Chapter 1053: Professor

Chapter 1053: The Professor

Noble souls will always receive the nobility they deserve, while the wretched can never escape the fate that belongs to them.

As if realizing his demise was inevitable, Gui Xu, having finished his weeping, could no longer endure this final "humiliation" and let out a hysterical roar toward the receding Alliance Building.

"Stupidity incarnate! Handing over the civilized world to the savages of the wasteland!!! You simply do not deserve to be vault dwellers! You have betrayed the Human Federation! Betrayed the people who built the vaults!! Just you wait and see, you will get what's coming to you!!"

That distorted face was covered in tears and mucus.

That hysterical roaring and resentment were far from just savage; it hardly seemed human at all.

The soldier holding his shoulder glanced at him with disgust, not wanting his uniform soiled by those disgusting fluids, yet forced to grip him tightly to prevent him from committing suicide.

For a man with absolutely no hope left to live, it was not an impossibility.

Though this fellow might not necessarily possess that kind of courage.

"Savages of the wasteland, heh... If you let the people who built the vaults know that the dwellers living in them later would call their children that, guess if they would still build the vaults."

"Who exactly is the betrayer, and who betrayed whom? You still don't know even on the brink of death."

Staring into those pupils that were half cowardice and half hysteria, the soldier pinning his shoulder spoke fiercely.

"When you die, you better open your eyes wide and take a good look at who exactly is living in retribution, and who gets what's coming to them!"

...

The trial of Gui Xu would be conducted together with the trial of the Enlightenment Society's high leadership, which additionally included the trials of the Society's accomplices.

The Pan-Asian Community would establish a specialized court and investigative body to liquidate the various crimes they committed and mete out sentences based on evidence.

As the setting sun gradually went down, Chu Guang, having finished his work, placed the documents aside as usual, pushed open the door to walk out of the office right on time, boarded the long-awaiting private vehicle downstairs at the building, and returned to the vault south of Dawn City.

Usually at this time he would choose to close his eyes and rest his mind for a while, but today, on a sudden whim, he scrutinized the scenery outside the window, even instructing the driver to take a deliberate detour to look around the city center.

The city center of Dawn City had always been to the north of the Alliance Building, separated by a quite considerable distance from the Linghu Wetland Park to the south.

And with the development and expansion of the new urban area to the east, the city center gradually showed a trend of moving toward the "old site of Highway Town."

That place had once been watered with the blood of the Alliance's corps, but now it had turned into rows of towering buildings and plazas bustling with crowds.

Chu Guang was lost in thought for a moment, and not until the reflection of that row of buildings receded from the car window did he suddenly snap out of it, speaking with a smile to Lyu Bei, who sat in the front passenger seat.

"The changes here are quite vast. Sometimes, catching a glimpse of it gives a distinct feeling of a lifetime away."

Having been diligently staring at the road conditions ahead and both sides of the street, Lyu Bei had not carefully admired the scenery outside the window. Stunned for a moment, he immediately said with a smile.

"It really is developing quite fast here... but that urban area just now has actually been finished for some time."

"Is that so?" Chu Guang laughed heartily, saying with emotion, "Probably because I don't often stroll around. In a couple of days, you should take me around to look about."

"Yes!" Lyu Bei nodded seriously, putting on a posture that guaranteed the completion of the mission.

Seeing this young man's highly attentive look, Chu Guang said with a gentle tone and a smile.

"Just a casual stroll, no need to be so nervous... and also, don't disturb others."

Lyu Bei, who was originally only ordinarily nervous, grew even more nervous upon hearing this sentence...

...

At the entrance of the vault, an endless stream of players shuttled across the plaza, among whom were newbies who had just entered the game to report here, and some who were veteran players who had just recently revived.

The snack street to the north was even more bustling with people passing to and fro, with traveling merchants who journeyed north and south exchanging conditions of various places, and players sharing their unlucky ways of dying three days ago.

He did not return to the vault immediately.

Chu Guang still went to the ramen stall he frequently visited, and after sitting down, ordered a super-sized bowl, watching the noisy little players to go with his meal, quietly eating until the sun had completely set.

Feeling that the Manager had something on his mind, Lyu Bei, sitting opposite him, felt embarrassed to ask and could only wait quietly.

But regrettably, Chu Guang did not speak of what was on his mind; he merely counted out change and placed it on the table as usual, exchanged a few smiling pleasantries with the boss who was sweating profusely pulling ramen, and left.

To be honest, Chu Guang was also a bit bewildered by his own mentality at this moment.

Clearly, the riddle he had always dreamed of and longed to solve was right before his eyes, yet he was not in the least bit of a hurry to uncover that hidden answer, instead longing for time to pass a little slower.

However, he also knew it was impossible for him to never face the memories outside that period of time.

"Just drop me off here, I intend to go back."

"Yes."

Watching Chu Guang walk toward the vault, Lyu Bei nodded slightly but did not leave.

Looking at that gradually receding back, he hesitated for a moment and finally spoke.

"Sir."

Chu Guang stopped his steps, looked back, and seeing the young man's earnest expression, could not help but say with a smile.

"Is there something the matter?"

Lyu Bei nodded and said seriously.

"I have no father, nor any other relatives. It was you who taught me how to write, arithmetic... and so much knowledge I did not understand. Perhaps you might find it offensive... but I have always regarded you as my father."

"Not to the point of offensive, though it is true I am somewhat surprised," Chu Guang coughed lightly and said with a smile, "Why are you suddenly saying all this?"

"It's nothing..." Lyu Bei shook his head gently and continued in a serious tone, "I just want to tell you that you will always be the Manager in my heart. And... I believe it's not just me, many people think so."

There was not half a shred of falsehood on that sincere face; what he said was indeed from the bottom of his heart.

Putting away his joking tone, an earnest expression also appeared on Chu Guang's face as he said solemnly.

"I see. Thank you."

With that, a warm smile bloomed on his face again. He walked back to stand before Lyu Bei and patted the young man's shoulder.

"I'm just going home, don't make it seem like I'm going somewhere far away."

"Remember to pick me up tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock to take me around Dawn City."

"Yes!" Lyu Bei stood at attention excitedly and gave a military salute, though this time he was not as nervous as before.

Chu Guang waved his hand with a smile, telling him there was no need to wait here, and then dissolved into the crowd on the plaza, returning to the place where everything had originally begun...

...

Leaving the players who attempted to "exploit a bug" by sticking to his backside in the elevator, Chu Guang instructed Xiao Qi to send them back to the B1 level, then stepped alone into the long-sealed B5 level.

The doors of the elevator opened directly onto a vast circular space.

The layout here was very similar to the B2 and B3 levels, the only difference being the absence of a living area and the hundreds or thousands of single dormitories distributed around the circular corridor.

This place was actually somewhat like the citizen reception hall of the Alliance Building, presumably meant to be the administrative functional area of Vault 404.

Not only that.

Unlike the pristine, dust-free appearance of the other floors when they were just opened, a very thick layer of dust covered the alloy floor here, so that even the softest shoe heel would inevitably make a creaking sound when stepping on it.

It was apparent that no one had been here for a very long time, to the point that there was not even a need to clean it.

Chu Guang stood in place to glance at the surrounding environment, and then lifted his foot to walk toward the corridor directly facing the elevator.

On the B2 and B3 levels, this corridor in the identical position connected to the warehouse area.

Yet here it was different; without any surprise, what lay there should be the Manager's office.

Chu Guang placed his hand on the door handle, quickly passing through iris and facial recognition verification. With a soft click, the alloy door, sealed for two centuries, finally released its lock, unveiling an obscure corner of that forgotten era. And in that very instant the door opened, a low, distant sound pierced through the threshold, like a faraway wind chime drifting toward him. “You’ve come.” Chu Guang raised an eyebrow. “You mean to say I shouldn’t have?” At this dry joke meant to lighten the mood, a withered laugh floated from ahead. “Haha... no, not at all.” While the two exchanged banter, Chu Guang glanced at the room before him. It was a circular chamber. The furnishings were simple, even sparse—just a wide curved screen and a chair facing it. Someone seemed to be sitting in that chair. But the figure was turned away from Chu Guang, so he couldn’t make out the face, nor even tell if the person was still alive. As for the hoarse, low voice, it came from the curved screen directly opposite. “I’ve waited for you a long time.” A pair of eyes watched him from somewhere, as if gazing at their own child, or at a reflection in a mirror. Chu Guang had felt that sense of déjà vu once before, when communicating with the Observer. But what was intriguing was that he read entirely different things from those two gazes. Staring at the glowing screen, Chu Guang asked in a calm voice. “Are you the ‘Professor’?” To his surprise, the voice made no attempt to hide, admitting it easily. “Yes. I didn’t expect to hear that name after all these years... Actually, I didn’t originally go by that name, but people often called me that, and over time it stuck.” Chu Guang could detect a hint of nostalgia in the voice, as if mourning the passage of time and the changes it brought. He could understand that feeling. Though he was only beginning to. “I’ve often heard that you created the Age of Prosperity.” A blurry figure appeared on the curved screen mounted on the wall. He couldn’t make out the face, but imagined it must be quite handsome—though still a bit less than his own. The figure looked at him, nodded, then shook his head slightly, speaking in a meaningful tone. “That’s not quite accurate. At best, I was a spark plug; what really burned was the gasoline in the tank. Even without me, the people of this world would have eventually ushered in their own Age of Prosperity. My existence only hastened that day... Of course, that’s a story from another world.” Chu Guang raised an eyebrow slightly. Just as he had guessed— This man, revered as the Professor by the three doctors of Principle, Method, and Conclusion, had long since touched the mysteries of the Void, which was the prerequisite for his large-scale application of “morphogenetic field” technology. “You know about another world?” Chu Guang asked, feigning ignorance. “Of course,” the figure in the screen seemed to smile gently, continuing in a mild tone, “You already knew the answer, didn’t you? That soap bubble theory... I imagine you’ve already met the Observer. I wonder if he mentioned the ‘Heart of the Galaxy’ to you.” Chu Guang shook his head. “He didn’t mention any Heart of the Galaxy, only Tau Ceti... Speaking of which, what is that?” As if recalling a distant past, the figure floating in the void swayed slightly, and after a long pause gave an ambiguous answer. “Nothing, just one way to become a Boundary Breaker. If that peeping busybody didn’t mention it, either it doesn’t exist in this universe, or the time hasn’t come yet... Don’t worry about it.” Don’t worry about it? How the hell could he not worry?! Suppressing his curiosity, Chu Guang steadied himself and continued. “As I recall, the Observer mentioned you... Though he didn’t say who it was, my intuition told me it was you.” The figure in the screen suddenly perked up, asking with interest, “Oh? What did he say?” Recalling that conversation, Chu Guang spoke slowly. “He said that the world turned out this way, and you were partly responsible.” Seeming dissatisfied with that assessment, the blurry figure let out a dry laugh, replying mockingly, “That guy must not have told you that the causality he sees is like the flap of a butterfly’s wing and a hurricane in the Pacific. There might be some connection, but it’s definitely not direct... There’s probably an entire Pacific Ocean in between.” “What he meant was that the Wasteland Era was the ultimate fate of the Age of Prosperity, so I, who laid its foundation, am to blame. But don’t you think that logic is strange? Would you blame a person’s parents for giving birth to them just because they died of old age?” “That does seem a bit far-fetched,” Chu Guang nodded, giving him a curious look. “You two seem quite familiar?” “You could say that.” The figure in the screen seemed lost in memory, and after a long pause spoke slowly. “A long, long time ago... he gave me a ‘system.’” Chu Guang’s expression turned odd. “A system? Like the Vault system you gave me?” The Professor in the screen shook his head. “No, they’re completely different things. What I gave you was at most a beginner’s guide; what he gave me was a true ‘system’—one that could enhance mental capacity and provide inspiration when my research hit a dead end.” Chu Guang: “Sounds impressive.” “It was impressive, but... actually, that’s all it was. The Observer is not omniscient or omnipotent. The information he can transmit to us is limited to what we already know or are about to know. In fact, when I no longer needed it, all it could do was fume helplessly.” The Professor chuckled, continuing in a gentle tone, “It’s like the beginner’s guide I gave you. Once you’re familiar with the Vault’s operations, you no longer need its guidance. In fact, without its rigid rules, you might do even better.” “The same was true for me. At first, I relied on the system’s guidance. But as my research deepened, I needed its help less and less, and in the end, it wasn’t I who needed it, but it who needed me.” So this Professor had once conducted research for a long time with the Observer’s assistance. But due to a disagreement over some matter, their cooperation ended. That point of divergence was probably in the early Age of Prosperity, or even before it began. Chu Guang tried to analyze from a motivational perspective. The Observer clearly wanted human civilization to play some role in the distant future, so it actively interfered with—or rather accelerated—human civilization’s progress at the cost of its potential. But its interference was only minimal. In fact, it didn’t want human civilization to advance too quickly, just a little faster, and then step into the stars at just the right moment.

However, perhaps due to the interference of the Unnameable Mist, or perhaps because of humanity's own rebelliousness, curiosity, and craving—or greed—for the material world, a variable crept into its plan, causing the marble that should have rolled along its predetermined track to deviate from its original path.

At the very least, the results of its simulation had shifted within this universe—or rather, this worldline.

That "Professor," revered by tens of thousands, did not follow the system's guidance to brake at a critical juncture; instead, he slammed the accelerator to the floor.

An era of infinite prosperity was born.

The Human Union, with resources from only a single star system, achieved a utopia of boundless flourishing.

Yet, in contrast, this gravity-less "carnival" also laid the groundwork for the collapse of paradise.

The Observer had already calculated the fate of this universe tens of millennia ahead, long before human civilization entered its prosperous epoch.

And that was ultimately why it abandoned this universe.

As for the later "True Fragrance" and "Didn't expect you to still be alive," those are tales for another time.

It truly never imagined that humanity, fallen from heaven into the abyss, could rise again—let alone that the morphogenetic field could be used in such a way, or that a young civilization more cohesive than the Human Union would emerge from these ruins.

The Professor was right.

The Observer is indeed not omniscient.

If it could foresee everything, it would not have been led around like a dog on a leash by the Unnameable Mist, nor would it have needed to peek through screens everywhere.

Chu Guang nodded thoughtfully and tentatively continued his questioning.

"The Observer mentioned to me that it hoped you would become a 'Boundary Breaker,' yet you seem—"

"Don't guess."

The Professor on the screen cut off his probing, answering with a complex tone of affirmation.

"I don't know what choice you would make, but back then... I did give up."