Chapter 136: Rules of the Mechanical City
White-haired Rong Le: "There is indeed a task that needs you to do. Before that, let's get familiar with the studio and its staff."
I got familiar with the studio quickly. The number of employees was just right, enough to keep the studio running smoothly.
Nika carries a lot of illegal heavy firepower weapons on her body. Although she is a dangerous doll with a very deceptive appearance, she has been diligently handling the chores of the studio, managing supplies and purchasing items, as if she is just an ordinary female doll for viewing.
The unremarkable cleaner 1018 is born with a love for cleanliness and does not allow any dirt inside or around the studio. If it were an ordinary person, they might really believe it, but Rong Le has seen how he uses garbage tongs to clean up "garbage".
And Zero, who unexpectedly has excellent archery talent and a quick mind, is completely unlike the lowest-level puppet.
The situation of the module has now reached a certain stage. The Society of Truth and the Church of the Mother God are eyeing the Book of the Dead. Baifa Rongle made the choice that best suits his interests and cooperated with Bionic Man No. 1.
The biggest obstacle at the moment is Arnold.
"This puppet is arguably the most dangerous entity in the Mechanical City. I tried to win him over, but he was very perceptive and rejected my invitation."
In the workshop, white-haired Rong Le conspired with himself.
In the war for the Book of the Dead, the power of puppets is a huge variable. In a module, the fate of several important characters is closely related to the module. According to experience, Arnold is one of them.
Rong Le: "So it's my job to win him over? How should I approach him? I don't have any reason."
White-haired Rong Le nodded to her mask: "Of course we have to rely on our specialty."
Rong Le: "So why do you wear a mask?"
White-haired Rong Le did not answer his question.
Rong Le became the most special puppet in the studio. This specialness was reflected in the different work content. Since no one had ever seen the face under the mechanic's mask, they could easily exchange identities and do things on each other's behalf.
Only occasionally when they exchanged identities would the white-haired Rong Le say something that made him shudder.
"Sometimes I'm really curious...Are you another personality of mine, or another soul?"
Rong Le also has knowledge of mechanics, but he shouldn't have learned this. It turns out that when they are in the same body, it is easy to make excuses for such things.
But during this module loading accident, his flaws were exposed to the white-haired Rong Le's eyes and could not be hidden.
However, Rong Le did not regret her original excuse. After all, the other person living in her mind and her own split personality gave people a different sense of vigilance.
What's more, those extremely similar personality traits and habits are full of doubts, especially for someone like Rong Le.
This is the best way to get close to White Hair Rong Le.
During that period, the studio employees discovered that Arnold, who had always been unfriendly to their mechanics, began to appear in the studio frequently.
In the workshop, after dealing with Arnold, Rong Le opened the door and came in. She saw the white-haired Rong Le wearing his clothes, looking down at a tattered book at the desk.
After cooperating with Bionic Man No. 1, one third of the Book of the Dead was successfully obtained.
Rong Le walked behind him and leaned over slightly to read the same page with him: "The records above are very interesting."
"Just the power of one is enough to support the operation of a huge alien space and give society a new civilization. Only the power of God can accomplish such a miracle."
"Bionic man's energy technology is only a tiny part of it. What is recorded here far exceeds human imagination. It's not an exaggeration to call it God's Notes."
The white-haired Rong Le touched the delicate and thin pages of the book. The obscure characters and patterns on it would make ordinary people feel unbearable mumbling and hallucinations at just one glance.
And the magical charm attached to it will make readers unable to extricate themselves, and as they read deeper, they will gradually step into the abyss of madness and become the nourishment of mythological books.
White-haired Rong Le: "Are you curious about its origin?"
Rong Le: "Aren't you curious? The secrets of the world, the ultimate truth, the secrets that ordinary people can hardly explore in their lifetime, and this is the key to everything."
It can bring countless wealth and power, status and honor. It is sacred and sinful, and is the embodiment of the origin of all desires.
“Who can guarantee that the secrets they hold are real secrets?”
White-haired Rong Le raised his head slightly and looked at Rong Le behind him: "Do you know whether this world is real or fake? Who decides the correctness of the answer?"
"Who is the chess player, who sets the questions, and who approves the answers?"
Those eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. Rong Le looked at him without retreating.
“The ultimate is the ultimate because it is like the river of time and space, it has no end.”
Rong Le didn't say anything. After a while, she asked, "Is there an end to our destiny?"
White-haired Rong Le shrugged: "How should I know? People with incomplete memories have no past and no future."
"But in the very beginning, didn't we come to the City of Mist to search for the future?"
Rong Le: "We can't drift forever. There must be a time for us to return to the shore."
The workshop fell silent for a moment.
The white-haired Rong Le suddenly smiled, her eyes seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts and see the deepest secrets: "You want me to change, this is your purpose."
The most important secret was suddenly revealed by the white-haired Rong Le. The temptation that started with the Book of the Dead was finally revealed.
Rong Le actually had a feeling that "it's finally here".
So far, he has revealed many flaws. Even if he fooled the white-haired Rong Le at the beginning, he could not hide it forever.
That was another him, an opponent that should never be taken lightly.
White-haired Rong Le looked at him and asked, "What do you want to achieve with me?"
This kind of situation had never occurred between them except in the beginning when they were at loggerheads. He never showed mercy to his enemies, and now the enemy was himself.
Rong Le hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to tell him the truth and the consequences of doing so.
The conflict between him and the white-haired Rong Le is inevitable, and it will explode sooner or later. He understands his own character. Once the seeds of distrust are planted, they will immediately take root and sprout, and it will be difficult to remove them.
But it is precisely because this person is himself.
He knew how to dispel the other party's vigilance and soothe his thorny defenses. No one in the world was closer to the soul of the white-haired Rong Le than him.
He is a messenger from another time and space who leads him to the other side. He naturally understands all his difficulties and the unspeakable problems hidden in his heart.
"No one loves you more than I do. Even if I don't say anything, you can guess what I want to do."
Rong Le took a step closer to him and clearly saw the white-haired Rong Le's imperceptible retreat.
He took the initiative and regained control of the situation from the questioning of white-haired Rong Le.
"We are the same kind. I understand the feelings in our hearts that we are too shy to express. Although sometimes, we can be more straightforward and tell each other our thoughts honestly."
"But I understand that fear of the consequences can make us hesitate before speaking up."
Rong Le: "I can tell you that I want to save you. This is why I came here."
In this invisible competition, the white-haired Rong Le could not help but continue to give in, allowing the opponent to press forward step by step until he was forced into a corner.
No matter which Rong Le they are, they are not straightforward, let alone have to endure such a passionate confession. They often avoid it as soon as the other party shows such signs.
However, no matter how much he tried to avoid it, he could not avoid the other self in the world.
He brought salvation to everyone in the module and took the responsibility of tampering with the world line, but he never ushered in his own redemption.
Now, he has that redemption.
And the person who saved him was himself.
The white-haired Rong Le suddenly stood up, took a step forward and hugged Rong Le, pressing his face against Rong Le's neck. His warm breath touched the delicate outer layer of her skin, sending signals to her brain through sensors.
He whispered, "I'm glad you told me."
Rong Le's intuition suddenly gave him a familiar warning, and a creepy feeling crept up his back.
...No, the white-haired Rong Le was too calm.
There are no negative emotions at all, as if being swallowed by a swamp, or as if it is a suppressed volcano that will erupt at any time.
This strange emotion was like a vine entwined in Rong Le's heart. In her ear, the white-haired Rong Le whispered:
"Let's take it this way. I believe in you, just like you do to me. We still have a lot of time. I believe that one day, we will be honest with each other and there will be nothing to hide."
Did he really not fall into the other party's trap?
Rong Le stood there stiffly.
The other person chuckled and whispered in his ear: "Now - we should prepare for the banquet."
*
When they came out of the workshop, Rong Le and white-haired Rong Le exchanged back to their original identities.
The doll in the fitted uniform looked like an exquisite nobleman. Nika happened to meet him in the corridor and her eyes fell involuntarily on his eyes.
The black-haired puppet had green cat-like eyes similar to the mechanic's, and sometimes looking into those eyes, it felt as if he was staring into the mechanic's eyes.
The new puppet smiled warmly, "Good afternoon, Nika."
Unlike other dolls, this new doll is very unsociable and always treats other dolls in the studio with a bit of alienation. Although its attitude is polite, it always gives people a subtle sense of distance.
Just like those humans, there is always something disgusting about them.
Up to now, Nika has not yet fully communicated with him. Rong Le has been either staying in the workshop all day or going out to complete the tasks assigned to him by the mechanic.
She only knew that there was a wonderful tacit understanding and atmosphere between Rong Le and the mechanic, as if no third person could interfere.
Nika: "Going out again?"
The black-haired puppet said, "Not right away... but there will be something very important that needs to be done soon."
"You've been working so hard," Nika sighed meaninglessly. "You've been in the studio for so long, and as a colleague, I haven't had time to celebrate with you."
Rong Le: "There are indeed so many things to do that it's overwhelming."
It would be more accurate to say that he and the white-haired Rong Le tacitly quickened their pace. In this secret game, they kept throwing out their cards, and whenever they thought they had pushed the other party into a desperate situation, this idea would be overturned.
This feeling reminded Rong Le of the chess game before stepping into the door of time and space. In the invisible fight, every advance or retreat was a double game with the opponent's psychology and intelligence.
Who has a deeper plan and who will achieve the final victory will never be determined until the real end.
He could sense Nika's desire to explore. In this studio, she was the first to arrive, but in fact she was on the edge.
She carries heavy weapons, but disguises herself as a harmless ornamental doll, examining this mysterious workshop and the mechanic's attitude.
But both he and Baifa Rongle can tolerate this little rebellion of their employees.
"I know you're working for Bionic Man No. 1. Don't worry. We're not against you or the organization behind you. On the contrary, we share the same goal."
Rong Le: "So Nika, you can relax a little."
After saying this, he didn't look at Nika's pupils that were slightly dilated due to shock. He brushed past her sideways, left the corridor and returned to his room.
Around the corner, the barely perceptible aura quickly disappeared. Only after making sure that they would not be discovered did Zero whisper to 1018, "See, I told you Nika wouldn't bully newbies."
The cleaner complained expressionlessly: "...I suggest you go find a mechanic to fix your eyes."
As for the even more explosive secret, well, they heard nothing.
After all, the Nika they knew was just a good colleague who loved to talk, cared about her mother's heart every day, and maintained and managed the studio.
They don't know that Nika's acting is terrible.
Those bruised and battered hooligans must have felt guilty and left the vicinity of the studio.
This is not the result of Nika sneaking out in the middle of the night to provide "friendly" education.
…
Well, the way she hides her identity is really too much for even newcomers to bear.
*
As soon as Rong Le pushed open the door of the room, she raised her eyebrows and looked at someone who shouldn't be here.
After being caught and brought back to the studio to be cleaned, the skinny and malnourished stray kitten went through a period of stress, jumping up and down, breathing fiercely at everyone, as if they wanted to be scratched.
It was not until this period of time that things gradually settled down, and his presence became so low that it was almost impossible to find him.
Rong Le rubbed Tina's hair skillfully. Her clean and fluffy hair was thin and yellow. It would take some time for it to grow into a strong and healthy one.
The growing boy was as thin as a skeleton. He sat on the carpet beside the bed and was very well-behaved, allowing the black-haired doll to do whatever it wanted.
Perhaps it was some kind of extraordinary intuition that made him feel no hostility towards Rong Le.
Rong Le's manner of taking care of him was very skilled. The familiarity and preferential treatment she gave her own disciples, which came from years of interaction, were always different from those she gave to others.
No matter whether the person in front of him is his Tina or not, he will not ignore her.
"Didn't I tell you to stay in your room? My room is often locked, and you climbed in through the window. What if others can't find you?"
As he spoke, he dragged the person up from under his armpits and put her on the bed. Tina curled up obediently and lay motionless on the bed like a black cat.
Rong Le: "...Forget it, next time I will lock the windows before I leave."
He still indulges Tina in this kind of thing.
With the little animals around, he can calm down and think about his next move.
The banquet that White Hair Rong Le mentioned in the workshop just now was related to the arrest of Uriel that happened some time ago.
After Uriel took a picture of him and gave it to the white-haired Rong Le, he almost never appeared, as if they had no intersection at all.
But judging from the fact that he spent 20 million to shoot a new top-notch puppet gimmick, and the fact that he gave Rong Le to the white-haired Rong Le, the relationship between the two can be said to be very close.
This banquet is held to calm the recent turbulent social public opinion. The Central Building invites upper-class people from all walks of life to gather together and use everyone's influence to resolve these sharp conflicts and contradictions.
At the same time, from a political perspective, it was also a demonstration to the nobles implicated by Uriel, warning them that the rule of the Central Building was still deterrent.
Because it was not in the white-haired Rong Le's mind, Rong Le did not understand his plan, but this banquet was obviously not simple.
External armed forces have also set their sights on this plan, and beneath the false appearance of peace and prosperity lies an undercurrent.
At the banquet, he was the latest creation of the genius mechanic Tang Qiu, a completely different intelligent puppet, while the white-haired Rong Le was the up-and-coming mechanic.
Others might be the waiters, security personnel, and guests in the crowd at the banquet.
On the day of the banquet, a shocking assassination will take place.
At that time, Arnold will lead the team to ensure the safety of the banquet, and they will inevitably face off.
However, it is difficult for them to have a chance of winning against the top-level armed puppets, walking humanoid weapons.
Rong Le's mission is to stop Arnold's actions and eventually make him change sides and join the team.
This is a difficult task. It is almost impossible to persuade Arnold to abandon his responsibility to protect the people and join the assassination team that caused the riots, but it may be possible to try to stop his actions.
White-haired Rong Le asked him to win over Arnold, perhaps he had anticipated this day.
Rong Le closed her eyes, filtered out all the complicated and chaotic thoughts in her mind, and stopped thinking about the conversation that had just taken place in the workplace.
Even though his heart was beating restlessly.
White-haired Rong Le...what exactly does he want to do?
*
On the day of the banquet, White-haired Rong Le did not enter with Rong Le.
He had a perfect smile as he moved among the guests, fawning over politicians and nobles. When he raised his eyes, he inadvertently made eye contact with Tang Qiu.
Tang Qiu whispered in his ear: "I heard that Uriel gave you the doll he photographed."
White-haired Rong Le: "Are you worried that the doll is not doing well? Don't worry, I value your precious work very much."
The two men were wearing white coats as mechanics. One was a famous genius, and the other was a rising star. Their conversation attracted some people's attention, but it was not too eye-catching.
Tang Qiu: "Did you hear that a rat got into the party?"
White-haired Rong Le: "No wonder there's a stench of sewerage here."
Tang Qiu didn't get angry, and smiled: "You look different from before. Can that doll really change you?"
White-haired Rong Le: "It is indeed a perfect work, and I also want to thank you for helping me fulfill my wish."
"The concept of a doll possessing a soul has always been a false one in the field of bionics. The so-called intelligent doll simply possesses a more advanced information processor."
"But this is our deal after all, so as long as the employer likes it, that's fine."
Tang Qiu said politely, nodded slightly, turned around and left without saying anything more.
"He considered himself a genius mechanic, yet he was toyed with by his own masterpiece. Fate is truly a strange thing."
The white-haired Rong Le withdrew her gaze indifferently and no longer focused on Tang Qiu.
When she discovered that there was another consciousness hidden inside Tang Qiu's body, the white-haired Rong Le devoted a lot of attention to him.
Later it was discovered that it was not Tang Qiu's dual personality, but the leader of the legendary Bionic Man No. 1. It was hidden so deeply that almost no one could find its trace.
It was precisely because of Tang Qiu's situation that he re-examined the existence in his mind.
Who is he and what is his purpose?
White-haired Rong Le could feel that he was another self, but Rong Le's performance was beyond the level of one personality.
Why come to him, even if it is to gain his trust, the time wasted in accompanying him is worthless.
Rong Le is so mysterious, he wants to know his hidden motives. A person's weaknesses are often what he cares about most. As long as he grasps the weaknesses, he can maintain the advantage in the confrontation with Rong Le.
Then... find him and catch him.
Finally stay by his side forever.
The white-haired Rong Le smiled slightly and left the Central Building Banquet Hall from the crowd.
Shortly after he left, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed. It was pitch dark without any light. The guests looked up and voices of doubt were heard one after another.
"A special program?"
"I haven't heard of such an arrangement today?"
The next moment, a beam of light lit up from the darkness and shone on the podium in the front.
A masked figure bathed in bright light, his posture erect, his voice soft and ambiguous, his smile soft and ambiguous, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this banquet. It's an honor for you all to gather here today to enjoy such a wonderful performance."
Everyone's attention was drawn to the young man who suddenly appeared. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the masked young man lightly snapped his fingers and said, "Action begins."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of broken glass rang out all around.
The guests retreated in panic, stepping on each other's feet in the confusion, and exclamations and screams rang out one after another.
The darkness deprived them of their sight, and the only thing they could see was the night sky filled with a bleak moonlight outside the window, which was madly pouring cold air into the room.
They huddled together tremblingly like a group of lambs to be slaughtered, allowing the armed puppets to break into the banquet hall and surround them.
"Where are the security guards? Where did they go?!"
"You can't do anything to me! Do you know who I am?"
"This is a conspiracy, a trap set by the Central Building!"
Cries of fear continued to ring out, and the armed puppets silently held them hostage and surrounded them in a circle. Once anyone tried to break through the defense and escape, their ability to move would be ruthlessly weakened and they would be thrown back into the crowd.
The young man squinted his eyes and looked at the black tide below. No matter how chaotic it was below, the beam of light on the podium was the only constant factor in the banquet hall. Some people wanted to rush to the podium in a panic, but before they could touch the edge of the podium, they were dragged back into the darkness again.
He stood on the podium and said leisurely, "It seems everyone is ready to watch."
The light fell on the silver-white mask, which was pure white and cold. The young man's exposed chin had delicate lines, and his slightly red lips were softly curved, which was so confusing.
"The interrogation video of Uriel went viral online a while ago. I think everyone has seen it, right?"
The young man had a gentle smile and a soft demeanor, looking so harmless.
However, his words made people feel like they were falling into an icy cave.
"So, after realizing we couldn't rescue Uriel, we decided to find those involved in the interrogation and reenact the harm he suffered to pay him the highest tribute."
He clapped his hands, and immediately someone grabbed the target from the crowd and pressed him down on the open space not far from the podium. Another beam of light shone over, allowing everyone to see their true faces.
"Those who were behind the scenes, those who carried it out, as well as those who fueled the flames and betrayed the country, will all receive due retribution."
He said happily: "Please enjoy this performance!"
The painful struggles, wailings, and begging for mercy frightened everyone. Many people turned their eyes away, not daring to look at the bloody scene.
However, those sounds still penetrated their ears from far and near.
"Everyone must pay for their sins. They cannot escape judgment. We are not only here to avenge our companions, but also to judge all those who have committed sins."
Someone suddenly shouted, "How can you puppets be qualified to judge us? You should just serve us honestly! No, your existence is wrong. That thing is the Devil's Book. You are not androids, you are the Devil's apostles!"
The bionic dolls powered by the magical energy brought by the Book of the Dead are certainly not purely mechanical products.
Creations derived from mystical items always have strange characteristics, and Rong Qing is an example.
The spirituality and potential possessed by bionic dolls already belong to the category of biological beings, rather than mechanical creations.
Therefore, they will yearn for freedom and equality.
The masked young man on the podium cast his gaze over, his green cat eyes gleaming with a smile. "This gentleman... is also on the list, right? If you're in such a hurry, there's no need to queue."
He waved his hand casually, and soon someone brought him up. The man's unbelievable wail immediately resounded throughout the hall.
A middle-aged man in a suit, his cheeks thick with fat, forced a trembling smile. "Sir, I have nothing to do with this matter, but I admire Bionic Man No. 1's philosophy. I am willing to support your trial. Lord Uriel is innocent!"
"Yes, he is truly a great pioneer. We have always respected him, but due to the pressure from the Central Building, we have never dared to speak out!"
"Yes, we are all willing to support Bionic Man No. 1 and overthrow the rule of the Central Building!"
Everyone echoed.
The young man's smile became even kinder. "Very good, my friends. Bionic Man No. 1 will not harm you, please rest assured."
He said briskly, "Oh, by the way, this place is live streaming right now, which means everyone's attitude has been seen by everyone."
The faces of all those who spoke froze.
Rong Le was not lying. The most advanced micro cameras on the market were doing their job diligently and had already broadcast all the footage to the entire city. Whether it was the big screens on the streets, the TVs hanging in the shops, or the communication devices of every resident, the live footage was played automatically.
The most unimaginable means were used to destroy the people's prestige for the Central Building and the respect for the powerful class, and countless people could not help but curse.
The ugly thing that has long been trampled on the ground is difficult to pick up and can only sink into the mud.
Only someone who is eager to create chaos in the world could come up with such a subversive situation.
"What a lunatic, what do you think, captain?" The team member looked at the live broadcast screen and said to Arnold with a smile.
The armed puppet with black hair and teardrop mole looked up at the big screen quietly.
Arnold could not fully agree with Rong Le's methods. He was not a stupid person and could sense that something was wrong with the mechanic after spending a long time with him.
No matter who the person under the mask is, he can feel his sincerity. The young man wants to help the mechanic complete the plan and find him before the banquet starts, so that he can give up maintaining security and let Bionic Man No. 1 sneak in.
He refused to join the team, but agreed to let them pass.
"It can't get any worse."
He said lightly.
…
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