Chapter 213: Blue Sun

Wen Xishu did not keep him in suspense:

"The fourth prophecy is one that requires interpretation. It says that the child who possesses the future will carry the blue sun from his work, illuminating the world and liberating all shackled thoughts."

Huo En's first reaction was one of slight confusion.

At this moment, the sound of police sirens actually drifted in from outside.

Wen Xishu said:

"With two people missing from work, although they haven't detected our location... this building has already lost its order. We must leave, or we will be locked down soon."

As it happened, after finishing the explanation, both Huo En and Wen Xishu had reached the first floor of the building.

The two had long since changed their attire; at this moment, long sleeves covered the wounds on their arms. Wen Xishu pushed Huo En, and although there would be many strange looks...

These looks would not linger for long, because according to the rules—their strange looks did not conform to behavioral norms.

Therefore, when everything operates around a certain order, the person who defies that order might just be the one who profits the most.

When a person loses their own will, the one who possesses their own will becomes that person's controller.

Huo En said:

"I thought of a safe place. It is theoretically feasible, but there might be risks."

Wen Xishu maintained his unhurried pace. Although the sirens were becoming clearer, he appeared completely unperturbed:

"I am all ears."

Huo En lowered his head:

"The factory. But we need a little disguise."

The more dangerous a place is, the safer it often is.

A highly ordered world is often also highly monitored. And this city only has a few such places.

Wen Xishu said:

"I see. Are you looking for the person who can bring the blue sun?"

Huo En nodded.

In fact, by this point, both Wen Xishu and Huo En had already guessed what the lost concept was. To love according to one's own will, to choose one's life according to one's own will, to mourn the past according to one's own will...

When all of this is combined, isn't it—freedom?

But both of them tacitly did not say these words, because neither of them was confident in defeating the Sin Sea Behemoth.

Huo En said:

"Actually, I was thinking earlier about what we should do once we figured out what that concept was within twenty-four hours."

"We ourselves have preserved that concept, but the problem is how to make Sirius also preserve this concept."

"Could it be that we have to do it like last time, using some method to let everyone know that concept?"

"But I don't think so. And we don't have the confidence to fight the Sin Sea Behemoth again."

Wen Xishu thought to himself that, actually, they did, but it carried huge risks.

Whether the controller could really control his Ghost Bride-transformed self... that was an unknown.

Huo En continued:

"If the fourth prophecy is realized, we won't need to clear the level through violence, but rather borrow the power of our predecessors to complete the setting he left unfinished."

"Perhaps realizing this prophecy won't require making everyone feel a sense of dissonance, nor will it require those two words to appear. Naturally, we could also avoid the Sin Sea Behemoth."

Wen Xishu still admired Huo En very much.

To be honest, after gaining the Ghost Bride ability, Wen Xishu always felt that he could clear levels through violence. With this layer of reliance, he had lost a certain sense of urgency.

On the previous island, he didn't even use that power; he just used the power of the controller to forcibly make everyone aware of the lost concept.

This time, Wen Xishu was also wary of the Sin Sea Behemoth's evolution, but he could evolve as well.

However, at this moment, Wen Xishu looked at Huo En and thought of his former self.

If he were Huo En...

Without so many trump cards, would he really have no choice but to surrender? Was there really no way to find the correct path to clear the sixty-plus floors of the Strange Tower?

Wen Xishu suddenly felt a desire to win:

"Fine, let's realize this fourth prophecy."

Huo En pointed to a giant electronic poster on a building.

On it was a promotion for the "Superior People."

It was a poster of someone living in the industrial zone, someone who had lost their prefrontal cortex, enjoying expensive food with a vacant gaze.

"We have to be like him."

Wen Xishu nodded:

"That shouldn't be hard to do, but before going to the industrial zone, we need to go to the hospital first."

Huo En smiled:

"I'll leave it to you. By the way, regarding the blue sun... do you have any thoughts?"

Wen Xishu said:

"I used to... well, I heard a story. It said there was a place in the story called the Brilliant Gold Empire. The old lords of that place were as dazzling as the scorching sun. Everything in that place was full of order; in some festivals, people weren't even allowed to laugh."

"The leader of that place was the supreme descendant of the sun."

"It is said that one day, a girl drew a blue sun in a painting. The girl was actually just being whimsical, thinking, why must the sun be golden and the sky be blue? Could it be the other way around?"

"In fact, this kind of questioning is the origin of creativity."

"But this matter was quickly noticed by the priest, who reported the girl's parents. The girl's parents could never have imagined that because of a blue sun their child drew... they would be interrogated by the tribe, asking if they had any dissatisfaction with their faith in the gods?"

"How could the sun be blue?"

"And in fact, blue has a metaphor in both art and psychology."

Wen Xishu did not state that metaphor.

But Huo En already knew; it was freedom. Although he and Wen Xishu did not come from the same place, he could hear this metaphor, and blue did indeed give him that feeling.

Huo En said:

"So it's the same here... the sun here can only have one color. If a blue sun appeared in the sky of this city, even if that word didn't appear, would the shackles in people's hearts break free?"

"I have my doubts about that, but since we have chosen to do this, we must now find that 'child who possesses the future' in the prophecy."

Wen Xishu smiled:

"Isn't that why you came to the industrial zone?"

Huo En whispered:

"Yes, that is why I came here."

Wen Xishu understood Huo En well:

"The child who possesses the future is the child from the second prophecy who was taken away by Yin Junchi and became a painter."

"Because the implant was removed, under Yin Junchi's influence, this child successfully gained his own will and wanted to decide his own life..."

"So, he fits the description of 'possessing the future'."

"Yin Junchi is dead, but indeed... in the story I obtained, there was never any trace of this child. In fact, not just this child, but the woman who had an affair and the youth who mourned his grandfather with unbridled grief—none of them had any follow-up mentioned."

"I was also wondering, were they also sentenced to death?"

"Or did they hide? If they hid, where would be safe?"

Huo En was slightly surprised. He knew Wen Xishu was smart and had a tacit understanding with him, but he hadn't expected it to be this deep.

Wen Xishu continued to add:

"No one would dare to approach here, and no one would question whether someone who had their prefrontal cortex removed... could have their own will."

"In this world enslaved by order and rules, people only dare to look up at this place. But if I were Yin Junchi... an emotional novelist, I would definitely think about exploring this place and uncovering the lies of this so-called gathering place of the 'Superior People'."

"So, if what lives here isn't just the 'Superior People' praised by this world, if the lowest of the low... the out-of-control ones, also live here."

"If the blue sun rose from here—that would surely be very shocking."

Huo En sighed:

"Those who know me are like Wen Xishu. If the Ark weren't so critical, concerning the lives of millions... I would really be willing to explore with you."

Wen Xishu smiled:

"Alright, we need to go to the hospital first."

……

……

Two hours later.

When the police sirens approached the hospital—

Wen Xishu and Huo En had already left the scene.

However, due to the successive crimes and the successive removal of implants, the entire city had initiated a Level 2 alert and upgraded the situation.

Therefore, high-level enforcers were also dispatched.

If Huo En were still here, he would recognize the actor playing this high-level enforcer—Lei Nuo.

One of the Ark's super-powered individuals.

Lei Nuo turned on his communicator:

"Nikolai, Antoine, you two come over as well. I feel something is wrong."

Nikolai was the fourth-ranked powered individual, and Antoine was the fifth, while Lei Nuo was ranked third. The combat power of the three was extremely strong, and they were all assigned to the Enforcer Department, which was completely different from the conventional identity starts of Wen Xishu, Huo En, and the others.

Their primary task was to ensure that this city could operate normally and survive the twenty-four hours safely.

Afterward, return to the Ark and become supporters of the new era.

Of course, what Nikola, Antoine, and Lei Nuo, the three of them, did not know was that the concept lost by this city was freedom.

Having lost their freedom, the three returned to the Ark and became complete slaves to the Captain.

However, Lei Nuo, Antoine, and Nikola all enjoyed this status as law enforcers, and they did not dwell on the concept they had lost.

Lei Nuo sensed that something was wrong.

Because this time, a doctor had been kidnapped.

"It has happened three times in a short period... a psychologist, a film and television program director, a writer, a doctor... they are all these kinds of lowly, high-risk professions."

"But the first two times, they didn't give these people a hard time, yet this time, they kidnapped a doctor."

Antoine and Nikola arrived shortly after.

Nikola was clearly a thin man, the image of a white drug addict.

Antoine, on the other hand, was tall and powerful, clearly a capable hand when it came to strength, while Lei Nuo looked more mature and was skilled at analysis.

"What's the situation this time?" Nikola said while smoking.

Lei Nuo shook his head:

"The scenario I simulated is that a criminal, while undergoing a diagnosis from a psychologist, showed some tendency toward losing control, and then intended to head to the office building to find more clues..."

"They questioned two people in the office building, obtained clues, and then came to the hospital, but the hospital was not their final destination; they held a doctor hostage and headed to the next location."

Nikola squinted his eyes:

"Then there are too many places they could have gone. Perhaps they just held the doctor hostage to treat someone; after all, everyone in this world does things according to the rules."

"The doctor is the same; whether this patient should be saved or not is all up to the meaning of the Code of Conduct."

Lei Nuo could accept this explanation, but he said:

"Don't forget, the Captain arranged for us to come here to ensure that everything is foolproof; we had better simulate a worst-case scenario."

"Besides, that person named Huo En cannot be reached."

Lei Nuo and the others did not yet know that Wen Xishu had infiltrated the place. They firmly believed that only eight people had entered this island.

Everyone else had already become slaves to the happiness factor, accepted the rules of the world, and become a part of the vast, uniform scenery.

But Huo En still could not be reached to this day.

Antoine:

"That little guy in the wheelchair? What kind of storm could he stir up? Lei Nuo, it's not good to be too cautious in your work. We just need to wait."

Lei Nuo was not angry:

"I will continue to investigate. There must be some clue in the hospital that can provide an answer. If I find a clue, you must listen to my instructions at any time."

Given that Lei Nuo’s strength as a third-tier ability user was greater than the fourth and fifth combined...

Antoine and Nikola were very polite:

"Of course, we will answer the call at any time."

Lei Nuo also seemed to have suddenly thought of something and walked toward a mysterious storage room in the hospital.

At this moment, the "Code of Conduct" on Lei Nuo's body began to correct his behavior, and Antoine and Nikola immediately realized something was wrong.

Because the Code of Conduct on their own bodies was also reminding them that the law enforcer Lei Nuo was violating the rules and must be stopped immediately.

"Lei Nuo! Don't go over there!" Antoine said loudly.

Lei Nuo said:

"I suspect that the one named Huo En has some huge conspiracy; he might destroy the Captain's plan. Listen, if we all follow the rules, then those who do not follow the rules are invincible."

"I thought of a possibility, and I must go verify it."

Antoine was shocked; he hadn't expected Lei Nuo to be so desperate.

Nikola sighed:

"Delaying my enjoyment of the happiness factor... what a nuisance."

Even so, Nikola and Antoine followed him.

Industrial Zone.

Unlike other commercial, residential, and entertainment districts, this place appeared extremely grim. A massive spherical factory occupied nearly one-sixth of the city's area.

This industrial-looking spherical building was what everyone believed to be—the place leading to glory.

Of course, that was how the propaganda put it. In short, only those who had their prefrontal cortex removed were qualified to enter here.

The massive spherical building had a total of twenty-five doors. Twenty-five entrances.

Wen Xishu and Huo En were currently at the seventh entrance.

It was just that both of their expressions were very dull.

Wen Xishu was walking, while behind Huo En, the person pushing the wheelchair was a doctor.

Actually, it was not the doctor's first time coming here, or rather, not his first time transporting "items" here.

So he was very familiar with the process.

There was no need for the "nobles'" names; when registering, one only needed to provide a serial number. Afterward, the two "nobles" who had their prefrontal cortexes removed could enter the massive spherical building to receive arrangements.

However, the doctor seemed a bit nervous this time.

Because...

Although both newly promoted "superior beings" had a linear scar on their foreheads, and both had traces of stitches, exactly the same as previous "superior beings," the difference this time was—

Neither Wen Xishu nor Huo En had their prefrontal cortexes removed.

The prefrontal cortexes they held in their hands—from the hospital's organ storage—were not their own.

But for those checking, seeing this scene, they would not ask more questions; they would only envy the other party for no longer having their own thoughts, being able to act precisely according to the requirements of the Code of Conduct, and from then on enjoying the highest quality life, full of happiness.

Everything went very smoothly.

Wen Xishu and Huo En soon entered the interior of the massive spherical building.

Even after leaving, the doctor did not dare to report Wen Xishu.

Because he had already committed a grave sin. He had sent two of the most dangerous out-of-control individuals to the most noble and high-class place in this city.

So he had better keep his mouth shut from now on, otherwise...

Whether it was the laws of this city or the terrifying methods Wen Xishu displayed when forcing him, he could not withstand it.

Inside the spherical building, there was not even anyone to guide Wen Xishu and Huo En; both of them acted on their own.

Because once the prefrontal cortex is removed, everything that follows is handled by the Code of Conduct.

According to the doctor, the Code of Conduct controls all "superior beings" who have lost the ability to think through the happiness factor.

People become pure, instinctual puppets that seek advantages and avoid harm.

The implant device, the Code of Conduct, strictly monitors their body hormones, knowing when they can sleep, when they can eat, and when they need to excrete.

Of course, they also occasionally perform some extra tasks... such as filming videos of "superior beings" for the outside world.

In the surveillance area, Huo En was expressionless, pushing his own wheelchair, and Wen Xishu was expressionless, maintaining the same speed as Huo En.

The massive spherical building, which occupied one-sixth of the city, had rest areas, functional areas, and work areas. Most of the time, these people only needed to sleep, eat, and excrete when they returned to the rest area.

There was surveillance here too, but the intensity was much lower; the distribution of electronic eyes was much less in the rest area, with surveillance mainly concentrated in the work and functional areas.

Wen Xishu and Huo En soon arrived at the rest area—

Watching many people standing in perfect unison, with no desires or expressions on their faces, everyone having a scar on their forehead symbolizing the "superior being," and everyone wearing the pure white lab coats that represented glory...

This scene was actually somewhat terrifying.

Fortunately, at this time, Wen Xishu and Huo En could already communicate freely.

"So everything... was controlled by the Code of Conduct. Honestly, I really didn't expect that people who lost their prefrontal cortex would end up like this." Huo En was somewhat amazed.

The environment of the rest area presented an absolute white, an extreme simplicity. It was actually different from the outside propaganda.

Those who truly had their prefrontal cortex removed would only live in this kind of white cage; thank goodness there were facilities like toilets here.

Otherwise, Wen Xishu found it hard to imagine how foul the smell here would be.

As for the mansions and the extremely luxurious experiences advertised to the outside world... they were all in the functional area.

What functional area would people who have lost the ability to think need?

Everything was nothing more than a show put on by the Code of Conduct.

Wen Xishu looked at these people who had once sought freedom but ultimately lost it, and sighed:

"What other outcome could puppets have? Everything is very logical."

Huo En said:

"It's ironic; the most high-class place in this world is actually a massive flesh factory. It's easy to get in here; there aren't even any guards on the surface."

Wen Xishu said:

"When you accept all the rules of this world... you default to the assumption that no one will appear who breaks the rules. Since no one will appear to break the rules, naturally, there is no need to make any measures or preparations for it."

"If everyone were a good person, and everyone followed the Code of Conduct, then theoretically, no one would be able to enter here. Especially like us, invading this place."

"Because it doesn't conform to the code. If we were to have the Code of Conduct implanted now... the butterfly effect variable would probably be enough to gather every law enforcer in the entire city, right?"

Huo En and Wen Xishu conversed so wantonly; they were also testing whether this place was truly safe.

In the rest area, everyone else was quiet, as if they hadn't heard anything.

Wen Xishu and Huo En also made no extra movements, just communicating. So if there was surveillance, it would look like a group of people standing still, like a group of puppets placed in a room.

But there was sound in the room; there were people having a conversation.

And in an environment of absolute silence—

Sounds often become piercing.

"Who... who is speaking?"

Wen Xishu and Horn also heard the sound coming from afar. It came from the direction of Room 1 in District 14.

The voice sounded somewhat terrified and uncertain.

Wen Xishu and Horn exchanged a glance. Horn remarked:

"It really is like this; this place is the safest place in the world... Theoretically, the enforcers are also a group of people bound by a code of conduct manual."

"So, this place is also a forbidden zone for them. Naturally, as long as you can keep up the disguise and don't engage in destruction or overly abnormal behavior under surveillance, you can hide quite well."

At this moment, Wen Xishu made a bold decision:

"I am a friend of Yin Junchi. I have come here to find his fourth prophecy."

Wen Xishu raised his voice.

In the absolutely silent environment, this sound layered upon itself, like a massive current suddenly rising in a calm deep sea.

After a long while, a voice said in disbelief:

"You... are you a friend of Teacher? I... how can I believe you?"

Hearing it a second time, Wen Xishu and Horn were even more certain that the owner of this voice was a young boy. The boy spoke with a hint of sobbing.

Horn could imagine that the pressure this child was enduring while hiding here was likely unimaginable to an ordinary person.

Every day he had to go to the work area to do assembly line work; a single non-compliant movement could lead to a fatal disaster.

Upon returning to the rest area, there was no one to talk to, and he faced only a group of "puppets" who had undergone prefrontal lobotomies.

They wore white uniforms and stared blankly ahead. Day after day, always the same.

And he could not escape this place, because the outside world was even more dangerous.

But was there really a future in staying here?

Horn, who claimed to have no emotions, was actually more sensitive than anyone:

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. We have no way to prove our relationship with your teacher... but the fact that we were able to come here and let you hear our voices, I think that is proof enough."

"My name is Horn."

Wen Xishu also said:

"My name is Wen Xishu."

At this moment, that voice appeared:

"You said your name is Wen Xishu? It's true... that's great, that's great... Teacher told me about you! I've heard Teacher talk about you!"

"Where are you? I'm coming to find you! I have something to give you!"

The safest place in this city is also the most regimented; one can indeed survive here, but the price paid is fear and loneliness.

Upon hearing the name Wen Xishu, the boy seemed to instantly dispel his doubts.

Because that was a name the Teacher had only ever mentioned to him.

Of course, it wasn't just a coincidence that the fourth prophecy was related to Wen Xishu.

It was just that when reminiscing about the past, the Teacher had once said... every country had its own way of dealing with the apocalypse.

The Island Nation, the Ji State, the Free Union, Longxia... many countries were trying to find ways to cope with the end of the world.

In a place called Jicheng, he had benefited from the help of a person named Wen Xishu to escape an experiment.

And that experiment seemed to be the method Jicheng used to fight the apocalypse.

"I am in Room 1 of District 7."

"I am in Room 1 of District 14, I'm coming to find you!" The boy was very excited.

The sound of footsteps gradually went from muffled to clear. There was very little surveillance in the rest area, and the boy knew exactly how to avoid it.

Wen Xishu soon saw the boy, who had a shaved head, wore a white uniform, and had a stitched scar on his forehead.

If he had hair, if he didn't have that scar... perhaps the boy would be quite handsome.

Logically, he shouldn't feel sympathy or pity for a product of this mental world.

But Wen Xishu thought... Yin Junchi had lived here for a long time, and he felt that this world—

This so-called fragment of the Sinful Land might not be as simple as he had thought.

Upon seeing that both of them had scars on their foreheads and expressions different from the others...

The boy's eyes turned red.

"That's great! That's great! I've finally seen other living people again! My name is Hugo, the name Teacher gave me, saying my work would bring change to the world."

"I had thought... my fate was to die of old age here, or one day, when I couldn't keep up the act, I would be killed in here."

"I finally waited for you! I knew it, Teacher's fourth prophecy didn't fail, the time just hadn't come yet!"

Wen Xishu noted this sentence and said:

"What about the people who were alive before? That woman, and the other boy like you?"

Wen Xishu was asking about prophecy one and prophecy three, and Hugo understood his question.

Tears couldn't help but fall from his eyes:

"They died trying to scout the path to fulfill the fourth prophecy..."

Horn could now understand Hugo's loneliness even better.

Wen Xishu sighed:

"You've really had it hard."

Hugo wiped away his tears:

"I still have plenty of rest time, you can ask me anything you want to know."

"Before Teacher died, he told me... some things cannot be completed by one person, but one must still strive to complete them, because that is how those who come after have hope."

Wen Xishu and Horn exchanged glances again.

This sentence made Wen Xishu think of the bunker.

In order to let humanity leave the bunker—

Generation after generation of people died, one after another.

Of course, there were also people like Albert who had lived through several eras.

But Albert likely had a similar realization.

Wen Xishu had never expected that the writer Yin Junchi would have such thoughts.

He became increasingly curious about the relationship between Sirius, Yin Junchi, and the Captain.

"Did your teacher tell you everything?" Wen Xishu looked at Hugo.

Hugo nodded:

"It's all recorded in one of Teacher's novels. Teacher said that was his most brilliant novel."

"That novel begins from the time he moved into an apartment called Reverse Seven."

"He said that from then on, his life became more brilliant than the novels he had written before."

"I have kept these things hidden, and I have read parts of it privately myself, but much of it is actually beyond my understanding. It involves... otherworlds, gods, demigods, and exiles..."

"Oh right, and sequences. I don't really understand them either; Teacher's experiences were very rich, so rich that he was like a character in a story."

Hugo reached into his white uniform and pulled out a booklet that was not too thick, but definitely not thin.

It was clear that frequent reading had made it somewhat old. But it didn't affect the reading.

Horn took the booklet and handed it to Wen Xishu.

Wen Xishu looked at this "My Adventure Anecdotes" and suddenly had a feeling.

This time, he might uncover many secrets.

The writer who wandered in the land of "reality" might have brought more than just those matters concerning the Ark.

However, the protagonists of many stories were only protagonists for a stage.

Yin Junchi's journey had already ended, but his story was not over; his story could only be continued by the next person.

Horn said:

"I probably won't understand much of it either. You read it, and then you tell us what we should do."

"But we only have one day... in fact, there is less than a day left. Wen Xishu, we must get everything done today."

Hugo was a bit excited when he heard this.

Wen Xishu also knew that the "Blue Sun" had to be made to rise today.

But how exactly to do it was all hidden in this book.

Wen Xishu turned to the first page.

"After leaving the Reverse Seven apartment, I was pursued by the An family's Three-Ball Group."

"I thought my miserable life had begun. All my works were taken off the shelves."

"In Jicheng, offending that kind of conglomerate, even big stars would die, let alone a lazy writer like me who frequently stopped updating."

"But I never expected that one day, a guy with hair longer than a woman's would suddenly find me on a smuggling boat."

"He said his name was Sirius. Damn it, how could anyone have a name like that."

"He said he had been hiding in Jicheng not long ago, but because he was discovered by someone called Pisces, he lost half his life. Strange, right."

"Then he asked me a question even stranger than his name."

"Do you believe there are people from otherworlds in this world?"

"I thought he was some kind of novel fanatic, but then."

"I suddenly remembered, yes, I have already encountered the Reverse Seven Mansion, my life has already been bound to the uncanny, why would I still feel it is absurd?"

"So I said, I believe, could you please take me to see it, that man also revealed a smile, and so my strange journey began right then."

(End of chapter)