Chapter Forty-Four: Astonishment

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An hour later, the girl, having enjoyed a rare full meal, had already slipped into slumber.

Gao Ning sat on the sofa, sorting through the intelligence he had gathered earlier.

In truth, there wasn’t much information to be had.

Summing up, there were only three points.

First, the Bliss Space had replaced the concept of Heaven, becoming the place people most yearned for in their hearts.

Second, the problems of disease and pollution on Earth were severe. Government departments and hospitals struggled to fulfill their basic functions, barely holding on. But under the immense pressure of overpopulation, their efforts were teetering on the brink of collapse, liable to break down at any moment. Thus, the populace placed little trust in the government; instead, the gangs which ruled the night garnered more favor and support from the people.

Third, illegal migration from Earth was rampant. Almost every month, ships launched from various places, attempting to slip through gaps in the protective barriers to enter Bliss Space. Success was rare, and the mortality rate was astonishingly high. Even those who did make it in were soon caught and deported back to Earth, ending up in prison. Yet despite the risks, civilians plagued by sickness and poverty still fought desperately to reach Bliss Space.

Aside from these, most government departments had been replaced by robots. Though resistance forces on Earth continued to spring up, most amounted to minor skirmishes; faced with the mechanical police force, they were typically wiped out in less than twenty-four hours.

The government maintained its grip not only through the threat of mechanical police but also through the distribution of relief rations. Overpopulation and environmental pollution meant that naturally grown crops could no longer satisfy humanity’s needs. Thus, the vast majority of food was synthesized through technology and mechanical production lines. True, pure, uncontaminated food had become a luxury reserved for the upper classes—ordinary people couldn’t even hope to see it, let alone taste it.

To Gao Ning, the oddly flavored, barely palatable canned food already counted as high-end cuisine, akin to an Italian restaurant.

He felt speechless.

No wonder the gang boss kept a stash of canned goods so carefully in his fridge.

Scratching his head, Gao Ning sighed inwardly.

It was a terrible start—government forces wielded mechanical police for suppression, and even if he could summon the Flash, it seemed of little use.

Moreover, though the smuggling ships kept appearing, only a handful of gangs could actually produce such things. Finding the right channel was a challenge. And even if he boarded a ship, ensuring safe arrival was another hurdle entirely.

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This mission was proving just as tricky as expected.

He glanced at the summoning timer—seven hours remaining.

Forget it. There was no point in acting alone.

Better to wait until allies arrived.

He glanced at the girl, suppressed the restlessness in his heart, and lay sideways on the sofa, letting his eyes gently close.

His mind was fine, but his body was weary—fatigue had long since made him drowsy.

At last, he had found a safe spot and could rest for a while.

He wondered how Granny Liu and the other two were doing...

Compared to Gao Ning’s starting point, Granny Liu’s birthplace was much better.

She had woken up directly in a hospital bed.

After swiftly confirming her identity, she went home for a quick meal, summoned a new corpse, and immediately began to explore the area.

Within two or three hours, Granny Liu not only pinpointed her location and the general environment, but also discovered the gathering places of more than a dozen gangs.

At this moment, she was preparing to use her corpse to go on a rampage.

Liang Bing’s situation was even better.

Her mysterious workplace aura had reappeared, and this time her starting point was an office.

She was now a managerial figure, similar to a workshop supervisor. This time there was no husband, but instead she had a stepfather and a slightly deranged adoptive mother.

The factory where she worked was the assembly workshop featured in the story, where the protagonist was employed.

Thus, she quickly identified the setting.

After a brief study of the protagonist’s information, she began calling insurance companies.

She was now plotting how to cleverly get her stepfather insured, and in a few days, sacrifice him for a payout.

So far, none of the three had any intention of meeting up.

———

Gao Ning had expected to sleep soundly until morning, then summon two soldiers with renewed vigor and proceed smoothly with his plans.

But just after midnight struck, a massive explosion jolted him awake.

He sprang up; outside the window, firelight blazed.

It was the aftermath of the blast.

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But that was just the beginning. Looking down from above, he saw a scene entirely ablaze with muzzle flashes—gunfire, explosions, screams, pleas, chaos, and the sounds of fleeing, all crashing into Gao Ning’s ears in rapid succession.

“What’s going on? Has it gotten this chaotic here already?” Gao Ning was dumbfounded.

What was this—a midnight uprising?

The girl sat up, her face pale, grabbed her small bag, and with trembling hands found a petite lady’s pistol.

“Today’s the eleventh? Damn it! Why didn’t anyone tell me? We’re dead, we’re dead! Hey! Block the door, turn off the lights, turn off the lights—they could burst in at any moment!”

She shouted as she sat at the edge of the bed, hiding her body, the half of her face that was exposed filled with terror.

Gao Ning was stunned, but complied, pushing the cabinet against the door and turning off the lights before moving closer.

“What’s going on? Why are you so nervous?”

“You don’t know? Don’t joke, how could you not know about something this big!” The girl suddenly realized, “No wonder you kept asking questions—you came here just for the game, damn it, I should have guessed you weren’t a good person, else you wouldn’t have been so generous!”

As she spoke, she grew agitated, pointing her small pistol at Gao Ning.

Gao Ning fell silent, then swiftly slapped the pistol away.

With his right hand, he reached behind his waist and produced a large-caliber revolver.

“Relax. If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

The girl trembled, frozen in place.

Gao Ning fixed her with a stare. “So, can you tell me now—what’s happening? Why is it so chaotic outside, like the end of the world?”

The girl stared back, then deflated. “You really don’t know! Damn you, how could you not know!”

Gao Ning grew impatient. “Stop repeating yourself. Answer my question!”

She shook her head and gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know where to start. You’d better see for yourself.”

With that, she pulled out a small phone from her chest, quickly found a video, and handed it to Gao Ning.

Then she hastily retrieved her pistol, stubbornly aiming it at the door, her whole body tense as if bracing for monsters to burst in.

Gao Ning felt the warmth of the phone in his hand, cast her a strange glance, and finally pressed play.

A few minutes later, Gao Ning was shaken to his core.