Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 228 The New Order (Sixth Update)

Chen Yu does not pursue an absolute, lifeless order.

Complete control and ultimate order, if achieved at the cost of utterly suppressing free will, cannot bring true maximum efficiency.

Human nature is far more complex than simple models suggest. Excessive suppression, like excessive indulgence, can lead to distortions in individuals and systems, resulting in imperceptible loss of efficiency.

Just as a constantly taut spring will eventually lose its elasticity, a system without any redundancy or buffer space will inevitably lack the resilience to cope with change.

He believes that only by combining a reasonable control framework with appropriate autonomy can individuals maintain a relatively stable and creative state.

This dynamic balance is precisely the key to achieving higher overall work efficiency at the macro level.

In contrast, he sees the practice of certain extreme factions within the Cult of Mechanics, which places all actions under the absolute control of cold calculations, squeezing every last second of humanity and even treating them as standard parts that can be replaced at will, as a different kind of rigidity and inefficiency.

While pursuing absolute control, this model also ruthlessly stifles unexpected sparks of inspiration that might emerge outside the strict framework.

One of the deeper purposes of the social experiment he is conducting in Night City is to explore the optimal efficiency boundary that may exist between absolute order and chaotic freedom.

As the delivery truck drove away from the relatively spacious neighborhood and through the city center, Chen Yu's observations were confirmed by reality.

This place was once the epicenter of power struggles, but now it presents an unusual tranquility.

The outer defenses of the building have been dismantled, replaced by visible and hidden sentry posts and continuous electronic surveillance.

Pedestrians would unconsciously quicken their pace as they passed by, not daring to linger.

The symbol of power has never been so tangible, but it is no longer displayed through blatant violence; instead, it is internalized as an omnipresent, silent deterrent.

The vehicle eventually drove into a relatively quiet neighborhood near Charter Hill.

This area was once planned as an upscale residential area, but it inevitably fell into disrepair due to past chaos.

Now, under the management's coordination, this area has been designated as a priority protection zone, with well-developed infrastructure and the highest level of security, making it suitable for setting up a temporary research site.

Chen Yu chose a standalone building with a reinforced underground structure as her temporary workshop and residence.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, Ignis got out first to check for safety.

Chen Yu then stepped out of the carriage, her metal feet making a slight sound as they trod on the clean sidewalk.

He looked up and saw that the sky over Night City was still dyed an ambiguous purplish-red by neon lights, and the giant holographic billboards were still flashing tirelessly.

However, upon closer inspection, the content of the advertisements has quietly changed: the content that was once full of sexual innuendo, violent images and extreme inflammatory content has been greatly reduced, and it has been replaced by public service notices, standardized job recruitment information, and commercial advertisements that have undergone content review and have a relatively "healthy" style.

The city's soundscape has also changed significantly.

The gunfire of gang shootouts and the clamor of street thugs have almost disappeared, replaced by the low hum of regular vehicles, the occasional official broadcast, and a kind of suppressed, barely audible whisper from the lower classes.

The strong odor in the air, a mixture of rotting garbage, exhaust fumes, cheap alcohol, and lust, had noticeably faded.

While it's far from refreshing, at least it's no longer as suffocating as it used to be.

The sensory experience of this city is being redefined; a calculated order is reshaping every corner of it. He entered the temporary workshop, and the servo skull immediately activated from standby mode, taking over the temporary residence and workshop.

Ignis commanded the Royal Guard to establish a tight perimeter around the building.

Chen Yu stood in front of the temporary control console and connected to the data stream of the city management system.

A vast amount of information flowed into his processing core like a gentle river—energy consumption curves, traffic flow statistics, job matching rates, basic material rationing, crime reports, public health data…

Everything was operating according to the "contribution-guarantee" model he had set.

Efficiency indicators are steadily improving, and chaos has been effectively suppressed.

But he also saw what was hidden beneath the data.

Resident satisfaction surveys (although such surveys have limited significance under the new system) reveal a pervasive sense of tension and repression.

The sharp decline in the circulation of certain non-essential consumer goods indicates that people's room for active choice has been reduced beyond basic survival needs.

Sensors in some peripheral areas occasionally report unusual energy fluctuations or brief communication disruptions, suggesting that there is still activity in the shadows that is not completely subdued.

This is exactly what he wanted to see.

A system that has been forcibly incorporated into a rational framework, but still has dynamic tensions within it.

Complete calm means the beginning of death; moderate, controllable "noise" is a sign of system activity.

Preserving graffiti with "artistic value," allowing limited, non-destructive personal expression, and maintaining a small amount of choice beyond basic survival—such as slightly better rations or limited leisure time for high-performing employees—are all "pressure relief valves" and "activators" he intentionally leaves within the system.

Night City itself is a grand social experiment.

We will first operate according to the principle of "mainly control and retaining limited freedom", observe its long-term effects, and collect social evolution data under different parameters.

If problems arise, adjustments will be made and new data points will be obtained.

This is the true significance of the experiment.

To verify the hypotheses, revise the model, and explore the boundaries that human nature can tolerate and the optimal balance of output that can be achieved while ensuring absolute control and core efficiency.

He shut down most of the real-time data streams, keeping only basic monitoring.

The primary task at present is to complete the design and preparation of the large-scale dimensional portal, which is related to the final solution to Arasaka and the support for a more ambitious future plan.

As for this city, let it operate under these new rules for a while, let the data settle naturally, and let the conflicts evolve slowly under control.

He turned to the suspended servo skull, its crimson optical lenses locked onto the structural blueprints of the dimension teleporter.

"Begin preliminary energy circuit simulation of the large portal array," he calmly gave the order, focusing his attention entirely on the next critical task.

The city of night outside the window continues to move forward along the trajectory set by the AI ​​administrator, caught between the cold logic of the AI ​​administrator and the remaining glimmer of humanity, and he is looking forward to this experiment bearing fruit that satisfies him.

(End of this chapter)