Courtyard and received his first reward—a packet of instant noodles. Back then it seemed novel; now he realized that from that moment on, he might have been marked.

"What if I refuse to be the examiner?" he asked.

No one spoke.

Because they all knew the answer.

If he didn't take the role, these machines wouldn't stand down, the sky‑borne door wouldn't close. They would keep waiting, waiting for someone to take over.

"Why didn't you three choose just now?" he looked at the children.

Zhao Chen shook his head. "This isn't something you can just hit yes on. Once unlocked, we won't be ordinary anymore—time, space, memory… will change. We might live a very long time, or we might never return to today's Siheyuan."

Zhao Jianguo fell silent for a long time.

Then he chuckled. "I thought the biggest thing in my life would be raising you lot; turns out I was just waiting to take over this shift?"

Zhao Xing also smiled. "Haven't you been a parent all along?"

"But this isn't about feeding and clothing." Zhao Jianguo gazed out the window. "This is about overseeing the whole world."

He glanced again at the mark on his wrist. The light still flickered, not blinding but steady, like a heartbeat.

"What can I do now?" he asked.

The system gave no reply.

But the Main Control Console popped up an interface automatically, showing only four options:

【Sealed Area】

【Information Traceback】

【Permission Transfer】

【Emergency Wake-up】

Zhao Jianguo stared at it for a few seconds. "How do you use this thing?"

"You decide." Zhao Chen said, "But we can't just pick randomly now. 'Emergency Wake-up' could be calling for help, or it could invite more trouble. 'Permission Transfer'... what if we transfer it to the wrong person?"

"Then let's lock down this area first." Zhao Jianguo pointed at the window, "Don't let them in, and don't let the news out."

He reached out and clicked 【Lockdown Area】.

The Main Control Console flashed with golden light, and a transparent film appeared on the walls of the whole Laboratory, as if a glass cover had been placed over the room. Outside sounds immediately faded, and even the Mechanical Lesson's footsteps could not be heard clearly.

"Is it useful?" Zhao Jianguo asked.

"It works for now." Zhao Yang looked at the Data Stream, "But we're locked down here, and outside can't receive any signal. Phones, internet, broadcasts... all cut off."

"Then we can only rely on ourselves." Zhao Jianguo sat back in the Chair, "Wait for their next move."

No one spoke.

Because they all felt that the real pressure had just begun.

Those Mechanical Lesson stood outside the door, motionless, not retreating, as if observing, or waiting for orders.

Zhao Jianguo looked up at the ceiling and suddenly said, "You said I'm S-rank; are there A-rank and B-rank? Has anyone done this job before?"

The system didn't respond.

But the mark on his wrist trembled slightly, as if reminding him of something.

He lowered his head and saw that the Gear Set pattern had a few more lines of tiny text, so fine that unless you looked closely you couldn't see it.

Those were a few names.

Some had years, some had a cross after them.

The most recent name was: 2034, Lin Zhenbang.

"That expert from the Space Agency?" Zhao Xing came over to look, "He also served?"

"It seems not everyone can last to the end." Zhao Jianguo said softly.

The wind outside suddenly stopped.

All the clouds hung motionless in the air, as if paused.

The Mechanical Lesson legion collectively lowered their heads; the individual with a light core in its palm slowly knelt, and the others followed, bending their knees in unison.

It was not an attack.

It was a salute.

"They are acknowledging you as their master." Zhao Yang said, "Now you truly are the one they've been waiting for."

Zhao Jianguo didn't move.

He just placed his hand on the tabletop and slowly clenched it.

He knew that once he gripped down, his days would never return to what they were before.

"Children." He raised his head, looking at the three kids, "No matter what happens later, don't move around. This is the job I took on, so I have to bear it."

The three of them neither nodded nor spoke.

But they stood closer, forming a triangle, shielding the Main Control Console in the middle.

Zhao Jianguo took a deep breath, preparing to select an option.

Just then, Zhao Chen's Terminal suddenly sounded.

It wasn't an alarm, not a signal, but a new message.

The sender showed: Unknown.

The content consisted of only two characters:

"Be careful."