Chapter 163

"What was the name of that creature that flashed by just now? We don't have a corresponding encyclopedia entry in the 'Star Domain Realm Species Department.' Can any big shot point me in the right direction?"

"I don't know, but 'Star Domain Realm Species Department' sounds so cool. What does it do? I want to go there when I grow up!"

"Kid, don't be fooled, that's for studying biology. On our planet, if an ordinary person gets a PhD in both biology and mathematics, they'll basically have to rely on welfare for the rest of their life."

"I'm more concerned about what those people meant by 'memes.' I've never heard these concepts from Foundation personnel before. Is this another kind of… other containment object type?"

"Listening to that man, it seems he created some kind of terrifying containment object that can kill almost everyone on an entire planet in an instant? 'Destruction' Nanook would call that professional."

"Maybe it's cleaning up specific artists?"

"I thought they would verify them one by one. I didn't expect the Foundation to have some tricks up their sleeve in this regard."

"I, personally, support clearing out those who use art to hurt the audience. I've seen too many pretentious artists lately who are actually foul-smelling. Even worse, there's a race whose every line of poetry has to be related to s*** and urine."

…

This was a global census. A large number of Foundation personnel were mobilized to compile various statistics, confirm personnel lists, and verify information on deaths, disappearances, defections, executions, and those fed to containment objects one by one.

Not just the Foundation, but various organizations walking in the dark side of the world and dealing with anomalies were also drawn into it.

These organizations briefly set aside their differences, stopped sabotage, subversion, and assassinations, and joined forces with the Foundation for an important answer.

Even Marshall, Carter and Dark Ltd., a peer that had never been on good terms with the Foundation, sent an envelope made of rare tree species;

A robot brought a letter and a request for $10,000 in aid;

The Church of the Broken God sent three pieces of information: an email, a steam-powered shell, and a bird that was gradually turning into machinery;

…

Whether large or small, all organizations integrated the data they held at this moment.

The O5s input them into the computer and waited for it to output a list.

Finally, the printer began to run, humming, and the O5s got the answer they expected.

But the content of this answer was not what they wanted.

—Not good.

…

In an unknown small town.

"Ding-a-ling—"

An old man with silver hair and black eyes, his face aged but still showing traces of youthful elegance, with sharp, well-defined features, rode a bicycle back to the front of his courtyard gate at a leisurely pace.