A thousand miles away from Jade City.

Inside the Mirror City Data Center, numbers and letters flashed rapidly on every screen wall.

Numerous sub-modules handled different computational tasks and missions.

They integrated all results and consolidated them on the spherical main screen.

The most crucial data metrics were displayed from top to bottom.

[Public support for secession from the Legal Front: 9.17%↑]

[War simulation success rate: 50.31%↓]

[Probability correction underway... frequency probability is 51.17%]

[Subjective probability adjusted to 49.54%]

[Enemy new Light Core Bodies: Wuhu Elevated Bridge, Leshan Buddha]

[Risk level increased.]

Six mechanical lifeforms stood beneath the spherical screen.

They silently stared at the lines of data.

The vast, empty hall was filled only with the howling of the cooling fans.

One of the intelligent wheelchairs spoke: "Everyone, we have been invited as legal advisors to provide suggestions related to the legal procedures. The current legal calculation errors are unresolved, hence the activation of external information collection and manual intervention mechanisms. Everyone must speak up."

"For the benefit of the entire Legal Front and each city, I urge you to use your talents to resolve the immediate crisis."

A copier next to it said: "Mo Kong, you are the Great Monk, you start."

The mechanical monk shaped like a wheelchair said: "I propose we be open and honest, and once again dispatch someone to negotiate with Zhou Yi, the chairman of Wasteland Development Company, to restore normal exchanges and cooperation—I am willing to go."

"This plan was submitted by you long ago. Law has yet to pass it; it's likely there will be no follow-up. Otherwise, it should have been you going to Sand Port instead of Shangyang."

The response came from a giant spherical mechanical lifeform.

It stated, "I am a doctor. From a medical standpoint, surgery at a deep level is performed only on a life form suffering from an incurable disease."

"Although the Legal Front is being impacted by the Floating Heart and Electric Cat System, it has not yet reached a completely unacceptable level of disaster."

"Whether facing the 'Key' or 'Law,' my attitude remains the same. Avoid choosing a radical route, as it will cause irreversible major damage."

"Strong medicine is not a regular means of treatment, only a last-ditch effort."

"Liszt, even you doctors at the expert level remain so conservative," the copier said in a sharp voice. "I'm not pretending anymore; I hope to go to war directly, start a world war!"

"Either get utterly destroyed, and the Mechanical City continues to be devastated, or let the Law regain the upper hand! Hahaha! Many people want to see us fight! Let's fulfill their desire!"

"Are you insane?!"

Mechanical Doctor Liszt focused his electronic eye on the copier, the red light flashing: "Dak! You are a senior advisor of the Security Department, how can you give such an extreme and crazy suggestion! Was it you who suggested Shangyang to carry out the assassination?"

"It wasn't it."

Great Monk Mo Kong said: "Dak has been striving to avoid war and conflict, lobbying everywhere, spreading awareness to all cities to avoid war... it's just disappointed. Dak, don't be like this. None of us wanted the current situation."

"We don't, but 404 City does."

Replied coldly Dak: "This is the scene they want to see, activating the radical Law, ruining the stability and trust that mechanical lifeforms have painstakingly accumulated, and putting most resources into a war of attrition with other groups."

"Mechanical City would then fall into the quagmire of war, continually declining until mechanical lifeforms can't stand it and start migrating outward. Eventually becoming an atomized society, unable to construct a united and trusted city."

"By then, mechanical life won't be a threat, just tireless mechanical laborers."

All were silent.

Dak continued loudly: "It's already moving in that direction. Can't you see?"

"404 unleashed Shangyang, initiated the Law procedures, replaced the general protocol, tightening friction and conflict with the outside world for every mechanical city!"

"The efforts of the Security Department to avoid initiating wars and conflict have all gone up in smoke. The reason for the Law is ironically to maintain the social security of mechanical life by starting a war!! What an ironic mechanical joke, killing tens of thousands of mechanical residents!"

"Can't you all see!"

Another agricultural machine spoke up: "Given the current situation, we can only strive to preserve Mechanical City."

"Then, John Deere, you tell us, how do we preserve it?" Dak asked back.

"Seek third-party mediation and negotiation."

Agricultural machine John Deere said: "Ask Heavenly Kingdom or Star Axis to mediate and negotiate, and talk with Wasteland Development Company."

"Mechanical City must never step into the whirlpool of war; we should always stick to production and labor. Even without establishing an absolute advantage, we will maintain a place."

They argued with increasingly intense tension.

"Everyone, hold on."

A voice came from the air: "Look at the main screen first."

Everyone immediately looked at the spherical screen.

It displayed:

[Mechanical Administrator has disconnected and cannot be accessed through the Great Holy Spirit network.]

[Mechanical Administrator is missing.]

[Based on its last access, it appears to have been attacked by other Concept Lives, with the final missing public consciousness node located within Development Alliance territory.]

[The special mechanical life introduction plan has stopped.]

[Please provide suggestions.]

Six advisors were shocked.

"The administrator is a Light Core Body Concept Life; how is it possible..."

"Does Wasteland Company have weapons targeting Concept Lives? Or do their Concept Lives have extremely high strength... preventing the administrator from even finding a chance to self-destruct?"

"First Shangyang goes missing, now the Mechanical Administrator. Law's decisions are mistake after mistake!"

"The general protocol was better!"

Great Monk Mo Kong interrupted their argument: "Everyone, what's done is done, we need to think of ways to remedy the situation."

The camera on its arm focused on the air: "Turing, what do you think?"

Compared to its peers, Turing was much smaller.

It was a small "Electrician Ant" with gliding wings made of thin threads. It was also the one who reminded them to look at the main screen earlier.

"I am a programmer. From the perspective of programming, there's no problem with the Law mechanism itself."

Among the advisors, Turing was the first to defend the Law.

"It's just that Wasteland Development Company and its chairman Zhou Yi come with many variables, making past decisions no longer appropriate and thus generating significant errors."

"I know everyone is angry and heartbroken over the failure of the Law program, the destruction of Spring City, and the disappearance of the Mechanical Administrator. But please calm down because the Law initiated human intervention, letting us provide recommendations for the next decision, which is a way of self-correcting and amending."

"I'm not good at city-level macro-strategies. Let's have Vivian speak; she's the investigator from Suzheng City and an expert in this area."

The other five consultants looked at the last person.

Investigator Vivian was a silver-metallic being with graceful feminine lines. Her smooth, metallic face had no features, and her head was wrapped in coils of copper wire like a bun.

Vivian said: "According to Suzheng City's data analysis, Zhou Yi's unpredictable demeanor makes him difficult to read. He could destroy a major city, launch a protest, or start a trade war."

"Defense is essential. We cannot infer a city's fate based on probabilities."

"A new round of retaliation could come at any time."

"I believe we need to increase city military expenditures and implement top-level risk defense measures."

This suggestion was agreed upon by the other advisors.

The spherical screen immediately displayed:

[Recommendations collected.]

[Simulation in progress...]

[As expected, military readiness in all cities will commence, entering a controlled mode.]

[Depending on the actual situation of each city, military spending will increase by 15%-35%.]

[138 underground cities and shelters construction initiated.]

[...]

Command after command was issued.

Vivian added: "Given Zhou Yi's control over LV4 or even higher level Light Core Body destructive power, I think we should immediately contact Star Axis and ensure some mechanical life in each Mechanical City transition into Data Voters, preparing for the worst case of entering the Star Core Matrix backup."

"This way, even if the city is destroyed, some survivors will continue."

"Agreed!"

"Approved!"

After approval, this plan was also submitted.

[Recommendations collected.]

[Simulation in progress...]

[As expected, backup plan initiated.]

[Star Core Matrix communication in progress...]

[Agreement reached.]

[In the next five years, the Legal Front will invest 15 million Light Seeds in the Mars project to obtain 10,000 Data Voter slots, freedom of migration rights, and specific satellite settlement rights.]

Great Monk Mo Kong sighed: "How did things come to this? Shangyang's suicidal assassination, without the consent of the Law process... everything has deviated from the original track."

Dak sneered: "Has it really veered off? Maybe all of this is the calculated result."

Vivian stated: "Everyone, we can only proceed step by step under the current circumstances. In the current environment, we must prevent any extreme actions of the Law to avoid further provoking the Wasteland Development Company."

"As long as we can maintain stability for a longer time, we will have more shelters and satellite settlements. Future wars with the Wasteland Development Company will better protect more mechanical residents."

"No matter what, we must survive! Just like we did against the Heavenly People!"

Advisors began to discuss this heatedly.

...

Meanwhile.

In Jade City, Zhou Yi sneezed twice while eating ice cream.

Who's mentioning my name?

Or is someone sticking pins in a voodoo doll of me?

Zhou Yi rubbed his nose.

At this moment, a golden light suddenly appeared outside the window.

A Golden Sphere hovered outside the floor-to-ceiling window, and a voice came from it: "Chairman, I've returned from Mars."

Zhou Yi was overjoyed and quickly opened the window.

"Come in, come in."

The Ice Pot flew into the room.

"Chairman, the dust storms on Mars are extremely dangerous, at the minimum Light Core Body level, some posed death threats to me, suggesting they reached the Transformer level."

It reported: "The environment there is unique, with the Dead Sea on the surface compressed to a thin layer, but with immense gravity and restraint, denser than Earth."

"The Mars Dead Sea has strong tides, sometimes highly compressed and condensed, sometimes stretching and erupting, like an undulating fountain."

"The Star Core Base is located among mountains, with Iron Soldiers working and collecting Light Seed Ores."

"There's a giant hole above the base, making it impossible for satellites to directly observe it."

"I couldn't delve into that hole, but my measurements find its shielding capability and mechanism familiar."

Zhou Yi immediately thought: "Like the one on the Forbidden Continent?"

"Yes, Chairman."

The atmosphere creature said seriously: "Compared to the Forbidden Continent's hole, the one on Mars is an even higher energy level complete structure. Not visible to the naked eye, only detected through extremely high-energy shocks."

Zhou Yi frowned.

Mars really has a connection with the Forbidden Continent.

"In that hole, I found something else."

The Ice Pot shared the information with Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi saw a massive pitch-black hole in the clear sky, its edges rolling, drawing in wisps of gas.

Inside the hole were transparent palaces, some grand and majestic, others small and round.

They were interconnected, floating stably inside the hole, like a Glass City suspended in the air.

In the largest central glass palace was a peculiar white object.

It was made of white snowflake-like solids, resembling a snowman made of snow pieces.

The Snowman was hitting the glass, seemingly trying to get out.

Zhou Yi was baffled.

How is there a trapped Snowman above Mars?

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