Chapter Twenty: Nothing Happened

A-874184 stood on the battlefield that belonged to him. He could feel tens of thousands of eyes fixed intently on him. He knew that hundreds of thousands who knew him were watching from afar through the network. He could even imagine billions in the future, peering back at this exact moment through the records of the past.

Almost no one here wanted to hear what he had to say next. They cared nothing for his identity or the future; they only thought of living day by day, indulging in entertainment until death.

This was perfectly understandable. The future of the old humanity was inevitably extinction, just as Homo sapiens had defeated other human species. Yet, they still feared having their wounds exposed, waking from their illusions.

In a windowless, doorless room, watching projections on the wall, laughing wildly as they awaited death—that was all they could do. What good would it do to batter themselves to pieces with all their might? What could be changed?

Nothing.

The irony was that the descendants of those who built the room would listen to him seriously. They would protect him, allowing him to voice opinions that were essentially detrimental to them, even going so far as to break down the walls and pull him outside.

At the thought of who would truly hear him speak, A-874184 found himself unable to utter the words he had prepared. In the end, he was just a mediocre man.

His camp, especially in moments like this, wavered the most, because he could not discern right from wrong.

Yet, he still spoke.

“The ‘Golden Miner Competition’ has concluded successfully, but unfortunately, I am not here as the organizer to announce its completion.”

“The ultimate winner of this contest, the ‘Citizen Scientist Prodigy 2V8,’ showcased seemingly brilliant modifications and tools, defeating all opponents. However, under the same budget, the self-regulating drones of Gao Xin Industrial Company operated with efficiency twelve thousand times greater than that of the champion.”

“I know someone is about to say, ‘Why bring up companies? We’re all from the Outer Ring; we just watch for fun. Who cares about specific efficiency?’”

Laughter erupted across the venue. They thought Wang Fugui was turning the post-competition formalities into a stand-up routine.

A-874184 patiently waited for the laughter to subside, then surveyed the hall.

“The extremists who preach purity are fools. A bunch of outdated wastes with no jobs and no means to afford cybernetic bodies, incapable of anything, so all they can do is yell about preserving their flesh, living every moment relying on the charity of others.”

“The unions... at least those in this city, are fools. A pack of beasts hiding behind titles, incapable of doing anything well, yet determined to push out those who can, eating the benefits of the new era while claiming credit.”

“The myriad small enterprises outside the major companies are fools. They drag down society’s productivity, unknowingly holding humanity back, their eyes fixed only on money. If the Group hadn’t set minimum standards and strictly enforced them, who knows how many vile deeds they would have committed.”

“The big corporations are fools, unable to escape vicious competition and mutual suspicion. Despite all their efforts, they fail to achieve excellence.”

“The supreme leader of the Group, Qi Shiming, is a fool. Had he, decades ago, simply wiped out the old humanity, liquidated all the companies, and rebuilt everything anew, we wouldn’t be facing so many damn problems now.”

“And you all are fools as well. Neither willing to die peacefully nor to live wildly, just existing because there’s no reason to die, living in utter chaos.”

“Of course, the damn rebels are the biggest fools of all—less than pigs and dogs—spouting nauseating nonsense to incite people to die senselessly, stained with filth and corruption behind the scenes. I’ve insulted so many here, but who will actually step forward? It’s so hard to tell!”

A-874184 did not know how many could grasp his innuendos, nor how many cared about his warnings. This ‘battle’ was not about winning, but simply about fighting once.

Mo Wen noticed that among those who had spread such thoughts, someone truly did step forward. Standing on stage, he pointed at Wang Fugui.

But Wang Fugui spoke first: “I have funded you, and I have also taken money from the companies. I have handed out money to civilians and have dragged humanity’s feet, creating essentially useless jobs.”

“I am an early-generation new human, model A, number 874184. One of the few survivors left after the company wars. I have fought in wars, orchestrated massacres, and before I took on the name Wang Fugui, I caused the deaths of over twenty million humans. I was a butcher, a beast.”

“You want to expose my dark past, but I no longer care.”

“When I decided to speak out, all my accumulated wealth, reputation, and relationships became meaningless to me. You cannot influence me. But if you want to use this stage, go ahead.”

From Wang Fugui, Mo Wen sensed a peculiar aura of death unique to this world—an almost dissolving warmth.

He likely would not die immediately, but probably wouldn’t live much longer.

This dying man then walked to a manned drone by the side and flew away in silence from the entire audience.

Over team communication, the voice of Dragon Sword Ninja sounded resigned: “The mission is complete, much faster than expected, but our work is not over. Phantom and I will continue protecting Wang Fugui for a while. You all maintain order here.”

“If necessary, killing is permitted to intimidate.”

Ren Sisi responded immediately: “Understood!”

“Understood,” Mo Wen replied, though he felt the scene seemed manageable without them.

The rebel who had jumped on stage shouted earnestly: “Everyone, listen to me!”

“The Group is using all humanity as a social experiment. Controversial City is a focal point. They see us neither as humans nor threats, granting us excessive autonomy. But this is precisely our chance to gather strength.”

“The new humans are not superior to us. Companies and the Group are not stronger than us. They simply control more of the means of production and established order first.”

“Why must we remain idle? Why can’t we participate in shaping human civilization’s future? Why can’t we own property? Because they stole these things from us.”

“We can become their enemies! We can disrupt their order and build our own!”

“The aid they give is taken from what rightfully belongs to us, given as charity to numb us and prevent us from fighting.”

“Join us, unite, and reclaim what is ours!”

He shouted hoarsely, voice raw, but beneath the stage...

“No life left? When will this end so we can leave? That guy’s level is nowhere near Old Wang’s.”

“Yeah, Old Wang was refined, but when he snapped that ‘fools’ word, his cynicism came through. This young punk just babbles on without substance, shamelessly. Honestly, even the dead from previous generations wouldn’t buy what they’re selling. Unrealistic!”

“Well, some people have different views. Just don’t disturb everyone else.”