Bai Luan was teleported to an unfamiliar planet, but he didn't rush to investigate it.
Instead, he took out his Anywhere Door.
Although he knew something was bound to happen to send him away from the Space Station, Bai Luan was curious to see what would happen to send him back.
So he opened the Anywhere Door and returned to the Space Station.
As soon as he stepped out of the Anywhere Door, he once again bumped into the Spirit Fire that had appeared out of nowhere.
Bai Luan helplessly watched the eerie blue flames ignite on him again.
Is it really that simple?
"Elio, you old geezer, can you be any more perfunctory…?"
Twice, twice!
You teleported me twice!
Is the spot Elio gave you really that accurate?
Bai Luan's figure once again vanished from the cabin section, and Kafka's holographic projection watched the scene from a distance.
Only after confirming that Bai Luan had disappeared from the Space Station did she reveal a slight smile.
"Everything went according to the script.
He did come back once, and by guiding the Spirit Fire there, it successfully bumped into him upon his return."
The script Elio gave her was complete; now, she could leave.
Kafka's holographic projection flickered a few times, then disappeared.
The scenery before him flashed, and Bai Luan was once again sent to another unfamiliar planet.
However, this time he had used up the Anywhere Door's directional teleportation charges.
Although he could still choose to put on his nano-mecha and slowly fly back to Herta Space Station, he estimated that many things would happen along the way.
He decided to wait until everything settled down before returning to the Space Station.
It seemed that in this storyline where the Annihilation Gang attacked the Space Station, he was the biggest variable.
Sending himself away from the Space Station would maximize the chances of the plot remaining unchanged.
Bai Luan took out his phone and saw that he had a signal.
Excellent.
Bai Luan first reported his safety to the Space Station, stating that he was fine and just needed to temporarily leave the Space Station due to some unexpected circumstances.
Then Bai Luan sent a message to Ratio, telling him the location of the Spirit Fire and asking Ratio to help retrieve it.
Thus, all the elements constituting the original script were now assembled.
After doing all this, Bai Luan put away his phone with a sense of relief and began to observe his current surroundings.
The place Bai Luan was currently in seemed to be a city, and its level of development was not low.
Various holographic projection traffic signs were visible everywhere, and the buildings were sci-fi-style skyscrapers.
Pedestrians on the streets came and went in a hurry.
Bai Luan had used the Anywhere Door to randomly jump over a hundred times before, and he had never seen a single living planet.
Now, the Spirit Fire's teleportation had actually sent him to a living planet.
Could this be considered a safety net?
That being said, Bai Luan felt an indescribable sense of eeriness as he looked at the city.
But for a while, Bai Luan couldn't pinpoint what exactly was eerie.
He decided to find someone to ask about the city's name and then use his phone to research the planet's background.
Bai Luan made up his mind and used the most primitive method of gathering information; he stopped a passerby.
He stopped a hurried passerby.
"Friend, excuse me…"
Before he could finish, the other person looked up, and their gaze made Bai Luan freeze.
Their eyes were filled with confusion and strangeness, as if they weren't looking at a traveler asking for directions, but rather staring at a freak publicly streaking on the street.
"Why did you stop me?"
Bai Luan was taken aback and said:
"To ask for directions?"
The person activated their personal terminal, as if checking something, and after confirming, said:
"Being asked for directions is not on my schedule for today."
Then he looked at Bai Luan and said with a frown:
"Everything should proceed according to Alpha's instructions.
Do not do anything outside of your scheduled arrangements."
Then he sidestepped around him and left directly.
Alpha, scheduled arrangements… What on earth are the people on this planet talking about?
Bai Luan, not believing it, asked several people, and several times he received similar reactions.
It seemed that asking politely would not yield the desired information.
Extraordinary circumstances called for extraordinary measures.
The nanobots on his body transformed into a mechanical arm, which casually grabbed a passerby and pulled him over.
Bai Luan looked at the man, who was frightened in the mechanical palm, and threatened him:
"What is Alpha? Where is this place? If you answer 'everything should operate according to Alpha's arrangements' again, I'll crush you."
The passerby cowered, his eyes filled with terror, but also a hint of self-righteous confusion:
"Not… not doing things outside of Alpha's arrangements is… is common sense.
Com… communicating with you is not within my scheduled arrangements; it's… it's a meaningless waste of time…"
Bai Luan frowned upon hearing this and asked:
"So what exactly is Alpha?"
"You don't even know Alpha?"
"I'm not from here.'
"It is the manager of Carlton, and the assistant to all of us."
Just then, a pure white, simply designed, cycloptic drone glided silently and hovered in front of Bai Luan.
Its circular sensor fixated on him, emitting a gentle and steady synthesized voice:
"Sir, please let him go.
If you have any questions, you can ask me directly."
The grabbed passerby, as if seeing a savior, hurriedly shouted:
"Alpha! Help me quickly!
There's someone here who came from who-knows-where and doesn't understand the rules!"
Bai Luan glanced at the passerby, dispersed his nano-mechanical arm, and turned his gaze to the drone.
"You are Alpha?'
"Yes and no; this is not my main body."
The drone's voice remained calm.
"At this moment, I am merely conversing with you through this mobile unit."
Alpha flew in front of the passerby.
"I will handle this matter; you may continue to spend your day according to your scheduled recommendations."
The passerby nodded and turned to leave.
While Alpha and the passerby were talking, Bai Luan also used his phone to search for Carlton and Alpha, and then found an introduction to this planet on the Star Network.
Carlton was the name of this planet.
This planet was relatively special.
Although this planet had established a connection with the Star Network, it remained relatively isolated.
This planet had only one city, Carlton, and the rest of the area consisted of highly automated factories.
These factories supplied the city of Carlton and also produced goods for the company.
And the leader of this planet was Alpha.
So… this is a planet where AI rules organic life?
How did the company resist the urge to just dismantle Alpha?
Bai Luan looked at the white drone with a hint of curiosity.
The other party was clearly looking at him too, and seeing Bai Luan's gaze directed at itself, it spoke:
"Have you finished your inquiry?"
"More or less."
Bai Luan put away his phone and, without further ado, directly asked the question he most wanted to know:
"How did the company resist dismantling you?"
The drone's single eye flickered, seemingly processing this overly direct question.
"I believe this might be related to the fact that approximately eighty percent of the automated factories on this planet operate efficiently under my management for the company's benefit.'
"So, it's based on 'bribery'?"
Bai Luan couldn't help but retort.
"This reason… is too unpretentious.'
"This is a choice based on efficiency and mutual benefit."
Alpha patiently explained, its voice showing no hint of emotion.
"After all, the number of organic life forms on this planet is far less than that of mechanical bodies.
Only a small portion of the factories' output is needed to maintain a quality of life far above average for them."
"So… you control this planet and provide for the humans on it?"
"Please allow me to correct your wording; I do not provide for them, but rather serve them."
The drone tilted slightly forward, as if making an inviting gesture.
'Mr. Bai Luan, if you are interested in Carlton, I would be happy to tell you more."
"You know me?"
"Yes, I know you are a member of the Genius Society, and I also know some of your deeds.
If possible, would you be willing to meet and talk with me?"
"With your main body?"
"Yes, right there."
Bai Luan looked up in the direction indicated by the drone, his gaze passing over layers of aerial walkways and suspended roadways, towards the magnificent silver mega-tower in the center of the city, which seemed to pierce the sky.
"You're in that building?"
"Strictly speaking, that entire building is me."
…