Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 325 Office Strife

"Another power?"

"Colonel Zhuang Xiao, your work over there is progressing very smoothly... no, I should say our work over there is progressing very smoothly."

Merlin said.

They implanted not just an idea, but also many concepts, many concepts that embody the hard work of countless people. These concepts were written into the guild's investigator's handbook, and the anomaly coefficient in the handbook is the best example of this.

Is there any possibility of recovery for a plane that has been reduced to a dead star?

Merlin suddenly asked.

"No."

The answer came almost spontaneously. This was common sense for every guild investigator, and Crimson, as one of the guild's managers, was no exception. Over the past few centuries, the guild had tried more than once to send more people to those destroyed planes, but had only come to one conclusion: the moment the anomaly coefficient reached zero was equivalent to the final judgment, and no matter what attempts or efforts were made after that, the predetermined fate could not be changed.

Even the guild leaders can't do that.

The Death Star is a forbidden zone for humanity.

Zhuang Xiao suddenly realized something and said, "You want him to come here?"

This was absolutely a crazy idea, and in her opinion, it was illogical in many ways, because it was not difficult to tell from Merlin’s few words that Ethan was not one of them, and the Vault Researchers Association could not even make a judgment about his life form.

He didn't use the tools in the lab, which meant that if Ethan died, he wouldn't wake up on this side immediately.

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

The two walked side by side in the dark passage.

As night deepened, most of those still awake gathered in the main hall, making the rest of the shelter seem quiet and empty. Zhuang Xiao understood their excitement; for those still living on the Death Star, hope was priceless, even if it was currently just an illusion.

Merlin did not return to his room; their destination was the research institute.

Before entering, iris recognition is required, and Zhuang Xiao can guess that this must be the most confidential area in the entire shelter.

"Putting aside those lofty visions, we still need to face some down-to-earth work."

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

He closed the door. "On this issue, my thoughts differ slightly from those of the higher-ups..."

This doesn't mean he couldn't understand the feelings of the higher-ups. Since they needed to seek another power, the best outcome would be one filled with magic, such as them finally welcoming that comrade who could restore the world to its pre-destruction state with just a snap of his fingers.

When he lay under the covers at night to sleep, Merlin admitted that he had also had these pleasant thoughts.

Zhuang Xiao then saw two documents piled on top of each other on the table.

"Thinking Experiments" and "Immigration Plans".

Merlin had no intention of hiding his plan from her; instead, he said, "If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears."

Zhuang Xiao sat opposite Mei Lin and quietly opened the plan titled "Thinking Experiment".

This was a follow-up to their successful implantation of ideas in Ethan, but it was far more complex and difficult than the previous operation.

"Implant a scene in his mind?"

Zhuang Xiao frowned.

Ethan is placed in a scene depicting a world before its destruction.

They have exhausted scientific methods; what they need now is a way of thinking outside of science, and Ethan is the best example.

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

"The research team has begun preparations, but they are currently facing many obstacles."

Merlin said, "Our idea is to use dreams. For Old Sen, it's just a dream he has while he's sleeping, and it won't burden him too much."

Even the way they addressed each other changed, as if Merlin had long ago accepted one thing from the bottom of his heart—Ethan was one of them, or even a friend who had known them for many years.

The idea is great, but the difficulty often lies in how to implement it.

How exactly are they supposed to cross dimensions to send a message in a dream to someone whose exact location they don't know? This means that all their current equipment and knowledge are useless.

Zhuang Xiao did not immediately express her opinion; instead, she began to review another plan.

The Immigration Project is much more pessimistic than the Thought Experiment. It is based on the premise that the Oasis cannot be rebuilt and that people trapped in the shelter must find a new place to live. Therefore, Ethan's views and attitudes toward humanity become the key to everything.

"That's why I've wanted to talk to you about this for a long time."

Merlin said, "I left too early and missed many things that happened afterward... Colonel Zhuang Xiao, do you think the Empire is capable of accepting a large number of refugees now, and is it suitable for these refugees to settle there long-term? If we were to rate that place according to the ratings in the Guild Investigator's Handbook, what rating would you give it?"

“Stable, livable…” Zhuang Xiao suddenly changed the subject, “Why do you ask that?”

"I also asked Song Xian the same question. His assessment of the place was that since the fall of Pope Julius's power, the empire has been getting better and better. It seems that the people there have passed through the darkest times after the Enlightenment and the Reformation... Song Xian also mentioned that the new cabinet is recruiting a lot of people, and the knowledge we have should be able to help the empire complete its rapid modernization."

Optimistically speaking, they could create a new oasis in twenty years, or even less.

For Zhuang Xiao, Song Xian, and others who have lived for over a thousand years, twenty years is but a fleeting moment.

"Song Xian's assessment is that the new cabinet of the empire is open to immigration. They are even willing to accept witches, so they should not turn away a large number of highly educated intellectuals."

"Wait a moment."

Zhuang Xiao had to interrupt Merlin. She heard the other woman's tone becoming increasingly agitated, as if she couldn't wait to draft the first batch of immigrant quotas. "You should know that we didn't actually appear there, right?"

Clearly, they used some kind of tool to project their consciousness to another end, which is why they were able to live for thousands of years. While they were on missions, their real bodies were well cared for every day. When she woke up, she was connected to countless wires. The device also used cryogenic chamber technology to prevent their muscles from atrophying when their consciousness was separated.

This so-called immigration plan is more like inserting a tube into everyone's head and letting them live in a fantasy world.

"This is just the first step in the immigration plan."

Merlin didn't deny it; clearly, Zhuang Xiao wasn't the first to raise such a question. "Don't forget, that world has infinite possibilities. Maybe we can find a way for consciousness to survive without the body..."

"Are you trying to recruit people for your theories again?"

A sarcastic voice came from the doorway. When Zhuang Xiao looked in the direction of the voice, she only saw an eyeball robot floating down from the ventilation duct, and a soft male voice came from inside.

"Minister Chen Qi."

Merlin was not angered by the arrival of the uninvited guest. "It's not polite to barge into someone's office."

"It is my duty to prevent my subordinates from doing stupid things, and your plan has already been rejected in the seminar."

As it spoke, the eyeball robot turned to Zhuang Xiao, "Colonel Zhuang Xiao, you have indeed made outstanding contributions, but that does not mean that every one of your proposals will be adopted, especially do not try to shake the most critical part of the plan—please be clear about your identities, you are not the main characters of this plan, and all your actions should be aimed at cooperating with her."

"It was just casual conversation between colleagues after get off work."

Merlin replied calmly, "It's not working hours right now."

"It better be this way."

The eyeball robot flashed a red light and slowly floated away, leaving Merlin and Zhuang Xiao staring at each other in bewilderment. Merlin shrugged innocently.

Even if the world were destroyed, the aloof department head would still be as annoying as ever.

"What did he mean by 'protagonist'? Why don't I remember anything about that?"

Zhuang Xiao noticed something was wrong and asked.

“Forgetting is normal.” Merlin simply smiled in response. “It’s not difficult to remove some memories from your mind while you’re lying on the device. However, I believe you’re enlightened enough to understand the committee’s actions—Colonel Zhuang Xiao, all of this is for the future of humanity, isn’t it?”

Zhuang Xiao did not get the answer she wanted, and she felt that Merlin's words were somewhat sarcastic. If the committee heard them, they might think that he had a problem with his ideological awareness.

"It's getting late."

Before she could speak further, Merlin subtly dismissed her, but he clearly didn't intend to abandon the "Immigration Plan." Before leaving, Zhuang Xiao clearly saw Merlin quickly writing something on the plan; it was her assessment of the current state of the empire, with "stability" and "livability" underlined.

In this way, he had the evaluations of her and Song Xian, two people who had experienced it firsthand.

Zhuang Xiao still felt somewhat dazed; she was still experiencing withdrawal symptoms. But even the slowest person could sense that something was wrong—she seemed to have been drawn into an office power struggle.

only……

When the eyeball robot mentioned the "protagonist," it almost immediately reminded her of someone.

"goddess".

If everything they did was to implant an idea in Ethan's mind, then what is the background of the "goddess" who possesses almost unlimited power?
Was she one of them?

Or is it another being similar to Ethan?
With more and more doubts arising, Zhuang Xiao felt it necessary to return to the living room and list out these complicated interpersonal relationships on a piece of paper.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Winter groggily rolled over.

The empty right side made her squint her eyes a crack. She saw Ethan lying on the very edge of the bed with his back to her. He seemed to have come home late and hadn't covered himself with a blanket so as not to wake her.

Her red eyes revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.

Turn over to your right side.

He wrapped his arm around Ethan's neck and clamped his right leg between Ethan's legs.

Having accomplished all this, Winter closed her eyes with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)