Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 664 - 58: Office Power Struggles

"Another kind of power?"

"Colonel Zhuang Xiao, you... no, I should say we are making great progress on that side of the work."

Merlin said.

What they implanted weren't just a single idea but many concepts, many concepts that are the crystallization of countless people's hard work, written into the guild investigators' manual, with the anomalous coefficients being the best manifestation.

"Is there any possibility for a plane that has devolved into a Death Star to recover?"

Merlin suddenly asked.

"No."

The answer came out almost instinctively, as it is common knowledge for every guild investigator, and Scarlet, being one of the guild managers, is naturally no exception. Over the past centuries, the guild had tried several times to send personnel to the already destroyed planes, only to draw one conclusion—the moment the anomalous coefficient hits zero is equivalent to the final judgment. After that, no attempts or efforts can change the predetermined fate.

Not even the guild's managers.

The Death Star is a forbidden zone for humanity.

Zhuang Xiao suddenly understood something, saying, "Do you want him to come here?"

This is definitely a crazy idea, full of illogical elements from her perspective because it's easy to deduce from Merlin's few words that Ethan was not one of them, and the Research Association in the shelter couldn't even determine his life form.

Without using the tools in the labs, it means that if Ethan dies, he wouldn't wake up here immediately.

"That's the most ideal outcome, but things don't always go as one wishes, do they?"

The two walked side by side through the dark corridor.

The night was deep, and even those still awake mostly gathered in the hall, leaving other areas of the shelter silent and empty. Zhuang Xiao understood the excitement of those people; hope was priceless for those still living on the Death Star, even if it was currently just an illusion.

Merlin didn't return to his room; their destination was the research facility.

Entering requires iris recognition, and Zhuang Xiao could guess that this must be the most confidential area in the entire shelter.

"Putting aside those beautiful prospects, we still have to face some down-to-earth work."

Merlin walked straight into his office, where his desk was piled high with thick research materials, and an unfinished cup of instant coffee on the table.

He closed the door, "On this issue, my views are somewhat different from those of the higher-ups..."

This didn't mean he couldn't understand the high-level's feelings. Since they needed to seek another kind of power, the best result would be magical, like they finally welcomed a comrade, and with just a snap of a finger, the world on the surface would return to its pre-destruction state.

Merlin admitted to having such wonderful visions himself when covering himself with a blanket to sleep at night.

Zhuang Xiao noticed two documents stacked at the top on the table.

"Mind Experiments" and "Immigration Plan."

Merlin didn't intend to conceal his plan from her and instead said to her, "If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears."

Zhuang Xiao sat across from Merlin, quietly opening the document titled "Mind Experiments."

This was a follow-up to successfully implanting ideas into Ethan, but it was far more complex and difficult than previous operations.

"To implant a scene in his mind?"

Zhuang Xiao frowned.

A scene before the world's destruction, placing Ethan within it.

They had exhausted scientific methods and now needed some ways of thinking beyond science, where Ethan was the best model.

If Ethan were in such a world, what would he do?

"The research department has already started preparations, but they are currently facing many obstacles."

Merlin said, "Our idea is to do it through dreams. For Old Sen, it would just be a dream he has while sleeping, not overly burdensome for him."

Even the way of addressing changed, as though Merlin had internally accepted one thing from the start—Ethan was one of them, perhaps even a friend they had known for many years.

The idea was beautiful, but the difficulty lay in how to realize it.

How exactly were they supposed to cross planes to send a dream to someone whose exact location they didn't know? This meant that all their existing equipment and knowledge were useless.

Zhuang Xiao stayed silent without offering opinions, moving on to the other plan.

The "Immigration Plan" appeared much more pessimistic than "Mind Experiments," as it was premised on the oasis being unrebuildable, and the people trapped in the shelter would have to find a new habitat. Therefore, Ethan's views and attitudes toward humanity became the key to everything.

"This is also the reason I have long wanted to talk to you."

Merlin said, "I left too early and missed many things that happened later... Colonel Zhuang Xiao, do you think today's empire can accommodate a large number of refugees, and is it suitable for them to settle long-term? According to the guild investigator's manual rating, how would you rate it?"

"Stable, livable..."

Zhuang Xiao suddenly changed the subject, "Why do you ask?"

"I also asked Song Xian the same question. His assessment was that since the downfall of Pope Julius's forces, the empire is getting better and better. It seems the people there have passed the darkest times after the Enlightenment and religious reforms... Song Xian also mentioned that the new cabinet is widely recruiting, and the knowledge we hold should help the empire achieve a rapid modernization."

Optimistically, in twenty years or perhaps even less, they would be able to create a new oasis.

For those like Zhuang Xiao and Song Xian, who possess millennia-long lifespans, twenty years is just a blink of an eye.

"Song Xian's assessment is that the empire's new cabinet is open to immigrants; they are even willing to accept witches, so there shouldn't be any reason to reject a large number of well-educated intellectuals."

"Hold on a second."

Zhuang Xiao had to interrupt Merlin. She heard a growing excitement in Merlin's voice, as if he couldn't wait to draft the roster for the first batch of immigrants, "You should be aware that we're not really there, right?"

It was obvious that they utilized some sort of tool to project their consciousnesses elsewhere, granting them lifespans of thousands of years. During their missions, their real bodies were properly cared for daily. Upon waking, she found herself connected to countless wires. The apparatus used freezing chamber technology to prevent muscle atrophy during consciousness separation.

This so-called immigration plan was more like inserting a tube into everyone's head, allowing them to live in a virtual world.

"This is only the first step of the immigration plan."

Merlin didn't deny it. Clearly, Zhuang Xiao wasn't the first to raise such doubts, "Don't forget, that world has infinite possibilities. Maybe we'll find a way for consciousness to survive without relying on a body..."

"Trying to gather followers for your theory again?"

A sarcastic voice came from the doorway. As Zhuang Xiao looked towards the source, she only saw an eyeball robot floating down from a ventilation duct, emitting a soft male voice.

"Minister Chen Qi."

Merlin didn't get angry at the uninvited guest, "Breaking into someone else's office is hardly polite behavior."

"It's my duty to prevent my subordinates from doing something foolish. Your plan has been rejected in the review meeting."

With that, the eyeball robot turned to Zhuang Xiao, "Colonel Zhuang Xiao, you've indeed made outstanding contributions, but that doesn't mean every proposal of yours will be accepted. Especially if it means trying to shake the core part of the plan—please clarify your role; you are not the protagonist of this plan. All your actions should aim to cooperate with her."

"This is just colleagues chatting after work."

Merlin replied with dignity, "This is not working hours."

"It had better be."

The eyeball robot emitted a red light and slowly floated away, leaving Merlin and Zhuang Xiao looking at each other. Merlin shrugged innocently.

Even if the world ended, department leaders who put on airs remain as annoying as ever.

"What did he mean by 'protagonist'? Why do I have absolutely no memory of that?"

Zhuang Xiao sensed something unusual and asked.

"Forgetting is normal." Merlin just smiled back, "When you're lying in the device, removing some memories from your mind isn't difficult. But I'm sure you understand the committee's actions—Colonel Zhuang Xiao, all of this is for the future of humanity, isn't it?"

Zhuang Xiao didn't get the answer she was hoping for, and she always felt there was an odd undertone to Merlin's words. If the committee heard it, they might think something was wrong with his ideology.

"It's late."

Before she could speak further, Merlin tactfully gave a subtle hint to leave, but he clearly wasn't intending to give up on the Immigration Plan. Before leaving, Zhuang Xiao distinctly saw Merlin quickly writing something on the proposal about the current state of the empire, marking "stable" and "livable" with emphasis.

With this, he had evaluations from both herself and Song Xian, firsthand witnesses.

Zhuang Xiao still felt somewhat dazed, still battling withdrawal symptoms, but even the slowest to react could sense something was amiss—she seemed to have been drawn into an office political struggle.

But...

The mention of "protagonist" by the eyeball robot almost immediately brought someone to her mind.

"Goddess."

If everything they've done was to plant an idea in Ethan's mind, then who is this "Goddess" that seemingly possesses unlimited power?

Is she one of them too?

Or is she another existence similar to Ethan?

Questions were piling up more and more, and Zhuang Xiao felt the need to go back to her quarters and map out these complex relationships on paper.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lindong groggily turned over.

The empty space to her right led her to squint open her eyes, seeing Ethan lying on the very edge of the bed with his back to her. Since he came back late, he hadn't covered himself to avoid disturbing her.

Her red eyes showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

She turned to her right side.

Wrapped her arm around his neck, placed her right leg over Ethan's legs.

Having done all that, Lindong contentedly closed her eyes again.